Chapter 40: Ichigo vs Kenpachi
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Chapter 40: Ichigo vs Kenpachi
A few days later, the wounds Ichigo had received during his battle with Renji had healed, and he was currently haphazardly running through the streets with Ganju and a meek-looking Shinigami by his side.
By now, he knew where Rukia was being held prisoner, and he was currently running toward that place.
However, as he was running, he suddenly felt like someone had just pierced a sword through his neck, immediately making him stop with cold sweat flowing down his back, while his two companions simply fell on their knees due to the pressure.
"W-What is this sensation."
"Oh? You can endure my Spiritual Pressure without falling down? You might do for a decent warm-up after."
Hearing someone speak, Ichigo looked at the source of the voice and saw a huge man with spiky hair and an eyepatch leisurely standing not too far away from him.
Ichigo started sweating even more when he realized who this huge man was. After all, Ikkaku had specifically warned Ichigo about him: Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of the 11th Division.
Seeing Ichigo's whole body shake in fear, Kenpachi couldn't help but frown deeply while shaking his head.
"Or maybe you won't. Oh well, I guess I'll capture you or whatever and get this over with."
As soon as Kenpachi stopped speaking, Ichigo got some of his bearings back as he realized the situation he was in.
'No! I can't get captured! I still have to save Rukia.'
"You two, get out of here! I'll deal with this guy!"
Ganju looked at Ichigo in disbelief, but after briefly glancing at the now-fainted Shinigami they brought with them, he realized the situation.
'Shit, we would just get in the way! However, there is no way Ichigo could win against this monster either. SHIT!'
After thinking the situation through, Ganju bit his lip before using all his willpower to somehow get up despite the pressure Kenpachi was oozing.
"Shit! Fine! But don't you dare die on me, Ichigo!"
"Look! Look! Hahaha, Ken-chan, that guy is drooling!"
Before anyone from Ichigo's group could react, a little girl appeared next to the downed Shinigami and started poking him with her finger. Ñøv€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.
Ichigo's eyes widened in shock due to an unknown person suddenly appearing next to him and immediately swinging his sword at her. However, the little girl easily dodged the attack by vanishing from her position and reappearing on Kenpachi's shoulder.
"Ken-chan, he attacked me!"
Seeing the pout on Yachiru's face, Kenpachi could only shake his head.
"Isn't that your fault for startling him?"
"Ken-chan! So mean!"
While Yachiru was pushing her hands against Kenpachi's head, causing him to tilt it to the side, Ganju decided to use the moment when Kenpachi was "distracted" by Yachiru to pick up the downed Shinigami and run away.
Seeing that Kenpachi didn't make a move to chase after the fleeing two, Ichigo raised his blade and pointed it at Kenpachi.
"You are not going to chase after them?"
"Meh, I don't care about weaklings. Besides that, you appear to be the leader of your little group, so there is no need to capture anyone else. That's too much of a hassle."
"Is that so? Then I at least don't have to worry about holding you here."
"That's right. The only thing you have to do is concentrate on this fight. It seems you have stopped shaking under my pressure. Good. Don't let go of that determination and come at me!"
Ichigo simply nodded his head as he lowered his upper body before shooting straight toward Kenpachi, confidence slowly filling his eyes. Just like that, Ichigo appeared in front of him and slashed down his sword, but to his surprise, Kenpachi didn't move at all.
'Why isn't he moving? Is it a trick? No, it doesn't matter! I'll cut him!'
As these thoughts passed through Ichigo's mind, his blade collided with Kenpachi's chest, causing blood to splatter.
Unfortunately, the blood that splattered was Ichigo's and not Kenpachi's. There was not even a scratch on Kenpachi's chest while blood started dripping down Ichigo's damaged hands.
"I see; I guess you can't do it. How disappointing."
"W-What happened? W-What kind of trick is this?"
"Trick?"
Hearing Ichigo calling what just happened a trick, Kenpachi couldn't help but scowl. He lazily pulled out his sword, and while doing so, he pushed his arm against the sharp end of Ichigo's Zanpakuto, easily pushing it away without leaving a scratch on his skin.
