Chapter 103: Mushroom Woman: Targeting Me?!
"Lord Mayuri…!"
The door to the Director's office was shoved open with violent force.
Nemu burst in, her face pale with panic. Before she could finish a single word, an explosion detonated in the hallway outside.
Fierce flames surged through the corridor in an instant.
The shockwave slammed into Nemu and hurled her back into the office.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes widened. Shock flashed across his face, then immediately twisted into fury as he saw his injured Vice Captain scramble to her feet.
"Nemu, what happened?!"
"It's… Zanpakuto." Nemu struggled to lift her head, reporting in broken breaths. "For some reason, the Squad Members' Zanpakuto suddenly materialized, and they're attacking indiscriminately… Everyone around them…!"
"Materialized?!" Mayuri's voice rose, dripping with ridicule and rage. "Are you joking with me? Are you telling me everyone can do Bankai training now?"
He snorted, eyes sharpening.
"Hmph. Then it's some detestable ability at work again. Those filthy intruders dare to run wild on my turf and cause this much destruction? Unforgivable!"
At Mayuri's words, Takeru narrowed his eyes and extended his senses outward. After a brief pause, he spoke evenly.
"There are indeed many abnormal spiritual fluctuations. More than fifteen, at least. And that's only within the Twelfth Division."
His gaze cooled.
"If the other divisions are the same, then this is severe."
"Tch!"
Mayuri glared at the smoke billowing through the open doorway and ground his teeth.
"Takeru, do whatever you want. I'm staying here to deal with these bastards. I will not allow these puppets to trample my precious research facilities and technical achievements!"
"I'll leave it to you."
Takeru made his decision instantly.
The spirit time house was still only halfway complete. Leaving Mayuri here to handle the mess made him feel far more at ease.
He vanished with Shunpo, slipping into the corridor.
Only then did he fully see how chaotic the Twelfth Division had become.
It looked like a city thrown into war, battered by relentless artillery fire.
Smoke choked the rooms. Walls were scorched and shattered. Technicians in white coats were either desperately trying to contain the damage or lying in pools of blood, their fates unknown.
The moment Takeru stepped outside, the sounds of fighting and screaming poured into his ears along with the hot wind from explosions.
He swept his gaze across the battlefield and saw grotesque, misshapen entities hunting Twelfth Division personnel like monsters.
Under the mixed glow of night and firelight, everything collided in violent confusion. Friend and foe were impossible to distinguish at a glance.
Takeru continued forward, dealing with any reckless Zanpakuto that crossed his path as casually as brushing aside dust.
"My name is… guwah!"
A red ogre of a man, massive enough to rival a Great Hollow, stood arrogantly at the Squad Barracks gate, blocking passage with sheer bulk.
Then a fist flashed like lightning.
The ogre's face crumpled under the impact, and his gigantic body, along with the gate itself, was sent flying. It crashed onto the main road hundreds of meters away with a thunderous boom.
"…"
Takeru stood atop the defeated body's belly without sparing it another glance. Even in the dark, his eyes shone like cold stars as he looked ahead.
Compared to the broad avenue, wide enough for a hundred people to walk shoulder to shoulder, the figure waiting there was undeniably small.
Yet the spiritual pressure she released naturally was terrifying.
The dark clouds overhead seemed to fear her and quietly dispersed, allowing a sliver of cold moonlight to illuminate her fairytale like beauty.
"Oh, that's a decent way to make an entrance." The Mushroom Woman wore a smug expression. "Too bad it's still a bit lacking compared to me, who uses her hat as a snowboard."
"I knew that explosion was your doing," Takeru said flatly. "Where is Muramasa?"
"Hey, hey, that's cheating." She put on an exaggeratedly wounded look. "How can you skip the investigation and evidence collection phase and just grab the culprit?"
"I don't want to waste time when I already know the strategy," Takeru replied without blinking. "I dislike that kind of foolishness. And I imagine you do too."
