Standing under the sun, Tokikaze had a gentle smile on his face, and the warmth of the sunlight complemented him, making him seem as approachable as a boy next door.
However, Kaname Tosen couldn't bring himself to smile. The moment Tokikaze spoke, be it Reiatsu or killing intent, it firmly locked onto him.
His expression turned stiff.
But when he thought about his purpose of coming back to the Ninth Division, Kaname Tosen no longer concealed his intentions. Similarly, his Reiatsu burst forth, enveloping the courtyard.
"In the Soul Society, there are generally three ways to become a Captain," Kaname Tosen said with his right hand resting on the hilt of his Zanpakuto, and his braided hair fluttered in the surging Reiatsu.
"The first way is to pass a test in front of three or more Captains, including the Commander-Captain, as witnessed in the previous battle."
"The second way is to be recommended by six Captains and gain the approval of three or more Captains among the remaining seven."
"And the last way is to duel with the current Captain in front of more than two hundred Division members and defeat them."
Kaname Tosen's expression darkened, and with a slightly hoarse voice, he continued, "The former Eleventh Division Captain, Zaraki Kenpachi, did exactly that."
"I thought that after passing the test, you would become a worthy Captain."
"But judging from your attitude, that idea seems far-fetched."
Swish—
A clear sound of a sword being swung echoed in the courtyard, and a cold light flashed under the scorching sun. Kaname Tosen drew his Zanpakuto first as his Reiatsu burst in all directions.
"I will reclaim the position of Captain from someone who tramples on rules like you in front of all the Division members and corrected my mistakes in the past."
Facing these words, Tokikaze smiled in amazement, "So much talk, yet it's just your dissatisfaction with the previous failure."
"Since you have the courage to draw your sword again, I hope you're prepared for the consequences."
Tokikaze didn't agree with Kaname Tosen's thoughts. Since the day Kakyo died, his sense of justice had turned into a desire for revenge.
Of course, Tokikaze could understand Tosen's reason, but if he committed evil in the name of justice, the so-called justice became an empty word.
The Visored were framed, several Ninth Division Seated Officers were killed, civilians in Rukongai used as experimental subjects for no reason...
What had they done wrong?
"The line between evil and justice are often very thin."
Tokikaze lightly pushed his left thumb on the hilt, and with a slight sound, another cold light danced in the courtyard.
Reiatsu erupted, sweeping through the entire courtyard in an instant!
The battle between the two Captain-Class Soul Reapers was about to begin.
Facing Tokikaze, who had once defeated him, Kaname Tosen dared not be the slightest bit careless.
That nearly flawless fighting style was enough to send chills down one's spine...
Because of that...
Kaname Tosen suddenly raised his Zanpakuto, held it in front of him, and pressed his left hand on the ring of the hilt.
"Bankai!"
In a calm voice with unwavering determination, the ring began to spin as it released Reiatsu. As it spun faster, the circle grew bigger and bigger until it was large enough to surround his body. The ring then split into ten other glowing rings of similar size that encircled Tōsen. At this moment, Kaname Tosen's Reiatsu once again intensified, and an eerie purple light surged.
With a slash of his sword, the circles went flying outwards and form a circular perimeter over a large area, covering both Tosen and Tokikaze
Other Ninth Division members had long retreated when the battle began.
They dared not get involved in a Captain-Class fight.
A slight mistake could result in their deaths from the shockwaves.
Matsumoto Rangiku and Nanao Ise realized the situation was turning worse and planned to stop Kaname Tosen, but Kaname Tosen's Bankai activated too quickly for them to intervene.
It seemed Kaname Tosen had no intention of dragging others into the fight, as his Bankai only covered him and Tokikaze.
On the rings, black Reiatsu erupted, rushing like a tide, engulfing everything within sight as if night had come.
"Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi!"
Kaname Tosen's tone was filled with confidence. He didn't even take his combat stance at this point.
He was confident in his Bankai's power.
Even if Tokikaze's strength surpassed his, he couldn't harm him within this enclosed space.
Ultimate darkness.
In this barrier, the senses of Reiatsu, sight, sound, and scent were all stripped away, giving its victim the sensation of unknown hell.
Tokikaze was well aware of Kaname Tosen's Bankai.
With its one-to-nine rings, derived from the Nine-Phase Diagram, there were nine characters engraved on the stripes of the elliptical barrier at this moment.
They were: Skeleton, Squander, Daring, Fester, Blood, Stretch, Disperse, Inflamed, Tragic.
Each character represented a stage after death, and as time passed, the appearance of the corpse changed continuously.
A literal hell!
Because he had once been defeated by Tokikaze, Kaname Tosen immediately used his Bankai, which was understandable.
As for the method to break this Bankai, Tokikaze naturally knew it.
In a situation where absolute Reiatsu dominance was pointless, only the person that wielding Suzumushi could retain their senses within this dome.
He had considered several methods to deal with it, so he didn't need to fight like Kenpachi Zaraki.
"Surprising, huh, Tokikaze?"
Kaname Tosen walked slowly within the Enma Kōrōgi dome and approached Tokikaze.
"Even you should find my Bankai surprising, right?"
"The dark and silent world where your senses are stripped off is terrifying, isn't it?"
He muttered to himself with an expressionless face, "A noble like you probably never experienced such a horrifying feeling."
"Enjoy it thoroughly; the darkness of this world is far more terrifying than what Enma Kōrōgi's darkness!"
At this point, Kaname Tosen had already reached Tokikaze, raising the blade in his hand high.
Just as his strike was about to land, Tokikaze's calm voice was heard.
"If I were a beast without talent like Zaraki Kenpachi, perhaps I would be trapped in this cage."
Tokikaze opened his right hand, concentrating strong Reiatsu in his palm.
"But never forget the greatest difference between humans and beasts..."
"Reason!"