Bleach: No cheat codes, he joined Aizen's side.

Chapter 105, Section 104. Red Team: Shuichi, Blue Team: Zaraki Soi Bee Grass, Shika Ginrin (6k)

Tonight in Soul Society, the sky is covered with thick clouds, obscuring the moonlight, and a summer breeze is rustling.

The undisguised release of spiritual pressure led to the arrival of a man with an adorable little girl perched on his shoulder.

"This way, this way, Ah Jian!"

The man couldn't sense any spiritual pressure; he relied entirely on the little girl on his shoulder for guidance.

Upon seeing Higashino Shuichi sitting alone at the bridgehead, wearing a mask and with a short sword protruding from his chest, the man felt a surge of excitement coursing through his body.

"I never thought we'd meet like this, Shuichi!"

"I didn't expect that Captain Zaraki, who has no sense of direction, would arrive so quickly."

Higashino Shuichi placed one hand on his Zanpakuto at his waist. This Zanpakuto, which had just been unsealed, was now conveying to him a desire for release.

Higashino Shuichi had considered whether to betray Aizen again at the last minute, so that Urahara Kisuke and the others, who had been driven to the brink of despair, might actually be secretly captured by Aizen.

But after looking at his current appearance, Higashino Hideaki gave up.

Doing this might make Aizen a little happier, but it won't do him any good.

Even if Aizen really captured Urahara Kisuke and got that half of the Hogyoku, what good would it do?

Without Orihime Inoue's power to refuse in the future, wouldn't it be difficult for Aizen to fuse the two Hogyoku pieces?

As for Aizen, who is temporarily unable to obtain the complete Hogyoku, no matter how Higashino Shuichi thinks about it, he doesn't believe that Aizen would be willing to overturn the entire Soul Society just to protect himself.

so.
As Kenpachi Zaraki shouted for another exhilarating battle, Shuichi Higashino jumped off the bridge without hesitation, landing on his left foot.

Severed by beating.

The collision of spiritual pressures sent water from the river between the two figures flying into the air, forming a curtain of water.

"Attack, warriors! The best warriors use unconventional tactics! The wind!"

A gentle breeze formed around Shuichi Higashino's body, quickly enveloping him and his Zanpakuto before disappearing.

This is not the same sparring match he had with Kenpachi Zaraki before; Shuichi Higashino has decided to disregard martial ethics.

The wind's ability only makes Higashino Shuichi's attack invisible within his field of vision, but it still cannot conceal the spiritual pressure fluctuations carried by the attack itself.

Therefore, this ability is very useless in regular combat, so much so that Higashino Shuichi rarely uses it.

However, when facing Kenpachi Zaraki, a simpleton who couldn't sense spiritual pressure, Shuichi Higashino's move seemed a bit like cheating.

Wind divides the moon!

Blood splattered everywhere, and Kenpachi Zaraki could only rely on his fighting instincts to dodge Shuichi Higashino's attacks.

But this could not diminish Kenpachi Zaraki's fighting spirit.

Or rather, it is the more challenging the battle, the more excited Kenpachi Zaraki becomes.

"Go on, Shuichi!"

Unfazed by the blow that Higashino Shuichi had just delivered that nearly crippled him, Kenpachi Zaraki swung his sword forward with pure fighting instinct.

One hit missed.

Behind him rose the terrifying spiritual pressure of Shuichi Higashino.

"Ah Jian!"

In the distance, Kusajiro Yachiru exclaimed in surprise.

Kenpachi Zaraki then turned and slashed, shouting, "Got you!"

The clash of swords directly dispersed the wind emanating from Higashino Shuichi, revealing his complete form.

"So, you can be destroyed after all!"

Kenpachi Zaraki's lips curled into an excited smile.

Was it because they broke Higashino Shuichi's move? Or perhaps it was because they found a suitable opponent.

But if Retsu Unohana were here, she would only say something like, "I hate that she doesn't live up to expectations."

Because Kenpachi Zaraki's spiritual pressure has weakened again.

In order to find an evenly matched opponent, Kenpachi Zaraki has been sealing his spiritual pressure for hundreds of years. Even now, although he still has more spiritual pressure than most captains, he is no match for Shuichi Higashino, who has completed part of Hollowfication and broken through his own inherent spiritual pressure limit.

