"That captain is... a captain I've never seen before."
Ikkaku Madarame glanced at Sōgo, who was standing opposite Kenpachi Zaraki, and was slightly taken aback. He had never seen this captain wearing Captain's Haori before.
"Oh~ you mean Little Sōgo ~"
"He's the captain of the Second Division!"
Hearing Ikkaku Madarame's mutterings, Yachiru Kusajishi turned to the side and explained with a smile.
"Is this the captain of the Second Division? The one known as the most mysterious captain in Soul Society?"
Ikkaku Madarame was shocked by Yachiru Kusajishi's words. He never imagined that the great prey his captain was talking about would actually be the captain of the most mysterious Second Division among the thirteen captains of the Seireitei.
Whether it was the Captain-Commander's emergency summons or the monthly squad leader meetings, he always sent his vice-captain to participate, while he himself never appeared in Seireitei. In fact, among all the newly recruited squad members in Seireitei, there were rumors that this so-called Second Division Captain was not even a real figure. This legendary figure suddenly appeared in front of Ikkaku Madarame, which really startled him.
"Is he the 'big prey' the captain was talking about?"
After scrutinizing Sōgo from head to toe, Ikkaku Madarame lightly scratched his shiny scalp and asked the question to Yachiru Kusajishi, the vice-captain standing beside him.
To be honest, Ikkaku Madarame couldn't see anything particularly strong about Sōgo Shihoin. In fact, in Ikkaku Madarame's eyes Sōgo Shihoin was even inferior to him after he had Bankai... He was far inferior to Retsu Unohana, who had almost made him succumb with just his eyes and killing intent. He really couldn't understand how Sōgo Shihoin the title of "great prey".
"Um!"
"Today, it was thanks to Xiao Ken-chan's request that Little Hana-hana managed to trick Sōgo out of the house."
"Although I lost to Little Sōgo last time, Ken-chan must win this time!"
"Go, Ken-chan!!!"
Yachiru Kusajishi spoke, she began to cheer on Kenpachi Zaraki.
"Wait! Vice-Captain Yachiru Kusajishi, what did you just say? That the captain has been defeated?"
"Are you implying that... our captain has ever lost to this Little White in front of us?"
Ikkaku Madarame frowned, his eyes filled with disbelief. What had he just heard? He had actually heard that Yachiru Kusajishi -captain say... In his eyes, the word represented invincibility. Kenpachi Zaraki, the symbol of invincibility, had actually been defeated by this ordinary Little White in front of him.
"Um?!"
With his exceptional hearing, Sōgo withdrew his gaze from Kenpachi Zaraki in Ikkaku Madarame. He had just heard Ikkaku Madarame address him and decided to slash him later.
"Yeah! Ken-chan lost to Little Sōgo; he was instantly killed by Little Sōgo in one hit!"
Yachiru Kusajishi nodded repeatedly at Ikkaku Madarame, indicating that Ikkaku Madarame should not be surprised, as this was the truth.
"My God?!"
Ikkaku Madarame's expression changed drastically. He no longer knew how to face Sōgo and Kenpachi. Kenpachi Zaraki, who was invincible in his eyes, had actually been instantly killed?! This was far beyond Ikkaku Madarame's imagination.
"Keep a close eye on Little Ikkaku. The upcoming battle is what you've always been pursuing... a battle between the strongest warriors in Soul Society!"
Yachiru Kusajishi spoke softly, her large eyes devoid of light, like a black hole absorbing a source of light in the universe.
"Gulp..."
Ikkaku Madarame nervously swallowed, wanting to say something, but before he could speak, the two people in the room started moving.
"Roar!"
Kenpachi Zaraki roared like a mad beast, his blade aimed straight at Sōgo's head.
"Boom!"
With a deafening roar, Kenpachi Zaraki's terrifying slash left a mark several meters deep on the training ground below.
Why are you in such a hurry? Haste makes waste!
Sōgo stepped on the back of Kenpachi Zaraki's Zanpakuto in the ground, and smiled to the side. Sōgo 'Kenpachi Zaraki frenzied attack.
"Um?!"
Kenpachi Zaraki watched as Sougo, hands on his hips and a smug smile on his face, Sōgo bulging on his forehead, his body surging with power.
Don't waste your energy.
You can't pull your knife out.
Sōgo allowed Kenpachi Zaraki to unleash his chilling Spiritual Pressure, while maintaining the elegance befitting a nobleman.
"Don't... underestimate me!"
Kenpachi Zaraki's jaws dropped open, his sharp teeth gleaming coldly, and his long, flowing hair stood on end without wind. What kind of human was this?! He was practically a peerless ferocious beast that had been lost from ancient times to the present day.
"How scary!"
Have you even pushed your teeth to their limit?
Sōgo looked at the mad beast radiating madness before him and teased it.
