Chapter 66

A violent surge of spiritual power blasted the roof clean off with a thunderous crash!

Warm sunlight poured down onto Captain-Commander Yamamoto's bald head.

At once.

Inside the meeting room.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's face had gone black as the bottom of a wok. He looked at the utterly unreliable Kuchiki Senya and helplessly pressed a hand to his forehead.

Kuchiki Bai Zai closed his eyes in anguish — where on earth was the noble bearing in his own brother?

Tōsen Kaname, Gin Ichimaru, Komamura Sajin and the others had their faces twisted in strain, with great beads of cold sweat rolling down their foreheads!

Only spiritual pressure that utterly crushed them could make them feel this way!

Originally.

Those who had joined the Thirteen Court Guard Squads later might not see Kuchiki Senya even once in several years — they had only ever heard of his illustrious battle record.

They had no direct, intuitive sense of this so-called "number one genius."

Now.

They finally understood — this was a power on an entirely different plane! Kuchiki Senya's strength had already surpassed the limits of a captain!

"How can his spiritual pressure be this strong…"

"Could it really be as he said before — that his spiritual pressure grows even while he sleeps?"

Unohana Retsu, Kenpachi Zaraki and the others wore thoroughly baffled expressions.

This was the question on every captain's mind.

Only the "scientist" Mayuri Kurotsuchi, staring at the spatial rift slowly healing behind Kuchiki Senya, had his eyes practically shining!

"With the gates between Soul Society and the World of the Living sealed, how did he get in!"

"Is this some brand-new mode of transit? Or is it his own innate ability?"

Mayuri stroked his chin, staring fixedly at Kuchiki Senya, wanting to dissect him down to the last detail.

"Sure enough, the first time I couldn't quite get the direction right."

Ten Thousand Phenomena of the Heavenly Severance.

Even though it could tear through the barrier between the two worlds and enter the Dangai, to descend precisely upon the location one had in mind—

Still required a great deal of practice.

Kuchiki Senya gave a lazy, languid smile and greeted everyone present. "Busy?"

At the same time.

He also saw the newly appointed captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.

Tōsen Kaname, Gin Ichimaru, Komamura Sajin… who were struggling to endure beneath his spiritual pressure.

Having never gone through the original storyline, their strength was only at the ordinary captain level.

Unohana Retsu, Kuchiki Bai Zai, Kenpachi Zaraki and the others were clearly a cut above — though their breathing had grown somewhat coarse and heavy.

Aizen Sōsuke likewise wore an expression of "agony," his body trembling faintly, with beads of cold sweat nearly breaking out on his forehead.

His square-framed glasses had even been knocked askew.

Worthy of an Oscar-caliber Aizen — he really committed to the act.

Kuchiki Senya narrowed his eyes in a smile and gave a small nod.

"You all carry on."

Saying so.

He swaggered straight out, heading in the direction of "wine pools and meat forests."

"Kuch…"

Yamamoto's face was lined with black, wanting to speak yet holding back, as he watched Kuchiki Senya leave the room.

The other captains — Gin Ichimaru, Komamura Sajin and the rest — also breathed a sigh of relief, watching Kuchiki Senya's retreating back with impossibly complicated looks in their eyes.

The conditions under which Kuchiki Senya had joined the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were no secret.

His treatment.

Was far more preferential than that of the other captains!

He answered to no one's authority.

Even in a captain-level meeting, he could walk out whenever he pleased!

For fully fifty-some years! He had truly been nothing more than a hands-off absentee boss!

Absolute freedom.

However.

Why had his spiritual power… still been able to break through to such a degree?

"Is this reasonable?"

It was most unreasonable!

Even Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni narrowed his eyes slightly — even back when he himself had been the same age as Kuchiki Senya.

He had never reached such a level.

Yamamoto sighed softly and waved a hand dismissively. "Meeting adjourned."

Then.

He turned and left.

After Kuchiki Senya had gone far away, the immense spiritual pressure pressing down on everyone gradually dispersed.

The look of agony vanished from Aizen's face; wearing his square-framed glasses, he was once again the picture of refined, mild-mannered warmth.

Gin Ichimaru's narrowed eyes returned, his face wreathed in smiles.

At a time when Soul Society is cut off from the World of the Living, Kuchiki Senya has the ability to traverse both realms!

As a result, before Aizen, Tousen's arrangement to monitor the gate between the two realms was all for nothing.

Perhaps.

Kuchiki Senya's edge truly can reach Aizen.

In this battle, Kuchiki Senya is the greatest variable!

In the venue.

Everyone's thoughts were different.

The other captains also looked somewhat more relaxed.

"A Ryoka blocked your God Spear strike?"

Just as Ichimaru Gin turned to leave.

A deep male voice rang out.

Zaraki Kenpachi curled the corner of his mouth, his beast-like gaze sizing up Ichimaru Gin.

"With your strength, how could a mere vice-captain-level opponent possibly be your match?"

"That Ryoka's spiritual pressure is quite powerful," Ichimaru Gin said with a smile, showing not the slightest shame at having his strike blocked.

"Besides, with Captain Senya here, my strength among the captains can hardly be called great."

"Oh?"

"Now this is interesting…" Zaraki Kenpachi swung his serrated Zanpakuto with keen interest.

When he had first joined the Gotei 13.

He had crossed blades with every captain, as well as Head Captain Yamamoto, and his strength had improved by leaps and bounds.

However, the one he most wanted to challenge, the one he most wanted to defeat—Kuchiki Senya—had for decades always refused his challenges, claiming it was too much trouble.

And his whereabouts were always shifting, making it impossible to find him at all!

After finally getting him to make a move once, he hadn't even gotten to enjoy the fun of battle before being instantly killed…

Fighting Senya.

Was no fun.

And the other captains had also been tormented by his battle enthusiasm until they were sick of it; even Old Man Yamamoto had said that if he dared to bother him again, he'd cut him down with a single Bankai!

His Zanpakuto had long been thirsting for action.

Hopefully.

The Ryoka who broke in can last a little longer!

Kuchiki Senya's sudden appearance did not affect the Gotei 13's operations.

Following the Head Captain's orders, the number of Shinigami patrolling within the Seireitei kept growing, reaching three times the usual amount!