Chapter 60
Kyōraku gave a bitter smile.
"Besides, I don't think I can catch you by myself."
Even so.
The smile on Urahara Kisuke's face faded considerably, and he turned his head again to look at the other side of the road.
A white-haired man strolled over, his expression very serious.
One look was enough to tell… he was very angry.
"So, I called Ukitake."
Kyōraku also slowly added this at just the right moment.
Urahara Kisuke looked left and right.
The Shinigami of the Eighth Division had all retreated, keeping their distance, but he felt no safety at all; instead, the pressure grew heavier and heavier.
"I say, gentlemen, can we negotiate a little?"
"Of course, but Urahara, you need to give me an explanation, one… that can make me forgive what you did to my subordinate."
Ukitake stared intently at him.
"…It seems there's no negotiating."
Urahara Kisuke sighed, then his expression turned serious.
"Believe it or not, I'm here to save Miss Kuchiki."
"Save her? You're the one who put the Hōgyoku inside her, causing her to become like this, and you still have the nerve to say such a thing… Captain Urahara, after more than a hundred years, your thick skin makes me feel unfamiliar. This also makes me suddenly start to wonder if the strangely deceased Lieutenant of the Fifth Division, the oddly reacting Captain Ichimaru… are also somewhat related to you, and if your hand has never truly left the Soul Society?"
Kyōraku said, neither too warmly nor too coldly.
Ukitake said nothing, but from the deepening anger in his eyes, he clearly thought the same.
"Eh?! No, wait… I admit to the former, but I know absolutely nothing about the latter… No, it's not entirely 'nothing'… Uh…"
Urahara Kisuke realized he had misspoken and completely gave up on the idea of explaining.
"In any case, I'm here to atone for my mistakes."
Hearing this, Ukitake couldn't help but draw his sword.
"Urahara, this is what I find most intolerable."
"There are some things you clearly didn't have to do, but you still did them. Only after they caused adverse reactions did you think of making amends, even planning hundreds or thousands of ways to make amends before you even acted. I know this is the conflict between a scientist's greed for truth and a person's conscience."
"But I won't sympathize with you; someone who knowingly commits a wrong is not worthy of sympathy."
"Instead, those who suffer because of you are more deserving of my sympathy and help."
"So… cough cough!"
Ukitake, who had intended to strike, suddenly had an attack, clutching his chest and coughing incessantly.
"Ah, this… Never mind, Ukitake, I'll do it."
Kyōraku was a bit dumbfounded, shook his head, and drew the two long and short swords from his waist.
"Before we fight, I'd like to ask if my former Lieutenant is doing well now?"
"Miss Yadōmaru?"
Urahara Kisuke frowned.
"That's really hard to say."
"From your expression, I can roughly guess what happened. If you can make it back alive, remember to say hello to Lisa for me~"
As soon as his voice fell, a black greatsword, which had transformed at some point, slashed down from the air.
Urahara Kisuke's pupils constricted, and he met the blow with a backhanded strike.
…
Clang!
Sparks flew.
Orihime was knocked back more than ten meters by the powerful blow.
Before she could even get back into position, the wild and unrestrained beast had already swung his sword to strike.
The overwhelming spiritual pressure and killing intent were almost suffocating.
But Orihime still stood firm, activating the power of Santen Kesshun.
Although the enemy was very powerful, even terrifying, when she thought of the fear Rukia would face, she felt that the enemy before her was actually nothing.
She could completely reject the pressure he brought upon her—
All of it!
"—Santen Kesshun!"
The serrated longsword struck the shield, causing intense friction, emitting a piercing noise and a series of sparks.
"A shield, huh? I'd like to see how many slashes it takes to shatter it!"
Jingle-jingle.
The shaking bells, the tall stature, the chest covered in sword scars, and the eye patch on his face.
…None of these were as terrifying as that beast-like, ferocious smile.
The Captain of the Eleventh Division, Zaraki Kenpachi.
He looked at the prey before him with great delight.
Woman, man.
Age, size.
None of it mattered.
As long as he met their gaze and confirmed whether they were strong, the fight could begin.
Until one side fell.
"Inoue—!"
Yoruichi's heart sank as she watched Orihime's aura rise.
The regeneration of Santen Kesshun was strong, but its spiritual pressure recovery was weak; she couldn't fight Kenpachi to the death here.
She wanted to go and take Orihime away.
But a tide of cherry blossoms swept in from behind, forcing her to change position.
And that wave, which looked like cherry blossom petals but was actually composed of billions of blades, surged towards Orihime and Zaraki Kenpachi.
