"The Shinigami's control over their zanpakutō ends tonight!"
Muramasa's voice was cold and emotionless.
"From now on, it's the zanpakutō who will control the Shinigami!"
It was hard to imagine those words coming from Muramasa. After all, his ultimate goal wasn't about liberating zanpakutō or changing the power dynamic between Shinigami and their blades.
He just wanted to save his master.
Muramasa pulled a purple-hued zanpakutō from thin air and thrust it into the ground. The immense spiritual pressure cracked the earth and split the battlefield, forming ten huge enclosed arenas between Shinigami and their zanpakutō.
Kyōraku Shunsui didn't care what Muramasa's plan was. He stepped forward and asked one question:
"Where's the old man?"
Muramasa answered bluntly, "Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto has been sealed by me. His zanpakutō, Ryūjin Jakka, refused to become our ally. So I had Katen Kyōkotsu, Sōgyo no Kotowari, and Minazuki seal his power."
Hearing this, Jūshirō Ukitake and Kyōraku let out a breath of relief.
They both knew that if Ryūjin Jakka had actually betrayed them, then all of the Soul Society's Shinigami could just lie down and wait to die. The Bankai—Zanka no Tachi—was too devastating.
But this also meant that in this war against the zanpakutō, they couldn't rely on Yamamoto at all.
Soi Fon frowned slightly, thinking, If only Ichigo were here…
She wasn't the only one with that thought—Unohana Retsu was thinking the same.
She, more than anyone, feared her zanpakutō going berserk. If Minazuki really activated its Bankai, no one in the 4th Division could stop it.
"Captain Unohana, what should we do?" Isane Kotetsu asked, clearly flustered.
Unohana closed her eyes and replied calmly, "Don't worry. Even without our zanpakutō, we of the 4th Division can still use Kaidō to heal other captains and lieutenants."
Isane nodded.
Ukitake also turned toward Unohana and said, "No need to worry, Captain Unohana. It's not your turn yet."
Kyōraku added with a grin, "Yeah. Let us folks who are still alive do our thing for once."
Because they both knew—if Unohana really went all out, it wouldn't just be the zanpakutō in danger.
Once Unohana started killing, she didn't care who was standing in front of her—ally or enemy.
And now that Yamamoto, the ultimate safety net, had been banned from the board, his two disciples stood up to lead.
Hitsugaya, Rangiku, and Ikkaku had already rushed toward the battlefront.
From the zanpakutō's side, several spiritual weapons leapt into combat.
Senbonzakura was the first to intercept Hitsugaya.
Unlike Byakuya's composed elegance, Senbonzakura looked like a samurai from the Warring States era, clad in full armor with a menacing demon mask.
Hitsugaya couldn't suppress Senbonzakura with his own power alone.
Meanwhile, Rangiku was blocked by Suzumebachi—Soi Fon's zanpakutō in spirit form. If Soi Fon was already petite, Suzumebachi was even smaller—about the size of a sprite, curled up in someone's hand.
Soi Fon tried to break through to fight her own zanpakutō but was blocked by Kazeshini—Shūhei Hisagi's blade.
Without their zanpakutō, all the Shinigami quickly fell into disadvantage—except Soi Fon.
Her strength didn't come solely from her zanpakutō. In fact, her blade was more of a support tool. Her true strength lay in her hakuda.
Muramasa looked toward Kyōraku and Ukitake, fully aware that these two were now the pillars of Soul Society.
"Hinamori Kiyone, Zabimaru—go!"
Kyōraku and Ukitake exchanged glances, both feeling the gravity of the situation.
Fighting an already-manifested zanpakutō was hard enough. But Muramasa could even force them to use Bankai.
There was no more time to formulate a strategy.
"Bankai—Kinjiki Karamatsu Shinjū!"
"Bankai—Hihiō Zabimaru!"
Two massive Bankai zanpakutō emerged behind Muramasa.
Toxic miasma and crimson earth surged toward Kyōraku and Ukitake.
Kyōraku flash-stepped away and shouted, "All captains and lieutenants, scatter! Engage freely!"
Unohana led Isane away immediately. Since she wasn't supposed to fight yet, there was no reason for her to remain.
The other captains and lieutenants also left the mountain to regroup at Seireitei.
—
Meanwhile, in the World of the Living.
Rukia was puzzled. Her zanpakutō, Sode no Shirayuki, couldn't activate shikai. No matter how much she tried communicating with it, there was no response.
She went to find Senna.
"Senna, are you awake?"
Senna opened the door and looked at Rukia. "What's up?"
Rukia stepped inside and closed the door. "My zanpakutō won't enter shikai. I wanted to ask if you've had the same issue."
Senna frowned slightly. "You can't use your zanpakutō? Let me try."
She summoned her own: "Fall into twilight, Mirokumaru!"
But nothing happened.
"Huh? What's going on?" Senna was shocked.
"Let's go back to Soul Society. I'm sure my brother will know what's happening," Rukia said.
