NOTAKING
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Ble@ch: Chapter 61
🕑 Added 2025-05-06 16:00:36 +0000 UTCWhile Ichigo was resting and preparing himself mentally for his upcoming battle with Kenpachi, chaos was brewing elsewhere.
Captain Aizen, the ever-composed leader of the Fifth Division, was found "dead" by none other than his loyal lieutenant, Momo Hinamori. Her anguished scream echoed through the Seireitei, shattering the tense calm that had lingered over the Soul Society. In her grief and confusion, Momo lashed out, her blade clashing against Izuru Kira, who tried desperately to restrain her.
The scuffle was short-lived — Izuru, with his somber demeanor, managed to subdue her without causing harm, though the hurt in Momo’s eyes would not be so easily healed. Not long after, word of Captain Aizen’s death was officially announced, spreading through the ranks like wildfire.
Yet Ichigo, sharpening his senses and instincts for what lay ahead, wasn't fooled by the news.
'When I fight Aizen, I won't use Final Getsuga. Not feeling like losing my powers, honestly. But... I will make sure that I meet those women in the Fullbringer arc,' he thought, a sharp glint of determination flashing in his eyes.
Elsewhere in the labyrinthine corridors of the Seireitei, Chad and Ganju found themselves hopelessly lost, running through narrow passageways and leaping over rooftops as they tried to find their way.
Unfortunately for them, they would soon cross paths with a sleeping giant.
Captain Shunsui Kyōraku of the Eighth Division was currently sprawled lazily atop a rooftop, his straw hat tilted over his face to shield his eyes from the sun. A gentle breeze carried the sound of distant footsteps — and more importantly, the distinct pulse of Chad's spiritual pressure — to his ears.
Shunsui cracked one eye open, a groggy sigh escaping his lips.
"Aw... they're here already?" he muttered, voice thick with sleep.
Stretching like a cat, he sat up, adjusting his pink kimono and pulling his hat snugly onto his head.
His lieutenant, Nanao Ise, stood at his side, adjusting her glasses with a crisp, efficient motion. She shot him a disapproving look.
"Are you sure you want to go? I can handle the Ryoka myself," she offered, her tone clipped but concerned.
Shunsui chuckled, a teasing glint dancing in his eyes. "Orders from old man Yama are strict, you know. I can't have the Head Captain thinking we’re slacking off." He leaned closer with a sly grin. "Besides, if my dear Nanao-chan went into battle and got herself turned into damaged goods... well, I don't know if my poor heart could take it."
Nanao’s glare sharpened instantly, making Shunsui lean back and lift his hands in surrender.
"If looks could kill," he said with a nervous chuckle.
Meanwhile, Ichigo stood up from where he had been resting, his instincts sharpening like a blade. He could feel Zaraki Kenpachi’s monstrous spiritual pressure drawing closer — a heavy, oppressive force that made the air itself feel thicker, heavier.
Ichigo smirked, excitement thrumming in his chest. That darkness... that raw, violent energy... it wasn't fear he felt. It was the thrill of the fight.
'It's you and me, Zangetsu,' Ichigo thought, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly.
"Of course, Ichigo. You and I are one," came Zangetsu’s steady, grounding voice inside his mind.
He ascended the final staircase, boots thudding against the stone, and stepped out into the open.
The sky above seemed darker, as if the very heavens recoiled from the spiritual pressure that loomed closer. Ichigo felt it — death, murder, chaos — pressing down on him.
And he welcomed it.
With a burst of static, Kenpachi appeared before him, standing tall and wild-eyed, his eyepatch covering one eye and his jagged sword slung lazily over his shoulder. His grin was wide, feral.
"So you're the Ryoka who beat up my squad mates," Kenpachi said, voice low and amused.
Ichigo returned the smirk, his heart pounding with anticipation.
"Yeah. You got a problem with that?"
Kenpachi’s laugh rumbled like distant thunder. "Nah. Anyone who loses deserves to die, anyway. I'm just interested in how strong you are."
He lifted his sword slightly, the metal gleaming under the dim sky.
"I'm Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of the Eleventh Company. I'm here to kill you — or die trying," he said, his spiritual energy exploding outward like a storm, making the ground beneath them tremble and the walls around them groan in protest.
But Ichigo didn't flinch. Instead, he unleashed his own reiatsu in answer — a brilliant, raw surge of power that cracked the ground and sent small stones floating into the air from the sheer pressure.
Craaaack.
The nearby walls fractured like glass under the collision of their energies. Buildings shuddered and parts of the structure crumbled, unable to withstand the sheer intensity of their clash.
Ichigo drew his sword in a flash, leveling it toward Kenpachi.
"Well," he said, his voice low and confident, "I guess you'll have to die, then."
With matching grins, the two warriors closed the distance between them, the battle already igniting the very air around them.