"Indeed…"
The Mushroom Woman admitted it with embarrassing ease.
"That's why I, who understands exactly what you would do, came straight to you."
"So that's how it is."
The red ogre beneath Takeru's feet lost its shape and dissolved into smoke.
Takeru stepped down onto the ground, facing his own Zanpakuto.
"Before I beat you back into your original form, you might as well tell me your motive."
"Isn't it a bit hasty to label my actions as a crime?"
She complained, yet the proud smile on her face never faded. There wasn't even a hint of anger.
"Can't I infiltrate the enemy camp and do something for you?"
Takeru's expression did not change in the slightest, as if he trusted her about as much as he trusted a lit fuse.
"Oh? And what exactly do you plan to do for me?"
"Pfft…"
She laughed, amused by herself.
"I really can't hide anything from you. How could I possibly do anything for you? Your will is my instinct."
Her grin widened.
"So our goals are the same. Our preferences are identical. That's why we get along so well, and why I've never had any dissatisfaction with you."
One line caught Takeru's attention.
"Your will is my instinct…"
The Mushroom Woman lifted her chin slightly. "That's right."
"All Zanpakuto have their own nature. Muramasa awakened that nature, or rather, that instinct. That's why they broke free from their masters' control without warning and materialized in the outside world."
She tilted her head, eyes glittering.
"As for dissatisfaction, opinions, resentment… those come from incompatibility with the master's personality."
"But that won't happen to us."
"Because what you want to do is my nature."
Her voice softened, almost dreamy, then turned sharp with delight.
"For example, you want to bring down the noble class of the Seireitei, and I can't help but want to slaughter them all completely."
"Whether it's coincidence or destiny…"
"In short, there are many things I want to do, and they align perfectly with your interests."
Her lips curled.
"Master… no, Takeru."
"Our goals are the same."
"You don't need to act, and you must not stop me. I will slaughter the Seireitei nobility completely, and then eliminate the captains."
"Once all resistance is gone, I will disappear contentedly. Then you can take over the Seireitei."
She spread her hands as if presenting a gift.
"Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?"
Takeru drew in a slow breath, then let it out just as steadily.
"…Slaughter all the nobles."
"So that's the difference between will and instinct."
His gaze did not waver.
"Sometimes, I think about doing exactly what you suggested once I possess unmatched power. It would be convenient, fast, and easy."
"But my rationality tells me it won't work."
"It's not because I'm soft hearted. It's because I know very well that among the people you want to kill, there are those who cannot be killed."
The Mushroom Woman raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Are you talking about Shihōin Yoruichi, or Suì Fēng? Or maybe Kuchiki Byakuya?"
Her smile turned sly.
"It couldn't possibly be that little girl who took over managing the Great Spirit Library Corridor for her kidnapped Sage father over the past month, could it?"
The little girl she referred to was Amanmon Nayula, the daughter of a certain Sage from the Central 46, a noblewoman who looked exactly like a child.
Yet her stubborn spirit and deep sense of justice made her impossible to underestimate.
Takeru stared into the Mushroom Woman's glowing blue eyes.
"Rather than saying they cannot be killed, it's more accurate to say those people made me realize there's no need to go to such extremes."
"If you want to call me soft hearted or indecisive, go ahead."
"I won't change my mind."
"…"
The Mushroom Woman shook her head.
"It's fine if others believe that, but I wouldn't call you soft hearted or indecisive."
Her tone turned strangely sincere, then immediately sharpened.
"That way of thinking of yours is utterly tyrannical."
"You insist on separating good people from bad people, making sure not one innocent is killed, and not one guilty escapes."
"Tyrannical?"
Takeru's fist clenched.
Silver blue radiance flared around him like spiritual flames.
"This is called fairness."
Shinigami rarely carried their Zanpakuto during ordinary periods, and the Ninth Division's research needs made that even more common. That was why they had not immediately noticed the Zanpakuto abnormality.
