Fate in Bleach: Unlimited Blade Works!

Boom!

Boom!

Boom!

To the Eleventh Division members, Zaraki and Ailin's movements were no longer visible. They could only gauge the intensity of the battle through the deafening roars echoing from the sky and the powerful shockwaves that rippled outwards.

The reason they could even witness these remnants of the fight was due to the captains who had come to observe.

To prevent the shockwaves from spreading too far and causing widespread damage to the Soul Society, Retsu Unohana, Byakuya Kuchiki, Shunsui Kyōraku, and Soi Fon had positioned themselves at the four corners of the battlefield, erecting a Kidō barrier to contain the aftershocks within a kilometer radius.

Their faces were grim as they felt the relentless assault of shockwaves against the barrier.

He's so strong!

Especially Soi Fon and Byakuya Kuchiki, who had never witnessed a battle of this intensity.

Byakuya had seen his Uncle Ailin release his Bankai, but back then, he hadn't been able to comprehend the true extent of his power. Even now, he still didn't know. But judging by this battle, his uncle's strength far surpassed his imagination.

"Hahaha, hahaha…"

Zaraki's laughter echoed from within the barrier. His joy was palpable even to those outside. Golden reiatsu now blazed around him.

Likewise, Ailin's body was enveloped in a white aura.

Each clash of their blades was like a miniature nuclear explosion. And this was just their base forms.

As the battle progressed, Ailin, with his superior swordsmanship, began to suppress Zaraki.

Even with their spiritual pressure at the same level, Ailin's attacks were more powerful. Zaraki was forced onto the defensive, retreating step by step.

On several occasions, if Ailin hadn't slowed his attacks, allowing Zaraki to change direction, they would have shattered the barrier.

Boom!

Ailin swung his sword. Zaraki blocked, but the force of the impact sent him staggering back.

Not only that, but the aftershock of Ailin's attack, a white energy wave, pushed against Zaraki, carving two gray trails in the air as his feet skidded back.

Before Zaraki could regain his balance, Ailin vanished, reappearing above him and bringing his sword down.

Boom!

This time, Zaraki only had time to raise his Zanpakutō in a desperate attempt to block. Ailin's attack sent him crashing to the ground, creating a deep crater.

Ailin held up his Zanpakutō high, white reiatsu swirled around the blade. Then, he swung down.

"Getsuga—Tenshō!"

"This…"

The four captains maintaining the barrier paled.

While Ailin's attack was directed downwards, away from them, they could still sense its power.

That ferocious wave of spiritual energy, condensed into a single slash, seemed capable of splitting the entire Soul Society in two.

Zaraki, the target of that attack, felt the chill of death upon him. If he couldn't block this, he would die!

Thump-thump, thump-thump…

For a moment, Zaraki's eyes widened and the sound of his heartbeat spread throughout his body. Finally, facing this life-or-death crisis, he roared.

"Devour—Nozarashi!"

Boom!

An overwhelming surge of spiritual pressure erupted from his body. It was so powerful that everyone in the Soul Society felt as if a weight had been placed upon them.

The Shinigami nearby trembled, their legs turning to jelly. But the Eleventh Division members' eyes shone with pride, not fear.

Look! This was their captain and vice-captain.

This was the Soul Society's "Strongest Shinigami"!

Within the Seireitei, Head-Captain Yamamoto stood before the First Division captain's office, gazing towards the distant Rukongai, his captain's haori billowing in the wind.

Behind him, Chōjirō Sasakibe, his lieutenant, stood at attention, his expression stoic, as if the immense spiritual pressure emanating from Rukongai didn't faze him in the slightest.

"He's finally awakened…"

Sensing that power, Yamamoto's eyes narrowed to slits.

Over two hundred years ago, when Unohana had requested him to teach Zaraki swordsmanship, he had agreed.

But upon meeting Zaraki, he had sensed the vast spiritual pressure slumbering within him, a power that rivaled his own.

He had feared that if he taught Zaraki true swordsmanship, unleashing his full potential, the next Head-Captain might not be able to control him.

Thus, he had used certain methods to make Zaraki despise swordsmanship, deterring him from pursuing that path.

Of course, to honor his agreement with Unohana, he had taught Zaraki "Two-Handed Swordsmanship."

He hadn't expected that his actions would backfire.

Zaraki's potential had been fully awakened.

With the Quincy invasion looming, Zaraki's strength would undoubtedly bolster the Seireitei's defenses.

But a seed of worry took root in Yamamoto's heart.

To fight Zaraki in his Shikai state, he would need to be a thousand years younger. Only then could he stand a chance.

But even Zaraki at this level couldn't force Ailin to reveal his true strength…

Had Ailin already surpassed the limits of a Shinigami?

…

"Devour—Nozarashi!"

Zaraki's golden reiatsu surged as his battered Zanpakutō transformed into a massive cleaver with a handle nearly half its length.

He gripped the handle with both hands and swung upwards, meeting Ailin's descending attack.

In an instant, a massive golden energy wave collided with Ailin's Getsuga Tenshō.

The world seemed to darken.

The sky above was divided into two colors.

White above, gold below.

Where the two colors met, a star-shaped explosion erupted.

Boom!

A mushroom cloud, hundreds of meters high, rose into the sky, its brilliance blinding the Shinigami below.

The barrier erected by the four captains shattered as the powerful shockwave rushed outwards.

"Scatter—Senbonzakura!"

"Infinite Shunpo!"

Byakuya Kuchiki instantly drew his Zanpakutō and released its Shikai.

Countless cherry blossom blades formed a sea of pink around him.

Soi Fon, without releasing her Zanpakutō, activated her ultimate technique, Infinite Shunpo, a move that rivaled the Bankai of other captains.

The cherry blossoms and the endless wind, controlled by Byakuya and Soi Fon, formed two barriers, desperately attempting to block the shockwave.

If they didn't, over ninety percent of the Eleventh Division members behind them would be killed.

The barriers buckled under the pressure, but thankfully, the shockwave's power diminished as it spread. Finally, after pushing Byakuya and Soi Fon back dozens of meters, it dissipated.

The cherry blossoms, having fulfilled their purpose, returned to Byakuya's sheath. He glanced at the battle before him, then, without even calling out to Renji, turned and left.

This battle had shaken him to his core. He was far weaker than not just his Uncle Ailin but even Zaraki. He was simply too weak. He needed to focus on improving his own strength instead of watching their fight.

As the mushroom cloud dissipated, the others finally saw Ailin and Zaraki.

Ailin stood in the air, his clothes fluttering in the wind, seemingly unaffected by their clash.

On the ground, Zaraki, his massive Zanpakutō slung over his shoulder, stood covered in blood.

Two bottomless abysses, smoking faintly, marked the spot where Ailin's attack, split in two by Zaraki, had struck the earth.

It was clear that Zaraki had lost their clash.

His attack had barely managed to cleave through Ailin's before dissipating. Even Zaraki himself had been injured by the force of the impact. Ailin's attack, though split in two, had still carved deep furrows into the earth.

The difference in their strength was undeniable.

Ailin glanced at Zaraki, then his Zanpakutō transformed into golden light and vanished. He turned to leave.

"Wait, our battle isn't over yet…"