Chapter 626: Initial... Experience
Chapter 626: Initial... Experience
"Although I doubt you'll be chopped down in one go, I'll still reduce my strength a little. This time, I'll try with just 30% of my power."
Kenpachi Zaraki, holding his sword, strolled towards Riana, a manic gleam in his eye and a wide grin on his face, revealing his obsession with battle.
Swoosh!!!
As he finished speaking, Zaraki swung his sword at Riana.
Even though it was just a casual swing, the spiritual pressure emanating from Zaraki at that moment was far more terrifying than Byakuya Kuchiki's bankai; it was that of a captain-level Shinigami. Thus, even with a casual swing, and using only a fraction of his strength, it was still extremely formidable!
Even a captain-level Shinigami would have to face this attack from Zaraki with utmost seriousness; otherwise, their Zanpakuto might be broken with a single strike!
Clang!
Riana casually lifted her Zanpakuto, blocking Zaraki's sword with an upward motion, meeting his strike firmly. The two blades collided in the air without the slightest sign of shaking.
Seeing that Riana had blocked his attack, Zaraki's grin widened, and the light in his eyes intensified.
"Now it's my turn to counter."
Riana held her Zanpakuto, blocking Zaraki's sword, and flashed a cute smile that seemed to say, 'I hope you're ready for this.' Then she murmured softly.
As she spoke, her Zanpakuto released its power, sending out invisible ripples in all directions. However, from everyone else's perspective, there seemed to be no change at all.
"Hmm?"
Zaraki paused for a moment.
In his perception, Riana had suddenly disappeared from in front of him.
Swoosh!!
In the next instant, his abdomen was sprayed with blood as he was slashed by Riana's sword, causing him to stagger backward in surprise.
Despite being cut, Zaraki wore a confused expression. He reached out to touch his wound and brought his hand close to his eyes to examine the flowing blood carefully.
"What's going on?"
Swoosh!!
Before he knew it, his shoulder was also slashed, spraying blood.
Zaraki stumbled to the left, clutching his wounded shoulder. He swung his sword backward, but only slashed at empty air, failing to hit anything.
"How did you disappear? Is this your ability?"
Zaraki's eyes darted around, searching for Riana.
She was standing less than two meters in front of him, but he couldn't see her at all. Even when his gaze passed over her, he inexplicably overlooked her presence.
"I've been here the whole time; you're just ignoring me," Riana replied, circling him and tilting her head curiously. Her deep blue eyes shone with a hint of excitement.
Swoosh!
Zaraki suddenly slashed with his sword, not aiming directly at Riana's precise location, but his blade still managed to pass through the spot where she was standing.
Riana was slightly startled and jumped upward to dodge Zaraki's sword, then countered with a slash of her own.
Swoosh!!
Blood sprayed once more.
However, this time, Zaraki wasn't completely caught off guard. As his body was about to be struck by Riana's sword, he sidestepped, causing the wound to be shallow.
"Ignore?"
Zaraki continued to look around, his gaze searching for Riana, who was still invisible to him. Hearing her voice earlier, he asked curiously.
Riana circled Zaraki, her curiosity evident as she said, "That's right. Just like a cloud or a pebble that doesn't catch your attention and is deliberately ignored... But it seems like you can sense me a little bit."
Swoosh!!
As soon as she finished speaking, Zaraki's sword came slashing towards her.
Riana calmly took a step backward, neatly avoiding Zaraki's sword. "But it seems like you can't fully sense me. How strange."
"No," Zaraki said, standing still and continuing to search his surroundings with his eyes. "I can't see or sense you at all. That last swing was purely instinctual."
At this point, he grinned widely, a gleam of excitement flashing in his eyes. "But since you're not completely gone, and my sword can indeed hit you, that's enough!"
A battle where he couldn't see his opponent was boring.
A battle where he couldn't kill his opponent was also boring.
