Restricted Death

Chapter 124 Swastika!

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Gin Ichimaru and Kaien Shiba each leaped onto the ring from opposite ends.

These two individuals have remarkably similar experiences and have been frequently mentioned and compared for decades. Finally, the question of who is stronger or weaker between them can be answered by the public.

Chojiro the Sparrow Lord has already left the arena, leaving the spacious ring to the two vice-captains.

The two on stage didn't have a deep relationship; they were at most exchanging greetings when they met, and they didn't know much about each other either. At the last exchange conference, Shiba Kaien was witnessing Ichimaru Gin's strength for the first time.

Shiba Kaien wanted to say something before the battle officially began, but then he realized that what the two were competing for was not something insignificant, but the position of captain of the Third Division. He was afraid that if he said anything, he would appear arrogant.

"Vice Captain Ichimaru, please give me your guidance."

Gin Ichimaru nodded politely upon hearing this.

Shine——

The two drew their Zanpakuto simultaneously.

The spectators were all holding their breath, and the arena was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Gin Ichimaru slightly raised his arm from beneath his wide robe, pointing his short sword at the location of the swallow.

"Shoot him, sharpshooter!"

He murmured the incantation for the initial release, and his short, small Zanpakuto suddenly extended more than ten meters, piercing straight into Kaien's chest.

Shiba Kaien remained calm, and with a "clang," he held his sword horizontally in front of him, using the blade to block the attack.

"Binding Technique #21: Crimson Smoke Escape!"

boom!
A large amount of red smoke exploded at Haiyan's feet and spread wildly in all directions, engulfing his entire figure.

Seeing that his opponent was using this method to hide in the smoke, Gin Ichimaru quickly retracted his divine spear and focused his attention on countering.

"boom!"

The next moment, a huge, crimson fireball burst out of the smoke and hurtled toward Gin Ichimaru.

Gin Ichimaru, however, flipped his Zanpakuto and pointed it behind him.

Whoosh!
The blade extended rapidly, forcing back Shiba Kaien, who had appeared behind him using Shunpo, with a single strike.

Then, Gin Ichimaru slowly raised his other hand, while his spiritual pressure surged forth.

"The eighth way of binding: rebuke!"

A spiritual barrier rapidly solidified, blocking the incoming fireball.

Whoosh!
Kaien's sword once again slashed horizontally at Ichimaru Gin's side, but it was easily blocked by Shinsho, which had shrunk into a short sword.

After a brief standoff, Shiba Kaien finally leaped down to a spot a dozen meters away from Marugin in the same city.

This brief probing was enough for the two to get a general idea of ​​each other's reactions.

At least in terms of speed, they are almost the same.

Shiba Kaien gently twirled the Zanpakuto in his hand, his breathing becoming increasingly steady.

"Water and sky reverse, twisting flowers!"

Swish!
Water rose from beneath Shiba Kaien's feet, and as Kaien's Zanpakuto spun continuously, it transformed into a three-pronged halberd with a spiraling end emitting a continuous stream of spiritual energy.

With the release of his Zanpakuto, Shiba Kaien's aura changed. Water swirled around him, and his halberd spun continuously in his hand before plunging into the ground. With a surge of spiritual energy, a wave of water as swift as a blade tore through the bricks of the arena and rushed toward Ichimaru Gin.

Seeing this, Gin Ichimaru instantly moved aside, and waves shot up from where he had just been. The silver-haired Grim Reaper became a blur in the surging water, and the cold light of his divine spear shot straight towards his opponent in the distance.

Shiba Kaien took two steps back, and with a swing of his halberd, three swirling water walls condensed in front of him. The divine spear was ultimately blocked by the last barrier. The swirling current tightly gripped the blade, forcing Ichimaru Gin to retract his blade.

Whoosh!
Haiyan's footsteps left winding water trails on the ground. Her halberd danced, and the trajectory of her horizontal swing that cleaved through the air condensed into transparent water blades that flew out.

As Gin Ichimaru dodged to the side, a second water blade slashed in from the side.

The silver-haired Grim Reaper's robes fluttered like white butterflies, his whispered incantation mingling with the sound of his Shunpo (Instant Step) cutting through the air.

"Scattered like stars in the sky, the bones of beasts!"

Haiyan spun around and brandished his spear, causing waves to rise from the flat ground.

As Gin Ichimaru uttered the word "Thunder," the Red Fire Cannon crashed into the massive wall of water, and the burst of steam blurred the entire arena.

Nourishes—

"A thunderous carriage, a spinning wheel's gap!"

Soon, the sound of chanting incantations rose again from the white mist; it was Shiba Kaien.

Gin Ichimaru was even faster, unleashing a burst of Kido that broke free from its incantation.