"There is no trick; it's just common knowledge. When two entities of Spiritual Power clash, it's only logical for the stronger one to win. In conclusion, the Spiritual Power I emit subconsciously is greater than the highly concentrated Spiritual Power of your Zanpakuto."
Ichigo's face turned white in horror after Kenpachi finished his explanation, causing Kenpachi to yet again shake his head with a scowl on his face.
"How boring. I had high hopes for you since the first intruder I met could even hurt me with her bare hands."
Kenpachi admitting that he had already fought an intruder, immediately caught Ichigo's attention as he managed to stop his hands from shaking and ask a question.
"Y-You already fought one of us? Was it Yuna?"
"That's right. It was her."
"W-Wha..."
Obviously, Ichigo was utterly confused by what had just happened. One second, he believed that there was a chance to win, and in the next, he was stabbed, resulting in a possible deadly wound.
"What a boring ending to a potentially decent fight."
Although Ichigo heard Kenpachi's words, they barely registered in his mind. However, just as he was about to faint, time seemed to hold to a stop as his Zanpakuto Spirit appeared in front of him.
Following that, Ichigo had to fight what was unknown to him, his inner Hollow, while holding an unsealed Zanpakuto in his inner world. So, after realizing that just knowing his Zanpakuto's name isn't enough to use it to its full potential, Ichigo passed the test while making it possible for him to properly fight side by side with his Zanpakuto.
Meanwhile, Kenpachi was just about to pick the downed Ichigo up when Spiritual Pressure suddenly erupted out of him, causing Kenpachi's eyebrows to rise while taking some distance from Ichigo.
'Oh? What's this all about? How interesting.'
Moments later, Ichigo stood up while his Zanpakuto, which previously had a hole in it, was fixed, and the bloody hole he had in his chest stopped bleeding.
Before Kenpachi could understand what was going on, Ichigo vanished from his position and appeared in front of Kenpachi, slashing his sword down.
Although Kenpachi was surprised by the sudden burst of speed, he managed to raise the blade in time and block the blow. However, despite blocking the blow, Ichigo was actually pushing him back, resulting in another gash appearing on his body.
The duo clashed a few more times, and Kenpachi couldn't help but be curious about what was going on. After all, he was initially just playing around with Ichigo, but now he was actually stronger than him. Well, stronger than the current him, as he still had three seals on his body while fighting with a sealed Zanapakuto.
Seeing more and more wounds appear on Kenpachi's body, Ichigo's confidence grew, especially since he could now push back Kenpachi's blade despite the difference in body size.
"Sorry, I don't have time to waste, so I'll finish this in one blow."
"One blow? Hahaha, why would you do that!? ISN'T IT JUST ABOUT TO GET FUN!!! It's so fascinating! How did you do it!? How did you suddenly get so strong!? How did you revive yourself!? Hahaha! Don't tell me! I don't care! As long as I can enjoy this some more, I don't mind at all. SUCH A NICE WARM-UP!!!"
Naturally, Ichigo couldn't help but reel back due to Kenpachi's madness-filled behavior.
"What the hell!? You are crazy! How can you love fighting so much!?"
"HAHAHA!!! You are the one that's crazy! How can you reach your level of strength and not love fighting!? ENJOY IT!!! ENJOY THE CARNAGE AND THE PAIN!!! THEY ARE THE PRICE YOU HAVE TO PAY TO ENJOY TRUE BATTLE!!!"
Just like that, the duo continued clashing endlessly, and after another five minutes passed, the clashing of blades briefly stopped. While Ichigo was breathing heavily, Kenpachi still seemed to be in his top condition despite the multiple gashes covering his body.
"Oh well, it seems like this is about to be over soon, so how about we finish this with a bang, Ichigo?"
As he said those words, Kenpachi reached for one of the two armbands he was wearing and removed it. Suddenly, his Spiritual Power spiked while the Spiritual Pressure he was emitting increased significantly, causing Ichigo to frown.
"What kind of dirty trick did you use?"
