The office's atmosphere was suffocating.
Watching the battle, then seeing Byakuya's grim face, Renji stayed quiet.
It was too bizarre.
The disciplined Byakuya, breaking Seireitei's rules to fight on Sōkyoku Hill?
Renji thought it impossible, but the vivid scenes and reiatsu surges screamed reality.
Raising his eyes, Byakuya spoke coldly after a long silence. "Renji, what did you mean? You think I'd make such a basic mistake?"
His blood pressure spiked.
Despite making the list, he felt no pride—only fury at his tarnished image.
As the 6th Division captain and head of the Kuchiki clan, he was a celebrity in the Soul Society, always upholding noble decorum.
But the video—him clashing with Ichigo on Sōkyoku Hill—was a slap to his face, breaking his composure.
"N-No!" Renji shook his head like a rattle. "I didn't mean that, Captain. It's just… too strange."
He recalled the past months—Byakuya rarely left the division, buried in paperwork.
Seireitei had been peaceful, with no invasions.
Where did these battle scenes come from?
The realistic reiatsu couldn't be fake.
"Go! Contact the Technical Development Bureau and shut this damn screen down!" Byakuya ordered icily.
In the video, despite Senbonzakura's Bankai, the cherry blossoms couldn't keep up with Ichigo's speed, missing every strike.
As the Zanpakutō's master, Byakuya fumed, murderous rage brewing.
What kind of nonsense ranking was this?
The author had to be a hater!
"Yes, Captain!" Renji nodded nervously, ready to rush to the 12th Division to save Byakuya from exploding.
But the screen flickered, the battle escalating.
"Open your eyes and watch…"
Byakuya's black hair danced, his captain's haori billowing.
His captain-level reiatsu poured out with his cold voice.
Pink light lit the sky as countless cherry blossom blades spiraled upward, gathering above him.
"Seriously?!" Renji's eyes widened. "Captain, it looks like Senbonzakura's going to its second-stage Bankai!"
"No need to state the obvious," Byakuya snapped, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
He hadn't expected to be pushed this far by a random kid on Sōkyoku Hill.
Senbonzakura's Bankai had three stages:
- Shūkei: Hundreds of times more petals than Shikai.
- Senkei: A blade-filled space with enhanced speed and power.
Now, he was entering Senkei.
"Who is this kid?!" Renji marveled, watching the blade space form.
As Byakuya's lieutenant, he knew his captain's strength.
Born with pure Kuchiki blood, trained by Ginrei and Yoruichi, Byakuya's Shunpo rivaled Soifon's.
His combat skills were elite, even without his Zanpakutō.
Yet, this kid outsped him, forcing Byakuya to rely on Bankai's pressure.
It was shocking.
"No matter. Surrounded by Senkei, he's dead," Byakuya said confidently.
As he spoke, the cherry blossom sea coalesced into thousands of blades, radiating lethal intent around him.
Ichigo, overwhelmed by the pressure, panicked like a caged animal, facing a thousand cuts.
"See that?"
Byakuya's cold voice in the video sealed Ichigo's fate:
"With your meager strength, don't think you can surpass my Zanpakutō. Dying under my Bankai is a dignified end."
He raised his hand, swinging his blade.
The cherry blossom blades surged, creating waves of air.
The ground, already scarred, shook, and Sōkyoku Hill teetered on collapse.
"Captain, you've got this!" Renji cheered, enthralled. "Senkei's power nearly destroyed Sōkyoku Hill!"
In the video, Ichigo, trapped by endless blades, had nowhere to run.
Under Renji's excited gaze, the pink light fell like meteors, engulfing Ichigo.
The battle ended, and the second ranking concluded.
Byakuya exhaled in relief.
Though he started at a disadvantage, Senbonzakura's Bankai secured victory.
"Captain, you earned that spot!" Renji flattered, seeing Byakuya's mood lighten.
"I don't care for empty titles," Byakuya said coldly, regaining his aloof demeanor. "That kid and I were never on the same level."
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The plans are now available.
Rank A: Read 20 chapters in advance + free waifu.
Rank S: Read 30 chapters in advance + 10 waifu