Facing Kenpachi, Ichigo already had plenty of experience. He spoke up immediately, "Kenpachi, you better take off that eyepatch quickly, or I might accidentally beat you to death!"
Hearing Ichigo's arrogant words, Kenpachi erupted into fits of laughter. "I was planning to do that even if you didn't say anything. After all, you are an opponent I've acknowledged!"
With a swift tug, he ripped away the eyepatch on his right eye. Golden spiritual pressure exploded outward, and a massive golden skull manifested behind him! As the skull's mouth gaped open, the resulting storm pressed the ground down by several meters.
Across from him, Ichigo tightened his grip on his blade, thinking to himself, This guy... seems even stronger than before?
The last time he fought Kenpachi, he had only needed a fraction of his power to beat him into submission. Now, though Ichigo was countless times stronger than back then, facing Kenpachi still gave him the feeling that the man could actually stand his ground!
"As expected, none of these Captains are simple!"
Having released his spiritual pressure, Kenpachi lunged forward. He raised his notched blade high and swung down at Ichigo with everything he had!
Flash!
Ichigo held his sword with one hand, easily blocking Kenpachi's strike. Then, golden spiritual pressure erupted from him, with threads of golden energy flickering along the edge of his blade. In the next heartbeat, the golden pressure surged, forming a massive shockwave that blasted Kenpachi backward.
Rumble!
A deep trench tore through the earth. Kenpachi stood at the end of the ravine, a bloody gash running from his shoulder down to his waist. Blood sprayed from the wound, staining his clothes.
However, despite suffering such a heavy blow, Kenpachi showed no sign of distress. Instead, he grew increasingly manic.
"Hahaha! So strong! You really are a powerful opponent, Ichigo!"
As Kenpachi grew more frenzied, his spiritual pressure began to climb at a staggering rate. In the blink of an eye, Ichigo sensed that Kenpachi's Reiatsu had doubled!
"This guy! Is he a monster?!" Ichigo was stunned. He knew Kenpachi would get stronger, but he hadn't expected it to be this drastic!
Kenpachi was already one of the stronger Captains; now he was more than twice as strong and still rising. Even the other Captains fighting the Espada couldn't help but steal glances at him, their eyes filled with shock and doubt.
Only the Captain-Commander remained indifferent, wielding Ryūjin Jakka against Ren Kurogane. Their battlefield had already distanced itself from the main group; all anyone could see in the distance was a sea of fire, feeling the layers of heat washing over them. No one wanted to get involved in that fight. The Soul Reapers firmly believed Old Man Yama wouldn't lose, and the Espada were convinced Ren Kurogane was invincible. Therefore, everyone just focused on the enemies in front of them.
As Kenpachi continued to grow stronger, Ichigo grew curious. Ren Kurogane must know about Kenpachi's trait of growing stronger the more he fights. Handing him over to me... he probably didn't want me to kill him, but to push him to his limits?
After spending time together, Ichigo felt he understood Ren Kurogane a bit. The man valued talent and loved nurturing the strong. Otherwise, Ren wouldn't have trained Ichigo himself. For someone like Kenpachi, Ren must be curious to see what he looks like at full potential.
Actually, it wasn't just Ren—Ichigo was curious too!
It seems that as long as I don't one-shot him, he'll just keep getting stronger, Ichigo thought.
The next second, both vanished simultaneously. A series of metallic clangs rang out as sword qi scattered across the sky, relentless and infinite. As time passed, Kenpachi's strength continued to skyrocket. Gradually, Ichigo began to feel the strain while remaining in his Shikai state.
Another golden slash tore through the sky. Ichigo forcibly repelled Kenpachi, panting heavily. "He really is a monster!"
When they started, a casual swing nearly killed Kenpachi. Now, the man could fight him to a standstill? If given more time, Ichigo felt that even with Bankai, he might lose!
"I don't believe you can grow forever!" Ichigo shouted. "BANKAI! TENSA ZANGETSU!"
Black spiritual pressure shot into the sky. When he emerged, Ichigo was in his Tensa Zangetsu state! With a burst of speed, he appeared behind Kenpachi.
Slash-slash-slash-slash!
Blade flashes tore across Kenpachi's body, causing blood to erupt everywhere! Facing such a heavy barrage, Kenpachi actually looked dazed for a moment.
Damn, my consciousness is blurring. Is it blood loss?
Ichigo stood behind him. "Find someone to heal you. Like this, you don't interest me at all."
"..." Kenpachi wanted to argue, but finding it difficult to even move, he remained silent. Did I lose? he wondered. At this point, Kenpachi's spiritual energy had reached its peak. To go further, he would have to release his Zanpakutō.
Watching from a distance, Yachiru looked at Kenpachi and then smiled at the medical corps behind her. "Sorry, everyone, I have to go!"
"Lieutenant Yachiru, are you going to help Captain Kenpachi? Please, don't! That kind of battle isn't something we can interfere in!" Isane Kotetsu cried out.
Yachiru merely smiled without explaining and vanished into a dark shadow. Simultaneously, a familiar voice whispered in Kenpachi's ear.
"My name is..."
"Drink, Nozarashi!"
As Kenpachi spoke his Zanpakutō's name, his Reiatsu multiplied instantly! His wounds vanished as if they were never there, returning him to peak condition. His blade transformed into its Shikai state—a massive cleaver over two meters long!
Ichigo turned around, his expression unchanged, as if he had anticipated this. "I figured that was your limit without Shikai."
The two stood opposite each other. Kenpachi hoisted Nozarashi onto his shoulder with a grin. "Come! Let's keep killing!"
