Above the southwestern noble district of Seireitei, heavy, lead-gray clouds hung like solidified blocks, pressing down weightily upon the upturned eaves and arched roofs. Torrential rain poured down like a river from the heavens, its dense curtain dyeing the exquisite courtyards and solemn streets into a blur of gloomy gray.
Rainwater converged into streams along the roof tiles, violently striking the stone pavement and producing a continuous, irritating noise.
The air was damp and bone-chillingly cold, mixed with a faint scent of blood, the smell of earth, and the scorched aroma of residual spiritual pressure burning out—the aftermath of the battlefield following the Uchiha Clan's execution of the noble purge mission under Shihōin Hiroki's orders.
In the heart of this wind and rain, two powerful spiritual pressures were like clashing beasts, fiercely squeezing and tearing at the rain-soaked space.
"Flowers are disturbed, the flower god sings; the heavenly winds are turbulent, the devil sneers—Katen Kyōkotsu!"
Kyoraku Shunsui's deep, magnetic voice rang out through the rain curtain, carrying a trace of excitement at having met a worthy opponent.
As the final syllable of the release command fell, a violent storm of spiritual pressure exploded outward with him at the center! The rainwater was instantly pushed aside by an invisible force, forming a brief sphere of mist.
Spiritual pressure flowed with light; the asauchi originally in his hand had vanished, replaced by two Zanpakuto of vastly different styles: one long and one short. The long blade was ancient and heavy, faintly echoing with the sound of wind and thunder, while the short blade was sharp and light, its cold glint flickering with illusions of ten thousand falling petals.
Illusory petals manifested out of thin air, dancing and circling around him before being crushed by the violent raindrops in the next instant.
This was his Shikai state—the murderously intent [Katen Kyōkotsu] hidden beneath a mask of child's play.
From the edge of his lowered, soaked straw hat, rainwater dripped continuously, blurring most of his face. However, the gaze he directed at Uchiha Shisui was as sharp as a hawk's, piercing through the wind and rain.
"Well then," Kyoraku Shunsui casually pointed the short blade in his right hand toward the ground, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth, "let's begin."
"Black!"
The moment the word left his mouth, it wasn't a physical slash that descended, but a light of rules that distorted light itself!
This light didn't target Shisui's body; instead, it enveloped the narrow space between the two of them, announcing the start of a game of child's play rules—the domain of [Enon]!
Kyoraku Shunsui's figure moved simultaneously, cutting through the rain curtain like a ghost. That heavy long blade carried a dull sound of breaking wind, aimed straight for Shisui's shoulder!
This was a standard "first-encounter kill," utilizing the perfect combination of the "Black" declaration and the thrusting attack. Before the opponent could understand the rules or take a defensive stance, they would be placed in a double predicament of both rules and blade!
However, at the very moment the rule domain descended, within the thousandth of a second before the syllables of the word "Black" had fully dissipated, Uchiha Shisui's figure completely vanished from sight.
It wasn't an afterimage from high-speed movement, but a disappearance in the truest sense! The [Body Flicker Technique]! The space seemed to produce a subtle ripple, leaving only a void being washed by the rain.
Puchi!
The dull sound of flesh being pierced by a sharp weapon did not come from Kyoraku Shunsui's intended target, but from his own chest!
Kyoraku Shunsui's forward momentum came to a dead stop. The playfulness and confidence on his face shattered like a mask, instantly replaced by unbelievable shock.
He looked down in daze, his pupils suddenly shrinking: under the washing rain, a dark red stain was rapidly expanding on the left chest of his dark green captains haori.
A uniquely styled ninja tool—a Kunai—had pierced through the haori and flesh with absolute precision, embedding itself deeply between his ribs!
The cold metallic touch and the intense pain from the backlash of the rule's power exploded simultaneously! The reishi leaking from the wound mixed with the rainwater, shimmering with an eerie light.
He snapped his eyes upward.
Ten paces away, on the rain-soaked ground, space distorted and blurred as Shisui's figure coalesced once more as if precipitating from ink. He landed in a single-knee kneeling position, as light as a falling leaf, barely splashing the water.
The crimson eyes of the Sharingan, with their three tomoe spinning rapidly, flickered with a cold, rational, and emotionless luster in the dim light, locking onto him firmly through the layers of rain.