Kenpachi Zaraki's spiritual pressure is no longer at a level that Shuichi Higashino used to have to look up to.

"Block the flow!"

The moment the blades clashed, Higashino Shuichi's cold voice rang out, and Kenpachi Zaraki felt his body momentarily freeze.

Then he could only watch helplessly as Higashino Shuichi placed one of his hands on his abdomen.
"Hado #63, Fire Thunder Roar Cannon!"

Lightning flashed and flames surged as Kenpachi Zaraki was sent flying hundreds of meters away by Shuichi Higashino's attack.

"Ah Jian!!"

Kusajishi Yachiru's shouts came from not far away, but Higashino Shuichi only glanced at them briefly before looking away.

He didn't even chase after them to finish them off.

Because a petite figure had unknowingly appeared in front of him.

"Steep and kill! Suzume-bumblebee!"

The fingertip stopped just before striking Higashino Shuichi's chest, and then the figure questioned Higashino Shuichi.
"Why, Mr. Xiuichi!"

"Do I even need to ask you why, Koya? I've already become like this; there's no other way. The Soul Society can't tolerate me."

Higashino Shuichi symbolically swung his sword at the figure in front of him, but the latter nimbly dodged it.

"No! Lord Shuichi! You've still maintained your sanity. You're different from those other Soul Reapers who have been Hollowfied!"

Soi Fon bit her lip, her flat chest heaving.

“What’s the difference?” Higashino Shuichi forced a bitter smile. “To the Central 46, to those nobles, I am the Void. And the Void is danger, an existence that needs to be purified. Isn’t that the purpose of bringing you here?”

"No, Lord Shuichi, I will explain the situation to the Captain-Commander and the Central 46! They definitely can."

Soi Fon wanted to persuade him further, but Higashino Shuichi shook his head at her, "What about Yoruichi Shihouin?"

"Yorami"

Soi Fon gritted her teeth; she didn't know how to answer the question.

Or rather, when she heard from Vice-Captain Ōmaeda Kinosuki about Yoruichi Shihōin's rebellion and that the Hollowfied Shuichi Higashino had openly appeared on the streets of Seireitei, her little head was buzzing.

I didn't think about any of the issues at all; I just rushed out.

She simply couldn't understand why the two people she admired most had changed so drastically overnight.

"Sho-ling, sometimes you don't need to think about things so complicatedly. You just need to ask yourself one question."

Looking at Soi Fon, whose eyes were filled with confusion, Higashino Shuichi said softly.

"what is the problem?"

Soi Fon asked instinctively.

"Regardless of whether we've done anything wrong or not, are you willing to come with us?"

"That's what I said," said Higashino Shuichi.

"I"

Soi Fon hesitated; she didn't know the answer to that question either.

But Higashino Shuichi has already provided the answer for her.

"If you don't know now, then please consider me as an enemy for now, Koya. Only by doing so will you have the opportunity to make another choice in the future."

Shuichi Higashino pointed his Zanpakuto at Soi Fon.

"I will not hold back in this battle. If you cannot fight with the determination to kill me, your hesitation will be meaningless, because..."
You will die.

Having said that, his spiritual pressure enveloped Higashino Shuichi's Zanpakuto.
"The fourth broken path, Bai Lei!"

A flash of lightning pierced Soi Fon's chest, nearly piercing her heart.

As the paralysis effect spread throughout her body, Soi Fon finally understood the meaning of what Shuichi Higashino had said at the end.

She would have truly died if she hadn't viewed Hideaki as an enemy.

Is he still the same Hideaki I knew in the past?
Soi Fon's body fell from mid-air.

Just then, Kusajishi Yachiru, who had been watching the whole thing, caught it, and the light from the return path lit up.

Meanwhile, in mid-air, Higashino Shuichi was once again entangled by Kenpachi Zaraki.

"Not enough! Shuichi! Your attacks still aren't enough!"

A continuous series of flashes of sword light.

Seeing Kenpachi Zaraki's movements, which seemed completely unaffected by the attack from Shuichi Higashino, Shuichi Higashino couldn't help but secretly envy this damned talent.

The saying "God has blessed him with talent" perfectly describes someone like Kenpachi Zaraki.

Furthermore, as the battle dragged on, Kenpachi Zaraki had clearly adapted to Shuichi Higashino's fighting style. In addition, Higashino had already demonstrated some other Shikai abilities during their previous sparring sessions.