Although he didn't know what was obscuring his perception, preventing him from sensing Riana's presence, as long as her physical body was still there, as long as he could hit and kill her, that was all that mattered!
This battle wouldn't lose its excitement!
"Ha!!!"
Zaraki roared in excitement, swinging his sword wildly in all directions, his strikes chaotic and unpredictable. He covered a wide area with his frenzied slashes.
Kenpachi stepped forward, continuing his assault within the range of his sword.
Riana retreated once more, exiting Kenpachi's attack range again. She propped her chin with one hand, thoughtfully observing Kenpachi's movements, and said, "So that's how it is. No wonder Dad calls you a 'beast'."
"Yaaaahhhh!!!"
Hearing Riana's voice, Kenpachi roared instinctively, stepping to his right and swinging his sword fiercely towards Riana's location.
Although this strike wasn't entirely accurate and was slightly off, it did bring Riana within his attack range.
"What a powerful beastly instinct," Riana exclaimed. She then took a step forward, and in an instant, she vanished from her original spot and reappeared behind Kenpachi.
Swish!!
A gleam of light sliced through the air.
Kenpachi's body froze in place, maintaining his sword-swinging posture. His eyes shifted backward, and then a gush of blood spurted from his chest and abdomen, causing him to kneel on the ground.
"My first taste of battle feels pretty good. I'll stop here," Riana said as she sheathed her Zanpakuto, releasing her Bankai. She turned to face the half-kneeling Kenpachi and spoke with a hint of satisfaction.
Kenpachi knelt on the ground, using his sword to support himself. Although he wasn't mortally wounded, his injuries were severe. However, instead of feeling pain, he felt an unprecedented and unparalleled sense of euphoria.
Before meeting Riana, he had never experienced a true battle!
All his previous enemies were as fragile as tofu, easily cut down with a single strike of his sword. None could withstand his attacks.
Now, he had encountered someone who could withstand his slashes and possessed greater strength, someone who could inflict severe injuries on him and potentially kill him if the fight continued!
Battles where he couldn't kill his opponents were boring.
And battles where he couldn't be killed were equally dull.
This was the first time he had experienced a fight where he could both deal and receive damage, a fight where he could be slain. To him, this was the true joy of combat, something he had never felt before!
Strictly speaking, both he and Riana were experiencing their first real taste of battle.
"Wh... What's your name...?" Kenpachi asked, looking at Riana with excited and fervent eyes.
He didn't continue the fight by getting up again, as he knew that if he did, he would surely die. And now that he had just experienced the true thrill of battle, he refused to accept death.
So, he wouldn't seek to continue fighting Riana at this moment. Instead, he would heal his wounds, and once he recovered, he would find her again for another battle!
"Riana," she replied with a smile.
Swish! Swish!!
Just then, several captain-level spiritual pressures rapidly approached from a distance, reaching their vicinity in the blink of an eye and surrounding the area.
At the forefront was Captain-Commander Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, along with the 4th Division Captain, Retsu Unohana, the 8th Division Captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, and others.
"..."
Retsu glanced at the ground not far away and noticed Kenpachi Kiganjo's corpse. A subtle gleam flashed in her eyes, and she turned to look at Riana and Kenpachi, asking, "Did you kill Captain Kiganjo?"
Kenpachi glanced at Kiganjo's body and used his sword to prop himself up. "You mean that guy? Yeah, he's a bit tougher to cut down."
"I see," Retsu said, her eyes appraising Kenpachi. She then closed her eyes.
Beside her, Shigekuni glared at Kenpachi and asked sternly, "Arrogant and rude... Why did you kill Captain Kiganjo?!"
Kenpachi leaned back slightly, shifting his gaze elsewhere, and spread his hands in a casual gesture. "He wanted to cut me, so I cut him. I just cut him a little deeper."
"You scoundrel!" Shigekuni rebuked.
Retsu opened her eyes and interrupted Shigekuni, "Since that was the situation, it should be considered a duel between Captain Kiganjo and him, and he was killed by Captain Kiganjo... According to the 11th Division's rules, he is the next captain and Kenpachi."
