Chapter 47: Captain of the Third Division — Gin Ichimaru
Narrator POV
Just as Akira had anticipated, the fight ended quickly. Ichigo defeated Jidanbō without even breaking a sweat. To Akira, it was obvious that Yoruichi had exaggerated the colossus's strength. Apparently, soul reapers had a habit of overestimating certain individuals or spiritual entities. Nothing new for Akira.
—(And just like that… exactly as I said. Lots of noise, little threat.)
Jidanbō, now kneeling with a respectful expression, spoke solemnly:
—As a warrior of honor, I shall let you pass. Your leader has defeated me. Now I must open the gate. —He turned his massive body to begin pushing the giant doors of the Seireitei.
"Hold it right there!" Uryū pointed accusingly at Ichigo. "Who said Ichigo is our leader?! Don't joke around! I would NEVER accept him as the leader of anything!"
"Oh, shut up, Uryū. It's not that deep. Maybe it's your… doctor outfit? Scientist outfit? Whatever it is, it's not helping your case." Ichigo mocked as the bandages wrapped back around Zangetsu.
"It is a Quincy uniform!" Uryū retorted, visibly offended. "An ignorant fool like you would never appreciate the quality of this fabric nor its stitching! This is pure craftsmanship!"
As they argued, Jidanbō blinked, confused by the group dynamic, before giving Ichigo a curious look.
"So your name is Ichigo… Straw-head Body-Spine? That's the cutest name I've ever heard…"
"It's NOT cute!!" Ichigo turned toward the giant, face burning red. "Ichi means 'one' and Go means 'the one who protects'! There's nothing cute about it!!"
"Not everyone knows the meaning of those kanji, so deal with it, carrot-head." Akira pointed out, even though he himself didn't know that was what the name meant.
Ichigo scowled while the others did their best not to burst out laughing. Akira crossed his arms with a half-smile, enjoying the brief chaos before the real problems inside the Seireitei began.
"Listen," Jidanbō said, bending down and grabbing the bottom edge of the giant door with effort. "I don't know why you want to enter the Seireitei…"
His voice became serious. A short silence followed, like he was choosing his words carefully.
—But there are people inside far stronger than me. Once you cross, things will get difficult.
Ichigo didn't answer right away. He simply clenched his fist tightly, staring at the massive stone gate.
—We know… but we're not turning back.
"Very well..." Jidanbō gave a small smile. "Give me a moment… this is harder than it looks."
With a deep grunt, the giant began to push the enormous gate. Muscles bulging, veins standing out, sweat dripping down his face. With a roar of sheer force and will, he opened the entrance to the Seireitei… revealing what lay on the other side—
And then he froze.
His arms stayed up, but his expression completely shifted. The sweat on his skin was no longer from effort— but fear.
"Huh? What's wrong, Jidanbō? Why'd you stop like that?" Orihime asked with uncertainty, seeing how the giant had turned stiff like a trembling statue.
"T-that's… the Captain of the Third Division…" Jidanbō's voice trembled.
Everyone turned to the figure standing perfectly still on the other side of the gate.
A slim yet elegant man stood there, wearing the standard Gotei 13 captain's uniform. His haori had no sleeves, revealing his arms. His zanpakutō hung at his waist—though he didn't need it to command attention.
His hair was a polished silver, combed neatly. His eyes remained closed, as if he were asleep on his feet… yet there was no calmness in him. The smile on his face was fox-like, mocking, filled with a sinister undertone. A mask that hid intentions only a few could ever decipher.
The nickname "fox-face" didn't do him justice. He didn't look like a fox… He looked like a predator pretending to be one.
Akira narrowed his eyes, recognizing him immediately. Gin Ichimaru… Captain of the Third Division of the Seireitei. And although the gate was now open, the entrance did not feel like a welcome. It felt like a trap ready to snap shut.
"Oh? What are you doing, Jidanbō?" Gin asked with that eternally crooked smile soft, yet uncomfortably sharp.
Even with his eyes closed, everyone felt as if something inside him was watching them… like a creeping shadow slithering under their skin.
—That's forbidden, you know?
But before Gin could even reach for his zanpakutō's hilt— someone appeared in front of him.