Without another word, they clashed again. Ichigo unleashed waves of black Getsuga Tenshō, each one sharp enough to tear the sky. Wielding Nozarashi, Kenpachi's combat power was now more than five times what it was before! Facing the storm of Getsuga, Kenpachi swung his massive blade, shattering them all and charging toward Ichigo. He raised the giant sword high and brought it down!
Flash!
Ichigo held Tensa Zangetsu with one hand, effortlessly blocking the strike. Feeling the heavy force vibrating through his blade, Ichigo smirked. "You've definitely gotten stronger, Kenpachi."
Seeing Ichigo block his sword so easily, Kenpachi's smile widened. "As expected of my lifelong rival! Ichigo! Let's kill to our hearts' content!"
Kenpachi exerted more force, his Reiatsu climbing at an unscientific rate, actually knocking Ichigo back with a single hit! Ichigo crossed his arms in defense, stopping only after leaving a long white trail in the sky. Though he slid hundreds of meters, his gaze never left Kenpachi.
"Here he comes!"
Kenpachi vanished instantly. Hearing the whistle of air near his ear, Ichigo moved his blade to his side without hesitation!
Clang!!
The two blades collided, sparks flying! Ichigo was sent flying again by Kenpachi's monstrous strength. After spinning eighteen hundred degrees in mid-air, he retaliated with a black Getsuga Tenshō.
Facing the Bankai-level Getsuga, Kenpachi didn't dodge. He just tanked it and swung his sword, shattering the blade-aura. Perhaps overexerting himself, a golden blade-aura actually flew from Kenpachi's own sword, slashing toward Ichigo.
Ichigo was startled. He didn't expect this kid to "cheat" and copy his moves! After shattering the slash, Ichigo asked, "Can you still manage Bankai?"
"Huh? What's that?" Kenpachi had no idea what Ichigo was talking about and just charged back in! He still had strength left; he wasn't desperate enough for Bankai yet. Given his current physical condition, he probably couldn't handle the violent power of a Bankai anyway—it would likely result in him exploding. Even if he survived, he'd be out of commission for years.
Of course, if Ichigo was in a good mood and let Orihime heal him, Kenpachi would be good as new in minutes. But for now, they were in the middle of a "friendly" exchange, so Orihime stayed away.
Elsewhere, Nel and Halibel faced off against several members of the Visoreds. These people were desperate to chase after Aizen to settle their grudge, but Lilynette was blocking their way, which annoyed them greatly!
"Move!" Shinji Hirako said coldly.
"Why waste breath on her? Get out of the way!" The brainless, blonde, freckled girl, Hiyori, charged forward. She swiped a hand across her face, manifesting a Hollow mask! Her weapon transformed into its Shikai state—a flat, serrated cleaver. "Kubikiri Orochi!"
Facing the blonde girl's attack, Nel didn't even move. A pink light suddenly flashed, instantly swallowing Hiyori's figure. The next moment, Shinji—also masked—appeared to the side, holding Hiyori. His face was pale with terror. If he had been a second slower, Hiyori would be dead!
"Damn it! This person's strength!" Shinji's eyes were filled with doubt. In that moment, he truly felt the gap between them. They were no longer the same level of existence!
And standing next to Nel was Halibel. Although she hadn't made a move, the Visoreds didn't dare underestimate her. Halibel's gaze swept over them. She said to Nel, "These people don't require both of us. I'm going to help the others."
Seeing Halibel about to leave, Nel grabbed her hand and smiled. "Don't go! How can you have the heart to leave me alone against so many 'strong' opponents? Don't you have a heart?"
Faced with Nel's pitiful act, Halibel sighed helplessly and drew the short blade from her waist. Among the Espada, only Halibel maintained the habit of a Resurrección; the others stayed in their strongest forms by default. She sealed her power because her base strength was already enough to handle the likes of Resurrección Grimmjow. Furthermore, her Resurrección form was a bit... inconvenient. She had noticed Ren Kurogane looking at her with strange eyes several times. So, she kept her power sealed in her blade and wore a white outfit that covered her from head to toe. The "gaze" had lessened after that.
Still, Halibel suspected Ren had designs on her. Women's intuition.
"Destroy, Tiburón!"
VROOOM!!
Golden Reiatsu erupted from Halibel, and a cold shark silhouette appeared in the sky. The shark wore a crown, looking down at the people below like a god staring at ants. Once the golden light faded, Halibel's new form appeared. Spikes covered her joints, hooked spaulders sat on her shoulders, and a golden crown radiated an eerie light. She held a slender longsword with a shark-head hilt.
It was completely different from her original appearance; in terms of Hollow evolution, this was a Second Stage Resurrección.
With a casual flourish of her blade, the resulting gale blew the Visoreds backward.
"Aaah!" "Kekkai!"
The large, pink-haired Hachigen Ushōda performed a hand seal, and a green barrier rose to protect the group. Once they stabilized themselves, the Visoreds' faces darkened.
"Too strong!" Lisa Yadōmaru's gaze was filled with despair. With these two in their way, they had no chance of reaching Aizen. In fact, their very survival was now in question.
However, Halibel wasn't going to give them a break. She swung her sword again, and a massive river cascaded from the sky, shattering Hachigen's barrier. The people inside couldn't escape and were swept away by the turbulent waters, vanishing in an instant.
"It's over." Halibel turned and walked away. As for whether the Visoreds survived...
Nel looked toward the end of the water flow, where the firelight seemed even more intense. She shaded her eyes and laughed mischievously. "I hope they don't get accidentally killed by those two fighting over there."
Shinji and the others were carried by the water toward the battlefield of the Captain-Commander and Ren Kurogane. The area was covered in magma, with pillars of fire shooting into the sky. The moment Halibel's water approached the area, it was instantly vaporized.
The Visoreds fell from the air. Seeing the magma below, they were scared out of their wits!
"BANKAI! Tekken Tachikaze!"