But even without his Zanpakuto at his side, even with it opposing him, the Reiatsu Takeru unleashed at that moment was still shocking.
It was spiritual pressure that felt impossible to possess without releasing a Zanpakuto.
"Let me ask you something," Takeru said, voice cold and controlled. "How is the Ninth Division doing right now?"
"It's fine for now."
The Mushroom Woman smiled casually.
"Without a captain holding the fort, there was no need to alert the enemy. Muramasa wants to lure the elite Shinigami to Sōkyoku Hill and wipe them out."
She lifted her shoulders in a light shrug.
"This place only became like this because you were here. Exposure was inevitable."
Facing the baptism of Takeru's pressure storm, her white cloak and streaked black and blue hair whipped violently, but her slightly arrogant smile never changed.
"Oh, and another thing."
She spoke as if remembering a small detail.
"I intercepted the Hell Butterfly when it came. The intelligence you received is outdated. Everyone else should already be assembled at Sōkyoku Hill, right?"
"So there's no need to report anything."
Takeru's gaze shifted toward the Seireitei's central area, toward the spectacular hill rising in the distance.
Yet he neither saw nor sensed anything.
"…"
In the next instant, without even looking, he reached out, seized the air, and squeezed hard.
Crack.
A sound like crystal shattering echoed as pulverized Star Ash scattered into the wind.
"Are you even more impatient than me?" Takeru said.
"Since you won't accept my proposal, I'll make my move," the Mushroom Woman replied lightly. "Once I take you down, I'll do what I want."
The air around them shimmered like a star filled sky.
A vast net woven from countless specks of Star Ash formed around Takeru.
Even trying to force a way through would risk being blown to pieces.
As Takeru's strength increased, the effectiveness of his Star Ash ability had grown day by day.
A single speck was enough to incapacitate a seated officer.
A net on this scale would be overwhelming even for a captain.
"Speaking of which… it's night now."
The Mushroom Woman looked up at the moonlight overhead, as if something occurred to her.
Without any visible movement, the shadow beneath her feet began to glow. It stretched, swelled, and took shape.
A gray white fairytale dragon formed beneath her, lifting her into the air.
Takeru raised an eyebrow.
"Because you materialized, you can use the Shikai of a sheath independently?"
"Be careful." The Mushroom Woman's smile held a strange warning. "My fighting style might be different from before."
"Careful?"
A cold glint flashed through Takeru's eyes.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
Sizzle.
His clenched fist made that abnormal sound again, like current surging through flesh.
Black and red arcs twisted and leaped, turning the surrounding space turbid and unstable.
"You're the one who should be careful."
"…"
The Mushroom Woman's eyelids twitched. For the first time, disbelief leaked into her expression.
"Did it… trigger already?"
…Sōkyoku Hill.
To the elite Shinigami, even to Ichigo, who had only been in Soul Society for half a year, it was a place they knew far too well.
"That said," Kyōraku Shunsui remarked, trying to lighten the mood, "this is my first time coming here at night, and I almost don't recognize it."
His eyes, hidden beneath the shadow of his hat brim, quietly swept the area.
He noticed something immediately.
"Ukitake. Did you notice?"
Jūshirō Ukitake nodded grimly. "Yes."
"Setting aside the First Division for the moment, Aizen, Takeru, Kenpachi, and Mayuri haven't arrived."
Kyōraku and Ukitake were not the only ones who noticed.
Someone cut in before they could speak further.
"Hey, Hisagi… where's your captain?"
That question pulled everyone's attention toward Shūhei Hisagi and, beside him, a visibly displeased Suì Fēng.
"Captain Takeru went to the Research and Development Institute," Hisagi explained quickly. "I sent a message through my Denreishinki, but he didn't reply."
He swallowed, trying to keep his voice steady.
"I thought Captain would come with Captain Kurotsuchi, so I came ahead by myself."
Suì Fēng muttered a quiet, "I see," and let the matter drop.
