Chapter 27: Lilith: Is it Really That Hard to Achieve Bankai? |
Justin, much like Komamura, was the only member of his clan to have mastered Bankai in thousands of years.
Marenoshin’s luck was truly something to behold...
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
The thunderous battle raged on.
Marenoshin was gradually gaining the upper hand, thanks to his skillful use of Shunpo and Kido.
However, after another loud clash with Omaeda, Justin suddenly let out a predatory smirk. "A Shinigami’s weapon has a higher level of release, doesn't it?"
"That’s right."
Omaeda replied coolly, "After Shikai comes Bankai—the second and most powerful form of a Zanpakuto."
Justin cast a quick glance at Yoruichi below, holding back Marenoshin’s massive mace with his large, jagged blade. "Can your captain use this so-called Bankai?"
A thin trail of blood trickled down Marenoshin’s forehead, but he remained perfectly composed. "All captains of the Gotei 13 have achieved Bankai! Now do you realize how absurd your king’s desire to conquer the Soul Society truly is?"
"All captains?! That might actually be a problem. I heard you Shinigami only have thirteen of them..."
Justin’s brow furrowed.
Marenoshin snorted in contempt and shoved his opponent back several meters, abruptly intensifying his assault. "Hmph, you speak as if you’ve achieved Bankai yourself... how arrogant!"
Yeruashi couldn't help but chuckle.
Now Marenoshin was running his mouth too, just like Soi Fon...
According to the laws of the genre, wasn't the opponent bound to release their Bankai after a line like that?
Following Marenoshin's dismissive words, an even more powerful surge of Reiatsu erupted from Justin's body, reaching Captain-level in an instant!
"Unfortunately for you..."
"I really can use this Bankai of yours."
Justin smirked and slowly raised his Zanpakuto before him, watching the stunned and shocked Omaeda.
Then, Justin’s calm, steady voice rang clearly in the ears of every Shinigami and member of the Panther Clan present.
"Ban-kai."
"Funin Hitokuchi!"
Boom!!!
A terrifying surge of Reiatsu, rivaling that of a Gotei 13 captain at the moment of Bankai release, instantly blanketed the massive area, causing the surrounding reishi to tremble violently.
Marenoshin, still in a state of shock, was sent flying backward, simply unable to withstand a Reiatsu of that magnitude.
Now, Justin paid no mind to the retreating Omaeda, making no attempt to finish him off despite his overwhelming superiority. Instead, he shot a provocative look at Yoruichi below, focusing his newly heightened Reiatsu entirely on her.
For Justin, the clash with Omaeda had been nothing more than a simple warm-up before his battle with one of the Gotei 13 captains!
Yoruichi Shihoin!!
"How... how can this be?!"
Soi Fon, standing beside Yoruichi, cried out in disbelief as she felt the powerful surge of concentrated Reiatsu.
Bankai!
It was her first time encountering a soul that had achieved Bankai without being a Shinigami...
Moreover, it wasn't a human soul, but a beast-soul!
"Beast-souls might not have as rich a history, but it is no shorter than that of human souls. It’s perfectly natural and logical for peerless geniuses to emerge over such a long span of time," Yeruashi said calmly.
Soi Fon gradually regained her composure, but her shock was replaced by extreme tension.
The presence of a Bankai on the enemy's side put them at a severe disadvantage!
A Bankai had to be countered by another Bankai.
Lieutenant-level Shinigami, herself included, simply wouldn't be able to damage such an opponent. The gap in Reiatsu was just too vast!
But what was even more terrifying...
The owner of this Bankai wasn't the Panther King!
Wouldn't Great Org be even stronger than Justin?
The Shinigami side would have been in a desperate, perhaps even hopeless position if they didn't have two powerful fighters with Captain-level Reiatsu among them—Yoruichi and Yeruashi!
"What’s the matter... are you still not planning to join the fray, Shinigami Captain?! In that case, I’ll start right now. Killing you will mark the end of this war!" Justin declared confidently, looking down at Yoruichi.
His jagged, two-meter blade became even more massive, its length stretching to four meters.
The immense size and razor-sharp teeth of Justin’s Bankai seemed to carry crushing power and unmatched piercing ability!
A cold glint flashed in Justin’s eyes, and every muscle in his body tightened, radiating an aura of explosive power and incredible flexibility.
In the next heartbeat—
Whoosh!
Justin lunged at Yoruichi, who stood calmly at the edge of the cliff, leaving a trail of afterimages behind him. Without hesitation, he swung his massive Bankai toward her.
But the enormous jagged blade, which seemed to possess unstoppable momentum, was firmly blocked by a seemingly ordinary katana, never reaching its mark.
The hilt of that katana was held by a smooth, pale palm of average size.
It was Yeruashi’s hand.
"Lieutenant Hatake!"
The numerous Shinigami standing just behind Soi Fon, Yoruichi, and Yeruashi cried out in excitement and amazement.
Yeruashi, holding back Justin’s Bankai without even releasing his Shikai, spoke calmly, showing no signs of strain. "Forgive me, but I cannot allow you to... attack my esteemed captain."
Yoruichi watched the clash between Justin and Yeruashi with complete composure.
Despite some lingering doubts about Yeruashi’s abilities and experience, she still had a certain level of trust in his strength. Furthermore, Great Org was likely stronger than Justin, so she had no choice but to leave this opponent to Yeruashi while she dealt with the so-called king herself.
"..."
