Bleach: The Strongest Shinigami

The moment Kōga finished speaking, an immense Reiatsu erupted from him, with dazzling pillars of light radiating outward. The Reiatsu transformed into waves, instantly blanketing the entire forest.

Even though Shunsui and Jūshirō were prepared, they couldn't escape the speed at which the Reiatsu enveloped them.

In the next moment, the Zanpakutō in both their hands began to tremble and, without any command from them, started emanating intense Reiatsu light.

Before they could react, all three blades simultaneously swung toward their respective masters' necks, their sharp edges cutting through the air.

{T/N: Shunsui uses dual blades in its normal form, while Jūshirō only has dual blades in Shikai.}

"What a bizarre ability..." Jūshirō furrowed his brows, his hands gripping Sōgyo no Kotowari tightly as he tried to suppress his rebelling Zanpakutō.

But this action only made it resist more violently.

Before departing, Genryūsai had explained Kōga and his Zanpakutō Muramasa's abilities in detail, teaching them the key points of mind closure techniques. With Jūshirō's talent, he had grasped it quickly.

However, this technique couldn't completely protect against Muramasa's influence. It was only effective against mental attacks when the sword wasn't drawn.

With drawn swords, the mind closure technique barely mattered. At most, it could only protect against the opponent's mental domain attacks.

Simply put, it was useless.

For normal Shinigami, seventy to eighty percent of their power came from their Zanpakutō. Fighting without them was like street fighting with both hands tied.

They couldn't exactly use headbutts, could they?

So Shunsui didn't take Genryūsai's warnings too seriously - since they couldn't prevent it anyway, they might as well fight Kōga head-on.

Perhaps they could defeat him swiftly and prevent a catastrophe from engulfing the entire Soul Society.

Reality, however, proved that Shunsui wasn't as wise as Genryūsai. Kōga was far more formidable than expected — his Reiatsu alone surpassed that of most Captains. Within the current Gotei 13, only a select few could stand as his equals.

No wonder he faced them both with such confidence, showing no desire to avoid combat. In his mind, perhaps only old man Yama was truly worthy of fear.

Realizing this, Shunsui tightened his grip on his sword handle, his wild Reiatsu surging in waves as he fought to control his rebellious Zanpakutō.

Kōga stared in puzzlement at Jūshirō, who showed no signs of fatigue.

The Captain of the 13th Division was known for his chronic illness — so much so that his Lieutenant and Seated Officers handled most division affairs and missions. He rarely attended Captains' Councils.

His condition had been a topic of discussion within the 6th Division numerous times. Though they reached no definitive conclusions, one thing was certain: Jūshirō shouldn't have been capable of such impressive displays of power.

⤫ Hadō #63: Raikōhō ⥤ Thunder Roar Sear! ⤬

In that moment of distraction, Jūshirō thrust out his left hand, index finger extended. Electrical arcs crackled wildly at his fingertip before transforming into a magnificent torrent of thunder. Twisted bolts of lightning seared the air as an unmatched pillar of light erupted!

Kōga's pupils constricted — he never expected this opponent to launch the first counterattack. Even without an incantation, the Hadō's power was devastating.

Just as Shunsui had noted, freed from the constraints of illness, Jūshirō was truly fearsome!

As searing heat rushed toward him, Kōga instinctively raised Muramasa horizontally to shield himself from the thunderous impact. With no time to dodge, the electrical arcs exploded against him.

The blast sent him flying backward, tumbling through the air before crashing down to form a massive crater!

Kōga struggled to his feet, his once-handsome appearance now completely blackened, as if he'd just emerged from a coal mine.

"He seems even stronger than before." Shunsui muttered, observing the disheveled man.

In truth, Jūshirō's sudden display of power had startled him as well.

Most of his own Reiatsu was occupied with suppressing Katen Kyōkotsu's rebellion, leaving him unable to focus on attacking Kōga. None could have predicted that their supposedly weakest opponent would prove the most dangerous.

Indigo Reiatsu flooded through the forest, rippling outward in waves. Raising his zanpakutō high, Kōga snarled with venomous hatred.

