BLEACH: SURVIVAL SYSTEM

Even Jūshirō Ukitake, who had collapsed to the ground, could not comprehend what had just happened.

As a captain of the Gotei 13 and one of Yamamoto's most trusted protégés, he should not have been struck down so easily.

"I… why didn't I… notice anything at all…?"

Jūshirō thought hazily, but no answer came to him.

Unbeknownst to him, the attack that felled him was a devastatingly precise thunderstrike, a technique that combined multiple layers of deception and overwhelming speed.

First, Akira had exploited Ukitake's character—knowing that he rarely took the initiative in battle, especially against women or those he perceived as significantly weaker. Given that Akira was only a century old—much younger than Ukitake—this subtle psychological advantage led to a momentary lapse in Ukitake's defenses at the start of their fight.

What followed was an intricate sequence of perfectly executed techniques.

— A fully activated Three-Tomoe Sharingan inducing deep hypnosis,

— The ultra-high-speed movement generated by an electric field,

— The deceptive illusion of the Hikari Mirror, creating false images to mislead the enemy.

All these elements worked in harmony to ensure that, under such conditions, Akira could deliver a single, decisive blow—leaving Ukitake unable to react.

Electric Field Teleportation was one of Akira's most dangerous abilities, a technique he had deliberately concealed in his battle against Yamamoto. He had been saving it for this exact moment, ensuring that when he finally revealed it, his opponent would have no time to counter.

"No Tread!"

From a distance, Ichimaru Gin moved swiftly, wielding Kamishini no Yari. The blade extended and contracted at incredible speed, stabbing toward Akira the moment he appeared.

His performance was flawless—any observer would have thought he was truly aiming to kill Akira.

But—

"Shh!"

The lightning-fast strike met only empty air.

In a flash of blue electricity, Akira had already teleported back to the tower where he had been standing moments before.

"As expected… he's faster than Kamishini no Yari."

Even though he acknowledged Akira as his master, Ichimaru Gin couldn't help but break into a cold sweat. The attack had only confirmed his earlier suspicions from their first encounter as enemies:

Akira's speed exceeded even Kamishini no Yari!

Considering that Kamishini no Yari could move at five hundred times the speed of sound, just how fast was Akira?!

"That speed… it's beyond Shunpo. It's no exaggeration to call it teleportation!"

Kyoraku Shunsui, having observed everything, reached the same conclusion. He immediately shouted a warning to his allies.

Yet, even after understanding Akira's abilities, frustration weighed on him.

"What's the point of knowing, if we can't react fast enough to stop him?!"

"No—I need to find a way to restrict his movement!"

Taking a deep breath, Kyoraku Shunsui gripped his blade and launched his attack.

"Not alone!"

Two spiraling wind blades expanded outward, aiming to seal off Akira's escape routes.

At the same time, Komamura Sajin roared, summoning Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō to attack from the opposite side—an attempt to trap Akira in a pincer strike.

But Akira only chuckled.

"Trying to use wind against me? Have you truly never faced death before?"

"Roar of the Fire Dragon!"

With a burst of lightning, he vanished and reappeared to the side. Flames erupted from his mouth—a scorching inferno aimed directly at Komamura Sajin!

The firestorm tore through the wind-based attack, growing even stronger as it fed off the swirling currents. It struck Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō with devastating force.

"Boom!"

Komamura groaned in pain as he was sent hurtling backward, his massive armored Bankai suffering a deep crack across its chest.

Kyoraku Shunsui's expression darkened. He realized his earlier miscalculation had only strengthened Akira's attack.

But then, a troubling thought surfaced in his mind.

"Why did he choose to strike Komamura instead of retaliating against me directly?"

Kyoraku Shunsui, ever perceptive, immediately sensed that something was amiss. However, before he could react, he saw a sudden flash—Akira had transformed into a thunderbolt, streaking toward the Tengen!

Akira never wasted an opportunity to strike down his enemies.

"Iron Fist of the Fire Dragon!"

Seizing the moment while Tengen was still recoiling from an earlier attack, Akira delivered a devastating punch, staggering his opponent once more.

"You bastard!"

Komamura Sajin roared as he swung his massive sword, but Tengen countered with his own colossal blade—only for their strikes to cleave through a nearby tower instead.

However, Komamura, lacking the necessary speed, struggled to keep up with Akira.

"Wing Strike of the Fire Dragon!"

Akira flickered through the air like a bolt of lightning, landing another brutal hit.

With a resounding boom!, Tengen lost his balance and crashed into the ground, causing massive destruction in his wake.

"No breath!"

At that moment, Ichimaru Gin launched Kamishini no Yari at the perfect angle—but Akira, using his blinding speed, teleported out of its path. Gin merely shrugged and turned to Kyoraku.

"It seems his speed is the worst matchup for my Bankai. Shouldn't you be helping Captain Komamura? If this keeps up, he'll just get pummeled."

"I don't need you to remind me," Kyoraku replied, spitting to the side. He had no intention of letting Komamura suffer alone.

Using Shunpo, Kyoraku ascended higher and higher, positioning himself above the Tengen.

"Ha!"

Realizing that time was of the essence, Kyoraku unleashed a powerful strike with Katen Kyōkotsu, aiming directly at Akira. Under his Zanpakutō's ability, the higher he stood, the stronger his attack became.

With a swift slash, Kyoraku's blade struck Akira's back—only for his eyes to widen in shock.

"No contact?! An illusion—like Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu?"

He had guessed correctly. Akira had already moved to an even higher position, using an ability akin to mirror duplication.

"Ching!"

Kyoraku barely managed to block the next attack, but a sharp pain shot through his arm—his palm was bleeding profusely from the impact.

"Damn it! His strikes are being amplified by Shinki...!"

At that moment, Komamura slashed again. Akira, having just slashed Kyoraku, dodged by flipping midair and then launched a devastating counterattack.

"Claws of the Fire Dragon!"

Boom!

The Tengen was sent reeling from the powerful kick, unable to defend himself as Akira followed up with a relentless barrage of strikes.

For a moment, the battlefield was engulfed in the explosive light of Dragon Slayer Magic, each impact rocking the surroundings.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Before long, the once-imposing armor of the Tengen was shattered and tattered beyond recognition—his form now battered and broken.

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