บท 180: Overwhelming Power

Ailin's fist connected with Baishin's crossed arms, sending him flying with devastating force.

Baishin's body rocketed through the air, breaking the sound barrier and creating a series of sonic booms that echoed throughout the Muken.

Ailin reappeared behind Baishin and delivered a swift kick to his head.

Boom!

The impact sent Baishin crashing into one of the Muken's pillars, shattering it into countless fragments.

Crash!

A cascade of debris rained down, burying Baishin beneath a pile of rubble.

Azashiro, observing the one-sided battle, remained silent. This was the current Kenpachi. Perhaps only someone of such immense power could truly inherit the title from Kuruyashiki. He couldn't help but recall his own battle with Ailin.

Ailin's punches shattered the air, his sword tore through space…

His mastery of Kidō was on par with Azashiro's own.

That battle had reminded Azashiro of his confrontation with Kenpachi Kuruyashiki.

No, Azashiro shook his head, Ailin was even stronger than Kuruyashiki.

At the very least, when facing Kuruyashiki, Azashiro had been able to merge his soul with his body, temporarily controlling him and forcing him to suppress his reiatsu.

But against Ailin, Azashiro's soul couldn't penetrate his defenses.

It was as if Ailin's body and soul were an impenetrable fortress, rendering Azashiro's abilities useless.

The difference in their reiatsu was simply too vast.

Azashiro possessed the reiatsu of a hundred-year captain, and with the abilities of Urozakuro, he was among the strongest Shinigami below the level of the "Shinigami limit," assuming no ability counters were involved.

But Ailin had not only surpassed the Shinigami limit, he had ventured even further beyond. He was on a completely different level than Azashiro.

If Ailin suppressed his reiatsu, Azashiro wouldn't even be able to sense him.

This was the true extent of the gap between them.

…

Boom!

A golden aura erupted from beneath the rubble, scattering the debris and revealing Baishin.

Aside from some minor scratches on his arms and a trickle of blood from his lips, he seemed relatively unharmed.

"Your attacks are insignificant, but I must commend your durability."

Baishin turned to see Ailin's fist hurtling towards his abdomen.

"Hakuda – Ikkotsu!"

"Pierce—"

A powerful shockwave erupted from Baishin's back, distorting the air around him. The shockwave shot diagonally towards the ceiling of the Muken, causing tremors throughout the prison.

Countless blades, stained with fresh blood, burst from Baishin's back.

"Pfft—"

Baishin coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Ailin spun around and delivered a kick to Baishin's chin, sending him flying upwards.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of sonic booms erupted through the Muken as Baishin's body collided with the ceiling. Then, the ground, pillars, and even the dome of the Infinite Hell were shattered by a golden light, causing huge damage to the Infinite Hell.

Azashiro, witnessing the brutal display of power, shook his head and retreated back into his cell. He had no place in this fight.

Crash!

Baishin plummeted from the shattered ceiling, crashing into the ground and creating a crater that sent cracks spiderwebbing outwards.

The last vestiges of golden reiatsu faded from his body.

His left arm was twisted and broken, his back was missing chunks of flesh, his right arm had been severed at the shoulder, and his legs were riddled with gaping wounds.

"Hahaha, Ailin Kenpachi, I acknowledge your strength. You are truly worthy of the title 'Kenpachi'," Baishin laughed, despite his grievous injuries.

For him, nothing brought greater joy than knowing that the inheritor of Kuruyashiki's title possessed even greater power.

This was what Kuruyashiki had always strived for.

Azashiro was unworthy of the title "Kenpachi," and Baishin, having lost to him, was equally undeserving.

But this man... he was a true Kenpachi!

Throughout the onslaught of attacks, Baishin had been unable to absorb any of Ailin's reiatsu.

Ailin's Hakuda techniques were purely physical, fueled by his immense strength and unparalleled mastery of hand-to-hand combat.

"Hmph, you are nothing. Your acknowledgement means nothing to me," Ailin scoffed, amused by Baishin's words.

With a swift movement, Ailin appeared beside Baishin. A golden spatial distortion opened, and a white bandage extended from within, wrapping around Baishin's body. A green light enveloped him, rapidly healing his wounds.

Even the golden reiatsu he had absorbed from Ailin began to return to its peak state.

Baishin stared at Ailin in confusion as a benevolent smile spread across his face.

"Baishin, you killed thirty-two members of my division. I will kill you thirty-two times in return. We still have thirty-one times to go. Let's take our time.

I hope that after you have repaid the debt you owe to my fallen comrades, you will still be able to say that you acknowledge me..."

Ailin could swear that his decision to heal Baishin and kill him thirty-two times wasn't motivated by his words of acknowledgement.

This had been his plan all along.

…

"Ah, such troubled times..." Shunsui Kyoraku sighed as he reviewed the reports in his hands.

"Nanao-chan, please take care of the Eighth Division. I need to report this incident to Captain-Commander Yamamoto," he said, rising from his desk.

"Yes, sir," Nanao Ise replied with a nod. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "Captain Kyoraku, is everything alright with the Eleventh Division?"

The news of a Shinigami attacking the Eleventh Division had sent shockwaves through the Seireitei.

The Eleventh Division was renowned as the strongest combat division within the Gotei 13, second only to the First Division.

In fact, under Captain Ailin's leadership, it was debatable whether even the First Division could match their strength.

In terms of top-tier power, both Ailin and Captain-Commander Yamamoto were considered outliers, the strongest Shinigami within Soul Society.

Chōjirō Sasakibe, the Lieutenant of the First Division, had served under Yamamoto for over a millennium. He had been Yamamoto's loyal follower since before the formation of the Gotei 13, and his strength had reached the level of a "hundred-year captain."

His Zanpakutō, Gonryōmaru, was renowned as the most powerful lightning-type Zanpakutō in Soul Society.

He was undoubtedly one of the strongest Shinigami within the Gotei 13, second only to Yamamoto.

Only Zaraki Kenpachi of the Eleventh Division could rival his power.

It was unknown whether the First Division had any other members who had achieved Bankai.

However, the Eleventh Division had two confirmed Bankai users – Kiganjō, the Third Seat, and Ikkaku Madarame, the Fifth Seat.

While they might be slightly weaker than other captain-level Shinigami, they were far superior to any lieutenant.

If the First Division lacked any other captain-level combatants, the Eleventh Division's overall strength would surpass theirs.

And yet, this formidable division had been attacked, with over a hundred casualties among its members.

The timing of the attack was simply too coincidental.

Under normal circumstances, Ailin would attend captain meetings while Zaraki remained at the barracks.

However, the captain's meeting that morning had been different. Captain-Commander Yamamoto had requested the presence of all captains and lieutenants, citing the need to establish a better promotion system within the Gotei 13.

The purpose was to prevent a repeat of the incident decades ago when several captains had fallen, nearly paralyzing the Seireitei.

In essence, Yamamoto wanted the captains to delegate more authority to their lieutenants. This way, even if a captain perished in battle, their lieutenant would be able to maintain order and provide the Seireitei with ample time to select a new captain.

Or, if the lieutenant possessed sufficient strength and leadership skills, they could be directly promoted to captain.

However, this meeting had left the Eleventh Division vulnerable. Only Kiganjō and Ikkaku, whose strength barely reached the threshold of captain-level, were present to defend the barracks.

If Zaraki had not been summoned to the First Division for the meeting, the Eleventh Division would not have suffered such heavy losses.

Kyoraku wasn't sure if Ailin would hold a grudge against Yamamoto for this incident, so he had instructed his intelligence unit to closely monitor the situation.

To his surprise, he discovered some unsettling clues amidst the reports.