"Hado #58: Kennyan!"

The raging wind stirred up the moisture on the arena, making everything clearer in the process. The storm raged, tearing at Shiba Kaien's clothes.

Shiba Kaien wielded his halberd with one hand, and walls of water rose up around him, blocking the storm.

Six golden rays materialized out of thin air around Gin Ichimaru, attempting to lock him in place.

Gin Ichimaru used his Instant Step to shift his position like a ghost, leaping up to dodge the Binding Spell while fixing his gaze on Kaien Shiba below.

He intended to use the divine spear again, but then he remembered the scene where he was blocked by the water wall earlier.

Even in its initial form, the speed and power of the Divine Spear are ultimately insufficient.

The moment Gin Ichimaru landed, he headed straight for Kaien Shiba. He quickly dodged the waves in front of him, the icy water vapor hitting his face, and the tip of his spear thrust towards him first.

Swish!
The moment the twisting flower pierced through the mist, the hilt of the divine spear slammed heavily against the shaft of the spear, and the deflected spearhead blasted spiderweb-like cracks into the arena floor.

boom!
Water splashed up on the ground, and before the afterimage left by the Instant Step had faded, the two had already exchanged attacks and defenses several times. Each extension and retraction of the Divine Spear carried the cunning of a venomous snake's tongue, while the water swirling up from the Twisting Flower formed an impenetrable wall in the surrounding area.

Just as Haiyan finally seized the opportunity to thrust forward during the moment when Shenqiang was finishing his attack, Ichimaru Gin suddenly flipped his wrist, and the blade, which had not yet fully retracted, drew a crescent-shaped arc of light.

This strike abruptly halted Shiba Kaien's offensive.

Fortunately, it was stopped; otherwise, it wouldn't just have been his shihaka armor that was torn.

"The Thirty-three of the Broken Paths: Blue Fire Falling!"

boom!
Blue flames suddenly exploded between the two, and Gin Ichimaru used Instant Step to retreat, creating a sufficient distance in one go.

Water droplets slid down Gin Ichimaru's cheeks and Kaien Shiba's forehead.

Their tense nerves made it impossible for them to tell whether the water stains were from the battle or from sweat.

Perhaps it was because Shiba Kaien's Zanpakuto stirred up the water during the battle that the temperature in the area around the arena dropped a few degrees compared to before.

Off the field, Xin suddenly noticed something and looked up to glance upwards.

The once clear blue sky seemed a little darker than before, and the wind had picked up considerably. On the other side, Toshiro Hitsugaya of the Tenth Division was also looking at the sky with the same astonishment.

Why does this feeling seem so familiar...?

On the stage.

Gin Ichimaru and Kaien Shiba stood facing each other. After their brief and rapid exchange, neither of them launched another attack.

Shiba Kaien looked at Ichimaru Gin and suddenly chuckled, "It seems I'll have to bring out some real stuff."

Upon hearing this, Gin Ichimaru's heart stirred, and he realized the meaning behind those words.

Sure enough, Shiba Kaien suddenly plunged his halberd into the ground.

boom!
A powerful surge of spiritual pressure erupted from Shiba Kaien's body, and the shallows formed by the water from the previous battle on the arena seemed to be summoned, rushing wildly towards him.

"Swastika!"

The rushing water surrounded Shiba Kaien, condensing into a giant blue sphere that completely enveloped him.

A moment later, the water sphere collapsed with a bang, revealing the scene inside.

Deep blue spiritual particles flowed into a liquid state, forming armor on his body. His legs and waist were covered with reverse-scale water-patterned skirt armor. The original trident disappeared, replaced by a larger halberd made of water flow. Seven black liquid water spheres were suspended behind him.

"The Flower of Calamity: Eight Scenic Spots of the Water Prison!"

Shiba Kaien stared blankly ahead as the water beneath his feet gently lifted him up, making him appear like a sea god descending to earth!

His new form immediately shocked everyone present. Judging from the scale of the spiritual pressure emanating from him, he was definitely a captain-level figure!

"This is his Bankai..."

Shin was momentarily stunned. In his eyes, Shiba Kaien's aura had undergone a complete transformation. Where was the cheerful, easy-going, and approachable person he used to be?

The captains were also incredibly surprised, including Isshin Shiba and Jushiro Ukitake, who were very close to Kaien Shiba. It was the first time they had ever seen Kaien's Bankai.

The crowd below the stage had different thoughts, and Gin Ichimaru on the stage was also surprised. He knew that Kaien Shiba must have mastered Bankai, but seeing the other party in this form made him feel a chill.

This is absolutely not a bluff!

