BLEACH: SURVIVAL SYSTEM

Chapter 22: CHAPTER 22



Hearing this, Byakuya Kuchiki's expression darkened even further.

Even Kurotsuchi Mayuri was taken aback. "Why are you so arrogant, Akira?"

He didn't think Akira was a brainless individual, but making such an audacious statement? That was beyond reckless.

However, they soon realized exactly what Akira was relying on.

"Om—!"

A silent yet deafening roar seemed to echo through the air. The atmosphere twisted, the sky pressed down, and an overwhelming Reiatsu surged through the area!

"What…!"

Byakuya Kuchiki staggered slightly as he felt the boundless pressure emanating from Akira's body.

"This Reiatsu…" Kurotsuchi Mayuri's eyes widened. "It's captain-level? No… even I can't compare at all!"

Why did Akira possess such immense spiritual power?!

Not only were they shocked, but the entire Seireitei felt the crushing weight of this unfamiliar yet terrifying Reiatsu.

"Who is it? Is there really such a powerful individual within the Seireitei?"

In the First Division headquarters, Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai frowned as he gazed into the distance.

In his long memory, it had been ages since a Shinigami with such an immense Reiatsu had emerged within Seireitei.

If an unknown powerhouse had appeared in the heart of the Court Guard Squads, it was undoubtedly a dangerous situation.

Seventh Division

Captain Komamura Sajin immediately sensed the disturbance and stood up.

"This is an emergency. It's suspected that an unprecedented powerhouse has infiltrated the Seireitei. Follow me at once!"

As the inner court's security division, the Seventh Division was responsible for handling such anomalies. Alongside them, the Tenth Division, tasked with patrolling the area, was also on high alert.

Tenth Division Captain Hitsugaya Tōshirō, in the midst of paperwork, suddenly looked up, eyes sharp with shock. He turned to his lieutenant, Matsumoto Rangiku.

"This Reiatsu… I've never felt it before. And—it surpasses mine."

That realization sent a chill through both of them. Could it be a powerful new enemy had arrived?

"No, we need to investigate immediately!"

The Streets of Seireitei

On the shoulder of a towering man, a pink-haired girl giggled as she kicked her legs in excitement.

"Ah! Kenny, look! A huge Reiatsu just appeared!"

"Don't squirm, Yachiru."

Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of the Eleventh Division, grinned, his sharp teeth flashing in anticipation as he turned toward the source of the disturbance.

"But you're right," he muttered, eyes gleaming with battle lust. "It's been a while since I've felt something this interesting. I hope they won't disappoint me!"

With that, Zaraki Kenpachi leaped forward, Yachiru clinging to him as they charged toward the Sixth Division barracks.

Sixth Division Courtyard

Akira remained unaware that all of Seireitei had mobilized because of him.

Standing opposite him, Byakuya Kuchiki didn't know either—but he did know one thing: Akira was, at the very least, a formidable opponent on the level of a captain.

Without hesitation, Byakuya raised his hand, and in an instant, a tidal wave of Senbonzakura's countless tiny blades surged toward Akira.

"Oh? Going all out from the start?"

Kurotsuchi Mayuri observed keenly. He knew that Byakuya, when directly controlling Senbonzakura by hand, could increase its speed fourfold.

There was no doubt—Byakuya was not holding back.

"Excalibur!"

Akira responded with an awe-inspiring slash of pure light, his blade cutting through the air with divine brilliance.

The Holy Sword of Light descended like an overwhelming tidal wave, colliding with Senbonzakura's deadly petals and shattering them on impact.

The golden radiance illuminated Byakuya's stunned face before consuming him entirely.

"Boom!"

A massive explosion erupted, its shockwave obliterating the walls of the courtyard.

As the smoke cleared, a colossal sphere of Senbonzakura's petals materialized in the aftermath.

"Is that… Senbonzakura Kageyoshi?" someone murmured in disbelief.

Byakuya's ultimate technique, which was meant for offense, had been forced into a desperate defensive maneuver.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri was deeply intrigued by the unfolding battle and allowed Nemu to continue recording.

Kage Senbonzakura Kageyoshi originally utilized the billions of microscopic blades from Senbonzakura Kageyoshi to encase the enemy in a spherical formation, striking them from all directions without any blind spots. At its largest, it could even surpass the size of Las Noches! The sheer force of its slashes generated powerful winds, requiring non-Byakuya combatants to use protective barriers. In a future battle, it was strong enough to destroy half of the Nether Palace.

However, when faced with the overwhelming power of Akira, this ultimate technique could do nothing but enclose Byakuya himself as a last-resort defense.

"Second strike!"

Akira, relentless, raised his holy sword once more, gathering radiant energy.

"He's unleashing his full firepower right from the start… That kind of monstrous attack can even be fired in rapid succession?!"

Kurotsuchi Mayuri's expression darkened. He stepped back several hundred meters with Nemu, ensuring they wouldn't be caught in the crossfire.

"Excalibur!"

Byakuya barely had time to retract all his blades into a defensive sphere before Akira's second luminous blast tore through the air.

BOOM!!!

The already deep crater expanded further, completely erasing the original courtyard from sight. The massive golden explosion lit up the sky, forcing Hitsugaya Tōshirō and Komamura Sajin—who had just arrived—to halt in their tracks.

"Brace yourselves! The shockwave is coming!"

"The impact is imminent—defensive formation!"

Both captains issued orders to their squads, and, as expected, the residual force swept across the battlefield immediately.

"What an incredible attack…" Komamura Sajin struggled against the violent winds. "Even from this distance, the force is overwhelming!"

As the dust settled, the battlefield revealed a massive crater where Senbonzakura Kageyoshi had been completely shattered. Byakuya Kuchiki knelt on one knee, visibly exhausted.

"Tsk… Senbonzakura's attack power is still inferior to his…" he thought to himself. "If I hadn't used Shunpo at the last moment, that last attack might have seriously injured me."

His unease deepened when he noticed a new point of light forming in the distance—Akira was already charging up for a third strike!

"Jikoku Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"

Determined to turn the tide, Byakuya raised his hand, summoning a multitude of pink energy blades that rapidly expanded, encasing Akira in a vast, shimmering domain. From the outside, it appeared as if an immense, isolated space had formed, trapping the opponent within a dazzling sea of thousands of light blades.

"This technique… If he's resorting to it, the battle must be reaching its climax," Hitsugaya Tōshirō observed, halting at the boundary of the space alongside Komamura Sajin.

Inside the sealed battlefield, Akira remained unfazed. The holy sword in his grasp pulsed with divine energy, reaching its peak.

"All these theatrics… they mean nothing to me."

Byakuya's expression hardened. "What…?"

"Excalibur—!"

Without hesitation, Akira swung his sword, unleashing a blinding torrent of light that engulfed the entire space.

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