⤫ Bankai: Mukōjōchū Muramasa ⥤ Final Release: Nil-Stinger Streaked-Death Penalty Village-Just! ⤬

The earth shook and mountains trembled at his release.

Watching this display of power, Shunsui clicked his tongue, "His Reiatsu now rivals our own."

Viscous indigo curtains descended, corroding the Zanpakutō in both their hands.

Beside Kōga materialized a terrifying figure — Muramasa, his Zanpakutō Spirit, wearing a white coat and bearing impossibly long fingernails.

Muramasa immediately lunged at the two, his claw-like hands extended like a predator.

Yet when he struck, both Shunsui and Jūshirō's bodies emanated a faint green light, and his form passed harmlessly through them.

The attack had failed.

Kōga's eyes narrowed as he recognized their defense — the mind closure technique, specifically developed to counter Muramasa.

So this is the trust Ginrei spoke of?! How... ridiculous!

Rage consumed his rationality, anger burning through his heart until no reason remained.

Muramasa, connected to his master's heart, sensed this change and glanced back worriedly, only to meet Kōga's hatred-filled green eyes.

In a voice like a demon's, Kōga commanded, "Kill them!"

Muramasa whirled back toward the two protected minds, his claws slashing repeatedly as he tried to tear out their hearts.

Kōga joined the assault, gripping his sword and slashing forward. The pressure wave carved a deep fissure in the ground as it rushed toward Jūshirō.

⤫ Bakudō #39: Enkōsen ⥤ Round Lock Fan! ⤬

Jūshirō's response was swift, his left hand thrust forward.

While maintaining his mental barriers, he cast the defensive Bakudō. The sword pressure crashed against it with a metallic clang.

Kōga's face contorted into a savage grimace, his expression hideously distorted. Raising his blade high, he gathered condensed Reiatsu upon it and began slashing with wild abandon.

The violence crescendoed. His blade's light carved countless intersecting fissures across the ground, while tree trunks and branches split cleanly into halves, quarters, and fragments.

Amid the chaos, Jūshirō spotted cracks spreading across his Enkōsen defense, sword marks etching deep into its surface. Before he could warn Shunsui, the circular shield shattered, scattering shards of light.

In that critical moment, Shunsui lunged forward with his dual blades, swinging them in a decisive arc.

⤫ Hadō #78: Zangerin ⥤ Cutting Flower Ring! ⤬

Light wheels burst from his blade edges, their vacuum slashes carving through everything in their path.

From the point of his blades, all matter — dust, trees, blood, and Reiatsu — split cleanly in two. The pristine cut surfaces gleamed like mirrors, reflecting the three combatants' expressions.

Boom!

The blast sent Kōga reeling backward, his feet plowing deep furrows in the earth. He staggered several steps before finding his stance, glaring at his opponents with naked frustration.

There was a time when, after gaining Muramasa's power, he'd believed himself invincible — certain that nothing could stop him from achieving his ideals.

But reality proved merciless. Both Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake possessed abilities far beyond his own. If their Zanpakutō weren't rebelling against them, they might have already captured or executed him.

"Muramasa!" Kōga's roaring howl set both men on edge.

Despite the battle's intensity, they fought to maintain their mental barriers. If Muramasa breached their defenses now, disaster would follow.

Master and blade moved in perfect harmony — that single call was all Muramasa needed to grasp Kōga's strategy.

Following his master's will, he launched another assault.

His form shimmered like a ghost as he passed through Shunsui and Jūshirō's bodies, attempting to bewitch their minds and crack their iron-clad mental barriers.

But both men had resolute spirits — Muramasa's power alone couldn't affect them. Sensing their opponent's increased pressure, they exchanged glances and nodded in unison.

In the next moment, both men burst into action. Completely ignoring Muramasa's constant erosion of their minds, they rushed to attack Kōga.

Three blades of varying lengths struck at him simultaneously, making the air cry out under the strain.

Clang—

Metal clashed, sparks flying.