"Not just teeth!"
"Every drop of blood in my body has been trained to its limit!"
Before Sōgo could continue his teasing, Kenpachi Zaraki's veins bulged all over his body, and from a distance, it looked as if his entire body had swelled up, transforming him into a tall and terrifying giant.
"Um?!"
Sōgo frowned as he looked at the suddenly enormous Kenpachi Zaraki. He wasn't puzzled by the change in Kenpachi Zaraki's appearance, but by the astonishing power emanating from Kenpachi Zaraki's body.
Get out of here!
Before Sōgo could figure it out, Kenpachi Zaraki used both hands to pull out the Zanpakuto that Sōgo had been stepping on.
"Sharp..."
Using the force of Kenpachi Zaraki's Batto Sword Drawing, Sōgo leaped into the air, spun around four times while hugging his legs, and landed easily. He put one hand on his hip and praised his opponent without any hesitation.
"Ha!"
The response to Sōgo was not Kenpachi Zaraki's gratitude, but a slash imbued with golden Spiritual Pressure.
"Roar!"
Sōgo dodged the slash by sidestepping it, and smiled slightly Sōgo 'looked' at the slash that left a huge crack in the ground.
"Your move is a bit like Uncle Isshin's Getsuga Tenshō ~"
Sōgo analyzed the principle behind Kenpachi Zaraki's move, his hands suddenly felt a little itchy.
"Since you've shown me something so interesting, I should at least give you a little response, don't you think?"
Sōgo spoke, he directly unsheathed the Sayafushi from his waist... He didn't Sayafushi, after all, he only intended to show Kenpachi Zaraki his treasure, and didn't intend to really kill Kenpachi. Sōgo held the Sayafushi, which was surrounded by Spiritual Pressure, and raised it high above his head.
At the same moment Sōgo Sayafushi above his head, endless Spiritual Pressure converged upon Sayafushi.
"Two Zanpakuto?"
Ikkaku Madarame watched as Sōgo unsheathed one of his two Zanpakuto at his waist, and finally noticed the crucial point: Sōgo actually possessed two Zanpakuto —this was truly unbelievable...
"Oh!"
Before Ikkaku Madarame could investigate further, Sōgo's slash had already landed, and a massive blue Spiritual Pressure formed a crescent moon that hurtled straight towards Kenpachi Zaraki.
"Ah!!!"
Kenpachi Zaraki roared as he faced the terrifying crescent moon, Zanpakuto tightly with both hands, trying to block the attack.
"Boom!"
With a deafening roar, the slash collided with Kenpachi Zaraki Kenpachi Zaraki, and a massive shockwave spread outwards from the point of impact.
"Holy crap..."
Bald-headed Ikkaku Madarame was caught off guard and blown away by the shockwave, crashing heavily into the wall of the training ground.
"It's over."
Sōgo felt the shockwave, comparable to a Category 8 hurricane, smiled slightly, re-tied the Sayafushi to his waist, and turned around. A real man never watches explosions.
"It's not over yet!"
As the howling wind subsided, a roar exploded beside Sōgo's ear. Kenpachi Zaraki, who had taken the blow head-on, was now naked with obvious slash marks on his upper body, still bleeding. He gripped his Zanpakuto and aimed straight for Sōgo 'Sōgo head.
No! It's over.
Sōgo seemed to have known all along that Kenpachi Zaraki would ambush him, and remained expressionless with his back to Kenpachi.
" Bakudō #1: Sai!"
Sōgo a hand seal and released the Kidō.
"Um?"
In an instant, Kenpachi Zaraki found that his hands were no longer under his control. He dropped his Zanpakuto and was forced behind his back by an invisible force.
"Your hands can no longer hold a knife; it's obvious I've won this match again."
Sōgo lowered his right hand, which was forming a hand seal, and smiled slightly.
"Bump!"
The next second, before Sōgo finish showing off, he felt a sharp pain in his lower back, and he stumbled and almost fell over.
"You've only bound my hands, but even with my hands bound, I still have my feet! Even with my feet bound, I still have my head! Even with my head bound, I still have this body!"
"I have plenty of ways to deal with you, how can this battle be considered over?"
Kenpachi Zaraki lay prone on the ground, staring at Sōgo.
"Hahaha... hahahaha..."
"Really? You're really tenacious!"
"Hahaha... Fine! Then let me give you the deepest despair right here."
After hearing Kenpachi Zaraki's words, Sōgo turned around, touched his face, and grinned maliciously, like a demon king about to deliver the final blow to the hero, and laughed loudly.
" Bakudō Number Ninety-Nine... Bankin!"
Sōgo finally got a little serious and started by slamming his 99th Kidō into the face.
"Release the 99th Kidō without chanting? Are you kidding me?"
