Ch-28: Bankai Unleashed

I found myself in an eerie, barren landscape, the tower standing tall and imposing against the desolation that stretched as far as my eyes could see. The presence of the colossal silver dragon felt surreal, as if I had stepped into a world entirely out of place and time. Its words, promising to grant me greater power, echoed in my mind, and its tone, so strangely familiar, hinted at a deeper connection with me that I couldn't comprehend.

My thoughts raced back to the fierce battle with Soi Fon, the captain of the 2nd Division. The urgency of the situation gripped me as I realized that my sudden disappearance would undoubtedly have a significant impact on the ongoing confrontation in the Seireitei.

The dragon soared over to me, looking all serious and stuff. He laid it out for me, "I'm your Zanpakuto spirit, and honestly, you've been a massive letdown. You hardly ever used my power since you became a Soul Reaper."

His words hit me like a ton of bricks. Did that mean this weird barren place was a reflection of my own soul? And why was my Zanpakuto spirit so darn angry? He kept going, "If you want more power, stop messing around and get back to what you do best. You have to earn the right to wield my strength."

I couldn't wrap my head around it. My Zanpakuto was this tiny blade thing, and now its spirit was this colossal dragon? None of it made sense.

Before I could say or do anything, my vision got all blurry again, and I was back in the moment when Soi Fon had stabbed me. But something was different. My injuries were completely gone, like they'd never happened. Even that poison mark she left behind had vanished into thin air. It was beyond surreal.

Soi Fon locked her gaze on me, her voice dripping with frustration. "What did you do? How did you cancel my Zanpakuto ability?" Honestly, I had no idea. It wasn't like I had some grand master plan. It seemed like the system wasn't responsible for this either.

She didn't buy it, though, and lunged at me once more. Her speed was incomprehensible to my naked eye, I quickly accessed my list of Hado spells and selected the 10th one - HADO #10 Fukushinzan.

<System >: Hado #10 Fukushinzan: Temporarily enhances the caster's senses, allowing them to perceive time at a slow rate.

I shouted it out, and suddenly, my vision sharpened, and everything seemed to slow down. No, it wasn't that time itself was slowing; it was more like my perception had accelerated. I could see every little nuance in Soi Fon's movements. Her face, contorted in anger, was a sight to behold as she sprinted toward me in what felt like slow motion.

With my heightened perception, it was time to unleash a combo of Hado spells. This time, I selected HADO #17 Kazeken. The name itself gave me a clue about its use - sword, which can be used in close combat. It is useless to use AOE attacks on her given her speed and this spell would complement the ongoing spell perfectly.

<System >: Hado #17 Kazeken: It conjures a blade of swirling wind energy in the caster's hand, can be used for slashing attacks with exceptional cutting power.

A pale green wind materialized in my hand, it became a long and sharp sword with huge amount of wind energy on its blades. And as Soi Fon lunged at me, I used it to parry her incoming strike. Her surprise was evident as my newfound agility allowed me to hold my own.

She continued to launch a barrage of attacks, but I managed to dodge them flawlessly, thanks to my heightened perception. Not only did I evade her strikes, but I also seized the opportunity to land two hits on her – one on her shoulder and another on her hand. This feat wouldn't have been possible without the assistance of the captain-level output of Kido spells granted by my System. It helped counter her remarkable speed and the footwork technique she employed, known as Shunpo.

Soi Fon glared at me with an increasingly angry expression. She seemed to have realized that my power now was a counter to her incredible speed. Determined to finish the battle, she said, "So, this is your Zanpakuto. It may seem flimsy, but you're lucky to have me as your opponent. Your power is a counter against my speed. I have seen enough, Let's bring this to an end, BANKAI! Jakuho Raikoben"

I was super hyped as I stood there facing Soi Fon, ready to witness my first-ever Bankai. It was coming from none other than a Captain-level Shinigami, and man, she sounded so cool when she announced her attack.

Soi Fon's Bankai transformation began with this dramatic burst of smoke, and I figured it was all part of the process. Then, out of the smoke emerged the colossal form of her Bankai. It looked like a giant missile, and I couldn't help but be amazed by its sheer size and power.

With a lot of confidence, she shouted, "Now die in despair, shoot." 

I was on the brink of despair, watching that gigantic missile hurtling toward me in what felt like slow motion. It seemed like I was a goner for sure. But then, something incredible happened.

My locket, or should I say my Zanpakuto, started vibrating intensely. I pulled it out and unsheathed the blade. To my amazement, it shone with a brilliant silver light. Without any command from me, the blade shot forward and pierced the incoming missile. I thought my Zanpakuto was sacrificing itself to save me, but something even more extraordinary occurred.

Not only did my Zanpakuto stop the missile, but it also began to break it down into lines of code until the entire thing vanished. I was left stunned and bewildered, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Soi Fon, on the other hand, seemed equally horrified by this unexpected turn of events. Fear began to creep into her eyes as she realized that something was seriously amiss.

The small blade of my Zanpakuto flew back towards me, returning to its usual form. As I held it in my hand, I couldn't help but wonder about its true abilities. What was the dragon's role in all of this, and would I have to confront it like Ichigo did with his inner Hollow? There were so many questions swirling in my mind, and I knew that I needed to unlock the full potential of my Zanpakuto to find the answers.