While fending off Kenpachi Zaraki's unreasonable and relentless bombardment, Higashino Shuichi had already made a judgment.

Relying solely on his Shikai, it's unlikely he'll pose much of a threat to Kenpachi Zaraki anymore.

Originally, Higashino Shuichi was planning to use his ability, "Strategic Scheme: Wind," which he had never used in front of Kenpachi Zaraki, to outmaneuver him.

The result was successful, but unexpectedly, Soi Fon's sudden intrusion caused Higashino Shuichi to miss the best opportunity to finish off the enemy.

Right now, they need to deal with Kenpachi Zaraki, who is in a state of heightened arousal, and Soi Fon, who has begun to regain her fighting ability thanks to Yachiru Kusajishi's treatment.

The only option is to use Bankai.

Fire - Divide the Moon!

With a single horizontal slash, he distanced himself from Kenpachi Zaraki, the battle maniac, and then used Number Thirty-Nine's Binding Spell, Round Gate Fan, to block Soi Fon's surprise attack.

Higashino Shuichi released his spiritual pressure, "Tracing the Origins of Military Strategy, Bankai! A Smile Conceals a Dagger!"

"Is it here? Bankai!"

Seeing Higashino Shuichi unleash his Bankai, Kenpachi Zaraki was even more excited. At that moment, he was incredibly impressed with his own judgment. Choosing Higashino Shuichi as his vice-captain was definitely the right decision!

He leaped up from the ground and delivered an uppercut.

Normally, Higashino Shuichi could easily block this attack, and Zaraki Kenpachi had already planned out the next steps in his mind.

But this time, Higashino Shuichi completely ignored Kenpachi Zaraki's attack and even deliberately charged into it.

Can Bankai make someone stupid?
This was the first thought that popped into Kenpachi Zaraki's mind.

However, the next second he realized he was completely wrong.

He wanted to stop Higashino Shuichi from slashing at his face, even at the cost of injury.

But as he swung his sword to block, he found that his arm had lost its strength. Looking out of the corner of his eye, he saw that a slash had appeared out of nowhere, leaving a bloody gash on his body and nearly severing his right arm.

"Captain Zaraki!"

This time, it was Soi Fon's turn to be shocked. Just moments ago, Kenpachi Zaraki, who had been so imposing, was suddenly slashed across the face by Shuichi Higashino, and fell downwards, his face streaked with blood.

In contrast, although Higashino Shuichi took a hit from Kenpachi Zaraki, his rapid regeneration made him appear as if he hadn't suffered any attack at all.

"What the hell is going on?"

Kenpachi Zaraki's fate caused Soi Fon, who had just been planning to launch a coordinated attack, to stop.

Even though she had often received instruction from Shuichi Higashino in the past, she had never seen Higashino's Bankai, let alone knew about his strange Bankai ability.

In fact, there are very few Shinigami in the entire Soul Society who know about Shuichi Higashino's Bankai ability.

In the past, as the vice-captain of the Fourth Division, he almost never had the opportunity to personally take to the field in battle.

He had only been the vice-captain of the Eleventh Division for a little over a month.

There was also no opportunity to demonstrate his Bankai.

"Lord Shuichi, is this really necessary?"

Soi Fon asked persistently, unwilling to give up.

"There's no other choice, Aya~"

Shuichi Higashino turned to face Soi Fon and said, "Besides, you can't kill me."

"You're way too confident, you big shot!"

The tiny Soi Bumblebee is easily provoked into taking the bait.

Using Shunpo, Soi Fon instantly appeared behind Higashino Shuichi.

"Binding Spell Number Thirty: Three Flashes from the Mouth!"

Soi Fon's thinking was clear: since she didn't know the specifics of Higashino Shuichi's Bankai ability, she would first use Binding Spell to control him.

However, there was one thing Soi Fon didn't understand: most of her Kido techniques were taught by Shuichi Higashino. Trying to use Kido techniques in front of a Kido expert like Higashino was somewhat like showing off one's limited skills before an expert.

"Sho-ling, do you know the principles of the Demonic Path?"

Higashino Shuichi's voice came out softly, and then, in Soi Fon's wide eyes, Higashino Shuichi came to stand in front of her.

As for the binding spell she had just released, it disappeared without anyone knowing when.

