Bleach: Stirring Up a Storm

The battle continued. No, in Kōe and Urahara’s eyes, what Ikkaku was experiencing right now couldn’t even be called a battle; it was just a one-sided beating.

”That Arrancar over there doesn’t seem to have any murderous intent,” Urahara stated the obvious. If the opponent truly had murderous intent, he wouldn’t be chatting so leisurely with Kōe.

”How fortunate. But our little baldy has plenty of murderous intent,” Kōe mocked, curling his lips. ”He’s going to exhaust himself to death. What an interesting way to die.”

Urahara couldn’t help but laugh out loud. In just a few short minutes, he could barely sense Ikkaku’s Reiatsu anymore. He could only deduce that Ikkaku was still alive and conscious based on the fluctuations of the Arrancar’s Reiatsu from that direction.

Running on fumes—that was Ikkaku’s current state. Of course, Kōe’s description of ’exhausting himself to death’ was also quite fitting.

”Isn’t this just pointing at someone’s nose and shouting, ’You think you can leave without killing me?’” Kōe continued his complaints. Urahara stroked his chin, seemingly offering another possibility in all seriousness, ”Or maybe he’s sending a message to you: ’Are you really not going to save me? Really?’”

Kōe rolled his eyes at Urahara. Angry words were just angry words; he obviously wasn’t going to just watch Ikkaku die. ”Do you know the saying that the less hair you have, the smarter you are?”

”By that logic, Mr. Madarame is already...”

”Exactly. By that logic, his IQ has no room left to grow. Time couldn’t possibly change that idiot even the slightest bit!”

Urahara smiled. ”Then you shouldn’t have held out any hope.”

”That only proves I still underestimated his stupidity,” Kōe retorted stubbornly. Suddenly, he felt Kōki vibrate at his waist. ”What is it, Roca?”

”Yes, Lord Ao.” A female voice appeared out of thin air. ”Reiatsu fluctuations have been detected near Las Noches. They should be heading your way.”

An expression finally appeared on Kōe’s long-frozen face. This test, which had given him zero surprises, could finally end.

”About how much time is left?”

”No more than three minutes.”

”Understood. You all stay safe as well.”

”Yes, sir!”

Urahara was certain there was no one else around them. The source of the voice was Kōki at Kōe’s waist—or, strictly speaking, Kōki’s scabbard. ”An Arrancar under your command? A very interesting ability.”

”A very obedient little girl. I’ll introduce you two when there’s a chance.” As Kōe spoke with a smile, he pulled out a device that looked like a phone. ”Hello, Yoruichi. Calling Yoruichi. Can you hear me?”

”There are no problems on Ichigo’s end, and Rukia only suffered minor injuries.”

”That’s not what I’m worried about.” Kōe patted his head, speaking with a hint of embarrassment. ”Could I ask you to rush over to Ikkaku’s location immediately? I want that Arrancar alive. Three minutes should be enough, right?”

”Two minutes is more than enough.”

”Then let’s make it one minute. I’m afraid that baldy won’t last that long. Also, I’m leaving Kaien’s side to you as well. The faster, the better.”

”Then stop wasting time talking!”

Listening to the dial tone from the phone, Kōe smiled and shook his head. He always couldn’t resist teasing Yoruichi; it always managed to improve his mood significantly.

”I’ll leave Renji to you, Urahara.”

”No problem.”

...

No new Reiatsu had appeared in any of the battlefields. Fine sweat covered Yumichika’s forehead, indicating that Mr. Chōzuka still hadn’t made a move.

As his best friend, he could naturally guess the reason why Ikkaku refused to use Bankai even at the cost of his life. He also believed that if Mr. Chōzuka were to enter the fray, Ikkaku would use his Bankai.

Because of this, Yumichika had been paying attention to the other areas for a long time. As soon as Kōe’s Reiatsu appeared, he would immediately tell Ikkaku, ”Don’t worry, Mr. Chōzuka won’t notice what’s happening here!”

Even if Kōe rushed to their battlefield, it would be fine, as long as he saved Ikkaku. Even if Ikkaku took a massive blow to his pride afterward, it didn’t matter, as long as he survived.

Looking at Ikkaku kneeling in a pool of his own blood, Yumichika finally understood in that moment. ”Bloom wildly, Ruri’iro Kujaku!”

Enjoying the battle, respecting the outcome of the fight—he didn’t care about any of that at all!

Yumichika roared. This was absolutely the most vulgar, ugliest expression he had ever worn in his life, but right now, he had completely thrown all of that to the back of his mind.

The Zanpakutō in his hand transformed into azure vines, surging toward Edrad, who was just about to deliver the final blow to Ikkaku. This was his secret, but compared to keeping that secret, he wanted Ikkaku to live!

’Am I already hallucinating?’ Ikkaku raised his head. A striking flash of azure actually appeared in his already blurred vision. ’Is azure the color I see right before I die this time? How truly bizarre.’

He wasn’t going to make it! Yumichika’s reason told him that he could no longer stop that flame-wreathed fist, but his mouth continued to scream, ”Faster, please, just a little faster!”

It wasn’t that Edrad hadn’t noticed Yumichika. Death was always difficult to accept, but for a man who valued battle above his own life, death was not something to be feared.

”It’s over. You will not disappear. You will continue to fight alongside me, Madarame Ikkaku.”

Edrad closed his eyes. He had mourned in silence for less than a second when his right hand suddenly felt a bit itchy. Was that man still holding on?

Edrad opened his eyes, an involuntary expression of shock plastering itself across his face. His right arm had actually been severed into three pieces, flying off in different directions.

Lowering his gaze, he saw a dark-skinned woman with a ponytail who had appeared in front of him at some unknown point.

”Is the difference really this huge?”

Yoruichi frowned as she looked at the arm she had shattered into three pieces with a single punch. She had only used half her strength, yet it had ended up like this. The hardness of this Arrancar’s Hierro was far too inferior compared to the one from yesterday.

”Woman, you—!”

Yoruichi had no intention of paying him any mind. With a quick pivot, she arrived at his side. Raising her hand like a blade, she brought it down in a swift chop against Edrad’s left arm.

The arm that had seemed invincible when facing Ikkaku was as fragile as a piece of paper in Yoruichi’s hands, instantly snapping and bending backward at a ninety-degree angle.

”Aaaargh!!!”

Edrad immediately wailed in agony, but to Yoruichi’s ears, this only proved one thing: she had still hit him too hard.

’Let’s try halving the power again.’ With that thought in mind, Yoruichi delivered another punch to his abdomen, instantly forcing his noisy wails back down his throat.

’This amount of force is about right.’ Yoruichi had finally found the baseline. As Edrad’s face fell forward, she delivered a swift backhand slap across it.

She couldn’t help it; his face was just too ugly. Of course, this was also Kōe’s fault. Why did he have to ask for a live capture for no reason? He was always causing trouble for people!

This feeling of having to worry about accidentally killing the opponent was simply too frustrating!