Bleach: Starting with Marrying Retsu Unohana

"I killed him."

Araki, having sensed Genryusai's gaze, spoke frankly.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't act impulsively?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Liuzhai's expression showed a hint of helplessness.

"I thought it through carefully before killing them..."

Araki explained this.

"That's good."

After hearing Araki's explanation, Genryuzhai's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said no more.

Since Araki has already given this matter considerable thought, there's no need to say more; killing him is the right thing to do.

"..."

Araki simply stared silently at the corpse before him, its face still bearing a smile even in death, without uttering a word.

Araki is a sentimental person; a friendship forged over a cup of wine is enough for him to kill all the masterminds behind the murders. As for the vested interests of this entire aristocratic faction, Araki has plenty of time to deal with them slowly! There's no need to rush, because none of them will escape...

"ignition!"

After all the members who participated in the 'Soul Burial Ceremony' had arrived, Genryuzhai looked at the former leader of the 'Tenth Division' lying on the wooden stake and spoke calmly.

"As ordered!"

As soon as Yuan Liuzhai finished speaking, members of the 'First Squad' immediately took torches and walked towards the wooden stake.

"boom!!"

In an instant, endless flames rose up and instantly engulfed the corpse of the 10th Division leader.

"Recite the text..."

Accompanying the rising flames was a chorus of chants of the "Soul Burial Ode" by the 'Ghost Path Clan'.

According to the 'Central 46 Chambers,' all Shinigami who can participate in the 'Soul Burial Ceremony' after death are honored! They are heroes of the 'Soul Society'...

"..."

Araki stared at the scene before him in silence.

Perhaps this is the price to pay for pursuing power...

In the eyes of the higher-ups in the Soul Society, those souls who have lost their home and have nowhere to go because of their pursuit of power are cast into hell, thus achieving salvation...

In Araki's view, this is not a long-term solution. 'Hell' also has its limits. If powerful souls are constantly sent into 'Hell', sooner or later 'Hell' will become overwhelmed and then turn against 'the Three Realms'.

"A problem that even the 'Spirit King' couldn't solve?!"

Araki murmured to himself as he looked at the 'soul burial ceremony' before him.

The following year...

Zaraki had officially completed his Bankai training at the Spirit King Palace! Then, Wang Yue and Kirinji used the Heavenly Pillar Chariot to throw him down from the sky! They also explicitly forbade Zaraki from ever going to the Spirit King Palace again…

Ever since Zaraki learned of the strength of the 'Zero Division' members, he's been constantly pestering 'Sword God' Oue and Kirinji in battle, causing them a lot of trouble. After all, they can't unleash their full power in the 'Spirit King Palace,' but Zaraki doesn't seem to have any such reservations. Sometimes Oue thinks that being 'weak' isn't necessarily all bad...

However, although Zaraki kept pestering Wang Yue and Qilin Temple, he didn't dare to cause trouble for the 'monk,' mainly because the monk's abilities were too strange and were almost giving Zaraki psychological trauma...

Upon returning to the Soul Society and the Seireitei, Zaraki's first action was to return to the Eleventh Division to verify the results of his training.

"Vice Captain Zaraki, so you're still alive?!"

"We were all very worried about you, thinking that something bad had happened to you..."

When Zaraki appeared in front of the Eleventh Division's barracks, the members of the Eleventh Division were quite surprised. They thought that Zaraki had been secretly killed by Araki and Saito, the "adulterous couple"!

After all, Zaraki mysteriously disappeared the day after defeating the immortal Saito and taking over the responsibilities of vice-captain from Saito! After that, the other members of the squad had asked Araki about Zaraki's whereabouts, and Araki's answer each time was that Zaraki had gone on a mission and wouldn't be back for a long time! But honestly, what kind of 'Grim Reaper' goes on a mission right after becoming vice-captain?!

However, now that Zaraki is back, the members of the 11th Division are starting to believe what Araki told them. Perhaps that's just how Lieutenant Zaraki is—he likes to request challenging personal missions from Araki on the very day he becomes a lieutenant?

"Araki, I challenge you!!"

Ignoring the ordinary soldiers, Zaraki shouted loudly at the Eleventh Division's barracks.

At this moment, Zaraki only had one thing on his mind: to make a good impression on Araki...

"Stop shouting, I'm here!"

Before Zaraki could say anything, Araki, who had already 'foreseen' Zaraki's return, had already walked out of the 11th Division's barracks.

"Don't worry, Araki! It won't take up too much of your time..."

This time, Gengmu was full of confidence in himself. After a hundred years of cultivation in the 'Spirit King Palace', he had been transformed and was no longer on the same level as before.

"Ha ha……"

Araki smiled slightly after hearing Zaraki's words; he simply felt that the line sounded strangely familiar.

"Araki, watch closely! This is my Bankai!"

Without saying a word to Araki, who had arrived late, Zaraki drew his Zanpakuto and performed Bankai.

"boom!!"

As Zaraki unleashed his Zanpakuto, a surge of spiritual pressure rose from the ground, and the immense spiritual pressure within Zaraki was fully released at that moment, transforming into the power he used to fight!

