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At the edge of the forest, a basin covered in vegetation.
From the outside, one could only see dense vegetation, but inside was a huge hollow, with three people sitting or lying scattered throughout the space.
"Is it really okay that we just escaped like this?"
"What else?"
The long-haired man lying on the ground sneered, "Do you want to leave the Squad like Nijima?"
"Did Nijima really disappear?" The burly man who spoke first had a face full of unease. To be honest, he had never thought of defecting…
Among the three, he was the weakest. After so many years of hard work, he had finally secured the position of Third Division 12th Seat, but now it had all gone to waste.
If it hadn't been for these two people suddenly approaching him more than two years ago, telling him that he, like them, had been targeted by the Onmitsukidō, and that sooner or later he would become the next person to be forcibly 'retired' like Nijima, he would not have chosen to defect.
And if… it hadn't been for the two of them scaring him with talk of being captured by the Onmitsukidō, losing not only his status but even his life, he might still be sitting in his Seated Officer position giving orders.
At first, Yanagikawa didn't believe it.
But as the investigation unfolded, he discovered that 'Nijima' had indeed completely vanished from the Soul Society after leaving the Squad!
There was no trace of him, neither within the Seireitei nor in Rukongai.
After that, with the help of the two, he detected the Onmitsukido secretly monitoring him, which made him believe their words.
As he continued to investigate, he even discovered that almost everyone who left the Gotei 13 had suddenly disappeared after their departure. Their peers, friends, and even family members had no idea where they went.
The more Yanagikawa thought about it, the more he regretted it.
Thinking carefully, he hadn't done anything truly evil. At most, he had used his position to accumulate wealth and semi-forcibly, semi-coaxingly brought two female Squad Members to his room.
He had never killed anyone, nor had he done anything that would endanger the Seireitei. In his eyes, these minor offenses were not crimes at all.
The Onmitsukidō couldn't possibly be targeting him for such trifles.
Why had he been so foolish as to agree to their proposal back then?
"What else?"
The long-haired man's slightly effeminate face showed a cold sneer, "Isn't the person you were closest to among your peers Nijima? You should know better than I whether he disappeared or not."
"This…"
Yanagikawa opened his mouth upon hearing this, but ultimately chose to remain silent.
On one hand, he didn't know how to refute, and on the other… he was also afraid of angering Yanagikawa. After all, this 9th Seat was willing to push his own younger brother out as bait for the plan to succeed, let alone someone like himself who had no relation to him.
At this thought, he couldn't help but glance at the corner, where a middle-aged man was sitting cross-legged, performing Zanpakuto meditation with his Zanpakuto laid across his thighs. This middle-aged man was Toyokawa Asagi, the strongest and most noble of the three, a 4th seat.
This defection plan, from the Reishi tools purchased from the Technology Development Bureau to the arrangement of the operation, was all handled by 4th seat Toyokawa.
For this day, he had reportedly been preparing for nearly three years. Ever since he discovered Nijima's sudden disappearance, he had been preparing to defect.
"The support team has withdrawn."
Just then, 4th seat Toyokawa suddenly opened his eyes and said.
Upon hearing this, Yanagikawa's eyes lit up, "Then are we safe?"
"Safe?"
Yanagikawa sneered, "It's not that easy. We can't say we're safe until the Onmitsukidō gives up."
"That's right."
4th seat Toyokawa nodded, "Once we confirm the Onmitsukidō has withdrawn, we will immediately enter our Gigai, and then transfer using the Gigai to avoid any Reishi residue."
"Still have to wait for the Onmitsukidō to leave?"
Yanagikawa frowned, "If you ask me, we shouldn't have hidden here after leaving the support team. We should have run as far as possible."
If they had fled back then, they might now be wearing Gigai and moving freely in the Human World, instead of hiding in this cramped space, constantly on edge.
"Run? Heh heh."
4th seat Toyokawa didn't speak, but Yanagikawa, beside him, sneered, "Do you know why Shinigami above Vice-Captain level have their Reiatsu restricted when they come to the Human World? Because the Reishi concentration in the Human World is extremely low, even their unintentional Reiatsu leakage can affect the Human World. In this Low Level Reishi environment, they are as obvious as a candle in the dark."
"If we fled directly, then to quickly leave this area, we would have to use our full power, and the traces left behind would be impossible to erase quickly. The Onmitsukidō could easily follow the traces and catch up to us."