Hisagi wiped cold sweat from his brow in his mind.
Her gaze was terrifying. He could not understand how his captain managed to maintain good relations with the Second Division.
"Never mind Takeru," Ichigo said, frowning. "Even Teacher isn't here."
He turned toward a delicate girl in the crowd.
"Miss Hinamori, where's Teacher?"
"I… I don't know where Captain Aizen went either." Hinamori Momo's eyes were full of worry.
"I haven't seen Captain since he left the office. He didn't take his Denreishinki, and when I asked around the division, everyone said they hadn't seen him."
She clenched her hands, voice trembling.
"After I received the message, I thought Captain would come, so I came immediately, but…"
"What?"
Everyone stiffened and exchanged glances.
"Why does this sound so familiar…?" Hitsugaya Tōshirō frowned, staring at Ichigo with suspicion.
"Hey, Kurosaki. You're not putting on another show, are you?"
"Of course not!"
Before Ichigo could answer, Hinamori snapped back, tears welling in her eyes.
"I'm absolutely sure! Captain is really missing!"
"Is that why Captain Commander Yamamoto suddenly ordered us to gather?" Komamura Sajin speculated.
"If that's the case…" His voice grew heavier. "Aizen might not be the only captain missing."
Retsu Unohana's gaze drifted across the assembled faces.
"At most, there are twenty six captains and vice captains combined."
"The Third Division's captain position is vacant. Excluding the First Division, there should be twenty three people here."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"But now, there are only seventeen."
"No, wait…!" Hisagi blurted out, instinctively resisting the idea of including those who simply had not arrived in the missing list. "I said Captain Takeru just went to the Research and Development Institute…!"
However, before he could say more, everyone sensed chaotic spiritual pressure fluctuations.
They all turned in the same direction.
"?!"
"That's…!"
"The Twelfth Division!"
In the darkness, flames were visible even from here.
While everyone stood caught between doubt and alarm, a figure suddenly appeared high above, thrown through the night like debris.
Many nerves snapped taut at once.
"Wait! Don't move!"
Kyōraku shouted, then flashed forward and caught the falling body before it struck the ground.
When everyone gathered around, a stunned silence fell.
It was Chōjirō Sasakibe, Vice Captain of the First Division.
He was grievously injured. Critical.
"How is this possible…?" Renji Abarai was the most shaken.
Because he had once lost to him.
And it had been here, on Sōkyoku Hill.
Sasakibe, the man who had beaten him to his knees, had ended up like this?
Who did this?
"Isane."
"Yes!"
Unohana called for Isane Kotetsu at once, moving to begin emergency treatment.
"Ugh…"
Perhaps Sasakibe felt the familiar spiritual pressure around him. With a violent effort, he forced his eyes open and dragged sound from his throat.
"Be… careful…!"
"What?" Kyōraku frowned and leaned closer to listen.
"Be careful… Zanpakuto…!"
His voice was weak, but every word landed clearly.
Precisely because of that, confusion spread through the crowd.
Many of them looked down at the Zanpakuto they had brought with them.
Boom!
Before anyone could piece the meaning together, a deafening roar shook the air.
It sounded like countless explosions layered together, vibrating straight into the bones.
Everyone looked up.
From the Twelfth Division's direction, flames erupted and surged like boiling clouds, spreading across the sky and illuminating half of the Seireitei.
For an instant, the scale was so exaggerated that many mistook it for the Captain Commander's doing.
Then they felt it.
Takeru's Reiatsu.
And another strange, yet powerful Reiatsu.
Clearly, those flames were no accident.
Something was happening in the Twelfth Division.
"Takeru…!"
Ichigo's expression hardened. He immediately moved as if to rush to assist.
Then a sharp cry rang out.
Everyone turned.
A giant, infant like creature surged out of the forest.
"Is that… Captain Kurotsuchi's Bankai?!"
Without explanation, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō acted at once.
Its head opened wide and spewed a vast tide of poison gas.
