Bleach: The Strongest Shinigami

The black and red vortex surged forward, as if enraged by Akira's actions.

A crushing pressure descended like a falling sky, making the ground tremble while residual flames scattered in all directions. Black chains danced wildly, weaving twisted patterns through the air.

Sajin rose from the ground, his canine features etched with shock and doubt as he observed the scene. His ingrained sense of duty prompted immediate action — he began dispersing the division members who had gathered to watch.

Kaname and the others joined in, helping clear the crowd.

Soon, only Akira and the other two remained on the empty grassland.

Under Hell's suppression, Batsu'unsai and Furōfushi were powerless, reduced to lambs awaiting slaughter.

They had been dead before — it was Hell that had reconstructed their bodies and granted them power. Their current state was entirely Hell's doing, so it was only natural that Hell would reclaim what it had given.

⤫ Mugen Kusari ⥤ Infinite Chain Barrage! ⤬

The chains struck with fury, countless afterimages exploding across the sky. Akira wove through them effortlessly, sonic booms echoing in his wake. His spectacular performance drew renewed cheers from the distant division members.

In their eyes, their Captain was invincible.

Mere Hell? Just punch it into submission!

When the chains failed to subdue him, a Kushanāda emerged from the Gates of Hell, its massive form looming above the 11th Division. Its terrifying Reiatsu surged like endless rivers through the sky.

The division members' cheers died instantly, their faces pale. Even Seated Officers struggled against this pressure, let alone ordinary division members.

The crowd retreated further.

"Lord Kisaragi, give up." Batsu'unsai said, "Hell's power is infinite. Even Captain Yamamoto would be powerless here."

Though Akira's performance in Hell had been impressive, he still fell short of the Yamamoto in her memories.

The moment those words left her mouth, the Kushanāda struck, its punch making the air shriek in agony.

Faced with this attack, Akira merely grinned and gripped his Zanpakutō, countering with an upward slash. The blade's light traced a perfect moon in the sky, emanating cold radiance as it passed through the Kushanāda's massive form.

⤫ Tenrin Zangetsu ⥤ Celestial Moon-Slicing Blade! ⤬

The sword pressure drove forward relentlessly, thundering toward the distant division barracks.

The Kushanāda's body froze as if time itself had stopped. A line of blood appeared down its center, followed by the sound of tearing flesh. The massive body split in two, releasing a shower of blood.

Seeing this, Zaraki's expression froze momentarily before his mouth curved into a grin, a fierce smile appearing on his demon-like face.

"You've gotten stronger again! This is so exciting — I want to have an all-out battle with you..."

For him, fighting came first, everything else second.

Other enemies he had encountered couldn't match his release speed — one moment they seemed overwhelming, the next they lay cut in two. Only his Captain had consistently dominated him.

Though each defeat at Zaraki's hands brought him to death's door and visibly increased his strength, he still couldn't achieve true superiority.

Therefore, he was content to remain in the 11th Division. Only here could he freely enjoy exhilarating battles, dancing on death's edge in ways ordinary people could never comprehend.

After cutting down the Kushanāda, Akira didn't rejoice but furrowed his brow. The falling blood rain transformed into Reishi, dissolving into the air.

Then, Batsu'unsai and Furōfushi's bodies began to glow like fireflies. Within moments, they transformed into streams of light and were drawn into the Gates of Hell.

As Hell's presence faded, a spine-chilling creak rang out, piercing everyone's eardrums like knives.

The Gates of Hell vanished.

Akira's frown deepened. Hell had played him — unable to win directly, it had resorted to trickery.

No, he wouldn't tolerate this insult.

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1st Division.

Genryūsai's face remained impassive as he watched his wayward disciple and listened to his outrageous proposal.

"That's how it happened." Akira's mouth twitched as he sighed, "Hell kidnapped your old subordinates right in front of your disciple, dragging them back. Can you swallow this insult? I can't. Why wait? Let's kill Kisuke Urahara, a Rank 3 Spirit, and when the Gates of Hell open, we'll storm right in."

