Tsunayoshi was genuinely furious at Ōetsu for suddenly turning his attacks toward the others.
Rose and the others had spent years together with him in the World of the Living. They had long since become close friends.
That was why Tsunayoshi immediately rebuked Ōetsu.
But Ōetsu, already at the end of his road, naturally paid no attention to Tsunayoshi's condemnation.
He actually accelerated.
Tsunayoshi could curse him all he wanted.
Ōetsu only needed one more step to reach Rose.
He could already see the terror on the captain's face.
Tongs and a hammer had already appeared in Ōetsu's hands.
He would seize Rose with the tongs and bring the hammer down.
Ōetsu had already planned what he would do next.
A thunderclap suddenly exploded in front of him.
At the same time, green light obscured Ōetsu's entire field of vision.
A tall, imposing warrior emerged from within the radiance, holding a lightning spear as thick as a large bowl.
"How?!"
Ōetsu froze.
Wasn't Sawada Tsunayoshi trapped by Wabisuke's ability?
Why was he suddenly standing right in front of him?
Wait.
Had Wabisuke already been dealt with?
Ōetsu didn't even have time to turn around.
Wabisuke had been completely enveloped by the iron sand and forcibly returned to its sealed, Asauchi-like state.
Freed from its restraint, Tsunayoshi transformed into a streak of lightning and flashed past.
Before Ōetsu could reach Rose, Tsunayoshi had already intercepted him.
Not good!
Other than Kirio Hikifune, who had been carried farther away by Ichigo, the remaining members of Squad Zero were all focused on Ōetsu's battle.
The moment they saw Tsunayoshi appear, they simultaneously moved toward him.
"You're not going anywhere, Kirinji-senpai."
Yoruichi had already unleashed Shunkō, tearing away her outer clothing and revealing her black skintight combat suit.
She blocked Tenjirō Kirinji's path.
"Sorry, Senjumaru-senpai, but this road is closed."
A red web-like structure appeared before Senjumaru Shutara.
Urahara Kisuke stood behind it with his usual grin.
Two thunderous explosions rang out.
Yamamoto didn't bother saying a word.
He simply unleashed the strongest Hakuda of his Genryū and struck toward the Monk.
Although the blow didn't connect, it successfully hindered the Monk's movements.
That brief delay was more than enough time for Tsunayoshi to deal with Ōetsu.
There was no explanation.
No unnecessary words.
The moment Ōetsu saw the icy expression on Tsunayoshi's face, he sensed the killing intent radiating from him.
Then intense pain and numbness suddenly invaded his mind.
The instant Tsunayoshi appeared, he thrust his lightning spear forward.
He didn't care what consequences Ōetsu's death might cause.
If someone was trying to kill him, didn't he have the right to fight back?
Besides, it wasn't necessarily true death.
As long as the Soul King existed, Squad Zero still had a chance to be resurrected…
Tsunayoshi grabbed Rose by the shoulder and transformed into a streak of lightning, disappearing from the spot.
The Reiatsu of the lightning spear immediately exploded.
A massive cylindrical pillar of energy surged into the sky, connecting with the lightning descending from above.
Tsunayoshi's furious strike pierced through heaven and earth.
The radiance faded.
Only a bottomless crater remained.
Ōetsu had vanished without a trace, along with the two Zanpakutō in his possession.
With Ōetsu gone, the battered thatched hut collapsed outright.
A Bankai that no longer had its master's Reiatsu supporting it immediately dissipated.
"So he really did kill Ōetsu."
Senjumaru stood where she was, her expression slightly surprised.
With Ōetsu gone, there was no longer any reason for her to hurry over and provide support.
"What a brat!"
Kirinji's forehead bulged with veins.
Tsunayoshi's attack had been far too decisive.
Not even a fragment of Ōetsu's body remained.
There was therefore no way for Kirinji to use the healing properties of his Hōōden to restore him.
More importantly, the person Tsunayoshi had killed was none other than Ōetsu Nimaiya—the God of Blades, one of the earliest members to enter the Soul King Palace after the Monk.
