Help! I am bound to Aizen!

Chapter 165

Chapter 165

Under Aizen’s watchful gaze, Kaelith drew his Zanpakut? and stabbed the Tenshintai straight through.

If most Shinigami had the choice between independently achieving Bankai or using a Tenshintai, they would prefer the former. After all, developing Bankai on one’s own was the more orthodox, reassuring method.

But Kaelith would choose the Tenshintai without hesitation.

From his days as a student, he had worked hard at sword meditation, trying to communicate with his Zanpakut? and learn Shikai. Yet all this time, he had never once entered his Zanpakut?’s inner world.

Although he eventually obtained a Shikai, it was unreliable. After granting him Shikai powers, the sword still wouldn’t give its name. Thanks to that, he had long since given up on learning Bankai through communication.

Now that Urahara and Aizen had developed the Tenshintai ahead of schedule, it was like rain after a drought, or a pillow delivered just when you want to sleep.

Already invincible in his own mind, how could he lose to a mere sword?

Kaelith brimmed with confidence.

Two seconds passed after the Tenshintai was pierced by Kaelith’s blade. Then, as if melting like wax, it turned into a black liquid and flowed to the ground. In the blink of an eye, the human-shaped board vanished, replaced by shadows spreading in all directions, covering a wide area of ground!

Seeing the shadows approach, Aizen flashed into the air. He didn’t want to be caught in the crossfire.

“Oh…”

Unlike Aizen, Kaelith didn’t jump away immediately. On the contrary, he lifted one foot and pressed it onto the shadowy surface.

He had just opened his mouth to comment when the shadows, already spread over a hundred meters, suddenly rose up on all sides like a trap, trying to enclose him completely!

“Trying to wrap me up like dumpling filling?”

Kaelith tilted his head.

Just before the shadow cage closed in, he flickered to the edge, his blade flashing coldly!

Silently, the shadow cage was split open, and Kaelith slipped out easily.

Then, he skillfully lifted his blade upward, striking at empty air before him.

Clang!!

Though nothing could be seen, there was a sharp sound of metal clashing.

Kaelith grinned. “How many times have I used this ability? Trying that on me won’t work.”

With that, he kicked forward, sending the invisible swordsman flying.

Then, raising his Zanpakut? high, he brought it down with force. A long arc of sword pressure tore through the shadow cage—

Screeech!!

The giant shadow cage was ripped apart by the sword pressure.

Seeing this, Kaelith shook his head.

“Too slow. If I were controlling it, I could’ve dodged that swing easily. It had such a long wind-up.”

The torn shadow twisted for a moment, then slowly gathered into a human-shaped swordsman. Its figure—build, height, even the outline of hair and clothing—was no different from Kaelith’s.

Kaelith’s eyes lit up.

So this was the classic trope of fighting oneself seen in hot-blooded manga?

For most protagonists, this was a difficult and painful ordeal, but Kaelith was excited.

He had long wanted to know what it felt like to fight himself!

“Come!”

He beckoned to the shadow copy.

The shadow shifted its footing and rushed at him.

Seeing that it still wielded a blade, Kaelith’s eyes revealed a hint of distaste, but he politely raised his own sword and went to meet it.

In an instant, the two figures exchanged dozens of blows.

Aizen raised his arm to shield himself from the shockwaves of spiritual pressure. Occasionally, sharp sword energy whistled past him. One careless moment and he might be hurt.

Observing their battle, Aizen felt puzzled.

It was too easy.

From his and Urahara Kisuke’s experience, the Zanpakut? materialized by the Tenshintai should be no weaker than its wielder. Sometimes, knowing all the user’s abilities, it could even outperform them.

On a first encounter, the manifested Zanpakut? might be stronger than the Shinigami.

Yet here Kaelith was, completely overpowering it from the start.

While Aizen pondered, Kaelith gained the upper hand again.

He locked both hands on his sword and chopped the shadow down. He cleaved a large gap into the shadow’s form, which then slowly restored itself.

“Huh, you’re weaker than when I use you,” Kaelith said, disappointed.

As he spoke, he casually tossed his own sword aside.

Thunk!

The Zanpakut? stuck into the ground nearby.

Without a sword in hand, Kaelith grabbed his Shihakush? by the chest and tore it off, baring his upper body.

Rolling his shoulders a couple of times, he smiled at the shadow.

“Testing is over. It’s time to end this fight.”

In midair, Aizen frowned slightly.

Just now, when Kaelith threw down his sword, Aizen thought he glimpsed something inside the shadow trying to break out.

Kaelith shouted and charged at the shadow. He balled his fists and opened with a “One Bone.”

Boom!!!

His punch landed on the shadow, sending ripples through it. The once-solid shadow dimmed.

The shadow retaliated by slashing at Kaelith’s shoulder. Kaelith raised his other hand and simply caught the blade. In his grip, the once-sharp edge felt like a wooden stick.

With a yank, he pulled the shadow off balance, sending it sprawling.

Then he lashed out a kick to the left, again using One Bone, launching Tenshintai flying. The sock and sandal on that foot burst apart under the pressure, leaving his foot bare.

Sensing the feedback, Kaelith estimated the Tenshintai wouldn’t move again for a few minutes.

Looking at the shadow rising once more, Kaelith shrugged.

“What’s wrong, man? Why are you fighting so poorly?”

“I thought you might have some hidden trick, but I’m disappointed.”

The moment he finished speaking, he raised his eyebrows.

Was it his imagination, or did something inside the shadow wriggle, as if struggling to emerge, when he taunted it?

…Probably his imagination. The shadow was naturally twisting and turning. This wasn’t some strange world where something was hidden inside.

