"Hmph, Sora, I'm not afraid of you."
Matsumoto Rangiku stood triumphantly amidst the dancing golden storm, looking as if she were invincible.
She had always possessed a bold, open, and carefree personality. With no one at the Spiritual Arts Academy capable of keeping her in check, these traits had only grown more pronounced.
Coupled with the fact that she had just defeated the veteran Komamura Sajin immediately upon joining the squad, her confidence was currently bursting at the seams.
"It's best that you aren't."
Naraku Sora stretched his body. His bulging muscles rippled like water, and as he raised his arms, his joints shifted and popped, emitting a grinding sound that sent shivers down the spine.
A scorching Reiatsu permeated the air.
Seeing that he didn't look like he was joking, Matsumoto Rangiku subconsciously gulped.
In today's Soul Society, there were very few who didn't know of Naraku Sora's true strength.
This was a terrifying existence capable of going toe-to-toe with Head Captain Yamamoto.
Looking across the entire Gotei 13, there were hardly any Captains who could fight Naraku Sora head-on.
Despite this, Matsumoto Rangiku mustered her courage, gripped her bladeless hilt with both hands, and swung it forward with all her might.
Following her motion, a loud boom tore through the air.
Countless grains of golden sand coalesced into the shape of a massive blade. It crashed down toward Naraku Sora's position with overwhelming, destructive force, like a meteor falling from the heavens.
It was an all-out strike with absolutely nothing held back!
Matsumoto Rangiku's eyes burned with determination, resolved to leave a heavy mark in the squad's history.
*'When the time comes, they'll write that a genius rookie repelled Prison Warden Naraku Sora on her very first day, marking the rise of another rising star in the Soul Society.'*
*'Yep, I won't let them change a single word!'*
Feeling the heavy pressure rushing toward his face, Naraku Sora blinked, a hint of surprise appearing on his face.
*'No wonder Komamura lost so decisively.'*
*'With such overwhelming might, it would indeed be difficult for him to block.'*
*'To think that Rangiku, who originally only had the strength of a standard Lieutenant, has become this powerful.'*
*'The Spirit King fragments truly are miraculous.'*
The next second, a dazzling pillar of Reiatsu shot into the sky. The tiny figure and the colossal blade collided violently, like a firefly clashing against the bright moon.
But the moment they touched, that firefly bloomed with a scorching radiance. Like a blazing sun rising into the sky, billowing waves of heat erupted outward.
As the shockwaves spread, the ground suddenly cracked open. Countless floorboards were uprooted one after another, ground into fine dust within the surging storm. The scene was utterly spectacular.
A deafening rumble echoed throughout the barracks.
Amidst this ear-splitting reverberation, the giant blade instantly collapsed, reverting into countless fine grains of golden sand.
Matsumoto Rangiku's face was filled with shock.
*'Is he even human?'*
Although she had mentally prepared herself beforehand, seeing her strongest attack scattered by mere Reiatsu still made her doubt her own eyes.
Watching the figure walking toward her step by step, an unprovoked wave of fear washed over Matsumoto Rangiku's heart.
But soon, she cast aside this useless emotion.
*'If you think I'm going to just obediently surrender, you've got another thing coming!'*
She steadied her stance.
Fighting spirit reignited in her eyes. Her Reiatsu suddenly expanded as she manipulated Haineko, whipping up one tornado after another.
The massive training ground seemed to welcome the apocalypse. The explosive winds tore at everything, and shrill, piercing howls echoed endlessly.
Yet, this disaster-like scene still failed to halt Naraku Sora's advance. Like some sort of heavy machinery, every step he took was incredibly steady.
The golden sand fell upon his body, producing an endless series of crisp clinks, like metal striking metal.
"Too weak, too weak!"
"Rangiku, your Zanpakutō is fine for fighting Sajin, but if you encounter an enemy who excels in defense or speed, they can completely tank your attacks, charge right up to your face, and easily end the battle."