Akira.
No warning. No words.
His hand clamped onto Gin's wrist like a steel trap, stopping him effortlessly. The Third Division Captain raised a brow—his smile remained, but surprise flickered underneath. He hadn't expected one of the "visitors" to be that fast.
For a moment, neither moved.
Gin observed Akira. Akira stared back, unmoving, as if he had already fought this battle a thousand times in his mind.
Silence. Crushing tension. It was the calm before something monstrous. Then Gin broke that silence.
"You're fast… Human? I don't think so." he said, voice lowered as if sharing a secret. "Your shadow speaks for you. Dark… as if it wants to swallow everything." He noted how Akira's shadow seemed to connect with all the others around them.
—I could say the same. That smile of yours… inspires more terror than trust.
Their voices were soft, almost polite— But every word carried a threat. Then Gin smiled wider—
if that was even possible— and released a portion of his spiritual pressure.
The air changed instantly.
The atmosphere thickened, suffocating, like an invisible serpent coiling around their throats. Orihime, Uryū, even Ichigo—all stepped back instinctively. Their bodies begged them to flee.
But Akira didn't move. Instead, he unleashed his Cursed Energy. Dark. Violent. A wrongness to its core—unnatural to the flow of reiryoku.
The presence swelling from him wasn't spiritual…
It was raw and feral, like a beast awakened.
When the two forces collided, the air detonated with a dull shockwave, as though space itself compressed around them. An invisible vortex swirled between the two.
The ground cracked. Walls trembled. Bodies felt heavy—crushed by invisible weight. Nobody could approach. Nobody could interfere. They could only watch— and tremble.
Because they understood it now. This wasn't a normal clash. They were witnessing two monsters collide— and neither intended to back down.
"W-what the…?" Ichigo muttered, frozen by the brutal clash of forces filling the air.
"So this is a captain's spiritual pressure…" Uryū adjusted his glasses nervously, sweat sliding down his face. "I've never felt anything so overwhelming… But Akira—what is that energy you're releasing? It isn't reiryoku. It isn't spirit pressure."
—Whatever it is, they're testing each other measuring power by releasing their pressures. —Yoruichi kept her eyes fixed on them, feline pupils narrowing. I knew Akira was strong, but I never imagined his power could rival a captain's…
(Damn it. I didn't expect to run into a captain this soon… I'd rather avoid this fight, but that brat already challenged Gin. He better not die on me.)— Yoruichi thought, feeling the ground vibrate beneath her feet from the overwhelming pressure surging from both warriors.
"What an interesting power you possess… raw, wild. So different from reiryoku," Gin observed with genuine curiosity, impressed by Akira's unknown energy.
"Raw and wild doesn't mean I can't control it precisely." A faint purple aura began to wrap around Akira's body—subtle but undeniably threatening.
"Well then… shall I find out?" Gin whispered, his smile never faltering, as he slipped free from Akira's grip and pointed his zanpakutō forward. "Shoot him dead—Shinsō."
The blade glowed sharply before extending at terrifying speed— a bolt of steel aiming to pierce Akira's heart.
The strike was fast, precise, capable of piercing almost anything. But Akira was not just anyone.
With a swift twist of his body, he dodged by a hair's breadth. In the same motion, his leg swung up in a brutal kick toward Gin's ribs. The captain retreated with cat-like speed, but not quite fast enough — Akira's foot grazed his haori, leaving a mark in the fabric.
In an instant, Shinsō retracted back to its original length, now in Gin's hand again as if it had never changed.
—That was close… you almost got me. —he commented casually, though his calm was partly a façade.
—Trust me… you won't be that lucky next time.
Without time for a response, Akira vanished in a flash— reappearing right in front of Gin, twin daggers drawn.
Without hesitation, he slashed for Gin's face.
Gin raised his zanpakutō just in time to deflect the strike. Their weapons clashed with a metallic roar and a burst of sparks lit the scene briefly— revealing the full weight behind Akira's attack.
(He's stronger and faster than I expected… I'll need to be careful. One mistake could cost me dearly.)—Despite the newfound respect, Gin's fox-like smile never once faded.
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End of Chapter