"Should we bring Ichigo?"
"Let's check things out first. If it's serious, we'll call him," Rukia replied.
"Alright. Let's go now," Senna nodded.
Without hesitation, Rukia used her zanpakutō to open a senkaimon. The two of them returned to Soul Society.
But what greeted them was utter chaos.
Seireitei was already in complete disorder. Manifested zanpakutō were chasing Shinigami all over.
Renji, at that moment, was being hunted down by Sōgyo no Kotowari and Kazeshini.
"Renji! What's going on?!" Rukia shouted.
Renji flash-stepped away from Kazeshini and landed beside her.
"Rukia, be careful! The zanpakutō have all turned against us. Soul Society's in total chaos!"
"What?! They've all betrayed us?!" Senna was shocked.
They glanced at each other—now it all made sense why their own blades weren't responding.
Before they could process further, Sōgyo no Kotowari and Kazeshini charged them again.
That's when Byakuya appeared.
"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"
With a single finger, he pinned Sōgyo no Kotowari midair with six rods of light.
No matter how much it struggled, it couldn't break free.
But before Byakuya could follow up, Muramasa arrived—targeting him directly.
And beside him was none other than—Senbonzakura.
Byakuya frowned. He knew this Muramasa had a deep connection with the Kuchiki clan. It was time for him to do what must be done.
"Rukia, leave. This battle isn't one you can be part of," he said coolly, completely ignoring Renji and Senna.
Senbonzakura didn't give them any time to talk. He launched his attack instantly.
Even without his zanpakutō's power, Byakuya raised his sealed blade and blocked the strike.
"Hmph. My master, trying to stop me with just a sealed sword? Such arrogance," Senbonzakura sneered as he pushed against Byakuya, then activated his power without saying a word.
Zanpakutō didn't need release chants—they were using their own power.
Blades like cherry blossoms surged toward Byakuya.
He flash-stepped away just in time. Where he'd stood was now obliterated.
Senbonzakura followed with blinding speed, petals swirling with deadly intent.
Byakuya knew better than anyone how powerful Senbonzakura could be—he didn't plan to get entangled.
He used a series of flash steps to distance himself, but Senbonzakura kept up easily and soon trapped him in a cage of swirling blades.
Then—Bankai.
"Brother!" Rukia panicked, wanting to rush in.
Senna stopped her. "Rukia! Another zanpakutō is coming!"
Cold air wrapped around them.
A beautiful woman in a white kimono with long lavender hair appeared, pointing a pure white blade at them.
"Second Dance: Hakuren."
A familiar, powerful move!
"Move!" Senna shouted.
She pulled Rukia aside. Renji was separated from them by a pillar of white ice.
"We need to go back and get Ichigo!" Senna grabbed the dazed Rukia, opened a senkaimon, and rushed back to the World of the Living.
—
Meanwhile, in the real world.
Ichigo had just returned from his inner world, puzzled by Old Man Zangetsu and Hollow Ichigo's cryptic behavior.
Then he realized—Rukia and Senna weren't in the World of the Living anymore.
"They went back to Soul Society without telling me?" he muttered.
Suddenly, he sensed their spiritual pressures reappearing.
Ichigo instantly transformed and flash-stepped toward their location.
The senkaimon opened. Rukia and Senna tumbled out, looking disheveled.
Ichigo quickly caught them both.
"What happened? Did something happen in Soul Society?" he asked.
"Ichigo…" Senna began, but before she could finish, the senkaimon opened again.
This time, the one who stepped out was—Sode no Shirayuki.
She stood on the moonlit bridge, beautiful like a goddess from a myth.
"Who are you?" Ichigo asked. She was stunning, but the killing intent radiating from her was unmistakable.
"Who am I?" she echoed coldly, not bothering to answer.
Rukia and Senna were about to explain who she was—but she had already drawn her blade.
"First Dance: Tsukishiro!"
Ichigo's pupils dilated in shock.
He flash-stepped the girls to safety, narrowly dodging the attack, then released his own zanpakutō.
"Cry out, Zangetsu!"
Seeing that Ichigo could still release his zanpakutō, both Rukia and Senna were stunned.
They didn't expect it to still work!
"Second Dance: Hakuren!"
Same technique as Rukia's—but Ichigo held nothing back.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
The powerful wave of energy blasted through Hakuren, sending it flying toward Sode no Shirayuki.
But when it hit her—she dispersed like mist.
A fake!
The real Sode no Shirayuki flash-stepped behind Ichigo.
"Who are you? Those are Rukia's techniques!" Ichigo demanded.
"You're right, Ichigo. Those are mine," she said softly.
She waved her hand, sending a gust of snow and wind to conceal her presence, then opened a senkaimon and vanished.
She knew Ichigo's strength better than anyone.
She was, after all, the zanpakutō spirit who had been closest to him the longest.
Ichigo didn't chase after her. Instead, he flash-stepped to Rukia and Senna's side.
(End of Chapter)
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