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Chapter 316 B
🕑 Added 2025-04-12 15:02:01 +0000 UTCChapter 316
2-in-1 chapter:
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“Blow it away, Tachikaze!”
Amid flickering light, the long blade in Muguruma Kensei’s hand transformed into a dagger. Threads of raging wind whirled around him, twisting into strands like razor wire.
Not far away, Ulquiorra stood impassively.
Though in truth he was far older than Kensei, in appearance he looked younger—pale skin, medium-length black hair, a slender frame, wearing a long yukata that accentuated his figure, giving him the air of a drifting swordsman out for a tipsy stroll.
You could toss him onto some Edo-era Thieve’s stage production, and he wouldn’t seem out of place.
With his Zanpakutō released, Kensei roared and charged at Ulquiorra.
Originally, he’d wanted to present himself with a certain dignity: if the enemy wasn’t using Reiatsu but relying on pure technique, maybe he too should refrain from using Reiatsu. But once they clashed, he realized he wasn’t on this guy’s level at all.
This seemingly gentle, thin-framed youth fought like a monster: every strike was ruthless, each blow aiming to kill. Even without a blade, the sharpness of his hand blows felt as lethal as steel.
His skin was so hard Kensei’s Zanpakutō barely left a scratch.
Worst of all was his uncanny combat experience.
As a Captain, Kensei had been through countless battles. By rights, his own battle instincts were formidable. Yet in front of this pale stranger, he felt like a rookie. Every technique got casually picked apart. So, with no choice left, Kensei released his Zanpakutō.
Countless whips of wind, each like a finely-honed blade, swept in from all directions toward Ulquiorra.
Faced with this barrage, Ulquiorra decided not to tank it. Normally, in his true form, he could trust he wouldn’t be cut. But right now, he wore a Gigai that only synced part of his hierro. If it got wrecked, his Hollow Reiatsu would leak out—causing trouble for Lord Kaelith.
Ulquiorra raised his hand.
A Zanpakutō dropped into his grasp out of thin air.
Swish!
He drew the blade, slashing in a single sweeping arc. Over a dozen lines of wind were sliced apart.
Just like before, he used no Reiatsu at all, purely physical power.
Kensei grew even angrier.
How much did this guy plan to look down on him?
He advanced rapidly, conjuring yet more cords of wind.
Ulquiorra could see Kensei had worked himself into a frenzy. He reckoned that if the fight went on, it wouldn’t end quickly. He’d already killed the man he came for; might as well leave.
Deciding so, he turned to depart.
Alarmed, Kensei shouted, “Don’t think you can run!!”
He flicked his blade, sending half a dozen wind threads lashing across Ulquiorra’s path.
“So many flaws…” Ulquiorra shook his head.
Kensei’s ability wasn’t bad. Wind was swift, so even someone like Ulquiorra, famed for speed among the Hollows, couldn’t ignore it if used well. But Kensei’s use was sloppy—rushing to cast out the wind whips without sealing off his target’s escape.
Ulquiorra felt a twinge of emotion. That white haori suggested this man was a Captain. And yet…he was nowhere near Lord Kaelith’s standard.
Just as Ulquiorra was about to move, he sensed danger behind him and jumped back. Right after he vacated that spot, a golden whip cracked horizontally through the air where he’d stood.
A direct hit would have shattered his Gigai.
He glanced up.
A gold-haired man hovered in midair, Zanpakutō transformed into a gilded whip, looking down on them from above.
“Rōjūrō!!” Kensei let out a relieved breath upon seeing the newcomer.
Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō gave a small nod, about to speak—when Ulquiorra, who had been on the ground a second before, abruptly appeared right in front of him.
Startled, Rōjūrō only had time to watch Ulquiorra raise his blade one-handed and slash in a single stroke.
Clang!!
Rōjūrō hurriedly used his weapon to block, but the brutal force still knocked him diagonally out of the sky, crashing with a boom into a building below.
Kensei stared in shock, feeling like he had just “seen a Komamura.” ( See note:)
That dark-haired man had leaped dozens of meters upward in a single bound without any Reiatsu stepping, landed a blow on Rōjūrō, and sent him flying?
