Without a moment of hesitation, Rangiku acted purely on instinct.
With a flash of Flash Step, she dashed directly to Naraku Sora's side, unceremoniously prying Katori Batsu'unsai off him and pulling her aside.
She then shielded him firmly behind her back, glaring warily at the woman in front of her whose bust size was downright scandalous.
Even though her own physical development was already considered the cream of the crop among Soul Reapers her age.
Compared to this fully ripened fruit, there was still a noticeable gap.
Therefore, even if they were evenly matched in terms of looks, Rangiku still felt a strong sense of crisis.
Compared to Captain Unohana of Squad Four...
...the woman before her was the real threat.
Katori Batsu'unsai stared blankly at the young woman who was acting like a fiercely protective lioness, freezing in place for a moment.
Naraku Sora scratched his head, inexplicably feeling that the atmosphere had become somewhat delicate.
"You despicable woman, as long as I'm here, don't even think about laying a hand on Lord Naraku."
Seeming to realize that her actions were a bit too aggressive, Rangiku sensed her own inappropriateness and hastily found an excuse to justify herself.
"Ahem, Rangiku, Miss Katori just wanted to express her gratitude."
Naraku Sora explained briefly before quickly changing the subject.
"But you came at the perfect time. I'll leave these three to you for now; I need to go support the other battlefields."
Rangiku turned around, her eyes widening. Just as she was about to say something, the figure in front of her suddenly flashed and vanished from the spot.
She was just about to give chase when a voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Miss Rangiku?"
Rangiku gritted her teeth, forcibly halting her Flash Step stance. She turned around and looked over with a face full of disgust.
She saw Katori Batsu'unsai wearing a gentle smile as she asked softly,
"Could you tell me more about Lord Naraku?"
Rangiku took a deep breath, her expression firm and resolute.
"No!"
Since they had just broken free from Hell's control, Naraku Sora did not expect those first-generation captains to immediately throw themselves into the war.
After all, Zenjōji Uhin's miserable state was still fresh in his mind.
The crisis in the Soul Society still had to be resolved through the Soul Reapers' own efforts.
His streak-of-light-like figure shuttled through the war-torn streets, occasionally kicking up shockwaves from the explosions.
District Seven.
The fiercely terrifying-looking Shigyo Nobutsuna had his facial features twisted in exertion. He swung his Zanpakutō so fast it was almost a blur, displaying a series of masterful Zanjutsu techniques.
Yet, he could only bitterly hold his ground.
Opposite him was a Soul Reaper who looked even more ferocious than he did.
No, he should be called a monster.
When he first arrived, he encountered the current Squad Seven Captain, Aikawa Love, a Soul Reaper wielding a massive spiked club.
His Reiatsu was extremely fiery, and his physical strength was quite impressive.
A casual strike from him could collapse houses and smash deep craters into the earth.
Shigyo Nobutsuna was very satisfied with this successor.
Thus, he put forth a hundred and twenty percent of his effort to deal with him. After a bitter struggle, he finally managed to defeat him.
However, just as he was preparing to move on to another district, a demon-like figure suddenly ambushed him. A jagged longsword was raised high and slashed down mercilessly.
With just one strike, it nearly cleaved him in two.
The other party's words made his blood run cold and his scalp tingle.
"My name is Zaraki Kenpachi. Let's enjoy a slaughter to our hearts' content!"
Upon hearing this name, Shigyo Nobutsuna's first reaction was: *'Did that god of death, Unohana Retsu, get defeated by this guy in front of me?'*
But he quickly remembered that when he first returned from Hell, he had seen Unohana Retsu's figure in one of the barracks.
Thus, he decisively rejected that idea.
*'Maybe he's just some guy whose surname is Zaraki and whose given name is Kenpachi.'*
*'It probably has nothing to do with the actual title of Kenpachi.'*
With that in mind, he rallied his spirits and engaged the opponent in battle.
His opening move was an unreserved slash that struck directly onto Zaraki Kenpachi's shoulder.
*Squelch—*
The exposed chest was immediately split open with a hideous gash. Thick, scalding blood sprayed out, filling the ruins with a strong metallic stench.
Just as Shigyo Nobutsuna was wondering why his opponent didn't dodge or block, a berserk golden Reiatsu poured out, transforming into a massive pillar of light that shot straight into the sky.
From the performance of that single slash, Zaraki Kenpachi realized that the first-generation captain before him was a rare opponent. Whether it was Reiatsu or technique, he was top-tier.
He immediately unleashed all his ferocity, completely immersing himself in the ensuing slaughter.
Soon, Shigyo Nobutsuna realized that things were taking a turn for the worse.
The enemy before him didn't seem like a Soul Reaper at all, but an absolute monster.
His chaotic hacking and slashing lacked any of the elegance of Zanjutsu; it was more akin to a brawl between wild beasts.
Baring fangs and claws to tear the opponent's body to shreds.
Normally, when sparring with other captains, Zaraki had to hold back in various ways. Even his occasional trips to the Shino Prison for a challenge left him unsatisfied.
After all, although Komamura Sajin and the others were strong, there was still a significant gap between them and him.
Only Naraku Sora could make Zaraki Kenpachi feel the true joy of slaughter.
However, due to his terrible sense of direction and the fact that Naraku Sora was rarely at the barracks, he could never find the man.
