The sweeping strike of Tenken came to an abrupt halt. The sword pressure shattered the surrounding walls—but Komamura's attack had been blocked.
Looking up, Komamura saw that Chad's right arm had transformed—an additional shield had formed over it. It was this shield that had stopped the blow.
This was the true power of Chad's Giant's Right Arm. It had two forms: one where the entire arm remained intact for offense, and another where the forearm transformed into a shield for defense.
Trying to block Komamura's strike in its offensive form would have resulted in injury—but with the shield, it was a different matter entirely. Having grown accustomed to fighting Captain-level opponents, Chad didn't consider this much of a problem.
"Impressive," Komamura said. "No wonder the Head Captain ordered that Ryoka are not to be engaged alone—I acknowledge your strength!"
He attempted to pull back his blade to launch another attack—but suddenly realized he couldn't move it.
Chad hadn't just blocked the strike—he had grabbed Tenken's blade with his right hand, locking Komamura in place.
"Interesting! Then let us test our strength!" Komamura roared, pouring his full power into the clash.
His strength was overwhelming—Chad was slowly being pushed back. Komamura had already decided to drive the blade into the ground, which would inevitably injure Chad.
But Chad did not yield.
Azure Reiatsu burst from his right shoulder, propelling his body forward. Slowly, he stabilized—returning the clash to a stalemate.
Watching from below, Squad 7 members quickly came up with an idea.
"Lieutenant Iba! Go assist Captain Komamura—the Ryoka is already at his limit!"
"No," Iba replied firmly. "This is the Captain's battle. Strictly speaking, I was already defeated earlier. Without Captain Komamura, both of us would already be lying on the ground."
As the squad most devoted to honor in the Seireitei, Squad 7 would never resort to underhanded tactics like attacking from behind.
With no interference, the stage belonged entirely to Komamura and Chad.
After a moment of stalemate, Komamura suddenly changed tactics.
The massive Tenken blade in Chad's grip vanished. In the next instant, Komamura appeared with Shunpo, slashing at close range.
Chad raised his shield again to block—but immediately afterward, a gigantic Tenken blade descended from above.
This was Komamura's combat style.
Strictly speaking, Tenken's attack mirrored his own sword swings—like a gigantic version of himself. Normally, he could cut down enemies from afar without even moving.
But now, he had stepped directly into the rhythm of battle.
His opponent now faced two blades—one fast and close, one massive and delayed.
And Chad—being locked in place—was about to take the full force of the giant strike.
He sensed it.
But Komamura gave him no room to evade, continuously applying pressure.
As Tenken loomed overhead, the wind from the blade whipped Chad's hair into disarray—
At that critical moment—
His left arm transformed.
It became white with red markings, and a horn protruded from his shoulder.
Chad clenched his left fist and punched upward.
The power of this strike far surpassed his right arm. The blow smashed into Tenken's blade—sending both the giant weapon and Komamura himself flying backward.
The Devil's Left Arm.
Unlike the versatile right arm, it had only one purpose—
Pure destruction.
Staggering back several steps, Komamura was stunned. This was the first time he had been overpowered in raw strength.
Seeing both of Chad's arms transformed, he realized—his dual-speed attack pattern was no longer effective.
"In that case… I will answer strength with greater strength!"
He raised his Zanpakutō.
"Bankai — Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō!"
A colossal black-armored warrior appeared behind him—the very figure Tsunayoshi had seen earlier. In essence, it was a gigantic manifestation of Komamura himself, wielding terrifying power.
Standing before it, Chad felt his own smallness for the first time.
Yet he did not feel fear.
Instead, he recalled the information Tsunayoshi and the others had prepared.
Komamura's Bankai possessed immense attack power—but his life force was linked to its armor. Any damage inflicted on the giant would be reflected directly onto Komamura himself.
In other words—
While his power was amplified, so was his weakness.
To strike Komamura, one only needed to strike the giant.
Of course, that required enough power to break through its armor—
Which, for Chad's Devil's Left Arm—entirely specialized in offense—was not a problem.
Unaware of Chad's thoughts, Komamura immediately attacked.
The massive blade descended—faster and stronger than before.
Chad used Bringer Light to evade rapidly while gathering Reiatsu in his right arm. Then—
He fired a compressed blast of energy.
Jet Force Strike.
A technique developed to compensate for his lack of ranged attacks—compressing Reiatsu into a projectile far more powerful than a normal punch.
The blast exploded against Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō—
But it only forced the giant to take a single step back. Its armor remained completely unscathed.