"Then just conceal our Reiatsu and run slowly."
Yanagikawa looked at Yanagikawa with a sinister gaze. He really couldn't understand why Toyokawa had pulled this big-headed oaf into their group.
This guy had absolutely no brains!!
Seeing that neither of them was paying attention to him, Yanagikawa felt a bit frustrated, but he didn't ask any more questions. Anyway, as long as they could evade their pursuers, he would immediately separate from these two after putting on his Gigai, and he didn't plan on having any further contact with them.
These two people…
One was meticulous, always making thorough preparations for everything, never allowing any mistakes in his plans. In his eyes, his plans were always flawless, and any mistake was absolutely the fault of the executor. An executor who made a mistake deserved to die!
The other was sinister. As long as it benefited him, anyone could become a sacrifice for his gain, even his own family and teammates.
Being with these two, he always felt out of place and very dangerous. He wouldn't be surprised if he was betrayed by them one day.
"Then where do we go?"
"Anywhere but Karakura Town."
4th seat Toyokawa said in a flat tone, "And the farther from Karakura Town, the better. Although I don't know why, according to my investigation, Karakura Town is the area where Shinigami stationed are replaced most frequently, and also the area with the most frequent appearances of Hollow. Only by staying away from here can we avoid being discovered by the Soul Society."
"Preferably an area where no Shinigami are stationed," Yanagikawa emphasized.
"Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you."
A chilling voice suddenly came from above the three of them, "You no longer have a chance to leave."
The sudden words made the three of them change their expressions drastically. They all stood up from their various positions and looked up. As they looked, a brilliant blue flame suddenly surged from the gaps in the vegetation covering the cave entrance above them. The intense heat made the three feel their body water rapidly evaporating.
"Hadō No. 33: Sōkatsui!"
Boom—
Amidst a violent explosion, with the cave entrance as the center, a twenty-meter radius of ground was engulfed by azure explosive flames, burning fiercely on the earth.
Buzz~
With a flash, Ōmaeda reappeared in mid-air. As soon as he appeared, he glared at Ishikawa Katori with a dark face, "You lunatic, can't you warn me before you make a move? Didn't you see I was talking to them?"
"Killing is killing. What's there to talk about?"
It must be said that after spending a long time with those villains, Ishikawa Katori had more or less picked up some of their habits.
In a word, it was…
If you can use your hands, never waste words!
Ōmaeda's mouth twitched slightly. He always felt that something was off about that statement, but he couldn't think of a rebuttal.
"Forget it."
Ōmaeda gave up arguing and instead glanced around, his mouth twitching. He said in a negotiating tone, "I don't mind you using Kido, but try not to cause too much damage to the Human World environment. Otherwise, when we go back, you'll be fine, but I'll have to figure out how to explain to the Captain."
"Hm."
Ishikawa Katori nodded. His principle was to satisfy the customer as much as possible. Since he had accepted the commission, as long as the additional conditions weren't too excessive, he could discuss them.
"Also, be careful of that 4th seat. According to my previous investigation, his Zanpakuto is a Kido magnification type Zanpakuto, and its ability is said to be terrifying."
Kido magnification type Zanpakuto?
Ishikawa Katori couldn't help but look down at the large hole below. As the surrounding vegetation and trees were completely burned away, the cave entrance was fully exposed to their view. On both sides of the entrance, there were two burnt, TV-sized boxes.
When he saw those boxes, Ōmaeda couldn't help but say, "Reishi-concealing spiritual tools?"
No need to think, these were definitely sold to the three by those research fanatics at the Technology Development Bureau, because those people, like their Captain, had reached a point where they would do anything for research funds. Other Squads knew about it, but they all turned a blind eye as long as it wasn't too excessive.
The reason was simple…
Once their extra income was cut off, the head of the Technology Development Bureau would request a Captains' meeting the next day and demand a reduction in other Squads' budgets to fill the gaps in his own research.
Rumble—
Just then, the ground beneath their feet suddenly bulged. Cracks first appeared, and then countless soils shot into the sky, obscuring Ishikawa Katori and Ōmaeda's vision.
"Smash him, Sanbon!"
Zheng~
Ōmaeda's Zanpakuto instantly unsheathed from his waist, transforming into a black spiked ball with a long chain, smashing into the sky-high soil.
Clang—!
With a crisp sound, a figure hidden within the soil was directly sent flying backward by the impact, landing back on the ground.
