Time seemed to freeze in an instant.
The Kidō barrier overhead emitted a hazy glow, its silk-like patterns rippling outward continuously.
Kōga Kuchiki stood tall, his blade in hand. The radiance of his Spiritual Pressure bathed his face, casting deep shadows that masked his expression, yet his sharp, blade-like features remained intimidating.
Blood dripped from his lowered hands. The fragments of sword blades scattered at his feet served as a powerful deterrent. From the terrified gazes of the other Soul Reapers, it was clear just how much of a psychological shadow Kōga Kuchiki's previous actions had cast upon them.
When the Kidō barrier had first descended and their Zanpakutō became uncontrollable, they thought they had accidentally fallen into a trap, becoming sacrifices in a struggle between noble houses. Kōga Kuchiki had released his Zanpakutō's ability, seemingly preparing to eliminate everyone present.
To their surprise, however, the loss of control over their Zanpakutō did not seem to be caused by Kōga Kuchiki. On the contrary, to save everyone, he had disregarded regulations and directly released his Bankai within the Seireitei. Though it had an effect, it wasn't enough. Driven by necessity, Kōga Kuchiki had used his bare fists to shatter their Zanpakutō, freeing them from the control and saving their lives.
Despite being saved, the ability to manipulate the Zanpakutō of others was indeed Muramasa's power. Kōga Kuchiki had used this ability more than once to crush enemy forces before their eyes. Now that this bizarre and powerful ability had been turned on them, they finally experienced firsthand the despair those rebel Soul Reapers must have felt.
Soul Reapers had always placed absolute trust in their Zanpakutō, regarding them as partners and comrades who would never betray them. When the battle reached its peak, only for one's own blade to suddenly swing uncontrollably toward one's own neck—that was something no one could easily accept. The moment the Zanpakutō went out of control, it felt as though a bone-chilling dread had completely swallowed them, causing them to tremble uncontrollably.
An unprecedented terror had swept through their bodies. Even though the situation was resolved, the Soul Reapers still felt their scalps tingle when they looked at the fragments of the Zanpakutō on the ground.
Sensing the complicated looks from the others, Kōga Kuchiki let out a helpless sigh. Although he wanted to explain, these people would likely find it hard to listen. It was an ironclad rule that two identical Zanpakutō could not exist in the Soul Society. If it weren't for his absolute trust in Muramasa, he might have doubted whether his own blade had betrayed him after seeing what just happened.
'Kōga.'
Muramasa's voice suddenly echoed in his inner world.
'Did you... did you not suspect it was me?'
Faced with an almost identical ability, even Muramasa himself had wavered, wondering if he had fallen into some kind of illusion and subconsciously activated his power against the Soul Reapers. But upon careful perception, he realized that while the effect was the same, there was a chasm-like difference in strength. Under the same ability, even with his Bankai activated, he was unable to shake the opponent's effect.
'Suspect?'
Kōga Kuchiki grinned and said confidently, "Just as Sora said, the Zanpakutō is the Soul Reaper's own power. In the past, I indeed relied on you too much, which led to you having an almost blind self-confidence in yourself and me. But under Sora's guidance, I began to try other methods of training and fighting. This doesn't mean I no longer trust you; on the contrary, you will always be the existence I trust most."
Muramasa fell silent. As Kōga Kuchiki's Zanpakutō, their hearts were essentially connected, and Muramasa could sense the subtle changes in his mood. When Kōga Kuchiki spoke those words, Muramasa could clearly feel an unshakeable determination.
'Thank you, Kōga.'
A barely audible voice sounded in the inner world. Muramasa sat on a stone pillar, propping himself up with his hands as he looked up at the blue sky, his lips curling slightly. An unprecedented sense of relief spread through his heart, and the nerves that had been strained for so long finally relaxed.
Perhaps... that Lord Naraku truly possessed wisdom beyond ordinary men.
In the physical world, just as the stalemate on the street continued, several Spiritual Pressures rushed toward the area. A massive fireball descended from the sky, shattering the Kidō barrier into pieces.
"What is the situation here?!"
The leader was a tall, upright man wearing a white Captain's haori. His brow exuded a sense of justice and reliability. It was the Captain of the Tenth Division, Umino Unpei.
"Were you attacked?"
