By the time Nishikawa hurried to the scene, only ruins remained.
It was as if the area had been plowed by countless bolts of thunder. Disordered, scorched gullies were everywhere. Some matter had vanished from the spot forever, leaving only scattered Reishi to dissolve into the air of the Soul Society.
In the prolonged deathly silence, dozens of Soul Reapers stood before the ruins, shocked beyond measure, their scalps tingling with numbness.
They didn't understand what had happened.
But to achieve destruction to this extent, surely it had to be a powerhouse on the level of a Captain?
"You're kidding, right!"
Cold sweat streamed down Nishikawa's forehead, and his legs trembled slightly.
He stared dumbfounded at everything before him, having momentarily suspected that his own senses were malfunctioning.
If he remembered correctly, this Reiatsu belonged to that kid, Naraku Sora.
But that guy hadn't been in the squad for very long; how did things turn out like this?
From being an intermediate seated officer at the start, in the time it took to escort an Adjuchas, his Reiatsu broke through, instantly promoting him to the level of a high-ranking seated officer.
Just after breaking through, he directly confronted an intruder trespassing in the detention room. His violent fighting style terrified even a veteran seated officer like Nishikawa.
After that, he became the exclusive clerical subordinate of the Prison Warden, uncovered the Araki family's use of forbidden arts, and directly suppressed a pillar of a high-ranking noble family like Araki Shuto into the underground prison.
At that point, Nishikawa already couldn't quite understand the composition of Naraku Sora's strength.
Now, this guy was displaying destructive power easily capable of erasing a seated officer like himself. How could this not chill the heart of an old-timer like him?
Sometimes.
The gap between people is larger than the gap between humans and dogs.
Especially when someone more talented than you is also more of a grind-dog than you; it is simply despairing.
When Naraku Sora walked out of the ruins, the eyes of the Soul Reapers looking at him were already filled with awe.
After greeting Nishikawa and the others, Naraku Sora turned his head to examine the ruins of the massive building, a satisfied expression on his face.
To accomplish his original concept so easily, it was indeed worthy of a world-shocking reputation.
Although the details still needed optimization and there was still a gap compared to Yamamoto's Genryū.
But so what?
Ugly things can be powerful, and small things can be cute!
This was a small step for him, but a giant leap for Zanjutsu and Kidō. One could only say, the future is promising!
Seeing that it was still early, Naraku Sora asked Nishikawa for an unused dōjō again, preparing to consolidate the brand-new move he had developed.
Under the gazes of the despairing crowd, the young man began his competitive training once again, continuing until the sky grew dark and the onlookers couldn't stand it anymore.
"The sun has gone down, time to rest."
"That's enough, Naraku. Many seated officers are already inferior to you."
"The sound of your training is keeping everyone awake. People have to go to work tomorrow."
Under the earnest persuasion of the Soul Reapers, Naraku Sora sheathed his blade with unsatisfied intent, left the dōjō, and returned to his own courtyard.
Watching his retreating back, the crowd's gazes were exceptionally complex.
'Damn it, how can we happily slack off when we're around such a grind-dog?'
Naraku Sora lay on his bed, spread out like the character 'wood' (木), as waves of fatigue from the depths of his soul washed over him.
A good start is half the battle.
The system gave him a solid and reliable foundation, and he used his world-shocking wisdom to bring that foundation into full play.
If that wasn't enough, he could ask that bad woman and Aizen to help him strategize and think.
Three cobblers are equal to a mastermind, let alone three leaders in the field of intellect.
Just like that, amidst beautiful plans for the future, Naraku Sora closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
A dreamless night.
...
...
Under the same night sky, however, some people remained awake all night.
"Naraku Sora, a native of Rukongai. He entered the special class of the Spiritual Arts Academy thanks to his excellent talent. During his time as a student, he had multiple records of violating academy rules, but no major offenses."
"After graduation, he submitted an application to the Shino Great Underground Prison and became a member."
"This resume looks unremarkable no matter how you look at it, but ever since joining the squad, the things this kid has done seem a bit shocking."
Inside a simple, ancient mansion in the noble district, within a study lit by an oil lamp, a freshly collected intelligence report lay on the table. A masked Soul Reaper who had just hurried back spoke solemnly:
"Precisely because we can't see anything, that is the biggest problem."
"Leaving aside what happened after he joined the Shino Prison, on the surface, he was no different from his peers."
Hearing this, the old man behind the table paused, then frowned and said:
"Are you saying this kid's resume is fake?"
"Half true, half false, I suppose," the masked Soul Reaper said in a muffled voice. "I guess it might be that woman from the Shino Prison pulling strings behind the scenes."
"My Lord, you know her."
"Setting aside her own strength, her research ability alone makes the nobles and even us envious."
"It's just that her personality is elusive; ordinary people simply cannot communicate with her normally."
"Yet Naraku Sora became her direct subordinate as soon as he joined the Shino Prison. Such treatment is something even that fellow Kurotsuchi Mayuri never had."
The old man fell silent for a moment, a thoughtful look flashing through his lowered eyes.
"From the analysis, this kid indeed has an unspeakable relationship with that woman, Shutara, and it has also affected our plans to a certain extent."
"Just discovering the secret of the Paradise House is enough to show that the kid is not a brainless person."
"On the contrary, being able to find the root of the problem from subtle clues proves just how strong his ability is."
At this point, the old man took a deep breath, his expression turning a bit more sinister.
"But in any case, the relationship between that kid and that woman, Shutara, is not simple."
The masked Soul Reaper paused for a moment, then said in a muffled voice:
"Judging from the intelligence sent back from the Shino Prison, ever since Naraku Sora became a seated officer, Shutara Senjumaru's mood has clearly been much better."
"My Lord, do you think it's possible that she has fallen for that kid?"
Hearing this, the old man's eye twitched.
"That's a nice thought, don't think it again next time."
"If that woman really is pulling the strings behind the scenes, we probably won't be able to investigate any more specific intelligence."
"Let's leave it at that. Just in case, eliminate him."
Although Naraku Sora's appearance hadn't destroyed their plans, it had caused some obstruction.
Even though they had gone with the flow to completely bury the Araki family and advanced their original technology a step further, an obstacle was still an obstacle. If allowed to grow, sooner or later, he would block the road ahead.
The masked Soul Reaper slowly retreated until he completely merged into the shadows of the room.
The old man looked out the window, his indifferent gaze staring at the moon on the horizon. The falling moonlight concealed the sinister look on his aged face.
"Just one last bit missing..."