The members of the 11th Division exchanged looks with each other before cautiously speaking up.
Shigekuni closed his eyes momentarily, pausing for a few seconds before opening them again to look at Kenpachi Zaraki. "Then that settles it."
After saying this, he turned his head towards Riana's direction and asked in a deep voice, "May I ask who you are?"
Although he didn't recognize Riana, the spiritual pressure and fluctuations emanating from her were very familiar to him. It was the power of the Soul King, a unique spiritual pressure possessed by the members of the Zero Squad.
Undoubtedly,
Riana was someone from the Royal Palace.
The young girl stood there, looking at Shigekuni, blinking her eyes, and said with a giggle, "Guess."
Shigekuni's expression froze momentarily.
Beside him, Shunsui Kyoraku's lips twitched, and he helplessly said, "With such spiritual pressure and abilities, it could only be Her Highness."
After finishing his sentence, Shunsui bowed to Riana and said seriously, "Greetings, Your Highness."
The Gotei 13 was not entirely ignorant of Riana's existence. The Head of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, Ikkaku Madarame, had once conveyed news about Riana, the second daughter of Fengye.
The other captains also closed their eyes slightly, restraining their actions, and followed Shunsui's lead by bowing to Riana.
Riana's gaze swept across the captains, finally resting on Soi Fon, the captain of the 2nd Division. She sized Soi Fon up and down, stroking her chin thoughtfully.
"You may rise."
"I wonder what brings Her Highness here today."
Shigekuni inquired in a low voice, addressing Riana.
Riana walked around Soi Fon in a semicircle, speaking as Soi Fon looked at her with a puzzled expression. "I'm just here to play."
"I see..."
Shigekuni nodded slightly and said, "Then Soi Fon will accompany you during your visit to the Seireitei."
"Yes."
Hearing Shigekuni's words, Soi Fon responded with a quiet "Yes."
With the situation on one side resolved, the captains turned their attention back to Kenpachi. They saw that he, too, was looking in Riana's direction.
"So, you're a princess? That's quite unexpected. But what's this about a captain and Kenpachi? Do you want me to become a captain of the Gotei 13? I don't like taking orders, though."
"Your wounds are severe. Let me treat them."
Stepping forward, Retsu approached Kenpachi and calmly spoke.
Kenpachi looked at Retsu, tilting his head, and said, "Then I appreciate it."
"You killed the captain of the 11th Division, leaving a vacancy. According to the rules, you must fill that position, and as the one who slew him, you are the new Kenpachi."
Retsu administered healing Kido towards Kenpachi's wounds.
Kenpachi furrowed his brows, about to refuse, but then he saw the endless mountains of corpses and seas of blood reflected in Retsu's calm and serene eyes.
"!"
Kenpachi's expression changed.
After a brief pause, he let out a sound of acknowledgment and looked at Retsu, grinning as he said, "Becoming Kenpachi and serving as a captain won't interfere with my battles, will it?"
"No, you'll get to face even stronger opponents."
Retsu turned around and replied calmly.
Kenpachi turned his head towards Shigekuni and said, "Alright, then I'll do it."
"..."
Shigekuni closed his eyes, leaning on his cane, and took a few steps forward before speaking. "Your name."
Kenpachi looked at Shigekuni's back and responded with a grin, "Kenpachi, Zaraki Kenpachi!"
Shigekuni continued walking, not stopping or turning back, and said, "Spring Water, go prepare the captain promotion ceremony and then take Captain Zaraki to the 11th Division to take up his post."
"Don't dump such a headache-inducing task on me, old man."
Shunsui's lips twitched, and he wore an helpless expression, but in the end, he had no choice but to turn to Kenpachi and say, "I am Shunsui Kyoraku, captain of the 8th Division. I look forward to working with you, Captain Zaraki."
(End of Chapter)
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