Bleach: The Shinigami’s Zanpakutō That Unleashed Bankai On Its Own

The wind howled.

At the moment Moyu's Zanpakutō was unsheathed, a violent gale surged upward, forming a tornado that towered a hundred meters high.

Moyu held his Zanpakutō in a reversed grip as he struck downward.

The wind followed his will.

The roaring cyclone surged forward, ripping apart everything in its path.

A look of terror crept across the twisted face of the spider-like Menos Grande.

The force in that wind—it was the scent of death.

It was already too late to evade.

"You're just food—how dare you resist?!"

The spider Menos Grande roared furiously, and the serrated chelicerae at its front lashed out with a speed several times faster than before.

The air shrieked from the pressure.

Facing death, the creature unleashed its full potential.

"You don't understand the layers of life."

At that moment, Moyu had already sheathed his blade.

He didn't even spare the creature another glance.

The tornado howled, swallowing the spider Menos Grande in the blink of an eye.

Shhhrrrip—

A soft, tearing sound echoed from the monster's claws.

Its movements froze midair. The massive chelicerae halted in place, trembling.

The humanlike face locked in a stunned expression.

"…How…"

Its overlapping voice faltered, breaking apart under confusion and fear.

Moyu walked slowly, turning his steps toward Rukia, who stood frozen in place with wide eyes.

Boom—

A rain of blood mist filled the sky. Within the roaring gale, the spider Menos Grande was shredded endlessly, torn into particles.

The battle was over.

> [Your Kendo is exhilarated after slaying the Menos Grande. You've comprehended the extreme state of swordsmanship. The power of slashing techniques has increased by 328%.]

[Your Zanpakutō has heard the essence of wind. You have comprehended the meaning of wind. Shikai power increased by 120%.]

The rewards were generous.

Moyu had expected the Kendo boost. But the sudden awakening of his Zanpakutō caught him off guard.

"Comprehended the nature of wind?"

His steps toward Rukia paused. His thoughts began racing.

"That phrase just now…"

'Gale, there is also a way back.'

He stored the speculation deep in his heart for now. There would be time to investigate later.

"Rukia, are you alright?"

"Did you get hurt?"

Moyu asked gently, his tone lined with concern.

Rukia's cheeks flushed. She opened her mouth to answer—

"Oi, Moyu! Now's not the time to flirt! We're about to lose people from blood loss over here!"

Abarai Renji's voice called out from behind, breaking the moment completely.

Moyu turned, expression deadpan.

Looking at Rukia's twitching brow and the growing black lines on her forehead, Moyu could only offer Renji a silent prayer.

Please… survive this. Somehow.

---

After being patched up with some rough Kaidō, Renji and the others barely managed to get back on their feet.

Though unable to return to battle, they could at least make their way back to Seireitei.

That said—Renji's head was notably more swollen than everyone else's.

Watching Renji stagger around with slurred speech, Moyu sighed deeply.

Brother… sometimes silence is truly golden.

Everyone huddled inside a nearby ruined building, taking a short break while recovering enough to travel.

"Moyu."

Renji's voice called again, nasally through the swelling on his face. "That power you showed earlier…"

"Was that your Zanpakutō's Shikai?"

Moyu paused and glanced at Renji seriously.

Even through his bruised, swollen eyes, Moyu could still glimpse the unmistakable yearning for strength.

"…Not exactly."

He answered honestly. "That's a form of swordsmanship I developed. A new genre."

"The hidden depths of Kendo aren't inferior to Kidō. The only issue is—most of it remains unexplored."

It wasn't an exaggeration.

Among all the Shinigami Moyu had encountered, Unohana Retsu's understanding of Kendo stood above the rest.

Even the renowned Kuchiki Ginrei, former head of the Kuchiki clan, paled in comparison to her. And Byakuya—talented as he was—wasn't close to either in swordsmanship.

Hearing that, Renji fell silent, sinking into thought.

"…The way of the sword—is it really that powerful?"

---

Meanwhile, within the ruined outskirts of the Inuzuri District...

Two figures in black cloaks stepped through the debris-littered streets.

"Well, well," Ichimaru Gin mused with a lazy grin, eyes narrowed into crescent moons. He twirled his fingers playfully, trailing through the lingering reiryoku in the air. "Quite the terrifying power."

"What a scary kid... That had to be his Shikai, right?"

"A wind-type Zanpakutō… those are pretty rare."

The two had witnessed the entire battle from the shadows.

But just as Gin was preparing another remark—

"Gin, you misjudged this time."

Aizen calmly pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his voice smooth and measured. A subtle gleam entered his eyes.

"That wasn't his Shikai."

"That..."

Aizen smiled gently.

"That was just swordsmanship."

Gin froze in place. For a moment, even his ever-present smile faltered.

A rare expression of genuine astonishment surfaced on his face.