For some reason, an oppressive and heavy emotion filled Muramasa's heart.
As he attempted to track the Zanpakutō's presence within this inner world, a parched skeleton, dried by the intense heat, made a faint rattling sound from a blind spot he hadn't noticed.
Its twisted torso creaked and groaned as its hideous face slowly snapped into place, its hollow eye sockets staring straight at the uninvited guest in this desolate world.
Crack.
As Muramasa walked, he accidentally stepped on a piece of scorched earth. The sound of it shattering acted like a signal, and a sharp, whistling sound of something cutting through the air suddenly erupted from behind him.
Subconsciously, he tilted his body to dodge.
A twisted, desiccated skeleton lunged from behind him, a hideous aura suddenly exploding outward, swallowing Muramasa like a collapsing dam.
The cracked earth continuously erupted with the sound of splintering as one skeleton after another crawled out from underground, quickly filling his field of vision.
With a flash of purple light, a long blade appeared in Muramasa's hand.
He could no longer tell if this was the ability of Naraku Sora's Zanpakutō or if his inner world was simply this bizarre by nature. The only thing he was certain of was that if he didn't react now, he might be torn to shreds by these unknown creatures.
A sharp flash of the blade swept through, instantly shattering the grotesque beings rushing toward him.
Countless fragments erupted alongside bursts of flame. The dried corpses scattered into the crevices of the earth, merging back into the ground once more.
Before long, Muramasa realized these creatures weren't particularly powerful. However, they seemed endless; for every one he cut down, two more would crawl out from the fissures.
This kind of combat was meaningless. Muramasa frowned and decided to activate his ability to find the true form of the Zanpakutō, hoping to complete his mission and leave this eerie inner world as quickly as possible.
He gripped his hilt and pointed it straight at the sky.
His purple spiritual pressure transformed into a massive, peerless pillar of light that soared into the heavens, instantly enveloping the parched land as far as the eye could see. The air became viscous and heavy, like liquid mercury.
The unique power belonging to Muramasa acted upon this world, eroding everything indiscriminately.
In the next moment.
A pale hand suddenly appeared in front of the pillar of spiritual pressure, pressing lightly against it.
Seeing this, a hint of relief flashed in Muramasa's eyes. Though things were strange, he had still found it. Once again, he had easily completed the task Kuchiki Kōga had entrusted to him. Now, all he had to do was—
Boom!
An unimaginable, staggering power erupted in an instant. The pillar of spiritual pressure shattered like glass struck by a heavy hammer, turning into countless specks of light that drifted among the burning winds.
Muramasa's pupils constricted. He instinctively held his blade in front of him, trying to block that terrifying attack that felt like the heavens themselves were collapsing.
Snap—
To his bewilderment, the blade couldn't even offer a moment's resistance. The instant contact was made, countless fragments flew in every direction.
That heavy force finally descended.
As those slender fingers curled into a fist, the elongated body beneath the white robes let out a scalp-numbing sound of snapping. The sound of bones fracturing was particularly clear.
Blood stained the earth as the broken figure fell into a crevice, greedily licked clean by the spewing tongues of fire.
In an instant, Muramasa's spiritual pressure vanished.
The desolate world returned to its usual silence. The searing winds rolled forward, kicking up charred dust.
"Pfft—"
When a purple light flickered and Muramasa reappeared in the underground prison, he immediately sprayed out a large mouthful of thick, metallic blood, staining his white robes red.
"Muramasa!"
Kuchiki Kōga paled in shock and rushed to his Zanpakutō's side.
At this moment, he could feel a weakness in Muramasa like never before, as if his entire strength had been drained dry. This had never happened before! This was the first time he had encountered such a situation since mastering Bankai.
Feeling the spiritual pressure Kuchiki Kōga was transmitting to him, Muramasa recovered slightly. His raspy voice followed:
"I'm sorry, Kuchiki Kōga."
"My... my ability is ineffective against Naraku Sora's Zanpakutō."
Kuchiki Kōga was profoundly shocked.
Naraku Sora grinned. Everything was exactly as he had expected.
After mastering Shikai, he had practiced Jinzen almost every day, sinking into his inner world to communicate with Vajrayati and deepen their connection. Naraku Sora had once asked her a question: if she were affected by someone else's ability, would she betray him?
In response, a playful smile appeared on the woman's exquisite face. She leaned down to his ear and repeated the words from their first meeting:
'No matter when or where, I will always be by your side, even if the entire world turns upside down...'
Since then, Naraku Sora had never asked a similar question again.
The facts proved that Vajrayati had indeed kept her word. Judging by Muramasa's state, he had nearly died.
Naraku Sora held his Zanpakutō. On the pristine blade, a familiar smile seemed to flash for a fleeting moment.
Kuchiki Kōga's expression was complicated as he retracted Muramasa. Although he didn't want to believe it, the truth was right in front of him, leaving no room for denial.
His invincible Muramasa couldn't even force the physical manifestation of Naraku Sora's Zanpakutō out, let alone turn it against him. This left Kuchiki Kōga, who had relied on Muramasa's power for so long, feeling somewhat lost.
Was it possible that his previous thoughts were entirely wrong?
"As I said, over-reliance will only lead to losing yourself in that power."
Naraku Sora spoke with a serious expression, "A Soul Reaper's cultivation must focus on the Soul Reaper himself, not the Zanpakutō."
"Kuchiki Kōga, you've taken the wrong path."
Kuchiki Kōga was stunned, murmuring softly: "Then... what should I do?"
Hearing this, Naraku Sora wore a successful smile.
"Are you going to give up on your ideals just because you don't have a Zanpakutō?"
"You couldn't be more wrong!"
"Are Soul Reapers such inconvenient things?"
"Come, step inside with me!"
Under his forceful dragging, Kuchiki Kōga was brought to a vacant training hall within the Shino Prison.
"Come, Kuchiki Kōga. Today, I shall teach you what it means to be a Soul Reaper."
Naraku Sora warmed up his arms, unrestrainedly radiating a powerful aura. Even without releasing any degree of spiritual pressure, he still gave off a heavy, oppressive illusion of weight.
Seeing this, a spark of heat flashed in Kuchiki Kōga's eyes. He had been curious about Naraku Sora's strength for a long time. As one of the only two sons-in-law of the Five Noble Families, he surely had extraordinary qualities that surpassed ordinary men.
Furthermore... could a Soul Reaper really be as powerful as he claimed without using the abilities of a Zanpakutō?
"I'm coming."
The moment the words left his mouth, Kuchiki Kōga's pupils shrank.
He saw Naraku Sora's fingers curl into a tight fist. A shocking sonic boom erupted from between his fingers, and a scorching gale rushed toward his face.
Without time to think, Kuchiki Kōga instinctively raised his arms, crossing them in front of his chest.
Boom!!
The moment they collided, a massive force covered him like a surging tide. An explosion-like roar rang in his ears, vibrating so hard his eardrums ached.
After holding out for barely a fraction of a second, his figure shot across the hall like a meteor, slamming violently into the wall that had been reinforced countless times.
Kuchiki Kōga leaned against the dented wall and struggled to stand up. He felt as if he had been trampled back and forth by a herd of wild bulls; there wasn't a single spot on his body that didn't hurt.
"What... what is this..."
Naraku Sora smashed his fists together, producing a sound like iron striking iron. He grinned, revealing fierce white teeth, and his low voice echoed through the empty hall.
"Genryū!"