Yamamoto's authoritative voice spread across the entire battlefield, amplified by his overwhelming Reiatsu. Sasakibe withdrew to Yamamoto's side, dropping to one knee to request punishment, while Ichigo sheathed Zangetsu and scooped up Rukia, preparing to leave.
But the moment Ichigo lifted Rukia, Yamamoto's voice rang out again:
"Gotei 13, all units—apprehend the Ryoka and the criminal, Kuchiki Rukia!"
The order had barely been issued before those beside him moved.
The fastest among them was Sasakibe Chōjirō. The shame and fury in his heart were nearly uncontrollable—he wished nothing more than to skewer Ichigo and Rukia together with Gonryōmaru.
Following closely behind him, Ichimaru Gin and Tōsen Kaname also charged forward. Kuchiki Byakuya trailed just behind the two, and only after those four had made their move did the remaining captains step in.
Because of the distance, Ichigo reacted a moment slower. By the time he fully processed Yamamoto's command, the captains were already advancing.
Seeing enemies rushing toward him one after another, Ichigo gave a faint smile. He shifted Rukia behind him and clashed Zangetsu against Gonryōmaru, forcing Sasakibe back with a single strike.
"Arrogant fool of a Ryoka—why not surrender immediately?!"
Sasakibe's anger flared at the sight of Ichigo's smile. When he charged, at least three captains had followed. How could this mere Ryoka still dare to resist? These were four captain-level Shinigami who had mastered Bankai.
"My name is Kurosaki Ichigo—not some 'Ryoka,'" Ichigo said, pointing Zangetsu at him. "And why should I surrender?"
Sasakibe's heart skipped a beat.
Only then did he realize—Ichigo hadn't been attacked from behind at all.
When Sasakibe turned his head, he could hardly believe what he saw.
A towering figure blocked Tōsen Kaname's path—it was Komamura Sajin, who had moved a step later. Arms crossed, his expression stern, he stood directly before his closest friend.
"Komamura… what are you doing?" Tōsen demanded, sensing his Reiatsu.
"What am I doing? What are you doing? Answer me, Tōsen! All these years in the Seireitei—what have you really been doing?!"
Komamura's booming voice echoed clearly across Sōkyoku Hill.
"You know very well—I've always upheld justice. Now move aside, or that Ryoka will escape."
Tōsen's patience was clearly wearing thin. He urged Komamura to step aside immediately.
He could not allow Ichigo to take Rukia away. These Ryoka were unpredictable—if Rukia disappeared, retrieving what lay within her would become far more difficult.
Elsewhere, a confrontation between white-haired and silver-haired captains unfolded.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō had no patience like Komamura's—he drew his Zanpakutō immediately, pointing it at Ichimaru Gin.
Gin wore his usual eerie smile, speaking in a mocking tone.
"Captain Hitsugaya… are you planning to betray the Seireitei? You're already disobeying the Head Captain's orders."
Hitsugaya shot him an annoyed look.
"I didn't want to get involved. But my idiot subordinate asked me to stop you. Ichimaru Gin… don't keep making the same mistakes."
Gin's expression shifted slightly.
He hadn't expected those words. The "idiot subordinate" wasn't hard to guess—Matsumoto Rangiku.
Did she really see through everything he'd done all these years?
For a moment, his thoughts wavered—and he did not act.
Seeing Gin remain still, Hitsugaya quietly let out a breath. This was enough. There was no need for them to truly cross blades. Even as fellow prodigies, he had no guarantee of victory against Gin.
He had stepped in for one reason only—Rangiku's request.
Back when Tsunayoshi was treating the captains in Squad 4, Rangiku had been there as well. After returning to the barracks, Hitsugaya told her the truth about Gin's betrayal.
Normally composed, Rangiku completely lost her calm upon hearing it. She immediately tried to confront Gin—but Hitsugaya stopped her.
To draw out the mastermind behind everything, he couldn't allow her to ruin the plan Kyōraku and the others had devised.
In the end, Rangiku compromised—for the greater good.
But she had one request of her captain:
Save Gin. Don't let him fall any further.
Kuchiki Byakuya, meanwhile… was in trouble.
Originally, he had followed behind the two "traitors," intending to subtly interfere, muddy the waters, and protect Rukia in the process.
But now those two had been stopped—leaving him as the vanguard.
What now?
Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
He couldn't actually attack Rukia… could he?
In his original plan, he intended to preserve both the honor of the Kuchiki family and his own family ties. But now he was being forced to choose.
If he didn't release Senbonzakura, would it look like he was holding back too much?
Inside, Byakuya was practically shouting:
Someone—anyone—stop me!
As if answering his call, a red-haired figure appeared before him in a flash of Shunpo.
Abarai Renji had just arrived when he saw that Byakuya had already drawn his Zanpakutō.
"Abarai Renji… are you going to stop me as well?" Byakuya asked sternly, a strand of hair falling across his forehead—concealing the faint relief in his eyes.