"Again, with that accusation. There are no tricks involved. That armband simply sealed my power, so I could enjoy fights against weaker opponents as well. I wonder, can you still keep up despite me removing it?"
Ichigo clicked his tongue in annoyance when he heard Kenpachi's words as he realized that Kenpachi had been holding back this whole time without even noticing that Kenpachi's sword was still in its sealed state.
"Very well, I won't fall behind."
As these words left his mouth, he had a brief conversation with his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, affirming that he trusted his Zanpakuto, resulting in Ichigo's power rising in tandem with Kenpachi's.
"Hahaha! Good! It seems like you can still keep up! Not bad! Not bad at all!"
Kenpachi's smile widened as he prepared himself for the last clash. He could easily tell that Ichigo was on the verge of collapse, so he was looking forward to his last attack.
Ichigo, unaware of Kenpachi's thoughts, shot forward while Kenpachi did the same. While Ichigo's face was filled with deep confidence, Kenpachi wore a crazed smile, and a moment later, their blades clashed, resulting in a huge explosion that obliterated the nearby building while rattling the windows of every building further away.
Seeing those two clash, Yachiru, who was seated on a nearby building, smiled lightly while nodding her head in approval.
"Not bad! It was not the same as with Yuna, but Ken-chan definitely had some fun with this."
Moments later, the dust settled, revealing Kenpachi's sword being pierced into Ichigo's stomach while Ichigo's cut into Kenpachi's shoulder. Seeing the outcome of the final clash, Ichigo growled in anger.
"Shit, I'm sorry, everyone, I lost."
Hearing Ichigo's apology, Kenpachi shook his head while removing his blade from Ichigo's stomach.
"Yeah, but it was a pretty decent fight. Not bad."
As soon as Kenpachi finished speaking, Ichigo fell to the ground while letting go of his Zanpakuto, which broke in half the moment it touched the ground.
Simultaneously, a little girl appeared next to Kenpachi and started talking to him with sparkling eyes.
"How was it, Ken-chan? Did you like this fight."
"Yeah, it was not bad."
As he said that, he removed the bracelet on his other hand, allowing more Spiritual Power to flood his body, resulting in the severity of his wounds reducing.
He briefly wondered whether he should remove his eyepatch as well but decided against it in the end. He had quite a bit of fun in this fight, even if he was heavily restricted through various means, but he still didn't want the marks of this fight to disappear too quickly.
"Oh well, guess I'll bring this guy to the 4th Division for now. He doesn't look like he will make it much longer without any medical aid."
"Excuse me, but could you hand him over to me?"
Suddenly hearing a deep male voice speaking to them, Kenpachi and Yachiru turned to the source of the voice, and while Kenpachi only raised his eyebrow in curiosity, Yachiru had a somewhat different reaction.
"IT'S A KITTY!!!"
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Chapter 40: Ichigo vs Kenpachi
A few days later, the wounds Ichigo had received during his battle with Renji had healed, and he was currently haphazardly running through the streets with Ganju and a meek-looking Shinigami by his side.
By now, he knew where Rukia was being held prisoner, and he was currently running toward that place.
However, as he was running, he suddenly felt like someone had just pierced a sword through his neck, immediately making him stop with cold sweat flowing down his back, while his two companions simply fell on their knees due to the pressure.
"W-What is this sensation."
"Oh? You can endure my Spiritual Pressure without falling down? You might do for a decent warm-up after."
Hearing someone speak, Ichigo looked at the source of the voice and saw a huge man with spiky hair and an eyepatch leisurely standing not too far away from him.
Ichigo started sweating even more when he realized who this huge man was. After all, Ikkaku had specifically warned Ichigo about him: Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of the 11th Division.
Seeing Ichigo's whole body shake in fear, Kenpachi couldn't help but frown deeply while shaking his head.
"Or maybe you won't. Oh well, I guess I'll capture you or whatever and get this over with."
As soon as Kenpachi stopped speaking, Ichigo got some of his bearings back as he realized the situation he was in.
'No! I can't get captured! I still have to save Rukia.'
