Seeing that the poisonous sphere was about to touch Soi Fon, a long bandage suddenly shot forward and wrapped around her waist. With a sharp sound, her body was pulled rapidly into the distance.
"Oh?"
Askin Nakk Le Vaar looked toward the direction where the bandage had come from. In the distance stood a man wearing a fisherman's hat, a green haori, and wooden sandals.
"…Kisuke Urahara?"
Soi Fon showed a trace of surprise.
"Kurotsuki Renya asked me to save you," Urahara said softly. A small potion appeared in his hand, and he injected it directly into Soi Fon's shoulder.
"Has Renya arrived?"
Soi Fon gradually regained control of her body. She stood up and looked into the distance. Indeed, a figure could be seen standing beside Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
Urahara glanced at Askin and asked with a smile,
"I heard you have mastered a new ability."
Soi Fon narrowed her eyes.
"…Yes. Renya helped me awaken it."
"Then use that ability."
Urahara spoke calmly.
Soi Fon blushed slightly. She glanced toward Renya in the distance, clenched her teeth, and finally made her decision.
This ability had not originally been created purely for battle.
However, at this moment, it was the most suitable method.
She took a deep breath. Lightning burst across her body, gathering into the shapes of cat ears and a long tail. Her posture lowered instinctively, and when she opened her mouth, arcs of electricity flickered across her tongue.
"Shunkō… White Cat War Princess."
This was the combat style Renya had taught her. Although it carried a somewhat playful essence, it was now being used in real combat.
Yet after transforming, Soi Fon did not immediately attack. Instead, she sprinted toward Renya in the distance.
Seeing this, Urahara could only sigh helplessly. He then took out a gun-like device and aimed it at Askin.
Bang.
A projectile struck Askin directly.
He paused in surprise.
"…Such weak power."
But in the next moment, a strange scent spread through the air.
With a flash, Soi Fon reappeared. She roared and lunged toward Askin.
Puff.
Claws formed from condensed lightning slashed across his body, leaving five deep wounds.
"…Impossible. I should already be immune to her Reiatsu."
Askin showed disbelief.
Urahara explained from afar,
"It's simple. In this form, her Reiatsu is extremely unstable. You can normally analyze an opponent's Reiatsu within seconds and construct perfect resistance. But hers fluctuates forty-eight times per second. You simply cannot keep up with the analysis."
As he spoke, Askin was struck repeatedly by Soi Fon's high-speed attacks. His body accumulated injuries one after another.
Finally, a violent burst of lightning sent him crashing to the ground, unable to rise.
Seeing this, Soi Fon leapt lightly and ran again toward Renya.
At that moment, however, a black curtain of light spread out and instantly enveloped both Urahara and Soi Fon.
Soi Fon fell heavily, while Urahara only staggered slightly.
"Forty-eight fluctuations per second truly made analysis difficult," a voice said. "But after activating my Vollständig, I can process all variations within a single second… and infect them."
As the words ended, Askin slowly emerged. His body was covered in molecular-like structures. Above his head floated a pentagram halo formed from Reishi. A wing-like construct resembling clustered molecules extended behind him. His clothing had changed completely.
He smiled at Urahara.
"I can alter poison at its very essence. As long as the fundamental composition is the same, no degree of variation can harm me. To put it simply… you have already lost."
Hearing this, Urahara stepped forward lightly and rushed toward Askin, slashing with the blade in his hand.
Askin merely shifted slightly and dodged with ease.
Urahara spun and raised his Zanpakutō. A hexagonal light shield formed before it.
"Awaken… Benihime."
In the next instant, countless crimson light projectiles erupted from the shield and engulfed Askin entirely.
Yet after the barrage ended, he remained completely unharmed.
"It's useless," Askin said with a smile. "Your attacks have no effect. Still, I am surprised you can move within my poison domain. It seems you are resistant to my lethal dose."
"Since you are resistant… then I will simply change methods."
He waved his hand. A ring of condensed poison shot forward instantly and clamped onto Urahara's right eye.
Blood spurted. His vision in that eye vanished.
"This technique is called the Highly Toxic Ring," Askin explained calmly. "Against those immune to standard lethal dosage, I concentrate all toxicity into a single point and destroy a specific body part with precision."
"…Is that so?" Urahara asked coldly.
"You are simply too strong. Normal methods cannot kill you. Therefore, I must destroy each part of your body until death becomes inevitable."
Askin raised his hand. Numerous halos of Reishi formed around him.
But at that very moment, Urahara spoke softly,
"Bankai… Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame."
A gigantic female figure rose behind him. Her expression was gentle and dignified, her hair tied in a classical bun. She wore a sleeveless kimono, and her extended arms moved like the articulated joints of a puppet.
The moment she appeared, a cracking sound rang out from Askin's right arm.
"…What is this?"
His limb began regenerating immediately, yet the damage had unquestionably occurred.
"You should understand now," Urahara said. "My Bankai grants me the power to restructure anything I touch."
He rushed forward. Blood burst from Askin's body as a massive wound opened across his torso.
Even so, the injury began healing again.
"I hate brute force battles," Askin muttered irritably. "But do not forget the power of my Gift Ball. No one can escape its range."
As he spoke, the massive poisonous sphere suddenly shrank, compressing into a seed-like elliptical form.
Urahara's body swayed. He nearly collapsed.
"You may resist lethal dosage," Askin said with a grin, "but when I increase the concentration, your mobility will decline."
Urahara snorted. Although his Bankai allowed him to modify his own body structure, he would fall back into weakness immediately after each reconstruction.
In other words, he was constantly fighting while weakened.
"How long can you endure?"
Askin formed more poison rings in his hand and stared at him.
"…There is no need to endure any longer," Urahara said quietly.
In the next instant, a hand pierced through Askin's chest and tore out his heart.
Behind him stood Soi Fon, arms fully extended.
"…Why… How is this possible?" Askin's face filled with shock.
Urahara replied calmly,
"You said no one could leave the range of the poison sphere. You never said infiltration was impossible. My earlier attack was meant to turn your back toward Soi Fon. While you were distracted, I modified her path through Benihime and created a safe passage."
Soi Fon withdrew her arm.
Askin's body fell from the sky and struck the ground. The poisonous sphere vanished completely.
She let out a long breath and looked at Urahara.
"…Thank you."
Urahara deactivated his Bankai and smiled.
"I am only following Renya's orders."
Soi Fon then looked toward the distant battlefield.
There, Gerard's colossal figure towered over the desert.
Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, Kūgo Ginjō and Ulquiorra Cifer were jointly attacking him, yet they were still at a disadvantage.
"I will go assist them "
Urahara shook his head.
"That is not your objective. First, you must meet someone, borrow an item, and then take it to the Seireitei. Only then can Yamamoto-dono defeat his opponent."
He explained Renya's plan in detail.
After hearing everything, Soi Fon immediately opened a Garganta-like passage and departed toward the Seireitei.
The next phase of the war had begun.