The blade's light slashed toward the rear, the cold edge breaking through the constraints of the air.
He didn't think; it was almost a reaction born purely of instinct.
The Zanpakutō, wrapped in Reiatsu, was close at hand.
—Slash!
Witnessing this indescribable scene, Shutara Senjumaru narrowed her eyes slightly, a smile of appreciation playing at the corners of her mouth.
Although he had been deceived by the illusion for a split second—a trick that could even fool a Captain—it was something a seated officer-level Soul Reaper should have found impossible to distinguish.
Yet, in the instant after being warned, Naraku Sora subconsciously made the most correct response.
Abundant and condensed Reiatsu wrapped tightly around his body like blood. The Zanpakutō gleamed with a cold light as he slashed forward, piercing through the illusion once more.
This seemed to be one of the abilities of Shutara Senjumaru's Zanpakutō: weaving illusions.
However, from beginning to end, he hadn't seen her draw a Zanpakutō, nor had those golden skeletal arms appeared.
A pair of fair, bare hands remained exposed, making no movements whatsoever.
She was strolling idly, relaxed and at ease.
The gap between the two of them was, to put it mildly, somewhat outrageous.
Despite this, Naraku Sora did not give up. This was meant to be a battle to test his limits, after all.
Success or failure was irrelevant.
Without much hesitation, the moment the illusion shattered and collapsed, Naraku Sora tightened his grip on the hilt. His feet stomped violently on the ground, and his entire body turned into an arrow leaving the bow string, shooting straight ahead.
Since he couldn't distinguish between the real and the fake, he would simply cut down everything that appeared in his line of sight!
The Zanpakutō roared out.
The air let out an overwhelmed wail, parting to the sides like a piece of cloth being forcibly torn apart.
Bolstered by Reiatsu, this strike burst forth with unprecedented destructive power.
Even if facing the version of himself before he suppressed the intruder, Naraku Sora was confident he could split that version in two with a single slash.
"What rough swordsmanship."
Shutara Senjumaru shook her head. "There is absolutely no elegance to speak of. It is like a beast released from its cage, though it is not entirely without merit."
"At the very least, the lethality is astonishing."
As she spoke, boundless Reiatsu surged from her palm, taking the outline of a blade. inching forward until it perfectly blocked Naraku Sora's Zanpakutō.
Blade light collided, and metal clashed.
Shutara Senjumaru's fighting style was nothing like that of a traditional Soul Reaper; instead, she seemed more like an artist fully interpreting her art.
Every gesture displayed the ultimate elegance.
"To be honest, I am not skilled in Kendo, but I have a friend who excels in that field. If you are interested, you silly boy..."
The Zanpakutō and the blade of Spirit Particles clashed repeatedly, erupting with brilliant sparks of light.
Naraku Sora swept his blade horizontally with force, bringing the crimson glow upon his Zanpakutō to its fullest potential. The tyranny unique to a Hollow was manifested at this moment.
The already violent power ascended a step further.
Shutara Senjumaru, who had been observing all along, now looked at Naraku Sora with a gaze that held a trace of fervor.
To think there was actually a Soul Reaper in this world who could perfectly control Hollowfication!
Judging solely from the data parameters, even a Captain-level existence would find it hard to discover Naraku Sora's secret.
At most, they would think this guy was a Soul Reaper with a rather violent Reiatsu nature.
If she hadn't happened to witness the entire process, perhaps she would have been kept in the dark as well.
It could only be said that everything was an arrangement of fate.
The smile on Shutara Senjumaru's lips became more pronounced, and her strikes became increasingly ruthless.
Just as she had said before.
If people didn't have some common language, how could they become friends?
Obviously, to a certain extent, Shutara Senjumaru was also quite scheming.
The vast Reiatsu climbed steadily. The air inside the research lab gradually became viscous, making even breathing heavy.
Naraku Sora widened his eyes, staring at that beautiful face. Although she was still smiling, she gave off a sense of indifference.
Her black and white eyes interpreted a flowing compassion, looking down on all living beings like a true god.
Shutara Senjumaru sighed softly and raised her hand. A crystalline phantom light shrouded it, as if it had turned into an exquisite work of art carved from crystal.
In this moment, warning bells rang loudly in Naraku Sora's heart. An intense sense of crisis filled his consciousness, causing him to make the most instinctual response.
His Reiatsu erupted completely at this moment. His Zanpakutō trembled violently, and a heavy, oppressive sensation permeated the air.
It felt as though a giant boulder had landed on his soul.
Shutara Senjumaru's eyes lit up. There seemed to be a light in them, as if she had discovered a new continent.
She largely understood the reason for Naraku Sora's perfect Hollowfication now.
But the battle did not end there. Her five fingers, beautiful as jade, came together and pushed forward with her left hand.
The movement was gentle and slow, like a tender caress between lovers.
It met that terrifying, blood-red Reiatsu head-on.
The next moment, the sound of shattering rang out incessantly.
In an instant, Naraku Sora's offensive crumbled. He was blasted away, crashing solidly into the wall amidst the whistling wind.
"What... was that?!"
Naraku Sora lay on the ground with zero dignity, his entire body aching to the extreme. He felt as if he had been hit by a truck.
"Do you want to learn?"
Shutara Senjumaru approached, looking down at the boy on the ground, smiling gently.
"I can teach you."
No one would have guessed that this existence, warm as sunshine, was the same person who had just hard-tanked a Zanpakutō slash with a slap and then directly shattered Naraku Sora's Reiatsu.
The contrast was too extreme.
Naraku Sora struggled to sit up. "Learn. Why wouldn't I learn?"
"I should say in advance, this does not count toward our previous agreement."
Shutara Senjumaru nodded, not caring in the slightest about a certain someone's bargaining.
"Regarding the reason why you can perfectly control the power of Hollowfication, I have a rough guess."
"What is it?" Naraku Sora stretched his neck out curiously.
He belonged to the category of knowing the 'how' but not the 'why'. He could use it effectively, but he was completely clueless about the specific reasons behind it.
Shutara Senjumaru revealed a serious expression, her smile retracting slightly.
"Weight. The weight of the soul."
Naraku Sora's expression turned serious, and a look of contemplation flashed through his eyes.
Another term he had absolutely never heard of.
Following this crazy woman really did mean learning new things.
However, Shutara Senjumaru had absolutely no intention of continuing. "Even if I explained the specific content, you wouldn't understand. Knowing the concept is enough."
"By the way, have you mastered the Shikai of your Zanpakutō?"
"Or rather, do you know its true name?"
Hearing this, Naraku Sora paused, looked down at the Zanpakutō in his hand, and then shook his head.
Like a normal Soul Reaper, he had no unique advantages in this regard.
Relying only on the Blade Zen taught in the Academy, he couldn't communicate with his Zanpakutō in such a short time, let alone know its true name or master Shikai.
"Then you are very lucky." Shutara Senjumaru narrowed her eyes and smiled, looking like an understanding big sister. "I recently developed a technology that can help Soul Reapers quickly master Shikai."
"Well? Do you want to try it?"
For some reason, Naraku Sora actually read a hint of ill intent from that incredibly beautiful face...