Genryūsai: "…"

Was this even something a sane person would suggest? To counter-attack Hell by killing their own Lieutenant?

"Stop talking nonsense." Genryūsai glared at him irritably, "Don't think I don't know Hell's true nature. I can't believe you'd suggest this. Though Rank 3 Spirits and above are rare, millions of years of accumulation means their numbers aren't small. Moreover, there might be beings even I can't handle in there. Your survival in Hell was pure luck. If you have any more ideas like this, I'll send you back to the Shin'ō Academy for remedial cultural studies!"

Akira: "?"

Was this something a sane person would do? Send the current Kenpachi back to kindergarten for the sake of discipline?

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Unable to convince the old man, Akira turned his attention to Aizen.

However, research on Hell was still in its infancy, and even the genius scientist couldn't decode it quickly.

"I apologize, Captain, but my abilities are limited." Mayuri frowned as he studied the Hell phosphorus floating in the container, "This new substance requires more advanced technology to decode. As for opening a pathway to Hell — we currently cannot pinpoint its location. Our measuring equipment can only detect Hueco Mundo, the World of the Living, and the Dangai. According to my deductions, Hell might be hidden in a deeper dimension, or rather, it's being concealed by some powerful force."

{T/N: Force as in like the Four Fundamental Forces of nature in physics. Go study a little bit, gain knowledge and show off your big brain.}

Not only Mayuri, but even Kisuke had no solution.

The three scientists all said the same thing — with current technology, they simply couldn't measure Hell's exact location, let alone create a passage like a Garganta.

At present, there were only two ways to reach Hell: either kill a spiritually powerful enough Kisuke, or rely on Mimihagi's power.

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"Kisuke, Kisuke."

A demon's low murmur emerged from outside the cabin.

Kisuke, who had been slacking off, felt his heart skip a beat. His face turned pale as he tremblingly opened the door, only to be greeted by what others would see as a radiant smile.

"Captain, is there something you need?"

Akira got straight to the point, "How's the progress on improving the Tenshintai?"

Kisuke was taken aback, "It's already complete. Does someone need to use it?"

"Excellent. Quickly prepare a Tenshintai and come with me to the Rukongai."

After speaking, Akira left the cabin without giving Kisuke a chance to object.

Watching his retreating figure, Kisuke stroked his slightly stubbled chin, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬

Rukongai, in the wilderness.

"The new generation Tenshintai has improved some of its drawbacks. If Bankai training fails, it will only weaken one's soul for ten days to half a month." Kisuke said seriously, "As for the exterior angles—"

Before he could finish speaking, Akira slashed the Tenshintai to pieces, saying disdainfully, "Kisuke, why have you become as fussy as the old man? How could mere Bankai training pose a challenge to me?"

Seeing the Tenshintai transform into sticky black shadows, Kisuke turned and ran without another word.

The scenes from helping Akira learn Bankai last time were still vivid in his mind. He had no desire to be caught up in it again.

Black ink-like shadows spread across the wilderness, turning miles of land into deep darkness. A crushing pressure descended as the ground trembled, countless fissures splitting open like an abyss.

Intense shock waves burst from the Tenshintai's cracks, releasing waves of searing heat that impacted everything within reach.

Unlike last time, Akira stood immovable as a mountain, his legs rooted to the ground without the slightest waver.

Black shadows rose from the earth, coalescing into a humanoid creature. A crack split open in the center of its face, revealing magma-red depths within.

Drawing on his previous experience, Akira struck without hesitation. His power erupted like a volcanic explosion, engulfing the materialized Zanpakutō Spirit.

⤫ Genshiki-ryū: Ryūsei Ken ⥤ Origin Style: Meteor Punch! ⤬

Kūkan Mukai soared through the sky in a perfect arc before crashing into the mountaintop, unleashing waves of devastating energy.

From his vantage point, Kisuke felt his scalp tingle. In mere days, the Captain's power had grown even more terrifying. It seemed he hadn't even shown his full strength when facing Hell.

