"No!"
Seeing Madarame Ikkaku so brazenly preparing to use Bankai on the 11th Division Training Grounds, Raizen Kō immediately drew thirty percent of his Reiatsu from his main body.
In an instant, Raizen Kō's spiritual pressure surged, stepping firmly into Third-Class Reiatsu, equivalent to a Squad Captain level.
There was no other choice; the two were locked in a fierce duel. If he rushed in without sufficient Reiatsu, he risked being caught in the crossfire.
"Whoosh!"
Faster than words could describe, Raizen Kō performed Shunpo, materializing on the field in a heartbeat. He grabbed Ikkaku mid-movement, interrupting the moment he was about to release his Bankai.
At the same time, with Kenpachi still wielding his sword one-handed under the eyepatch, Raizen Kō drew his Zanpakutō, expertly intercepting Kenpachi's attack.
Ayasegawa Yumichika, who had been about to step forward to stop Ikkaku, widened his eyes in shock. Before he could act, Raizen Kō had already halted Ikkaku's momentum.
"Little Raizen Kō has grown this much?"
Of course, Yumichika wasn't entirely surprised. He had seen the Fourth Seat grow over three years, but witnessing him project Squad Captain-level Reiatsu so effortlessly was beyond expectation. He had not observed Raizen's previous battle with Kenpachi, so this sudden emergence of power left him stunned.
"Ito… I mean, Raizen Kō, you're back?"
Madarame Ikkaku and Zaraki Kenpachi both called out in unison.
Raizen Kō's face darkened; it was clear the two had been too engrossed in their battle to notice his approach.
"Ikkaku-senpai, Captain, when fighting, could you at least be mindful of your surroundings?" Raizen scolded.
"And Bankai shouldn't be unleashed recklessly within the Squad's quarters!"
Ikkaku bowed repeatedly.
"Sorry, sorry, little Raizen, I misjudged!"
Kenpachi merely scoffed, turning his gaze elsewhere.
Sighing, Raizen Kō withdrew a small barrier capsule from his pocket a device purchased from Akon, Vice-Director of the 12th Division's Technological Development Bureau.
It could erect a simple protective barrier, impervious from the inside unless considerable force was applied, even by a Squad Captain-level Reiatsu. However, its duration was limited to fifteen minutes.
Raizen activated the capsule in the center of the Training Grounds. A soft light blue dome enveloped the entire area.
"You have fifteen minutes. Fight carefully don't break the barrier."
"And reimburse me from Squad funds for this capsule!" he added wryly.
Raizen knew that if he tried to restrain them without a solution, the battle would not stop. The barrier served two purposes: preventing structural damage to the Division's facilities and concealing Ikkaku's newly mastered Bankai from other Soul Reapers, preserving his wish to grow in combat before Kenpachi.
"Little Raizen has planned this meticulously," Ikkaku laughed. Kenpachi joined in. Raizen wisely took a step back, observing from the edge of the barrier.
Outside, Yumichika and Yachiru could only watch the sealed battleground.
"Sigh… he's so cunning. We won't see a thing now."
…
In the center, Ikkaku reconstructed Hozukimaru, broken earlier. A visible hurricane of spiritual energy erupted from the cracks.
"Bankai Ryūken Hozukimaru!"
Ikkaku's Reiatsu surged, climbing from Vice-Captain level to near Third-Class before stabilizing.
The hurricane dissipated, revealing Ikkaku fully in Bankai form. He wielded three massive axes, two in hand and one mounted on his back, intricately linked with chains and adorned with red tassels. A dragon motif was carved into the central axe.
"Impressive," Raizen mused. Even having seen this Bankai many times in memory, witnessing it live was thrilling.
Dragon Crest Hozukimaru was infamous as one of the weaker Bankai in the 11th Division, yet its dynamic display retained undeniable flair.
"Could this be an incomplete Bankai?" Raizen considered. "Similar to Renji's first Bankai. Perhaps Ikkaku's path to mastery left gaps, inadvertently affecting Renji later. At least during the Thousand-Year Blood War, Renji refined his Bankai in the Soul King Palace."
Ikkaku brandished his axes proudly.
"Heh, this is my Bankai impressed, Captain? And little Raizen?"
Kenpachi scoffed disdainfully.
Raizen feigned awe, replying, "Is this Ikkaku-senpai's Bankai? Truly remarkable!"
Ikkaku's grin widened.
"Underestimating me, Captain, will cost you!"
He lowered the axes, spinning them in a practiced motion. Kenpachi leaned casually on his blade, observing.
Red Reiatsu flowed into the dragon crest on the central axe. Thirty seconds later, the groove was fully saturated, and Ikkaku's Reiatsu peaked.
Raizen Kō measured the energy carefully. Even at its full charge, Ikkaku's Reiatsu barely touched Third-Class, weaker than Raizen's borrowed thirty percent from his main body, and far below the expeditionary Squad Captain defeated previously in Hueco Mundo let alone Kenpachi.
"Is that truly all it reaches when fully charged?" Raizen murmured, evaluating.
Even at his apex, Ikkaku's Bankai, while visually striking, remained far below the highest thresholds of Squad Captain and Kenpachi-level combat power.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ 20 + CHAPTERS BEFORE PUBLIC RELEASE OR PURCHASE FOR LIFETIME ACCESS! WE ARE CURRENTLY ON CHAPTER 99 ON PATREON.
patreon.com/Mynra