Ikkaku and Yumichika were running towards the source of the explosions that suddenly rocked the Seireitei when the day was just about to end. When they heard that their Captain was fighting someone from the escaping Shinigamis, Ikkaku, and Yumichika dropped what they were doing and hurriedly rushed toward the site.
On their way there, they could see towering ice sprouting from the ground, and before they could reach the spot where they were fighting, a wall of ice taller than the walls of Seireitei emerged and encircled the sound of the clash, and Kenpachi's maniacal laughter.
"Just what's going on here!?" Ikkaku asked himself while also inspecting the wall of ice that's blocking their way.
Yumichika didn't immediately say something and approached the wall of ice because it's strangely not cold at all. But when he touched it, he instantly became terrified and hurriedly jumped back.
Seeing his strange reaction, Ikkaku shouted, "What's wrong!?"
Yumichika looked at his hand which was covered in frost and said, "Don't carelessly touch the wall without any protection. Anyone weaker will be instantly frozen."
Without any hesitation pulled his sleeve and started drawing markings on his arm, "I'll send out a warning. Black and white net! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crown strings, footprints, distant thunders, mountain peaks, valleys, night shadows, cloud sea, cyan line! Fill up the circle and zoom to the edges of the sky! Bakudo no. 77 Tentei Kuura (Soaring Net of Heavens)!"
While Yumichika was in the middle of it, another person arrived with a Flash Step, "What's happening here?"
Ikkaku turned to him, "Captain Kuchiki! Captain Zaraki is fighting someone but we can't get past this strange wall of ice that appeared out of nowhere."
Byakuka also silently walked towards the wall and by now, he'd already heard the message Yumichika sent to everyone in the vicinity so he touched the wall to test it himself. And as Yumichika had said, the moment his fingers touched the ice wall that was not emitting any coldness, frost started gathering around his hand and arm, threatening to freeze him.
Byakuya lifted his hand and used his Reiatsu to force out the horrifying coldness that was trying to invade his flesh, 'What is this ability? I don't feel any Reiatsu from it.'
Byakuka contemplated if he should break the wall using Kidou, but it was obvious that this wall was containing the battle that was happening inside, and breaking this might spill out the destruction to a larger area of Seireitei.
But while he was hesitating, two more people arrived and one of which was someone who first escaped the vicinity, Nanao. In front of her is a Shinigami with grey eyes and long wavy brown hair and is wearing a Sugegasa straw hat and a pink, flowered lady's kimono, which he drapes across his shoulders and over his captain's uniform.
"Captain Commander!" Ikkaku and Yumichika saluted.
Byakuya, on the other hand, immediately asked him upon his arrival, "Is this about our guest?"
Kyouraku tipped his hat backward and nodded, "Sadly, it seems our dear Zaraki found her after hearing a strange rumor from somewhere."
"I have a feeling I know where he heard this strange rumor."
""""!?"""" Four of the five Shinigamis immediately put their hands on their Zanpakuto when they heard another unfamiliar voice. Because they didn't know when she arrived, all of them were quite surprised. Thankfully, they didn't attack when they saw her raising her hands and there was no hostility in her demeanor.
"Serafall-san! You're safe!" Nanao was glad to see her, but also confused as everyone could still hear Kenpachi's cackling and his sword whipping around, "Then who is he fighting right now?"
Without explaining herself first, two Magic Circles appeared beside Serafall and ice started emerging from it before forming into a statue and soon became identical to Serafall herself. The two ice clones then flew towards the wall and went through it as if it was water and disappeared, "He won't stop so I've just been keeping him busy."
Serafall then turned to the people beside Nanao and introduced herself, "Nice to meet you, everyone. I'm Sitri Serafall. I presume you guys will be able to stop him?"
Aside from Ikkaku who was present on the night of Hell's attack, it was the first time Yumichika, Byakuya, and Kyouraku met her.
Kyouraku stepped forward and introduced himself, "Nice to meet you too, Sitri Serafall. I'm Shunsui Kyouraku, the current Captain Commander and Nanao-chan's direct superior. I'm not sure how you're fooling his senses, but you could leave him to us."
"Great~ His intuition is really scary so I'm also not sure how long I can keep him occupied in there."
Kyouraku thought that this problem is about to end, 'Any longer and the Central 46 will butt in. Thank goodness Zaraki has a bit of a reputation.'
However, the atmosphere around Serafall instantly changed and made everyone near her shiver for some unknown reason, "But I don't really like how he just attacked me out of nowhere. I can at least get back at him for that, right?"
"W-what are you..."
Since she was not really asking for permission, Serafall proceeded to release her Demonic Power and a giant Magic Circle that encompasses the entire 'arena' that she made, "Raikou (Lightning)!"
As dark clouds manifested on top of the 'arena', a massive discharge of lightning struck down the whole area and temporarily blinded everyone looking at it and deafened those who were near it.
When their disrupted senses returned, the wall of ice had already disappeared, revealing a large crater. In the middle of it is Kenpachi standing on his two feet and extremely tattered with various burns on his body. Even then, a wide grin is still present on his face. He turned in Serafall's direction and said, "Ah... That's amazing. I didn't see that coming at all. I'd hate it if we're just going to end it here."
Serafall returned his grin with a fearless smile, "But we're going to end it here. As I've said, I'm not really in the mood for a contest of strength."
"That's really a shame..." Kenpachi was about to jump at her again but Kyouraku didn't allow that, "Zaraki, that's enough. Save your energy for more obvious enemies. You'd have fun with them too."