Kenpachi’s spiritual pressure, which was crossed with his irritation, scorched and prickled at the surrounding atmosphere. Those around him were bewildered, unable to understand what Hisagi intended. If he had been trying to swoop in to help, it just looked like he was getting in Kenpachi’s way. And it wasn’t as though Hisagi was unaware what it meant to help Kenpachi Zaraki in a fight without asking.
“Hisagi…?”
“Hisagi…what’re you trying to do?”
Madarame was bewildered, and Yumichika forgot to call Hisagi by his assistant captain title, speaking the Soul Reaper’s name plainly. The two of them, who knew better than anyone exactly what it meant to get in Captain Zaraki’s way when he was brawling, scowled without understanding Hisagi’s intent. If Hisagi didn’t have a good answer, he would not come out of this unscathed. It wasn’t implausible that he might be killed by Kenpachi first, before Hikone had a chance.
Of course, if he were just trying to help, he likely wouldn’t be killed without argument, but regardless there was a chance he’d end up flying from a punch strong enough to break his neck, with the pithy declaration, “You’re in the way.” That was why in the past, when Kenpachi had confronted Komamura and Tosen with Madarame and Yumichika, rather than all three of them taking on the captains, they had chosen a path of assistance, and the seated officers took on Iba and Hisagi, who were next to the captains.
However, Hisagi spat out a response that was far more dreadful than “I’m helping” or anything else he could have offered.
“I’ll…handle them. Please don’t intervene, Captain Zaraki.”
The air around them chilled. Those nearby were tense, thinking that Hisagi might not have been in his right mind. And Kenpachi’s spiritual pressure had become so sharp that he seemed to make the air around him freeze.
“What…is he thinking?!”
“Hisagi…you’re dead, after saying that…”
Madarame’s eyes went wide, and Yumichika seemed to pity Hisagi from his heart as he looked at the Soul Reaper.
Hisagi had just uttered the very words that absolutely no one could say to Kenpachi.
Hisagi had said those words right as Kenpachi was in the midst of enjoying his battle.
He had said, “Give me your prey,” which was the same as asking for death.
“So I can assume you’re picking a fight with me then, huh?”
To Kenpachi, the fate of the Soul Society or the peace of the world of the living were secondary concerns. At that moment, he had an opponent before him whom he could fight against until he ran out of strength. That in itself was everything to him; you could even say it gave his life purpose. In other words, anyone out to steal his prey was a clear enemy who intended to take away his very reason for being.
Kenpachi’s zanpaku-to settled on Hisagi’s shoulder. He didn’t even need to tear through Hisagi. If he were to simply entrust his power into pushing his sword, Kenpachi's exceptional spiritual pressure would have easily crushed the assistant captain.
His life was undoubtedly in far more danger than when he had confronted Tokinada. Sudden, unequivocal death was looming over Hisagi from behind.
However…
Without any regard for the circumstances, Hisagi simply and matter-of-factly said, “That kid…Hikone is weak.”
“What?”
Weak.
Hisagi had certainly referred to Hikone, the child before his eyes, as such.
He had unfortunately said that.
“You…you’re calling that punk weak after the kid put up a real fight against me?”
“I am.”
“So is that your roundabout way of tellin’ me I’m weak?”
Hisagi then shook his head quietly as he turned to look at Kenpachi over his shoulder. There was certainly fear in his eyes. He was but a single Soul Reaper who, targeted by Kenpachi’s spiritual pressure, desperately held in check his trembling body.
“Hikone. Is. Weak. Weaker than you, Captain Zaraki…no, actually probably weaker than anyone here.”
This person who was only a Soul Reaper carried fear with him, but still looked at Kenpachi Zaraki as he continued to speak from the depths of his soul.
“For somebody like you, who’s inherited the renowned title of Kenpachi… Captain Zaraki, beating on a weak opponent isn’t a good look for you… So I’ll do it.”
Zaraki, who had been listening to him, thought for a few moments, then muttered to himself almost as though he were talking to someone.
“Ah, yeah, you’re right, Yachiru. Yeah, that’s true, Yachiru.”
“Hm?”
Zaraki’s usual demeanor returned and he said to Hisagi, who hadn’t been able to pick up the earlier words because they had been whispered, “You spoke the word ‘Kenpachi.’”
“…I’m sorry.”
“If we’re talking about the name ‘Kenpachi’ and not Zaraki, you’re right that I shouldn’t be picking on the weak.”
When they saw Zaraki say such a thing and then withdraw, his subordinates reacted by crying out in shock.
