"Oh? You're awake?"
Kyoya looked down at Yumichika on the ground.
Dozens of wounds had been left on his body by Rangiku's Haineko. Though Rangiku had held back, the blood loss had left Yumichika in critical condition.
He had been unconscious earlier, but after Kyoya's Kaido, he had now regained consciousness.
This showed just how strong Yumichika's willpower was.
"Given your current state, it'd be best for you to head to the 4th Division for treatment."
"No need."
Yumichika shook his head and struggled to stand up.
"Captain Kyoya, these injuries are nothing."
Of course, the main reason was that the next fight would be Ikkaku's.
From his own battle with the fifth seat, Yumichika had realized that the officers of the 11th Division were far stronger than he had imagined.
Ikkaku was stronger than him… well, at least stronger than him when he wasn't using his true Shikai.
But the difference wasn't that large.
If he had been instantly defeated once Rangiku got serious, then Ikkaku wouldn't fare much better.
And if the fifth seat was this strong, the Lieutenant would be even more formidable.
'If I had been this badly injured fighting the fifth seat, then when Ikkaku faced the Lieutenant … would he even survive?'
It was this worry that made Yumichika ignore his own injuries and insist on watching Ikkaku's fight.
He knew Madarame Ikkaku well.
Facing a stronger opponent wouldn't make Ikkaku back down… on the contrary, it would only excite him more.
In a way, Ikkaku was like a weaker, less refined version of Zaraki.
But unlike Zaraki, Ikkaku wasn't as pure, and he had too many thoughts of his own… too much pride.
Especially his reason for hiding his Bankai… he was afraid he'd be forcibly promoted to Captain of another division…
What did he think the Gotei 13's Captains were?
After the Thousand-Year Blood War, in the Soul Society, Renji was strong, right?
He had single-handedly defeated multiple Sternritter, yet even after Rukia completed her Bankai training and defeated As Nodt, who had previously defeated the entire Sixth Division, including Byakuya, she still only became Captain of the 13th Division a full decade later.
"Fine."
Seeing Yumichika's insistence, Kyoya didn't press further.
After all, thanks to his healing, Yumichika's injuries had stabilized. As long as he didn't recklessly throw himself into another high-intensity battle, he wouldn't die.
"Let's go, we should clear the field first."
"There's still another fight coming up."
Rangiku stepped forward and helped Yumichika up, supporting him as they walked toward the stands.
"Alright, thank you, fifth seat Matsumoto and Ayasegawa, for giving us such an exciting battle."
"However, the challenge for the fifth seat is over. Next up is the Lieutenant Challenge."
"Lieutenant Zaraki, Madarame… the stage is yours!"
"Ikkaku!"
As he reached Ikkaku's side, Yumichika's voice carried a hint of concern.
"Hahaha, relax, Yumichika!"
"Your man here is Madarame Ikkaku!"
With that, Ikkaku grinned confidently and stepped into the training grounds.
Boom!
Ikkaku had just steadied himself when Zaraki leaped down from the main spectator stand, crashing into the ground with enough force to leave a massive crater.
"Hey, so you're the brat who wants to challenge me?"
Though Ikkaku was a full-grown man, he seemed almost childishly small in front of Zaraki.
Among the Shinigami, Zaraki's physique was at the peak of human limits.
Standing over two meters tall, his shadow loomed over Ikkaku under the slanted sunlight.
"Yeah, it's me!"
Feeling the overwhelming pressure radiating from Zaraki, Ikkaku drew his Zanpakuto and pointed it at him.
"Tch."
Zaraki's gaze lowered.
He had absolutely no interest in fighting Ikkaku.
Without hesitation, Zaraki grabbed the front of his Shihakusho with his right hand and tore it open, exposing his bare chest.
"Come on, brat."
"Use your sword to cut me!"
"If you can actually hurt me, I'll draw my sword and fight you properly!"
"Damn you! You're really looking down on me?!"