"The so-called Ghost Path is essentially about arranging and moving spiritual particles according to specific orbits and methods. Therefore, as long as you can master this Ghost Path very well, you can use an identical Ghost Path to cancel it out, just like I do. This method is usually called 'Counter-Ghost Killing'!"

"Steep and kill! Suzume-bumblebee!"

Looking at Shuichi Higashino so close to her, Soi Fon seized the opportunity and stabbed the former with her finger.

"without"

Just as Higashino Shuichi was about to say "It's useless," before he could even utter the word "useful," he was stabbed twice in the back.

It turns out that below, Kusajishi Yachiru, who had been watching the show the whole time, had somehow unleashed her Zanpakuto.

"Come forth, Three-Step Sword Beast!"

Two humanoid creatures stood one in front of and one behind Kusajishi Yachiru.

The former is a long-faced skeleton with hair, long bony horns on its forehead and jaw, wearing black fur, and holding a square halberd.

The latter is an ugly creature covered in fur, with only its eyes visible, short and stout, wielding a kitchen knife.

Both creatures, following Kusajishi Yachiru's movements, simultaneously launched slashes at Higashino Shuichi.

And whether it was because Kusajishi Yachiru saw something or it was just a coincidence, Kusajishi Yachiru's slashes did not hit Higashino Shuichi; only the two summoned creatures' slashes hit Higashino Shuichi.

At that moment, two invisible slashes struck back at the two summoned creatures, leaving deep grooves on their bodies. At the same time, because of this pause, Higashino Shuichi was left with an octagonal honeycomb mark on his body by Soi Fon.

However, Soi Fon's shoulder was also injured by Higashino Shuichi's Bankai ability due to this attack.

"Didn't you see any honeycomb patterns?"

Looking at Soi Fon's wounds, Higashino Shuichi thought to himself.

At the same time, he gathered spiritual energy in his hand and immediately used the No. 63 Hado Raihou Cannon to force Soi Fon to create distance between herself and him.

"As long as your body is attacked, you can always counter with the same attack, but you cannot reflect the additional effects of those attacks."

"Shuichi, I've seen through your Bankai ability~"

Below, Kusajishi Yachiru happily waved her hands and said.

"As expected of a little deer, it was discovered so quickly?"

Higashino Shuichi replied unequivocally.

It can only be said that Kenpachi Zaraki's brain was completely absorbed into Yachiru Kusashi's brain.

"Yeah, Shuichi, your Bankai ability is exposed now, so it's not so impressive~"

Kusajiro Yachiru said with a smile.

At the same time, Soi Fon reappeared behind Higashino Shuichi while she was speaking.

However, this action could not escape the perception of Higashino Shuichi.

Just as Higashino Shuichi was about to turn around and teach Soi Fon a lesson, a terrifying slash carrying countless spiritual pressures shot straight into the sky, pointing at Higashino Shuichi.

The flow is choked, and the moon is divided.

With a furrowed brow, Higashino Shuichi immediately devised the best countermeasure: using his left hand to choke the flow, suppressing the power and speed of the slash as much as possible, while his right hand used a split moon cut to try to neutralize the slash.

After all, this strike was much stronger than the one before, which suddenly reminded Higashino Shuichi of a memory he had almost forgotten.

That is, Kenpachi Zaraki is a complete freak, a born cheat code, and a hardcore ruthless person who truly embodies the saying "What doesn't kill me makes me stronger".

Higashino Shuichi seriously doubted that if he kept using the "hidden blade in a smile" counterattack against Kenpachi Zaraki, he would never be able to finish him off.

Ultimately, he will become nothing more than a whetstone for Kenpachi Zaraki to hone his skills.

He finally managed to get Kenpachi Zaraki to drop a level until now. If he were to let him level up back up, wouldn't he just be asking for trouble?
Therefore, Higashino Shuichi made up his mind not to give Kenpachi Zaraki another chance to die.

However, this means that one person, Higashino Shuichi, is truly overwhelmed.

The swan bee watched as the finger approached again, then stopped, failing to complete the final step.

Higashino Shuichi suddenly smiled.

What a stupid bee.

He's already made it so clear, yet he still can't bring himself to do it?

It's simply beyond saving.
"Xiu Yiyi. No!!"