“What?!”
“Huh?!”
It wasn’t just Madarame and Yumichika who were surprised. Those who knew Zaraki could not believe that he would back down after finding an ideal opponent. Zaraki shouldered his sword as he turned his back to Hisagi, then immediately stepped between Aura and Hisagi. A memory of the warrior who had previously created the name “Kenpachi” floated in the back of his mind.
“Even just for argument’s sake, you brought up the name of Kenpachi.”
Then he was quiet—surprisingly so. While turning on Hisagi a spiritual pressure so chilly that it seemed as though it would melt and crumble the moment it was touched, he yelled out at Hisagi, “You put up an unworthy fight…and I’ll kill you even before that punk does.”
On the receiving end of that spiritual pressure that made the spines of those surrounding them quiver, Hisagi only had a curt reply: “Yes…thank you very much, Captain Zaraki.”
Then Hisagi confronted Hikone.
Though several of them considered whether they should lend him a hand, based on the exchange that had just occurred, it seemed Hisagi wanted to make this a one-on-one fight. There weren’t many who could take on that thing that was in the form of a Soul Reaper.
Ichigo Kurosaki and Kenpachi Zaraki could have, as well as Sosuke Aizen, if he actually wanted to win. Kisuke Urahara and Mayuri Kurotsuchi might have been able to match up to Hikone as well, if it wasn’t a match of physical strength, but this was no opponent that an assistant captain–level Soul Reaper could face.
Ginjo might also have been able to put up a decent fight, but he was currently supporting Aura along with Yukio and the others to stop the fall of the castle in the air. No matter how you looked at it, Hisagi was currently out of his depth. However, it seemed that he had met this being named Hikone in the past, and thinking he might have some sort of secret plan, those around him decided to watch what he would do.
Muguruma, who had witnessed it all, ignored his own wounds and stood up, gripping his hand into a fist as he murmured, “Don’t be reckless, Shuhei.”
Since you still can’t use bankai.
≡
Shuhei Hisagi had never acquired bankai.
At the end of his training with Muguruma and Mashiro, Hisagi still hadn’t achieved bankai.
“It’s too bad…but your power has definitely made leaps and bounds in the last few days. Make sure you show those Quincies the fruits of that.”
“Yes, sir.”
In the midst of that exchange, Muguruma had noticed that Hisagi’s fists were shaking in frustration, but there was nothing they could do about his being unable to reach bankai. However, another thought came into Muguruma’s mind.
Mashiro and I were definitely half trying to kill Hisagi. I thought that bankai would be impossible without driving him to desperation, but… We weren’t going easy on him. Was Hisagi…really that sturdy?
When he saw Hisagi continue to rise, even after he had collapsed several times, it was like watching some kind of immortal killer from a movie in the world of the living. Muguruma had determined that this tenaciousness was unique to Hisagi and had expected him to awaken himself to his bankai in the middle of the fight with the Quincies.
But not even that had happened, and no matter how many times Hisagi was defeated, in the end, he had been shot by Lille, one of Yhwach’s guards, and ended up straddling the line between life and death.
When he heard about that, Muguruma had formed a suspicion. No matter how many times he had suffered defeat, Shuhei Hisagi never died. Was that really due to his pulling through by sheer luck? Or, if it wasn’t a coincidence, was that itself the key to Hisagi’s bankai?
And now Hisagi faced Hikone.
Most of the wounds Hisagi had received from Tokinada hadn’t healed.
When Hisagi stood in their way, in far from perfect condition, Hikone asked curiously, “I don’t understand. Why would you not leave me to Mr. Zaraki?”
“I told you, didn’t I? Captain Zaraki would kill you.”
Hisagi readied Kazeshini and said to Hikone, who tilted their head quizzically, “I didn’t come here to kill you. I came to stop you.”
“I’ve already said it, but I think that’s impossible for you, Mr. Hisagi.”
Smiling wryly at Hikone’s words, Hisagi answered, “Earlier I said I thought you were probably strong. I was wrong.”
Hisagi gripped Kazeshini and looked straight at Hikone, feeling an emotion that was neither pity nor hostility. “The fact that you’re not even agitated that Tokinada isn’t here now…means you are definitely weak.”
“That’s not true! Lord Tokinada told me that I’m strong!”
“No, you’re weak. That’s why you’re not getting anywhere. Not how you are now, at least.”
“In that case, I’ll defeat you right now, Mr. Hisagi, and prove myself! I’ll prove that I’ve become strong enough to be useful to Lord Tokinada!”