The old man's pupils constricted as the mirror-like surface of the elegant silver blade suddenly began to shine, its brilliance rivaling the sun, nearly piercing his eyes. The blinding light surpassed all limits, instantly stripping away his ability to process what was happening.
A pure white figure stepped slowly out of the radiance. His body was well-proportioned, yet he possessed not a single strand of hair. Where his eyes should have been, two mouths had taken their place.
It was a grotesque sight.
Despite his high mental fortitude, the old man felt an irrepressible urge to curse. The Tsunayashiro family heirloom, a treasure passed down for a million years, had materialized right before his eyes. He could guess who was responsible even with his eyes closed.
'Damn you, Kuchiki Kōga... has he finally lost his mind?'
Or had Kōga noticed something in the midst of this chaos?
Countless thoughts flashed through the old man's mind, but he soon lost the luxury of contemplation because the manifested Enrakyōten had already been indoctrinated with the intent to betray its master.
As the family's hereditary Zanpakutō, it had no specific owner, but in a sense, every Head of the Tsunayashiro Clan was its master. Therefore, the moment it gained its freedom, its first task was to eliminate the old man standing before it.
A pure white blade appeared out of thin air in Enrakyōten's hand, merging seamlessly with its palm as the tip pointed forward. Without a word, it struck.
Brilliant bursts of light erupted periodically like flashbangs, wreaking havoc on the old man's vision. This was undoubtedly the ability of a Zanpakutō it had copied in the past.
In the panic, the old man's response was slightly frantic. However, as a powerhouse to whom even Gosuke bowed, the Head of the Tsunayashiro Clan was clearly no simpleton.
A vast, heavy Spiritual Pressure erupted like a bursting dam, filling every corner of the study in an instant. The air suddenly became thick and viscous. Under the heavy pressure, the furniture groaned and creaked.
As the light flared, an invisible force suddenly descended. The old man felt his body grow several times heavier; even his internal organs were subjected to unimaginable pressure. His bones let out a pained whine.
The old man's expression grew increasingly grim. The ease with which he had once used Enrakyōten against his enemies had now transformed into an unspeakable, crushing weight. For the first time, he truly understood how the Soul Reapers who had died by Enrakyōten's edge must have felt.
Its fickle, ever-changing abilities were impossible to counter. Just as he managed to adapt to one method of attack, the mouths in Enrakyōten's eye sockets opened and closed, shifting to a new ability. It could even stack multiple powers to form a lethal strike.
Just like now.
The old man suddenly realized the floor beneath him had turned into soft quicksand. A massive whirlpool formed, greedily swallowing his body. A bone-chilling cold seeped through his formal robes, deep into his flesh and marrow. His movements grew stiff, as if he were about to be buried forever beneath the shifting sands.
His face darkened further as his heavy Spiritual Pressure surged out, transforming into a massive pillar of light that wiped away every technique covering his body. Dust mingled with quicksand as the entire study collapsed.
Amidst the roar of destruction, the old man raised his right hand, pointing directly forward. "Hadō No. 88: Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon!"
In an instant, an explosive roar like heavenly thunder erupted. A blue pillar of light, wreathed in crackling, distorted arcs of electricity, surged straight ahead. Wherever it passed, the white sand vanished and walls crumbled, leaving a deep, scorched trench in the ground as the violent impact slammed into the spot where Enrakyōten stood.
Boom!
The shockwave shook the very earth!
In a flash, the entire manor trembled violently. The wild aftershocks spread, causing countless elegant, ancient buildings to collapse. The other members of the Tsunayashiro Clan watched the staggering scene in stunned silence.
A moment later, a charred Enrakyōten flew out of the smoke, carving a deep, wide furrow through the ruins. The old man, his face grim as death, appeared in a Flash Step. He raised his hand, his fingertips gathering the searing energy of Kidō.
However, before he could act, Enrakyōten plunged its own blade into its sunken chest. Within the blink of an eye, its wounds healed at a visible rate.
Seeing this, a look of bewilderment appeared on the old man's aged face. But he quickly realized something; his expression changed drastically, and the Kidō light on his fingertip grew even more intense.
Enrakyōten was faster.
