บท 224: Crescent Moon Cross Strike

Captain Zaraki, despite wearing the white captain's haori, only wore the half-sleeved version, and his back lacked the designated number of the 11th Division. He was merely the vice-captain! If his strength had truly surpassed Captain Ailin, he would have long since defeated him and claimed the captaincy.

Renji Abarai grappled with a mix of emotions as this realization settled in. On one hand, he was awestruck by Ailin's immense power. Captain Zaraki, the man who had seemed practically invincible in Renji's eyes, required Ailin to hold back during their battles to avoid being killed. On the other hand, this very strength widened the chasm between him and Rukia.

From their reunion in Rukongai, Renji had relentlessly chased after Rukia's shadow, yearning to stand by her side, face any danger together, and perhaps even shield her from harm. During his time as a Class A student at the Shin'ō Academy, honing his swordsmanship, he had briefly felt as if he had achieved that goal. His skills had briefly surpassed Rukia's. However, that fleeting sense of accomplishment had been shattered when Rukia became Ailin's disciple. Seeing her again a year ago, his primal instincts told him he was once again the one in pursuit.

But perhaps this simply meant that Rukia was living a better life than him, didn't it?

…

Swoosh!

Under the cover of night, the Shinigami of the 11th Division sped through the Seireitei using Shunpo, heading towards Rukongai. Their swift movements created a black torrent, forcing anyone in their path to hastily step aside. The newer recruits, witnessing this spectacle, assumed a major Hollow had appeared, requiring the entire 11th Division to mobilize. The veteran Shinigami, however, wore wistful expressions, reminiscing about a day that occurred every ten years. It was the day Captain Zaraki and Captain Ailin clashed.

Although their battleground was in Rukongai, far from the Seireitei, even these lower-ranking Shinigami could sense the distant tremors, indicating the intensity of the fight. Sadly, only the "madmen" of the 11th Division were granted a day off to witness this spectacle. For the other divisions, their duties were endless, as long as the Seireitei stood.

They, too, yearned to witness the clash of captains, to learn and grow from observing those battles. As the black torrent of Shinigami disappeared into the distance, the other divisions could only sigh with envy before returning to their tasks.

…

"Go, Kenny! Go!"

In the Zaraki district of Rukongai, Yachiru Kusajishi perched atop a massive boulder, her tiny hands cupped around her mouth as she cheered for Zaraki. Flanking her on either side were the third seat, Kiganjo and the fifth seat, Ikkaku Madarame. Below them stood the sixth seat, Gosuke, and the seventh seat, Yumichika Ayasegawa. Further back, the eighth seat, Maki Ichinose, and a few seated officers watched from a respectful distance.

Renji Abarai, still a newcomer to the 11th Division, stood even further away with the other elite Shinigami. He wasn't sure why they were positioned so far from the actual battleground, but he wasn't about to question the veterans' wisdom. Their choice of viewing location hinted that observing this clash between Ailin and Zaraki wasn't as simple as it seemed.

From where he stood, Renji could barely make out two tiny figures in the distance.

Boom!

A surge of golden reiatsu erupted from one of the figures, drawing in surrounding energy and forming a towering pillar of light that pierced the sky. The clouds above were scattered, rippling outwards like disturbed water.

Renji's breath hitched as he recognized that familiar energy. It was Zaraki's. However, it was at least ten times stronger than what he normally sensed from his captain. Could this be Zaraki's true strength? It seemed that against Ailin, he had unleashed his full power from the start. What about Ailin?

Renji craned his neck, as if doing so could bring him closer to the battle and grant him a clearer view. Sadly, Ailin hadn't released his reiatsu, leaving Renji clueless as to how he could possibly be stronger than Zaraki.

…

"Hahaha… Ailin Kenpachi, let the carnage begin!"

Zaraki ripped off the eyepatch that suppressed his reiatsu, unleashing a wave of golden energy that radiated from his body. He drew his battered Zanpakutō, a manic grin spreading across his face as he charged towards Ailin.

