Takeda Goki sat upright on a throne made of countless piled crystals, his face as dark as still water.
He never expected he would overlook such critical information, and even more unexpected was that this audacious Naraku Sora actually dared to hold back in a fight against a Captain-level Soul Reaper.
Shikai against Bankai?
An undisguised expression of jealousy filled Takeda Goki's face. His eyes, shimmering with variegated colors, stared fixedly at the figure below.
Naraku Sora's fingers tightened around the hilt. A trace of irrepressible fanaticism erupted from the depths of his eyes; his gaze was as sharp as a blade, making it difficult to look at him directly.
As his fingers shifted and clenched, a shattering roar exploded in the surroundings. It was an extremely pure, suffocatingly hot Reiatsu.
A terrifying pillar of fire shot toward the ceiling, merging with the Kidō barrier that covered almost the entire estate. It dyed the sky crimson, as if a sea of fire were hanging upside down, with rolling heat collapsing downward.
Crack!
The overwhelmed ground tore open into hideous fissures under the impact of the two forces.
It was as if the horn of battle had been blown. In the next instant, an explosion thundered.
Accompanied by a sweeping shockwave, Naraku Sora vanished from his spot, leaving only a straight line of fire that lashed the earth, carving a charred black mark.
Extreme Flash Step.
Crossing a hundred meters in a heartbeat, Naraku Sora streaked through the crystal world like a meteor, charging straight at the high-and-mighty Takeda Goki.
Meeting that gaze full of ill-concealed astonishment, the blade wrapped in flames of Reiatsu swung high and fell like a heavy hammer.
In the next moment, brilliant golden lightning gushed out. Hideous electrical arcs turned into a visible torrent, condensing into sword pressure that swept through the entire crystal world with majestic momentum.
Wherever it passed, the sound of shattering was incessant. Like a calm ice surface struck by a meteorite, continuous cracks expanded and spread, almost blanketing the entire courtyard.
Takeda Goki's pupils shrank. He immediately swung his arm, and a dazzling crystal wall rose from the ground, establishing an indestructible defense.
Similar to other elemental Zanpakutō, the essence of Saga Go-gon was the manipulation of crystallized matter, capable of constructing various attacks and defenses in an instant. At full power, the defensive strength of the instantly constructed crystal could even rival Bakudō #81, Dankū.
And this was exactly where Takeda Goki's confidence lay.
During the two exchanges, he had already discovered Naraku Sora's problem. Unlike that eerie woman, Shutara Senjumaru, the guy in front of him was straightforward. He had no special abilities at all, relying entirely on brute force and "big bricks flying through power."
Whether it was the swordsmanship strike highly similar to Raikōhō or the terrifying sword pressure released point-blank just now, though their forms differed, their essence remained unadorned, extreme destructive power.
The brilliant pillar of lightning sword pressure crashed directly into the crystal wall. The sound of cracking was like a grand symphony, rising higher and higher toward its peak.
However, the moment the crystal wall completely collapsed, the figure that should have been on the throne behind it suddenly vanished.
Like a ghost, Takeda Goki appeared without warning from among the shattered crystals. The crystal longsword in his hand shimmered under the sunlight as he swung it down fiercely toward Naraku Sora.
The variegated blade carried the momentum of a thunderbolt, colliding with the Zanpakutō burning with Reiatsu flames.
Instantly, Takeda Goki's expression changed. His sure-fire strike had achieved nothing.
Naraku Sora looked at the distorted face inches away and curled his lips into a ferocious smile. "A dignified Soul Reaper Captain... is this all you've got?"
The blatant provocation had a clear purpose, yet it was surprisingly effective.
As a Captain-level Soul Reaper, Takeda Goki had not only failed to take down the intruder immediately but was even finding himself at a disadvantage from time to time after activating his Bankai. With such skill, it was hard not to wonder if he had bought his rank.
Sensing the gazes of the noble family members behind him, Takeda Goki's eyes grew increasingly sinister. He slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"You asked for this."
The moment the words fell, Takeda Goki lunged again. Countless crystallized substances appeared out of thin air, quickly adhering to his body like armor. Even his head was encased in crystal. Two narrow, indifferent gazes stared at Naraku Sora, and the terrifying pressure grew stronger, as if he had lost all emotion and turned into a cold killing machine.
The two figures lunged simultaneously, turning into streaks of light, constantly colliding in the air above the courtyard and beneath the Kidō barrier.
Countless sparks bloomed and erupted between them. The terrifying aftershocks of the impact spread in all directions, demonstrating the indescribable power of both sides. If these two were thrown into an ordinary Soul Reaper battlefield, it would likely turn into a meat grinder in an instant.
The smile on Naraku Sora's face grew more brutal. Scorching Reiatsu swirled around him. His heavy strikes were like a high-speed dump truck, rumbling over the figure completely covered in crystal.
'During my first fight with Takeda Goki, I could only rely on instinct to predict his attacks. But my strength has recently jumped up a significant level. If I still couldn't react, wouldn't my growth be for nothing?'
Amidst the clashes of light, countless crystal spikes appeared out of nowhere to create openings for Takeda Goki. In this magnificent world made entirely of crystal, his power seemed infinite.
When Naraku Sora dodged a crystal spike erupting from beneath his feet, Takeda Goki happened to strike a new Kidō stance. After a short and rapid incantation, Reiatsu condensed to the extreme and exploded.
"Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"
In an instant, a thunderous roar erupted as if heavenly lightning had descended. A pillar of azure light, wrapped in crackling, brilliant electrical arcs, rushed straight toward Naraku Sora. Wherever it passed, the ground was plowed into deep, charred trenches.
Boom!!
The shockwave that shook the earth erupted suddenly. In just a moment, the vast courtyard shook violently, and countless bits of soil mixed with crystal shot into the sky.
At that time, Aizen finished sealing the Kidō barrier and rushed into the courtyard immediately. The first scene that met his eyes was Naraku Sora being swallowed by the pillar of lightning.
Fearing this strike wouldn't kill his opponent, Takeda Goki then condensed countless crystal spikes, which plummeted like a rainstorm into Naraku Sora's original position. Dazzling brilliance covered everything.
Aizen's expression changed slightly, and he was about to rush into the battlefield to save him, but before he could step in, something incredible happened.
Amidst the boiling dust, frantic lightning crisscrossed, and a figure slowly emerged.
With half his body charred black and his Shishakushō on the verge of disintegrating under the countless impacts, the battered man slowly walked out, curling his lips at the disbelieving Takeda Goki.
Naraku Sora studied that bewildered face, his smile growing more ferocious.
"You don't understand the meaning of—"
"Raw stats!"