After Yhwach entered Hell, he went silent. The Hell Expeditionary Force couldn't find any trace of him for a short time.
Sora had a premonition that when Yhwach appeared again, he might have already crossed the limits of a Quincy.
To deal with Yhwach, Sora lived a very regular and rich life in the following days.
His main body ran between the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, mainly teaching Shinigami disciples and Hollow disciples.
The Quincy disciples in the World of Living were taught by his Reigai clone.
Just like that, seventeen years passed in a flash.
...
Katori Dojo.
Zaraki Ken sat cross-legged under the red maple tree, closing his eyes to feel the blade resting on his legs.
"Yes, that's it. Feel the Zanpakutō with your heart."
Byakuya Kuchiki stood beside Zaraki Ken, a look of showing off on his face.
Just now, he had successfully mastered Shikai!
He was now "kindly" imparting his experience of communicating with the Zanpakutō to Zaraki Ken.
This junior brother who joined later was simply a monster. Byakuya Kuchiki had been beaten up quite a bit when they sparred.
Byakuya Kuchiki was in his period of youthful arrogance and simply couldn't swallow this anger.
Now that he had mastered Shikai, he could finally hold his head high in front of Zaraki Ken!
"The Zanpakutō is not a dead object. You have to feel it with your heart."
"Block out the distracting thoughts in your mind..."
"Listen carefully to the voice of the Zanpakutō..."
"You have to enter the consciousness space to complete the first step of communicating with the Zanpakutō..."
Byakuya Kuchiki chattered on about his experience of mastering Shikai.
Zaraki Ken frowned as he listened. He couldn't feel any consciousness space at all, and he gradually became impatient.
"Byaku Your method seems not to work very well~"
Yachiru Kusajishi sat on the branch of the red maple tree, holding her chin with her two small hands, watching the two people performing under the tree.
"I also think it's useless..." Zaraki Ken hesitated.
"Don't listen to her. Do as I say, and you will soon be able to hear the voice of the Zanpakutō!"
Byakuya Kuchiki didn't want others to dictate his teaching.
"So annoying!" Zaraki Ken opened his eyes and stood up. "Your method is useless to me."
"Still can't hear the voice of the Zanpakutō? What a blockhead!"
Byakuya Kuchiki shook his head helplessly.
He didn't know why, but even though Zaraki Ken's strength was already very powerful, he just couldn't hear the voice of the Zanpakutō. He hadn't even entered the consciousness space.
He had even asked the Professor for help for Zaraki Ken, but the Professor only said to let nature take its course. Maybe one day he would suddenly hear it.
"Instead of saying so much, why not let me see how powerful your Shikai is first!"
Zaraki Ken rested the tattered Zanpakutō on his shoulder.
"Fine. Today I'll let you see the power of 'Senbonzakura'!"
Byakuya Kuchiki drew his Zanpakutō. "Scatter, Senbonzakura!"
The blade held in front of him turned bright pink. Immediately after, the blade decomposed into countless petal-shaped blades.
The flying blades looked very much like a thousand withering cherry blossoms.
Every petal blade possessed sharpness no less than the main blade.
"Byaku's Senbonzakura is very beautiful!" Yachiru Kusajishi, sitting on the branch of the red maple tree, clapped her hands. "Go Ken!"
Zaraki Ken looked at the petals drifting over and didn't care much, nor did he dodge.
A petal grazed his cheek, drawing a line of blood.
"Flashy stuff. Can it block my blade!"
Zaraki Ken raised his Zanpakutō high and slashed down.
The powerful force that rose suddenly forced back all the petals drifting over.
"It's not over yet!"
Byakuya Kuchiki raised his left hand and slapped towards the petals in the air.
A vortex of flames spewed out from his palm, instantly igniting the petals in the air.
Immediately after, this rapidly rotating flame vortex, wrapped with countless petal blades, pressed down fiercely towards Zaraki Ken.
"Now that's a bit like it!"
A smile appeared on Zaraki Ken's face. The scar extending from his forehead to below the corner of his mouth looked even more ferocious.
Violent Spiritual Pressure surged onto the blade edge, and he slashed out suddenly.
The Spiritual Pressure blasted out instantly, squeezing the air and causing a loud explosion.
Boom—
The flame vortex in the air disintegrated instantly. The burning petal blades were knocked away, scattering everywhere.
"He actually blasted open my 'Flame Blade Storm' with a slash of pure Spiritual Pressure."
Byakuya Kuchiki realized the gap.
He originally thought that after mastering Shikai, the gap between the two shouldn't be that big.
As a result, the move he had painstakingly developed was still vulnerable in front of Zaraki Ken.
The gap in their Spiritual Pressure was too large. The strength Zaraki Ken displayed now was no less than that of a Captain-class combatant.
"What a strange guy!" Byakuya Kuchiki retracted Senbonzakura and said helplessly.
"Sometimes the Spiritual Pressure I sense is about the same as mine, or even weaker than mine. But today it rose to such a terrifying level!"
"Ken has something to do later, so he sought out Professor to make some preparations~"
Yachiru Kusajishi had already changed her position and was standing under the eaves.
The red maple tree was affected by the move released by Byakuya Kuchiki, and the crown of the tree had already caught fire.
"Are you guys trying to tear down Professor's dojo!"
An angry scolding came from the courtyard wall.
Several people looked up and saw Yoruichi Shihōin, wearing a Captain's haori, standing on the courtyard wall.
"It's over!!!"
Only then did Byakuya Kuchiki notice that the red maple tree beloved by Professor and Grandmaster had been ignited by him.
The fiery red light on the red maple tree seemed to faintly illuminate his miserable future.
In his panic, Byakuya Kuchiki drew his sword again.
The blade turned into a wave, rushing towards the flames on the red maple tree.
The fire was extinguished by the surge carried by the blade, but the crown of the red maple tree was also completely bald, leaving only some sparse branches.
"How did you think of using 'Haran' to put out a fire?" Yoruichi Shihōin covered her forehead helplessly. "You are really done for this time."
"Is... is it too late for me to run now?"
Cold sweat broke out on Byakuya Kuchiki's forehead.
"Professor doesn't have time to deal with you for now. Take the chance to run far away!"
Yoruichi Shihōin turned to look at Zaraki Ken. "Kenpachi Kuruyashiki is back. Are you ready?"
After Yhwach entered Hell, he went silent. The Hell Expeditionary Force still hadn't found any trace of Yhwach.
Even with the Hell Miasma antibody drug, Shinigami were still unaccustomed to staying in Hell for too long.
However, with the shadow transport technology, it wasn't difficult for the Hell Expeditionary Force to return to the Soul Society from Hell.
So now, every once in a while, some Shinigami would return to the Soul Society to rest for a period.
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was among this batch of returnees.
But his return to the Soul Society this time wasn't because he was tired of staying in Hell.
There were countless evil experts in Hell for him to cut. For a battle maniac like him, Hell was simply paradise!
He came back this time because someone wanted to challenge the position of Kenpachi.
"I've been ready for a long time. I fought with Professor all night last night!"
Zaraki Ken grinned.
The person who wanted to challenge Kenpachi was him!
He wanted to defeat Kenpachi Kuruyashiki and take the name of Kenpachi!
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