In that gaze, there was no surprise and no emotion—only the absolute focus of a hunter confirming their target was wounded.
"How can this be...?" Kyoraku Shunsui's voice was heavy with gasps and unconcealable shock. He subconsciously pressed his hand against the Kunai in his chest, but a stronger force of rule backlash came with the movement, causing him to groan as fine beads of cold sweat (mixed with rain) broke out on his forehead.
He stared at Shisui, the scrutiny in his eyes almost becoming tangible. "You know... the ability of [Enon]?"
Reinforced interpretation of the [Enon] rules: Within the domain, a "color" (concept) is announced. If the clothing or items carried by either party contain the highest proportion of that color, the person possessed by that color (or the part touching that color) will inevitably lose or be heavily injured by a slash.
In essence, it is a powerful rule-based binding that is nearly impossible to counter when the opponent is unaware.
However, once the intelligence is exposed, it becomes possible to predict the declaration for evasion or targeted counterattacks. In the original story, after this intelligence was pointed out by a companion during Kyoraku's battle against Starrk, its effectiveness was significantly reduced.
Rain struck Shisui's forehead protector and black hair, sliding down his cheeks, but he didn't care at all, standing silently like a statue.
He did not utter a single syllable in response to Kyoraku Shunsui's question.
There was no need for an answer; the cold facts spoke louder than any eloquence.
This silence itself was a declaration—he not only knew but understood it deeply, and had prepared a targeted counter-plan for it!
Everything was under control.
Regarding Captain-level fighters, especially veteran Captains like Kyoraku Shunsui, Hiroki had already shared all the intelligence he knew with the Uchiha Clan.
This included Shunsui's Zanpakuto, one of which was the Ise Family's divine sword—the "Shinken Hakkyōken."
The Uchiha Clan, a martial clan famous for their combat talent and Sharingan insight, introduced as a new power in Seireitei with Hiroki's support, were by no means mere brutes.
In this Soul Reaper World with its complex rules, intelligence was the primary cornerstone of survival and victory.
Under Hiroki's instruction and resource support, they had long begun detailed research on the Captain-level figures of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. Based on each Captain's personality, habits, and ability characteristics (especially Zanpakuto abilities), they had formulated various tactical response plans (the core abilities of [Katen Kyōkotsu] like "Kageoni" and "Enon" were specifically key research subjects).
Shisui's smooth, exquisite evasion with the [Body Flicker Technique] and his Kunai counterattack just now were a perfect demonstration of the "Synchronized Declaration Inverse Prediction Tactic" tailored by the Uchiha Clan to deal with the [Enon] rule: that is, capturing the key characteristics before the opponent activates the ability (such as specific release commands, posture changes, or keyword linguistic fluctuations).
And upon confirming the moment [Enon] was activated, he simultaneously executed an extreme spatial displacement evasion (to avoid the declaration's binding lock) and threw a counterattack weapon previously confirmed to have no dominant "Black" characteristics (the Kunai being primarily metallic in color).
By utilizing the opponent's forward momentum, he completed a precise backstab counter against the "instigator" of the rule domain!
The massive chasm of intelligence advantage transformed at this moment into the sharp pain and shock in Kyoraku Shunsui's chest!
This clash had been within the cold gaze of Hiroki, who was far away at the Shihōin Clan estate, looking down at the entire board from the beginning.
Kyoraku Shunsui clutched his wound, which was continuously seeping warm blood. Rain mixed with the blood as it flowed down. His expression became extremely serious, even somewhat somber.
Shisui's silence was like the heaviest blow, confirming the suspicion he most dreaded to believe—the opponent not only knew the rules but had completed this magnificent counterattack rehearsal with clear foreknowledge.
The leak of intelligence meant that [Katen Kyōkotsu]'s greatest reliance had already collapsed.
The difficulty of this battle had suddenly skyrocketed.
"Should I use 'Bankai'?" Kyoraku Shunsui asked himself in his mind.
From the intelligence he had gathered, he had long anticipated this operation.
Therefore, he had assembled the Eighth Division early on and was waiting.
He wanted to figure out exactly what Shihōin Hiroki was trying to do.
Did the Captain Hollowfication Incident have anything to do with him?
Most importantly, where was Lisa-chan?