"You two, get out of here! I'll deal with this guy!"
Ganju looked at Ichigo in disbelief, but after briefly glancing at the now-fainted Shinigami they brought with them, he realized the situation.
'Shit, we would just get in the way! However, there is no way Ichigo could win against this monster either. SHIT!'
After thinking the situation through, Ganju bit his lip before using all his willpower to somehow get up despite the pressure Kenpachi was oozing.
"Shit! Fine! But don't you dare die on me, Ichigo!"
"Look! Look! Hahaha, Ken-chan, that guy is drooling!"
Before anyone from Ichigo's group could react, a little girl appeared next to the downed Shinigami and started poking him with her finger. Ñøv€l-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.
Ichigo's eyes widened in shock due to an unknown person suddenly appearing next to him and immediately swinging his sword at her. However, the little girl easily dodged the attack by vanishing from her position and reappearing on Kenpachi's shoulder.
"Ken-chan, he attacked me!"
Seeing the pout on Yachiru's face, Kenpachi could only shake his head.
"Isn't that your fault for startling him?"
"Ken-chan! So mean!"
While Yachiru was pushing her hands against Kenpachi's head, causing him to tilt it to the side, Ganju decided to use the moment when Kenpachi was "distracted" by Yachiru to pick up the downed Shinigami and run away.
Seeing that Kenpachi didn't make a move to chase after the fleeing two, Ichigo raised his blade and pointed it at Kenpachi.
"You are not going to chase after them?"
"Meh, I don't care about weaklings. Besides that, you appear to be the leader of your little group, so there is no need to capture anyone else. That's too much of a hassle."
"Is that so? Then I at least don't have to worry about holding you here."
"That's right. The only thing you have to do is concentrate on this fight. It seems you have stopped shaking under my pressure. Good. Don't let go of that determination and come at me!"
Ichigo simply nodded his head as he lowered his upper body before shooting straight toward Kenpachi, confidence slowly filling his eyes. Just like that, Ichigo appeared in front of him and slashed down his sword, but to his surprise, Kenpachi didn't move at all.
'Why isn't he moving? Is it a trick? No, it doesn't matter! I'll cut him!'
As these thoughts passed through Ichigo's mind, his blade collided with Kenpachi's chest, causing blood to splatter.
Unfortunately, the blood that splattered was Ichigo's and not Kenpachi's. There was not even a scratch on Kenpachi's chest while blood started dripping down Ichigo's damaged hands.
"I see; I guess you can't do it. How disappointing."
"W-What happened? W-What kind of trick is this?"
"Trick?"
Hearing Ichigo calling what just happened a trick, Kenpachi couldn't help but scowl. He lazily pulled out his sword, and while doing so, he pushed his arm against the sharp end of Ichigo's Zanpakuto, easily pushing it away without leaving a scratch on his skin.
"There is no trick; it's just common knowledge. When two entities of Spiritual Power clash, it's only logical for the stronger one to win. In conclusion, the Spiritual Power I emit subconsciously is greater than the highly concentrated Spiritual Power of your Zanpakuto."
Ichigo's face turned white in horror after Kenpachi finished his explanation, causing Kenpachi to yet again shake his head with a scowl on his face.
"How boring. I had high hopes for you since the first intruder I met could even hurt me with her bare hands."
Kenpachi admitting that he had already fought an intruder, immediately caught Ichigo's attention as he managed to stop his hands from shaking and ask a question.
"Y-You already fought one of us? Was it Yuna?"
"That's right. It was her."
"W-Wha..."
Obviously, Ichigo was utterly confused by what had just happened. One second, he believed that there was a chance to win, and in the next, he was stabbed, resulting in a possible deadly wound.
"What a boring ending to a potentially decent fight."
Although Ichigo heard Kenpachi's words, they barely registered in his mind. However, just as he was about to faint, time seemed to hold to a stop as his Zanpakuto Spirit appeared in front of him.
Following that, Ichigo had to fight what was unknown to him, his inner Hollow, while holding an unsealed Zanpakuto in his inner world. So, after realizing that just knowing his Zanpakuto's name isn't enough to use it to its full potential, Ichigo passed the test while making it possible for him to properly fight side by side with his Zanpakuto.