Seeing the struggling expression on Soi Fon's face, Higashino Shuichi took a half step forward, allowing the bee pattern on his body to come into contact with the swan bee in Soi Fon's hand.

Then he pressed the hilt of his sword against Soi Fon's flat chest, who was looking bewildered, and uttered that classic line.

"Shoya, remember this: the battle between Shinigami is a battle of spiritual pressure!"

Then, Hakudo No. 4, White Lightning, and Choke were released simultaneously, and Higashino Shuichi carefully avoided the fatal spot.

Blood splattered, the body shattered.

Before Soi Fon lost consciousness, Higashino Shuichi whispered to her, "Sleep, sleep, and it will all be over~"

"Binding Spell Number Thirty-Seven: Hanging Star!"

Just as Soi Fon was about to fall to the ground, an old voice rang out, and a hammock made of spiritual energy suddenly appeared below Soi Fon.

Higashino Shuichi looked in the direction of the sound and saw a white figure swaying in the wind.

"They've finally arrived~ Captain of the Sixth Division, Kuchiki Ginrei!"

At the same time, Kenpachi Zaraki crawled out of the underground ruins covered in blood, a happy smile on his face.

It was as if he wasn't the one who had almost been tricked to death by Higashino Shuichi.

"Old man, he is my enemy."

Kenpachi Zaraki stared intently at Shuichi Higashino in mid-air.

“Kenpachi Zaraki, now is not the time for you to be willful.”

But who is Kuchiki Ginrei? She is one of the five great noble families and the head of the Kuchiki family. She doesn't give Kenpachi Zaraki any face at all.

"Tch~ Whatever you want!"

Kenpachi Zaraki didn't care about any of that. He was just saying it casually. If a fight really broke out, who would care about all that!
For him, there is only one goal now: to kill Higashino Shuichi!

The figure vanished from the ground, leaving behind a piercing sonic boom.

Because this isn't Shinigami's Shunpo, but rather Kenpachi Zaraki's pure explosive power.

One cut, two cuts
With each strike, Kenpachi Zaraki increased the force of his blows.

It wasn't until the ninety-first cut that Higashino Shuichi was slashed in the left arm.

The rapid healing, combined with the force of the counterattack, also struck Kenpachi Zaraki.

It doesn't matter, the fact that they can't kill me will only make me happier!

Each time Kenpachi Zaraki was countered by Shuichi Higashino's ability, he felt a surge of pleasure, and his attacks became even more ferocious.

His physical strength and spirit did not weaken due to his injuries; on the contrary, they showed a tendency to rise against the trend.

Then came one hundred cuts, two hundred cuts. As Higashino Shuichi's stamina gradually began to give out due to the constant regeneration of his body, he suddenly realized a problem.

Didn't he already decide not to give Kenpachi Zaraki a chance to sharpen his sword?
Why is he still fighting Kenpachi Zaraki hand-to-hand here?
What about his Kido? What about his Shunpo?
He even realized that he hadn't used the Fuzhan technique, which he was always so proud of, or the Fen Yue Cui technique, which he was extremely skilled at.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly, as if he felt he was just supposed to fight this way.
With another slash, Kenpachi Zaraki cut off his arm, but it regenerated once more.

Taking advantage of the brief clarity brought on by the immense pain, Higashino Shuichi immediately used a Moon Cut combined with Shunpo to create distance between himself and Kenpachi Zaraki.

Then, he felt a thin, gentle breeze surrounding his body.

However, he has already activated his Bankai, so the wind that belongs to his Shikai ability should no longer appear on him.

What exactly is going on?

Right, Higashino Shuichi remembered. His purpose here was to attract the captains' attention and defend against their attacks, thereby buying time for Matsumoto Rangiku to open the portal.

So, after fighting Kenpachi Zaraki for so long, other captains should have arrived by now, but why is Kenpachi Zaraki the only one here?

What about his inseparable little deer?
Something is wrong.
puff!
With another slash, Higashino Shuichi was once again cornered by Kenpachi Zaraki, who severed his body in two with a single blow.

He couldn't even block Kenpachi Zaraki's sword?
impossible!
But why did I think I could block Kenpachi Zaraki's attack with just a horizontal block?
Everything about it seemed incredibly eerie.

Higashino Shuichi always felt like he had forgotten something, but he had no idea what he had forgotten.

(End of this chapter)