Chapter 337: Seven Captains

Captain of the 3rd Division, Rōjurō Ōtoribashi.

Captain of the 4th Division, Retsu Unohana.

Captain of the 5th Division, Shinji Hirako.

Captain of the 7th Division, Love Aikawa.

Captain of the 9th Division, Kensei Muguruma.

Captain of the 11th Division, Kenpachi Kiganjo.

Captain of the 13th Division, Jūshirō Ukitake.

After sensing the ominous aura emanating from the Gates of Hell, seven captains quickly ascended into the sky, stepping on the spiritual particles as they made their way towards the Shin'ō Academy.

The seven captains exchanged glances, each wearing a grim expression.

"Hey, hey, hey… This is serious. Seven captains showing up at once? Can someone tell me what the hell happened to cause the Gates of Hell to appear?" Shinji Hirako, the captain of the 5th Division, flashed his shark-like teeth in a wry smile, a mix of seriousness and sarcasm on his face. His long blond hair floated in the wind, and his captain's haori flapped as he ran.

"Even the captain of the 4th Division is heading to the front lines? That's really unnecessary," said the rough and brutal Kenpachi Kiganjo, the captain of the 11th Division, who couldn't understand why the captain of the healing division, Retsu Unohana, was rushing to the battlefield. As a healing captain, she should wait in the rear for injured soldiers. Why risk her life?

"I'm here to support the captains," Retsu Unohana replied with a gentle smile, like a kind older sister, as she lightly stepped across the sky, her haori fluttering.

Her ever-present smile seemed to chill the hearts of the other captains. Kenpachi, however, continued nonchalantly, "Well… fine. Just don't get in my way. Find yourself a safe spot to hide."

Kiganjo thought that if the 4th Division captain stayed nearby, she could quickly heal him if he got injured, which would let him fight without holding back.

"Heh…" Shinji Hirako smirked in disdain, his face clearly expressing contempt and disgust. How did this idiot become a captain?

The other captains who knew Unohana's history remained silent.

This generation's Kenpachi seems to be… brave, but also rather foolish.

"It's H'el. His Shikai can disrupt the balance of the three worlds, causing the Gates of Hell to appear in the Soul Society," Kensei Muguruma broke the silence. He was probably the most familiar with H'el among them, having been the first to encounter him.

Although he had always been skeptical that H'el's Shikai alone could summon the Gates of Hell, seeing the situation now, he had no choice but to believe it.

"You've got to be kidding me. A Shikai that causes the Gates of Hell to appear? What kind of Shikai could be that powerful?" Shinji Hirako was stunned.

The idea that a mere Shikai could disrupt the balance of the three worlds seemed unbelievable, especially coming from someone as serious as Kensei Muguruma.

Rōjurō Ōtoribashi, the captain of the 3rd Division, and Jūshirō Ukitake, the captain of the 13th Division, knew a bit more about the situation. One had escorted H'el to the Seireitei and had heard H'el speak nonchalantly about it. The other had taken over duties from Shunsui Kyōraku and heard about it from him directly.

But seeing the Gates of Hell appear still left them in disbelief.

Unohana's smile faded, her expression becoming serious as she looked into the distance at the dark sphere in the sky above Shin'ō Academy, where the tiny figure of H'el could be seen.

"I always thought he was joking, but now, seeing this, I realize he was serious," Kensei quickly explained the situation: "Remember the Gate of Hell that appeared in a Rukongai district? That was because H'el killed a Shinigami, took their Asauchi, and then used his Shikai to protect his comrades, causing the Gates of Hell to open during a battle with other Shinigami."

"No wonder there's been such a strict investigation of Shinigami spiritual pressure lately."

Shinji Hirako narrowed his eyes, recalling his own lieutenant, Aizen Sōsuke, who always seemed so sincere and trustworthy. But it couldn't be him—Aizen had been under his watchful eye the entire time, never leaving his sight.

As they moved forward across the sky, they continued to get details from Kensei Muguruma.

"So, we just have to defeat that kid, right?" Kiganjo boomed, his rough voice echoing as he patted his Zanpakuto, confident in his own strength.

The 11th Division was known as the most elite fighting force, never shying away from battle. Kiganjo, who had taken the name Kenpachi was certain of his strength. Otherwise, why would he be able to claim the name Kenpachi? Because he was strong, or so they said.

He had absolute confidence.

The captains exchanged glances, realizing the enemy might be stronger than they had anticipated.

"We need to hurry… *cough, cough*… Shunsui is in trouble," Ukitake said, coughing twice as he watched the clash of blades between H'el and Shunsui Kyōraku. The black sphere behind H'el was erupting with powerful slashing force.

It was clear that Shunsui had released his Shikai, and even though he had the advantage of the "Higher grounds wins" rule, he hadn't managed to cut down H'el in just a few strikes, which was unusual for Ukitake to see.

Shunsui Kyōraku's Shikai was mysterious and immensely powerful, rarely encountering an opponent who could withstand it while still matching him in swordplay. This left Ukitake feeling uneasy.

Sure enough, not long after Ukitake spoke, they saw Shunsui unleash an immensely powerful spiritual pressure.

"Is he going to release his Bankai… is it that serious, Shunsui?" Ukitake's eyes flashed with concern, and in the next moment, the intense spiritual pressure vanished.

"Shunsui couldn't release his Bankai!"

Ukitake was shocked to see Shunsui's figure falling from the sky.

"Shunsui!" Ukitake cried out, rushing towards the ground to catch his comrade.

The battle had only lasted a few moments, but one of the most powerful captains, Shunsui Kyōraku, had already been defeated without even using his Bankai, plummeting from the sky.

The other captains exchanged uneasy glances, realizing the enemy was even more formidable than they had imagined.

Unohana quickly veered away from the other captains heading towards H'el and joined Ukitake, rushing to catch the falling Shunsui and prepare to heal him.

"Shunsui!" Ukitake's pale, handsome face was filled with concern as he used numerous Flash Steps, finally catching Shunsui just before he hit the ground.

As he caught Shunsui, Ukitake was struck with a sense of deep unease.

°°°

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