In the end, the battle between Zaraki Kenpachi and Ikkaku Madarame concluded with Ikkaku's victory.
In the past, Ikkaku had always set Kenpachi as his goal, yet no matter how hard he tried, he could never defeat him.
But now, with Kenpachi fighting while wearing the artificial body, holding back so as not to damage it, even defeating Ikkaku had become a difficult task.
The result was… truly upside-down!
Still, Kenpachi wasn't the sort to brood over defeat. What he wanted was battle, nothing more.
"Whew… finally, I won again." Ikkaku wiped the sweat from his brow. His goal of truly surpassing Kenpachi was far from reached, and for now, seemed out of sight.
But at the very least, as long as Kenpachi fought within the artificial body, he needed to maintain a perfect win record. For that, no amount of effort was too much.
Yet he could feel the fatigue weighing down his body. Once, it had been easy to defeat Kenpachi restrained by the artificial body. But now, it cost him dearly.
Kenpachi's progress was obvious. Ikkaku sensed that before long, even using the artificial body, Kenpachi would surpass him.
Unless he himself resorted to Bankai… that was the only way to maintain his edge.
But that was impossible. To rely on Bankai, what kind of victory would that be?
"Tch… still leaves a sour taste," Kenpachi muttered, stretching his body. The artificial body limited him too much.
Even so, he felt hope. Someday, even while wearing this vessel, he would be able to defeat Ikkaku.
If Natsuro were to use the artificial body, he could probably beat Ikkaku with ease. The problem was simply that Kenpachi wasn't yet strong enough, too much of his focus went to controlling his own power.
Once that control sank deep into instinct, this issue would disappear.
While Kenpachi pondered, he suddenly spotted Natsuro nearby. At once, his face split into a wild grin.
Perhaps Natsuro had come a little earlier than expected this time.
But Kenpachi didn't care about such details. As long as Natsuro had come to fight him, that was all that mattered!
At that moment, Kenpachi suddenly shed the artificial body, startling Yumichika, who quickly dashed over to steady it.
If it broke again like this, he would have to beg the 12th Division for another. And every time, they scolded him mercilessly.
Each time, it took endless shameless pleading just to receive another artificial body. It was neither beautiful nor elegant at all!
"You don't need to fuss so much. Just a fall, it won't break," Kenpachi said, noticing Yumichika's efforts.
"Being careful is a beautiful virtue," Yumichika replied, running his fingers through his medium-length hair with a smile.
"Oh." Kenpachi didn't understand his logic, but it didn't matter. His attention was already on Natsuro.
"Natsuro! You're finally here! I've been waiting for you!" Kenpachi roared, a feral grin splitting his face.
"This time I came even earlier than before, didn't I?" Natsuro remarked. He was already used to that terrifying smile, enough to make children cry. A demon's face, no less.
"Not enough. Far from enough. If you could come every single day, that would be best!" Kenpachi's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. All he wanted was battle. Endless battle.
Even if he died, he wanted to die fighting. That way, his life would be without regret!
"Then you'd better go find someone else." Natsuro couldn't help but retort. He enjoyed fighting too, but not with such madness.
Not everyone could evolve through combat like Kenpachi. Natsuro needed time to absorb and digest the fruits of battle.
"Shall we go now?" Kenpachi ignored the jab and asked directly.
"Don't rush. I need to explain a few things first. Ikkaku, Yumichika," Natsuro said, turning to the two he was familiar with.
"Hm? What is it?" Ikkaku asked, puzzled. Normally when Natsuro came for Kenpachi, he never bothered with extra instructions.
So what was different this time?
"This battle's duration is uncertain. It may be short, or it may be very long. Just carry on with 11th Division's duties as usual. Don't worry about your Captain," Natsuro explained.
"Got it." Ikkaku nodded firmly. It didn't seem different from before, but since Natsuro emphasized it, he took it seriously.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of our squad duties with elegance and beauty," Yumichika added.
"Let's go," Natsuro said, turning to Kenpachi.
At that moment, Yachiru Kusajishi raised her hand, waving to catch their attention, then asked:
"Little Natsuro, can I come along this time?"
"You can." Since Natsuro already knew her true identity, of course he wouldn't refuse.
Besides, she must have sensed something, that was why she asked to come.
If Kenpachi really reclaimed his full strength, then the day Yachiru returned to his Zanpakutō wasn't far. Maybe immediately, or maybe only once Kenpachi achieved Shikai…
"Yay!" Yachiru cheered, scrambling up onto Kenpachi's shoulder, her little legs swinging happily.
Hearing this, Ikkaku and Yumichika's eyes lit up. They too wanted to witness Natsuro and Kenpachi's battle. As for the division's duties, wasn't Renji around?
So they quickly asked:
"Then we—"
"Don't even think about it." Natsuro shot them a sharp look.
It wasn't that he minded having spectators. Whether there were many or few didn't matter to him…
The problem was their strength. Neither of them even qualified to watch. The sheer spiritual pressure released when he and Kenpachi went all-out was not something they could withstand.
For their own good, he couldn't allow them along.
At that, Ikkaku and Yumichika were left speechless. They wanted to curse, but after meeting Natsuro's gaze, they swallowed their frustration in silence.