Even Ōetsu's immense Ōken power had failed to preserve his life.
Just how powerful had that single strike been?
"Yamamoto Genryūsai!"
The Monk had no intention of being polite.
"You Gotei 13 are planning a rebellion, aren't you?!"
"I'm no longer a member of the Gotei 13."
Yamamoto didn't give him the slightest face.
"So I suggest that this member of Squad Zero watch his words."
His fists continued to fly as he launched another barrage of attacks.
Seeing Yamamoto like this, the Monk fell silent.
Since when had this rigid old Soul Reaper become so good at finding loopholes?
He had thought Yamamoto was simply unwilling to damage his haori.
He hadn't expected there to be another meaning behind removing it.
During his confrontation with the Monk, Yamamoto had deliberately removed his haori and thrown it aside.
This not only represented his relinquishing of the Captain-Commander's authority for the duration of the battle, but also made it clear that their fight had nothing to do with the Gotei 13.
The Monk discreetly swept his gaze across the battlefield.
What surprised him was that the people interfering with Squad Zero weren't actually members of the Gotei 13.
Sawada Tsunayoshi and Kurosaki Ichigo went without saying.
As for Yamamoto, he had thrown away his haori right in front of the Monk.
And Urahara Kisuke and Shihōin Yoruichi had nothing on them that connected them to the Gotei 13 either.
Where had Yamamoto Genryūsai found all these people?
Gathered together, they had actually formed a force capable of resisting Squad Zero.
Dissatisfaction and displeasure surfaced within the Monk.
He decided that it wasn't only Kurosaki Ichigo and Sawada Tsunayoshi who needed to be dealt with.
This force that dared oppose the Soul King Palace also had to be silenced today.
An invisible ripple spread throughout the battlefield.
Suddenly, every captain watching the battle caught the scent of blood.
There hadn't been much bloodshed during today's battle.
So where had this overwhelming scent of blood come from?
Whoosh!
Flames ignited from thin air.
The scorching heat of the fire dispersed the chilling bloodlust.
Ōetsu's death also meant that the Zanpakutō he had controlled were released.
Yamamoto immediately swung Ryūjin Jakka toward the Monk.
Tsunayoshi's expression became solemn.
That scent of blood hadn't appeared out of nowhere.
It was the killing intent emanating from the Monk.
Just how much blood had to stain someone's hands before such terrifying killing intent could be condensed?
The Monk was going to shed blood today.
The moment Tsunayoshi reached that conclusion, a gigantic palm suddenly appeared above him.
It descended directly toward his head.
The Monk's Senri Tsūtenshō.
Tsunayoshi had no time to wonder how the Monk, who was already fighting Yamamoto, still had enough strength to attack him.
He hurriedly condensed an enormous lightning horn above his helmet and raised it to meet the incoming palm.
BOOM!
The collision between the two powerful techniques produced a sound that echoed throughout the entire Seireitei.
At the center of the impact, the Monk's fingers curled as he used Senri Tsūtenshō to seize Tsunayoshi's lightning horn.
Wait.
Where was Yamamoto?
Tsunayoshi was currently locked in a struggle with the Monk.
With Yamamoto's combat instincts, he would never voluntarily abandon such an opportunity.
Tsunayoshi's gaze swept toward where Yamamoto had been standing.
A huge black "封" character now stood proudly in that location.
If nothing unexpected had happened, Yamamoto had been sealed by the Monk's power.
"There's no need to look anymore, Sawada Tsunayoshi."
The Monk raised his other hand.
"I'll deal with you personally."
Another Senri Tsūtenshō struck from the side.
Tsunayoshi immediately transformed into a streak of lightning and disappeared, evading the Monk's grasp.
"No matter where you run, you'll still have nowhere to go!"
The Monk didn't even bother predicting where Tsunayoshi would reappear.
He simply raised his palm and thrust another Senri Tsūtenshō toward the area where Ichigo and Kirio Hikifune were fighting.
This was the Monk's trap.
