CHAPTER 36

"So… so strong…"

Kurosaki Ichigo and Ishida Uryū, battered and bruised, felt the sharp aches coursing through their bodies. Yet, the physical pain paled in comparison to the overwhelming dread gripping their hearts.

Only now did they truly understand what it meant to stand before a true powerhouse.

This was beyond anything they had ever imagined.

Rukia Kuchiki watched in silence, her thoughts racing. Through that last blow, Ichigo should have realized the vast gap between him and Aki, right? If only he would back down…

But she knew Ichigo far too well—he was never one to retreat.

Sure enough, Ichigo struggled to his feet, coughing.

"I… I haven't lost yet! Come at me again!"

Akira shook his head and scoffed.

"You really think you survived my attack unscathed? Ridiculous."

"Just now, for Rukia's sake, I held back. I suggest you don't waste the opportunity she bought for you."

Ichigo hesitated for a moment, then gripped his Zanpakutō tighter.

"I don't believe it! I won't back down!"

"Oh… how shameless."

Akira's tone turned ice-cold as a terrifying burst of Reiatsu erupted from him.

"Buzz!"

The air itself trembled.

Ishida, still collapsed on the ground, shuddered violently. Even Ichigo, despite standing, could barely endure the crushing pressure.

Cold sweat dripped from Rukia's brow as she stared at Akira in horror.

"What… what kind of monstrous spiritual pressure is this?!"

As Akira suppressed Ichigo and the others, his mind pondered a single question—should he kill Kurosaki Ichigo or not?

Ensuring the stability of the world's future by keeping Ichigo alive was a logical choice. Yet, at his current strength, Akira felt confident he could handle any future threats regardless of Ichigo's fate.

So the choice remained his: kill Ichigo or let him live.

However, while Akira himself had yet to make a firm decision, the bystanders watching him had already reached their own conclusions.

"Oh dear, if you kill Kurosaki Ichigo, that would be quite the inconvenience for me."

A new voice rang out.

Urahara Kisuke, who had been observing from the shadows ever since he helped Ichigo leave his body, finally stepped forward.

Standing between Ichigo and Akira, Urahara gripped his cane-turned-Zanpakutō, his expression unusually serious.

"Urahara Kisuke?" Akira raised an eyebrow. "So you're planning to interfere?"

Hearing the name, Kuchiki Byakuya narrowed his eyes slightly.

Urahara smirked. "You saw through my identity immediately? This captain I've never met is even sharper than I expected."

"But you're right—I'm afraid I'll have to step in. I can't let you kill Kurosaki Ichigo."

Akira scoffed.

"You? Alone?"

Urahara sighed, his usual playful demeanor slightly subdued.

"Well, I'll admit… facing two captain-class opponents is a bit troublesome, even for me."

"But don't forget, both of you are wearing the limiters imposed on Soul Society captains. Your spiritual pressure is sealed. I, on the other hand, am not bound by such restrictions."

The limiters—a restriction placed on captains when they traveled to the Human World, preventing them from exerting their full power to avoid collateral damage. This seal reduced their Reiatsu by 80%, leaving them with only a fraction of their actual strength.

"And…" Urahara's gaze shifted toward Byakuya.

"If I'm not mistaken, Captain Kuchiki is still severely injured. He may seem composed, but moving too much will only make it worse."

"What?"

Rukia's eyes widened. She turned to Byakuya and, upon closer inspection, noticed the pallor of his face.

Her mind flashed back to Akira's earlier words.

Slowly, she turned to look at Akira again.

Wait… so you're the one who did this to my brother?!

Caught between her best friend and her brother, Rukia felt an impending headache.

Akira, however, simply chuckled.

"You really think you can challenge me with just 20% of your Reiatsu?"

Urahara blinked in surprise. He had assumed that, even at 20% power, any captain-class fighter would still be a formidable opponent against another captain under the same restrictions.

Did this man really think he was as powerful as Yamamoto Genryūsai himself?

Or… was he truly just that strong?

"Is this pride? Or something more…?"

Urahara Kisuke narrowed his eyes, gripping Benihime firmly in his hand as he assessed his opponent.

"A captain-level combatant… but I've never seen him before. A rising star of Soul Society, perhaps?" he mused.

"I believe we'd be better off avoiding conflict," Urahara said lightly, his usual playful tone laced with caution. "Otherwise—"

Before he could finish his sentence, a flash of light streaked before his eyes. His instincts screamed at him, but even he barely had time to react—his opponent had already closed the distance!

"So fast!"

Urahara's pupils contracted. He barely managed to swing Benihime in time, clashing steel with his adversary. The two figures passed each other in an instant, the air between them crackling with residual energy.

"From the moment you draw your blade, you've declared war on me."

Behind him, his opponent—Akira—stood with his back turned, flicking blood from his sword.

Urahara stiffened. A searing pain bloomed at his waist. Looking down, he saw a deep gash, blood soaking through his haori.

"Gh…!"

"That speed… even with the spirit energy seal in place!?"

Compared to the pain, the realization struck Urahara harder. His mind raced. This guy should only be using 20% of his spiritual power… and yet he landed such a clean hit!

Not only that—the technique was flawless. The precision, the timing… This level of swordsmanship—since when did Soul Society have someone like this?!

A true iaijutsu exchange—a battle decided in a single stroke—was a test of absolute skill. And in that moment, Urahara understood.

His opponent had surpassed him.

Akira exhaled softly, lowering his blade.

"Technically, you're still a wanted man in Soul Society," he said, voice impassive. "But you're not my target this time."

His grip on the hilt tightened slightly.

"However… if you insist on throwing your life away, I won't hold back."

Urahara's mind raced. His calculations had been completely off. Normally, a Shinigami's strength was directly tied to their spiritual power. A sealed spiritual energy limit meant a drastic reduction in battle capability.

But Akira was different. His spiritual power wasn't just a source of strength—it was merely the energy that fueled him. Even with 80% of it sealed away, he fought almost unaffected, only slightly constrained in stamina.

And worse still—his reserves were massive. Even at only 20% power, he could still unleash a true-name attack from his blade without issue.

Urahara let out a slow breath, tightening his grip on Benihime.

This was far more dangerous than he had anticipated.

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