CHAPTER 66

Jūshirō Ukitake resurfaced—barely recognizable.

His eyes were closed, his entire body covered in severe burns, with hardly any unscathed skin left. If he were an ordinary human, he would have succumbed long ago.

"It seems your luck isn't bad after all. You actually survived."

"My lord, aren't you going to finish him off?" Ichimaru Gin asked, struggling to his feet, clearly battered from the fight.

Akira had gone easy on Gin—out of everyone present, he had received the lightest wounds.

"You're well aware that this is Aizen's scheme, aren't you?" Akira responded, his tone unreadable. "If I killed Captain Ukitake now, I'd be playing right into his hands."

Gin gave a small nod, then shook his head.

"But when you fought Jūshirō Ukitake just now, were you really trying to kill him?"

Akira didn't deny it. "I'm not the type to take a blow without hitting back. Since I was nearly killed, of course, I retaliated.

"But since he survived—thanks to the Spirit King's right arm—I won't strike again. The debt is settled."

Akira had deliberately positioned himself within Aizen Sōsuke's plans, ensuring his own survival amid the chaos. But he bore no true hatred toward the Gotei 13. He wasn't some mindless butcher.

That said, if anyone crossed his bottom line… they'd end up like Jūshirō Ukitake.

Without the One-Eyed God's protection, Ukitake would have perished.

"The Spirit King's right arm?!"

Gin's eyes widened in shock.

"You mean that Spirit King—the one in the Royal Palace!?"

Having worked under Aizen for so long, Gin knew exactly what his true ambition was: the creation of the Oken and the destruction of the Spirit King's Palace.

"That's right," Akira smirked. "Aizen must have never imagined that a part of the Spirit King he so desperately seeks is already in my hands."

Gin blinked, momentarily stunned.

Aizen had spent years scheming to reach the Spirit King, yet Akira had already claimed a part of him?

And considering what Akira had just done...

A shiver ran through Gin's spine.

"Even the legendary Spirit King's right arm… was subdued by sheer force? That's… beyond comprehension."

Akira showed no sign of arrogance. Without waiting for Gin to respond, he vanished with Shunpo.

Gin exhaled and lay back on the ground. Truthfully, he had been injured by Akira.

But at least this way…

"I've got a reason to recover for a while. No need to face that terrifying monster a second time."

"Truly tragic."

A soft voice cut through the silence.

Unohana Retsu had arrived at the battlefield, shaking her head as she surveyed the devastation.

Beside her, Kotetsu Isane stood frozen, mouth slightly open, unable to find her words.

"This… If fights like this keep happening, I fear Seireitei itself will be wiped out!"

Before today, Isane had never imagined a Shinigami could wield such overwhelming power.

"You misunderstand," Unohana murmured.

"Huh?" Isane turned to her, confused.

Unohana's gaze was calm but sharp.

"I wasn't referring to the destruction," she clarified. "I meant the condition of the captains.

"Of everyone, Captain Ichimaru is in the best shape.

"Captain Komamura has suffered fractures and severe burns. Captain Kyoraku is barely holding on. And Captain Ukitake… he is the worst of all."

Unohana Retsu's expression was complicated.

"To be honest, I don't even know how Captain Ukitake survived. Given his condition, he should not have made it through…"

Kotetsu Isane wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. "Captain, please don't make it sound like you actually want them dead…"

Unohana shook her head and remained silent, though a thought crossed her mind.

—If Akira had truly killed another person, it would give her an opportunity to verify her suspicions.

She had examined Aizen Sōsuke multiple times, yet something about his body always felt off. It was an intuitive sense honed through centuries of experience, but no matter how much she scrutinized him, she could never find any concrete evidence.

In the end, the truth was far simpler: it was not a corpse doll as she had initially suspected, but Kyōka Suigetsu's Kanzen Saimin—his perfect hypnosis. No matter how strong her instincts were, as long as she was under Aizen's spell, she would never uncover the truth.

Even so, the words Akira had spoken that day lingered in her mind, like a seed taking root.

After completing her investigation, Unohana reported her findings to Yamamoto Genryūsai.

"Shiro and Kyoraku…"

Yamamoto Shigekuni's face remained impassive, showing neither joy nor sorrow, but his tone dropped to a lower register.

In his eyes, the flames of anger burned hotter.

"What a formidable individual, this Akira…"

"Captain," Unohana said after some deliberation, "regarding Akira's previous statements, I believe—"

Yamamoto cut her off. "He has already confessed to killing Tōsen and has taken down six captains in succession. What more is there to discuss?!"

He clenched his fist. The Gotei 13 had once been filled with promising talent, yet now, far too few remained. The realization stoked his fury further.

—

A field of Zanpakutō stood buried in the ground.

Breathing heavily, Kurosaki Ichigo continued his relentless Bankai training, sweat dripping from his brow.

"Ichigo, do you want to take a break?" Shihōin Yoruichi asked from the sidelines.

"No!" Ichigo shot back, determination burning in his eyes. "I need to master Bankai as soon as possible… and get my revenge on that bastard, Akira!"

Yoruichi's expression twitched slightly at his words.

She had just received troubling news—despite being surrounded by four captains in their Bankai states, Akira had not only fought back but managed to escape unscathed.

Could Ichigo, even with Bankai, truly stand against him?

After some thought, Yoruichi decided against telling Ichigo the truth. She didn't want to break his fighting spirit.

But deep inside, she silently raised Akira's threat level to the highest priority.

—

Night fell swiftly.

For Akira, this was his favorite time of day—the moment for his daily lucky draw.

As darkness enveloped the world, a system prompt appeared before him:

[Congratulations, Host! You have survived another day and earned a lottery reward!]

Visit patreon.com/shirokendama for more chapters