As a Shinigami who is second only to the First Generation Gotei Captain in seniority, Kyoraku Shunsui is well aware of the strength of Unohana Yachiru.
Not to mention her mastery over Hollowfication—even without it, he had no confidence that he could defeat her with only his Zanpakutō's Shikai.
After all, Unohana Yachiru also knew the basics of his Shikai's ability.
Especially after witnessing his Bankai's ability being neutralized, he decisively released Bankai without any hesitation, regardless of whether it would accidentally injure the people around him.
"It's certainly not just Hollowfication."
Unohana Yachiru quietly watched Kyoraku Shunsui use Bankai:
"Bankai?"
"To be honest, I really want to fight against your Bankai. After all, it is Captain Disciple's Bankai."
"But unfortunately, my opponent is not you… and your opponent has never been me."
She shook her head, her voice carrying both regret and longing.
Kyoraku Shunsui frowned slightly at her words. Before he had time to process them, he suddenly felt something brush against his back. Then, on his chest, something silently emerged.
The whole process was so fast and soundless that he didn't even notice any pain or discomfort.
Poof.
When he realized what had happened, he saw a white light emerging from his chest, stretching forward, slicing through the air.
It was not only extremely fast but also completely silent.
By the time he tried to make sense of it, the white light that had pierced him had already vanished—leaving him with the eerie illusion that it had never existed.
If not for the delayed, stabbing pain finally tearing through his chest and back, he would have doubted the reality of what had just happened.
"Damn it!"
Kyoraku Shunsui, now aware that he had been struck, was unable to retaliate. Powerlessness swept through his body. His hands slipped from his twin Zanpakutō; he even tried to use one as a crutch to hold himself up, but his body no longer obeyed.
The pain itself wasn't the worst part—what was truly terrifying was the force that paralyzed even his soul and Reiatsu, dissolving them rapidly from within.
Thud.
With the dull sound of a heavy body hitting the ground, he collapsed. Blood gushed from his chest, staining his captain's uniform and armor crimson. It pooled around him, quickly turning the ground beneath into scarlet.
The black pine trees and leaves that had sprouted, the shadowy woman of Reiatsu looming behind him, and the vast, oppressive spiritual pressure that had spread across the battlefield—all of it faded instantly, as though it had never existed.
"Kyoraku!"
The gravely injured Jūshirō Ukitake weakly raised his head, staring in horror at his fallen comrade lying in a pool of blood. His face was filled with disbelief.
As a fellow disciple, no one knew Kyoraku Shunsui's strength better than him.
Unlike himself, who was weakened by a frail body, Kyoraku Shunsui was both strong in Zanpakutō skill and personal power.
Before the rise of the Aiyan brothers, Shunsui was already considered second only to Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni within the Gotei 13—one of the few Shinigami who, despite not being among the First Generation captains, still surpassed many of them in strength.
But now?
Even after using Bankai, he was struck down in an instant.
"Shunsui!"
Yamamoto Genryūsai's eyes widened in shock. He could hardly comprehend that Kyoraku Shunsui had fallen.
No—he had never once considered the possibility of Kyoraku Shunsui being defeated.
Even if the opponent was Unohana Yachiru.
Even if her soul had been altered by Aiyan, breaking the boundary between Shinigami and Hollow.
His faith in Kyoraku Shunsui was absolute.
Because Shunsui was the one who carried the title of the next Gotei Commander-in-Chief.
"Bankai: Kamishini no Yari."
At that moment, Ichimaru Gin lowered his Zanpakutō, which until now had been aimed at Matsumoto Rangiku since the start of the battle.
But somehow, the blade of Kamishini no Yari was now pointed at Kyoraku Shunsui, hidden all along by the folds of his captain's haori and his stance.
"It was him!"
"He actually brought down Kyoraku Shunsui with a single Bankai strike!"
"How can that be?!"
Even though Shunsui's attention—his vision, hearing, and Reiatsu awareness—had been locked on Unohana Yachiru during their clash, he was a seasoned captain who had survived countless battles without leaving openings.
It should have been impossible for any captain-level Shinigami to sneak past his guard, let alone strike him down in one blow.
Shihōin Yoruichi, Sui-Fēng, Tōsen Kaname, Byakuya Kuchiki, and the others all looked on, stunned.
Just moments ago, Matsumoto Rangiku's Shikai had slain Chōjirō Sasakibe's Bankai in a single strike—an unbelievable feat. But Ichimaru Gin's display was no less shocking.
Without warning, he had felled Kyoraku Shunsui—the man second only to Yamamoto Genryūsai—with a single attack.
"Ichimaru Gin!"
"How dare you?!"
Yamamoto's gaze followed the line of Shunsui's wound, finally settling on Ichimaru Gin.
The Zanpakutō in Gin's hand and the faint gap in his sleeve perfectly matched the wound that had struck down Shunsui.
At that moment, Yamamoto realized his mistake.
He had doubted Gin before, but he never truly considered that a Shinigami who had only just graduated from the Spiritual Arts Academy, and who had been a captain for mere months, could deal such a devastating blow.
Yet now, Shunsui lay crippled, his Bankai shattered—all from Gin's single strike.
And all of this was born from Yamamoto's own arrogance and his underestimation of Ichimaru Gin.
"I'm sorry. I really do dare… and I've already done it."
Ichimaru Gin met Yamamoto's furious, searing glare with his usual smile, his expression almost innocent, like a boy bathed in sunlight:
"As Captain Yamamoto, your deputy and the next Commander of the Gotei—"
"Such a Shinigami is worth killing."
"What do you think?"
One by one, Yamamoto's captains had fallen.
His two most trusted disciples had been betrayed and struck down.
Now, provoked directly by Gin's words, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni finally exploded in rage.
Boom.
Without lifting a finger, his sheer fury manifested. His spiritual pressure surged forth, a tidal wave of flames that burned and suffocated everything in its path. The Lieutenants collapsed, fainting under the weight of his overwhelming power, as it crashed down upon Ichimaru Gin.
"As expected of the Gotei Commander-in-Chief… what terrifying Reiatsu!"
Gin's smile did not waver. His narrowed eyes opened slightly, revealing crystalline, jewel-blue pupils.
Even before the most terrifying Shinigami in a thousand years, he remained calm—without fear or hesitation.
"Reduce all creation to ash · Ryūjin Jakka."
Hearing Gin's mocking tone, Yamamoto Genryūsai drew his Zanpakutō in fury. With a roar, he released Shikai. His blade erupted in searing flames, a torrent of fire burning at 6,000 degrees, before he swung down at Ichimaru Gin with murderous intent.
Boom!
The fiery slash cut through the air like lightning.
Yet Ichimaru Gin neither panicked nor dodged. Instead, he calmly raised his Zanpakutō—its tip still pointing at the wounded Kyoraku Shunsui lying on the ground.
Crack!
The infernal flames, the blazing sword—everything stopped. The deadly strike halted mere centimeters before Gin's face.
The searing heat singed his skin, sweat dripping from his brow, but his smile only widened, a chilling expression spreading across his face.
"You brat!"
Yamamoto Genryūsai, engulfed in his violent flames, found himself unable to move forward. His blade, his fire, his fury—all of it was frozen in place before Ichimaru Gin.
In a thousand years, he had never been this angry.
In a thousand years, he had never harbored such murderous intent.
And yet, even with that fury, he dared not advance against Gin—against the Kamishini no Yari poised at Kyoraku Shunsui's heart.
"I was truly blind," Yamamoto spat, his voice trembling with rage.
"To appoint you—a deceitful, venomous brat—as a Gotei Captain."