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The first division to arrive at the gates was the patrol and security force of the Tenth Division, led by Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
The moment he saw the massive flood of invading Nie Kingdom Shinigami before him, his expression changed drastically.
"There are actually… this many?!"
And in the very next moment, Hitsugaya Tōshirō did not hesitate in the slightest.
"Attack! We absolutely must stop them! We cannot allow them to advance any deeper!"
At this point, the enemy had already advanced a full three thousand meters beyond the gates. Vast areas had fallen into the enemy's control.
The situation was already extremely critical!
With a grave expression, Hitsugaya Tōshirō drew his Zanpakutō and strode forward, immense spiritual pressure erupting from his body.
"Bankai!"
Right at the start of the battle, he had already fully released his power.
An intense chill capable of freezing one to the bone instantly spread outward. Cracking sounds echoed continuously through the air as blue ice particles rapidly condensed, forming an enormous Ice Dragon behind Hitsugaya Tōshirō.
"Protect yourselves and do not act recklessly!"
"The enemy is extremely powerful and difficult to handle!"
Having released all his strength at once, Hitsugaya Tōshirō solemnly warned Rangiku Matsumoto and the members of the Tenth Division behind him.
The gravity and seriousness in his tone made every member of the division tense.
The endless black tide ahead numbered hundreds or even thousands of times more than they did. It was terrifying. Charging directly into that force with their current numbers would be nothing more than suicide.
In the next second, Hitsugaya Tōshirō shot into the sky, rapidly flying toward the gates.
The Ice Dragon spread its wings, and in almost an instant, he had already arrived above the Nie Kingdom Shinigami.
A massive Ice Dragon connected to his right arm, while three gigantic crystalline flower petals behind him radiated dazzling light. Those crystalline petals symbolized that Hitsugaya Tōshirō's Bankai had not yet fully matured.
Looking down from the sky, Hitsugaya Tōshirō saw the true scale of the Nie Kingdom army with his own eyes, causing his gaze to sharpen and his heart to grow even heavier.
At the same time, several Captain-class experts among the Nie Kingdom Shinigami below also lifted their heads and locked onto him.
"A Captain-class Expert from the Soul Society?"
"According to the intelligence reports, he is Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya of the Tenth Division, wielder of the strongest ice-and-snow-type Zanpakutō, Hyōrinmaru!"
"I didn't expect him to be the first to arrive!"
As they rapidly exchanged words, the gazes of the nearby Nie Kingdom Experts became sharp and dangerous.
Meanwhile, Hitsugaya Tōshirō had already gripped his sword with both hands. Taking a deep breath, he swung downward fiercely.
"Thousand-Year Ice Prison!"
In an instant, crisp sounds rang through the air like pearls falling onto a jade plate. Cracking and snapping noises echoed endlessly as gigantic ice pillars rapidly formed and expanded across several thousand meters, engulfing vast numbers of Nie Kingdom Shinigami within them.
Then,
Buzz!
The void trembled.
The ice pillars rapidly extended and sealed everything trapped within them in complete frost.
This scene caused the advancing Nie Kingdom Shinigami, who had been slaughtering and occupying territory, to halt in shock and look ahead.
The towering, majestic ice structures caused their pupils to contract.
"Deal with him."
Qingfeng's gaze turned cold as he calmly gave the order.
In the next second, someone immediately shot into the sky.
"Bankai!"
Along with a loud roar, crimson flames swept outward as an enormous winged fire dragon appeared in the sky. Then, with a single beat of its fiery wings, it charged toward Hitsugaya Tōshirō.
"You command ice and snow. I command magma."
"We are natural enemies!"
Looking at the red-haired man before him, whose eyes overflowed with killing intent, Hitsugaya Tōshirō's pupils contracted.
Captain-class.
Without question, the opponent was also Captain-class. His Reiatsu was immense and terrifying.
