The launch process was far from smooth; in fact, the experience was absolutely terrible.
The moment the Tenchūren shot into the sky, Naraku Sora felt as if he had been tossed into a washing machine. His surroundings spun wildly, forcing him to rely on his Reiatsu just to stabilize his body.
"To be honest, this is a bit different from what I imagined."
Ukitake Jūshirō looked rather pale. He couldn't understand why the Spirit King had suddenly summoned him and Naraku Sora, but he had a vague suspicion that it might have something to do with Lord Mimihagi inside his body.
*I just hope this won't end up dragging my junior martial brother down with me.*
"No wonder the big shots of the Zero Division rarely come down to the Soul Society. With such a bizarre method of transportation, I'd rather just stay home," Naraku Sora shook his head, his face full of disappointment.
Even though he had some understanding of it before entering the Tenchūren, actually experiencing it firsthand made him realize just how absurdly thick his nostalgia filter had been.
The Tenchūren flew at an incredible speed. The slight sensation of resistance coming from outside indicated that they had already entered the region of the seventy-two barriers.
Aizen kept his eyes slightly lowered, remaining completely silent. It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
Ukitake Jūshirō, ever the warm-hearted and good-natured man, offered gentle words of comfort, "Third Seat Aizen, there is no need to be nervous. The seniors of the Zero Division are actually quite easy to get along with."
Aizen raised his gaze, looked at the well-meaning Ukitake Jūshirō, and forced a very strained smile, giving a barely perceptible nod.
In the eyes of others, Aizen was just a tag-along on this trip. Having finally managed to ride Naraku Sora's coattails to catch a direct ride to the Soul King Palace, it was perfectly normal for him to be nervous.
After all, he was merely a Third Seat.
But to Naraku Sora, it was glaringly obvious that this guy had just been calculating the distance between the seventy-two barriers, attempting to mentally measure the exact coordinates of the Soul King Palace.
*One day, he's probably planning to ascend to the Soul King Palace again under a completely different identity.*
*When that time comes, he will truly stand at the pinnacle of the heavens.*
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a bit conflicted.
*If Aizen steps onto that forbidden path again, what choice should I make?*
*Betray him?*
*I'd be a bit reluctant. After all, Yamamoto, Senjumaru, and Unohana Retsu have all treated me quite well.*
*Then should I choose to stand against Aizen?*
*For some reason, just picturing that scenario sends a chill down my spine.*
Others might not know, but Aizen understood him far too well.
However, the current Aizen deviated somewhat from the one in his memories. Whether he would still walk down that original path was hard to say.
Shutara Senjumaru narrowed her eyes, her appraising gaze sweeping over the group.
She had a strong premonition that this trip to the Soul King Palace might turn out to be even more interesting than she had initially anticipated.
Just as everyone was lost in their own thoughts, a heavy rumbling echoed from outside. The Tenchūren slammed into the ground, blasting out a ring of air currents.
The doors slid open. The first thing that greeted their eyes was bright, warm sunlight and a sky as clear and blue as a sapphire.
A massive cylindrical structure stood tall at the zenith of the heavens, looking like the very center of the world. Even just looking directly at it gave off an indescribably heavy, oppressive feeling.
The residence of the Spirit King, the Greater Palace.
Below it were three gigantic, city-sized disc structures, from which faint fluctuations of Reiatsu could vaguely be sensed.
Aside from the members of the Zero Division, the Soul King Palace was not lacking in other souls residing there.
At the very bottom lay a boundless expanse of land stretching as far as the eye could see. Countless residential houses were nestled within it, and judging by their architectural style, they seemed no different from those in the Seireitei.
Looking from afar, one could even see residents bustling about on the streets.
It was completely different from the desolate image he had in his memories; the place was actually quite lively.
"By the way, were those people also selected from the Soul Society?" Naraku Sora pointed toward the district at the end of the Soul King Palace's Main Approach, asking out of curiosity.
Senjumaru followed his gaze and shook her head. Just as she was about to explain, a frivolous voice rang out from the distance.
"The Soul King Palace is a supreme and sacred place. How could ordinary souls casually enter the domain where we reside?"
"The residents down there have existed since the very inception of the Soul King Palace. They have continued generation after generation to this day, and just like us, their duty is to guard the Spirit King."
"Brat, the scent on you is a bit off."
Hearing this sudden voice, everyone instinctively turned to look.
They saw a streak of golden light flash from the edge of their vision, arriving right in front of them in the blink of an eye.
The newcomer carried a long-handled Zanpakutō shaped like a boat oar over his shoulder. He had a gaunt face, sported a pompadour hairstyle that hooked at the end, and chewed on a blade of grass. His long-sleeved, short-cropped haori was wide open, revealing a lean, muscular physique.
His entire demeanor was thoroughly thuggish. He didn't look like a big shot of the Zero Division at all, but rather a street punk from the Rukongai.
The next second, his figure suddenly blurred, appearing right behind Naraku Sora. He tilted his head, pressing the hooked tip of his pompadour against Sora's forehead.
Then, he took a deep, forceful sniff.
"This scent... it's very strange."
"Senjumaru, is this the guy you've taken a liking to..."
Before he could finish his sentence, the figure in front of him suddenly blurred, vanishing completely from the spot.
"Hah, quite a masterful Flash Step technique."
The man smirked. Releasing his Reiatsu, he instantly locked onto Naraku Sora, who had appeared behind him. Without a shred of hesitation, he backhanded a horizontal slash with the long-handled blade resting on his shoulder.
The air tore with the sound of ripping silk. Surging air currents parted on both sides of the blade, like water being cleaved apart.
Clang—!
