"This power... really is strong!" Kira remarked as he looked at Kifune, giving a rare compliment.
But truth be told, Kira looked down on Kifune entirely.
"Still, you don't have the ability to control this power!"
Those words only made Kifune more furious.
"What did you say!? You don't understand the difference between me and those weaklings! They couldn't even master Shikai—they're trash! I'm completely different!"
His hair came loose, flaring as his anger rose.
"Their Bakkōtō only boost their spiritual pressure at most. But mine... mine can absorb my spiritual pressure and grow alongside me!"
Kifune, full of arrogance now, hoisted up Reppū and walked toward Kira step by step.
Clearly, he was convinced that Kira Izuru had no chance against him in his current state.
"Why?" Kira asked, looking straight at him.
"What do you mean 'why'?"
"I mean, why—why, when you already possess great power, would you choose such an evil weapon like the Bakkōtō to gain more?"
To Kira, it made no sense.
If one sought greater power, wouldn't Bankai—a strength both powerful and safe—be the obvious path?
Across the entire Soul Society, any Shinigami with Vice-Captain-level spiritual pressure could generally master Bankai through training, unless they had personal issues holding them back.
(Examples? Easy: Ōmaeda—lazy. Ise Nanao—no Zanpakutō of her own. Matsumoto Rangiku—missing part of her soul. That kind of stuff.)
So Kira truly couldn't understand Kifune's choice.
"You know nothing," Kifune growled. "I've had strong power since I was a kid! But because my power was too overwhelming, no one ever recognized what I did! They all just assumed, 'Well, with your power, of course you can do that.'"
He screamed, letting his bitterness pour out.
"I'll use this power to make every Shinigami acknowledge me! To bow at my feet!"
"Kira Izuru! All you Vice-Captains without real strength—I'll kill every one of you!"
"Weakness is a sin! You couldn't even stop your former Captain from defecting! You don't deserve to stand above me!"
Kifune was obviously losing his mind, constantly stabbing at Kira's emotional scars.
Kira was angry too—but he still kept his rationality.
Meanwhile, Kifune completely snapped. He raised Reppū using his left hand and the Bakkōtō and slashed furiously at Kira.
Kira parried a few strikes but was eventually knocked to the ground. However, as Kifune prepared for the final blow, Kira suddenly sprang up and blocked the attack with his Zanpakutō, Wabisuke.
"Why!? WHY!? You're weaker than me—so how can you keep blocking Reppū's attacks!?"
Kifune raged, attacking Kira from every direction.
But no matter how crazed he became, it was useless. In fact, Kira's spiritual pressure kept rising!
Finally, Kira pressed down Reppū with Wabisuke.
Kifune stared in disbelief. "Impossible!"
Kira shook his head. "Nothing's impossible. You were right. I've had a shadow in my heart since my Captain defected... but now I realize—there are still things I must do."
"Squad 3 still stands. My subordinates are still here. I can't let their presence be forgotten just because my Captain betrayed us."
"Kifune... I should thank you. You reminded me of what I need to do."
His inner turmoil lifted, and his spiritual pressure suddenly surged!
Kifune's face twisted in shock. "No way! You can't be this strong!"
Kira looked at him coldly and thought to himself, Who wasn't a genius once, huh?
Yes, Kifune may have been a prodigy.
But so was Kira.
After all, someone who caught Aizen Sōsuke's eye couldn't possibly be ordinary.
(Side note: Kira Izuru and Hinamori Momo both have the potential to achieve Bankai. Aizen had an incredibly discerning eye—none of the people he valued were talentless.)
(Need proof? Look at Abarai Renji—another who gained Aizen's attention. In the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, his power nearly reached old Captain-level. Kira and Hinamori were his equals. They were just held back by trauma—one betrayed by Gin Ichimaru, the other by Aizen. Their mental blocks stopped them from progressing.)
(Even Rukia, who couldn't even Shikai due to her emotional trauma, eventually overcame it. The fact that Kira and Hinamori could still use Shikai shows how gifted they are.)
Kira ignored Kifune's protests and instead asked, "Haven't you noticed yet? This isn't your power. It's the Bakkōtō's."
