Bleach: The Strongest Shinigami

T/N: I apologize for incorrectly using Nanao's name. Some readers noted the storyline discrepancy, which I initially considered an AU. However, the correct name is Shizune Ise (伊势 (Ise) 静音 (Shizune)), distinct from Nanao Ise (伊勢 (Ise) 七緒 (Nanao)).

Our shrine maiden is an OC, which I will update in the Patreon image. Due to the volume of text, I won't revise the previous chapters.

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"Is... is it snowing?"

Lieutenant of the 8th Division, Lisa Yadōmaru, looked up in bewilderment at the drifting "snowflakes".

They descended upon the ground, settled into burning embers, and coated everyone's bodies, soon forming a gray layer.

They were microscopic dust particles made of Reishi, possessing mysterious properties.

Black snowflakes fell in clusters from the sky as shadows touched the burning embers, resembling ashes from complete incineration.

Like soil filling a grave, they swiftly blanketed everything in sight.

The Captains and Lieutenants present, sensing danger, assumed defensive positions with rising Reiatsu. Even Genryūsai's hand moved to the scabbard at his waist. Waves of heat instantly vaporized the black snow that touched their bodies.

Akira furrowed his brow at the scene before him.

Though he'd conducted hundreds of similar rituals, he'd never presided over a Konsō Reisai — and never had he witnessed anything like this.

"What... what is that?" A startled cry from the crowd drew all eyes skyward.

In the pitch-black sky, a massive gate materialized gradually, its black and red hues intertwining like coagulated blood.

Giant skulls with varying decorations flanked the gate, while twisted, faintly glowing hands lurked between its cracks, as if struggling to pull it open.

An eerie creaking resonated through the heavens, piercing everyone's eardrums like a razor-sharp blade threatening to split their skulls.

"The Gates of Hell?" Genryūsai stood stunned.

As the veteran Captain-Commander, he instantly recognized the floating gate. In his millennia of existence, he'd encountered the Gates of Hell several times — but never like this.

The moment his words faded, the gate's skeletal arms contorted and burst forth with immense power, wrenching open the Gates of Hell.

A colossal black vortex emerged, crackling with electricity and writhing magma, its tremendous suction force pulling at everything below. The ground's embers swirled upward in a tornado-like formation, drawn toward the vortex.

Yet midway through their ascent, fine black shadows transformed into a torrent, forcefully suppressing the embers as the One-Eyed God's power systematically destroyed the undegradable Captain-level Reishi.

Seeing this, the vortex seemed to grow angry, its suction force suddenly increasing several times over. Even the Lieutenants observing the ceremony were affected, forced to release their Reiatsu to resist the powerful attraction.

"All Lieutenants, withdraw!" Shunsui ordered, "That includes you, Lisa!"

Standing beside him, Lisa opened her mouth to protest, but seeing his unyielding gaze, she turned away and vanished from the ceremony grounds using Shunpo.

The black torrent and the Gates of Hell clashed like ancient gladiators, each refusing to yield as their powers escalated.

Genryūsai appeared beside Akira in a flash and asked in a low voice, "Can you explain what's happening here?"

Akira gave his teacher a look that suggested he was stating the obvious — though he quickly softened his expression after receiving a stern punch.

"Isn't it clear? The Boss wants to steal Hell's clients, Hell refuses to let go, and now they're competing to see whose power is more overwhelming."

Genryūsai stood stunned at these words.

His bewildered gaze shifted to the warring forces above, struggling to process his disciple's explanation.

The surface meaning was clear enough, but what lay beneath?

Why would Hell battle over these Rank 3 and above Reishi — elements the Soul Society couldn't break down?

Could Mimihagi truly be confronting Hell solely because of Akira's ritual?

Unbidden, Genryūsai recalled his first encounter with Mimihagi.

He — the mighty Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 — had nearly been traded away for two roasted sweet potatoes.

Only his marginally higher value in Mimihagi's eyes had prevented an unprecedented conflict that day.

Perhaps, he mused, fighting Hell over sacrificial offerings wasn't so far-fetched after all.