Ikkaku's fury flared.
Though the sheer oppressive aura Zaraki exuded made it clear there was a massive gap in their strength, his dismissive attitude of letting Ikkaku attack freely was downright insulting.
"Hmph."
Zaraki didn't bother with words. That single, indifferent grunt was enough to shatter Ikkaku's composure.
"Die!"
Boom!
With a roar, Ikkaku unleashed his Reiatsu, his body blurring into an afterimage as he charged at Zaraki.
Clang!
Sparks flew!
"How is it possible?"
Ikkaku's pupils contracted in shock.
Though Zaraki's taunting had enraged him, he hadn't completely lost his rationality.
Instead of slashing at Zaraki's exposed chest, he had aimed for his left arm.
In his mind, if Zaraki truly didn't defend, the worst that could happen was losing an arm.
But what Ikkaku never expected was that his Zanpakuto, upon striking Zaraki's arm, would produce sparks as if hitting another blade.
It was as if he hadn't struck flesh and blood, but an indestructible metal.
Something like this… he had never seen it, never even heard of it.
Yet now, this unbelievable scene was unfolding right before his eyes.
And worse, he was the one who had caused it.
'Was this even human?'
'Since when was there something a Zanpakuto couldn't cut?'
"Boring!"
Feeling the pitifully weak strike against his arm, Zaraki spat in disdain.
With a flick of his wrist, he grabbed Ikkaku's Zanpakuto and lifted it, along with Ikkaku himself, effortlessly into the air.
Holding him up so their eyes were level, Zaraki shook his head before hurling Ikkaku away like a ragdoll.
Boom.
"Hiss-"
The more than 70kg Ikkaku was thrown aside by Zaraki like trash, skidding across the ground for over ten meters.
"So strong!"
"As expected of Lieutenant Zaraki!"
"Lieutenant Zaraki is the best!"
The observing division's members had initially thought that anyone daring to challenge Zaraki must have some skill.
So, to avoid being injured by the sheer force of Zaraki's Reiatsu, they had all wisely retreated to a safe distance to watch.
But now, seeing that Ikkaku couldn't even cut Zaraki's skin, they all sighed in relief and began gathering closer to the edge of the training ground.
Since this challenger clearly lacked the strength to push Zaraki, he wouldn't need to unleash his full Reiatsu in battle.
In that case, they might as well move closer to get a better view of Zaraki's overwhelming prowess.
"Ikkaku!"
Among the watching Shinigami, perhaps only Yumichika was genuinely worried for Ikkaku.
However, while concerned about whether his friend would recover from such a crushing defeat, Yumichika also felt a sense of relief.
Given the vast gap in strength between Ikkaku and Zaraki, as long as Zaraki wasn't deliberately trying to kill Ikkaku, his life wasn't in danger. As for injuries…
Glancing down at his own body, Yumichika stopped worrying.
'Captain Kyoya's Kaido was exceptional!'
Yumichika didn't know how high it was exactly.
But judging by how quickly his own wounds had healed, even the 4th Division's Lieutenant, who had once visited the Shin'o Academy for special training, wouldn't have been able to restore his injuries to this extent in such a short time.
"Damn it!"
Ikkaku rolled several times on the ground, dispersing the impact force before rising to one knee, his gaze fixed intently on Zaraki's direction. However, what shattered his pride even further was what happened next.
Zaraki didn't even glance at him before turning to walk away from the training ground.
Clearly, to Zaraki, fighting Ikkaku hadn't been worth his time.
Ikkaku was far too weak… he couldn't spark even the slightest bit of battle lust in Zaraki.
Fighting the weak only makes you weaker!
That was the 'truth' Kyoya had taught Zaraki.
And over the years, Zaraki had come to understand this truth through his life-and-death battles with Kyoya.
Only after clashing with Kyoya in a brutal fight would his own strength visibly grow.
Because of this, Zaraki now had a standard for selecting his opponents.