Meanwhile, Komamura accelerated his assault.
The massive blade came crashing down again.
At the last moment, Chad used a burst of Reiatsu from his right arm to shift his position—the blade grazed past his forehead.
He quickly created distance with multiple bursts of Bringer Light, thinking rapidly.
Ranged attacks were ineffective.
His Devil's Left Arm excelled only in close combat.
He had to close the distance.
But Komamura would never allow it easily.
The giant blade's technique was precise and relentless—Chad couldn't find an opening unless he broke through Tenken's control.
"Good. I made it in time."
Tsunayoshi appeared atop a distant rooftop, sitting down casually as he watched.
The sudden appearance of his Reiatsu drew everyone's attention.
Komamura glanced toward Iba.
Understanding immediately, Iba led several Squad 7 members toward Tsunayoshi.
"You're Iba, right?" Tsunayoshi spoke first.
"You know me?" Iba asked.
"Relax. I won't interfere in your Captain's battle. But in return, don't disturb my rest."
A wave of Reiatsu pressed down on them.
Instantly, the entire Squad 7—including Iba—was immobilized.
Even Komamura couldn't help but glance over.
"Don't worry," Chad said. "Tsunayoshi won't harm them. He's just here to protect me. Focus on our fight."
"A man who lives by honor as well…" Komamura said, leveling his blade. "You've fought me this far—state your name. I am Sajin Komamura."
"Yasutora Sado!"
With that, Chad charged again.
After several exchanges, he had begun to grasp Komamura's rhythm.
This time—he would succeed.
What Chad didn't know—
Was that Komamura had already seen through his intention.
Those earlier openings?
They had been deliberate.
He had been waiting for this very charge.
As Chad attempted to redirect his movement with his right arm and Bringer Light—
Tenken suddenly shifted mid-swing—
Closing in on him.
The blade descended again.
Instinctively, Chad raised his left arm and struck upward—
Devil's Uppercut!
To his surprise—
He blocked the attack.
The cost?
Only a shallow cut across the back of his hand.
Because the Devil's Left Arm sacrificed defense for offense, Chad had avoided using it recklessly—fearing injury would limit his full power.
But after being knocked back—
White energy surged from his arm.
Within moments, it regenerated completely.
"…Now that's more like it," Tsunayoshi muttered. "Kensei really only focused on punching—Chad hasn't even fully understood his own Fullbring yet."
The Devil's Left Arm was born from Hollow influence.
Naturally—
It possessed High-Speed Regeneration.
Realizing this, Chad no longer held back.
He launched forward.
Left and right fists alternated—his left delivering overwhelming power, his right firing bursts of compressed Reiatsu—constantly suppressing Tenken's movements.
This was the technique he developed with Kensei—
Pendulum Combo.
After knocking Tenken aside, Chad exploded forward with Bringer Light—
Closing in on the giant's chest.
His left arm had already finished charging.
This—
was his strongest attack.
Devil's Crushing Straight!
BOOM!
The chest of Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō shattered, forming a demonic skull-shaped fracture.
At the same moment—
Komamura clutched his chest, coughing up blood.
Just as Tsunayoshi had said—the damage was perfectly mirrored.
But before Chad could celebrate—
The giant struck him with a palm.
A palm?
Chad was stunned.
From afar, Tsunayoshi sighed.
Chad had focused too much on the blade—
A veteran like Komamura would never treat his Bankai as just a sword-wielding giant.
There was no time to recover.
Enduring the pain in his chest, Komamura swung again—
A direct hit.
Chad barely managed to raise his shield—
But the strike shattered his Fullbring.
He was sent crashing through several buildings before finally stopping.
His Fullbring dissipated.
His body—covered in blood.
"Once I deal with your companion, I will personally escort you to the Tower of Repentance," Komamura said, turning toward Tsunayoshi.
Tsunayoshi stood up, scratching his head. He could feel Komamura's hostility—but his gaze first checked Chad.
Injured—but not fatally.
"That's enough," Tsunayoshi said casually. "Doggo(Captain Komamura), you're not my opponent yet."
The word "Doggo" made Komamura freeze.
Still wearing his mask, he had always been sensitive about his identity. Tsunayoshi's casual remark struck directly at it.
Fury surged—his chest tightened as blood rose in his throat.
Enraged, Komamura raised his blade—
But stopped.
Iba and the others were still within range.
That strike would hit them.
Just as frustration mounted—
A familiar voice rang out:
"Komamura. Take your men and leave. I'll handle this."
"Bankai — Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi."
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