Members of Squad Zero could be resurrected even after death.
Ichigo, however, clearly couldn't.
Either Ichigo would suffer severe injuries—
Or Tsunayoshi would appear and block the attack.
The Monk had deliberately forced him into a choice.
The explosion of lightning was like Tsunayoshi's furious roar.
A gigantic green bull's head wrapped in lightning intercepted Senri Tsūtenshō.
Just as the Monk had expected.
The younger someone was, the more importance they tended to place on something as trivial as friendship.
Taking advantage of the moment when the lightning bull was knocked aside by his palm, the Monk had already used Ichimonji to inscribe the power he wanted.
A huge "顯" character appeared on Tsunayoshi's body.
Under the power of this character, the source of Tsunayoshi's strength should have been completely revealed before the Monk's eyes.
"Strange…"
The Monk murmured.
His eyes were filled with confusion as he stared at Tsunayoshi.
Within the power of "顯", all he could see was a vast fog.
Nothing was clear.
That shouldn't have been possible.
Tsunayoshi had already released Bankai—even the power of Beyond Bankai.
Even if these abilities had not been named by him, the authority possessed by the Monk and Ichimonji should have been sufficient to reveal their nature.
So why couldn't he see anything?
Although the Monk had named everything in existence, there had been an even more ancient world before he appeared.
Many things had already possessed names in that primordial era.
After obtaining Ichimonji, the Monk had gradually deciphered those ancient names.
Those that displeased him were simply renamed.
Shinuchi and Bankai were the most obvious examples.
Yet now, the Monk's authority had failed in front of Tsunayoshi.
Even the written power of "顯" couldn't reveal the nature of the ability Sawada Tsunayoshi was using.
Then what exactly was this power?
Several thoughts flashed through the Monk's mind.
By then, Tsunayoshi had already returned to his original form.
He hoisted his enormous lightning horn and charged toward the Monk.
Intense heat scorched the Monk's back.
The enormous "封" character had already been engulfed in flames.
Yamamoto seized Ryūjin Jakka once more.
Tsunayoshi and Yamamoto attacked the Monk from opposite directions, trapping him between them.
Could they succeed?
That thought had only just appeared in the minds of the observing captains when another immense Reiatsu erupted from elsewhere.
It was no weaker than Beyond Bankai.
A long red carpet unfurled before Yamamoto.
At the other end stood an enormous loom.
Shatatsu Karagara Shigarami no Tsuji.
Senjumaru had activated her Bankai.
Long before the Monk had attacked Tsunayoshi, he had already secretly signaled to her.
The Monk knew that his "封" would not be able to restrain Yamamoto for long.
But he wanted to eliminate the troublesome Sawada Tsunayoshi first.
Therefore, he had ordered Senjumaru to activate her Bankai.
Using the Bankai realm created by Shatatsu Karagara Shigarami no Tsuji, she could isolate Yamamoto and Urahara.
As long as Senjumaru didn't directly engage them in combat, keeping those two trapped would not be difficult.
Realizing that he had stepped into Senjumaru's trap, Yamamoto sheathed Ryūjin Jakka and calmly sat down on the carpet in seiza.
"My apologies, Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
"As a member of Squad Zero, I must carry out my orders."
Senjumaru still held considerable respect for Yamamoto.
She had risen from the Seireitei to become a member of Squad Zero, and during her time in the Seireitei, Yamamoto had looked after her on numerous occasions.
"When one occupies a position, one must fulfill its duties."
"I do not blame you."
Yamamoto's tone remained completely calm.
"Is that so?"
Senjumaru tilted her head curiously.
"Don't you want to escape from my Bankai and save those two young Soul Reapers?"
She didn't believe Yamamoto could really remain this calm.
After all, the entire Gotei 13 was already on the verge of turning against the Soul King Palace because of those two.
"There is no point in being anxious."
"Your opponent isn't me…"
Yamamoto hadn't even finished speaking when a seam-like opening suddenly split apart beneath Senjumaru's feet.
One blade after another thrust upward toward her.
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