"Roar!!"

With a roar, Zaraki's body turned red, and a pair of horns slowly grew from his forehead. At this moment, Zaraki looked exactly like a blood-soaked demon.

As for Zaraki's Zanpakuto, it has changed from a samurai sword into a broken axe. Although the axe looks broken compared to its Shikai form, its power is incomparable!

At this moment, Zaraki's strength, speed, and sheer destructive power far surpass his Shikai! They're practically on completely different levels...

"So strong! An overwhelming power, completely surpassing Captain Saito's strength..."

The Shinigami members were all shocked after sensing Zaraki's power.

"I'll let the first part go, but what do you mean by 'powerful above me'? I'm still right here! You bunch of bastards..."

Saito's eyelids twitched slightly after hearing her teammates' words; she was almost furious. However, Saito had to admit that Zaraki's Bankai was indeed stronger than hers! Of course, she was referring to direct combat strength...

"Ugh……"

On the other side, Araki looked at Zaraki after his Bankai and sighed helplessly.

"Roar!"

No, Araki didn't get a chance to prepare. Zaraki had already brandished his Zanpakuto and charged towards Araki.

After a short running start, Zaraki launched himself into the air and slashed down at Araki from the sky...

After his Bankai, Zaraki's strike would be far more powerful than his Shikai strike. If this strike were to fall, it wouldn't be as simple as cleaving through the Seireitei; the entire Seireitei would likely be utterly pulverized by Zaraki's violent force...

"God avoids!"

As for Araki, he watched as Zaraki unleashed his unstoppable strike, calmly carving out a dark crescent moon.

"boom!"

After his Bankai, Zaraki, wielding his broken sword, collided with Araki's crescent moon strike. With a muffled thud, Zaraki was once again sent flying like a kite with a broken string, heading straight for the sky...

In a flash, Zaraki broke through the Seireitei's barrier once again and flew towards the first district of the Yurukai, the Junrin-an district. It was uncertain whose shop Zaraki would destroy this time!

"It certainly didn't take too long!"

Araki looked at Zaraki, who had been slashed away by him, and spoke calmly.

"Instant kill?"

"The invincible Zaraki has been slashed away again?!"

The members of the 11th Division stared wide-eyed as they watched Zaraki fly backward. Their initial reaction was one of admiration for Araki's strength, followed by utter disbelief at his power…

Logically speaking, Zaraki's strength isn't weak, and Araki's slash wasn't particularly fast. Couldn't you have dodged it? Instead, you insisted on going head-to-head with Captain Araki, and look what happened! You were instantly killed by Captain Araki again!

"Hehe, see? Zaraki is only strong in direct combat~"

Saito smiled as he watched Zaraki being instantly killed by Araki's sword once again.

Saito, who had never fought Zaraki in Bankai, was still unaware of just how much stronger Zaraki had become after Bankai.

"Looks like there'll be some trouble coming up with Vice Captain Zaraki now that he's back!"

The members seemed to already imagine what changes would occur in the Eleventh Division after Zaraki returned.

With the headstrong Zaraki around, we'll probably see Zaraki challenging Araki every month, only to be instantly defeated by him.

In fact, even Zaraki himself didn't understand. He had become so powerful, and even after using Bankai, he could still maintain his rationality! With his almost exaggerated physical abilities, he could perform many unbelievable techniques. Even when facing Araki's fellow members of the Zero Squad, such as Oue and Kirinji, they didn't dare to be so arrogant as to only use their swords to overpower him. So why was he still instantly killed by Araki with a single strike?!

To this, Araki could only say to Zaraki, "You don't understand the power of the Sacred Script."

Just as the members of the 11th Division thought!

After Zaraki dragged his battered body back to the 11th Division around dusk, the 11th Division became incredibly lively...

Zaraki's daily life consists of either heading to fights or challenging Araki, making it incredibly fulfilling while also successfully entertaining his fellow members.

The biggest topic of discussion within the 11th Division right now is when Zaraki will finally learn to dodge Araki's slashes. Unfortunately, no one knows the answer... not for any other reason than that Zaraki is just too stubborn; he insists on directly attacking Araki's slashes.

And then……

One hundred years have passed just like that.

Over the course of a hundred years, Zaraki challenged Araki countless times, but each time the challenge ended with Zaraki being cut down by Araki with a single stroke...

So much so that now, when the members of the 11th Division heard that Zaraki had challenged Captain Araki, they were no longer shocked; instead, they felt more helpless!

Even the onlookers were getting a little tired of it, but Zaraki himself persisted relentlessly...

As for Araki, it didn't matter; it was just a matter of one strike, and it wouldn't take him too long...

So much so that he has gradually developed a habit of making this cut every day; if he doesn't, he feels like something is missing.

this day……

"Araki, come again! Behold my Bankai!"

"God avoids!!"

'Vice-Captain Zaraki has flown away again~'

After Zaraki challenged Araki once again, and was once again sent flying by Araki's sword in front of countless members, Araki did not choose to return to the captain's quarters to rest as usual. Instead, he headed towards the Shiba family's ancestral lands...