Only those capable of cutting through his natural physical defenses were worthy of him drawing his sword and engaging in battle.
If someone couldn't even break his skin, then a one-sided slaughter like this was nothing but a disappointment.
Obviously, Ikkaku had failed to meet Zaraki's expectations.
Outside the training ground, seeing Zaraki's reaction, the division's members all fell silent.
They could all understand the meaning behind Zaraki's actions.
Though it was a shame they wouldn't get to witness Zaraki's usual bloodthirsty battle frenzy, they also knew that none of them were qualified to stand before him as opponents either.
Perhaps, in the entire 11th Division, the only one who could make Zaraki draw his sword and fight seriously was Kyoya.
But battles between Kyoya and Zaraki, unless someone was shielding them, were far beyond what ordinary Shinigami, whose Reiatsu hadn't even reached the 5th or 4th-class, could hope to witness.
The sheer, violent force of their Reiatsu could crush their wills, leaving them unable to move not just their bodies but even their consciousness!
"Wait-!"
Ikkaku roared loudly.
Ikkaku called out to stop Zaraki.
He had a premonition that if he didn't speak up now, he might remain stagnant for the rest of his life.
"Five years ago, I promised that man I would stand before him again."
"When that time comes, he'll tell me his name!"
"How could I stop here… before I've even stood in front of that man and heard him say his name to me?!"
Boom!
An even more violent surge of Reiatsu erupted from Ikkaku's body.
Standing firm, he joined the hilt of his Zanpakuto with its sheath and roared, "Extend, Hozukimaru!"
Boom!
Now, the white Reiatsu surrounding Ikkaku was tinged with streaks of crimson.
And in his hands, his Zanpakuto had transformed into a massive, two-meter-long spear.
"Interesting."
Seeing Ikkaku's transformation, a flicker of interest finally appeared in Zaraki's eyes.
Slowly, he turned around, fully facing Ikkaku.
"Raaaahhh!"
This time, Ikkaku didn't feel the same humiliation as before at Zaraki's dismissive attitude.
All he wanted now was to give everything he had-
At the very least, he had to leave a wound on this man!
Boom!
Reiatsu exploded as Ikkaku lunged forward at blinding speed, concentrating all his power into the tip of Hozukimaru and thrusting straight toward Zaraki's chest.
Crack!
A deafening collision erupted as Ikkaku's Reiatsu clashed violently against the unconscious, ambient Reiatsu radiating from Zaraki.
The shockwave sent nearby Shinigami stumbling back, their arms raised to shield themselves from the force.
'This guy… he's strong!'
That single thought flashed through the minds of many division's members.
It can be said that Ikkaku's current performance has exceeded the expectations of many of the Shinigami of the 11th Division.
Based on what he was showing now, he was clearly at the level of a high-ranking seated officer.
In any other division, Ikkaku might have already been appointed as one.
Even in the 11th Division, once this battle with Zaraki was over, if he challenged the other seated officers, he could easily rank within the top ten.
The rookie who had fought against Rangiku earlier was a step below.
But even he wouldn't have much trouble securing a seat within the top ten.
This year, their 11th Division had really lucked out, as two geniuses had joined at once.
It was also at this moment that the Shinigami of the 11th Division truly acknowledged Yumichika and Ikkaku.
Compared to previous recruits, this year's duo was clearly in a league of their own.
As the dust settled, the scene in the training ground became clear.
Zaraki's feet had been forced back, leaving two deep grooves in the ground over ten meters long.
Even Zaraki, without actively releasing his Reiatsu, had been pushed back by Ikkaku's strike.
Meanwhile, Ikkaku remained frozen in his thrusting stance, upper body leaning forward, hands gripping his spear tightly.
"Damn it… Even like this, I still couldn't do it?"
A shadow of disappointment flickered in Ikkaku's eyes.
From the feedback in his hands, he could tell that his strongest attack still hadn't managed to injure Zaraki.