The moment it pulled out the blade, a crimson sword pressure slashed out. The air let out a sound like tearing silk as terrifying power erupted. Before the old man could even release a Bakudō for defense, only managing to construct a thin layer of Spiritual Pressure in front of him, the slash landed.
Squelch—
Caught off guard, his formal robes were sliced through. Lacerations tore across his elderly body, and blood splattered against the cracked ground. The old man stumbled back, his face full of disbelief.
'I was careless...'
Nearby, two figures covered by a Kidō shroud watched the thrilling battle with great interest. Once the study collapsed, the fight between the man and the sword spirit had reached a fever pitch.
The Tsunayashiro Head was still vigorous despite his age. His Spiritual Pressure was so strong it was hardly inferior to any Captain; in terms of sheer intimidation, it even approached that of Head Captain Yamamoto.
On the other hand, Enrakyōten was even more fierce. With its endless stream of abilities, it had managed to suppress the opponent despite being at a disadvantage. Even after taking a full-powered, high-level Hadō head-on, it could still use a recorded Zanpakutō ability to turn the tables.
It was simply exaggerated.
Naraku Sora watched the long blade in Enrakyōten's hand as its red glow gradually faded. He felt as though he had seen that ability somewhere before. It looked familiar. Thinking carefully, wasn't that the ability of the 4th Division's 20th Seat, Yamada Hanatarō's Zanpakutō?
Hisagomaru.
It could absorb and store wounds, releasing a devastating strike once its energy bar was full. He hadn't expected Enrakyōten to have recorded its power as well.
The Tsunayashiro Head pressed his left hand against the gash on his chest. Green light bloomed from his flesh, and the hideous wound closed at a visible rate. His mood had reached an absolute low.
Earlier, to perfectly utilize Enrakyōten's true potential, he had specially used several fragments of the Soul King's power he had collected over the years. Originally, Enrakyōten could only mimic the Shikai of other Zanpakutō by consuming the user's soul. But after merging with a portion of the Soul King's power, its capabilities had been greatly enhanced; it could even replicate and release Bankai. Even the soul-eroding side effect had been negated.
Simply mimicking Muramasa's Shikai wouldn't have been enough to materialize and turn the sword spirit; the key was the Gagaku Kairyū Muramasa.
But it was precisely because of this that the Tsunayashiro Head was unable to secure a quick victory.
"I cannot allow you to continue your willful behavior, Enrakyōten."
The old man narrowed his eyes. The bleeding from his chest had stopped, and the jagged scar was mostly healed.
The mouths in its eye sockets opened and closed in a mocking smile as Enrakyōten stood once more upon the devastated ground, raising its blade.
"Bakudō No. 63: Sajō Sabaku."
As the old man chanted softly, he pointed his finger. Several thick, sturdy golden chains surged out, instantly binding Enrakyōten from head to toe, even suppressing its Spiritual Pressure. The ruins fell silent.
"—Ritual of scorching, dancing candle flames... converge, focus, ascend to the firmament—"
His low voice intoned the complex Kidō incantation. The dormant Spiritual Pressure surged again, and a staggering pressure fell upon the ruins. Every inch of ground within his sight sank as if hammered down by a giant mallet. In front of his palm, jumping blue sparks crackled as a brilliant pillar of light condensed.
"Hadō No. 88: Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon!"
Boom—!
Enrakyōten broke free from the chains of Sajō Sabaku, but it was greeted by a No. 88 Hadō whose power had reached its limit through full incantation. There was no hesitation, only a reaction based entirely on instinct.
The long blade in its hand flared with light, instantly transforming into a massive shield that stood before it like a city wall. The Thunder Cannon erupted, sending violent lightning into the sky in an act of ultimate destruction. Just the escaping shockwaves caused the earth beneath them to sink continuously.
In just a few seconds, the grand estate had been completely reduced to rubble. Dense dust crackled amidst the flickering arcs of electricity.
When everything settled, Enrakyōten—having taken the full brunt of the old man's strike—appeared charred once again. The shield in its hands seemed to have melted, lying flat in the dust. Compared to Gonryōmaru, who had been destroyed with a single punch, Enrakyōten's durability was arguably the highest among all Zanpakutō.
Even Naraku Sora, watching from a distance, couldn't help but sigh in admiration. As expected of a Great Noble House; even their family heirloom was sturdier than everyone else's.
