[Cackles!]
[Young lady, let me show you the might of my big ○ dog teeth!]
[I'll graciously let you witness it!]
[...Even Yhwach never achieved this!!]
The small, broken sword's childish voice echoed in both their ears, abruptly injecting a jarring playfulness into the tense, deadly atmosphere.
However, the moment 'Yhwach's' name was uttered, Louise's expression, previously devoid of emotion, stiffened. Her serene face gradually revealed a hint of coldness, as if ignited by anger.
Louise slowly rose, her snow-white uniform dress speckled with blood like plum blossoms.
"Such trivial damage makes you arrogant?"
"Dare you..."
"Speak His Majesty's name before me?"
Her voice was as cold as snow, but her gaze at Fujimiya Makoto was icy and piercing.
In that moment, the aura she exuded was utterly different from before.
Makoto frowned, tossing aside the severed arm, his fingers resting on his sword's hilt.
"Erase..."
Louise pressed her left hand to her severed shoulder, her voice cold: "The reality of the lost arm."
In an instant, both the wound on her shoulder and the arm on the ground vanished, as if erased by an eraser.
Her severed right arm reappeared, perfectly reattached.
Makoto's pupils contracted sharply.
"Can she even..."
"Erase events that have already occurred?!"
This time, Louise, having erased the past, left him no chance to escape. Her cold gaze locked onto him, her reattached right hand pressing against her heart.
"Erase—"
"Boom!"
Makoto's feet erupted with explosive reiatsu, propelling him away.
"You can't find me!"
[Determinant of Truth]
However, just as Makoto deduced Louise's abilities from the information he gathered, Louise wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.
The moment Makoto vanished, Louise swept her left hand in a circle around herself.
"Erase!"
At first glance, nothing changed.
Makoto dashed at high speed toward her side.
But as he crossed a certain 'distance,' Louise suddenly turned toward him.
Her left hand rose.
Makoto froze, twisting to dodge.
"Whoosh—"
With that single motion, a vast area of ground, along with dust, vanished into nothingness.
Discovered?!
Makoto was stunned.
How...?
As the thought crossed his mind, his senses sharpened.
He immediately noticed the change around him.
His spiritual sense detected nothing.
If Soul Society were an ocean of reishi, a Shinigami's spiritual sense would perceive the 'water.'
Through this ever-flowing reishi, Shinigami could sense more than the living.
But Louise's simple motion created a vacuum in the reishi around her.
Any reishi passing through this area would stand out, revealing his 'presence.'
"Such a domineering ability."
"Then..."
Makoto took a deep breath, chanting rapidly:
"Chariots of thunder, gaps in the spinning wheel, this light divides into six!"
"Iron walls, monk-shaped towers, glowing iron, resolute and silent!"
Dual incantations!
As he finished, Makoto pointed at Louise.
"Bakudo #61: Rikujōkōrō!"
"Bakudo #75: Gogoi Tekkan!"
Beams of light shot from his fingertips, piercing the reishi vacuum and binding Louise's waist.
Simultaneously, five iron pillars bound by chains descended with a roar.
[Binding play, huh? Not interested! (Expecting more)]
[Kido +5]
Louise's expression remained unchanged. Her left hand erased both the light and the pillars.
Her moon-like eyes continued sensing the reishi around her.
'Trying to distract me?'
Indeed.
As the bindings vanished, Louise sensed an unknown reishi 'presence' in the vacuum.
She turned abruptly:
"Found you..."
"What?!"
But what appeared before her was a brilliant light sphere.
As she turned, it exploded.
"Hado #20: Shōtenkyū."
The illumination spell's flash was blinding.
Louise's expression faltered briefly.
In that instant, Makoto's blade sliced smoothly through her neck.
Her head flew high, landing with a thud.
"Thud."
[She's so fragile, this young lady.]
[But her body's still usable while warm.]
The broken sword's journey continued.
Makoto remained alert, staring at Louise's head.
Her reiatsu...
Hadn't vanished!
Indeed.
Noticing Makoto wasn't fooled, the head on the ground opened its eyes, turning toward him.
