"Speaking of which, this is my first time encountering a Menos Grande of your caliber. Since that's the case, I'll get a little serious!"
Kensei Muguruma first carried the heavily injured and unconscious Kuna Mashiro to the side of a wall, then vanished with Shunpo and reappeared on the eaves before Yekawa, looking down at him from above.
He rolled his neck, twisted his wrists, and settled into a stance, clearly preparing for a serious fight.
"Whoosh"
Kensei charged forward, dagger-like Zanpakutō in hand, its blade wrapped in spiraling hurricane winds.
Facing the incoming strike, Yekawa did not even bother to draw his sword. Lightning crackled along his right hand as he caught the blade bare-handed.
Boom!
The collision of lightning and wind triggered a violent surge of Reiatsu, tearing through the surrounding streets and buildings.
Seeing his attack fail, Kensei immediately retreated.
In the Human World, he couldn't unleash his full power without risking widespread destruction.
"Damn it… I can't fight freely here!"
Yekawa let out a cold laugh.
"That's easy."
Clap!
With a snap of his fingers, dark golden Reiatsu spread outward, enclosing a radius of dozens of meters. A square lightning barrier instantly formed, isolating the battlefield.
"Four Directions Thunder World!"
Adapted from the Shinigami clone's Four Directions Realm, this barrier lacked its amplification and suppression effects, but it could still isolate Reiatsu and enhance lightning-based power.
Originally, Yekawa had intended to take the unconscious Ginjō Kūgo and leave immediately. After all, Kuna Mashiro had struck first, and sparing her life had already been an act of restraint.
But Kensei Muguruma's interference blind and self-righteous only irritated him further.
"I'd like to see just how capable this so-called combat power measuring unit really is."
Yekawa's gaze sharpened, impatience creeping in.
Kensei, however, only smirked.
"You actually opened a barrier yourself? You'll pay for that mistake, Menos Grande!"
"Noisy."
Yekawa had completely lost patience with the former Ninth Division captain.
At that moment, Kensei raised his Zanpakutō and called out:
"Bankai Tekken Tachikaze!"
A violent storm of Reiatsu erupted within the Thunder World.
Kensei's form transformed serrated blades in both hands, his arms wrapped in treads that connected behind his back, his torso encased in heavy, mechanical armor.
Whoosh!
With Bankai released, his speed and Reiatsu surged. He closed the distance instantly and drove a powerful punch into Yekawa.
Boom!
"My Bankai injects hurricane force into your body endlessly at the moment of impact. Feel it!"
The blow sent Yekawa flying straight to the edge of the barrier.
Yet even as he was struck, Yekawa calmly activated his Thunder Armor.
Under its protection, the seemingly devastating blow dispersed harmlessly, reduced to nothing more than a faint tingling sensation like the mild vibration of a massage tool.
"Is that all?"
Yekawa's voice carried open mockery.
Kensei's expression hardened. He hadn't expected his full-power Bankai strike to be completely ineffective.
But Yekawa had already moved.
Zzzzt!
In a flash of lightning, he appeared behind Kensei using Sonido and threw a punch of his own.
Bang!
Kensei was blasted away, slamming into the barrier like an uprooted stalk driven into the ground.
"Ugh!"
Blood spilled from his mouth as disbelief filled his eyes. His strongest Hakuda had done nothing—yet a single counterstrike had injured him.
Refusing to accept it, Kensei roared and gathered Reiatsu again. From the armor behind his arms, violent hurricane winds surged outward, merging with his strikes.
"Ora! Ora! Ora!"
Dozens of punches rained down on Yekawa's chest.
Yekawa didn't even bother to evade. Wrapped in Thunder Armor, he simply stood there, allowing the barrage to land.
At last, Kensei stopped—not because he had broken through, but because his own hands had begun to burn from the lightning coursing through Yekawa's armor.
He stared at his scorched fists, disbelief deepening.
"Such a powerful Hollow… I underestimated you."
But then his expression steadied.
"Even so… against something like you, I have no choice but to use this!"
His scorched right hand gathered Reiatsu and swept across his face.
A pale white Hollow mask with six holes materialized instantly.
In that moment, Kensei's Reiatsu surged explosively, leaping from the lower end of Third Class to the upper tier.
"Bankai… combined with Hollowfication? Interesting."
In Yekawa's memory, Kensei rarely used both simultaneously. The fact that he did so now spoke volumes.
But it still wasn't enough.
With a casual wave of his hand, a brilliant lightning whip manifested and lashed forward, binding Kensei completely before he could advance.
Zzzzt!
"Ahhh!"
Lightning surged through the whip, flooding Kensei's body. He roared, unleashing his Reiatsu in an attempt to break free.
But no matter how fiercely he struggled, the binding remained unmoved.
"How… is this possible?!"
As Kensei fought desperately, Yekawa suddenly sensed several powerful Reiatsu approaching rapidly.
"The Visoreds, perhaps."
He had no intention of prolonging the fight.
With a flick of his hand, Kensei was hurled violently into the barrier.
Zzzzt!
Dark golden lightning erupted. Kensei's body was scorched black, and both his Hollowfication and Bankai collapsed instantly.
The Four Directions Thunder World dissipated, leaving only Kensei's unconscious body crashing heavily onto the ground.
Yekawa activated his concealment ability, lifted Ginjō Kūgo, and vanished from the scene.
Moments later, several figures arrived with Shunpo, quickly tending to the fallen Kuna Mashiro and Kensei Muguruma.
At their head stood a man with yellow bangs.