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Fate In Bleach (328)
🕑 Added 2024-10-26 17:00:07 +0000 UTCChapter 328 - Rukia versus Ailin
If they had been prepared, the outcome might have been different. But Sasakibe, at least, would have had a good chance of defeating Tōsen. After all, his Gonryōmaru, like Hyōrinmaru, was a “strongest” Zanpakutō, possessing the ability to control the weather. Moreover, Gonryōmaru’s Bankai could create a cage of lightning, protecting its wielder. If Tōsen tried to force his way through, he would undoubtedly suffer a devastating blow.
Therefore, most captains chose not to reveal their Bankai during the captain's exam.
“Then, Rukia Kuchiki, candidate for the Ninth Division captaincy, which captain will you challenge?”
Yamamoto was quite satisfied with the current captains of the Gotei 13.
This generation was much stronger than the previous ones.
Soi Fon, the captain of the Second Division, with her “Infinite Shunko” and the destructive power of her Bankai, was comparable to the first captain of the Second Division.
Retsu Unohana, the captain of the Fourth Division, the first Kenpachi, was far stronger than she had been a thousand years ago.
Byakuya Kuchiki, the captain of the Sixth Division, had surpassed his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki, in strength.
Sajin Komamura, the captain of the Seventh Division, had been personally trained by Yamamoto for a time. While his overall strength wasn’t considered high among the current captains, he was still stronger than Love Aikawa, the previous captain of the Seventh Division.
Shunsui Kyoraku, the captain of the Eighth Division, was Yamamoto’s most prized disciple.
Besides Ailin and Zaraki, Yamamoto believed that Kyoraku was the closest to him in strength.
Jūshirō Ukitake, the captain of the Thirteenth Division, was also comparable to Kyoraku in strength.
Toshiro Hitsugaya, the captain of the Tenth Division, despite his young age, was no weaker than the other captains.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the captain of the Twelfth Division, in Yamamoto’s view, was no less valuable than Kisuke Urahara.
After all, during Urahara’s time as the Twelfth Division captain, he hadn't brought about any significant changes to the Seireitei.
But Kurotsuchi, after becoming captain, had created many useful inventions for the Seireitei.
As long as Rukia could display strength comparable to these captains, Yamamoto would approve her candidacy.
After all, she was Ailin’s disciple.
Yamamoto didn't believe she would be weak.
“Head-Captain, I want to challenge—”
Rukia’s gaze swept across the captains’ meeting chamber.
Finally, her eyes settled on Ailin.
She walked towards him and bowed.
“Teacher Ailin…
“I want to know how far I am from a true expert!
“Please!”
“Very well. After all, you’re my disciple.”
Ailin’s face was filled with a hint of helplessness.
While Rukia’s Zanpakutō was powerful,
Sode no Shirayuki, in its Bankai state, was comparable to Hitsugaya’s Hyōrinmaru.
And Rukia, having been trained by Ailin from a young age, had mastered Data Kendo, allowing her to fully utilize Sode no Shirayuki’s power.
However, even so, her strength was still far inferior to his.
But since Rukia wanted to experience true power, Ailin wouldn't refuse.
He knew that Rukia, unlike her appearance, wasn’t weak.
She had grown up in Rukongai, leading a group of orphans, struggling to survive…
Rukia was stronger than they imagined.
She had climbed from the bottom of the Soul Society. What pressure could possibly compare to the despair of watching her friends starve, unable to find food?
Even if he displayed strength beyond her comprehension, Rukia would simply work harder, striving to reach his level.
Besides, he was her teacher. His strength was, to Rukia, only natural.
“In that case, let’s go to Muken.
“It’s the only place in the Seireitei that can withstand a captain-level battle without being destroyed.”
Seeing Ailin accept Rukia’s challenge, Yamamoto spoke.
“There’s no need, Head-Captain Yamamoto.”
“I believe the space created by my Bankai is comparable to Muken. It can withstand a captain-level battle.
“Since Rukia wants to experience true power, if I don’t release my Bankai, she’ll be disappointed, won’t she?”
“Yes!”
Rukia looked up, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Indeed, as Teacher Ailin said, if she couldn’t even force him to use Bankai, it would be a blow to her confidence.
But she had never expected that he would use Bankai from the start.
“Then, captains, welcome to my world—”
“Bankai – Unlimited Blade Works!”
Ailin’s spiritual pressure exploded outwards.
As the captains watched in shock, they felt the space around them shift. They were no longer in the Seireitei, nor even in the Soul Society.
They looked up and saw a crimson sky filled with flames. Countless wooden gears, slowly turning, formed the barrier of this space.
The ground radiated a golden light.
Countless swords, embedded in the earth, were dyed gold, making this world seem like a “world of swords”!
The terrain was undulating, resembling a desert. The only prominent feature was a mountain at the center of this world—the “Sword Hill.”
Countless swords were also embedded in the mountain.
The captains could sense that the swords on the mountain were far more powerful than those on the ground.
“What… What kind of power is this?”
Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the captain of the Twelfth Division and head of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, was arguably the one with the deepest understanding of the world, of reishi.