Then he remembered: every offering in this Konsō Reisai had been Akira's captives from Hueco Mundo.

Had his disciple planned this from the start?

Genryūsai's gaze sharpened as he turned to study Akira.

But he found only his foolish disciple's face alight with excitement, eager to join the celestial battle.

Never mind, he thought, dismissing his suspicions.

The old man shook his head and refocused on the intense standoff above.

Realizing that mere suction wouldn't overcome Mimihagi's power, the black vortex spawned countless thick blue-black arms.

These limbs, rippling with muscle, radiated powerful Reiatsu and Hell's distinctive aura, exuding an ineffable sense of dread.

The mass of blue-black arms reached straight down, attempting to completely tear apart the black torrent and reclaim everything that belonged to them.

Seeing this, Akira was about to take action when a not-so-tall figure suddenly appeared before him.

A white Captain's haori fluttered in the wind, the character "一" catching the eye.

Genryūsai stood with his cane, slowly opening his eyes as golden-red flames flickered in his pupils.

"Leave this to me." A burst of golden-red energy exploded from his cane, burning away the wooden exterior to reveal the Zanpakutō hidden within.

The brown scabbard bore an oval-shaped tsuba, its deep purple handle gripped by an elderly hand.

With a flash of cold light, the air temperature suddenly soared. The falling black snow instantly evaporated as scorching flames rose from the blade, as if the setting sun had returned to the world.

In the next moment, an intensely hot aura burst forth explosively, and the sun itself seemed to rise into the sky!

"Reduce All Creation to Ash…"

The old man gripped his sword handle tightly, drawing and slashing upward in one fluid motion. A terrifyingly powerful Reiatsu beam shot skyward, illuminating the entire area as sparks danced around it.

⤫ Shikai: Ryūjin Jakka ⥤ Initial Release: Flowing Blade-like Flame! ⤬

As the words fell, crimson flames erupted violently from the blade, their terrifying presence weighing on everyone's hearts. A blazing tornado rose from the ground, reaching dozens of meters into the sky with its scorching heat.

Wherever Ryūjin Jakka passed, everything crumbled to ash and dust.

⤫ Jōkaku Enjō ⥤ Fortress Blaze! ⤬

Like a swarm of angry bees, the wall of flame roared downward, its destructive force heading straight for the Gates of Hell. The scorching light threatened to illuminate the entire world.

Akira grimaced at this overwhelming display of power before him, feeling the weight of his task. To surpass Yama-jii, he still had far to go.

Shunsui shook his head and sighed, reflecting that his past beatings were well-deserved. Compared to monsters like the old man with such tremendous power, he wasn't even in the same league — his waist wasn't even as thick as the old man's arm.

The flames consumed the thick blue-black arms, incinerating them to ashes that scattered in the wind.

At that moment, the final step of the Konsō Reisai reached completion. The undegradable Reishi shattered completely, returning to the Soul Society's embrace.

The Konsō Reisai was finished!

Genryūsai narrowed his eyes as he observed the scene. Somehow, he sensed emotions of joy and gratitude emanating from the decomposed Reishi.

Was it merely his imagination?

Or perhaps...

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The Konsō Reisai concluded peacefully.

As the Reishi decomposed, the Gates of Hell gradually closed and vanished like a mirage.

The assembled Captains not only witnessed the diversity of species but also gained deeper insight into Akira's mysterious nature.

The rumors had proven true after all!

Akira Kisaragi, soon-to-be Captain of the 11th Division, possessed the genuine ability to summon deities through rituals — deities powerful enough to challenge Hell itself!

While Genryūsai, Shunsui, and Jūshirō knew Mimihagi's true identity, others saw only a massive black shadow unlike any Shinigami, one that closely resembled the deities of legend.

The Konsō Reisai served two purposes: it prevented fallen Shinigami warriors from descending into Hell and provided powerful publicity for the Sakahone Shrine.

The Ise family, a prestigious clan of shrine priests, recognized Akira's authority as Head Priest and offered financial support to rebuild the Sakahone Shrine — either in the 1st District of Rukongai or within Seireitei itself.

