"Wow, pulling out his Bankai so quickly. Rōjūrō is still paying the price for his youth."
Naraku Sora crossed his arms, analyzing the situation with the calm confidence of an experienced veteran.
His words immediately drew the attention of those nearby. Kyōraku Shunsui, with his hands tucked into his sleeves, asked curiously,
"What do you mean by that?"
"Taking the initiative to unleash his Bankai and control the pace of the battle—is there something wrong with doing that?"
Naraku Sora shook his head and explained with a smile,
"You are mistaken."
"For us Soul Reapers, Shikai and Bankai are equivalent to our two biggest trump cards. They are the key to turning the tables and securing victory."
"Often, a minute difference can dictate the flow of a battle, let alone abilities like Shikai and Bankai that drastically increase a Soul Reaper's combat power."
"But Senior Brother Kyōraku, you overlooked one thing."
"The reason one uses Shikai and Bankai is because the rhythm of the battlefield has already slipped from their control, and they find themselves at a disadvantage."
Kyōraku Shunsui rubbed his chin and looked back at the two facing off in the arena, saying thoughtfully,
"Looking at it that way, it seems you're right."
"Rōjūrō's expression is dead serious, his body is tense, and even his Reiatsu carries a hint of nervousness."
"On the other hand, Jūshirō has looked relaxed and at ease from the very beginning. Even facing his opponent's Bankai, he shows no sign of fear."
"Come to think of it, I've known Jūshirō for so many years, but I've rarely seen him go all out. Even his Shikai is a rare sight."
As Kyōraku Shunsui mused over this, the other Soul Reaper Captains also revealed thoughtful expressions.
It seemed to make a lot of sense.
Yamamoto, however, had a dark look on his face, his expression revealing a hint of displeasure.
He suspected that this brat had noticed something during their last fight and was deliberately using this opportunity to mock him.
It wasn't a good time to blow up, so he mentally noted it down against his rebellious disciple.
The next time he taught his disciple a lesson, he would definitely have to up the ante!
While the two were chatting, the air in the arena trembled violently. A gale rose from the ground, whipping up a deafening howl.
A brilliant pillar of Reiatsu shot into the sky, spreading continuously with Rōjūrō at the center, tearing hideous fissures into the ground beneath his feet.
From Ukitake Jūshirō's perspective, that heavy Reiatsu rushed into the air and instantly transformed into countless golden threads, weaving together rapidly.
Bizarre humanoid creatures with long limbs appeared on both sides of the arena. Their large golden hands were woven into shape, and they danced gracefully along with Rōjūrō's movements.
"Captain Ukitake, my Kinshara Butōdan is best at performing death. If you can't hold on, please let me know as soon as possible."
"Next, please enjoy the first piece of the performance—"
"Sea Drift!"
As Rōjūrō gently waved his Zanpakutō, which had transformed into a conductor's baton, the Kinshara flowers on the dancers' faces slowly bloomed. They raised their long arms high and began an artistic dance around Ukitake Jūshirō.
Spinning, leaping.
Surging ocean currents rushed wildly, bursting with the sound of crashing waves, sweeping up the rubble and dust on the ground into the tide.
Even the Reiatsu defense released by Ukitake Jūshirō was constantly being worn down.
Rōjūrō waved his baton, a confident expression returning to his face.
"Captain Ukitake, follow the melody of the ocean whirlpool and sing a song of pain and fear together."
The currents turned into a whirlpool, and a suffocating power erupted with it, instantly pinning Ukitake Jūshirō in place and forcing him to endure an unimaginably terrifying impact.
"All waves, become my shield. All lightning, become my blade!"
"Sōgyo no Kotowari!"
Ukitake Jūshirō raised the Zanpakutō in his hand and activated his Shikai.
A single long sword transformed into two Zanpakutō connected by a cord. Fin-like protrusions emerged on the back of the blades, and the wooden charms on the cord fluttered in the wind, emitting crisp clinking sounds.
Seeing this, Rōjūrō revealed a confident smile.
"It's useless, Captain Ukitake. Your Sōgyo no Kotowari is no secret in the Soul Society. It cannot absorb my Kinshara Butōdan!"
Although he said that, Ukitake didn't just take his word for it.
However, when he tried to absorb the wildly surging currents, he shockingly discovered that no matter what he did, the scene before him didn't change in the slightest.
"I told you it's useless. Next, please enjoy the second piece—"
"Prometheus!"
In the center of the Kinshara flowers blooming on the dancers' faces, scorching flames instantly ignited, distorting the surrounding air. Explosive flames burst forth, landing mercilessly on Ukitake Jūshirō.
At the same time, the ocean currents dissipated, and intense heat struck instantly.
Ukitake backhanded his blades to block in front of him, attempting to ward off the incoming impact. But not only was it completely ineffective, the explosive flames passed right through the blades.
"What a strange Bankai ability. Normally, there is no Zanpakutō in the Soul Society that can manipulate both water and fire simultaneously, and there's no connection between his Shikai and Bankai."
Ukitake Jūshirō tried to release a Bakudō to defend himself, but no matter how hard he tried, the pain attached to his body didn't fade; instead, it showed signs of intensifying.
His exposed skin even developed charred burn marks.
It was a good thing his illness had been cured. If it were in the past, he would have already started coughing up blood by now.
"That's right, so the essence of Kinshara is deception."
"Everything you are experiencing, Captain Ukitake, comes from the charm of music!"
Rōjūrō boasted triumphantly.
Ukitake instinctively raised an eyebrow. Combining this with his previous speculations, he had already guessed Kinshara's true ability.
"I see. I understand now."
"No wonder I kept feeling that the sounds of the ocean currents and flames were filled with a distinct rhythm. I thought it was just your eccentric taste, Rōjūrō. I didn't expect..."
Hearing Ukitake's words, a bad premonition suddenly welled up in Rōjūrō's heart.