Would you like me to continue it into the start of their fight too? I can make it explosive!
Absolutely — let’s make this battle brutal, fast-paced, and vivid, just like you'd expect from Ichigo vs Kenpachi. I’ll keep the style tight but cinematic, focusing on sharp choreography, collateral destruction, and the feel of blood and pressure. Here we go:
Kenpachi surged forward first — no warning, no hesitation — swinging his jagged blade in a savage, downward arc that split the air with a deafening howl.
Ichigo sidestepped just in time, the blade slamming into the stone floor where he had been standing, exploding the ground into a cloud of dust and rubble. Shards of stone rained around them, slicing shallow cuts into Ichigo’s arms and cheeks. The pressure alone was suffocating.
‘Fast!’ Ichigo thought, his heart pounding as he retaliated.
He pivoted low, Zangetsu flashing in a sharp, upward slash aimed at Kenpachi’s side. But Kenpachi twisted his torso unnaturally fast for a man his size, letting the blade scrape against his torn uniform instead of flesh.
With a savage grin, Kenpachi slammed the pommel of his sword toward Ichigo’s head.
Thunk!
Ichigo barely brought up his forearm to block, the impact sending a sickening jolt through his bones. He was thrown backward, skidding across the cracked ground, dust and rubble exploding with every bounce.
Blood trickled down from Ichigo’s forearm, the skin split open from the raw force of the block.
"Heh... not bad!" Kenpachi roared, charging again with reckless abandon, dragging his sword along the ground — sparks bursting beneath it like a trail of fire.
Ichigo clenched Zangetsu with both hands and met the charge head-on, blades clashing with a shrieking clang that echoed through the ruined courtyard. Their spiritual pressures collided like two storms, sending out a massive shockwave that flattened nearby walls and obliterated a small shrine behind them into dust.
Ichigo pressed forward, pushing against Kenpachi’s strength with pure will. Sparks erupted between their clashing blades, illuminating Kenpachi’s crazed grin and Ichigo’s steely gaze.
"More! Give me more!" Kenpachi bellowed, pressing down harder.
Ichigo gritted his teeth, then slammed a foot into Kenpachi’s knee, buckling the big man just enough. Spinning, Ichigo brought Zangetsu around in a wide, brutal arc aimed for Kenpachi’s side.
Schkkk!
Blood sprayed into the air as Ichigo’s blade bit into Kenpachi’s shoulder, slicing through cloth and flesh.
Kenpachi only laughed, the blood dripping down his arm.
"That's it! That's it, kid!" he shouted, lifting his sword and swinging in a wild, brutal counterattack.
Ichigo ducked under the heavy swing, feeling the blade whistle inches above his head, cutting a deep trench into the stone wall behind him with a sound like ripping mountains.
Without missing a beat, Ichigo launched upward, twisting his body mid-air and driving a savage downward cut toward Kenpachi’s exposed side.
Kenpachi caught the blade with his own — sparks and reiatsu exploding outward in a deafening blast.
The ground beneath them caved in from the force, a crater forming at their feet.
Both men leapt back, panting, blood dripping from fresh wounds.
Ichigo wiped a smear of blood from his brow, Zangetsu hanging at his side, still gleaming with Kenpachi’s blood. His muscles ached, his bones rattled inside his skin, but he grinned.
Kenpachi straightened, blood seeping from the cut on his shoulder, staining the dirt at his feet. He looked at Ichigo with wide, manic eyes filled with nothing but joy.
"You're good, Ryoka! You’re damn good!" he said, slamming his blade onto his shoulder.
Ichigo took a deep breath, tightening his grip on Zangetsu.
‘It’s not enough. I have to go faster — harder — stronger.’
They both moved at the same time, vanishing from sight, colliding mid-air with another earth-shattering crash. The resulting shockwave flattened the ruins even further, sending a cloud of dust a mile high.
Their blades became blurs — clashing, parrying, slicing.
Ichigo ducked under a diagonal slash and drove the butt of his sword into Kenpachi’s ribs. Kenpachi grunted, blood flying from his mouth — but instead of backing off, he headbutted Ichigo with a bone-crunching thud.
Crack!
Ichigo staggered, vision swimming, blood running from a gash at his forehead.
Kenpachi didn’t let up — another wild slash came at him like a reaper’s scythe.
Ichigo roared, bringing Zangetsu up in a desperate counter. Their blades locked again — the metal grinding, vibrating — then Ichigo kicked Kenpachi in the stomach with enough force to send the captain stumbling back several feet, carving trenches into the ground with his heels.
Thud. Thud.
They faced each other again, breathing heavily, both bleeding, both grinning like lunatics. Around them, the once-pristine Seireitei was reduced to a smoking ruin — walls toppled, roofs shattered, the ground cracked like a spiderweb.
This wasn't just a battle.
This was war.
TO BE CONTINUED 