Meanwhile, Kenpachi was just about to pick the downed Ichigo up when Spiritual Pressure suddenly erupted out of him, causing Kenpachi's eyebrows to rise while taking some distance from Ichigo.
'Oh? What's this all about? How interesting.'
Moments later, Ichigo stood up while his Zanpakuto, which previously had a hole in it, was fixed, and the bloody hole he had in his chest stopped bleeding.
Before Kenpachi could understand what was going on, Ichigo vanished from his position and appeared in front of Kenpachi, slashing his sword down.
Although Kenpachi was surprised by the sudden burst of speed, he managed to raise the blade in time and block the blow. However, despite blocking the blow, Ichigo was actually pushing him back, resulting in another gash appearing on his body.
The duo clashed a few more times, and Kenpachi couldn't help but be curious about what was going on. After all, he was initially just playing around with Ichigo, but now he was actually stronger than him. Well, stronger than the current him, as he still had three seals on his body while fighting with a sealed Zanapakuto.
Seeing more and more wounds appear on Kenpachi's body, Ichigo's confidence grew, especially since he could now push back Kenpachi's blade despite the difference in body size.
"Sorry, I don't have time to waste, so I'll finish this in one blow."
"One blow? Hahaha, why would you do that!? ISN'T IT JUST ABOUT TO GET FUN!!! It's so fascinating! How did you do it!? How did you suddenly get so strong!? How did you revive yourself!? Hahaha! Don't tell me! I don't care! As long as I can enjoy this some more, I don't mind at all. SUCH A NICE WARM-UP!!!"
Naturally, Ichigo couldn't help but reel back due to Kenpachi's madness-filled behavior.
"What the hell!? You are crazy! How can you love fighting so much!?"
"HAHAHA!!! You are the one that's crazy! How can you reach your level of strength and not love fighting!? ENJOY IT!!! ENJOY THE CARNAGE AND THE PAIN!!! THEY ARE THE PRICE YOU HAVE TO PAY TO ENJOY TRUE BATTLE!!!"
Just like that, the duo continued clashing endlessly, and after another five minutes passed, the clashing of blades briefly stopped. While Ichigo was breathing heavily, Kenpachi still seemed to be in his top condition despite the multiple gashes covering his body.
"Oh well, it seems like this is about to be over soon, so how about we finish this with a bang, Ichigo?"
As he said those words, Kenpachi reached for one of the two armbands he was wearing and removed it. Suddenly, his Spiritual Power spiked while the Spiritual Pressure he was emitting increased significantly, causing Ichigo to frown.
"What kind of dirty trick did you use?"
"Again, with that accusation. There are no tricks involved. That armband simply sealed my power, so I could enjoy fights against weaker opponents as well. I wonder, can you still keep up despite me removing it?"
Ichigo clicked his tongue in annoyance when he heard Kenpachi's words as he realized that Kenpachi had been holding back this whole time without even noticing that Kenpachi's sword was still in its sealed state.
"Very well, I won't fall behind."
As these words left his mouth, he had a brief conversation with his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, affirming that he trusted his Zanpakuto, resulting in Ichigo's power rising in tandem with Kenpachi's.
"Hahaha! Good! It seems like you can still keep up! Not bad! Not bad at all!"
Kenpachi's smile widened as he prepared himself for the last clash. He could easily tell that Ichigo was on the verge of collapse, so he was looking forward to his last attack.
Ichigo, unaware of Kenpachi's thoughts, shot forward while Kenpachi did the same. While Ichigo's face was filled with deep confidence, Kenpachi wore a crazed smile, and a moment later, their blades clashed, resulting in a huge explosion that obliterated the nearby building while rattling the windows of every building further away.
Seeing those two clash, Yachiru, who was seated on a nearby building, smiled lightly while nodding her head in approval.
"Not bad! It was not the same as with Yuna, but Ken-chan definitely had some fun with this."