But what worried Hitsugaya Tōshirō even more was that besides this man, over a dozen other Captain-class Reiatsu signatures could clearly be sensed below him. Although they were still suppressing their powers and had not yet released Bankai, the pressure they emitted was already enough to weigh heavily upon his heart.
"Who exactly are you people?!"
Hitsugaya Tōshirō shouted in a deep voice as he tightened his grip on Hyōrinmaru.
"What people are we?"
"We are the ones who will conquer your Soul Society!"
"Resistance is meaningless. Your strength is far too weak!"
With a loud laugh, the magma-type Captain-class Shinigami spread his wings and instantly charged toward Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
Boom!!
In the next second, the two clashed in midair. Their opposing elemental powers collided, causing thick white mist to spread across the sky.
"Hyōten Hyakka Sō!"
"Karyū Chinju!"
The two rivals continuously unleashed powerful techniques, filling the heavens with dense white mist while torrents of water and blazing fire rained downward.
They charged at one another again and again, only to rapidly retreat moments later. Their repeated collisions failed to determine a victor in a short time, causing both of their expressions to grow increasingly grave.
"This is bad!"
Hitsugaya Tōshirō's heart became heavier and heavier.
Just one enemy alone was already enough to contend against him evenly.
And the number of Captain-class enemies on the opposing side was so great that it made one shudder.
At this moment, he finally understood.
This was a war that had been planned for a very long time.
A war aimed at the entire Soul Society itself.
But who exactly were these people?
After the two exchanged several more clashes, Hitsugaya Tōshirō had only just retreated when his expression suddenly changed. Twisting his body sideways, a long blade grazed past his shoulder, spraying blood into the air.
"Too slow. You're only a mere Captain-class fighter!"
"Commander Qingfeng is already angry. Our time is very precious!"
Another figure appeared before Hitsugaya Tōshirō, causing his pupils to contract.
Another Captain-class Expert.
And his aura was not the slightest bit weaker than the previous one.
"Then let me help you finish him quickly."
"After all, every Captain of the Soul Society that dies means one less enemy to deal with."
The voice sounded both mocking and regretful at the same time, causing Hitsugaya Tōshirō to narrow his eyes in anger.
The battle resumed once again.
But this time, Hitsugaya Tōshirō had completely fallen into a disadvantage.
"This is terrible! There are too many Experts among them!"
Rangiku Matsumoto saw the two-against-one battle unfolding in the sky while simultaneously sensing the rapidly approaching waves of Shinigami. Her heart instantly sank.
"What do we do?!"
She became tense.
Given the current situation, the Tenth Division would not be able to hold out much longer before being completely overrun.
At this moment, most members of the Tenth Division were already trapped in situations where they were heavily outnumbered. They were being utterly suppressed and forced into continuous retreat.
And gradually, more and more Nie Kingdom Shinigami surged forward as the massive army pressed closer, placing enormous pressure upon Rangiku Matsumoto.
"Fall back!!"
Gritting her teeth, she suddenly issued the order.
Rather than throwing away their lives meaninglessly here, it was better to preserve their strength.
But at the exact moment those words left her mouth, a faint breeze suddenly blew past, causing her robes to flutter.
"However… it is not yet time to retreat."
An aged voice entered her ears, causing Rangiku Matsumoto's entire body to tremble as her eyes widened.
Immediately afterward, one figure after another, dressed in flowing robes and radiating immense, majestic spiritual pressure, walked past her and stepped forward into her line of sight.
Within only a few breaths, more than a dozen figures had already positioned themselves in front of her, while the sound of countless footsteps echoed behind them.
"C-Captain-Commander… and…"
"The Captains of every division!"
Rangiku Matsumoto finally reacted, tears welling in her eyes.
At this moment, nearly all members of the Gotei 13 had arrived!
"Then…"
"Next, let this old man witness for himself…"
"…the strength of these unknown Shinigami!"
A calm yet terrifyingly murderous voice rolled outward from the mouth of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
(End of Chapter)