So the three of them departed without incident. But just as they stepped out of the gate, an "incident" occurred…
"Kenny! This way!" Yachiru, perched on Kenpachi's shoulder, immediately pointed in one direction once they were outside.
"That doesn't seem right," Kenpachi said, frowning. His instincts told him that was the wrong way.
"Kenny, trust me! It's definitely right!" Yachiru shouted.
"Oh." Kenpachi nodded and started that way.
Natsuro's eye twitched as he watched. "Yachiru, do you even know where we're going?"
Yachiru scratched her head, then beamed with a cute smile. "Nope!"
"Then don't give random directions! And Kenpachi, don't just follow her so blindly," Natsuro sighed helplessly.
But then again, he remembered that at the very start, Kenpachi had indeed gone that way.
Truly, worthy of being his Zanpakutō. Even the bad sense of direction trait was the same.
Yachiru seemed even more outrageous, she didn't even need to know their destination, simply relying on her intuition to pick directions. As if that could ever actually lead them to the right place!
"Hehehe~" Yachiru giggled foolishly.
"So that's it, you didn't even know where we were going," Kenpachi finally realized.
"You never took me with you before, so how would I know?" Yachiru puffed out her cheeks in protest.
Kenpachi scratched his head, unsure how to comfort her.
"All right, enough. If you don't know the way, just follow me," Natsuro said helplessly.
"Okay," Kenpachi and Yachiru replied in unison, sticking close to his lead.
Soon, Natsuro brought them to the deepest level of the Central Underground Great Prison, Muken.
All along the way, Yachiru curiously looked around, utterly unfazed by the notorious criminals locked in their cells.
And indeed, as Kenpachi's Zanpakutō, fear was something she was incapable of.
Once they reached Muken, Yachiru hopped down from Kenpachi's shoulder and struck a pose like a spectator.
"Kenny! Little Natsuro! Do your best!" she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth.
The two men ignored her cheer and locked eyes.
"This time, is it the same as before?" Kenpachi asked impatiently.
"This time… will be a little different," Natsuro replied, making Kenpachi pause.
When Natsuro had spoken earlier to Ikkaku and Yumichika, he had already sensed something unusual. And sure enough, this was it.
"What's different?" Kenpachi asked. As long as he could fight, he didn't care about the rules.
"This time, there will be no restrictions on how we fight. For example, I'll be using my Bankai."
"Of course! That's part of your power. Naturally, you should use it!" Kenpachi roared without hesitation.
Even without Bankai, Natsuro was already terrifyingly strong. With Bankai, he would be far more monstrous.
Kenpachi hadn't been able to defeat him before, how could he possibly defeat a stronger Natsuro?
But that was Kenpachi's nature. Fear never entered his heart. On the contrary, he was excited, thrilled to witness a stronger Natsuro.
"Don't be impatient, I'm not finished yet." Natsuro glanced at him, then smiled faintly. "After this, I'll be going into seclusion for some time. During that period, I won't be coming to fight you."
"What?" Kenpachi scowled. He could brush aside anything else, but not this.
"Can't you skip the seclusion?" he asked bluntly.
"No," Natsuro replied flatly.
Kenpachi looked at him, knowing he couldn't change his mind. He clenched his resolve instead: if that was the case, then this time he would push himself to the limit. He would fight longer, and fight harder!
"It's because I'll be entering seclusion that this battle's main purpose is to fully break your seal," Natsuro said at last, revealing his goal.
"So that's why the rules are different? But… will this really work?" Kenpachi frowned.
"Who knows if it will or not." Natsuro's eyes narrowed dangerously as he continued:
"Because if you fail to awaken this time, you may die."
The moment he said this, the atmosphere in Muken grew heavy.
Then Kenpachi's lips curled into a feral grin. "Is that all? Then of course I accept!" he shouted.
Natsuro studied him deeply. Indeed, this was a man who would throw away his life for the sake of battle.
"Very well. Then be careful. I hope you don't die here," Natsuro said with a smile of his own.
The next instant, the two exchanged a glance, and their spiritual pressures erupted in full force, as though reiatsu cost nothing at all.
Together, their unleashed spiritual energy was overwhelming. Almost no one alive could match them.
It was easy to imagine just how terrifying their combined reiatsu was.
Even a lieutenant, if forced to remain long within that oppressive force, would have their very soul-body crushed.
Fortunately, this was Muken. Theoretically infinite in space, its walls would contain even their monstrous power.
Even so, Yachiru on the sidelines showed no sign of discomfort at all.
Meanwhile, hidden nearby, Unohana was shaken to her core by the force of their reiatsu.
She had always known Natsuro and Kenpachi were powerful, but she had never imagined this powerful.
Her gaze shifted to Kenpachi, his power had already returned greatly. Yet in sheer reiatsu, Natsuro was still the stronger.
And then her eyes fell on the pink-haired girl, Yachiru Kusajishi. For her to remain completely unaffected under such crushing reiatsu…
Of course Unohana knew her as Kenpachi's lieutenant, bearing the name Yachiru.
She had never believed a mere child could truly carry that name, but she had no interest in arguing with one.
Now, however, Yachiru seemed far from simple.
But Unohana had no time to dwell on it. Because the battle between Natsuro and Kenpachi had already begun!
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