Her porcelain eyes held no warmth.
"Couldn't deceive you?"
[Ah! The corpse is talking!]
The broken sword sounded amused, but Makoto's expression grew grave.
"Even beheading doesn't kill her?"
"Of course not."
Louise's voice was calm. Her head on the ground revealed a chilling smile:
"After all, I'm already dead."
"..."
Makoto stared intently.
"Erase!"
Her body reappeared, still pristine white.
This time, Makoto realized why her body was so pale—the color of the dead.
Louise, noticing his cold gaze, smiled softly, as if proud of her prank:
"Beautiful, isn't it? My body."
She tucked her snow-white hair behind her ear, her voice tinged with nostalgia:
"When I was alive..."
"This body was softer."
"Pity."
"My husband killed me."
Makoto felt a chill, sensing an oppressive reiatsu.
But Louise continued softly:
"Unfair, isn't it? I was so young."
"Just because my country fell, I had to die with his family—even though I was his war prize."
"Erase, erase..."
"Erase everyone who made me like this."
"As I died, I prayed countless times."
"Do you understand?"
Her voice dropped:
"My..."
"Hatred for being killed!"
As her voice rose, Makoto retreated.
White threads erupted from Louise's body, forming a spiderweb spanning hundreds of meters.
She clenched her fist.
The ground, air, dust, and life within hundreds of meters...
All dissolved into nothingness.
Violent reiatsu erupted from her, shaking the air.
Reishi flames flowed outward, her dead eyes glowing, her white hair aflame.
Only the ground beneath her remained, a vast pit surrounding her.
Reishi flames formed a single wing behind her.
Her hands were enveloped in white fire.
Her voice was distant, devoid of emotion:
"So..."
"From the day His Majesty granted me power..."
"I decided."
Louise raised her head, staring at Makoto:
"Never again will I be erased."
As she looked up, Makoto's alarm bells rang.
Is this... a Quincy's final form?
As the thought struck him, intricate reishi patterns appeared on Louise's skin.
Her wing fluttered.
"Whoosh—"
In a blink, Louise appeared before him.
Makoto's pupils narrowed.
He drew his sword, blocking her hand aimed at his face.
The broken sword cursed childishly.
[Hey! You bastard!]
In that instant, Louise stopped.
Makoto slid back, leaving a trail of smoke.
Watching him retreat, Louise's smile softened.
"You Shinigami have only one weapon in a lifetime."
"Right?"
Makoto glanced at his sword.
Only the lower half remained, the part that touched her hand erased.
If he hadn't blocked it...
His body would be gone.
As if to heighten his despair, Louise whispered:
"Feel it well, Shinigami..."
"...The taste of death."
Yet Makoto showed no fear.
He shook his broken sword, turning to Louise, puzzled:
"Didn't you Quincy research Shinigami combat styles before attacking?"
"Hmm?"
Louise's gaze turned slightly contemptuous.
"Bankai?"
"Such a toy."
"Show me."
Having seen Tsuabame's Bankai, she was unimpressed.
Compared to His Majesty's power,
Shinigami were nothing.
But she didn't know...
Even among Shinigami, there were vast differences.
Like between Makoto and other monsters.
Makoto raised his broken sword.
"Is that so?"
"Then anticipate..."
"...My toy."
Behind him, a giant gate—half joyful, half mournful—emerged, revealing a black abyss like his soul.
[When, oh when, shall we meet again?]
[At the dusk of Bon Festival!]
[Pinky promise, no lying!]
[Liar's body shatters!]
[Pass on, pass on, the path to heaven.]
[Offer the fate of cause and effect!]
The haunting nursery rhyme echoed, pulling at their souls.
Makoto stared at Louise, whispering:
"Yūsei mōshi, sokushin teigi, sakuin gyakkah—"
As his release command reached Louise's ears, Makoto raised his head.
Their eyes met, pink hearts appearing.
"—Misogi Gōgi!"
Suddenly, Louise, empowered by the Soul King, felt bound by strange forces.
As if drawn into the gate behind Makoto.
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