Suzumebachi Has Questions

Renji's attack was too direct for Byakuya.

Byakuya blocked it with ease, then forced Renji back with a single counter. Renji adapted at once. He detonated the Shakkaho in front of himself, using the smoke and blast to cover his movement.

By the time Byakuya prepared to attack again, Renji had reached his back.

"Bakudo Number 4: Hainawa!"

A binding of light snapped toward Byakuya.

A Bakudo of that level could never threaten him. He shattered it with one swing, then raised one hand.

"Hado Number 4: Byakurai."

The lightning pierced Renji in midair and sent him crashing down.

Elsewhere in the barracks, Zabimaru was not faring much better against Senbonzakura. Even with two materialized bodies, he could not overpower Senbonzakura's Shikai for long.

The baboon woman and snake man lured Senbonzakura into a corridor, then unleashed Bankai.

"Bankai! Hihio Zabimaru!"

"Hikotsu Taiho!"

The red blast roared down the corridor.

Senbonzakura threw his blade into the ground.

"Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

His reiatsu stopped the cannon head-on. With one motion of his hand, he sent Hihio Zabimaru flying back.

Rukia had recovered enough to look toward Renji.

"Renji! Are you all right?"

Renji lay unconscious.

Ichigo's eyes stayed on Byakuya.

"Do you even understand Soul Society law anymore?"

Byakuya did not answer him. He looked only at Rukia.

"Rukia. I will say it once more. Do not involve yourself."

Kazeshini and several other Zanpakuto appeared at Byakuya's side.

Seeing Renji and Zabimaru defeated, Kazeshini sneered.

"What? You are not going to kill them?"

Byakuya looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"Ichigo Kurosaki is here. If you believe you can do it, try."

Kazeshini twirled his scythes.

"I don't believe Ichigo Kurosaki is as strong as everyone says."

He moved toward Ichigo and Rukia.

Before he could reach them, Soi Fon arrived with members of the Onmitsukido, surrounding Byakuya and the Zanpakuto.

"About time, Soi Fon," Ichigo called.

"Finding this many capable fighters on short notice is not easy," she replied.

She raised one hand.

The battle between Soul Reapers and Zanpakuto began again.

Izuru Kira faced Kazeshini. Ikkaku and Yumichika moved toward Hozukimaru and Ruri'iro Kujaku. Soi Fon took on Gonryomaru and Tenken at once.

Ichigo's opponents, naturally, were Byakuya and Senbonzakura.

Ikkaku's second fight with Hozukimaru went very differently from the first. The moment he entered battle, he recovered his Shikai and released his Zanpakuto. He pushed Hozukimaru hard enough to force Ryumon Hozukimaru back out.

In the end, Ikkaku defeated his Bankai-wielding Zanpakuto with Shikai alone.

It cost him dearly. He collapsed afterward, badly wounded, but Hozukimaru was subdued.

Yumichika's situation was the opposite.

Ruri'iro Kujaku beat him down with obvious anger. Being denied his full name and forced to answer to Fuji Kujaku had clearly been the deepest insult in that relationship.

Soi Fon's battlefield suited her perfectly.

Gonryomaru and Tenken were both captain-level Zanpakuto, but against Soi Fon in Shunko, they were only dangerous opponents. Not unbeatable ones.

Then something familiar struck her from behind.

Soi Fon felt the butterfly-shaped mark bloom on her back and heard a girl's voice.

"So close. One more strike in the same place, and you would be dead."

Suzumebachi.

Soi Fon spun, scanning the area, but saw no one.

A yellow point of light appeared before her.

"You are Suzumebachi?"

"Correct, correct, completely correct!"

The tiny fairy-like girl appeared in front of Soi Fon, smug and bright.

Soi Fon stared.

Her Zanpakuto was this small?

"What do you think of this form?" Suzumebachi asked, floating in front of her. "If I get to materialize, I should look fresh, shouldn't I?"

She folded her arms.

"And you. Every time you have free time, it is Lady Yoruichi this, Lady Yoruichi that. Honestly, it is embarrassing."

Soi Fon's eye twitched.

"If you have that much time, spend some of it learning how to dress yourself properly. I do not understand how a strong, handsome man like Ichigo Kurosaki ever looked at you."