Akira chose the perfect location: the bustling heart of Junrinan District, West Rukongai's 1st District.

With ample funding, an elegant shrine soon rose from the ground, quickly staffed with officials of various ranks.

Akira then journeyed to the Sakahone District to bring Shizune, appointing her as acting Head Priest while he served as Grand Priest. She would oversee all shrine affairs in his absence.

This delighted Shizune. The child she had raised with such care had finally learned gratitude.

Having grown up in the shrine since childhood, she cared nothing for Shinigami affairs. Her greatest dream had always been to spread the Sakahone Shrine's renown throughout the Soul Society. Now, with that dream fulfilled, she could say she lived without regrets.

Her only source of discontent was the likelihood that some outside woman would soon steal her child away.

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After completing work at the shrine, Akira returned to the 11th Division's barracks.

Now that the publicity mission was over, the 11th Division's officers had returned home and thrown themselves into intense training, their sweat pouring like rain.

Despite their long stint conducting publicity missions in the Rukongai, tales of their Captain's reputation had reached them daily.

Stories circulated of how he had punched Captain-Commander Yamamoto, defied the Five Great Noble Families, and how more than two Shinigami Captains had fallen tragically to Lord Priest's iron fists.

Some even whispered that overthrowing the Captain-Commander and crowning a new king seemed inevitable!

Yet these very tales made the 11th Division members acutely aware of their own inadequacies.

How could they hope to follow Lord Priest into battle with their current level of strength? Without sufficient power, they would surely be left behind.

And so, they drove themselves to train with ruthless determination!

Watching his division's passionate training session, Akira felt his own fighting spirit ignite, and he joined them in their exercises.

Unfortunately, even their most intense efforts barely made him break a sweat.

After a moment's contemplation, he left the 11th Division.

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2nd Division Barracks, Kanritai Dormitory.

"Farewell, my little room." Kisuke gazed at the spotlessly clean room before him, his face etched with grief.

He wasn't just bidding farewell to the 2nd Division, but also to his former self. Ever since that fateful fight with Akira in the training hall, he knew his carefree days were over.

Despite his sudden promotion from ordinary Officer to Lieutenant, he felt no joy. Given the 11th Division's reputation, he could already envision the misery that awaited him.

"Kisuke, Kisuke!"

A demon's low growl echoed from the courtyard, interrupting his thoughts.

At the sound, Kisuke instinctively shuddered. With a grimace that looked more pained than pleasant, he opened the door and stepped out.

"Oh, you knew I was coming?" Akira laughed, seeing Kisuke loaded down with bags, ready to move, "Come quickly — I need your help with training!"

A sense of doom washed over Kisuke. His face turned ashen, all hope draining from his expression.

Under Akira's insistence, he followed him back to the 11th Division.

Soon, all the Officers had gathered.

Before their watchful eyes, Akira formally introduced their new Lieutenant.

"This is Kisuke Urahara, a hidden master of exceptional skill. His strength rivals that of other division Captains, and more importantly, his strategic wisdom is second only to mine. From now on, he'll oversee all division matters. If any of you need training guidance, our helpful Lieutenant Urahara will surely assist."

Kisuke stared silently at the sky.

He knew that joining the 11th Division meant endless exploitation. His future stretched before him, bleak and predictable.

After the 11th Division general meeting concluded, the Officers dispersed to resume their training and duties.

Just as Kisuke was about to leave, Akira grabbed his arm.

"Kisuke, have you been to the Twelfth Division?"

Kisuke's guard went up immediately.

"Once or twice." He replied cautiously, "Why?"

Akira grinned, "Perfect. You see, I've been thinking — these grass huts and log cabins of ours are far too crude. They don't suit the Eleventh Division's style at all."

{T/N: Just dropping by to remind everyone that it was our dear priest who renovated the entire division...}

Kisuke stood there stunned, unable to follow his logic.

"What exactly do you mean?"

Akira patted his shoulder, his smile unwavering.

"Let's rebuild our division to match the Twelfth Division's architectural style and technology level."

Kisuke: "?"

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