"Did Mayuri betray us?" Suì Fēng's face turned icy as she drew her Zanpakuto and held it horizontally across her chest.
At that moment, she suspected everything was Mayuri's conspiracy.
Otherwise, why would Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō be here after its Bankai?
"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi…"
Suì Fēng spoke the release command.
Nothing happened.
Her Zanpakuto remained an Asauchi, unchanged.
Worse than that, she could not feel her Zanpakuto's Reiatsu at all.
That was what truly alarmed her.
Whoosh!
A golden streak flashed past.
Before Suì Fēng could react, three hornet crests appeared on her body.
"Yay!"
A petite golden girl, fairy like and bright, hovered proudly as she stared at Suì Fēng.
"You… you are…!"
Suì Fēng did not recognize the form at first, but the crests carved into her skin made the truth slam into her instantly.
"So this is what Sasakibe meant by being careful of the Zanpakuto?!"
"They say you get stupid after falling in love," Suzumebachi teased, sticking out her tongue, "but your mind seems sharp."
Her smile widened.
"Too bad it won't help you now."
Under Suì Fēng's furious, stunned stare, Suzumebachi activated the venom.
Suì Fēng's body went numb. Her legs buckled, and she dropped to one knee.
The paralysis would not last long, but it was enough time.
The poison gas rolled in.
And Suì Fēng was not the only one.
Across Sōkyoku Hill, captains and vice captains were ambushed one after another by the materialized forms of their own Zanpakuto.
Everyone was caught completely off guard.
Techniques detonated among the crowd.
Even if someone dodged their own Zanpakuto's strike, they might still be shredded by the sea of petals from Senbonzakura, or blasted away by the violent sword pressure of Tenken.
Sōkyoku Hill had become the most brutal battlefield in the Seireitei.
"Everyone…!"
Ichigo forced his way out of the chaos, used his sword pressure to disperse the poison gas, and looked for an opening to rescue someone.
A chill crawled up the back of his neck without warning.
He swung his blade backward on instinct.
Clang!
Metal crashed against metal.
Sparks burst between two nearly identical faces.
"Yo."
The one who looked almost exactly like Ichigo grinned, a jagged, serrated blade in his hand.
"You didn't run away like the first time we met. Should I praise you for improving, King?"
"You…!"
Ichigo's pupils constricted.
With techniques like that, the truth was obvious, just like what Suì Fēng had realized.
Even so, the question still tore out of him.
"Why are you here?"
"Why are you so surprised?" Hollow White rested the blade on his shoulder as if this were casual. His expression was full of layered meaning. "Look around. Don't those people look like they've never seen Zanpakuto materialize either?"
"The guy who summoned us didn't even bother to make the Zanpakuto manifest in the forms their masters are used to."
"That has nothing to do with it!"
Ichigo exerted force and knocked the blade away.
He glared at Hollow White.
"What I'm asking is why it's you and not Old Man Zangetsu!"
"Do you really want that guy standing opposite you?" Hollow White asked, tone lazy.
"…Whether it's you or Old Man Zangetsu, I don't want to fight either of you," Ichigo said, voice low.
He tightened his grip.
"I'm just wondering why, right now, when everyone is being attacked by their own Zanpakuto, the one who appeared before me is you."
"Not Old Man Zangetsu."
"I told you." Hollow White pointed his sword at Ichigo, lips curling into a savage smile. "Why are you so surprised?"
"You said it yourself. Everyone is being attacked by their own Zanpakuto."
"You shouldn't be the exception."
"So isn't the answer obvious?"
"…I almost forgot." Ichigo glanced at the blade in his own hand.
"The Shikai sword form matches you exactly, so your appearance is… understandable."
"Tch." Hollow White clicked his tongue, annoyed. "I've wanted to say this for a long time."
"I'm not some sword form."
His grin sharpened.
"I am the Zanpakuto in your hand. I am Zangetsu."
