Restricted Death

Chapter 112 Have you ever lost?

In Seireitei, there are three ways to become captain of the Gotei 13.

First, pass the captain assessment under the witness of three or more captains including the chief captain.

The second is to be recommended by more than 6 captains and recognized by more than 3 other captains.

The third is to defeat the current captain in front of 200 team members.

Therefore, Bankai is not a necessary standard.

Of course, generally speaking, if one's strength reaches that of a captain, he or she will naturally learn Bankai, except for a few exceptions - Kenpachi Zaraki of the 11th Division.

Only a limited number of high-ranking members of the Gotei 13 knew that Ichimaru Gin had acquired Bankai, and the ordinary members were unaware of it.

There has been no official announcement regarding the captaincy of the Third Division, and Captain Yamamoto is waiting for Gin Ichimaru to master Bankai before taking up the matter.

Since the position of captain of the third squad has been vacant for a long time, it is only natural that Ichimaru Gin will become the captain of the third squad in the future.

As Gin Ichimaru stood up and walked onto the stage, all the captains and vice-captains couldn't help but become extremely alert.

Among the current vice-captains and senior officers, Gin Ichimaru is already the strongest person in everyone's mind except for Chojiro Suzu. There is an immeasurable gap between those who have learned Bankai and those who have not.

The captains have a clearer understanding of this.

What about this Tachigawa Nobu...

The strength he displayed was enough to easily defeat the vice-captain. Has he reached that threshold?

When Nobu saw Ichimaru Gin approaching, he tilted his head and said, "I thought you were going to go last."

Ichimaru Gin still had that smiling look on his face, and said to Shin, "That's what I was planning at first, but Captain Aizen said someone might be unable to wait any longer. Are you the one who can't wait, Shin-kun?"

Xin chuckled when he heard this: "Vice-Captain Ichimaru seems to be implying that I'm looking forward to fighting you and consider you my opponent, right?"

Ichimaru Gin's eyes flickered slightly: "Could it be that I am being too sentimental?"

"Vice Captain Ichimaru, let me tell you something."

As Xin spoke, he pulled out the sword in his hand and held it horizontally in front of him.

"Ever since I wielded the sword, I've never been defeated. Back at the Spiritual Arts Academy, my record should have stated I was skilled in swordsmanship, but how high a level of attainment, how strong a skill, can one be considered 'skilled'? I doubt anyone here would be able to draw a clear line. 'Skilled' isn't an extreme compliment; it's simply a way of describing something within one's comprehension. Ironically, the teachers at the Spiritual Arts Academy actually thought my sword was within their comprehension."

After hearing such arrogant words, Gin Ichimaru couldn't help but frown.

In his understanding, Xin is not such a person.

Ichimaru Gin said slowly, "Nobu-kun, when you say this, you mean to say that your swordsmanship is so advanced that you have already surpassed the teacher of the Spiritual Arts Academy, right?"

Xin's mouth corners curled up, but he didn't explain. If he really said what he wanted to say, it would make him seem more than just arrogant.

"Vice-Captain Ichimaru, I heard that you graduated from the Spiritual Arts Academy in just one year and are a lauded genius within Soul Society, but I'm curious about one thing."

"What's the matter?"

"Have you ever been defeated?"

"..."

After a moment of silence, Ichimaru Gin suddenly returned to his smiling face.

"If you beat me in this duel, it won't matter whether I've lost before, right?"

Outside the ring.

Matsumoto Rangiku was looking at the two people on the field with a hint of nervousness.

What many people don’t know is that she and Gin Ichimaru actually knew each other when they were very young, and the two can be considered childhood sweethearts.

But then one day, Gin Ichimaru told him that he was going to be a god of death, and then he disappeared without a trace. After she became a god of death, when she saw Gin Ichimaru again, she found that he seemed like a different person.

He was not as close to her as he was when they were children. When she had just become a Shinigami, she had privately sought out Ichimaru Gin more than once, but all she got was his distant attitude and words.

Matsumoto Rangiku could never understand why this happened.

Originally, she had planned to go through this duel, stand in front of the opponent on the ring, and see his reaction. If the other party could show a little bit of reluctance or unwillingness, it would also make her happy.

As for this showdown...

She knew that Gin Ichimaru had mastered Bankai, and she didn't think Shin could win.

And Xin had no ill feelings towards Gin Ichimaru. Given the other party's character and perseverance in enduring for a hundred years, it was not something that ordinary people could do.

