(I'm back stronger than ever ^-^ Thank you all for your patience)
Crimson Reiatsu surged forth, whistling through the air with intense aggression.
Despite his physical exhaustion, the young man's spirit was exceptionally high. His eyes shone with a brilliant light, like a beast awakening from a deep slumber.
The assassin was wrapped entirely in black clothing, making their identity impossible to discern.
Strangely enough, Naraku Sora did not sense any killing intent from his opponent.
However, the assassin's attacks were extremely ruthless, giving him absolutely no chance to breathe.
Two figures constantly intersected within the small courtyard, turning into afterimages that were difficult for the naked eye to track. Every collision erupted with astonishing shockwaves.
It was like bombs detonating instantly.
"The Araki family sent you?"
Naraku Sora's fist, wrapped in heavy Reiatsu, smashed straight toward the opponent's chest. The moment the assassin dodged, the wind from the punch grazed their ear, instantly leaving a terrifyingly deep pit in the ground.
Although his Hakuda level was low—incomparable to those Soul Reapers who had trained for decades or even centuries—he could completely make up for the defects in technique through his sheer numerical advantage.
Current Naraku Sora possessed only ninth-level spiritual power, which was considered lower-middle level among seated officers.
But relying on the perfect fusion of Hollow power, the boost in growth potential, and that one hundred percent spirit body amplification, he could completely go head-to-head with some of the weaker Lieutenants.
This was the charm of raw stats.
However, the opponent was no slouch either. Their Reiatsu was tyrannical, their techniques were exquisite, and even their posture when exerting force was superior to Naraku Sora's.
Although their stats were slightly inferior, the two still fought back and forth.
"First, this is the Central Prison," Naraku Sora grinned ferociously. "Second, do you think the commotion we're making will escape the notice of that bad woman, the Warden?"
The assassin remained silent, seemingly determined not to stop until the goal was achieved.
But from the exposed eyes, it wasn't hard to see that they were still holding the winning hand, appearing full of confidence.
The exchange between the two continued.
The opponent's attacks came like a violent storm. A pair of fair fists seemed forged of steel, wrapped in materialized Reiatsu, constantly exploding from various tricky angles.
Exquisite Hakuda skills were displayed one after another; the assassin seemed to transform into the purest killing machine.
Fingers, fists, elbows, knees, and even the head.
Every part could be turned into a weapon to take a life. The slightest carelessness could lead to disaster and result in being captured on the spot.
Naraku Sora went from being evenly matched to showing clear signs of decline. Gradually, he could no longer keep up with the opponent's rhythm.
His previous training had consumed a large amount of his stamina, and with the assassin coming on so aggressively, lasting this long was already a rare miracle.
The assassin seemed to notice this as well. A knee strike was suddenly altered mid-motion; the right leg was raised high and chopped down fiercely like a battle axe.
Naraku Sora took a deep breath, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Finally... they took the bait!
In close-quarters combat, an unstable lower body was a major taboo. Unless it was a finishing move, such a technique easily exposed a weakness for the opponent to seize, thereby ending the battle.
Naraku Sora crossed his arms to block. While withstanding the full force of the chop, he flipped his wrists and accurately seized the assassin's ankle.
"It's over."
Just as he swung his arm in a wide arc, preparing to smash the assassin violently into the ground, he caught a glimpse of the assassin's gaze from the corner of his eye.
'Heh, got him.'
'I anticipated that you would anticipate my anticipation!'
The assassin suddenly twisted their waist in mid-air. Their flexible body seemed boneless as it wrapped around Naraku Sora's frame.
A pair of shapely legs locked tightly around his neck.
"It's over, kid."
Naraku Sora could even feel the warmth coming from his neck. The opponent only needed to exert a little force to easily twist his head off and kick it like a ball.
However, he was not the type to admit defeat easily. As long as he wasn't dead, it meant there was still a turning point.
"Eat this—"
"100,000 Volts!"
The assassin, positioned above him, sensed something strange coming from below. Their eyes widened into perfect circles as they hurriedly spoke:
"Wait, I'm not—"
Hadō #11: Tsuzuri Raiden!
Before the sentence was finished, brilliant golden lightning erupted from Naraku Sora's body, instantly changing the color of both combatants.
The sizzling lightning swallowed their figures. The intense paralysis acted on their nerves, freezing both of them in place.
As everyone knows, the vast majority of Soul Reapers are typical "glass cannons"—high attack, low defense.
As an assassin-type Soul Reaper, this was even more true.
One suicidal tactic later, and both of them collapsed to the ground.
Unlike ordinary Soul Reapers, because of the fusion with Hollow power, Naraku Sora was clearly more durable, and his recovery ability was also stronger.
Even though both had taken a full-power Tsuzuri Raiden to the face, while the assassin over there hadn't recovered yet, Naraku Sora had already struggled to his feet and reached for his Zanpakutō.
But just as he was about to draw his sword to end it, the opponent's figure disappeared from his sight.
From behind his head, a sharp wind struck again.
Naraku Sora dodged sideways, avoiding the hand chop, and happened to see the assassin's head right in front of him.
So, without a second thought, he launched a rocket headbutt.
Bang!
A dull impact sound erupted. Heads spinning, the two stumbled and fell to the ground once more, unable to rise.
"I quit, I quit."
A girl's crisp voice came from under the black mask. "This is the first time I've seen a Soul Reaper fight like you."
"Who taught you to use Tsuzuri Raiden like that?"
As she spoke, the girl removed her hood and mask together. Her short purple hair looked extremely capable, and her golden pupils formed a stark contrast with her brown skin.
Her beautiful face was full of curiosity.
Only the red mark on her forehead looked somewhat out of place.
"Self-taught."
Naraku Sora grinned and sat directly on the ground, not caring about his image in the slightest.
He was exhausted.
No wonder the bad woman hadn't appeared from the start of the fight until the end; she must have realized the assassin's identity long ago.
"Let me introduce myself. Yoruichi Shihōin."
Yoruichi Shihōin scooted over, nonchalantly sitting beside Naraku Sora, and extended a small hand.
"You don't seem surprised at all that you were assassinated."
Naraku Sora shook her hand lightly and explained, "The Araki family doesn't seem like the type of noble clan with big hearts, especially since Araki Shin and Araki Shuto both fell at the hands of one person."
"It would be strange if they didn't use some underhanded methods."
"However, I am curious. Why didn't you go for the kill just now?"
Yoruichi Shihōin grinned:
"Do you even need to ask? Of course, it's because I can't stand those guys either."
"But as a member of the Onmitsukidō, since I accepted the mission, I have to carry it out."
"The Araki family paid a full half of the deposit."
Naraku Sora looked at her with some surprise. He hadn't expected that Yoruichi Shihōin, the future Captain of Squad 2 and leader of the Onmitsukidō, would be someone with such a lack of professional integrity.
"Hey, kid, the way you do things really suits my taste."
Yoruichi Shihōin suddenly reached out and elbowed Naraku Sora, grinning as she laughed:
"How about coming to Squad 2? What do you say to being my Lieutenant?"