CHAPTER 13

For a moment, the sky and earth of several streets in Seireitei seemed to be cleaved in two by a sea of blood and glowing crimson clouds.

The ruins left behind from the violent clash between Araki and Unohana Yachiryu vanished into this sea of blood and radiant haze. The shattered remnants of homes dissolved into the engulfing tide, as though they had been melted down by its sheer pressure.

"I can't see! What's going on over there?! We can't see anything!"

"Is this... is this the Bankai of a captain? The scale of power is overwhelming! It's far beyond anything I imagined!"

"So everything up to this point was just a warm-up for Captain Unohana and that man?!"

As the sweeping tide of blood and light surged toward the feet of the 5th Division shinigami, they finally understood what their captain, Obana Danjiro, had warned them about. Shock gripped their hearts as they came face to face with the terrifying might of Unohana Yachiryu and the mysterious Araki—who could stand toe-to-toe with the Kenpachi herself.

To the shinigami, the presence of these two monsters felt like the towering, immovable weight of Sōkyoku Hill. They were beings of an entirely different realm of power.

"Well now, you've seen enough of what these two monsters are capable of. Time to get back to the barracks, boys~"

As the surge of crimson energy and blood neared their position, Captain Obana Danjiro stepped forward, raising a barrier of raw spiritual pressure like an invisible wall to shield his men. He turned and smiled gently at them, his voice light but firm.

"Y-Yes, Captain!"

The 5th Division shinigami looked at their captain with immense gratitude. Without him, they would've been swallowed up instantly—if not physically, then mentally—by the sheer reiatsu radiating from the dueling captains' Bankai.

"Alright then, why are you still here? Move it!"

Obana Danjiro's usual cheerful tone returned, nudging his men to safety.

"Right away, sir!"

Startled but moved by their captain's charisma and strength, the shinigami turned and sprinted away. In that moment, Obana Danjiro's charm had deeply etched itself into their hearts.

After all, the captains of the original Gotei 13 were not only peerless warriors—but also possessed a commanding presence and personal magnetism. It was this rare quality that inspired Soul Reapers to charge into battle against overwhelming enemies, risking their lives without hesitation.

"Ah…"

"Let's see how much damage those two monsters over there will end up doing to Soul Society."

"Ahaha… Hard not to look forward to it, right?"

With his squad now safe, Obana Danjiro turned back and gazed into the distance—his sharp eyes seeming to pierce through the clouds of blood and light to witness Araki and Unohana locked in a brutal dance of death, every strike aiming to kill, every wound deep.

Even for someone as composed as Obana, curiosity stirred in his heart. What kind of ripple would a being like Araki—a rogue force as powerful and uncontrollable as a Kenpachi—create in Soul Society?

He chuckled heartily and turned to leave.

The moment he departed, the area he had protected was consumed by the encroaching sea of blood and rose-colored clouds.

Meanwhile, as Unohana and Araki unleashed their Bankai against one another…

Elsewhere in Seireitei, other divisions had already withdrawn under orders from Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, returning to their barracks to protect their squads.

Some squads made it back in record time. After all, not every Soul Reaper in the Gotei 13 held the foolhardy belief of "dying in pursuit of truth." And not every captain had the warmth or care for subordinates that Obana Danjiro of the 5th Division did. Many captains of the current Gotei 13 were far colder, hardened by decades of bloodshed.

Sixth Division Barracks

BANG—!

A loud crash echoed as Saito Furobushi kicked open the doors to her barracks. Her face was contorted with frustration.

"I'm so mad…"

"I'm seriously furious…"

"Damn that Araki! He went off to fight that twisted woman Unohana without even telling me!"

"Ugh, if he'd just told me ahead of time, I could've prepared…"

"Then the two of us could've easily taken down that woman together!"

As soon as she returned to her squad, Saito exploded in a tirade, her voice brimming with both anger and anxious concern. Her fierce loyalty to Araki—and hatred for Unohana—were evident in every word.

　　"Captain, you're back?!"

　　"How's the battle with Captain Unohana going?!"

　　"Who is that guy fighting her? He's ridiculously strong!"

　　"We could all feel their overwhelming reiatsu from inside the squad room!"

　　"And what's with that eerie glow in the sky?! Everything feels so off!"

　　The moment Saito Furuobushi returned to the Sixth Division's barracks, she was immediately surrounded by her subordinates. Curiosity was written all over their faces.

　　Because she had forbidden them from leaving the barracks to investigate the battle, the Sixth Division members were filled with restrained curiosity. But with the intensity of the fight between Araki and Unohana Yachiryu—both Bankai-releasing monsters—none of them dared defy her orders.

　　So now that their captain was back, they saw their chance to ask.

　　"I don't know! I don't know! I said—I. Don't. Know!!"

　　"Quit asking me already! If you really want to find out who that evil woman is fighting out there, go and see for yourselves! That is, if you're not afraid of dying!"

　　Saito Furuobushi's voice cracked as she yelled, clearly agitated. She glared coldly at the crowd before storming off to her quarters. The slam of her door—BANG!—echoed through the entire barracks.

　　"Uh..."

　　The shinigami stood awkwardly in silence, feeling the emotional turbulence that had just surged through their normally tsundere captain.

　　"Who ticked off the captain this time…?"

　　They looked around at one another, trying to make sense of her rare emotional outburst.

　　"Should we sneak over and watch the battle anyway?" one brave (or foolish) voice asked.

　　"Seriously? Didn't you hear her? That whole 'go if you're not afraid of dying' thing basically wasn't a joke."

　　"Exactly. Our captain may act all standoffish and contradictory, but when she says something, she means it. Her personality's a mix of 'blunt honesty' and 'emotional awkwardness.'"

　　"She's totally the tsundere type… not that the word's caught on here in Soul Society yet."

　　"True that~"

　　The group nodded sagely.

　　Pfft…

　　Hahaha!

　　Someone cracked, and the whole division erupted into laughter—breaking the lingering tension.

　　"I HEARD THAT, YOU BRATS!!"

　　Before the last laugh could die out, the door burst open. Saito Furuobushi appeared in a fury, arms crossed, veins twitching.

　　"You all seem way too relaxed! If you've got that much energy to gossip and laugh, then go SWING YOUR SWORDS TEN THOUSAND TIMES! No rest until you're DONE!"

　　"It's over… she heard…"

　　"I'd rather die than swing ten thousand times!"

　　"Let's just do it! We've got no choice!"

　　"Wait—hey! Don't leave me behind!"

　　With looks of dread, the shinigami scrambled to grab their wooden swords and rushed to the dojo. Complaints flew in the air, but not one dared defy her orders.

　　"Hah..."

　　"A bunch of troublesome little punks."

　　Saito exhaled softly, watching her men run off. Strangely, after yelling at them, the heavy weight in her chest lightened.

　　"...Sigh..."

　　She wasn't the smartest among the captains—she knew that. Not as calculating as Kyoraku, nor as composed as Ukitake. But she wasn't a fool either.

　　She could tell her subordinates had been baiting her—staging a scene in front of her door so she'd explode, giving her a chance to vent her bottled-up emotions.

　　"Araki, you idiot. You absolute idiot..."

　　"...You better win. No matter who else you lose to, don't you dare lose to that bad woman Unohana!"

　　With those words whispered in her heart, Saito leaned against her door, fists clenched—hoping, praying—for Araki's victory.