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"Run wild—Kaien!"
Just then, a cold voice suddenly came from beneath them.
Trickle…
Along with the voice came the sound of water, which grew from a trickle to a roar, eventually becoming a thunderous rumble, as if a cannonball had exploded beneath their feet.
"Be careful!"
Ishikawa Katori's expression turned solemn. No sooner had his warning fallen than a giant wave, like thunder, surged skyward, sweeping towards Ishikawa and Ōmaeda.
This scene was like a tsunami striking.
The terrifying might caused both of them to unhesitatingly use Shunpo and leave their original positions.
Almost the moment the two separated, Ōmaeda's expression sank. He shifted his spiked ball from a single-hand chain hold to grasping the spikes on the ball with both hands, shielding his chest with it.
Clang—!
Ōmaeda looked up at the middle-aged man who had suddenly appeared in front of him. His chubby face showed no panic; instead, he sneered, "You actually didn't choose to escape?"
Toyokawa Asagi remained silent, his Captain-level Reiatsu furiously pouring into the blade in his hand. Although it hadn't reached Vice-Captain-level, it was infinitely close.
That instant was indeed a good time to escape.
But…
Toyokawa Asagi knew very well how powerful the Onmitsukidō, known for its 'mobility,' was in Shunpo, not to mention that his opponent was Ōmaeda, second only to the Captain in the Onmitsukidō. With his and Yanagikawa's Shunpo speed, escaping would only be a pointless waste of Reiatsu!
He, who had always prided himself on being a smart person, would never make such a foolish choice.
Compared to escaping, the chance of cutting down this fat man was clearly greater. After all, everyone knew that the reason Ōmaeda could become the Second Division Captain was entirely because his family had always funded the Onmitsukidō, and every generation of family members would join the Onmitsukidō!
At the same time, dozens of meters away in the air, an incredibly massive water sphere appeared.
The tsunami that had previously swept towards Ishikawa Katori and Ōmaeda did not disappear after separating them; instead, it formed a huge spherical water ball, imprisoning Ishikawa Katori entirely within it.
Trickle, trickle, trickle—
The water sphere gradually shrank, but the water on its surface did not remain static; instead, it rotated continuously like a vortex along the surface.
With each rotation, the water-free circle around Ishikawa Katori in the center would shrink a little. At the current speed, it might not take many rotations before Ishikawa Katori would be completely submerged by the water.
Outside the water sphere, Yanagikawa held a long, dark blue blade, a cold smile on his face: "Give up. Once my Kaien is formed, it is absolutely impossible for anyone to break it from the inside. The person inside is like being in the deep sea, and the immense pressure will continuously accumulate as time passes!"
"Soon, every pore on your body will seep blood, and your internal organs will begin to burst one by one. The moment Kaien transforms into a blood prison, that will be the moment of your complete death!"
"That certainly sounds terrifying."
Ishikawa Katori looked at the water sphere that enveloped him with interest, unable to help but marvel at the wonder of Zanpakuto.
He was only a High-Level Seated Officer, but his released Zanpakuto was already able to threaten him. Although the water prison did not affect him under the protection of his Reiatsu, Ishikawa Katori could feel the pressure around him gradually increasing.
If he remained trapped within, he might indeed end up as the opponent described.
It's just a pity…
Puff—
"Hmm?"
Yanagikawa's pupils contracted. Looking at the arm that pierced through the water sphere, he retreated without hesitation.
"The pressure is increasing too slowly."
A cold voice came. Ishikawa Katori raised his palm like a blade and slashed down along the opening that had been pierced through.
Buzz—
Violent Reiatsu erupted, and the rotating water flow on the surface of the water sphere enveloping him directly stagnated with this slash. Immediately, the surface of the water sphere developed irregular bulges, like a hedgehog.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion sounded, and the huge water sphere burst open, transforming into rain that sprinkled down to the ground.
