Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero.

However, just as Kyoraku Shunsui was preparing a countermeasure—

Stark slightly shifted the muzzle of his gun, aiming it near Kyoraku Shunsui's body rather than at his own, and pulled the trigger again.

"boom!"

This time, instead of a solid beam of illusory light, a faster and smaller spirit particle bullet was fired!

The bullet didn't travel in a straight line, but instead traced a strange arc, bypassing Kyoraku Shunsui's dancing sword curtain, and shot towards the training ground floor beside him!

The bullet struck the floor but did not explode. Instead, it refracted and split into dozens of smaller blue beams in an instant.

Like a blooming flower of death, it enveloped Kyoraku Shunsui's entire surrounding space from all directions and from all sorts of tricky angles!

"What?!" Kyoraku Shunsui was shocked; this was completely beyond his ability to respond!

He had to focus all his attention on dealing with the death rays coming from all directions!

"Clang clang clang clang—!"

The rapid clanging of metal against metal blended together as Kyoraku Shunsui wielded his twin swords to their fullest extent, his figure moving like a ghost, dodging and weaving within the confined space.

She narrowly avoided most of the attacks, but several still grazed her body, leaving charred marks on her captain's haori and causing a burning pain in her skin.

He had just blocked the last wave of refracted light and hadn't even caught his breath yet—

Stark raised his twin pistols again, their muzzles locked onto Kyoraku Shunsui, who had shown a weakness.

"Infinite... Reload Cero!"

A deep voice, like the pronouncement of death, echoed in the training ground.

The next instant, the muzzle flashes of the dual pistols reached their peak brightness! Then—

"BOOM ...

It's no longer single shots, no longer sweeping fire, but a truly endless torrent of illusory flashes!

Countless blue beams of light, like an angry pack of wolves, roared from the dual pistols, instantly filling the entire training ground's field of vision!

The beams were so dense that there were no gaps, so fast that they were beyond imagination, and so powerful that each one was enough to pierce through a thick spirit particle shield!

It is the ultimate shooting art that Stark combined with his "infinite reload" characteristic and the extreme destructive power of "Cero" after his resurrection!

Faced with such an attack, any skill, any rule, any evasion seems pale and powerless!

Kyoraku Shunsui's pupils contracted! Faced with this devastating, inescapable torrent of flashes, he had no doubt that if he chose to withstand it head-on...

Even if you use all your spiritual pressure to defend, you will be completely overwhelmed in an instant! This has gone beyond the scope of "sparring"!

Almost a split second before the Cero Torrent erupted, Kyoraku Shunsui made his decision.

He quickly shouted three words in Stark's direction:

I surrender!

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly pierced through the roar of Cero and reached Stark's ears, as well as those of Yanagawa and all the team members watching from outside the barrier.

The moment the word "surrender" left his lips, Stark halted his attack!

Stark slowly lowered his twin pistols, wisps of smoke still drifting from their muzzles.

Kyoraku Shunsui exhaled a deep breath, cold sweat glistening on his forehead.

He sheathed his twin swords, "Flower Heaven Mad Bones," and his spiritual pressure dissipated, returning him to his slightly lazy demeanor, though his face was still somewhat pale.

He glanced at the horrific traces of the attack on the ground in front of him, then looked up at Stark, forcing a smile that was both somewhat helpless and genuinely admiring.

"Impressive, truly impressive." Kyoraku Shunsui's voice still carried a hint of weakness from the intense battle.

"Lord Stark, if that blow had landed properly, my body would probably be broken. I'm truly impressed."

Stark didn't speak, but simply nodded silently. His spiritual pressure began to recede, and his wild hunter's attire and the dual pistols in his hands quickly dissipated and faded away like the receding tide.

In the blink of an eye, he reverted to his usual indifferent and languid demeanor.

However, there seemed to be a faint trace of weariness between his brows.

Silence returned to the training ground.

Only the enormous crater and the lingering, scorching spiritual energy in the air testified to the brief but thrilling duel that had just taken place.

Outside the barrier, a deathly silence lasted for several seconds, then erupted into endless uproar and discussion!

Vastod's Resurrection! Infinite Reload Cero! Captain Kyoraku surrenders! Every detail of this battle is something they'll savor for a long time!

Liuchuan stepped into the arena, glanced at Kyoraku Shunsui, then at Stark, a faint smile appearing on his calm face.

"A very exciting duel," he commented simply, then addressed Kyoraku Harusuido.

"Captain of the Jing Band, you've worked hard. Would you like to take a rest?"

"Then I'll trouble you." Kyoraku Shunsui didn't refuse, stretched his still slightly numb arm, and nodded to Stark.

"Lord Stark, I'll have another drink with you sometime, but of course, it'll just be drinks, no fighting."

Stark nodded slightly in response.

Chapter 109 The Allure of Journalism

Seireitei, 8th Division Barracks, Captain's Room.

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a warm, languid glow on the tatami mats.

Kyoraku Shunsui leaned against the window, still wearing that flashy pink jacket that clashed with the serious atmosphere of the captain's room, with his haori casually draped to one side.

