"Neither." Harry shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the blood still seeping through Ikkaku Madarame's bandages. "Now isn't the time for a duel. The Ryoka haven't been dealt with, Rukia's execution is approaching, and I have more important things to do."
He paused, then looked at Kenpachi Zaraki. "Besides, duels should be for getting stronger, not for a momentary impulse. If you really want to find an opponent, you should first think about how to deal with the trouble that may appear next."
Kenpachi Zaraki frowned, as if he did not understand what Harry meant, but he did not continue forcing the issue. He loved fighting, but he was not absolutely unreasonable.
When it came to major issues, he was still capable of restraint. That was also why the Captain-Commander had allowed him to become the captain of the Eleventh Division.
Kenpachi Zaraki put his eyepatch back on, shouldered his Zanpakutō, and spoke with a trace of unwillingness in his voice.
"Hmph, I'll let it go this time. But remember this, once this is over, I'm definitely fighting you. When that time comes, don't make any more excuses!"
Harry did not answer. He only nodded slightly to Kenpachi Zaraki, then looked at Ikkaku Madarame. "Rest and recover."
With that, he turned and walked toward the door. The hem of his Shihakushō swayed gently in the wind, and the coldness in his green eyes faded, returning to his usual warmth.
Kenpachi Zaraki watched his back, a complicated look flashing through his pupils.
This captain of the Tenth Division was different from the other captains in the Gotei 13. He clearly had such powerful Reiatsu, yet he was not warlike at all. Instead, he always seemed to be thinking about troublesome matters Kenpachi did not understand.
Kenpachi snorted, then turned to Ikkaku Madarame and said, "You hear that? Rest and recover! Once you're better, we're fighting first!"
Ikkaku Madarame said, "Yes, boss!"
Harry walked out of the Fourth Division relief station. Sunlight filtered through the gaps between the cherry blossom trees and fell over him.
He raised his head and looked toward the Tenth Division barracks. The Reiatsu there was calm and undisturbed. Rangiku should still be handling the division's affairs.
He walked lightly along the stone path. The patrolling Soul Reapers he passed all bowed respectfully when they saw him.
Harry occasionally nodded in response, but his mind had already drifted toward the next part of his plan.
Soon, the outline of the Tenth Division barracks appeared before him, its white walls and red-tiled roofs half-hidden behind the cherry blossom trees.
Harry took a deep breath, quickened his pace, and soon disappeared behind the barracks gate.
Meanwhile, after parting ways with Harry, Ichigo Kurosaki shook off the Eleventh Division's pursuit and finally encountered the first lieutenant-class opponent he had faced so far, Renji Abarai.
On the steps outside the Senzaikyū, Renji Abarai slowly walked down, his expression cold as he spoke to Ichigo Kurosaki not far away.
"I have to admit, I'm surprised. You actually made it this far. But this is the end. So, do you still remember this face?"
Ichigo Kurosaki's expression was serious as he said in a low voice, "I really would love to forget that ugly face of yours, but I've got a mountain of things I want to ask you, so how could I forget? Renji Abarai!"
Renji Abarai continued walking toward Ichigo Kurosaki. "That really is surprising. I didn't expect you to remember my name too. Not bad."
Ichigo Kurosaki said coldly, "Thanks for the compliment. Now can you move? I'm going to save Rukia!"
Renji Abarai shook his head, his tone becoming even colder.
"Save her? What makes you think you can save her? With that insignificant strength of yours?"
"I'm going to stop you here and kill you. Only then can Rukia recover her powers. Once that happens, Rukia's crime will be less severe, and there will still be a chance to save her!"
Ichigo Kurosaki shook his head. He had not expected Renji Abarai to be so naive.
He did not believe that if he died and Rukia regained her powers, Central 46 would let Rukia go.
Could Renji Abarai really not see it?
This trial itself was the problem.
Ichigo Kurosaki shook his head and tightened his grip on his Zanpakutō. "Renji Abarai, I really don't have time to mess around with you. Looks like I'll have to defeat you before I can go save Rukia."
Ichigo Kurosaki's attitude made it seem as if he could easily defeat Renji Abarai, and that silent provocation made Renji even angrier.
That anger mixed with his fury toward Ichigo Kurosaki for dragging Rukia into danger, twisting his expression into something ferocious.
He roared, "You're acting like you can actually beat me. Try it if you can!"
The stone steps outside the Senzaikyū gleamed coldly. Renji Abarai's roar still shook the air, and the Zanpakutō at his waist, Zabimaru, was already humming and trembling because of its master's rage.
The Reiatsu inside Renji Abarai surged from his body like boiling magma and rushed toward Ichigo Kurosaki.