"That blade didn't just boost your strength—it's also devouring your reason. Kifune, you're no match for me."
"SHUT UP!" Kifune snapped. His mental defenses broke, and the Bakkōtō on his left arm dug even deeper into him, consuming what remained of his mind.
Now a beast, Kifune lifted the fallen Reppū and rushed Kira with ominous spiritual pressure.
Kira sighed, channeling all his spiritual power into Wabisuke.
They clashed.
Kifune, utterly deranged, swung Reppū—
Only to see Kira slice it cleanly in two.
Flames erupted from Kifune's mouth. The Bakkōtō had completely consumed him, and he burned alive.
Having spent too much spiritual energy, Kira collapsed on the ground.
Meanwhile, Ichigo and Tenbai arrived just in time at the Kasumioji estate and quickly defeated the remaining assassins.
But the Rurichiyo they rescued was merely a decoy.
"A trap!?" Ichigo growled.
Then, a Hell Butterfly arrived, carrying a message for Tenbai Shūsuke.
It turned out Squad 3 members hadn't found Kira in the barracks.
After a thorough search, they finally discovered him unconscious at the training grounds—with Kifune's destroyed blade beside him.
(Note: When a Shinigami dies, their Zanpakutō disappears with them. But Reppū had been corrupted by the Bakkōtō and could no longer be considered a Zanpakutō. That's why it remained behind.)
After hearing the news, Ichigo and Tenbai rushed toward the Squad 3 training field.
Rukia and Senna arrived first, joined by Renji, who had been sent by Byakuya to secretly support Rukia.
Tenbai stared at the remains of Reppū for a moment before stealthily removing the eye-like component embedded in the blade. The rest, he handed over to Renji.
Renji looked confused. "Captain Tenbai? What are you doing?"
"This is proof the Bakkōtō exists," Tenbai replied. "And proof of Kifune's collusion with the Kasumioji Clan. I hope you'll bring this broken blade to Head-Captain Yamamoto. He needs to know what we're doing."
Renji nodded. "And you, Captain?"
"I'll accompany Ichigo and the others to infiltrate the Kasumioji estate!"
Senna frowned. Something didn't feel right.
"Captain Tenbai... is it really appropriate for you to come with us?"
Tenbai smiled. "If the Kasumioji Clan entrusted Rurichiyo's safety to Kifune, then he must have been their ace. Now that he's fallen, and their plot has been exposed, they've likely taken her back into their own home."
"This is the perfect time to strike!"
He sounded confident.
Senna still felt uneasy, but she said nothing. After all, Tenbai was helping them.
Still... his eagerness was suspicious.
Ichigo noticed her unease, but with his strength, he didn't care too much.
"I think Captain Tenbai has a point. No time to waste. Let's go before Kumoi does anything to Rurichiyo!"
Senna nodded reluctantly. Rukia also agreed.
The group headed for the Kasumioji estate.
At the gates, all the Captains (except the 2nd Division's patrol squad) had suspiciously chosen not to show up.
The exception? Captain Hitsugaya Tōshirō and Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku of the 10th Division.
These two, besides Komamura Sajin, were the only ones who took Head-Captain Yamamoto's warning seriously.
After all, they had seen Ichigo's wrath during the Senna incident.
But this time, storming a noble clan estate wasn't the same.
The Central 46 originated from noble clans—they wouldn't let Ichigo cross that line so easily.
As Ichigo prepared to talk with Hitsugaya, Tenbai suddenly drew his Zanpakutō and attacked!
"Captain Tenbai!?" Rukia gasped.
"You must go to the Kasumioji estate now! If you delay any longer, Rurichiyo's life is in danger!" Tenbai yelled while clashing with Hitsugaya.
Ichigo and the others hesitated briefly, but followed his words.
Halfway there, Senna whispered to Ichigo, "You all saw that, right? Something's wrong with him!"
Rukia nodded. "He seems too frantic—even more than us."
Ichigo smirked. "Looks like Soifon was right. Captain Tenbai may be the one colluding with the Kasumioji Clan."
"So what do we do?" Senna asked.
"What else?" Ichigo grinned. "We play along. Soifon's hidden nearby. Let's give Captain Tenbai a little surprise."
(End of Chapter)
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