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Inside the squad office, the atmosphere was suffocating.
Renji Abarai stared at the combat footage playing before them, then glanced at Captain Kuchiki Byakuya's dark, stormy expression. He didn't dare make a sound.
Too weird. Way too weird.
Captain Kuchiki—who always held himself to impossible standards and never stepped out of line—was shown outright violating Seireitei's rules, clashing swords on Sokyoku Hill?
Renji's first instinct was to think: No way. Absolutely impossible.
But the vivid combat visuals, the crushing spiritual pressure blasting out from the light screen—everything hammered one point home.
This really happened.
Byakuya raised his head slightly, brows knotted tight. He stayed silent for several long minutes before speaking, his voice cold and trembling with suppressed fury.
"Renji. What exactly did you mean by that comment just now? Do you honestly think I would make such a rookie mistake?"
His blood pressure was skyrocketing.
Sure, he made it into the rankings. But Byakuya felt no sense of honor.
If anything, his image had been dragged through the mud, and he was burning with fury.
It wasn't just because he was Captain of the Sixth Division.
He was also the head of the noble Kuchiki clan.
Because of that status, the eyes of Soul Society were always on him, watching him as closely as they would a celebrity. And to uphold the dignity of the Four Great Noble Families, he constantly restrained himself, never allowing the slightest misstep.
But then—
That damn video.
Him unleashing Senbonzakura on Sokyoku Hill, locked in fierce combat with Ichigo Kurosaki… it felt like an invisible hand slapped him across the face.
His composure cracked instantly.
"N-no, that's not what I meant…"
Renji shook his head so fast he looked like a rattle drum. Swallowing hard, he tried to explain: "Captain, you're misunderstanding me. I didn't think anything like that. It's just… this whole situation feels off."
He forced himself to think back.
He remembered clearly: for months, because of heavy workloads, Byakuya barely left the Sixth Division. He practically lived inside the office.
And for the entire past year, the Seireitei had been completely peaceful. No invasions, no major incidents.
So where did this battle footage come from?
Especially the spiritual pressure waves—those couldn't just be faked out of thin air.
"Go. Contact the Department of Research and Development. I don't care what the reason is—shut this cursed projection down immediately." Byakuya's voice was cutting, his expression ice-cold.
On screen, the battle continued.
Even though Senbonzakura was already in bankai form, the ocean of glowing petals still couldn't keep up with Ichigo. Every strike missed.
Watching his own zanpakuto struggle like that made Byakuya's eye twitch with rage. Smoke might as well have been coming out of his ears.
Unforgivable.
What kind of garbage "Power Rankings" list was this?
The creator had to be a hater. No question.
"Yes, Captain!"
Renji straightened up quickly, ready to rush to R&D before Byakuya died of anger right here in the office.
But—
Just as he rose to his feet, the video flickered violently. The battle was escalating again.
"Look closely."
Byakuya's voice echoed from the projection.
His black hair whipped in the wind. His white captain's haori billowed dramatically. A massive surge of spiritual pressure burst out from him as his cold voice rolled through the battlefield.
A moment later, pink light flooded the sky.
Thousands upon thousands of petal-blades spiraled upward, gathering over Byakuya's head.
The scale was enormous.
"No way…" Renji's eyes widened, the endless sea of petals reflected in his pupils. "Captain, I think Senbonzakura is entering the second stage of its bankai!"
"That much is obvious. I don't need you to point it out." Byakuya snapped back, though a hint of surprise flickered in his eyes.
Truthfully, he hadn't expected it either.
He'd been pushed this far by some unknown kid?
Currently, Senbonzakura's bankai had three stages:
The first stage—its petal count multiplied exponentially.
The second stage—forming a closed space of high-speed blades for overwhelming offense.
And now, he was clearly preparing to use that second stage.
"Who the hell is this boy in black…"
Staring at the forming blade-space, Renji could hardly believe it.
As Byakuya's lieutenant, he knew his captain's strength better than anyone.
Born with the purest noble blood, trained since childhood with the best resources, personally instructed by former captain Kuchiki Ginrei, and even having studied under Yoruichi to learn the pinnacle of shunpo—
Byakuya's skill in flash step was on par with Soi Fon.
Even without relying on his zanpakuto, he was devastating in combat thanks to mastery of shunpo, zanjutsu, hakuda, and kidou.
Yet now?
His greatest point of pride—his speed—was completely outmatched. He had been forced to rely on bankai's overwhelming presence to pressure the enemy.
Anyone watching would be stunned.
"It doesn't matter. Once he's sealed inside the blade-space, he won't escape death."
Byakuya stared at the projection, his face cold and confident.
Sure enough—
The instant he finished speaking, the vast sea of petals condensed into countless real blades, forming a deadly domain around him. The killing intent was suffocating.
Ichigo Kurosaki, crushed by the sheer spiritual pressure, panicked like prey trapped in a cage.
What awaited him was death by a thousand cuts.
"See now?"
Byakuya strode forward arrogantly on screen, his voice calm and merciless as if delivering Ichigo's sentence.
"With that level of strength, don't even dream of surpassing my blade. Dying under my bankai is the most dignity you'll ever receive."
He lifted his hand and swung.
The blade-space stirred, creating massive ripples of killing force.
A thunderous boom shook the air. Dust burst upward. Shockwaves exploded around Byakuya, and the ruined ground trembled violently.
Sokyoku Hill looked like it was going to collapse.
"Captain, you're incredible as always!" Renji gasped, unable to look away. "The second stage of your bankai almost shattered Sokyoku Hill!"
While he spoke, the video showed Ichigo completely surrounded, with no escape left.
Then—
Under Renji's excited stare, the sky of pink blades fell like shooting stars, swallowing Ichigo whole.
The footage cut abruptly.
The second round of the rankings had ended.
"Whew…"
As the projection faded, Byakuya finally let out a breath of relief.
He might have stumbled early on, but with Senbonzakura's bankai, he had ended the fight decisively.
"Captain…"
"Looks like your place in the rankings is well deserved!" Renji said quickly, seeing his captain's expression soften a little.
"Well, I don't concern myself with such meaningless titles." Byakuya returned to his usual cool, arrogant tone.
"From the beginning, that boy and I were never on the same level."
"..."
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