How unbelievably strong was his physical body?
…
News of the chaos in the Noble District spread swiftly.
At the Eleventh Division, a Shinigami ran inside.
“Lieutenant Zaraki! Something’s happened! A commoner killed a noble!”
“Uh…?”
Zaraki Kenpachi cracked open an eye from where he’d been dozing under a tree. He was a bit intrigued.
Who had the guts to do that? Might be worth meeting.
Ichimaru Gin grinned, relishing the drama. Most of the other squad members looked mildly surprised, then carried on.
Komamura, fiddling with a new weapon, turned and asked, “Details? Why did the fight break out?”
“Word is, that noble insulted Big Bro!” the Shinigami replied.
“…?”
Dead silence fell on the group.
Gin’s smile disappeared. He set his hand on his Zanpakutō hilt.
Kenpachi stood. He opened his mouth to speak, but Grimmjow jumped in first.
“That bastard! Who’s got the death wish to insult Lord Kaelith?”
He glanced at the Eleventh Division members he’d been sparring with.
“Hey, you lot, come with me! We’ll slaughter that fool!”
“Oh!!!”
Dozens stood at once, yelling in support.
Seeing them so fired up, the other members also got excited and followed. Kenpachi gave a small shrug. “That kid’s gotten real cozy fast.”
But it saved him the trouble of shouting first. As they headed out, Harribel and Nelliel appeared.
“Grimmjow, what are you doing?”
They’d only just returned from wandering around, and already Grimmjow was leading a huge group of Shinigami, seemingly off to fight.
He snapped, “Some noble insulted Lord Kaelith!”
Before the words even finished, the killing aura from both women flared. Quite a few of the weaker Shinigami shivered.
“Then take us there. We’ll end them,” Harribel declared.
“Heh, just try to keep up!” Grimmjow marched out the Eleventh’s gate with a small army.
Watching them go, Yumichika wore a complicated expression.
Does anybody know where they’re even going?
Besides, didn’t someone say that noble was already dead? So who’re they gonna chop?
Over a hundred Shinigami stormed toward the Noble District.
Partway, they encountered another group—Captain Unohana Retsu and Lieutenant Yamada Seinosuke leading a large team of medical Shinigami. Having heard a noble was under attack, the Fourth Division rushed over.
Seeing the Eleventh’s crowd, Unohana stepped in front of them.
“Hold on, what’s going on?”
Grimmjow scowled at her sudden appearance. “Woman, get outta—”
He trailed off, eyes bulging.
In his view, Unohana’s gentle smile radiated an overwhelming ocean of bloodlust. Even a veteran killer of Hollows like Grimmjow felt as though someone was squeezing his heart.
“What happened?”
Gin hastily replied, “Captain Unohana, some noble insulted Big Bro. Our folks… took care of him, so now there’s a slight commotion.
“We’re just trying to get it sorted so you can do your healing work. We won’t cause you trouble!”
As part of Kaelith’s main faction, Gin had seen Unohana’s terrifying side before. If Grimmjow angered her, it’d be dreadful.
Unohana didn’t budge. She partially opened her eyes, chilling the air.
“A noble… insulting Yū-kun?”
“Heh heh, fine, then. I’ll see which noble it is. Let their entire clan die in a… medical accident.”
With that, she strode away toward the Noble District, thick killing intent in her wake.
Gin: “…”
Well, that was unexpected, but it works for us?
…
At the Noble District, three figures clashed and intertwined in the sky. Kensei had worked himself into a fury.
He felt this aloof pretty boy was belittling him— no Reiatsu used, purely physical skill.
He was a Captain, damn it. This was humiliating.
Meanwhile, Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō was thinking more deeply:
It was evident Ulquiorra didn’t want a big fight—he’d no desire for a final showdown. Why insist on not using Reiatsu if he wanted to just leave quickly?
Clearly, the man’s Reiatsu must be extremely distinctive; the moment it showed, his identity would be exposed.
Rōjūrō conjured up multiple possibilities: a Tsunayashiro rebel holdout, a fugitive from the Shin’ō Academy prison, or an exiled Shinigami…
In any case, they couldn’t let him escape.