It's just that right now, the other party happened to be blocking the way of what he wanted to do.

Neither Gin Ichimaru nor Shin greeted each other, and neither seemed to intend to do so. Then Gin Ichimaru slowly drew out his Zanpakutō.

His sword was short and small, about the same length as Nobu's white sword, Thisgi, and shaped like a wakizashi.

The two were less than ten meters apart. After standing still for a moment, a bright white beam of light suddenly shot out from where Yu Ichimaru Gin was, directly piercing through where Xin was. Its speed was as fast as a laser.

Ichimaru Gin's Zanpakutō, the divine spear.

It can stretch and retract freely and change its length, but the length is not the real strength of his Zanpakutō. Its killer move lies in the speed at which the Zanpakutō stretches and retracts, which is so fast that people cannot react.

The moment he moved, Xin immediately used the Flash Step to dodge away from the spot, and the magic spear only hit his lingering afterimage.

Seeing that the opponent had dodged his unexpected attack, Ichimaru Gin couldn't help but feel a little surprised. His previous attack was already the fastest speed in the Shikai state.

Even if the other party has information about his Zanpakuto, this should be the first time he has seen it.

This thought only flashed through his mind for a moment, and he almost instinctively took a step back, and the next moment he saw a knife coming from the side.

fast!
Xin's instant step speed is no less than his.

Ichimaru Ginxin's heart flashed like lightning. He disappeared from the spot in an instant and flashed to an area several meters away. The magic spear in his hand suddenly stretched out and shot towards Xin.

Ding--

This attack was blocked by Xin's knife. The magic spear continued to extend, and it rubbed lightly in Xin's hand, emitting dazzling sparks and sharp screams.

"Broken Path No. 31: Red Fire Cannon!"

Ichimaru Gin raised his other hand and directly unleashed a ghost technique that broke the chanting. The flames rose high and swept out.

However, as soon as the fire started, it was immediately shattered by a powerful spiritual force.

The Eighth Path of Binding: Rebuke!
Blocking his Red Fire Cannon with just the No. 8 Ghost Technique? !
Gin Ichimaru saw clearly the opponent's method, but had no time to think about it. He suddenly felt a chill on his back, and spiritual pressure surged throughout his body. He quickly dodged the knife from behind.

After creating a safe distance between himself and the opponent, Gin Ichimaru paused for a moment.

The opponent's speed was extremely fast, not inferior to his own at all. Ichimaru Gin was clearly aware of this. Now, outsiders only knew that he had learned Bankai, but had no idea of ​​his true strength.

But he can now be sure of one thing, that the strength of this Tachikawa Nobuyuki is definitely infinitely close to his own.

We can no longer be careless.

Although Aizen didn't tell him anything about this fight, Ichimaru Gin knew that he wanted him to test Tachigawa Nobu's true strength.

In his previous actions in this world, Dongxian Yao failed because of the limited spiritual seal on his body.

Now in Soul Society, there was no reason why he couldn't do it.

Ichimaru Gin closed his eyes slightly, and with a gloomy look, he suddenly rushed out from where he was.

"Shoot him, God Gun!"

Suddenly, a long white blade attacked, and Xin used his knife to block it, but the knife retreated at the touch. In an instant, Ichimaru Gin was in front of Xin.

Seeing that the other party was actually planning to fight him in close combat, Xin couldn't help but sneer, and with a light swing of his sword, dozens of chaotic sword lights suddenly appeared in front of him.

Gin Ichimaru was instantly exhausted from resisting, and Shin's attacks were so intense that he had to retreat again and again. Shin seized an opportunity, suddenly came behind Gin Ichimaru in an instant, and chopped Gin Ichimaru's neck with his katana accurately!
Whoosh!
At this moment, a ray of white light suddenly shot out from the clothes on the back of Ichimaru Gin. The opponent actually seized the moment of Xin's attack and used his body to block the attack, shooting the blow from his armpit.

At such a close distance, Xin had no way of dodging and was hit in the waist and abdomen by the attack. The huge force knocked him back and he flew several meters away before landing on the ground.

After regaining his balance, Shin looked calm. He had misjudged one thing: Ichimaru Gin's Zanpakuto was not only used for medium and long-range killing.

Close combat makes it even harder to defend against.

At a distance of several meters, Xin could still see his moves clearly, but when he was close, even if he saw it clearly, he would not have time to react.

Gin Ichimaru looked at the letter not far away, his eyes flickering, and his other hand gently stroked the blade of the Zanpakuto in his hand.