He remained rational. He didn't immediately accuse Renji of betraying Soul Society. Stopping a captain could still be considered disobedience—but outright treason would mean judgment by the Central 46 Chambers.
Renji hadn't expected it to go this smoothly.
Even now, he still regarded Byakuya as overwhelmingly powerful. Though he had learned Bankai, he had prepared himself to risk his life to stop him.
Since when did Captain Kuchiki become… this reasonable?
Still, stopping him meant his mission was complete.
He steadied himself and said,
"Sorry, Captain Kuchiki. I can't let you pass."
A flicker of satisfaction rose in Byakuya's heart.
Yes… this is perfect.
But outwardly, he remained cold.
"Hmph. Words are meaningless. Scatter—Senbonzakura."
Renji blinked.
This was… contradictory.
Despite bracing himself, he quickly realized something strange—the attack patterns of Senbonzakura weren't as tricky as before. They were straightforward, almost easy to handle—even without releasing Zabimaru.
Before long, Renji understood.
Without a word, superior and subordinate reached an unspoken agreement.
Cherry blossoms swirled, the serpent blade lashed—an intense battle unfolded, perfectly synchronized.
Sasakibe, glancing around, was momentarily stunned.
He hadn't expected their own forces to start blocking one another.
But this wasn't the time to dwell on that.
Capturing Ichigo and Rukia was what mattered.
He glanced at Gonryōmaru—if he struck with lightning-fast speed, there was still a chance.
Just as Sasakibe crouched slightly, preparing to move, a slender hand pressed down on his shoulder.
His eyes widened.
He hadn't sensed anyone approaching at all.
"lieutenant Sasakibe, please remain here. Do not act rashly."
He turned his head.
Of course—only someone from the Onmitsukidō could approach him unnoticed.
Standing there was their Commander-in-Chief—
Soi Fon.
"Soi Fon… do you even realize what you're doing?" Sasakibe asked, suppressing his anger.
"I'm simply following Lady Yoruichi's orders," she replied calmly. "I was told to keep an eye on you. Nothing more."
Sasakibe gritted his teeth.
"Damn it… Shihōin Yoruichi—"
He cut himself off mid-sentence.
The killing intent in Soi Fon's gaze was unmistakable.
He had no doubt—if he spoke ill of Yoruichi, Suzumebachi's Nigeki Kessatsu would land on him first.
"At times like this, it still falls to us technicians. My time is quite valuable, you know… Could that Ryoka be handed over to me as a test subject?"
Kurotsuchi Mayuri stepped forward leisurely, his exaggerated fingernails waving in the air as if Ichigo were already his.
"Always talking about experiments… do you have any humanity at all?"
"Hm?"
Mayuri turned his head.
A spirit arrow grazed his cheek, slicing the skin before embedding itself into the ground beside him.
His previously relaxed expression darkened instantly.
Standing there—
Feather Step, Reishi bow, white Quincy uniform—
Ishida Uryū.
Because of Sōken's death, Uryū despised people like Mayuri more than anything.
And for Mayuri, his defeat at Uryū's hands had been pure humiliation—being spared by a Quincy, a race he had already thoroughly studied.
Now, all thoughts of Ichigo and Rukia vanished.
There was only one target in his eyes.
"Time for you to witness the results of my research!"
Mayuri pulled out two strange devices and tossed them to the ground. Stepping onto them, he rose into the air, blue Reishi forming beneath his feet until he stood level with Uryū.
Uryū's eyes widened slightly.
The technique… closely resembled the Quincy's Hirenkyaku.
"No need to be surprised," Mayuri sneered. "I have plenty of results obtained from your kind."
Since the day he was defeated, 80% of his tools had been designed specifically to counter Quincy.
He had been waiting for this rematch.
As more captains moved, even Unohana Retsu—who specialized in medical support—stepped forward.
But like Mayuri, she was intercepted.
Arisawa Tatsuki, clad in a white combat suit, stood in her path.
Without exchanging a single word, the two engaged immediately.
Unohana used Kidō as her primary means of attack, while Tatsuki dodged gracefully, constantly seeking an opening to close the distance.
This kind of fight was second nature to both of them—
It was simply a reenactment of their training at the Shihōin household.
"Heh… old man, you should've done this from the start!"
Zaraki Kenpachi strode past Yamamoto, his Zanpakutō resting on his shoulder.
He had zero interest in executions or ceremonies.
To him, killing someone was simple—just cut them down.
And this chaos?
This was exactly what he wanted.
Chaos meant battle.
And he had already chosen his opponent.
That massive blade—taking it head-on would be exhilarating.
Ichigo grabbed Rukia by the collar, pulling her behind him as he stepped forward to meet Kenpachi's strike.
This had been Tsunayoshi's arrangement from the beginning.
Against a monster like Zaraki Kenpachi—who could grow stronger depending on his opponent—
Only another monster could hold him back.
The battlefield fell into a strange equilibrium.
Everyone had found their opponent.
And despite the overwhelming numbers of the Gotei 13—
Neither the Ryoka nor the "criminal" could be taken down quickly.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789