Chapter 249 249 Pseudo-Bankai
Upon hearing Toshiro's words, Yoruichi's expression immediately turned grave, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Although she had gained the upper hand after using Shunko, Yoruichi didn't believe she was truly a match for Toshiro.
Yoruichi understood very well that after using Shunko, she was already at full strength, while Toshiro hadn't even used his Shikai.
'Damn, it seems I've angered this kid. He's going to get serious now. What to do? I shouldn't have provoked him just now.'
Yoruichi thought regretfully.
However, it was too late for regrets. Toshiro had already decided to take the fight seriously.
"Pseudo-Bankai! Daiguren Hyorinmaru!!"
Toshiro shouted.
Boom!
A pillar of blue Reiatsu shot into the sky.
Dark clouds gathered, covering the entire Seireitei.
Rumble!
Lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky, as if it were the apocalypse.
Simultaneously, Toshiro's appearance underwent a drastic transformation.
His sword-wielding right arm was covered in ice crystals, resembling a dragon's limb. A pair of massive frost wings spread behind him, almost enveloping his entire body.
Then, three clusters, each with four petals, twelve ice-crystal red lotus petals in total, appeared behind him. He looked sacred and majestic.
Boom!
Powerful Reiatsu erupted from Toshiro's body, shaking the surroundings. Yoruichi, not far away, even felt her breathing become somewhat labored.
However, instead of being shocked by the formidable power Toshiro displayed, Yoruichi showed a puzzled expression.
'What's going on? Although his Reiatsu increased dramatically after Bankai, it shouldn't be only at this level...'
Yoruichi wondered internally.
Yoruichi could sense that although Toshiro's power surged and his Reiatsu greatly increased after Bankai, becoming much stronger than her, it felt roughly comparable to someone like Kyoraku.
For example, while a Captain at the peak of the Advanced Captain-level was stronger than one at the early stage, both ultimately belonged to the Advanced Captain-level. That's the feeling Toshiro gave Yoruichi now… stronger than her, but still within the same level.
'Although this level of strength is already top-tier among the Captains of the Gotei 13, if he's supposed to be the Vice-Captain Commander and comparable to Captain-Commander Yamamoto, it seems far from enough. What's going on? Could Hitsugaya Toshiro's Vice-Captain Commander title be just for show?'
Yoruichi speculated.
'Oh, right! When he called out his Bankai just now, it sounded like 'Pseudo-Bankai'!'
Yoruichi suddenly remembered.
'But what is 'Pseudo-Bankai'?'
Yoruichi had never heard of such a thing.
"Hey! Captain Hitsugaya, what's this 'Pseudo-Bankai' you mentioned just now?"
Yoruichi asked with a serious expression.
"As the name implies, 'Pseudo-Bankai' is naturally not a true Bankai. You've heard, right? My Zanpakuto, Hyorinmaru, is the Strongest Ice-type Zanpakuto. Because Hyorinmaru is too powerful, even after breaking through to Captain-level, I couldn't master its true Bankai."
"The Bankai I used when I first became a Captain wasn't the true Bankai, and it was just an immature, flawed version. It was only later, after my strength advanced further and surpassed a certain threshold, that I mastered Hyorinmaru's true Bankai."
"And now, the 'Pseudo-Bankai' I'm using is precisely that immature, flawed Bankai I grasped when I first broke through to Captain-level."
Toshiro explained.
"I see. But why not use your true Bankai? Are you looking down on me?"
Yoruichi said somewhat unhappily.
"It's not entirely that. Although your strength indeed doesn't warrant me using my true Bankai, the bigger reason is because we're in the Seireitei."
"Although you've left the Soul Society for over a hundred years, you were once a Captain. You should know that Captain-level individuals are not allowed to use Bankai casually within the Seireitei. Especially the more powerful the Bankai, the stricter the regulations. That's why I'm using 'Pseudo-Bankai'."
Toshiro explained to Yoruichi.
For Captains like Toshiro, they were generally not permitted to fully release their Zanpakuto within the Seireitei.
For those ranked at the bottom among Captains, with Bankai of relatively low power, it might be more permissible. And if a true emergency arose, using Bankai might be acceptable.
But for those with immense strength, Bankai with massive destructive power or difficult-to-control Bankai, even in an emergency, they couldn't use Bankai lightly without permission.
After Toshiro became Vice-Captain Commander, the Central 46 specifically issued an order prohibiting Toshiro from using Bankai within the Seireitei. Even in emergencies, he had to report and obtain permission first.
But if he encountered an enemy within the Seireitei that he couldn't handle without Bankai, that would be troublesome.
So, to deal with such situations, Toshiro thought of the immature 'Pseudo-Bankai' he had mastered when he first broke through to Captain-level.
Strictly speaking, 'Pseudo-Bankai' was not a true Bankai. Even if Toshiro used it within the Seireitei, the Central 46 couldn't accuse him of violating the order.
This was Toshiro exploiting a loophole.
After experimentation, Toshiro discovered that although he had mastered Hyorinmaru's true Bankai, he could still use the immature 'Pseudo-Bankai' from before.
However, after using 'Pseudo-Bankai', Toshiro's strength could only reach the peak of Advanced Captain-level, not the Demigod-level power of his true Bankai.
Although he couldn't unleash power comparable to his true Bankai, reaching the peak of Advanced Captain-level was sufficient for most situations.
Like now, facing Yoruichi, if he only used Shikai, Toshiro could still defeat her, but it would require more effort.
If he wanted to defeat her swiftly and decisively, then Toshiro needed to use either 'Pseudo-Bankai' or his true Bankai.
"Now that I've explained everything, let's end this battle quickly."
Toshiro said gravely.
Hearing this, Yoruichi immediately showed a solemn expression, ready for battle.
Although it was only Pseudo-Bankai, Yoruichi could feel that Toshiro was still significantly stronger than her.
"Hail Flower Dragon!"
Toshiro's ice wings flapped once, and his figure shot towards Yoruichi at extreme speed. By the time Yoruichi reacted, Toshiro was already beside her. Then, Toshiro simply thrust his sword towards Yoruichi.
At that critical moment, Yoruichi instantly concentrated high-density compressed Kido power into her right hand and threw a punch, intending to directly counter Toshiro's attack.
Swish!
Their figures passed each other.
Then, Toshiro stood proudly in mid-air, while Yoruichi was frozen into a cross-shaped block of ice.