"It was... the Zanpakutō."
A Soul Reaper in the crowd raised a hand to answer, his voice trembling as if he couldn't suppress the deep-seated fear in his heart. "Our Zanpakutō suddenly went out of control for some reason, even manipulating our arms to slash at each other's throats."
At these words, Umino Unpei's gaze turned cold. He looked past the crowd and fixed his eyes on the figure standing with his blade drawn.
"Did you do this, Kōga Kuchiki?"
Facing the interrogation, Kōga Kuchiki remained calm and composed, meeting the other's gaze without a hint of guilt. He said in a deep voice, "No. We had just finished a battle with rebel Soul Reapers and were preparing to report to the Head Captain. When we reached this area, we were suddenly covered by a Kidō barrier. Then, the Zanpakutō of the others went out of control. To save their lives, I stepped in to stop it. That is the sequence of events."
Hearing this, Umino Unpei narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing Kōga Kuchiki up as if conducting a scrutiny. "Both sides have their own stories, but from the traces left at the scene, you are indeed a major suspect. Is there any other evidence to prove the truth of the matter?"
Kōga Kuchiki frowned, a faint premonition of ill omen rising in his heart. All signs indicated that someone was secretly persecuting him, attempting to frame him for the taboo of murdering colleagues. Although there were no casualties this time, there was no guarantee that something similar wouldn't happen again.
At that moment, another familiar Spiritual Pressure appeared on the street. An elderly face could not hide its majesty, and a heavy pressure like the weight of the heavens covered everyone, making them feel as if they were suffocating.
"Captain Ginrei."
Umino Unpei turned his head and nodded in greeting. He held considerable respect for this senior figure among the Captains. "Perhaps we should take Kōga Kuchiki into custody first. We can wait for the interrogation to conclude before handing him over to the Central 46 for judgment."
"Captain Umino, is there evidence that Kōga did this?"
Kuchiki Ginrei's eyes lowered slightly, his calm tone making it seem as though he had no relation to Kōga Kuchiki.
Umino Unpei frowned slightly. "No."
"Then, were there any casualties in this incident?"
Umino Unpei looked around and found that the only one injured was Kōga Kuchiki; the blood on his fists actually added to his intimidation. After a moment of hesitation, Umino Unpei shook his head.
"With no evidence and no casualties, you intend to arrest a direct subordinate of Head Captain Yamamoto based solely on groundless speculation."
Kuchiki Ginrei's voice rose slightly, and a heavy pressure suddenly diffused, instantly blanketing the entire street. "Captain Umino, your actions do not seem to follow proper procedure."
The crowd was in an uproar. Everyone looked at Kuchiki Ginrei in shock, never expecting that the Head of the Kuchiki Clan, famous for his fairness and impartiality in the Soul Society, would say such words in public.
On the surface, it seemed like favoritism. But upon careful thought, there was some logic to it. Although all signs suggested Kōga Kuchiki might have done it, arresting someone without proof or casualties was indeed a bit excessive.
Even Kōga Kuchiki showed a shocked expression, finding it hard to believe that the words had come from his stern father-in-law. It didn't make sense. The father-in-law in his memory wasn't like this. Normally, he should have been told to stop resisting and cooperate with the Onmitsukidō's investigation. This discordant behavior made Kōga Kuchiki wonder for a moment if Kuchiki Ginrei had been replaced by an impostor.
Noticing his son-in-law's suspicious look, Kuchiki Ginrei's blood pressure rose. Previously, this fool had repeatedly ignored his earnest advice, acting recklessly on the battlefield and influencing the war's direction through individual bravado. Later, he had listened to the incitement of a certain blockhead, abandoning the Zanpakutō—the fundamental strength of a Soul Reaper—to practice Hakuda and Zanjutsu instead. He was loud and lacked any sense of stability. Now that he was being framed, here I am trying to clear him, and the boy actually suspects me? He really has trained his brain into muscle. Truly a fool.
"Then, in Captain Ginrei's opinion..." Umino Unpei's eyes flickered as he said calmly, "Should we first—"
Before he could finish, Kuchiki Ginrei interrupted, "I will personally take him to see Head Captain Yamamoto to explain the details. As for the specific investigation results, let us wait for news from the Ritual Court."