Ichigo Kurosaki's hand suddenly tightened around his sword hilt. His palm pressed against the mark of the Reiatsu Amplification Array Harry had left behind.
The pale blue pattern instantly lit up around his wrist. Gentle but powerful spiritual energy flowed into his body through his palm. The three powers that had originally been clashing wildly inside him were suddenly combed by an invisible hand, surging together along the same path.
Buzz.
In the next instant, the Reiatsu inside Ichigo Kurosaki erupted, several times stronger than when he had fought the Eleventh Division.
Under the influence of that Reiatsu, even the surrounding air was lifted.
Sensing that Reiatsu, which had surpassed lieutenant level and even reached the level of a captain, the ferocity on Renji Abarai's face froze. His pupils contracted in shock.
"This… this Reiatsu… how is that possible?!"
He clearly remembered Ichigo from their encounter in the World of the Living not long ago. His Reiatsu had been strong, but chaotic. He might not even have been guaranteed to defeat a third seat. But now, his Reiatsu actually carried pressure approaching captain level.
Ichigo Kurosaki did not give Renji time to react. He pushed off the ground with the tip of his foot, his figure shooting forward like an arrow released from the string. His Zanpakutō drew a dazzling arc under the sunlight, and Reiatsu wrapped around the blade, making it glow faintly.
Renji Abarai did not dare be careless. He hurriedly swung his sword to block. The moment Zabimaru collided with Ichigo's blade, a tremendous force blasted it backward, and a tearing pain shot through the webbing of his hand.
"Impossible!" Renji roared as he drove his Reiatsu. "Roar, Zabimaru!"
The Zanpakutō, originally shaped like an ordinary katana, suddenly extended, transforming into a jagged serpent-like blade.
Renji Abarai swung Zabimaru with force. Zabimaru suddenly stretched out with a sharp sound tearing through the air, coiling toward Ichigo.
The blade's raised fangs gleamed coldly, as if they meant to tear Ichigo apart.
Facing such a dangerous strike, Ichigo did not panic at all. He turned slightly to avoid it, flipped his wrist, and precisely struck the joint of Zabimaru's segmented body.
Crack!
The crisp sound of colliding Reiatsu exploded, and Zabimaru's blade was violently knocked aside.
Renji Abarai felt a powerful spiritual current rush into his body through the blade, shaking his internal organs until they churned. His feet staggered backward uncontrollably, and he slammed heavily into the stone steps, sending fragments of rock flying.
"You… how did you become this strong?" Renji clutched his chest, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth as he stared at Ichigo in disbelief.
Facing his Shikai, Ichigo Kurosaki had defeated him with a single strike. In the entire Seireitei, aside from the lieutenant of the First Division, only captains could probably do that.
In just a few days, had Ichigo Kurosaki's strength actually reached captain level?
Ichigo Kurosaki did not answer. He only tightened his grip on his Zanpakutō, and the Reiatsu around him rose once more.
He could clearly feel the three powers inside him fusing in an unprecedented way under the guidance of the array.
Quincy, Soul Reaper, and Hollow powers no longer clashed with one another. Instead, they twisted together into a single rope, giving every swing of his sword overwhelming force.
He rushed forward again, the path of his Zanpakutō faster and more precise than before.
Renji Abarai barely raised his blade to resist, only to discover that his speed had fallen far behind.
The pressure of Ichigo's Reiatsu slowed his reactions, and Ichigo easily predicted the path of his blade in advance.
In only a few breaths, several cuts had appeared across Renji's Shihakushō. His shoulder and arm were struck one after another, and blood dripped from the wounds, staining the stone steps red.
"No!" Renji roared, pouring all his Reiatsu into Zabimaru. "How could I fall here?!"
Zabimaru's serpent head stretched out again, smashing toward Ichigo with the momentum to destroy everything.
But Ichigo Kurosaki only took a deep breath and poured all the fused power inside him into his blade.
Blazing Reiatsu wrapped around the edge like fire. He gripped his sword with both hands and swung fiercely.
A massive Reiatsu slash howled out, cutting through the air like lightning. Not only did it break through Zabimaru's strike, it also tore Renji Abarai's Reiatsu apart directly.
"Gah!"
Renji was struck hard by the slash. His entire body flew backward and crashed heavily onto the top of the stone steps. His Zanpakutō, Zabimaru, flew from his hand, returned to its original form, and stabbed into the ground beside him, still trembling faintly.
Even now, Renji Abarai had not given up. He struggled to climb back up, only to discover that all the Reiatsu in his body had been shaken into chaos. He did not even have the strength to raise his hand. He could only watch as Ichigo Kurosaki walked up the steps, one step at a time, and stopped in front of him.