*'Although it's much stronger than the Haineko in my memories, the fundamental nature of her ability means Matsumoto Rangiku cannot break through stronger defenses.'*
*'Furthermore, its speed is relatively slow. If she runs into an enemy who specializes in speed, she'll likely be led around in circles.'*
Naraku Sora pondered as he walked.
*'Matsumoto Rangiku's biggest problems are that her attacks aren't strong enough and her speed isn't fast enough.'*
*'If she can resolve these two flaws, she could at the very least step into the ranks of the Soul Society's first-rate Captains.'*
*'Speaking of which, the Rangiku in my memories failed to master Bankai due to certain reasons.'*
*'But the current her is completely different.'*
*'If Bankai can make up for these shortcomings, then that would naturally be for the best.'*
*'However, judging from her current performance, her development of Haineko is still insufficient.'*
*'Her perspective is still too narrow.'*
*'In the original timeline, Matsumoto Rangiku was able to combine Haineko's ash with ice to form a vacuum multi-layered ice wall to block enemy attacks.'*
*'Now, she could also fuse this golden sand with Kidō to unleash greater destructive power and faster speeds.'*
*'If all else fails, she could even use her Reiatsu manipulation to make the massive amount of sand vibrate, forming an ultra-high-speed electric chainsaw.'*
*'She could cut through everything blocking her path via high-speed vibrations.'*
*'But for now, Rangiku has already done well enough.'*
Amidst his thoughts, Naraku Sora had already pushed through the interference of the golden sand and arrived right in front of the young woman.
Seemingly guessing the terrifying fate she was about to face, Rangiku subconsciously squeezed her eyes shut.
However, the expected blow never came. Instead, she felt a warm touch on the top of her head.
Rangiku instinctively opened her eyes, only to be greeted by a smile as warm as the sunshine.
Naraku Sora ruffled her soft orange hair and smiled.
"You're actually already very impressive."
"When I first joined the squad back in the day, I wasn't nearly as strong as you."
"Fifth Seat Rangiku, you pass."
Hearing these words and feeling the warmth spreading through her hair, Rangiku couldn't help but freeze for a moment. Then, the corners of her mouth lifted, revealing a genuine, heartfelt smile.
*'Being around this guy really does make one feel at ease.'*
Just as deafening cheers erupted from outside the arena, an unexpected figure suddenly barged onto the training ground.
A burly man resembling a fierce demon strode forward, carrying a little pink-haired girl sitting on his broad shoulders.
"Sora, we came to play with you!"
With a flash of Flash Step, the little pink-haired girl blinked out of existence and jumped directly onto Naraku Sora's shoulder, hanging off him like a squirrel.
Meanwhile, Zaraki Kenpachi revealed his signature savage grin.
"Sora, let's slaughter each other!"
Naraku Sora raised an eyebrow. Just as he was about to agree, another highly spirited fellow appeared on the training ground, staring at Zaraki Kenpachi with burning eyes.
"Sora, let me take this one."
Seeing the newcomer, it was Naraku Sora's turn to be surprised.
"Kōga, having fighting spirit is a good thing, but you shouldn't go looking for death."
Kuchiki Kōga puffed out his chest and spoke with resounding conviction.
"After a period of grueling training, Muramasa and I have achieved a level of synergy that preliminarily meets the requirements of a 'Stand User'."
"Right now, I'm completely fired up. It's the perfect time to test the results of my training."
Hearing this, Naraku Sora's eyes lit up. He hurriedly flashed away, pulling Matsumoto Rangiku along with him to leave the stage to Kuchiki Kōga, not forgetting to drop a parting remark:
"I look forward to your performance."
Zaraki Kenpachi stared calmly at the suddenly appearing Kuchiki Kōga. After observing him for a few seconds, his mouth split open into a chilling smile.
"You're not bad."
Clearly, Kuchiki Kōga had earned his acknowledgment.
"Let's slaughter each other!"