Moments later, the dust settled, revealing Kenpachi's sword being pierced into Ichigo's stomach while Ichigo's cut into Kenpachi's shoulder. Seeing the outcome of the final clash, Ichigo growled in anger.
"Shit, I'm sorry, everyone, I lost."
Hearing Ichigo's apology, Kenpachi shook his head while removing his blade from Ichigo's stomach.
"Yeah, but it was a pretty decent fight. Not bad."
As soon as Kenpachi finished speaking, Ichigo fell to the ground while letting go of his Zanpakuto, which broke in half the moment it touched the ground.
Simultaneously, a little girl appeared next to Kenpachi and started talking to him with sparkling eyes.
"How was it, Ken-chan? Did you like this fight."
"Yeah, it was not bad."
As he said that, he removed the bracelet on his other hand, allowing more Spiritual Power to flood his body, resulting in the severity of his wounds reducing.
He briefly wondered whether he should remove his eyepatch as well but decided against it in the end. He had quite a bit of fun in this fight, even if he was heavily restricted through various means, but he still didn't want the marks of this fight to disappear too quickly.
"Oh well, guess I'll bring this guy to the 4th Division for now. He doesn't look like he will make it much longer without any medical aid."
"Excuse me, but could you hand him over to me?"
Suddenly hearing a deep male voice speaking to them, Kenpachi and Yachiru turned to the source of the voice, and while Kenpachi only raised his eyebrow in curiosity, Yachiru had a somewhat different reaction.
"IT'S A KITTY!!!"
Chapter 40: Ichigo vs KenpachiA few days later, the wounds Ichigo had received during his battle with Renji had healed, and he was currently haphazardly running through the streets with Ganju and a meek-looking Shinigami by his side. By now, he knew where Rukia was being held prisoner, and he was currently running toward that place. However, as he was running, he suddenly felt like someone had just pierced a sword through his neck, immediately making him stop with cold sweat flowing down his back, while his two companions simply fell on their knees due to the pressure. "W-What is this sensation." "Oh? You can endure my Spiritual Pressure without falling down? You might do for a decent warm-up after." Hearing someone speak, Ichigo looked at the source of the voice and saw a huge man with spiky hair and an eyepatch leisurely standing not too far away from him. Ichigo started sweating even more when he realized who this huge man was. After all, Ikkaku had specifically warned Ichigo about him: Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of the 11th Division. Seeing Ichigo's whole body shake in fear, Kenpachi couldn't help but frown deeply while shaking his head. "Or maybe you won't. Oh well, I guess I'll capture you or whatever and get this over with." As soon as Kenpachi stopped speaking, Ichigo got some of his bearings back as he realized the situation he was in. 'No! I can't get captured! I still have to save Rukia.' "You two, get out of here! I'll deal with this guy!" Ganju looked at Ichigo in disbelief, but after briefly glancing at the now-fainted Shinigami they brought with them, he realized the situation. 'Shit, we would just get in the way! However, there is no way Ichigo could win against this monster either. SHIT!' After thinking the situation through, Ganju bit his lip before using all his willpower to somehow get up despite the pressure Kenpachi was oozing. "Shit! Fine! But don't you dare die on me, Ichigo!" "Look! Look! Hahaha, Ken-chan, that guy is drooling!" Before anyone from Ichigo's group could react, a little girl appeared next to the downed Shinigami and started poking him with her finger. Nvl-B1n was the first platform to present this chapter.Ichigo's eyes widened in shock due to an unknown person suddenly appearing next to him and immediately swinging his sword at her. However, the little girl easily dodged the attack by vanishing from her position and reappearing on Kenpachi's shoulder. "Ken-chan, he attacked me!" Seeing the pout on Yachiru's face, Kenpachi could only shake his head. "Isn't that your fault for startling him?" "Ken-chan! So mean!" While Yachiru was pushing her hands against Kenpachi's head, causing him to tilt it to the side, Ganju decided to use the moment when Kenpachi was "distracted" by Yachiru to pick up the downed Shinigami and run away. Seeing that Kenpachi didn't