"That sword just now should have hit you."

He spoke slowly, "Why are there no wounds on your body, not even a tear on your clothes?"

Nobu responded calmly, "Don't Vice Captain Ichimaru know that my Zanpakutō is of the Kaido type?"

Ichimaru Gin smiled and asked, "You've already seen my Zanpakutō, so why not tell me about yours?"

"It's actually very simple." Xin said, "I just can't get hurt in battle."

Won't get hurt?

Not only Ichimaru Gin heard this, but everyone around him felt surprised and suspicious.

How could there be such a perverted Zanpakutō?

It should just be some kind of ability to heal quickly, which was exaggerated a bit by Xin.

Soon, many people thought the same thing.

But this healing ability is quite strange. Can it even repair clothes?
"You really won't get hurt? I don't quite believe it." Ichimaru Gin said with a smile.

"You can try."

Gin Ichimaru assumed a fighting stance, the tip of his Zanpakuto hanging down, his eyes suddenly focused, and he turned his wrist, and the white blade shot out instantly, heading straight for Shin's face.

Xinyu stood there with an unchanged expression, but the moment the long sword was extended, he suddenly turned his head to the side. The sword blade almost brushed past his cheek. Although it had not yet touched him, he could feel the biting chill on it.

Gin Ichimaru's eyes darkened slightly when he witnessed this.

At this distance, the other party is fully able to react.

It can only be successful when in close combat, or...Bankai!
But in this battle, do I really need Bankai?

Just as Ichimaru Gin's mind was racing, he suddenly saw Xin opposite him suddenly put the sword in his hand into the sheath and put one hand on the hilt.

That is……

Gin Ichimaru was stunned when he saw this. He suddenly remembered that he had seen the messenger use this move before, but it was in a battle video.

Shine——

"Yaksha flashes through the sky!"

The katana was unsheathed, and a crescent moon shaped sword appeared in front of Yu Xin. A two-meter-long sword energy appeared out of thin air and flew towards Ichimaru Gin.

This sword energy did not carry much spiritual pressure fluctuation, and at first glance there was nothing surprising about it. Its power seemed even less than that of a low-level ghost sword, but Ichimaru Gin suddenly felt an instinctive danger. He clearly remembered that it was this kind of sword pressure that killed Daihou in one move and injured Tosen Yao.

He didn't dare to block it, so he quickly retracted his magic spear and dodged in an instant.

The sword energy failed to hit the target, but it still rushed towards the murderous stone pillar outside the field with its remaining force.

A surprising scene occurred. The indestructible murderous stone was actually cut into a very shallow crack by the sword energy!

The crack was not very obvious, but some people still noticed it, and the expressions of several captains present changed slightly.

The murderous stone has a natural suppressive effect on spirit particles. No matter how powerful the external attack is, as long as the moves are composed of spirit particles, they will be completely absorbed by the murderous stone.

It can be said that even if Captain Yamamoto used all his strength to perform a high-level ghost technique, it would be impossible to cause any damage to the murderous stone.

But why did the sword energy that Xin swung leave a crack on the murderous stone?!

There was a hint of surprise in the eyes of Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni and Unohana Retsu at this moment.

It is said that when swordsmanship reaches a high enough level of attainment, one can cut through iron and steel, and the sword energy can sweep across the sky. This is not due to spiritual pressure, but purely due to the sword energy emitted by the sword!

But this applies to ordinary mortals in reality. They do not have extraordinary powers. They have achieved this level by practicing swordsmanship to the limit. They can be called swordsmen or sword saints.

As Shinigami, they use spiritual pressure to fight, so they don't have to be restricted by this.

It can only be said that the paths they take are different. For the God of Death, the way of the sword is a method of killing enemies honed through countless battles, which is naturally different from those of ordinary people in reality.

Gin Ichimaru didn't notice what happened behind him. He was afraid of the danger he felt from the previous move, but in this moment of distraction, a figure with a cold face was already approaching!

Oops!

Ichimaru Gin suddenly opened his eyes, with no time to dodge or resist.

With this blow, he would be crippled if not killed, and it was very likely that his soul knot would be pierced like Omaeda Kichiyo and Saito Hisaya before him, and he would lose his ability to fight in the next duel.

boom!
An extremely powerful spiritual pressure wave suddenly erupted from Gin Ichimaru, and visible spiritual particles flowed around his body, forming a storm.

The surging spiritual pressure gushed out crazily, and finally slowed down Xin's sword strike by half a second.

(End of this chapter)