Rainwater dripped along his hair. Ishikawa Katori didn't bother to wipe it away; instead, he looked at Yanagikawa, whose face was grim in the distant sky, or more precisely, at the azure Zanpakuto in his hand.
It must be said that the opponent's Zanpakuto ability was indeed terrifying. The moment he was enveloped by the water sphere, Ishikawa Katori felt not only the pressure he mentioned but also an endless vitality. As long as that vitality remained, the water sphere could devour any impact from within, preventing the trapped person from escaping.
This was precisely why the opponent said that the water sphere could never be broken from the inside.
It's just a pity…
The blade was a good blade, but the wielder's own Reiatsu was too weak. Ishikawa Katori directly used his Reiatsu, which was far stronger than his, to halt the flow of water on the surface of the water sphere, thereby causing the water sphere to lose its original endless vitality and destroy itself.
"Who exactly are you?"
Yanagikawa looked at Ishikawa Katori with a grave expression, his eyes filled with a mixture of apprehension and confusion.
From the Reiatsu that erupted in that instant, the opponent definitely possessed Vice-Captain-level strength, yet no matter how much he searched his mind, he couldn't find any Vice-Captains or Seated Officers with similar characteristics!
"I run an Everything Store, though you won't have the chance to be my customer anymore."
Yanagikawa was stunned by the words, but before he could figure out what an Everything Store was, he saw Ishikawa Katori in his sight suddenly disappear like a ghost.
Seeing this, Yanagikawa's expression changed. He spun Kaien in his hand, immediately forming a shield of water flow around himself.
Bang~
A dull thud followed, and the water shield in front of Yanagikawa burst open.
Yanagikawa felt a pain in his abdomen, sensing an indescribable force spreading from his abdomen throughout his body. He was sent flying backward like a kicked ball, finally crashing to the ground with a thud.
In mid-air, Ishikawa Katori glanced at his fist, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
With that punch, he had originally intended to pierce through the opponent, but the water shield was extremely strange. The continuously flowing water created resistance, dissipating most of the force of his punch.
Monster~
Below, Yanagikawa clutched his abdomen and climbed out of the large hole he had made, a hint of lingering fear in his eyes. If he hadn't unhesitatingly used the water shield, he might have died from that blow!
The disparity in strength was too great.
This guy, who claimed to run an Everything Store, hadn't even released his Zanpakuto; he hadn't even taken out his Zanpakuto. With just his bare fists, he had already rendered him completely defenseless!
"Although I don't know what this 'Everything Store' you speak of is."
Yanagikawa wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, a look of respect on his face: "But I imagine you are not an unknown person. Dying by your hand is not shameful, but I hope you can fight me head-on with all your strength, and let me see how big the gap between us truly is!"
Ishikawa Katori's eyes surged with fighting intent, and he nodded slightly.
"Alright!"
Hearing this, Yanagikawa's eyes lit up. His entire Reiatsu was released in an instant, surging furiously into the Zanpakuto in his hand.
He had gathered all of his strength into this one strike.
In mid-air, Ishikawa Katori's expression flashed with solemnity. He stepped on the void with one foot, swooping down like an eagle, his immense Reiatsu converging on his right fist.
Before he even arrived, the strong wind was already there, and the terrifying impact made Yanagikawa feel faintly breathless.
But there was no horror on his face; instead, a smile appeared.
The next second, he moved!
He did not dodge but instead rushed skyward to meet the punch.
As the two approached each other, water flowed rapidly over the surface of Yanagikawa's Zanpakuto.
Idiot!
This strike was his weakest, but also his strongest.
Because the characteristic of this strike was…
Counterattack!
The strong water flow on the blade's surface would create a water rebound upon impact. The stronger the opponent's attack, the greater the force of his counterattack.
But precisely because of this, if there was no attack, or if the attack was extremely weak, this strike would have no destructive power whatsoever. His previous words were precisely to set the stage for this.
Fortunately, the opponent was an idiot who was easily trusting and fanatical about battle.
