novelblue
Chapter 148
Chapter 148
Chapter 148
As Kaelith faced off with K?ga Kuchiki, a sense of dread filled the latter. Hastily, he raised his Zanpakut?, its tip aimed straight at Kaelith, preparing to unleash Hy?ga Seiran , hoping to stop Kaelith with the power of ice.
“Hy?ga Seiran —"
"Ikkotsu!”
Kaelith, unfamiliar with this technique, felt instinctively that allowing K?ga Kuchiki to complete his move would complicate matters significantly.
In the blink of an eye, he unleashed a burst of air pressure, striking K?ga Kuchiki’s sword-wielding arm. The force diverted the direction of the blade towards the back, and the howling icy spiritual pressure erupted from the tip, blasting into the distant dunes and instantly freezing a large section of the sandy terrain.
“Gurk!”
K?ga Kuchiki’s face twisted in pain.
In that moment, the youthful warrior surged forward. Under K?ga Kuchiki’s gaze, Kaelith unleashed a punch—
Boom!
The ground shook as a tremendous spiritual pressure descended from above. The atmosphere vibrated, and light warped.
A kilometer away, Yoruichi grunted, nearly collapsing.
Her astonished eyes watched as a dazzling deep purple spiritual pressure exploded from K?ga Kuchiki. The soaring pillar of spiritual energy formed a powerful barrier around him.
Kaelith recoiled back, his retreat marked by a long trail of dust in the air.
K?ga Kuchiki, panting heavily, revealed a twisted smile.
"Kaelith… you are indeed powerful."
"Fresh from the academy and you already possess Captain-level strength."
"Even the invincible Muramasa could not subdue you!"
"But even so, you have one major flaw—"
"You have not mastered Bankai!"
He spread his arms wide, as if embracing the sky.
"The greatest strength of Bankai is not its miraculous abilities but the enhancement it provides to spiritual pressure!"
"As a genius, my spiritual pressure can increase twelvefold with Bankai!"
"How will you oppose someone with such power?"
Watching K?ga Kuchiki’s almost mad expression, Kaelith scratched his head.
"If it's that useful, why didn't you use it earlier?"
"Because the spiritual pressure of Bankai isn't something to wield lightly," Aizen’s voice intervened from the side.
Kaelith turned to see Aizen approaching, blood dripping from his Zanpakut?, stepping firmly on the spirit particles beneath his feet.
Seeing the reinvigorated gleam of Ky?ka Suigetsu, Kaelith raised an eyebrow.
"Handled?"
"Yes."
Aizen nodded lightly.
Personally 'killing' one’s own Zanpakut? felt strange, but it granted him a better understanding of the principles behind a Zanpakut?’s existence.
He looked at K?ga Kuchiki:
"Indeed, a Shinigami’s spiritual pressure increases tremendously after activating Bankai, but that pressure is Bankai's 'fuel.'"
"A Shinigami’s Bankai is a wondrous and powerful ability, requiring equally powerful spiritual pressure to support it."
"True masters can adjust their spiritual pressure distribution as needed."
"But… K?ga Kuchiki, you lack such skill."
"You rely too heavily on your Zanpakut?'s power, never harnessing the energy meant to support your Bankai."
"It’s a pity, you never anticipated someone like Kaelith, who is utterly immune to your abilities."
"Forced into a corner, you had to abandon Bankai, using all your enhanced spiritual pressure to fortify yourself…"
Hearing Aizen's analysis, Kaelith nodded in realization while K?ga Kuchiki shouted, “Stop looking down on others!”
"Relying on a Zanpakut?, what’s wrong with that for a Shinigami!"
Aizen shook his head, “Look down? No, I actually admire you."
"For someone who lacks foresight, deciding to make such a change was not easy…"
K?ga Kuchiki roared and charged before Aizen could finish.
Aizen smirked, ready for combat. The efficacy of K?ga Kuchiki’s complete hypnosis had diminished greatly with the surge of his spiritual pressure.
Not that he minded much.
His recent taunt wasn’t just casual talk.
A truly powerful individual should be versatile.
Even if a Zanpakut?’s power was restricted, he was still confident he could defeat K?ga Kuchiki.
It was time to show Kaelith what an elegant victory looked like!
Just then, Aizen froze.
His internal spiritual pressure was dropping rapidly.
It was approaching Grade 3 from near Grade 2, and would soon plummet to Grade 4.
The medicine’s effects expiring prematurely?
Perhaps the portion of his soul that had been separated and just reintegrated affected the medication’s efficacy.
He needed to call Kaelith for help!
He turned to Kaelith, about to speak.
But he saw that Kaelith, or rather, a flying kick from Kaelith, was already on its way.
Aizen: “?”
Under his bewildered gaze, Kaelith’s kick landed squarely on him, sending him flying into a dune.
Crawling out of the sand with a murderous intent toward Kaelith, Aizen looked up to see Kaelith blocking K?ga Kuchiki, engaged in fierce combat.
Did he sense the drop in my spiritual pressure and thus kicked me out of the battlefield?
His drop in spiritual pressure had just begun and was almost imperceptible.
To detect such a slight change so quickly, make a judgment, and act on it…
Aizen quietly watched the battle.
He remembered the first time Kaelith revealed his strength.
Back then, despite being surprised, he wasn’t overly pressured.
He was confident that with his talent and effort, he would soon surpass Kaelith.
Yet, that goal remained unachieved even after graduation.
Suddenly, he frowned.
His spiritual pressure had dropped below a crucial threshold.
Although temporary, the intense discomfort significantly weakened his combat effectiveness.
Looking up at the fierce figure in the sky, Aizen’s gaze became contemplative.
Just a moment ago, he was anxious to recover and assist Kaelith.
Now, he felt no rush, even sitting down to rest.
That man had grown.
Whether it was protecting Yoruichi alone earlier or now battling K?ga Kuchiki solo, Kaelith had proven his ability to stand on his own.
Now, it was his turn to prove his growth.
Watching Kaelith, he smiled slightly.
Wait for me up ahead.
I'll be there soon!