Though disappointed in the Zanpakut?’s power, it was still his sword. Kaelith decided to give it a dignified end.

Taking a deep breath, he lifted both arms into a ready stance.

With his movement, a terrifying spiritual pressure burst forth. Blue flames roared around him, instantly covering his arms, shoulders, and back.

In the azure blaze, Kaelith’s face flickered with shadows, looking like a demon.

From within the flames, Kaelith spoke:

“Shunk?: Infernal Chariot!”

Feeling the vibrant spiritual energy surging from Kaelith, Aizen’s eyes sparkled with interest.

So this was the secret technique Kaelith had learned recently from the Shih?in family.

It seemed to go beyond simple elemental spiritual pressure. The power was integrated into his body, each enhancing the other. Truly impressive.

Aizen stroked his chin. He specialized in Kid?, and secondarily in swordsmanship. Hakuda wasn’t something he studied often—usually only when assisting Kaelith.

But seeing this fusion of Kid? and Hakuda piqued his interest.

Kaelith raised his hand, examining the blue flames dancing around his fist.

Compared to Yoruichi, he had a great advantage when using Shunk?. Activating Shunk? would normally destroy parts of the clothing on one’s arms and back. Yoruichi needed specially tailored outfits to expose those areas. Kaelith, however, fought mostly bare-chested anyway, so no such worries.

Igniting Shunk?, Kaelith moved instantly before the shadow, driving his flame-wreathed fist forward—

Boom!!!!!!!

A terrifying blue inferno erupted, lighting the sky as though igniting the entire mountaintop in blue fire.

As the heat wave passed, the shadow reappeared, its body covered in blue flames. It looked on the verge of collapse.

High above, Aizen was surprised.

Judging just raw punching force, this was weaker than One Bone. But the accompanying flames inflicted special damage.

For a highly defensive foe like this shadow, Shunk? was undoubtedly better than relying on One Bone’s brute force.

Most importantly, these techniques likely weren’t mutually exclusive…

Imagining that combination, Aizen felt a chill.

Kaelith didn’t let the shadow recover. Unlike Double Bone, which harmed him too, Shunk? had almost no drawback other than draining spiritual energy faster. He could attack without hesitation.

Soon, the shadow lost all ability to resist.

With Kaelith’s final blow, it twisted, then vanished into thin air.

Kaelith: “?”

As the shadow disappeared, Kaelith felt something refill his Zanpakut?, which lay where he had tossed it.

The problem: he still didn’t feel like he had learned Bankai.

When Aizen approached with Shunpo, Kaelith explained the situation.

Aizen frowned, perplexed.

According to his and Urahara’s design and tests, the Tenshintai worked correctly. Defeating the manifested Zanpakut? spirit should grant Bankai.

Why didn’t it work?

After thinking a few seconds, he said:

“Maybe a quality control issue… try another piece. With your strength, beating your Zanpakut? again isn’t a problem.”

Kaelith nodded. He thought so too.

He summoned the shadow once more.

This time, the shadow appeared even fainter. From the moment it manifested, it began to distort.

Kaelith didn’t care and charged in again.

If the Zanpakut? refused to teach him Bankai, he would keep beating it until it changed its mind!

Brilliant blue flames danced as Kaelith destroyed his Zanpakut?’s manifestation once again.

Then a third time, a fourth time…

For some reason, Kaelith grew more energetic as he fought. He didn’t have a sadistic streak; rather, he felt that something inside the shadow was working with him. The two forces, one inside and one outside, moved in perfect harmony.

Every time he attacked, a force inside the shadow seemed to push outward as well.

Could he be awakening some new special ability?

Kaelith was intrigued.

Soon, he summoned the manifested Zanpakut? for the seventh time.

This time, the shadow was so thin it was about to fade away on its own.

Looking at its pitiful state, Kaelith shook his head.

“It looks pathetic.”

“Okay, if I beat you again and still can’t learn Bankai, I’ll give up for now.”

“Abusing my Zanpakut? doesn’t feel right.”

“At worst, I’ll just stick with Shikai.”

“Don’t be too upset. Even if your abilities are ordinary, it’s no big deal. You can just assist me, and I’ll carry you to victory.”

Hearing Kaelith’s words, the shadow twisted violently.

Kaelith thought it was expressing frustration.

He was about to say something comforting when suddenly a blade wreathed in blue flames burst out from inside the shadow!

Kaelith: “?”

His eyes went wide, as if he’d seen a ghost.

In the next instant, that flaming blue blade slashed upward, splitting the shadow in two like a dissection.

Under Kaelith’s stunned gaze, the shadow, as if having completed its mission, rose into the air in two halves. There it shattered into countless black particles, scattering like raindrops in all directions.

Each “raindrop” transformed into a shadowy blade that shot into the ground with a whoosh. In the blink of an eye, the area around them was filled with these shadow-forged swords.

And at the spot where the shadow once stood, a figure now remained.

A girl.

She had fiery red hair and wore a crimson gown.

Her entire body burned with the same kind of blue flame that Kaelith wielded.

Chains wrapped around her arms. At their ends were two vicious-looking short swords she held in her hands.

Faced with Kaelith’s shocked and dumbfounded expression, the girl slowly grinned, revealing a grin that seemed to have been suppressed for ages.

“Kaelith…”

“Thank you. At last, I’ve broken free of that ‘Shadow Strike’ binding.”

“You said I’m just an ordinary Zanpakut? with no special abilities? So sorry about that.”

“Come, let me show you what an ‘ordinary Zanpakut?’s’ power really looks like!”

With those words, she flicked her arm.

A short blade, chained to her arm, instantly whipped toward Kaelith!