"Hey, don't go spreading that around," Ichigo snapped, frowning.
"It's true you're part of me, but don't confuse what matters. If people start thinking my Zanpakuto is made of Hollow power, I'll get branded for it."
"…Who's confusing what matters now?" Hollow White sighed dramatically.
"Forget it. No matter what you think…"
His voice dropped, turning dangerous.
"As long as I kill you, then I can live on in your place, and we won't have to worry about what matters and what doesn't."
"…No one would believe that form is me," Ichigo said, eyes narrowing.
Then his expression steadied.
"But I see."
"The instigator who dragged you and the other Zanpakuto out hasn't changed your mind."
"That's a relief."
"Oh?"
Ichigo's gaze sharpened.
"Since we can talk like this, your goal only shifted from taking my body to living on in my place. It's the same kind of thing."
"That means the method used to materialize you and push you into rampaging is just sowing discord."
"It doesn't have real control over you."
Ichigo's grip tightened, determination hardening in his eyes.
"Then, as long as I defeat you, you should be able to return to normal and go back into the Zanpakuto."
"It's the same thing I've been doing for the past month."
"Trying to make you submit."
"Taking the power outside my control and bringing it back to myself."
He breathed out slowly.
"Maybe… because I've interacted with you so much over the past month, you're the one who appeared."
Hollow White let out a quiet snort.
"Your brain's gotten sharper, you bastard."
"Because I have a friend with a sharp mind," Ichigo replied calmly.
"Whether it's to avoid being tricked, or to avoid being left behind, I have to keep improving."
"The person you mentioned might have already been blown up," Hollow White said casually.
"What are you talking about?" Ichigo's expression did not tremble.
"Even I don't believe I'll die by your hand, so how could he…"
His voice was steady, unshaken.
"How could Takeru die by the hand of his own Zanpakuto?"
As if responding to his words, the massive flames rolling across the distant sky were split apart by a single strike.
The gloomy dark clouds above the Seireitei were torn away into nothingness.
Black and red lightning flickered faintly, leaping across the sky, reflecting coldly against the moonlight.
For a moment, the sheer pressure made both sides on Sōkyoku Hill freeze.
Even the fighting stalled.
Ichigo seized the opening.
Without hesitation, he abandoned his current opponent.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
The enlarged slash blasted Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō backward.
Ichigo held back.
He still did not know what would happen if he destroyed a Zanpakuto on behalf of its master, so he did not cut it in half.
As Konjiki Ashisogi Jizō fell from Sōkyoku Hill, the Zanpakuto group stiffened in alarm.
"Uwah, that hateful auntie!"
Haineko's attention had wandered at the worst possible time. She was nearly caught by a Bakudō from Rangiku Matsumoto, and she shrieked in fury.
"Hoo…"
Rangiku panted hard, too exhausted to snap back.
The others seized the moment as well.
Since Kyōraku's, Ukitake's, and Unohana's Zanpakuto had not appeared, the Shinigami used their numbers to press the materialized Zanpakuto back, break free from their immediate binds, and regroup.
"Remarkable."
A figure appeared in the air.
Muramasa.
"I didn't expect that even this would fail to produce any casualties among you."
As he spoke, the Zanpakuto gathered around him.
All except Hollow White.
"Ah. You can call it luck," Kyōraku said lightly, though his tone held an eerie chill. "With that momentum, casualties were bound to happen sooner or later."
He stared directly at Muramasa.
"But why are you doing this?"
Kyōraku's voice remained calm.
"Who are you?"
"Since these are trivial questions, I don't mind answering."
Muramasa pulled his right hand from his pocket and swept it outward.
"My name is Muramasa."
"I am the one who helps Zanpakuto break free from the restraints of Shinigami and grants them new life."
His gaze was icy.
"But I know the greed of Shinigami. You will never give up control over Zanpakuto."
"So why not be straightforward?"
"Before being hunted down by Shinigami, we will crush the Gotei 13 first and occupy the Seireitei in the name of Zanpakuto."