Soi Fon’s gaze was complicated at that moment. She had sworn to fight and die for Yoruichi-sama, but now she had nothing to offer against Captain-level opponents. Only Yeruashi could stand in their path.
Justin exclaimed in shock, feeling that the Reiatsu of this Shinigami who had blocked his massive Bankai with an ordinary katana was in no way inferior to his own. "Oh? I didn't expect another strong Shinigami in your ranks! Are you a captain too?"
Yeruashi smiled and lazily shook his head. "Oh, heavens no. I’m just a perfectly ordinary lieutenant..."
"Then get out of my way!!"
Justin roared in fury and swung his massive Bankai with renewed force, intending to sweep Yeruashi aside in a single blow.
Yeruashi merely flicked his katana in response, once again completely blocking Justin's attack with exaggerated ease.
Yoruichi breathed a sigh of relief when Yeruashi held his own against Justin’s Bankai without even releasing his Shikai, but her expression remained tense.
She couldn't say for certain that there wasn't another Captain-level combatant among the enemy ranks besides the king himself!
There shouldn't be any problems if there were only two—Justin and Org—but if a third appeared now...
They would have to pay a heavy price for victory in this war!
"I certainly didn't expect someone other than a captain to be able to stand in Justin’s way."
Great Org прищурился and spoke gravely, observing the clash between Yeruashi and Justin. "I admit, I underestimated you slightly. In that case... Torashi Shinta! It’s your turn!!"
The faces of Yoruichi, Omaeda, Soi Fon, and the other Shinigami paled upon hearing the Panther King’s words.
It was highly unlikely that a fighter brought into the battle in this situation would only possess Lieutenant-level strength.
Boom!!!
A massive, anthropomorphic tiger stepped forward, emitting a powerful wave of Reiatsu that clearly matched that of a Gotei 13 captain.
Trouble...
Huge trouble!!
Yoruichi’s body tensed as another Captain-level Reiatsu manifested within the Panther Clan’s ranks.
According to the historical records of the Gotei 13, which she had carefully checked before departing on this mission, the Panther Clan usually only had a single Captain-level combatant. Two had appeared only twice in their history.
But this time... there were already three!
Even if Yeruashi could hold his opponent while fighting at half-strength, and she was confident in her victory over the Panther King, there was no one left in their ranks to even stall a third Captain-level opponent!
It seemed this confrontation was destined to turn into a full-scale, bloody battle...
"..."
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes and slowly lowered her hands, which had been folded across her chest.
If she made a move while the enemy leader remained idle, their side would inevitably fall into a disadvantageous position. But now, she simply had no other choice. Neither Omaeda nor Soi Fon could hold back a powerful enemy capable of rivaling a Gotei 13 captain in terms of Reiatsu.
But just as Yoruichi was about to join the fray, a petite figure—even smaller than Soi Fon—stepped out from the Shinigami ranks and drifted gracefully into the sky.
Her long, snow-white hair fluttered gently in the soft breeze, and her large crimson eyes radiated calm and indifference.
"...Lilith?"
Soi Fon cried out in shock, instinctively reaching out a hand as if to stop her.
Currently, Lilith held the post of sixth officer in the Second Division and was quite popular among her fellow Shinigami, though she usually followed Yeruashi quietly. With her adorable appearance and calm demeanor, most members of the Second Division couldn't help but want to look after Lieutenant Hatake’s younger sister, even though she rarely sought attention.
Yoruichi quickly shook off her shock and opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat.
Whoosh!!
Because in that moment, Lilith unleashed an incredibly powerful and turbulent wave of Reiatsu.
She slowly drew her Zanpakuto and held it before her, staring indifferently at Torashi.
"Bankai."
"Songu Chishita."
Lilith’s voice was quite soft and calm, yet it rang in the ears of Yoruichi, Soi Fon, and Omaeda like a crack of thunder.
As the terrifying flash of Reiatsu accompanying the Bankai release spread, the other several hundred Shinigami of the Second Division were also profoundly shocked.
Bankai!
Another Bankai release!
And it was none other than Lilith Hatake, who had joined the Second Division only half a year ago!
"She... she also..."
Soi Fon’s eyes widened, and she whispered in a daze, feeling the massive Captain-level Reiatsu emanating from Lilith’s small frame. For a moment, she even felt as though she were living in a fantastical dream.
Yeruashi had caused such a stir when he achieved Bankai on the very day he received his Asauchi at the Shin'o Academy... so much so that it had completely eclipsed the brilliance of Lilith’s own incredible talent.
She had achieved Shikai on the day she first touched her Asauchi!
"Lil... Lilith... h-how... how did you manage to master... Bankai?!"
Omaeda’s mouth hung open as he struggled to force the words out, his wide eyes looking as if they might pop out of his head at any second.
He had always seen Lilith, who held the rank of sixth officer, as a cute little sister who needed protection. But without him even noticing, this little sister had reached Bankai!
How—and when exactly—had she achieved it?!
"I practiced hard," Lilith said softly, turning her head slightly while keeping a watchful eye on her opponent.
Oh!
So all it took to achieve Bankai was practicing hard?!
I see, it all makes sense now...
'Like hell it does!!!'
Omaeda, standing rooted to the spot with his mouth twitching, felt a strong urge to cough up blood.
If Bankai could be achieved just by practicing hard, then there would be more Bankais in the Soul Society today than there were stray dogs in the streets of Rukongai!!
Yoruichi, falling into a state of stunned lethargy, whispered with a twitch of her lips, "Well, then again... as expected of that irrational monster's little sister."