Shiba Kaien stared at Ichimaru Gin and hurled his giant halberd at him.

Seeing this, Gin Ichimaru was shocked and quickly dodged with a flash step. The halberd formed from the water crashed onto the arena floor and instantly transformed into a giant wave that shot into the sky.

"Part One: Resonance with the Heavens!"

The towering wave spiraled upwards, like a giant dragon that had locked onto Gin Ichimaru's position and was rushing toward him!

boom!
Giant waves crashed down onto the arena, but Gin Ichimaru dodged them with his Shunpo and they shot into the sky again, repeating this several times. Each time a giant wave crashed, it left a water ring in the area.

Gin Ichimaru also noticed these water rings. He didn't dare to be careless and always dodged away from them with Shunpo.
During this time, Gin Ichimaru naturally tried to attack Kaien Shiba, but the liquid armor on the other side had an unusually high level of defense.

As Gin Ichimaru kept dodging, these water rings had already covered the entire arena.

Gin Ichimaru finally realized something was wrong.

In the next instant, a giant column of water surged into the sky from all the water rings on the arena!
Looking around, one could see dozens of giant water columns, each nearly ten meters high, filling the entire arena—a truly awe-inspiring sight.

Not to mention the officers and deputy captains, even the captains present were all wide-eyed.

However, Shiba Kaien's situation was not good at the moment. He felt his spiritual pressure draining away rapidly, and the consumption of his Bankai was more terrifying than he had imagined.

We must act swiftly and decisively.

One of the seven black liquid water spheres behind Shiba Kaien disappeared at some point.

"Secondly, the Uninterrupted Tide Corridor!"

With a frown, Shiba Kaien suddenly dispelled his armor, grasped a massive, newly formed halberd, and entered one of the water columns.

A scene that shocked Gin Ichimaru to his core appeared: he noticed that Kaien Shiba's figure was emerging from all the water columns on the arena!
Is it an illusion?

It's just a deceptive trick.

As he thought this, a sudden chill ran down his spine as he felt a bone-chilling coldness creeping up from behind. Almost instinctively, he turned around and drew his knife to block it.

boom!
The giant halberd slammed into the short sword in Ichimaru Gin's hand, the terrifying force sending him flying.

Gin Ichimaru coughed up a mouthful of blood as he was flying backwards. He tumbled onto the arena before finally coming to a stop. The sudden attack was completely unexpected. There was no trace of Shunpo (instant step) at all. Kaien Shiba had appeared out of thin air behind him!
Could he really move freely among these water columns?!
Gin Ichimaru staggered to his feet and reached out to wipe away the recent blood.

He had just vaguely heard some sound and glanced out of the corner of his eye towards the direction outside the arena.

"..."

Gin Ichimaru quickly looked away. The entire arena was occupied by these water columns, which meant that Kaien Shiba had gained absolute control.

This predicament caused Gin Ichimaru to sigh inwardly.

Or maybe we should just surrender...

Or should we try again?

He gripped the divine spear tightly. Even with Shiba Kaien's current astonishing defensive capabilities, it was impossible for him to be as invulnerable as Tachikawa Shin.

Just as Gin Ichimaru's thoughts were racing, Shiba Kaien suddenly emerged from the water column closest to him.

Swish!
This time, prepared, Gin Ichimaru used Shunpo to dodge, and Kaien Shiba, whose attack missed, rushed into the nearest water column.

Gin Ichimaru's alarm bells rang instantly. He was surrounded by water columns; where would Kaien Shiba appear from...?

His gaze swept across the area before him, his eyes hardening. He flipped the short blade in his hand, pointing it behind him from beneath his wide robe.

"Solution—"

"God-Slaying Spear!"

A cold glint flashed across the entire arena, piercing through several giant water columns and pointing towards the distant sky.

Blood beads soaked Haiyan's death suit, falling down his arm and blooming into dark patterns on the still-wet ground.

His giant halberd fell to the ground, turning into a puddle of water that scattered, while the opponent's extremely fast sword strike directly sliced ​​open his shoulder!

Shiba Kaien's face was cold and hard as he rushed into the water column beside him.

He felt that his right arm was completely unusable, and the excruciating pain made it difficult for him to breathe.

At the same time, Shiba Kaien felt that the spiritual pressure within his body was about to be exhausted.

Another black liquid water sphere disappeared behind them.

Despite landing a direct hit, Gin Ichimaru showed no sign of joy. He glanced at the tiny bloodstain on the ground, then suddenly noticed something, and his pupils contracted sharply.

The countless giant water columns that covered the entire arena simultaneously condensed into a three-meter-long trident, all of which pointed directly at him!
"Thirdly, three thousand halberds cleave the sea!"

(End of this chapter)