Kōga raised his sword to block, his face contorting in agony as the overwhelming force transmitted through his blade and into his internal organs.

After holding out for less than a second, the indigo figure was sent flying backward, crashing hard into a thick tree and embedding himself in it.

The massive tree trunk — which would have taken several people to embrace — snapped with a thunderous crash, falling onto the ravaged ground!

Kōga struggled to his feet, coughing up a mouthful of blood.

But to the two men's surprise, the ferocity had vanished from his face, replaced by a triumphant smile.

"Have I lost? No! You're the ones who've lost!"

Shunsui wasn't distracted by these words — he wanted to press his advantage, planning to deliver another heavy blow.

If there were a ranking of Captains with the least fighting spirit, he would definitely be near the top. Any method that could achieve victory was fair game in battle.

Fighting two against one didn't trouble him — even if both of them ambushed together, Shunsui wouldn't find it the least bit excessive.

But just as he was about to use Shunpo, his limbs locked in place, unable to move. Black shadows had crept up his body, making him like a puppet on strings, able to move only at another's whim.

Not just him — even Jūshirō beside him was completely restrained.

"When did he..." Jūshirō's expression was stunned; he couldn't understand.

How could two people with their battle experience fail to notice Kōga's stealth attack?

Kōga had no obligation to explain, and while controlling the shadows, he unleashed a powerful Kidō.

⤫ Hadō: Kongōbaku ⥤ Adamantine Blast! ⤬

They watched as he swung his blade — fierce flames erupted and flew forth, filling the surrounding air with terrifying heat. The massive golden-red fireball rushed toward one of the two men ahead—

Specifically, Jūshirō!

"Watch out!"

Shunsui instinctively looked toward his brother beside him, his powerful Reiatsu bursting forth unrestrained, his mental barriers dropping as a massive column of Reiatsu shot skyward.

⤫ Bakudō #81: Dankū ⥤ Splitting Void! ⤬

The transparent barrier wall descended precisely in front of Jūshirō, blocking the impact.

But at that moment, Muramasa, who had been waiting for an opportunity, saw his chance. His eyes lit up as his form flickered forward, his right hand instantly piercing through Shunsui's chest.

Muramasa's power exploded within his mind.

Jūshirō seized the opportunity to counterattack, attempting to force Muramasa back and save Shunsui.

But it was too late. As his dual blades trembled, Reiatsu light erupted, and black shadows extended from beneath Shunsui's feet, taking the form of two figures — one large and one small.

The larger figure was an adult woman with skull patterns adorning her hair and clothes, curly purple hair, and a dignified face tinged with gloom. The smaller was a short-haired young girl in ninja attire, her cold demeanor emphasized by her bright green right eye staring fixedly at the resigned Shunsui.

The sight caused a momentary imbalance in Jūshirō's mental state, creating a weakness in his mental barrier technique.

Muramasa, waiting nearby, attacked again, instantly succeeding in awakening the latent rebellion in his Zanpakutō.

Looking at the two unfamiliar children wearing hunting clothes and tall hats that appeared once again on the battlefield, Shunsui adjusted his straw hat and sighed helplessly.

"Now we're in trouble..."

⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬

1st Division, Tea Room.

Akira stared at the bubbling tea kettle with mounting anxiety. He couldn't fathom why Old Man Genryūsai had summoned him so suddenly.

Could his dealings with Aizen in Hueco Mundo have been exposed? Or had the old man sensed his rebellious nature and decided to strike first — sacrificing family ties for justice and cleaning house?

Hiss — either secret being revealed would spell a 7 letters word: b-e-a-t-i-n-g.

As Akira fidgeted, contemplating escape routes, Genryūsai frowned at his restless disciple and spoke.

"The mission to arrest Kōga Kuchiki has failed. Kyōraku and Ukitake were careless and fell victim to Muramasa's ability. Their Zanpakutō have rebelled, making them unfit to continue the arrest mission. After careful consideration, I have decided to send you to capture Kōga Kuchiki."

Akira: "?"

⤫⤬⤫

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