The sound of clashing metal echoed across the empty Main Approach. A violent shockwave abruptly erupted, sending visible ripples expanding in all directions.
"..." Aizen remained silent.
*Does this guy have some sort of innate taunting attribute?*
*He literally didn't say or do anything, yet he's already fighting a member of the Zero Division. And looking at this stance, it seems like a battle to decide not just victory, but life and death.*
*Also, what did he mean by a 'strange scent'?*
Aizen furrowed his brow, a certain possibility coming to mind.
If it was truly as he suspected, then the strength of the Zero Division would need to be completely re-evaluated.
Furthermore, the danger level of this trip to the Soul King Palace would instantly skyrocket to the absolute extreme.
"You've got a lot of drive! I didn't expect a Soul Reaper from the lower realm like you to exist. It seems the world below has developed quite well since I left!"
The man laughed loudly, his words laced with undisguised arrogance.
"I heard you're a disciple of Yamamoto Shigekuni. Let me test your mettle on his behalf!"
As his voice fell, without giving anyone else a chance to speak, his materialized Reiatsu shot straight into the clouds.
In an instant, the air on the Main Approach became incredibly heavy, and a terrifying, suffocating pressure crashed down upon them.
However, to the man's surprise, despite being blanketed by such a majestic and overwhelming Reiatsu, the youth opposite him remained completely unfazed, as if nothing had happened at all.
"No wonder the Spirit King personally issued a decree. Just this sheer nerve to face me head-on makes you countless times stronger than those ordinary Soul Reapers."
"Since that's the case, I can't let the Zero Division lose face."
"Brat, remember my name! I am the Divine General of the East of the Soul King Palace, known as the Lightning-Fast, the great Tenjirō Kirinji!"
Tenjirō Kirinji brandished his long-handled Zanpakutō, transforming into a streak of golden light as he instantly charged right in front of Naraku Sora.
He swung his blade down!
Boom—
The golden light collided with scorching flames, instantly detonating a terrifying shockwave of air!
Ripple-like impacts surged outward. Light and searing flames intersected, intertwined, and crushed against each other, ultimately sweeping out in all directions with overwhelming force.
If the Main Approach hadn't been sturdy enough, the mere aftershocks of this clash would have been enough to create a terrifying scene of collapsing heavens and shattering earth.
It seemed that the possibility of future battles had been anticipated during its construction, which was why the materials used for the Soul King Palace's architecture were exceptionally durable.
"Is that it?"
"To be honest, you're not as good as my teacher."
Feeling the force transmitted through the blade, Naraku Sora shook his head in disappointment.
He had thought that Tenjirō Kirinji, as a member of the Zero Division, would bring him some unexpected surprises, but he hadn't expected his level to be just this.
Forget about struggling; he didn't even feel the slightest bit of pressure.
"?" Tenjirō Kirinji stared in disbelief.
*He wasn't as good as Yamamoto?*
*Do you even hear what you're saying?!*
*He was a big shot of the Zero Division! His comprehensive strength surpassed even the entirety of the Gotei 13 combined!*
*To look down on me so much... fine, I'll let you witness the wrath of a Zero Division big shot!*
Tenjirō Kirinji grinned. As he stood up straight, he raised his Zanpakutō above his head. The moment he spun it, violent torrents of water burst forth from his materialized Reiatsu.
Thud!
The ground beneath his feet let out a muffled boom, and Tenjirō Kirinji vanished without a trace.
When he reappeared, he was already directly above Naraku Sora. Wrapped in a tornado-like torrent of water, he roared downward, smashing toward his target without mercy.
*Hm?*
Sensing this powerful fluctuation of Reiatsu, a flash of excitement crossed Naraku Sora's eyes.
*This is the power a member of the Zero Division should have.*
*His previous display was merely at the level of an ordinary Soul Reaper Captain. Forget comparing him to Yamamoto; he wasn't even a match for the current Zaraki Kenpachi.*
*Since the other party was offering such a grand reception, if I don't show a little something, I'll probably be looked down upon.*
"Endure a trillion eons, Vajrayati!"
Amidst the roaring sound of surging water, the moment the release command was chanted, the air abruptly turned scorching hot. A violent pillar of fire erupted into the sky, howling upwards to meet the descending tornado.
Naraku Sora fiercely swung his Zanpakutō. Crackling golden arcs of lightning intertwined around it as he leaped through the raging flames, slashing viciously at Tenjirō Kirinji in the sky—
Dragon Flash Raikōhō!
The two terrifying forces collided in midair, causing the turbulent water and scorching lightning-flames to interweave and detonate!
Rumble!!
Not just the nearby ground, but the entire Main Approach—stretching all the way beneath the Zero Division's Detached Palaces—trembled under the impact!
At the center of the collision, it was as if a pause button had been pressed. The movements of the two men froze, maintaining their exact postures.
After a brief standstill, the aftershock suddenly expanded.
"Ugh!"
Naraku Sora coughed up a mouthful of blood. His lean, muscular body crashed into a warm embrace, and slender arms wrapped around him, halting his backward momentum.
On the other side, Tenjirō Kirinji wasn't so lucky. His entire body was instantly sent flying backward, slamming brutally into the stone pillars lining the Main Approach.
Immediately, cracks spread all over the stone.
The figure slid down from the pillar, his blade sinking into the ground. Tenjirō Kirinji stood up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked on with eyes full of excitement.
"Not bad, brat!"
"I underestimated you a bit earlier. A Soul Reaper personally singled out by the Spirit King really does have some skills."
"Let's see you try this move."
His Reiatsu surged once more, and a dazzling, brilliant golden light bloomed from his long-handled Zanpakutō.
"Flash from Illuminating Heavens, Kinpika!"
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