He held a delicate white porcelain cup in one hand and rested his chin on his other, looking as carefree as if nothing in the world was worth worrying about.

On the table, a half-empty pot of "Maple Dew Wine" was emitting an enticing aroma.

"Ah, this is what life is all about..." He took a sip of his drink and sighed contentedly.

It felt as if the "sparring" and "evaluation" tasks from a few days ago, along with that duel, were things from a past life.

Although it was a bit embarrassing to admit defeat in the end, the goal was achieved anyway, the strength of the Starks was assessed, and it was enough to satisfy Yamamoto.

As for what the onlookers might say... when has Kyoraku Shunsui ever cared about such empty fame? He'd rather spend his time enjoying a few more sips of fine wine and basking in the sun.

Just as he was immersed in this leisurely moment of stolen half a day of peace—

"boom!"

The door to the captain's office was suddenly pulled open from the outside. The force was so great that the door slammed against the wall with a dull thud, and the windows rattled slightly.

Kyoraku Shunsui's hand trembled, and the wine in his cup nearly spilled.

He slowly turned his head, his face showing displeasure at being disturbed, and looked towards the door.

There stood his vice-captain, Ise Nanao.

She wore those thin-rimmed glasses on her nose, but at this moment, her usually calm and composed face showed a rare expression of obvious anxiety, annoyance, and even a hint of... panic?

She was clutching a roll of something that looked like a newspaper tightly in her hand.

"Nanao..." Kyoraku Shunsui drawled, his tone full of complaint.

"I've told you so many times: knock before entering, be elegant, and stay calm."

What could be making you so anxious? Did Grandpa Yama give me another troublesome task? Or has the sake at one of the taverns in Rukongai run out again?

Ise Nanao completely ignored his nonsensical teasing.

She rushed forward, disregarding all etiquette, and slammed the scroll in her hand onto the table in front of Kyoraku Shunsui, nearly knocking over the sake pot.

"Captain! What time is it? You're still drinking here!"

Ise Nanao's voice rose slightly with urgency, "Take a look at this yourself!"

Kyoraku Shunsui was somewhat bewildered by her unusual excitement. He put down his wine glass and lazily reached for the scroll.

The paper was slightly rough, but upon unfolding it, I discovered it was a newly printed copy of the "Seireitei Newsletter," a non-official but widely circulated tabloid.

His gaze casually swept across the homepage, then settled on the shocking headline that occupied most of the page:

[Breaking News! Shocking News! Eighth Division Captain Kyoraku Shunsui, in a private duel with Vasto Lorde Hollow "Stark" at the Kido Clan's underground training grounds, suffered a crushing defeat and was so terrified that he shouted "I surrender!" on the spot! The first captain to surrender to a Hollow has been born?!]

Below the title is a somewhat blurry, but vaguely discernible, photograph of a spirit particle.

The scene shows the Kido training ground. Kyoraku Shunsui's face is pale, while in the distance opposite, Stark stands tall in his Resurrection form, holding two pistols.

The moment the video captured him was exactly when he mouthed "I give up," and his expression, though blurry, showed a hint of... "fear" and "disarray."

Kyoraku Shunsui: "..."

His hand holding the newspaper trembled almost imperceptibly.

The languid ease on his face vanished as quickly as the tide receded, the usual smile on his lips froze, and his eyes slowly widened as he stared at the title and image, as if he had seen something unbelievable.

He accepted defeat in the sparring match. Given the critical situation, his decision to voluntarily concede and end the fight was wise and in accordance with the definition of "sparring." But what on earth is this newspaper writing?!

"A crushing defeat"? While they certainly didn't win, was it a "crushing defeat"? Neither side used their full strength!

"So scared he shouted 'I surrender' on the spot?" That was a strategic and courteous decision to end the fight! What does it have to do with being "scared"?!

"The first captain to surrender to the enemy"? That's an overstatement! Can this be called "surrender"? This is admitting defeat in a friendly spar! The nature of the two situations is completely different!

And this spiritual image! Which scoundrel took this?! The angle is so "perfect"!

He was filmed looking like he was being begged for mercy by Stark's "Infinite Reload Cero"!

In all his years of dominating the Soul Society, when has Kyoraku Shunsui ever had such a "glorious" image?!

"This...this newspaper..." Kyoraku Shunsui's voice was a little dry as he looked up at Ise Nanao, whose face was ashen.

"Where did this come from? Who wrote it? What's going on with this video?"

"The latest issue of the Seireitei Newsletter just started circulating in the Seireitei this morning in various general stores and teahouses. I'm sure everyone has a copy by now!"

Ise Nanao spoke very quickly, clearly furious, "This footage... the shooting angle is obviously inside the training ground's barrier!"

At that time, besides you, Lord Stark, Captain Yanagawa, there were only some members of the Kido Clan present!

Someone must have secretly taken this picture! And they even deliberately chose this...this angle!

She grew angrier as she spoke, her chest heaving: "Captain! Do you know what's going on outside right now?"

This is just the beginning! I heard several versions of it on my way here!