Soi Fon went very still.

"This," she said slowly, "is my Zanpakuto?"

Suzumebachi pointed the stinger on her right arm at Soi Fon.

"If you do not believe me, let me hit you one more time."

...

Kira's fight against Kazeshini was less about power and more about nerve.

Kazeshini was one of the stronger rebellious Zanpakuto, but Kira had improved after his previous battles. His reiatsu, Kido, Hakuda, and mental sharpness had all risen.

After knocking Kazeshini's scythe aside again, Kira showed a faintly sinister smile.

"Are you sure you should keep attacking me? Have you forgotten my Zanpakuto's ability?"

The rebellious Zanpakuto did not know who Kira's own spirit was. Some even thought he might have recovered Wabisuke already.

Kazeshini's expression changed.

If Kira could use Wabisuke, then its ability would counter Kazeshini perfectly. The longer the fight lasted, the worse his odds became.

Kira kept the bluff alive.

Kazeshini threw a scythe experimentally. Kira shifted as if about to release Shikai.

Kazeshini immediately pulled his weapon back and used Shunpo to close in.

That was what Kira wanted.

He threw an explosive tool from his sleeve. The smoke covered his movement as he flashed behind Kazeshini.

"Hado Number 58: Tenran!"

A violent tornado knocked Kazeshini off balance. Kira appeared in front of him and cut him down, then bound him with Bakudo Number 63: Sajo Sabaku.

At that moment, a man dressed like a prisoner appeared behind Kira.

Wabisuke.

Like master, like Zanpakuto. This one was even more treacherous.

The moment he approached, he had already touched Kira's blade.

Sixteen times the weight dragged Kira toward the ground.

Wabisuke seized the opening and wounded him badly.

Then a familiar reiatsu rolled across the battlefield.

Kenpachi Zaraki had returned to Soul Society with Yachiru Kusajishi.

Every Soul Reaper and Zanpakuto still capable of moving felt it and turned.

Kenpachi's return was excellent news for Soul Society.

For the rebellious Zanpakuto, it was a disaster.

"Hey, Ichigo," Kenpachi called as he walked over. "You're fighting too carefully."

He looked around at the chaos.

"I leave the Seireitei for a few days, and the Gotei 13 falls apart?"

Wabisuke appeared behind him and slashed.

Nothing happened.

Kenpachi did not even draw his sword. His surface reiatsu alone stopped the blade.

"You're swinging something that weak at me?"

He grabbed Wabisuke's body and tore him in half.

"Ken-chan! You ran too fast again!" Yachiru landed on his shoulder and looked around at the ring of Zanpakuto, plus the one man among them who was not a Zanpakuto.

Kenpachi's grin widened when he saw Byakuya.

"Kuchiki. I never did get a proper fight with you."

Senbonzakura stepped in front of Byakuya.

"You go. You still have a task. I will stop him."

He released Bankai.

"Bankai. Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

Kenpachi barely looked at him.

A Zanpakuto spirit without its master was still different from the Soul Reaper wielding it. The same Bankai in a spirit's hands did not carry the same weight as Byakuya's.

Kenpachi removed his eyepatch.

His reiatsu erupted and blew the cherry blossom blades apart, shattering part of the Sixth Division barracks in the process.

When the dust settled, he put the eyepatch back on.

"Good. The extras are cleared. Now we can fight properly."

Byakuya shook his head.

"You have spent a great deal of reiatsu. Fighting you now would be an unclean victory."

"Shut up." Kenpachi's grin sharpened. "It is a fight. Stop worrying about fairness. If I do not care, why are you complaining?"

Byakuya understood he would not leave without fighting.

He drew his Zanpakuto.

"Then come."

Their blades collided.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

Cherry blossom blades surrounded Kenpachi.

He cut through them with brute force and answered with a golden wave of sword pressure.

Byakuya took the attack cleanly, then used his signature movement technique.

Senka.

The same technique had once dropped Ichigo in their first clash, but Kenpachi caught the threat by instinct. His body reacted faster than his mind.

"Scary move," Kenpachi said, swinging back at Byakuya. "But it won't work on me."

Byakuya avoided the wild blows with Shunpo. Kenpachi's swordsmanship had no formal structure, but the pressure behind every strike was monstrous.

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