With that, Kuchiki Ginrei walked up to Kōga Kuchiki, his sharp, blade-like gaze lingering on him. "Follow me."
"Oh."
Under the gaze of dozens of people, the father and son-in-law duo departed toward the First Division barracks.
"Did it fail?"
In the Tsunayashiro estate, inside a silent study, a bright candle on the desk emitted a warm glow, the flame flickering slightly. The elder remained calm and composed, as if describing something completely unrelated to himself.
In front of the desk, Gosuke lowered his head without a word, his face full of guilt.
"There is no need for Lord Gosuke to worry," the elder's low voice echoed in the study. "It is normal for a plan to have gains and losses. You have done well enough. First, we plant a seed of doubt in the hearts of the Gotei 13. All we need to do now is fertilize and water that seed. It will then take root, sprout, and grow vigorously until it becomes a towering tree."
Gosuke looked up, his expression one of astonishment. From the outcome, the plan was a complete failure. But from the elder's words, could there be a turning point?
"Do not be surprised," the elder whispered. "Calmness is a necessary quality for those who achieve great things. Lord Gosuke, do not forget what we seek. This is but the beginning."
Fifth Division barracks.
Clang!
Naraku Sora bent his knees and stepped forward, his muscles tightening. A low sound, like a bowstring being drawn tight, resonated from his body. A powerful roar erupted the moment the blade fell.
Secret Art: Dragon Flash!
The blade sliced through the air, and a blistering sword pressure erupted like magma, instantly causing the temperature in the training hall to spike. In an instant, the explosive sound of clashing metal echoed through the hall, and countless sparks flew wildly. As the sword pressure landed, the training hall shuddered, and the Kidō barrier attached to the interior wavered as if it were about to collapse. The atmosphere was filled with a scorching heat.
A flash of surprise crossed Aizen's eyes, and the Number 81 Bakudō standing before him immediately grew several degrees stronger.
In these days, after Naraku Sora had undergone inhuman teaching at the First and Fourth Divisions, his basic combat methods had shown visible progress. In addition to Hakuda and Zanjutsu, even his Flash Step was significantly faster than before. Most importantly, this fellow had somehow gained inspiration from elsewhere and mastered an extraordinary move. The name seemed to be Black Flash.
The principle was quite simple: reducing the interval between the Spiritual Pressure impact and the physical strike to a value that was hard to observe under normal conditions, causing space to distort and unleashing a devastating destructive power far beyond one's limits. It was easy to understand, but the difficulty of learning this move exceeded Aizen's expectations. Even with his talent, it was hard to get started. By his estimate, it would take at least some time to achieve preliminary mastery.
Besides that, Naraku Sora was also attempting to integrate the Secret Art: Dragon Flash with Ghost Swordsmanship in the first stage. Perhaps because the two had certain conflicts in their details, the resulting destructive power was not ideal. Just like now. Despite being an almost full-strength strike, it was still blocked by Aizen's Bakudō, without even a crack appearing.
"Sora, I think you've gone into a bit of a wrong direction," Aizen suggested as he withdrew the Bakudō defense. "The power of Dragon Flash has already reached its limit. Forcing it to fuse with Kidō will only cause a conflict between the two, causing the original ten-point destruction to be reduced to three or even one."
Naraku Sora sheathed his blade, temporarily giving up on this unrealistic idea. Because of the brilliant results of Black Flash and Ikkotsu, he had wondered if he could combine Dragon Flash with Zanjutsu to form an even more powerful move. Strictly speaking, Dragon Flash was a pure Zanjutsu technique. He only needed to follow the previous logic of Ghost Swordsmanship to fuse it with the Kidō he had perfectly mastered. But facts proved that he was being a bit whimsical.
Naraku Sora sat cross-legged on the floor, continuing to try other ideas. Beside him, Aizen suddenly frowned. A trace of unusual Spiritual Pressure had broken into the Kidō barrier he had set up.
"This is?"
Naraku Sora looked up, having also sensed the anomaly. The two looked at each other and stood up simultaneously to move toward the direction of the strange Spiritual Pressure.
However, at that moment, a strange fragrance appeared in the training hall. Aizen's expression changed drastically. Just as he was about to warn Naraku Sora beside him, he discovered that the world before his eyes had undergone an earth-shattering change.