CHAPTER 482: CHAPTER 482: THE WORST COMBINATION

Upon hearing Zaraki Kenpachi’s provocation, Jerome burst out laughing, but the grin on his face quickly vanished, replaced by a fierce, menacing glare.

"How dare you show such disrespect to us—and to His Majesty! I’ll take your head, then go slaughter your Captain-Commander and offer his life to His Majesty!"

Kenpachi’s grin only grew more twisted.

"He only fights the strong. Let’s see which of us is worthy to challenge him!"

With that, he suddenly raised his hand, and a golden wave of sword pressure shot out like a crescent moon!

Seeing this, Loyd’s eyes narrowed slightly.

He silently marveled: No wonder His Majesty holds him in such high regard—he’s even more powerful in person.

But that’s exactly why I’m the one standing here now!

Over twenty years ago, during that massive battle, several captains of the Gotei 13 led an assault on the Schatten Bereich, forcing the Wandenreich to abandon its territory. Since then, those captains have been marked as priority targets.

Among them, Zaraki Kenpachi and Retsu Unohana are the ones to watch most closely.

Everyone knows how dangerous Zaraki Kenpachi’s potential is. As for Retsu Unohana—though once a rival from a thousand years ago—her current strength can’t even be compared to what it was back then.

Aside from Masatsuki Aozaki, these two were at the top of their list.

That’s why, the moment Lloyd laid eyes on the spiky-haired Shinigami before him, he brought two Sternritter along to intercept.

"Your bravery is admirable, but your power isn’t yours alone. Die by your own blade!"

Loyd spoke calmly.

"Huh? You trying to turn into me?"

Kenpachi scratched his head with a grin.

"That’s awesome!"

Loyd frowned slightly at Kenpachi’s uncontainable excitement. His mood was already sour.

Did this idiot really think that just because he and his brother looked alike, their abilities were the same?

In truth, he and the one who fought Yamamoto—Royd—were twin brothers.

They both possessed the Schrift "Y," representing "Yourself."

But there was a key difference between them.

Royd could only mimic an opponent’s appearance and power.

Loyd, on the other hand, though his imitation was slightly weaker, could perfectly copy the original’s memories and psyche.

That last ability was something Royd lacked.

Still, it was enough.

With the same power as the enemy—and with the help of two Sternritter—defeating the original shouldn’t be too difficult.

As soon as Loyd transformed into his likeness, Kenpachi didn’t hesitate to raise his Zanpakutō, eyes blazing with excitement.

"To fight myself again... This is incredible. Don’t let me down this time!"

Before he even finished speaking, the iconic white Hollow mask had already appeared on his face, and he instantly lunged at Loyd like a blur.

"Drink, Nozarashi!!"

"!!?"

Loyd’s pupils shrank, his face filled with shock.

The power this man unleashed went far beyond anything he expected.

He had no idea Kenpachi wielded Hollow abilities—there was nothing about that in the intel.

No wonder he felt a strange sense of inferiority during the transformation.

That blade, which had suddenly expanded in size—though it hadn’t even swung yet—radiated a terrifying level of threat just from its presence!

"Roar!!"

At that moment, Jerome quickly stepped in front of Loyd, his body instantly transforming into a massive gorilla.

Boom!!!!

A deafening blast shook the sky of Reverse London as an invisible sonic wave twisted the air and exploded outward!

Swish!!

Kenpachi Zaraki shot out from the thick cloud of dust and smoke.

Gripping his Zanpakutō tightly, he stood still, quietly feeling the powerful shockwave that had just sent him flying.

Could this be that "Schrift" ability the boss mentioned before?

...In recent years, every Shinigami in the Gotei 13 had been required to study a new cultural subject—

Memorizing the names, traits, and abilities of all Sternritter members!

Thanks to the two captured prisoners, Candice and Bambietta, Seireitei had gained a decent amount of intel on the Quincies.

Yhwach would share his own blood with powerful Quincies, granting them strength.

This power was known as the "Schrift."

Though Kenpachi Zaraki wasn’t exactly known for his brains—and could barely remember anyone’s name—he still had to take Seireitei’s yearly assessments, where he consistently ranked near the bottom.

Even so, over time, even a blockhead like him had picked up on some of their powers.

If he remembered right, the three in front of him—besides the three-eyed freak who could mimic appearances—

One of them turned into a gorilla and shouted really loud, and the other one liked forcing people to answer questions.

As for the one who shouted? That was clearly the source of the sonic shockwave just now.

Just as Zaraki was, for once, using his brain to think, the shockwave in the sky began to fade.

Seeing him completely unscathed, Berenice grinned with a twisted sneer.

"Well, well... I thought those losers were just too weak."

"Judging by your performance, it’s clear you’re a major combat asset for Seireitei."

"If I’m not mistaken, you must be the strongest Shinigami besides Yamamoto, Masatsuki Aozaki, and Retsu Unohana."

"If we manage to kill you, His Majesty will definitely reward us!"

Zaraki stared at the Quincy, who wouldn’t stop talking, momentarily stunned by the ringing in his ears from the earlier shockwave.

"What the hell are you saying? I can’t hear a damn thing! Speak up—what, didn’t you eat today!?"

Zaraki’s voice roared like thunder, shaking the air around him.

His eyes were wide with irritation, his grip on the massive blade tightening, ready to swing at any second.

Was her voice really that low?

Berenice frowned and instinctively glanced at Jerome. Then the realization hit her.

What a terrible combo!

But before she could complain to her teammate, Zaraki had already charged like a wild beast, his killing intent surging forward.

Berenice snorted, eyes flashing with annoyance.

Fine, no need to waste words.

Once Loyd and Jerome take him down, I’ll finish him off myself.

With that thought, Berenice, recognizing her own lack of use, wisely stepped back a few paces, leaving the battlefield to Loyd.

Loyd took a deep breath, his whole body surging with power, ready to attack.

Drink, Nozarashi...

Just as he was about to strike, an ominous feeling suddenly surged in his chest.

Under Loyd’s watchful gaze, Kenpachi Zaraki swung his massive blade with full force—Reiryoku exploded outward in an instant.

"Getsuga Tenshō!"

Zaraki bellowed as his sword flashed with a brilliant light, like a crescent moon tearing through the sky.

That overwhelming force came crashing forward like a storm—unstoppable and relentless.