Muramasa's Gambit

Byakuya avoided all of Kenpachi's attacks with Shunpo alone.

Then he caught the rhythm after one overextended swing, appeared in front of Kenpachi, and cut his left arm.

Kenpachi looked at the wound and laughed.

"Hahahaha! That's Byakuya Kuchiki for you. Even without relying on Bankai, you're still strong."

He was not merely praising him.

Kenpachi wrapped his injured left hand in reiatsu and caught Byakuya's next slash barehanded.

For the first time, Byakuya's eyes showed visible surprise.

Kenpachi yanked the blade toward him and swung with his right hand.

The cut opened Byakuya's shoulder.

Byakuya retreated with Shunpo, reassessing him. Kenpachi still had more than enough reiatsu to catch a Zanpakuto by hand.

The fight could not reach a clean conclusion.

Byakuya had not come to battle Kenpachi. His task was elsewhere.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's Zanpakuto, Kinjiki Ashisogi Jizo, released a cloud of poison smoke, covering Byakuya and Senbonzakura's retreat.

Kenpachi did not chase.

He had spent a considerable amount of reiatsu already. Pursuing too carelessly might actually put him in danger.

At this stage, Byakuya and Kenpachi were close enough that conditions mattered. Kenpachi had not yet unlocked his own Zanpakuto. That weakness still held him back.

...

Soi Fon had been thrown away by Kenpachi's reiatsu, but fate had dropped her near Suzumebachi.

Unlike many Zanpakuto spirits, Suzumebachi matched Soi Fon's speed. Because her body was so small, she was even more agile in some ways.

In a short exchange, several butterfly marks appeared across Soi Fon's body. One more strike in any matching spot would kill her with her own Shikai ability.

Fortunately, Soi Fon still had Shunko.

With that overwhelming mobility and attack power, she finally defeated Suzumebachi.

But after fighting multiple captain-level Zanpakuto, Soi Fon's spiritual power was nearly empty. Her knees weakened, and she began to fall.

Ichigo arrived in time and caught her in his arms.

"Mm. Ichigo?" Her voice was soft from exhaustion.

"Yeah. It's me. Rest."

"All right."

Soi Fon stopped resisting and fell asleep.

Ichigo carried her toward the Fourth Division.

Elsewhere, Kinjiki Ashisogi Jizo had successfully covered Byakuya and Senbonzakura's escape, but it had been left behind.

Yachiru immediately treated it like a toy in a game of tag.

Mayuri finally emerged from his laboratory and saw his Zanpakuto spirit. He pressed a remote without hesitation.

Kinjiki Ashisogi Jizo exploded.

"A pity," Mayuri said with a sigh. "That alone will not return the Zanpakuto to me. Still, I have a new idea."

Kenpachi glanced at him with interest, then said nothing.

...

After a night of recovery, the Soul Reapers able to move had largely restored their spiritual power.

Then Yoruichi Shihoin arrived in Soul Society with good news.

In the Fourth Division meeting room, the active captains and lieutenants gathered.

"I found where Head Captain Yamamoto is sealed," Yoruichi said.

The mood shifted immediately.

If Yamamoto could be freed, the Zanpakuto rebellion would become much easier to end.

Shunsui exchanged a look with Ukitake.

"Then Ukitake, Ichigo, Kenpachi, Lieutenant Kusajishi, and I will go with you to rescue the old man."

He turned to Unohana.

"Captain Unohana, please continue treating the wounded."

Unohana nodded.

"Of course. Be careful."

She no longer craved just any battle. If anything stirred that side of her now, it was the thought of fighting Ichigo. Everyone else was difficult to care about.

At the Zanpakuto hideout, Byakuya had completed his task. He returned with a Hell Butterfly.

Muramasa accepted it with satisfaction and brought Byakuya to the place where Yamamoto was sealed.

"Genryusai Yamamoto's power is enormous," Muramasa said. "So enormous that it took Sogyo no Kotowari, Katen Kyokotsu, and Minazuki together to seal him."

Byakuya did not believe him.

He stepped near the barrier. Inside, Yamamoto sat quietly, holding Ryujin Jakka.

Perhaps sensing Byakuya's reiatsu, Yamamoto opened his eyes.

Flame flashed toward Byakuya. Even with the barrier blocking most of the pressure, Byakuya could feel the Head Captain's strength.

