Ichigo Kurosaki frowned. "But..."
"This isn't an opponent you can handle," Muten Natsu cut him off. "While you still can, head to Senzaikyū. I'll hold him here."
Ganju Shiba shot a reluctant look at Muten Natsu's back, then turned and ran toward Senzaikyū.
That familiar sense of helplessness rose in Ichigo Kurosaki's chest again. He drew in a deep breath and followed after Ganju Shiba.
Kenpachi Zaraki leapt down from the high wall, and his terrifying Reiatsu slammed into the ground along with him.
Ririn clutched Muten Natsu's collar like a drowning girl grabbing a lifeline, squeezing so hard the fabric nearly tore.
"That brat who used to run around fighting with the 11th Division… to think you've grown this strong. Now that surprised me." The scars on Kenpachi Zaraki's face twisted with his grin. "Too bad we didn't get the chance to fight back then. She really couldn't bring herself to kill you, huh?"
Muten Natsu released his Reiatsu to shield Orihime Inoue. Kenpachi Zaraki's pressure was so overwhelming that even without attacking, it could injure the people around him.
"I've been looking for you for a long time. Finally found you." Kenpachi Zaraki's grin widened with excitement. "Enough talk. Let's kill each other—"
"Ah!"
His fearsome head was shoved to the side by a small hand. The bells at the tips of his hair jingled softly as a pink-haired little girl peeked out from behind him. It was the 11th Division's Lieutenant, Yachiru Kusajishi.
"Mu-chan's hugging such a cute girl!"
Mu-chan?
Protected by Muten Natsu's Reiatsu, Orihime Inoue regained a bit of strength and looked at him curiously.
Muten Natsu's expression darkened.
"You scared that big white rabbit!" Yachiru Kusajishi patted Kenpachi Zaraki's face with her tiny hand. "Mu-chan won't be able to focus on fighting you like this."
"Tch." Kenpachi Zaraki snorted and stepped back, creating some distance. "Come over here!"
"Muten..."
"Don't worry."
Muten Natsu gently released Orihime Inoue and walked toward Kenpachi Zaraki.
"Good. That's more like someone from the 11th Division..." Kenpachi Zaraki smiled in satisfaction when he saw Muten Natsu approach on his own. "If you want to save Kuchiki, then beat me first!"
Within the Gotei 13, only the most battle-crazed warrior, the one who had slain the most enemies, could earn the title of Kenpachi.
Kenpachi Zaraki had no intention of guarding this place. He had shown up for one reason only: to fight Muten Natsu.
Muten Natsu shifted his body slightly. The ring-handled hilt of Myōki sprang into his left palm.
"This kind of meaningless fight is the worst."
Unlike Sajin Komamura and Shūhei Hisagi, there was no clash of ideals here, no duty or mission driving this confrontation. Kenpachi Zaraki had zero interest in Muten Natsu's thoughts.
He wasn't fighting to stop Muten Natsu.
He was stopping Muten Natsu because he wanted to fight.
"Draw-sword technique, huh..." Kenpachi Zaraki frowned. "You really don't know how to enjoy a fight. Always trying to end it as fast as possible."
"If it's pointless, it should end quickly."
Kenpachi Zaraki's overwhelming Reiatsu actually helped Muten Natsu complete his charge faster. A dazzling light flared in his palm. A razor-sharp slash tore free from its restraint and shot forward at terrifying speed, striking Kenpachi Zaraki square in the chest.
Then—
It stopped.
The blade cut through Kenpachi Zaraki's skin.
The wound was laughably shallow.
Orihime Inoue stared in disbelief. "How is that possible..."
Along the way, she had come to understand just how destructive Muten Natsu's draw-sword technique was.
Even Sajin Komamura, a fellow captain, wouldn't dare take Muten Natsu's draw-sword slash head-on with his bare chest like that.
Yet Kenpachi Zaraki stood there unmoving. Even the bells at the ends of his hair didn't ring.
"The reason's simple~" Yachiru Kusajishi chimed in from beside Orihime Inoue. "The Reiatsu condensed on Mu-chan's blade only barely matches the Reiatsu Ken-chan lets out without even thinking. Mu-chan! That won't work!"
"So that's all you've got? What a disappointment." Kenpachi Zaraki lowered his gaze and grabbed the hilt of the overly long blade at his waist. "If you don't show me something worth seeing, this fight's going to end just the way you like it—over in an instant."
He shifted slightly and drew the serrated Zanpakutō from his waist.
The blade was far longer than an ordinary Zanpakutō. Gripped in Kenpachi Zaraki's hand, it came crashing down with savage force.
Steel clashed. The ink-black stroke hadn't even had time to spread before it was shattered by the descending blade.
Muten Natsu raised Myōki to block. The moment the blades collided, veins bulged along his arm. The bricks beneath his feet exploded, and cracks spread outward from him at high speed.
Maintaining his guard, Muten Natsu drew Bokukō from his waist with his free hand and aimed it at Kenpachi Zaraki's abdomen.
Kenpachi Zaraki's fingers spread, then curled tight. He caught Bokukō barehanded, yanked his arm back, dragged Muten Natsu closer, and thrust his blade straight forward.
"Roam, Bokukō!"
Spirit ink poured from the blade, wisps of blue smoke seeping out between Kenpachi Zaraki's fingers.
Muten Natsu twisted sharply, wrenching Bokukō free by force. He slipped past the thrust and used the momentum of his turn to swing Myōki.
Water Flow Flash!
Reiatsu surged from the blade like a torrent, crashing toward Kenpachi Zaraki's head.
"Hah!"
With a low roar, Kenpachi Zaraki amplified his Reiatsu into a shockwave that blew the rushing water apart.
Lightning Flash!
Muten Natsu flicked his wrist. Myōki rode the lingering current, channeling crackling lightning straight into Kenpachi Zaraki's body.
Kenpachi Zaraki let out a cold laugh. His body swayed once, then he ignored the electricity coursing through him and stepped forward, pressing in on Muten Natsu.
Exploding Flash!
A crimson blade pressure burst free from the edge of the sword. Before it could split apart, it struck Kenpachi Zaraki squarely in the head.
Boom!
Flames roared within the heatwave, only to be torn apart by Kenpachi Zaraki's hand.
The Reiatsu threads formed by Entangling Silk Flash failed to slow him in the slightest. He shifted his body, smashed through the writhing mass of spiritual energy, and slashed upward at an angle.
The serrated blade scraped against Bokukō and Myōki, sending showers of sparks flying.
Muten Natsu barely managed to block the strike, but the sheer force behind it hurled him backward uncontrollably.
Before he could steady himself, he slashed behind him, only to cut through a fading afterimage.
Kenpachi Zaraki dropped from above, the tip of his Zanpakutō aimed straight at Muten Natsu's crown.
The ink blade skimmed past Kenpachi Zaraki's body and shot into the sky. In the same instant, Muten Natsu flashed upward, appearing above him. Just as Kenpachi Zaraki's blade stabbed into the ground, Muten Natsu activated Spirit Ink Flash and slashed at the back of his neck.
Freed from the Spirit Ink's restraint, Myōki struck Kenpachi Zaraki's raised left arm.
It could not advance even a fraction.
This time, it did not even break his skin.
"Hey, hey!" Kenpachi Zaraki complained, clearly dissatisfied. "You can't even cut me once I put in a little more strength?"
The upward sweep of his blade traced across Muten Natsu's chest.
Scarlet blood burst into the air.