"Tsk! Kuchiki Byakuya, what do you want?!"
Zaraki Kenpachi, wielding a blade imbued with powerful sword pressure, cleared a space and looked displeased at the noble young man on the distant rooftop.
"That's what I should be asking you."
Byakuya's attitude was extremely cold; he looked at Zaraki Kenpachi as if he were looking at a wild dog that couldn't understand human speech, subtly revealing impatience and disgust.
"This is the Sixth Division's jurisdiction. Why are you here? Why are you obstructing me from apprehending the ryoka?"
"Ha! I don't care whose territory this is. I was just taking a walk, and I happened to encounter an enemy falling, so I just slashed him. You say I'm obstructing you? You're the one obstructing me! This is my enemy; don't get in the way!"
Zaraki Kenpachi's grin widened as he said this, not without a hint of malice:
"At most, after I win, you can take the person away. Of course, if the enemy is still alive then… If they're dead, you'll just have to collect the body. But it's your Sixth Division's job to clean up your own territory anyway, so don't expect me to thank you."
Byakuya slowly raised his right hand, and the cherry blossom tide gathered around him, looking ready to move.
"You can rest assured, that situation will not occur, because I will deal with everyone, including you, cleanly."
"So, the number of people I have to fight now has become three, is that right? This is getting more and more exciting!"
Zaraki Kenpachi erupted with golden spiritual pressure, forming a pillar of light that shot into the sky.
While the two were in a standoff, Yoruichi quickly came to Orihime's side, intending to sneak away with her.
However, even in their standoff, Byakuya and Kenpachi did not ignore her presence.
The scale of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi after Bankai was particularly exaggerated; some scattered petals floating around formed an encirclement net.
Forcing a breakthrough would inevitably be obstructed, and even for a mere instant, it would be enough to invite the thunderous strikes of Byakuya and Kenpachi.
"This is tricky… How could my luck be so bad as to encounter these two at the same time?"
Yoruichi muttered.
Although tricky, it wasn't truly impossible to retreat.
It just meant taking some risks and sustaining some injuries.
"Inoue, later you…!"
Yoruichi had only spoken half a sentence, and Orihime was listening intently.
At the moment of their highest concentration, a red stream of light suddenly struck from a distance, piercing through the encirclement of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, and the strong airflow that followed tore open a large hole.
The stream of light crashed to the ground, causing a violent explosion.
The four people present were startled simultaneously.
"What…!"
"Eh?"
Dust flew, and Yoruichi and Orihime instinctively raised their hands to cover their faces. Suddenly, they felt their waists being embraced, and then their feet uncontrollably left the ground. The surrounding scenery receded madly, as if they were flying, immersed in a strong wind, no different from being swept away by a flood.
Kenpachi casually split the dust, instantly catching sight of the enemy.
His body reacted before his mind.
However, just as he lifted his foot.
Another stream of light flew towards him, forcefully interrupting his Shunpo.
This time, he saw it clearly.
It was a red blade with a chain.
Kenpachi's eyes widened slightly. He was surprised that someone would shoot such a thing as an arrow, and also genuinely pleased, because it meant the opponent was not just a coward who only ambushed.
Perhaps… he was also someone very skilled at slashing people.
The arrow he casually knocked away flew into the sky and transformed into a blood-red rain of light, pouring down.
This also shattered Byakuya's intention to pursue.
It could only shatter.
Because in the mere seconds it took him to shield himself from the light rain with the flower sea of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, the enemy had already disappeared among the dense buildings, and soon even their spiritual pressure could no longer be felt.
Their speed was beyond imagination, especially their ability to conceal themselves and infiltrate the battlefield, which was very difficult to react to.
And that arrow was also extremely formidable, able to forcefully create a gap in the encirclement of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, covering their retreat.
"This Shunpo… this arrow's spiritual pressure…"
Byakuya narrowed his eyes, thoughts swirling in his mind.
"Hey, Kuchiki Byakuya, is that a ryoka too?"
"…Use your own brain to think, and also… leave here as soon as possible. The Sixth Division does not welcome you."
"Tch."
Watching Byakuya release his Bankai and leave without looking back.
Kenpachi carried his sword, dismissively pouting.
Suddenly, a small pink head popped out from behind him.
"Little Kenpachi, Little Kenpachi! I know who they are, want me to take you to find them?"
"Oh! Really? Then let's go find the archer! I have a feeling he'll be a good opponent, one that will give me a very satisfying fight!"
"You mean A-Ichi? He's over there… Hurry, hurry! He's getting away!"