Ichigo looked down at the battered Renji. There was no pride of victory in his voice, only a trace of helplessness.
"I told you, I don't have time to mess around with you. There's something wrong with Rukia's trial. If you keep being stubborn, you'll only let the real culprit get what he wants."
He did not stay any longer. He turned and walked toward the gate of the Senzaikyū.
Renji Abarai lay on the ground, staring at Ichigo's back, his chest heaving violently. His eyes were filled with shock and unwillingness.
He had never imagined that he would be defeated by a human in such an overwhelming way.
And that Reiatsu, which had suddenly become so much stronger, left a question rising in his heart.
Who exactly helped Ichigo Kurosaki become so powerful in such a short time?
Sensing that the Reiatsu in that direction had gradually calmed down, Harry withdrew his gaze and looked at the division work placed on his desk.
With his Reiatsu Amplification Array, Ichigo Kurosaki could definitely defeat Renji Abarai easily. Judging from the changes in Reiatsu, the battle seemed to have already ended.
Since the plan was developing along its expected path, Harry focused all his attention on handling division affairs.
After all, he had completely handed the division's work to Rangiku Matsumoto for the past several decades, and Harry did feel a little embarrassed. Since most of his attention was currently in the Bleach world, he might as well help Rangiku Matsumoto handle some division work.
However, Harry did not think he would be handling division affairs for long. If the plan went smoothly, it would not be long before he successfully devoured the Bleach world, or was completely expelled by the Bleach world.
Over the next few days, explosions rang through the Seireitei from time to time. Clearly, the Ryoka problem had not yet been resolved.
Harry found this somewhat puzzling. Given the Seireitei's strength, any captain who took action should have been able to easily deal with everyone other than Ichigo Kurosaki. So why had the captains not acted?
Could it be that, aside from him, the other captains had also sensed something unusual in the Seireitei?
That day, Harry continued staying in the captain's office to handle division affairs. Suddenly, the paper door of the Tenth Division barracks was yanked open, and Rangiku Matsumoto's hurried footsteps shattered the calm inside the room.
One hand rested on the Zanpakutō at her waist, Haineko, and her chest rose and fell sharply from running. Her usually lazy eyes were now filled with gravity, and even her hair was somewhat disheveled.
"Captain! Something happened!" Rangiku's voice carried rare urgency. The moment she entered, she quickly walked to Harry, unable to hide the shock in her eyes. "We just received an emergency report from the Fifth Division. Captain Aizen… Sōsuke Aizen, he's been killed!"
Harry was looking down at the division work on his desk. Hearing this, his fingers suddenly paused. His green eyes snapped up, and his voice carried a sharpness that was hard to detect.
"What did you say? Aizen is dead?"
"It's true!" Rangiku quickly nodded, pulled a wrinkled notice from inside her robe, and handed it to Harry. "The members of the Fifth Division found him pinned to the wall of the barracks by his own Zanpakutō. There were no traces of the killer left at the scene."
Harry accepted the notice and quickly scanned the words on it.
Captain of the Fifth Division Sōsuke Aizen was attacked and killed at three quarters past the hour of the snake in the division barracks. The fatal wound was a penetrating injury caused by a Zanpakutō. No residual Reiatsu from the killer was found at the scene. It is suspected to have been the work of a high-ranking Soul Reaper or Ryoka.
His fingertips rubbed against the paper, and his brow gradually furrowed.
"No residual Reiatsu at the scene? That's impossible. Even a high-ranking Soul Reaper would leave a Reiatsu trail when attacking."
Rangiku said uneasily, "The Gotei 13 is in chaos right now. The Captain-Commander has already ordered the Fifth Division sealed off and told every division to strengthen patrols, saying we need to catch the killer. But… Captain Aizen was so strong. Who could kill him without making a sound?"
Harry set the notice down, stood, and walked to the window, looking toward the Fifth Division.
The sunlight was still bright, and cherry blossoms were still drifting, but the Reiatsu in that area was abnormally chaotic. He could faintly sense Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Reiatsu rapidly approaching.
Clearly, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had also been startled by this sudden death report.
"Something is wrong." Harry's voice turned colder, and suspicion flashed through his green eyes. "Aizen's strength is far beyond what it appears to be. His Kyōka Suigetsu can hypnotize opponents. Even if he encountered a captain-class attack, it's impossible that he wouldn't have had a chance to resist, and it's even less likely that the killer could easily erase every trace of Reiatsu."
He turned to Rangiku, his tone carrying unquestionable certainty. "We're going to the Fifth Division immediately. I have a feeling there's something wrong with Aizen's death."
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