Meanwhile, sensing the surging Reiatsu from the fight, Shinji Hirako led a few dozen Shinigami over.
The Fifth Division was close to the Noble District. He guessed it could be serious and came to prevent further turmoil.
Inside the carriage, the once-terrified nobles—seeing Shinji arrive—finally rallied, their anger flaring.
“Hey you, kill that bastard!”
“Hack him to pieces—avenge Lord Koshima!”
Avenge, huh? Shinji frowned, peering inside. Noticing the headless corpse, his expression changed dramatically. A noble had died— this was huge.
He gritted his teeth. “Surround the area!”
At his command, the Fifth Division members began forming a perimeter.
Suddenly, a shout rang out:
“All of you, on the ground— this is Eleventh Division business!!”
Kenpachi stepped forth, accompanied by Komamura, Gin, Tōsen, Grimmjow, plus a swarm of Eleventh members. Their collective aura was intimidating. Over a hundred of them fanned out, enveloping the Fifth Division’s group.
Shinji scowled. “Lieutenant Zaraki, stop fooling around! Something terrible’s happened here!”
“‘Terrible’? Which noble insulted Big Bro? Step forward!” Kenpachi roared.
Shinji realized where this was headed. He was also irritated—did the Eleventh not care about the law? Did they kill a noble just for a few insults?
Did they understand the consequences?
He grasped the hilt at his waist.
Seeing this, Gin discreetly drew his blade.
“Fifth Division, are you obstructing the Fourth Division’s medical efforts?” came Unohana’s voice. She’d arrived with a large group of medics in tow.
Though the Fourth handled healing, under Lieutenant Yamada’s influence, they weren’t entirely helpless in battle anymore as they used to be. One by one, they drew swords. Maybe they lacked power, but the spectacle alone was daunting.
“We’re here, Captain!”
A bunch of Shinigami in white coats raced up. At first glance, one might think a team of captains had arrived, but closer inspection revealed the back of their white garments read “Muguruma Ninth Division,” not a division number.
It was the elite Ninth Division unit Kensei had built over the decades. Over a hundred men charged up, alarmed at seeing their Captain mid-battle, promptly drawing Zanpakutō.
When the Ninth unsheathed, the Eleventh refused to be outdone:
“What’s that— you guys want a fight?!”
The Ninth Division members hesitated. They had come here to handle a violent culprit. Why was the Eleventh interfering? Could it be these Eleventh folks were behind the assault?
Given the Eleventh’s reputation, that wasn’t a stretch. The Ninth members glared warily, blades poised.
Kenpachi responded with a murderous grin.
Just then, someone yelled:
“The Noble Division is here!”
All turned to see Shiba Isshin at the head of a large force, over two hundred strong. As the squad nearest the Noble District with the least routine workload, they’d arrived with the biggest numbers.
The Ninth Division men brightened. If the Sixth was on the side of the nobles, they’d help suppress the Eleventh’s mania, right?
Isshin surveyed the huge standoff in surprise. All this over one noble being attacked?
He spotted the Eleventh folks he recognized and hurried over.
“What’s happened?”
After hearing Gin’s explanation, Isshin’s face darkened.
These nobles never learn, do they?
Glancing at the tense standoff, Isshin thought a moment, then commanded:
“Surround the Ninth Division.”
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Note: Forgot to explain this but as you might have noticed the expression "seen a Komamura." or something similar involving Komamura the past few chapters.
Here is what it means. That line is just a small in-joke or playful twist on the usual phrase “like he’d seen a ghost.” In canon Bleach, there’s no official idiom “seen a Komamura.” The joke is basically substituting Komamura (the large, canine-faced Captain) for “ghost” or “apparition” to imply a comedic degree of shock.
It is less boring than saying " seen a ghost." since that expression is so common and generic. So just a fun change ;)
Comments
אביעד ווקנין
Thanks for the chapter, loved it! Hope you will keep up with the good work 🙂
Striker
Haha I feel you.
N
Yep, as usual this series is the best. I don't suppose I could convince you to give up on 1 or 2 of your other series to focus on this one? 😆