Zaraki Kenpachi raised his jagged longsword and pointed it forward. His golden Reiatsu erupted without the slightest concealment.
Without waiting for Kuchiki Kōga to agree, he launched his attack.
Because he was frequently and mercilessly beaten by Naraku Sora, Zaraki Kenpachi didn't wear a special eyepatch to devour his leaking Reiatsu like he did in the original timeline.
Coupled with the fact that a certain someone never knew the meaning of holding back during their fights, Kenpachi's strength had grown at an astonishingly rapid pace, even more exaggerated than those so-called geniuses.
After all, other people were working hard to become stronger.
But Zaraki Kenpachi was simply recovering the password to his max-level account.
Blade light erupted as Zaraki Kenpachi attacked like a wild beast. His golden Reiatsu danced wildly, burning recklessly across his body like a raging inferno.
Facing such a berserk monster, Kuchiki Kōga showed no fear and fiercely drew his sword.
A deep purple pillar of Reiatsu shot into the sky, and a figure that was both unfamiliar yet somewhat familiar slowly materialized.
Compared to his eerie appearance when they first met, the current Muramasa looked much more capable and sharp.
"Captain Zaraki, this is my Zanpakutō, Muramasa."
"He will be fighting alongside me, so please be careful."
Zaraki Kenpachi bared his teeth in a savage grin.
"It doesn't matter. I'll just beat the both of you!"
Steel clashed, sparks flew, and flames ignited.
Compared to his last battle with Naraku Sora, Zaraki Kenpachi had grown significantly stronger once again.
His heavy, berserk power nearly crushed Kuchiki Kōga outright.
Fortunately, he wasn't fighting alone.
And Zanjutsu wasn't his preferred combat style anyway.
When two nearly identical bursts of Reiatsu erupted, deep purple light intertwined and wrapped around the bodies of the man and his blade.
*Crack!*
Amidst the spine-tingling sound of shifting joints, Kuchiki Kōga's muscles bulged. His already sturdy arms swelled even further, brimming with immense power.
The next second, he discarded the longsword in his hand, instead forming a fist and thrusting it forward with a fierce twist of his wrist.
A tyrannical shockwave arrived in an instant.
The attacks of Kuchiki Kōga and Muramasa seemed to fuse together, concentrating on a single point.
"Double Single Bone!"
The moment they collided, a terrifying impact instantly erupted. The already ruined ground was torn up layer by layer once again, and visible shockwaves crashed against the Kidō barrier, causing ripples to spread across its surface.
Feeling the immense power transmitting through his blade, the excitement on Zaraki Kenpachi's face grew even more intense.
*'This is the kind of slaughter I've been waiting for!'*
Just as he prepared to counterattack, Kuchiki Kōga's figure seemed to overlap with Muramasa's. The man and his blade raised their arms in perfect sync, the corners of their mouths curling up.
The next second, a barrage of fists rained down like a torrential storm, their speed so fast that they formed streaks of afterimages.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
Deafening explosions echoed throughout the training ground, merging with the cheers of the bloodthirsty spectators outside to form a massive wave of sound that pierced the heavens.
Faintly, the sound of 'Ora, ora, ora!' seemed to ring out amidst the roaring blasts.
The berserk offensive even managed to suppress Zaraki Kenpachi for a time.
Watching Kuchiki Kōga go all out with a fighting style almost identical to the one in his memories, a gratified smile appeared on Naraku Sora's face.
*'The Genryū style finally has a successor.'*
Nowadays, the Shino Prison was growing stronger by the day under his leadership. It had gone from having only a meager handful of people at the start to now being filled with powerhouses everywhere you looked.
*'When the time comes, I'll exploit Kisuke a bit and have him whip up a few more Tenshintai.'*
*'Speaking of which, the new generation of Tenshintai seems to be almost complete. Maybe I should test the waters myself first?'*
Naraku Sora suddenly found himself looking forward to it.