As the two sides continuously closed the distance, Yanagikawa's smile instantly turned sinister as he saw Ishikawa's fist about to collide with his Kaien Maru.
However…
The next second, the sinister smile on his face froze.
Ishikawa Katori's body strangely distorted, his spirit-pressure-enhanced fist suddenly retracted, and he brushed past the tip of the blade.
Yanagikawa, holding the sword hilt, felt the hollow sensation from the blade, as if struck by lightning; his body stiffened, his mind went blank, and his eyes were filled with confusion.
Just then, Ishikawa Katori's form distorted in mid-air, his left hand forming a blade-like shape, with spirit pressure surging on it—not newly condensed, but…
Already poised and ready!
Almost simultaneously with brushing past, he chopped down towards Yanagikawa's neck.
Pfft~
Blood splattered, everything in Yanagikawa's vision inverted, and he faintly heard Ishikawa's voice.
"Idiot!"
Ishikawa Katori stepped on the empty air, stopping in mid-air, and looked at Yanagikawa, whose head and body were separated and falling to the ground, saying with narrowed eyes, "I'm here to kill people, not to duel you. Who wants to play a fair and square game with you?"
Bang~
The headless body crashed to the ground, while the head rolled several meters like a soccer ball.
Ishikawa Katori retracted his gaze and looked in another direction.
His battle with Yanagikawa seemed to have lasted a long time, but in reality, it was only about two minutes in total. The battle on Ōmaeda's side was still ongoing.
Compared to the idiot who held him back, that 4th seat of the Third Division had much stronger spirit pressure, and to better exploit his Zanpakuto's abilities, his proficiency in Kido was superior to many other 4th seats from other Squads.
If his opponent were a fellow 4th seat, or even a Third Seat, he might even win the battle.
However…
His opponent was Ōmaeda, a Vice-Captain.
Looking around, Ōmaeda was swinging his chain, making the Wolf Fang Ball spin fiercely. No matter what Kido the 4th seat released, it was shattered by Ōmaeda's Wolf Fang Ball after its Shikai.
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!!"
The Shakkahō, cast without incantation and magnified by the Zanpakuto with its strange patterns, immediately doubled in size and shot towards Ōmaeda.
Boom~!
Sparks flew everywhere; the huge fireball disintegrated almost instantly upon colliding with the Wolf Fang Ball, turning into a sky full of sparks.
After Ōmaeda dispersed the fireball, his somewhat bulky figure displayed a agility unbefitting his size, silently disappearing from his original spot.
Toyokawa Asagi's expression changed. Without hesitation, he quickly brought his Zanpakuto horizontally in front of him and began to chant:
"Bakudo #39…"
Puff~
The sound of flesh being penetrated rang out, and Toyokawa Asagi's chanting abruptly stopped. He slowly lowered his head to look at his chest.
A blood-stained hand had pierced through his chest, holding a constantly beating heart in its palm. As he looked, the hand suddenly retracted.
Ōmaeda's figure appeared. He first glanced at Ishikawa, who had appeared behind Toyokawa Asagi at some point, then looked at Toyokawa Asagi, who had a large hole in his chest, and shook his head: "You, a dignified 4th seat, why did you have to defect? You haven't done anything evil."
Although the Supervisory Team would imprison some Gotei 13 Squad Members who engaged in dangerous experiments or had dangerous ideologies in the Maggot's Nest, cases of high-ranking Seated Officers and Vice-Captains being imprisoned were extremely rare.
Ultimately.
The Seireitei is a world where strength is respected. As long as a person is strong enough, let alone secretly conducting dangerous experiments or having dangerous thoughts, even if the person is a great villain who has killed countless people, the Gotei 13 is not unable to accept them.
Those imprisoned in the Maggot's Nest for having 'dangerous ideologies' are mostly ordinary Squad Members and Low Level Seated Officers.
