To say he was stealing credit was a bit too blunt.
But with such a severe catastrophe occurring in the Araki family, it would have been somewhat disrespectful to the painstaking efforts of these people if he didn't come to join in the fun.
However, the Aberrant Soul monsters didn't care who the intruder was. Acting entirely on instinct, they would hunt down every living thing in front of them.
Accompanied by bestial roars, several hunched Aberrant Souls instantly rushed out. Their sharp claws cut through the air, whistling as they sought to dig out Naraku Sora's brain matter, violent beyond measure.
Clearly, the death of the Araki family head had not brought them any alertness.
On the contrary.
The thick scent of blood permeating the air only stimulated the ferocity of these monsters further.
However, in the instant those sharp claws approached, a cold blade light, like moonlight in the sky, bloomed magnificently amidst the ruins filled with smoke.
The claws were sliced off neatly, and the foul-smelling blood sprayed like a fountain.
Immediately following that, half of the body was severed along with the claws.
But Aberrant Souls did not adhere to any code of honor. Just as Naraku Sora finished off the enemy in front of him, the sharp sound of breaking air came from behind again.
These were originally just ordinary members of a noble family, but under the modification technology, they had all turned into Hollow-like monsters.
They were even more ferocious and devoid of humanity than Hollows.
A vertical slash blocked the attack from behind, but the Zanpakutō got stuck between the hard skull and the tangled black hair.
It was a critical moment, and the deafening roar was close at hand.
Unohana Retsu frowned slightly. Just as she was about to release Kidō to assist, she was astonished to see the young man directly let go of the creation of a Soul Reaper's soul—the Zanpakutō.
"Teacher Yamamoto said, since when is a Soul Reaper such an inconvenient thing?"
Amidst a ferocious grin, an existence even more vigorous than the Aberrant Souls made his grand entrance.
The moment his voice fell, Naraku Sora directly released the hilt in his hand. Immediately, his two palms shot out, one in front and one behind, pressing onto the Aberrant Soul's head, and suddenly exerted force.
Crack!
The sound of hard objects cracking instantly erupted from the ugly skull. The entire head deformed rapidly under the shroud of blood-red Reiatsu, and the facial organs twisted and dislocated visibly.
The skin cracked inch by inch, and blood gushed out like a spring, dyeing the ground bright red in an instant.
The Soul Reapers watched everything before them with dumbfounded expressions. Their faces were full of disbelief, almost unable to trust their own eyes.
What did he mean by "Since when is a Soul Reaper such an inconvenient thing"?
What did he mean by becoming fiercer after losing his Zanpakutō?
Are we really playing within the same power system?
Naraku Sora stood in the pool of blood, smiling as he watched the Aberrant Souls constantly pouncing toward him. Heavy Reiatsu shrouded his surroundings like a mist.
A heavy sense of oppression suddenly swept through the entire Araki mansion.
"Now, it's your turn."
He revealed a gentle smile that appeared suspiciously righteous, and like an out-of-control dump truck, he slammed head-on into the roaring Aberrant Souls.
The five fingers of his right hand clenched tight and punched out.
Substantive blood-red Reiatsu covered it, making that fist look like a true murder weapon.
With just one punch, the huge mansion trembled and roared.
The sound of shattering was endless.
In an instant, the sharp claws, excess arms, and even the upper body skeletons of the Aberrant Souls were all shattered, and flesh and blood exploded.
Amidst the howling wind, scarlet blood and minced meat fell from the skeletons and flew out, like a fluttering flag.
Unohana Retsu's slightly lowered eyes reflected Naraku Sora's figure, a strange brilliance appearing in her gaze.
She seemed to see the shadow of an old friend in this young man.
Unohana Retsu, who had originally planned to intervene, decisively stood aside to watch the battle upon realizing that the battlefield in front of her wasn't even enough for Naraku Sora to sweep through alone.
She resumed the gentle demeanor of a logistics captain.
It was as if she wasn't the one who had just blasted an Aberrant Soul's body to pieces with a Hadō spell.
Before long, this one-sided crushing came to an end.
With a punch blowing apart the head of the last Aberrant Soul, the high-ranking noble Araki family officially met its end.
A history of a thousand years, or perhaps even longer, turned into nothingness at this moment.
The ruined walls filled with smoke and the twisted limbs all over the ground seemed to be recounting the final glory of the Araki family.
"Seal the scene and preserve the traces."
After everything settled, Unohana Retsu stepped forward immediately, showing the responsibility and duty a Captain should have, directing other Soul Reapers to seal off the events that occurred at the Araki home.
Later, Soul Reapers from the Onmitsukidō would come to collect and analyze clues, doing their best to find the mastermind behind all this.
"9th Seat Naraku."
Having dealt with everything, Unohana Retsu came to Naraku Sora's side. A gentle smile appeared on her quiet face, as tender as a girl next door.
"Do you have any views regarding the catastrophe of the Araki family?"
Naraku Sora revealed a relieved expression: "This is a good thing!"
Unohana Retsu: "?"
Seeing that the other party didn't understand, Naraku Sora simply recounted the events he encountered in the Rukongai previously, as well as the research laboratory discovered in the high-class red-light district.
Anyway, Yamamoto hadn't asked him to keep it a secret.
Since he didn't say so, that meant it could be said.
Naraku Sora wished the whole Soul Society knew about this rotten business of the nobles.
Unohana Retsu listened quietly without expressing any opinion, only the smile on her face gradually faded.
The surrounding temperature also seemed to drop suddenly, giving people a terrifying illusion of creeping horror.
"Is that so?"
Unohana Retsu lowered her gaze slightly, making it impossible to see the look in her eyes clearly.
"These people have really gone mad to the extreme."
"I will report this matter truthfully to the 1st Division. Do you have anything to add, Naraku-kun?"
Perhaps sensing the nature of the young man in front of her, the Captain of the 4th Division became much closer in her form of address.
Naraku Sora scratched his head, thought for a moment, and pointed to the few Aberrant Souls in the ruins that still had a breath left, as if pointing at leftovers at a banquet:
"Do you still want those things? If not, I'll pack them up and take them away."
Unohana Retsu: "..."
She might have been too overworked recently, causing her to be unable to keep up with the thought processes of young Soul Reapers these days.
These distorted monsters had absolutely no value from head to toe; even their souls were polluted by that instantly expanding power.
However, considering he was a subordinate of Shutara Senjumaru, it was understandable if he was a bit mentally deranged.
Thinking of this, Unohana Retsu's eyes held a bit more pity, and she said gently:
"Taking them all away is definitely not allowed, because the Onmitsukidō still needs clues to investigate some things."
Naraku Sora nodded. He was just trying to see if these Aberrant Souls could provide any profit.
However, given the overall strength level of the Araki family, even if there was any, it would likely be better than nothing.
"Naraku-kun, the Hakuda technique you used just now looked familiar," Unohana Retsu said softly. "It is the Head Captain's Genryū, isn't it?"
Naraku Sora admitted it frankly.
Unohana Retsu smiled faintly: " The Genryū lineage is broad and profound, but few Soul Reapers can grasp its essence; often they can only learn the superficial aspects."
"However, looking at how you fight, it seems you are not very skilled in Zanjutsu."
As soon as her voice fell, Naraku Sora froze directly. An inexplicable chill struck him, making his whole body feel cold subconsciously.
Unohana Retsu tilted her head slightly, her tone unusually gentle:
"If you don't mind, when there is time in the future, I can guide you in some knowledge regarding Zanjutsu."