Ailin drew his own Zanpakutō and waved it casually. A single, fluid swing sent a white energy wave slicing through the air towards Zaraki.

Clang!

Boom!

Zaraki swung his broken blade, deflecting the white wave with a deafening clang. A powerful shockwave erupted, momentarily halting his advance. Undeterred, Zaraki channeled his immense reiatsu into his Zanpakutō and shattered Ailin's attack.

"Oh?" Ailin's eyes flickered with surprise. Zaraki's strength had undeniably grown in the past ten years. During their previous battle, he had been forced to simply redirect the attack. This time, he had shattered it.

With a flick of his wrist, Ailin traced a crescent shape in the air with his blade. A shimmering white arc materialized before him, hanging motionless. He then raised his Zanpakutō high above his head, bringing it down in a forceful slash.

"Crescent Moon – Cross Strike!"

A cross-shaped wave of energy shot towards Zaraki, radiating a terrifying power. Ailin had created this technique, Crescent Moon Cross Strike, based on the "Getsuga Tenshō" ability of Ichigo Kurosaki's Zanpakutō, Zangetsu. While he wasn't sure how it compared to the power of Kurosaki's dual-wielding Getsuga Tenshō, it was undeniably stronger than his casual attacks.

"Hahaha…" Zaraki burst with laughter, thrilled by the new technique. Years of battling Ailin had taught him that unless he pushed himself to the limit, Ailin wouldn't waste his time. To savor every moment of the fight, to prolong their clash and enjoy the thrill of combat, he had learned to unleash his full power from the outset.

This not only allowed him to engage Ailin for longer, but it also fueled his growth. Each new technique Ailin employed was a silent acknowledgment of Zaraki's progress. But it also meant that the new attack was inevitably more powerful than the previous ones. Failure to defend against it meant the rest of the fight would be a one-sided beating.

Facing the approaching Crescent Moon Cross Strike, Zaraki's face lit up with a manic grin. He gripped his Zanpakutō with both hands, raising it high above his head, then brought it down with a thunderous roar.

Two-Handed Swordsmanship!

Boom!

Golden reiatsu surged from his hands, coalescing into a massive golden wave that collided with Ailin's Crescent Moon Cross Strike. The golden wave clashed with the blue cross, generating a mushroom cloud that soared hundreds of meters into the sky.

Finally, the powerful shockwave spread, completely destroying the rocks, soil, and large trees that had been lifted from the ground.

Seeing this shockwave, Kiganjo and Ikkaku Madarame's expressions changed. They exchanged a glance and immediately drew their Zanpakuto from their waists.

"Bankai—Hachiryu Iron Meteor!"

"Bankai—Ryuumon Hozukimaru!"

Two immense spiritual pressures erupted from Kiganjo and Ikkaku Madarame. In an instant, the two had completed their Zanpakuto's Bankai.

Kiganjo swung the meteor hammer in his hand, causing it to whirl around him, creating tornadoes. The rapidly spinning meteor hammer even turned red hot from the friction with the air, resembling a scorching meteor hammer.

"Exploding Meteor!"

With Kiganjo's roar, the fiery red meteor hammer instantly ignited the surrounding tornadoes, transforming into a fiery dragon tornado that charged towards the incoming shockwave like a meteor.

Boom!

Kiganjo's attack collided with the spreading shockwave, resulting in a violent explosion.

The shockwave generated by Ailin and Zaraki's slash was hardly affected. After a slight pause, it continued to spread outward.

The explosion caused by the "Exploding Meteor" was directly annihilated by the powerful shockwave.

"Haah!"

Following the eight-edged meteor hammer, Ikkaku Madarame swung the three massive axes in his hand and on his back towards the incoming shockwave.

Boom!

Ikkaku Madarame's Zanpakuto, Ryuumon Hozukimaru, didn't possess any fancy abilities; it simply greatly enhanced Ikkaku's strength and destructive power.