Now that he had finally stumbled upon an opportunity to fight to his heart's content...
...he naturally couldn't let it slip away easily.
"Is this all you've got?"
Zaraki Kenpachi hollered with a wild, arrogant expression, "Bring out your full strength, ugly! Don't make me think you're even worse than the big dog!"
Shigyo Nobutsuna's face flushed red.
*'What does he mean, worse than a dog?!'*
*'Are all the juniors nowadays this arrogant?'*
He continuously pushed himself to the limit, trying to squeeze out a bit more power from Hell to suppress this monster-like guy.
Yet, no matter what he did, he couldn't mount an effective counterattack.
For every inch he grew stronger, his opponent grew a foot.
The man always maintained a steady suppression, forever staying one step ahead of him.
*'Could this guy really be the Kenpachi?'*
Sent flying by another slash, doubt rose in Shigyo Nobutsuna's heart.
However, before he could think further, a golden streak of light flashed across the sky, plummeting toward him like a meteor.
*Boom!*
A massive wave of dust surged up, blotting out the sky and the sun.
Yoruichi, her entire body wreathed in lightning, mercilessly kicked her dear uncle in the head, sending him flying like a soccer ball.
He crashed through over a dozen buildings before finally coming to a halt.
Under Naraku Sora's personal guidance, Yoruichi could now perfectly control the advanced form of Shunkō.
Although she couldn't sustain it for too long, it was still a significant boost in combat power.
At this moment, she looked like a bristling black lightning cat. Even under the sunlight, she radiated a brilliance that was hard to look at directly.
"Cough, cough... That was a bit too strong..."
Shihōin Chika crawled out of the ruins, feeling as if he had suffered a concussion. His entire body was dizzy, and the ringing in his ears was extremely severe.
"As expected of the genius of my Shihōin clan."
He shook his head, forcing himself to recover.
As a Sinner of Hell who had endured countless tortures, this bit of pain was nothing.
"To think you actually developed an advanced form of Shunkō. On this path, you have already surpassed me."
Hearing this, Yoruichi couldn't help but grin.
"It's all thanks to Sora that I was able to develop Shunkō to this level."
Shihōin Chika's expression froze, and he immediately gnashed his teeth.
*'Why is that bastard brat everywhere?'*
*'No, I have to find a way to leave this battlefield. If I don't test that guy's mettle myself, I won't be able to rest in peace!'*
Just as he was thinking this, an extremely terrifying Reiatsu suddenly descended upon the District Two battlefield.
Seeing the newcomer, Yoruichi's eyes lit up. Just as she was about to say something, her uncle charged forward like a moth to a flame.
"Naraku Sora!"
Faced with this unprovoked sneak attack, a certain someone raised his hand and fired off a Black Flash. Black and red arcs of lightning distorted the space as a pure slash swept straight ahead.
Accompanied by a spray of blood, a large head flew into the sky.
Shihōin Chika's expression instantly froze.
"Huh?"
Naraku Sora realized it a second too late. "Did I just chop off something important?"
Yoruichi: "..."
After some explanation, Naraku Sora finally realized the identity of the headless man.
"No worries, I'll reattach Uncle's head right now."
He skillfully cast Impure World Reincarnation. After a flash of white light, Shihōin Chika returned to the world of the living.
By the time Chika regained his senses and wanted to pick a fight, Naraku Sora had already bolted from the District Two battlefield.
Although the threat of several first-generation captains had been resolved, the overall situation was still far from optimistic.
Aside from Unohana Retsu, Kyōraku Shunsui, and a few others, the rest of the captains were at a disadvantage against the first generations.
More importantly, there were other captain-class Sinners present.
For example, the former ninth Kenpachi Gosuke, the Rukongai ronin Kiganjō, as well as Tsunayashiro Taketori and Tsunayashiro Tokinada, among others.
Naraku Sora fought his way all the way to the Squad One barracks.
However, he found that unlike other places, the Sinners seemed to know that the old man inside was not to be trifled with, and hadn't invaded this area at all.
It remained peaceful and quiet here.
"Teacher, if you have nothing better to do, you could go support the other battlefields."
Naraku Sora appeared in the courtyard with a swish, speaking to Yamamoto who was standing under the eaves.
"If nothing else, you could at least shout a few words of encouragement to boost morale."
Yamamoto: "?"
"You insolent brat, I am holding the center to guard against a more powerful enemy. How could I easily move to other battlefields?"
If he hadn't seen that his rebellious disciple's haori was missing and even his Shishakushō was torn to shreds, he would have slashed the boy the moment he uttered those treasonous words.
Hearing this, Naraku Sora looked up at the Gates of Hell suspended at the zenith of the sky.
"It's been quiet for so long. They should have sent out their entire force by now, right?"
"Could there really be Soul Reapers stronger than the first generations?"
Just as Yamamoto was about to explain, the Gates of Hell let out another rumbling roar. The skeletons shifted, pulling the doors wide open.
A massive, iron-blue hand suddenly reached out from the deep crimson abyss, followed by a giant monster tens of meters tall stepping out.
A terrifying Reiatsu permeated the area recklessly, making the air grow increasingly heavy.
Just as Naraku Sora was brushing it off, one monster after another crawled out from Hell, their dark shadows covering the sky over the Seireitei!