"In this way, we will establish a home that belongs to Zanpakuto."
His words stirred excitement among many Zanpakuto.
Their eyes shone as if Muramasa had painted a future they could finally touch.
But the Shinigami led by Kyōraku only grew more solemn.
Not because fear of annihilation gripped them.
But because…
"You're full of lies," Ichigo said bluntly, brows drawn tight. "I can't feel any sincerity."
His eyes narrowed.
"You're deceiving them, aren't you?"
"Whether I am or not, you'll know soon enough," Muramasa replied, unfazed.
Kyōraku's tone shifted, the levity draining from it.
"Hey, Muramasa. Where is Old Man Yama?"
That single question snapped the Shinigami side's attention into focus.
Even Byakuya, who had been silent and distant since Muramasa appeared, narrowed his eyes.
Yamamoto Genryūsai.
The backbone of the Gotei 13.
The Captain Commander who stood at the apex of the Seireitei.
He would never sit back and watch villains run rampant.
Yet not only had he not appeared, his spiritual presence could not be felt at all.
Something was wrong.
"Are you asking about Yamamoto Genryūsai?"
Muramasa's smile turned meaningful.
"The fact that you received a message from the First Division is proof enough. I already overran the First Division."
He spread his hand slightly.
"If he still hasn't appeared by now, then it can only mean one thing."
"He is already gone."
Kyōraku and Ukitake's expressions shifted subtly.
Unohana lowered her gaze, focusing on stabilizing Sasakibe's condition.
The other captains clearly did not believe Muramasa's claim, yet none could refute it outright.
The vice captains did not have that composure.
The words hit them like lightning.
Hinamori's heart stumbled.
If even the Captain Commander had been killed, then Captain Aizen could not possibly have escaped harm.
"Damn it…"
Hisagi and Kira looked stricken.
Ōmaeda swallowed hard and glanced toward Suì Fēng, who had just forced herself through the lingering numbness of the hornet venom and was unsteadily rising.
"Captain… should we retreat first?" Ōmaeda blurted, voice tight with fear. "Everyone's in bad shape, and we can't even release our Zanpakuto. We can't possibly defeat them!"
"Shut up," Suì Fēng hissed, low and furious, eyes locked on Muramasa.
Takeru was still fighting.
How could she retreat?
Would she not be giving the enemy room to send reinforcements?
"It seems a direct confrontation will consume too much energy," Muramasa said, as if speaking out of consideration.
"Even if we defeat you, it will damage our side."
His expression remained smooth.
"I value my comrades' lives greatly."
"Therefore…"
His voice turned cold.
"Everyone, go forth and destroy to your heart's content. If the Seireitei burns everywhere, the Shinigami will be unable to gather and act."
The Zanpakuto approved immediately.
They wanted to rampage, to display their power without restraint.
"Don't go!" Ichigo shouted, watching them prepare to scatter. Anxiety surged through him.
The others also looked grim.
At the same time, fires and panicked movement began to appear across the Seireitei, which had been wrapped in darkness.
More Zanpakuto had materialized.
They were attacking Shinigami everywhere like wild beasts.
The chaos was spreading.
If it continued, the entire Seireitei would be swallowed by war.
Boom!
A figure descended from the sky like a blazing meteor.
The impact nearly shattered the foremost section of Sōkyoku Hill.
With his back to the gathered crowd, Takeru's first action after landing was to unleash his Reiatsu at full force.
Silver blue radiance mixed with black red lightning surged upward, forming a pillar of light from the very heart of the Seireitei. It struck the Soul Sealing Barrier overhead and spread along its inner wall like a rising tide.
In an instant, the sky turned silver blue.
A crushing pressure fell across everyone.
The fleeting black red lightning crackling in the air made the materialized Zanpakuto rampaging throughout the Seireitei stiffen as if struck from afar, some nearly collapsing headfirst onto the ground.
.....
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