⤫ Raikō Kasoku ⥤ Lightning Acceleration ⤬

Giving his opponent no chance to recover, Akira crouched low as electric arcs danced across his body. He launched forward with lightning speed, hurtling toward the dust-shrouded mountaintop.

A bone-chilling crack rang out as Kūkan Mukai's shadowy chest cavity collapsed, magma-like liquid seeping from its wounds. It wrenched the black blade from its own body and swung down in desperate counterattack.

Clang!!!

Through the swirling dust came the sharp clash of metal. The black blade struck Akira's shoulder, leaving nothing but a white mark.

"As expected of my other half. Not bad, Kūkan Mukai." He grinned, white vapor streaming between silver teeth. With a ferocious smile, he spread his arms wide as raw power surged through his grinding muscles.

Lightning and fire twisted around his shoulders, manifesting as great wings spread wide.

⤫ Shunkō: Daikūhaku Hakai ⥤ Flash War Cry: Great Empty Destruction! ⤬

One punch unleashed a violent pillar of fire that engulfed Kūkan Mukai, distorting the very air. The mountaintop shattered instantly, raising clouds of dust.

Without the constraint of a Kidō barrier and with Akira's vastly improved strength, the battle's devastation reached new heights.

Soon the landscape lay in ruins, as if swept by rivers of magma, with ashes dancing in the sky.

Kūkan Mukai was instantly destroyed, revived again from the chains, only to be destroyed once more.

This time, Akira didn't dodge. Instead, he spread his arms wide, embracing the sun!

⤫ Bakudō #81: Dankū ⥤ Splitting Void! ⤬

⤫ Bankai: Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame ⥤ Final Release: Modification of the Crimson Princess' Dissection at the Doors of Avalokiteśvara! ⤬

Kisuke swiftly released Dankū, blocking the oncoming shock waves. Then he activated his Bankai, summoning a giant woman in a red kimono who cradled him in her palm.

On Akira's side, the violent impact erupted in a white-hot flash like a solar flare.

Everything went black. Yet strangely, he remained conscious. The density of Reishi around him had changed, but he could still feel his body's existence.

Squinting into the pitch-black surroundings, he furrowed his brow, "It's too dark — where is this, the DC universe?"

As if in response, a small light appeared ahead. Akira used Shunpo to approach it. As he drew closer, more lights began appearing around him.

When his vision cleared, an endless starry sky stretched before him. At its center, two massive stars caught his attention, drawing toward each other.

These stars dwarfed all others — one black, one white — cycling back and forth like prayer beads in motion. Between them stretched a peculiar black chain.

When Akira moved to get closer, the scene before him suddenly blurred like static on an old TV.

In an instant, he found himself back in the ravaged wilderness.

After a moment's daze, his eyes lit up with understanding.

Finding his dust-covered Lieutenant, he grinned, "Kisuke, I've got it!"

Without waiting for a response, Akira sprinted toward the Seireitei, laughing as he ran.

"I've got it! This old master has got it!"

Kisuke watched his retreating figure, scratching his head in bewilderment, "Did the explosion affect his brain?"

Not daring to delay, he chased after Akira, worried his Captain might find trouble.

Yet the gap in their abilities was too vast. Even though Akira wasn't using his full speed, Kisuke couldn't keep pace.

Soon, he lost sight of him.

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Aizen stared at Akira, who looked like he'd escaped from a refugee camp. The man had truly gone mad — though his usual state was rather eccentric anyway.

"Sōsuke, I've got it!" Akira declared seriously, arms crossed.

"What have you got?" Aizen asked irritably, "Don't tell me you got beaten up by Captain-Commander Yamamoto again and came here to act crazy?"

Akira's face flushed with outrage. To prove his sanity, he immediately launched into recounting how he'd used the Tenshintai to learn Bankai again.

"Stars, understand? You know, those things in the sky."

Aizen nodded impassively, "Although Soul Society rarely researches astronomy, I have some knowledge of it. It's not impossible for a Zanpakutō's Inner World to manifest as an endless starry sky."

Akira grinned, "Then what if I tell you... That Kūkan Mukai is that chain connecting the two stars?"

⤫⤬⤫

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