"Sora, are we just going to stay here and watch?" Kuchiki Kōga suddenly asked.
Naraku Sora glanced at him. "What are you thinking? I am the Third Seat of Shino Prison and a disciple of the Genryū style. How could I possibly attack the Tsunayashiro, one of the Five Great Noble Houses?"
Kōga froze for a second before instantly understanding Sora's meaning. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Understood. Then as a fugitive of the Seireitei, I won't hold back."
Due to the secret orders issued by Central 46 and the current state of the Zanpakutō rebellion, clearing Kuchiki Kōga's name was currently impossible. Unless the Tsunayashiro were completely overthrown and the Kuchiki family regained their voice in the Gold Seal Council, there was only a slim chance. For now, he might as well take advantage of his current status to do all the things he had wanted to do but never dared.
Looking at the formidable Tsunayashiro Head standing in the ruins, a spark of rage flashed in Kōga's eyes. If it weren't for this man, he wouldn't have fallen to such a state.
"Enrakyōten, it's over."
The old man raised his right hand, extending his index finger as a golden light gathered. "Though I cannot make you submit to me, I can still beat you back into your original form."
"Hadō No. 63: Raikō—"
"Kongōbaku!"
A heart-pounding Spiritual Pressure surged from behind. Searing heat and rolling waves of flame swept across the sky, crashing directly onto the Tsunayashiro Head's position. Amidst the rising dust, a roar of pure fury echoed.
"Kuchiki Kōga!"
The battered old man lunged out from the shockwave, glaring furiously in the direction the Kidō had come from.
"Tsunayashiro Taketori!"
Kōga snorted in disdain. Without wasting a word, he raised his Zanpakutō and condensed his Spiritual Pressure.
"Binga Seiran!"
Within the ruins, the temperature plummeted!
As the blade swung down, a massive torrent of ice and snow erupted from the tip, surging toward Tsunayashiro Taketori with unstoppable force. Like a collapsing dam, it froze everything in its path. As a rare Kidō genius, the power of Kōga's self-created techniques was not inferior to high-level Kidō; in some aspects, they were even stronger.
Tsunayashiro Taketori's expression was dark to the extreme. He countered with another No. 88 Hadō, his specialty. By now, the situation had spiraled far beyond his original plan. Kuchiki Kōga had somehow learned of Enrakyōten's existence and had come specifically for revenge.
As it turned out, his Muramasa was truly the source of this chaos. With just one attempt, the Tsunayashiro family had suffered an unimaginably heavy blow.
The two sides' Kidō clashed over the ruins, the blue and white energies clearly divided. Air currents swept in all directions with immense momentum.
Taking advantage of their confrontation, Enrakyōten's mouth opened slightly, seemingly surprised by this sudden turn of events. However, it didn't just stand there like an idiot. After a brief moment of thought, it decided to escape the Tsunayashiro estate first. Killing Tsunayashiro Taketori was likely impossible; no one knew the old man's strength better than it did.
In the distance, Naraku Sora's eyes lit up when he saw Enrakyōten seizing the chance to bolt. If he remembered correctly, Enrakyōten didn't have a specific master, did it?
Since it didn't, then if he saw it, it should belong to him!
"Kōga, be careful. If you can't win, just run. I'm going after Enrakyōten first."
Sora gave a quick instruction and then, under the cover of his Kidō shroud, vanished from the spot with a Flash Step.
Realizing that Enrakyōten was fleeing, Tsunayashiro Taketori grew frantic. He began raining down high-level Kidō as if they cost nothing. Searing flames scattered and twisted arcs of electricity flickered, resembling a grand fireworks display.
Seeing things turn sour, Kuchiki Kōga immediately had Muramasa activate a hypnotic Kidō, affecting the sense of distance and time for everyone present.
Amidst the gap in their focus, Kōga didn't linger. He burst forth with the fastest Flash Step of his life, disappearing at the end of the street in an instant.
By the time Tsunayashiro Taketori recovered, there was nothing left before him but scorched earth. The losses this time were the heaviest of any Clan Head in history.
However, when he realized that Enrakyōten—a treasure with a million-year legacy—was also gone, Tsunayashiro Taketori felt a blockage in his chest. His throat turned sweet, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Kuchiki brat... I will never forgive you!"