make a move to chase after the fleeing two, Ichigo raised his blade and pointed it at Kenpachi. "You are not going to chase after them?" "Meh, I don't care about weaklings. Besides that, you appear to be the leader of your little group, so there is no need to capture anyone else. That's too much of a hassle." "Is that so? Then I at least don't have to worry about holding you here." "That's right. The only thing you have to do is concentrate on this fight. It seems you have stopped shaking under my pressure. Good. Don't let go of that determination and come at me!" Ichigo simply nodded his head as he lowered his upper body before shooting straight toward Kenpachi, confidence slowly filling his eyes. Just like that, Ichigo appeared in front of him and slashed down his sword, but to his surprise, Kenpachi didn't move at all. 'Why isn't he moving? Is it a trick? No, it doesn't matter! I'll cut him!' As these thoughts passed through Ichigo's mind, his blade collided with Kenpachi's chest, causing blood to splatter. Unfortunately, the blood that splattered was Ichigo's and not Kenpachi's. There was not even a scratch on Kenpachi's chest while blood started dripping down Ichigo's damaged hands. "I see; I guess you can't do it. How disappointing." "W-What happened? W-What kind of trick is this?" "Trick?" Hearing Ichigo calling what just happened a trick, Kenpachi couldn't help but scowl. He lazily pulled out his sword, and while doing so, he pushed his arm against the sharp end of Ichigo's Zanpakuto, easily pushing it away without leaving a scratch on his skin. "There is no trick; it's just common knowledge. When two entities of Spiritual Power clash, it's only logical for the stronger one to win. In conclusion, the Spiritual Power I emit subconsciously is greater than the highly concentrated Spiritual Power of your Zanpakuto." Ichigo's face turned white in horror after Kenpachi finished his explanation, causing Kenpachi to yet again shake his head with a scowl on his face. "How boring. I had high hopes for you since the first intruder I met could even hurt me with her bare hands." Kenpachi admitting that he had already fought an intruder, immediately caught Ichigo's attention as he managed to stop his hands from shaking and ask a question. "Y-You already fought one of us? Was it Yuna?" "That's right. It was her." "W-Wha..." Obviously, Ichigo was utterly confused by what had just happened. One second, he believed that there was a chance to win, and in the next, he was stabbed, resulting in a possible deadly wound. "What a boring ending to a potentially decent fight." Although Ichigo heard Kenpachi's words, they barely registered in his mind. However, just as he was about to faint, time seemed to hold to a stop as his Zanpakuto Spirit appeared in front of him. Following that, Ichigo had to fight what was unknown to him, his inner Hollow, while holding an unsealed Zanpakuto in his inner world. So, after realizing that just knowing his Zanpakuto's name isn't enough to use it to its full potential, Ichigo passed the test while making it possible for him to properly fight side by side with his Zanpakuto. Meanwhile, Kenpachi was just about to pick the downed Ichigo up when Spiritual Pressure suddenly erupted out of him, causing Kenpachi's eyebrows to rise while taking some distance from Ichigo. 'Oh? What's this all about? How interesting.' Moments later, Ichigo stood up while his Zanpakuto, which previously had a hole in it, was fixed, and the bloody hole he had in his chest stopped bleeding. Before Kenpachi could understand what was going on, Ichigo vanished from his position and appeared in front of Kenpachi, slashing his sword down. Although Kenpachi was surprised by the sudden burst of speed, he managed to raise the blade in time and block the blow. However, despite blocking the blow, Ichigo was actually pushing him back, resulting in another gash appearing on his body. The duo clashed a few more times, and Kenpachi couldn't help but be curious about what was going on. After all, he was initially just playing around with Ichigo, but now he was actually stronger than him. Well, stronger than the current him, as he still had three seals on his body while fighting with a sealed Zanapakuto. Seeing more and more wounds appear on Kenpachi's body, Ichigo's confidence grew, especially since he could now push back Kenpachi's blade despite the difference in body size. "Sorry, I