"This is… Kenpachi Zaraki?!"
In the dim hall of the 5th Division, Ichimaru Gin's narrow eyes widened, genuine horror flickering deep within.
He had only looked once at the monstrous figure on-screen—
and that one glance was enough to send a shiver racing down his spine.
Moments ago, Kenpachi had split a meteor in half with a single swing of his blade.
And now… that same man stood before them transformed—
his skin a burning crimson, his eyes feral, his presence so overwhelming it distorted the very air around him.
Even through the screen, that demonic aura crushed down on the viewers.
Gin's smile vanished completely.
Sweat soaked the back of his uniform.
He'd teased everyone before, even under Aizen's gaze.
But now—
he was silent.
Utterly silenced by fear.
Beside him, Aizen Sōsuke adjusted his glasses calmly, but his tone betrayed a flicker of emotion.
"First the Shikai… now the Bankai."
He smirked faintly. "Zaraki Kenpachi—your evolution truly exceeds all expectations."
A pause.
Then Aizen's voice dropped to a near-whisper.
"…How enviable… and exhilarating."
For the briefest moment, the mastermind himself felt something strange—
a spark of admiration.
If Kenpachi could shatter the boundaries that defined Shinigami—
could awaken a Zanpakutō once thought impossible to release—
then perhaps…
he, too, could transcend his limits.
To surpass death.
To break the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow.
To seize the empty throne of Heaven itself.
Aizen's gaze deepened, a glint of hunger flickering in his eyes.
Kenpachi's evolution was proof—
the system of the world could be broken.
Meanwhile, in the 4th Division,
Unohana Retsu—the woman who once trained the first Kenpachi—stared at the screen in stunned silence.
"This form…"
"Even centuries ago, I never felt such pressure from him."
Her elegant face paled slightly, her eyes wide with awe.
The being before her wasn't a man anymore—
it was pure instinct and destruction incarnate.
Beside her, Kotetsu Isane trembled violently.
"C-Captain… that demon… is it really Captain Kenpachi?"
Her voice cracked, close to tears.
"I've never felt such… killing intent… not even from the Captain-Commander!"
Unohana didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
The silence alone confirmed what they were all thinking—
this wasn't just Kenpachi's Bankai.
This was his true nature, unleashed.
The footage resumed.
A titanic figure reappeared on-screen—Gerard Valkyrie, the Quincy god-knight, towering like a living fortress.
His eyes narrowed.
"That pressure… his reiatsu just spiked, but his sword's broken. He can't possibly—"
"Enough talk," he snarled. "A shattered blade can't stop me!"
The giant lunged forward, fist raised like a divine hammer.
The air itself cracked under the motion.
And then—
"RAAAAAAAAH!!!"
A monstrous roar ripped through the sky.
The Demon Kenpachi rose, muscles bulging, eyes glowing blood-red.
With one arm—just one—he swung Nozarashi's broken edge.
SLASH!!!
The sound was sharp and final.
In the next instant—
Gerard's massive arm fell from his body, severed cleanly.
A sonic boom followed as the limb crashed into the earth, carving a canyon through the battlefield.
The explosion shook the screen, scattering dust and light.
Viewers across every realm flinched instinctively.
Gerard roared in pain, staggering backward as the shockwave leveled the ground.
The image froze on Kenpachi's blood-soaked form—
towering, silent, unstoppable.
"Just like that…?"
In the 6th Division, Byakuya Kuchiki's usually calm expression twitched.
He remembered his own battle against Gerard vividly—how it had taken him and Hitsugaya together to bring the giant down.
And yet…
Kenpachi had done it alone, in two swings.
"Impossible…"
Beside him, Renji Abarai stood dumbfounded.
"Captain Kenpachi just one-shot the guy who tanked both you and Tōshirō?!"
He rubbed the back of his neck, muttering under his breath,
"If only Zabimaru were that strong…"
Byakuya's gaze sharpened.
"If my prediction is correct," he said coolly, "that Quincy will soon die for the third time."
He folded his arms. "After that, there will be nothing left of him but shame."
Sure enough—
the video resumed.
Gerard screamed from above, holy wings flaring with radiant light.
"You dare wound a god?! I'll crush you where you stand!"
He dove, sword raised—
but the Demon Kenpachi only tilted his head slightly.
Then came the swing.
One red arc of light cleaved through the heavens.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The clouds split apart.
The earth shook.
Gerard's body, and the heavens themselves, were cut in two.
Blood rained down like a storm.
The scene ended in crimson silence.
"This is insane…"
"He really did it—he killed that Quincy again!"
In the 10th Division, Hitsugaya Tōshirō exhaled sharply.
"As expected… that's a monster beyond comprehension."
He clenched his fist.
To think that his Bankai had once frozen Gerard…
but Kenpachi had simply cut through him.
There was no comparison.
His Shikai, Hyōrinmaru, might have been elegant and beautiful—
but Nozarashi was pure, unrelenting destruction.
It didn't need elegance.
It didn't need technique.
Just power.
Even Tōshirō, proud as he was, found himself smiling bitterly.
"There's no doubt about it," he said quietly.
"Seventh place is well deserved."
Behind him, Matsumoto Rangiku fanned herself nervously.
"Captain… did you see that last swing? I swear he nearly split the sky open!"
She wiped sweat from her forehead. "If that's only seventh place, then what kind of monsters are the top six?!"
Her words hung in the air.
No one dared to answer.
Because if Kenpachi's Shikai alone could destroy gods—
then the blades ranked above him…
might just be strong enough to destroy the Soul King's Palace itself.
The screen faded to black.
The words appeared in brilliant red—
To Be Continued…
(End of Chapter)
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