"Pfft~"
As soon as he landed, a mouthful of blood spewed from Yanagikawa's mouth, his sword-wielding hands trembling uncontrollably.
Defeat in one strike made a look of terror appear on Yanagikawa's face.
It's over!
Although he had long known that Vice-Captains were monsters, he never expected that he wouldn't even be able to withstand a single blow from the opponent.
How could they fight like this?
But Ōmaeda didn't give him a chance to be stunned. His enormous body plunged down like a cannonball, holding the chain, swinging the spiked ball with a whistling sound.
However, at this very moment, an incantation suddenly began.
"Bones of the beast scattered across the land, a spire, a red crystal, a steel wheel! The wind moves, the sky stills, the sound of spears clashing, filling the empty castle!"
The sound of thunder grew from small to large, and the dazzling lightning could not be concealed even by the thick soil.
"Hadō No. 63: Raikōhō!"
Boom—
A huge pillar of lightning shot into the sky, like a giant python, roaring as it charged towards Ōmaeda.
Feeling the immense power, even Ōmaeda's eyes couldn't help but flash with solemnity. The power of this Kido had undoubtedly reached the Vice-Captain-level. No wonder 3rd Seat Togakushi had told him to be careful of the opponent's Kido-type Zanpakuto!
Without hesitation, the hammer he had been preparing to smash at Yanagikawa turned, preparing to meet the incoming Kido.
But just then, Ishikawa Katori's figure appeared abruptly beside him. His right hand's back, as if swatting a fly, met the terrifying Raikōhō.
Bakudo #8: Seki!
Seeing this, even Ōmaeda, who was extremely aware of Ishikawa Katori's strength, couldn't help but change his expression.
Because it was simply too reckless!!
From beneath the ground, a sneer also emanated.
However…
The next scene, however, made everyone gasp.
Bang~
Lightning surged, and the giant python formed by lightning was actually directly shattered by such a casual swing, turning into scattered lightning and dissipating.
"This is impossible!!"
Toyokawa Asagi, looking through the scattered lightning at Ishikawa Katori's unfamiliar face, his eyes were full of disbelief.
Who exactly is he!?
Ōmaeda, though shocked, did not forget his original purpose. The spiked ball, which had been accumulating power for a long time, smashed directly towards the dazed Yanagikawa on the ground.
Yanagikawa felt a gust of wind hit his face. Without time to hesitate, he stood up, intending to use Shunpo.
But before he could act, an incredibly powerful Reiatsu descended with a roar. Caught off guard, his body was forced to bend, and in that instant, the enormous spiked ball had already smashed down.
A Vice-Captain facing a Low Level Seated Officer doesn't need any special techniques; just their Reiatsu alone is far beyond what a Low Level Seated Officer can withstand!
Bang~
Blood splattered, and the ground itself was completely dented by the impact.
Ōmaeda sensed around. Once he confirmed the opponent's Reiatsu had disappeared, he withdrew his gaze. Such a Low Level Seated Officer, who couldn't even release his Zanpakuto, was never in his eyes. The remaining two were the truly difficult opponents.
However…
"You, have you always blocked Kido like that?"
Ōmaeda looked at Ishikawa Katori beside him, his expression as bizarre as could be.
No matter what, that was a high-level Kido, number 63. Although it felt like it was forcibly released, it shouldn't have been so weak as to be easily swatted away with a single slap, right?
"What else?"
Ishikawa Katori said without turning his head, "Do you want me to shout 'Shazam' while facing the lightning?" Waving his hand, Ishikawa Katori looked at the charring on the back of his hand, a strange look flashing in his eyes.
Kido magnification type Zanpakuto?
Among the Kido he currently mastered, the most powerful was also Raikōhō, and he understood Raikōhō extremely well. The Raikōhō released by the opponent felt very strange to him.
Although his mastery was not deep, its power seemed great, as if the originally weak Kido had been forcibly magnified.
The most terrifying aspect of Raikōhō is its lightning attribute, which is capable of tearing apart everything, not just simple destructive power. While an enlarged appearance can increase destructive power, the fundamental lightning power remains unchanged. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been easily shattered by his 'Repulsion,' which had just entered the 'Advanced' level!
All show, no substance.
These four words were undoubtedly the most suitable to describe that strike!
Rather than calling his Zanpakuto a Kido magnification type Zanpakuto, it was more like a Kido appearance amplifier.
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