don't have time to waste, so I'll finish this in one blow." "One blow? Hahaha, why would you do that!? ISN'T IT JUST ABOUT TO GET FUN!!! It's so fascinating! How did you do it!? How did you suddenly get so strong!? How did you revive yourself!? Hahaha! Don't tell me! I don't care! As long as I can enjoy this some more, I don't mind at all. SUCH A NICE WARM-UP!!!" Naturally, Ichigo couldn't help but reel back due to Kenpachi's madness-filled behavior. "What the hell!? You are crazy! How can you love fighting so much!?" "HAHAHA!!! You are the one that's crazy! How can you reach your level of strength and not love fighting!? ENJOY IT!!! ENJOY THE CARNAGE AND THE PAIN!!! THEY ARE THE PRICE YOU HAVE TO PAY TO ENJOY TRUE BATTLE!!!" Just like that, the duo continued clashing endlessly, and after another five minutes passed, the clashing of blades briefly stopped. While Ichigo was breathing heavily, Kenpachi still seemed to be in his top condition despite the multiple gashes covering his body. "Oh well, it seems like this is about to be over soon, so how about we finish this with a bang, Ichigo?" As he said those words, Kenpachi reached for one of the two armbands he was wearing and removed it. Suddenly, his Spiritual Power spiked while the Spiritual Pressure he was emitting increased significantly, causing Ichigo to frown. "What kind of dirty trick did you use?" "Again, with that accusation. There are no tricks involved. That armband simply sealed my power, so I could enjoy fights against weaker opponents as well. I wonder, can you still keep up despite me removing it?" Ichigo clicked his tongue in annoyance when he heard Kenpachi's words as he realized that Kenpachi had been holding back this whole time without even noticing that Kenpachi's sword was still in its sealed state. "Very well, I won't fall behind." As these words left his mouth, he had a brief conversation with his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, affirming that he trusted his Zanpakuto, resulting in Ichigo's power rising in tandem with Kenpachi's. "Hahaha! Good! It seems like you can still keep up! Not bad! Not bad at all!" Kenpachi's smile widened as he prepared himself for the last clash. He could easily tell that Ichigo was on the verge of collapse, so he was looking forward to his last attack. Ichigo, unaware of Kenpachi's thoughts, shot forward while Kenpachi did the same. While Ichigo's face was filled with deep confidence, Kenpachi wore a crazed smile, and a moment later, their blades clashed, resulting in a huge explosion that obliterated the nearby building while rattling the windows of every building further away. Seeing those two clash, Yachiru, who was seated on a nearby building, smiled lightly while nodding her head in approval. "Not bad! It was not the same as with Yuna, but Ken-chan definitely had some fun with this." Moments later, the dust settled, revealing Kenpachi's sword being pierced into Ichigo's stomach while Ichigo's cut into Kenpachi's shoulder. Seeing the outcome of the final clash, Ichigo growled in anger. "Shit, I'm sorry, everyone, I lost." Hearing Ichigo's apology, Kenpachi shook his head while removing his blade from Ichigo's stomach. "Yeah, but it was a pretty decent fight. Not bad." As soon as Kenpachi finished speaking, Ichigo fell to the ground while letting go of his Zanpakuto, which broke in half the moment it touched the ground. Simultaneously, a little girl appeared next to Kenpachi and started talking to him with sparkling eyes. "How was it, Ken-chan? Did you like this fight." "Yeah, it was not bad." As he said that, he removed the bracelet on his other hand, allowing more Spiritual Power to flood his body, resulting in the severity of his wounds reducing. He briefly wondered whether he should remove his eyepatch as well but decided against it in the end. He had quite a bit of fun in this fight, even if he was heavily restricted through various means, but he still didn't want the marks of this fight to disappear too quickly. "Oh well, guess I'll bring this guy to the 4th Division for now. He doesn't look like he will make it much longer without any medical aid." "Excuse me, but could you hand him over to me?" Suddenly hearing a deep male voice speaking to them, Kenpachi and Yachiru turned to the source of the voice, and while Kenpachi only raised his eyebrow in curiosity, Yachiru had a somewhat different reaction. "IT'S A KITTY!!!"