Ikkaku Madarame, slumped on the ground, stared at the two dueling in the arena, beads of cold sweat dripping from his forehead. He had never heard of anyone being able to unleash the 99th Kidō without chanting. Even the Great Kidō Kidō Chief in Soul Society, had never heard of anyone being able to instantly unleash the 99th Kidō without any preparation.
"The first song, Shiryū!"
A huge strip of cloth suddenly appeared and instantly wrapped around Kenpachi Zaraki's body, making it even more difficult for the already immobile Kenpachi Zaraki to move.
"Two turns, Hyakurensan!"
Dozens of iron nails appeared out of thin air and pierced directly into the immobile Kenpachi Zaraki's body, Kenpachi Zaraki in place.
"Finale, the Bankin Taihō! And... goodbye!"
Suddenly, a huge swastika-shaped stone tablet appeared in the air, accompanied by a whooshing sound and carrying immense power, attempting to crush Kenpachi Zaraki, who was unable to move an inch beneath it.
"Boom!"
The moment the massive stone tablet fell, a gust of wind howled forth, brushing against the faces of everyone who witnessed it.
"No way?!"
" Kenpachi... you just... died like that?"
Ikkaku Madarame walked tremblingly toward the swastika-shaped stone tablet, his body swaying as if he had lost his soul.
"Don't worry! Young 11th Division member, I've held back. With Kenpachi Zaraki's tough body, he can lie in the hospital for ten days or half a month and then be back to his energetic self, running rampant in Soul Society."
Sōgo Shihoin instantly appeared beside Ikkaku Madarame, patted him on the shoulder, and spoke softly.
"Is... is that so?"
After hearing Sōgo's words, Ikkaku Madarame trembled; to be honest, he hadn't quite come to his senses yet.
"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and thank Brother Sōgo!"
Sōgo Shihoin frowned as he watched Madarame Ikkaku Madarame's body tremble uncontrollably.
"Uh... right! 11th Division member, Ikkaku Madarame thanks Brother Sōgo!"
Ikkaku Madarame then realized what was happening, nodded repeatedly, and thanked him.
"That's more like it..."
"That concludes today's sparring session."
" Sister Hana, I'm leaving now!"
" Yachiru, you should visit the Second Division sometime! I've prepared lots of delicious snacks for you; just take them with you..."
"Oh, and don't bring Kenpachi Zaraki with you when you come!"
"Our Second Division's rule number one: Kenpachi and dogs are not allowed inside!"
Sōgo said goodbye to Sister Hana, then patted Yachiru Kusajishi's head before preparing to leave.
"Um?!"
Sister Hana hadn't originally planned to say anything, but when she heard that Sōgo's Kenpachi and dogs weren't allowed inside, a hint of displeasure flashed across her face.
Kenpachi and dogs aren't allowed in? Does that mean I should just avoid the Second Division from now on?
" Sōgo-kun, the battle isn't over yet~"
Why don't you stay and take another look?
Sister Hana spoke to Sōgo in her gentlest voice.
"Forehead..."
Sōgo heard Sister Hana's incredibly gentle, sweet voice, like a newlywed wife speaking to her husband, he couldn't help but shudder.
"Let's see... But no matter how powerful he is, he can't escape my swastika-shaped great restriction!"
Sōgo turned around, head held high, to face Kenpachi Zaraki, who was pinned under the stone tablet.
"That's not necessarily true, Sōgo-kun."
Sister Hana smiled gently, her eyes narrowed. She had unwavering confidence in Kenpachi Zaraki. At least now, Kenpachi had regained most of his former power, and breaking free from Sōgo's weakened Kenpachi (a type of Bankin) would be no problem at all.
"Impossible... Absolutely not..."
Sōgo confidently shook his head. He was joking; how could Kenpachi Zaraki defeated by a single punch just a few decades ago, possibly become so strong in such a short time?!
In just a few decades, the number of cars has skyrocketed from Kensei Muguruma to dozens, even reaching three digits! This is simply unbelievable...
"Boom!"
Under Sōgo's deeply unscientific 'gaze,' the Bankin cracked!
The next moment, the stone tablet exploded, and out of the crack in the stone sprang Kenpachi Zaraki, whose body was riddled with holes and was still bleeding profusely.
"..."
"Don't you feel any pain?"
Sōgo looked at Kenpachi Zaraki, who was bleeding profusely, and remained silent for a moment before finally asking a question.
"This..."
An awkward silence fell as Sōgo asked his question.
He's Kenpachi Zaraki, incredibly powerful, unleashing his full power to break through the Bankin, and this guy in front of him is just asking if it hurts? Is that even a question of whether it hurts or not?
In terms of peak performance, how many times would Kenpachi Zaraki, Bankai splitting a meteorite, Kensei's?
(End of this chapter)