However, the tolerance for high-ranking Seated Officers and Vice-Captains is extremely high. They are usually only subjected to what is called 'retirement' supervision if it is confirmed that their existence will definitely pose a threat to other Shinigami in the near future.
Both Toyokawa Asagi and Yanagikawa were under surveillance, but like Ishikawa Katori, the surveillance primarily focused on their actions, with no intention of arresting or imprisoning them in the Maggot's Nest.
"Heh heh—"
Toyokawa Asagi sneered, feeling his vitality rapidly draining away. Instead of launching a final attack before death, he loosened his grip on his Zanpakuto.
Why defect?
The reason was simple: if he continued to stay in the Third Division, even if he wasn't captured by the Onmitsukidō, he would die silently.
Die at the hands of that Captain who made him feel extremely dangerous.
Thinking of this, Toyokawa Asagi's face showed a strange smile. His body fell towards the ground as his vitality was lost, but this strange smile did not disappear.
Compared to a small fry like himself, that Captain, whom he could never see through, was the truly dangerous person.
Unfortunately…
No one realized this, and he didn't want to tell the person who killed him. Instead, he eagerly awaited the day that person revealed their true colors.
…
Clap clap—
Ishikawa Katori clapped his hands, looking at Ōmaeda somewhat speechlessly: "You said it. You guys were already monitoring them, so shouldn't they be allowed to escape?"
"The Onmitsukidō monitors many people."
Ōmaeda, who was sheathing his sword, rolled his eyes: "So many years have passed, and the Maggot's Nest hasn't been overflowing. Besides, it's not just us Onmitsukidō who monitor Shinigami. The Gotei 13 also monitors Shinigami who go out or are stationed in the Human World."
"Moreover, the Supervisory Team never intended to arrest those two high-ranking Seated Officers; they merely determined that the two were too dangerous and might pose a threat to Shinigami."
Ōmaeda paused, then continued: "One of these two people had an extremely strong desire for control, arbitrarily abusing Squad Members who acted outside his control; the other had a sinister mind, often ordering his subordinates to take risky actions for his own benefit."
"But in reality, no Squad Members died because of this; they just suffered a bit."
Ishikawa Katori was noncommittal, then glanced at the Low Level Seated Officer who was killed first: "What about that person?"
"Him?"
Ōmaeda shook his head: "He was purely due to a guilty conscience, after all, the surveillance on him had already stopped."
"…." Ishikawa Katori.
This guy seems to have died a bit unjustly…
"Although he used his position to gain some benefits and lured several female Squad Members with his status, this was purely a matter of personal conduct, and their own Squad could manage it."
Ishikawa Katori said with narrowed eyes: "So, workplace harassment isn't considered a crime, huh?"
"Harassment?"
A cold sneer appeared on Ōmaeda's fat face.
"He probably thought so too, but you might not know that just as Captains have the power to appoint, Squad Members have the power to refuse appointments. Squad Members from various Squads can transfer Squads by applying. If they are coerced by a Seated Officer or Captain, they can completely go to other Squads. Those few female Squad Members, rather than being harassed, volunteered to cling to him to curry favor."
Ishikawa Katori's face showed a look of realization; he truly hadn't noticed this point.
With the battle over, Ōmaeda first put away his Asauchi, then contacted the Onmitsukido. After receiving news that they were returning, the two decided not to move, reported their location to the Soul Society, and waited there.
"Lend me an Asauchi to look at, will you?"
Looking at the six Asauchi on Ōmaeda's back, Ishikawa remembered the cleverness of the Zanpakuto in the previous battle and couldn't help but say, "I just want to get a feel for it. I'll return it when the Senkaimon opens."
"Why bother? If you want it that badly, why not just join our Onmitsukidō?"
Despite his words, considering how much Ishikawa Katori had helped this time, he didn't refuse. Instead, he drew out an Asauchi that had reverted to its standard form and threw it to Ishikawa.
"I'm just lending it to you temporarily. Don't mess around with it!"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter