The satisfied smile on Kiganjō's face didn't last long.
For soon he noticed something strange… very strange — the enemy's spiritual power had not disappeared.
On the contrary, as time passed, it continued to expand and spread more and more.
This situation was clearly abnormal. Although Kiganjō was not a master in the true sense of the word, at that moment he still realized something was terribly wrong.
The opponent was certainly not dead.
Although this was beyond his expectations, the situation now left him completely confused.
What's happening…?
How can someone release spiritual power even after dying?
Then what exactly was it that I destroyed just now?
An empty body…?
His massive body began to slowly pivot, and his huge bear-like head moved to survey his surroundings.
And then, a little "too late," he realized — the street, which had been perfectly visible before, was now beginning to blur and become indistinct.
It was… fogging.
This was absolutely abnormal. Kiganjō frowned and, instinctively, swung the massive Enma Hammer, striking the air in all directions.
The impact of each blow made the air tremble, traveling across the distance and reaching the far ends of the street.
But the expected sound of destruction didn't come — and he knew very well that there should have been a wall over there.
It makes no sense…
My Enma Hammer can reduce entire walls to rubble — there's no reason it shouldn't have caused damage!
Tch! Don't tell me that old Yamamoto intercepted my blows from outside?!
Once so confident, Kiganjō now showed a slight trace of nervousness.
He simply could no longer see anything around him.
The thick fog swirled like a raging sea, limiting his vision to less than half a meter ahead.
By reflex, he wanted to advance, to try to see what was in front of him.
But his instincts — forged through years of street fights and blood baths — screamed that it wasn't time to move without thinking.
First, I need to understand what's happening.
Where's the problem…?
Kiganjō lifted his eyes. The full moon still shone overhead — the only confirmation that he remained within the Seireitei.
Right, there were also… the pieces of body at his feet.
But when he looked down —
— he saw not a single trace of blood.
Beneath his feet was only… a thin layer of clean water.
…
Wait… water?
At some point, a large amount of water had formed at his feet.
It moved and rippled, gathering and swirling —
As if it were… the sea.
The instant he realized this, Kiganjō's entire body stiffened.
A clear, tangible threat advanced toward him.
The unknown always provokes tension — especially in moments when nothing makes sense.
What is attacking me now…?
A blade? A sword? A stealth attack?
Could it be Kidō? Or perhaps an even more powerful technique?
Instinctively, he raised the Enma Hammer to defend himself — and, as expected, a familiar silhouette emerged from the fog.
It was Arima Shinya!
— Boy!!!
Kiganjō, as if he had found a target on which to vent his anger, roared and swung the massive hammer without even worrying about defending himself.
After all, the boy was only at fifth-class spiritual level. Even if he used all his strength, he would never be able to break his defense.
Then go ahead.
Attack as much as you want.
When you're done, my hammer will crush your skull.
The blow descended with force —
but the result was nothing like he expected.
Splaaash!
The blood that gushed left him momentarily stunned.
Immediately after, a sharp pain struck — and his brain, already not very clever, seemed to lock up.
Kiganjō let out a scream of pain, swinging the hammer down with force on the "Arima Shinya" before him.
But the expected sound of bones breaking never came.
The young man's figure dissolved into mist before his eyes, vanishing in an instant.
The Enma Hammer passed through the fog and struck the ground, generating a deafening explosion.
BOOOM!!!
The entire ground sank under the impact.
His power was still overwhelming, his strength still immense.
But the feeling of striking emptiness made him furious, nearly insane.
Where is that damn boy?!
Where did he hide?!
And, moreover… that wound in my abdomen.
He brought his hand to his waist, and his touch found blood — a lot of blood.
It was a deep wound, almost exposing his intestines.
But… how did he manage to injure me like this?!
Before, he could barely scratch the skin!
No, even stranger was the enemy's power.
I can't see… nor touch.
I can't sense… nor strike.
The fog around was imbued with that damn boy's spiritual power.
The water at his feet continued to rise — now reaching his shins.
Kiganjō had no idea what it meant, but his patience was already at its limit.
— Hey! Where are you hiding?!
There was no verbal response.
Only three quick, deep cuts struck him suddenly.
Here it comes again — that suicidal attack!
Kiganjō's pupils contracted violently. Learning from the previous mistake, he assumed a fully defensive stance.
The fog parted — and three Arima Shinyas advanced at once, each attacking from a different angle.
There was no way to dodge.
Splaaash!
Another wound — this time on the shoulder, so deep that the bone could be seen.
— AAAAHHHHHHH!!!
Kiganjō roared in rage, swinging the Enma Hammer furiously.
The blows shook the air, dispersing the fog and destroying everything around.
— Get out! Get out! Show yourself, damn it!!!
But, to the eyes of those observing from afar — Aizen and the others — the scene was completely different.
The entire street was covered by a dense, thick fog, moving as if it had a will of its own, swirling, spinning, but never dissipating.
It concentrated on a single point, as if controlled by some invisible consciousness.
Tōsen Kaname tilted his head, intrigued, and whispered:
— Aizen-sama… is this the true ability of Arima Shinya's Zanpakutō?
Aizen did not immediately respond. His eyes glimmered, reflecting deep thought.
After a few seconds of silence, he spoke:
— I'm sorry, Kaname.
Even I don't fully understand what's happening now…
The mere fact that Aizen admitted this was proof of the power involved.
— But, as we know, the release of a Zanpakutō follows a certain pattern.
In the case of Shinya-kun's Zanpakutō, as we said before, its ability was specialized in one-on-one combat.
— Therefore, it's natural to assume that its complete release form doesn't change much in essence.
Tōsen understood the logic, but still couldn't "see" — or rather, comprehend — the nature of that fog.
— So… what exactly is this fog?
Aizen, who rarely spoke without conviction, hesitated for a moment before answering.
But, given it was Arima Shinya, he didn't mind speculating.
— It's just a hypothesis, Kaname.
— If the incomplete form, Yumi, had the ability to simulate Shinya-kun's actions to predict his movements…
— Then perhaps, now that his true form has been revealed, the ability has inverted.
— Instead of Shinya-kun predicting the enemy… the enemy is forced to predict Shinya-kun.
…
Within the void, Arima Shinya slowly opened his eyes.
He "saw" Kiganjō fighting clumsily within the fog — and his gaze showed no surprise at all.
The power of Sāgara Ryū was not much different from Yumi, but there was a crucial change:
the target of the simulation was no longer Arima Shinya, but the enemy.
Kiganjō's power had been completely analyzed — exposed down to the last detail by the ability of Sāgara Ryū.
Defense was useless.
Because the dragon had already identified all his weak points.
Counterattack was also useless.
For Arima Shinya no longer had a physical body — he had completely merged with the fog.
He was no longer in a "labyrinth."
But in an endless sea — an ocean meant to trap the enemy until death.
The target of the simulation had changed.
Now, Kiganjō was the fully deciphered object — a puppet whose movements were all already predicted.
Then…
Dance.
Dance to the end, puppet.
Enjoy yourself as you writhe.
The water rose higher and higher, now reaching Kiganjō's waist.
Arima Shinya watched silently, without emotion.
The countdown of life had begun.
The sea surged, roaring.
The sky trembled in response.
If Kiganjō could not find the exit from this vast ocean…
then let him accept his fate — and drown in his own helplessness.
Could he escape?
To Arima Shinya's eyes, there was only one answer.
And soon — the scream echoed through the darkness.
— BANKAI!!!
(End of Chapter)
Come check out my Patreon!
Chapters are already available up to 100, and you'll also get access to other stories.
👉 patreon.com/Vellgrace