But seeing Ailin’s Bankai, his eyes shone brightly.
“This world… it’s filled with the aura of swords… It’s as if, with a single thought, one could create a Zanpakutō with unimaginable power… If my Zanpakutō also had the ability to control the world’s reishi, then this world would hold no secrets from me…”
Kneeling within Ailin’s Innate Domain, Kurotsuchi’s expression was one of madness, as if he had witnessed the most inconceivable thing.
No one could understand him.
After all, everything in the Soul Society was made from reishi.
Even time and space could be manipulated using reishi.
The forbidden time-space techniques, and the Kōtotsu’s ability to alter time, proved this.
Even this world was created from reishi.
However, using reishi to create a world was the realm of “gods.”
Other beings, perhaps, could use their Zanpakutō to create limited time-space abilities.
But to create a world using pure reishi…
No one could do it.
Except for the Soul King!
But today, Kurotsuchi saw it.
This space… No, the elements within it…
They could already be considered a “world”!
Had Captain Ailin’s Bankai created a world where he could control reishi at will?
What incredible power!
…
Besides Kurotsuchi, who was absorbed in studying Ailin’s Innate Domain, the other captains stood aside, observing Ailin and Rukia’s battle.
Ailin extended his right hand. A golden streak of light flew from the Sword Hill and landed in his grasp.
BOOM!
The moment he grasped the Zanpakutō, it radiated a blinding light, transforming into a massive fang-shaped blade that emanated a powerful aura.
Wind swirled around the blade.
“Rukia, this is the first Zanpakutō I forged.”
“Its name is—Tessaiga!
“When released, Tessaiga can transform my spiritual pressure into wind-based attacks.”
“It’s a superior Zanpakutō, even compared to the former Ninth Division captain, Kensei Muguruma’s, Tachikaze.”
“With a single swing, Tessaiga can unleash a wind slash that can instantly kill hundreds of Hollows.”
Ailin swung his Zanpakutō to his left.
“Wind Scar!”
BOOM!
Three white wind slashes, shaped like a fan, spread outwards.
Countless smaller wind blades swirled between the three main slashes.
If there were hundreds of Hollows before Ailin, even if they weren’t struck by the main slashes, they would be shredded by the countless smaller blades.
As the wind subsided, Rukia saw three deep trenches, over a hundred meters long, where Ailin’s attack had struck.
The captains were impressed.
As expected of Captain Ailin.
Even a simple Shikai technique was so powerful.
Of course, some of them had witnessed Ailin using this Zanpakutō before.
However, its power back then was incomparable to its current strength.
The main reason was the difference in Ailin’s spiritual pressure. It was now on a completely different level.
Another reason was that Tessaiga back then hadn’t been “completed.”
The Tessaiga now was the true, complete Zanpakutō.
“Rukia, be careful. This attack is nothing special to me. If you fall to such a simple technique, I’ll be disappointed.”
Ailin raised Tessaiga, looking at Rukia.
As Rukia watched with a grave expression, he swung his blade downwards.
“Wind Scar!”
BOOM!
White light filled Rukia’s vision.
Witnessing an attack and facing it personally were two entirely different experiences.
Rukia took a deep breath, gripping her Zanpakutō.
Facing such an attack, if she didn’t get serious, she would undoubtedly fall, just as Ailin had said.
“Dance—Sode no Shirayuki!”
An overwhelming chill descended, and Rukia’s spiritual pressure erupted, freezing the air around her.
Intense cold radiated outwards from her, forming a thick layer of ice on the ground.
Countless icicles formed in the air as the temperature plummeted.
It was as if Rukia’s Shikai had created a domain of ice.
Anything that entered this domain would be frozen.
Even Ailin’s wind slashes were no exception.
As they entered Rukia’s domain, their speed decreased.
The countless smaller wind blades were frozen solid, revealing their forms before shattering.
The three main slashes, their speed reduced to a crawl, finally reached Rukia.
Crack! Crack!
With a swing of her Zanpakutō, Rukia shattered the three slashes like icicles.
Crash…
The ice that had formed around her, frozen by her spiritual pressure, shattered as she moved, revealing her current state.
“This… Is this Rukia’s true power?”
Seeing the effects of Rukia’s Shikai, the captains turned their gaze towards Toshiro Hitsugaya.
Hitsugaya felt their gaze, and he understood their question.
Hyōrinmaru and Sode no Shirayuki, which one was truly the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō?
While both were powerful Zanpakutō, their titles were different.
According to the Seireitei’s records, Hyōrinmaru was the “strongest ice-type Zanpakutō,” while Sode no Shirayuki was the “most beautiful Zanpakutō.”
Their values were completely different.
“Most beautiful” referred to the Zanpakutō’s appearance.
“Strongest” referred to its abilities.
But based on Hitsugaya and Rukia’s performance, it seemed that the Seireitei’s records were wrong!
Hyōrinmaru’s Shikai allowed Hitsugaya to control the moisture in his surroundings, condensing it into ice to attack his enemies.
But Sode no Shirayuki’s Shikai seemingly skipped the condensation process, directly freezing everything around Rukia.
