Ukitake and Shunsui put away their Zanpakuto and turned to look at the now-furious Yamamoto Genryūsai.
Kyōraku adjusted his straw hat slightly and said, "It's over. Now we've really pissed off the old man."
"Don't fight him here. Let's go!" Ukitake instantly used shunpo and moved toward the uninhabited zone.
Kyōraku sighed softly, grabbed Ise Nanao beside him, and vanished from the peak of Sōkyoku Hill as well.
Yamamoto let out a cold snort and didn't even glance at Ichigo. He immediately used shunpo and followed.
Ichigo watched most people leave. At this point, nearly everyone had already been assigned their opponents. He stepped onto the Sōkyoku execution platform, spiritual energy bursting from his Zanpakutō, instantly destroying the execution stand!
Of course, he didn't forget to scoop Rukia into his arms in the process.
Unohana Retsu appeared beside Ichigo in a flash. Looking at Rukia, she smiled and said, "Don't worry, Rukia. It's all over now."
Rukia looked at Unohana, then at Ichigo, her mind struggling to keep up.
Sasakibe Chōjirō realized things were going south and shouted, "Head-Captain, wait for me!"
Then he promptly disappeared with shunpo, sneaking away.
Now, only Soi Fon of the Second Division and her lieutenant Ōmaeda, as well as Byakuya of the Sixth Division and the utterly confused Kotetsu Isane of the Fourth Division, remained atop Sōkyoku Hill.
"Captain, what's going on?" Kotetsu Isane also flash-stepped to Unohana's side. She was even more bewildered than Rukia.
Everything that had just happened was too much for her to process. How did it turn into a betrayal so suddenly?!
And the traitor was her own captain!
Soi Fon snorted coldly. "Anyone who betrays the Soul Society… must die!"
Clearly, she had thought of something unpleasant, and her expression turned serious.
Just as she was about to act, a black shadow darted past and suddenly grabbed the unsuspecting Soi Fon, leaping off the peak of Sōkyoku Hill!
Byakuya's pupils contracted. "That was—!"
Ichigo gently placed Rukia on the ground. Unohana turned to him and said, "This Kuchiki captain is yours now. Ichigo, I'll take Rukia with me. Don't worry about her safety."
Ichigo nodded. "Yeah, Retsu-neesan, I'm counting on you!"
Unohana nodded back. First, she flash-stepped over and knocked Ōmaeda out with a single punch. Then she had Kotetsu Isane support Rukia, released her Zanpakutō, and used it to fly away with them from the Sōkyoku.
Byakuya let out a cold snort and, without hesitation, slashed his Zanpakutō toward the three of them.
But Ichigo wasn't dead yet!
Clang!
Ichigo blocked Byakuya's blade with Zangetsu and said, "Don't be so hasty. I'm definitely saving Rukia. If you want to take her back, you'll have to defeat me first!"
Byakuya looked at Ichigo's confident expression and snorted, the white spiritual pressure around him becoming tangible, causing the very ground of Sōkyoku Hill to tremble from its intensity.
Ichigo hoisted Zangetsu on his shoulder and casually remarked, "As expected of a captain-level Shinigami. That spiritual pressure's impressive!"
But that tone of voice irritated Byakuya.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, why are you trying to save Rukia?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"Huh? Why am I saving Rukia? That's what I should be asking you! As her brother, why aren't you trying to save your own sister?!"
Ichigo didn't answer the question—instead, he threw it right back.
Byakuya straightened up and replied seriously, "Rukia violated Soul Society law. As the head of the noble Kuchiki clan, I must uphold the law."
"If even I, as the clan head, disregard the laws of Soul Society, then who else would follow them?"
Ichigo fell silent for a moment, then looked at Byakuya and asked, "And how do you know for certain that Rukia actually broke Soul Society's law?"
"Of course, it was based on the investigation of Central 46," Byakuya replied. He actually didn't dislike Ichigo. After all, charging into another world for a friend you've only known a short time wasn't something just anyone could do.
In fact, in the original story, Byakuya didn't go all out against anyone—except for that one blond guy who tricked his sister...
"Hmph! Byakuya, I didn't think you'd be so stubborn! Rukia and I both said we weren't part of any Hollowfication experiment with Urahara Kisuke. Why don't you believe us? Don't tell me your sister's word means less to you than whatever Central 46 says?"
Ichigo's words hit Byakuya like a hammer.
Ichigo glared at him and shouted, "Now I finally understand why Rukia had that calm, resigned look on her face. Even her own brother doesn't believe her! Why would she fight to live when her brother won't even stand by her?! A brother should trust his sister unconditionally!"
As he spoke, Ichigo's spiritual pressure surged again, completely suppressing Byakuya!
"Maybe so."
But Byakuya was not one to waver easily. Holding up his Zanpakutō, he declared, "Seems we have no choice but to fight!"
"No use talking anymore!"
Ichigo likewise pointed Zangetsu at Byakuya.
"Use your bankai! In your current state, you're no match for me!" Ichigo said, boosting his spiritual pressure to another level.
"Hmph. That depends on whether you can force me to use it. Scatter—Senbonzakura!"
Byakuya raised his blade, and the sword dissolved into cherry blossom petals that flew toward Ichigo.
Ichigo didn't care about the approaching petals—he simply waved his sword casually a few times.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The petals were scattered instantly!
"Was that sword pressure?" Byakuya was surprised.
"Sword pressure? That was just me leaking a bit of my sword's force," Ichigo said with a smirk.
"Hurry and use your bankai, or I might kill you with one strike."
His words were as arrogant as ever.
Since his shikai was useless, Byakuya no longer held back. "In that case, watch closely."
He again merged his Zanpakutō into the ground.
"Bankai—Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"
Countless cherry blossoms swirled around Byakuya.
Ichigo looked at the spectacle and couldn't help but admire it. "That's a beautiful bankai."
"Beautiful?" Byakuya hadn't expected such a shallow compliment.
"Yeah, it's beautiful. But that's all it is," Ichigo said with a grin.
"Hmph!"
Byakuya's mind focused, and the blossoms—many times more numerous than before—swarmed toward Ichigo.
At this level, Ichigo couldn't handle it with sword pressure alone anymore!
(End of Chapter)
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