At the same time, Ichigo and the others entered the Zanpakuto hideout.

The paths split through multiple guarded tunnels.

"Let's divide into two groups," Ichigo said. "We can enter from different sides."

"Good idea," Shunsui said.

Kenpachi, Yachiru, Shunsui, and Ukitake took one path.

Yoruichi and Ichigo took the other.

Kenpachi and Yachiru managed to get lost almost immediately.

It was impressive in the worst way. Even with Shunsui and Ukitake behind them, those two could vanish from a straight route.

Ichigo and Yoruichi were attacked soon after entering their tunnel.

Tobiume and Haineko used the darkness of the cave to strike Yoruichi.

Their blades pierced her chest.

"How...?" Blood spilled from Yoruichi's mouth as she stared down at the wounds.

Haineko laughed.

"So the commander of the Onmitsukido is only this much?"

The Yoruichi in front of them popped like a burst balloon.

"What?"

The real Yoruichi stood unharmed on a stone ledge beside Ichigo.

"Ichigo, go ahead."

"Be careful, Yoruichi."

He nodded and moved deeper into the cave.

Shunsui and Ukitake encountered Katen Kyokotsu and Sogyo no Kotowari. Kenpachi met Tenken and Gonryomaru.

Ichigo soon sensed a familiar reiatsu ahead.

"That reiatsu... Minazuki?"

A hooded Zanpakuto in green appeared in front of him.

Ichigo knew this Zanpakuto far too well. From more than one angle, he had fought Unohana enough times to be familiar with Minazuki's presence.

Minazuki did not seem interested in fighting him. The spirit turned and fled.

"Hey, Minazuki! Don't run! Retsu misses you!"

Minazuki ran faster.

Ichigo had no choice but to follow with Shunpo.

The chase led him into a wide cavern. Minazuki vanished, and Ichigo felt Yamamoto's reiatsu above him.

Before he could move toward it, attacks came from the dark.

Two scythes spun toward him.

Ichigo drew Zangetsu and deflected them both.

Kazeshini appeared, recently healed by Muramasa and eager for another fight.

"Ichigo Kurosaki! I finally get to fight you!"

Ichigo sighed.

Yamamoto was just above him. He had no time to play.

He took one deep breath.

"Cry out, Zangetsu."

His reiatsu sharpened.

"I am not in the mood for games. Sorry, Kazeshini. I need to reach the Head Captain as fast as possible."

Ichigo appeared in front of him and slashed.

Kazeshini snarled.

"You think that is enough to beat me?"

He crossed his scythes and blocked.

Ichigo's eyes stayed cold.

"Getsuga Tensho."

The close-range crescent swallowed Kazeshini. When the blue-black light faded, the Zanpakuto spirit had been cut apart.

"Sorry, Hisagi," Ichigo said, already moving upward. "I do not have time to drag this out."

He reached the platform where Yamamoto sat sealed.

"Old man!"

Ichigo ran toward him, but Ryujin Jakka's flames spread from the barrier. Ichigo dodged back before the fire could touch him.

"A barrier?"

He lifted Tensa Zangetsu, preparing to break it by force.

Another blade flew at him.

Ichigo turned and knocked it away. It spun back into Muramasa's hand.

"As expected of you, Ichigo Kurosaki," Muramasa said. "You found this place. Perhaps we are destined to cross blades here."

"I do not care about destiny. I came to rescue the old man. Let's end this in one strike."

Ichigo's reiatsu rose.

"Bankai. Tensa Zangetsu."

Black reiatsu flooded the cavern.

Muramasa's green reiatsu rose to meet it, stronger than Ichigo remembered.

Ichigo frowned.

Muramasa had not been this powerful before.

"If you cannot defeat me," Muramasa said, "you cannot move forward. Prove your words."

Ichigo had no patience left.

"Getsuga Tensho!"

The black crescent tore toward Muramasa with far more power than before.

Yoruichi, Shunsui, and Ukitake entered the sealed chamber at the same moment.

"Ichigo, don't!" Yoruichi shouted. "He wants you to release Getsuga Tensho!"

Muramasa took the attack head-on, injected his own reiatsu into it, and redirected the crescent toward Yamamoto's barrier.

Three sharp cracks rang out.

The barrier around Yamamoto shattered.

In that instant, Muramasa raised his voice and released his true command.

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