Shuo ambled down the street toward home, hands in his pockets, mind drifting. He checked in with the system, curious about his earlier missions.
"Headpat mission on Shirone Toujou complete. Reward: Zanpakutō—Zangetsu (Shikai state mastered).
Victory in gaming against Shirone Toujou complete. Reward: Navy Six Styles, fully mastered."
On the outside, Shuo kept his poker face, but inside he was practically dancing. Full mastery of the Navy Six Styles, plus all the combat experience that came with it? Add that to his Supreme Threefold Haki, and his power had just taken a quantum leap.
The Zanpakutō reward caught him off guard, though. His lips curled into a grin he couldn't quite suppress. Back when he watched Bleach, he'd always fantasized about wielding a Zanpakutō. Now, the system had handed him Ichigo Kurosaki's own blade. Life was good.
"System, can I keep Zangetsu in Shikai form by default?"
He never liked lugging around that massive cleaver—he preferred the sleek, nimble long blade.
"Host's preference detected. Zangetsu will remain in Shikai form by default. Host may freely switch forms at will."
That answer sent Shuo's mood soaring. He started humming to himself, swaggering a bit as he walked.
But the system's voice interrupted his little celebration.
"Ding. Stray Devil detected nearby. Eliminating it will grant a White Tier reward."
Shuo let out a silent sigh of relief. If his cheat system hadn't shown up yesterday, this would've been a death sentence. Instead, his heart pounded with anticipation—his first real battle was about to begin.
He followed the system's prompt into a shadowy alley. There, he spotted a woman in scandalously revealing clothes, draped in a loose jacket, a bottle of booze dangling from her hand. Her long black hair was wet and wild, and a cloying, heavy perfume hung in the air. She was the kind of woman who could make a man's pulse quicken for all the wrong reasons.
She noticed him immediately, eyes lighting up as she sauntered over, lips curled in a predatory smile.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a handsome boy. Care to join me for a drink? Maybe we could… have a little fun?"
She winked, her voice syrupy and laced with invitation.
Shuo just arched an eyebrow. He felt a mischievous urge bubble up—why not toy with her a bit before sending her to hell?
"Sure, but… I'm a little worried you might've spiked the drink. Gotta watch out for myself, you know? How about you take a sip first, big sis?"
For a split second, the Stray Devil's eyes flickered with surprise. Did he see through her trick? But then she relaxed. He was just a student—what could he possibly do? Besides, poison didn't bother her. Her favorite pastime was watching humans writhe in agony after drinking her "special" cocktails, savoring their slow demise. The thought alone sent a shiver of twisted pleasure through her.
She tipped back the bottle, taking a long swig, then offered it to him.
"There, little cutie. Satisfied? I've had plenty."
Shuo didn't even reach for the bottle. He just crossed his arms and watched her, amusement plain on his face.
The Stray Devil grew impatient. "What's the matter, handsome? Drink up! After that, big sis will show you something really special…"
When he still didn't budge, her patience snapped. Her smile twisted into a snarl, and with a guttural roar, her body warped and stretched, revealing her true form—a monstrous spider demon, six eyes glaring from her upper body, six legs twitching with menace.
"Damn brat! Drink! Why won't you drink?! If you won't drink, then die!"
Shuo wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Wow, that's your real face? For a so-called 'mature' Stray Devil, your mental game is pretty weak. You might want to go back and train up—oh wait, too late for that."
His mockery drove her into a frenzy. "You filthy insect! How dare you play with me?! I'll tear you apart!"
She lunged, all six eyes whirling madly, blood-red claws aimed straight for his throat.
But Shuo didn't flinch. With Supreme Observation Haki, dodging would've been child's play—but he wanted to test his new strength head-on.
He activated Iron Body, hardening every muscle. But then a memory flashed through his mind: all those internet jokes about Iron Body—stand still, take the full hit, die on the spot. "Cherish life, avoid Iron Body," the memes said. Unless you were Garp, Iron Body was a death sentence.
A bead of sweat formed on Shuo's brow. Better not risk it. He quickly layered Armament Haki over his entire body, turning his skin jet black.
CRACK!
The Stray Devil's claws snapped like brittle twigs. She shrieked, agony and disbelief mingling in her voice.
"Impossible! You little bastard!"
Shuo ignored her. With a flash of Soru, he retreated a dozen steps, absently rubbing his neck as he analyzed her attack.
"Looks like, with Iron Body and Armament Haki, I could tank a full-power hit from a Mid-Class Devil without breaking a sweat."
His eyes sharpened, glinting like drawn steel.
"Conqueror-Infused—Infinite Rankyaku."
He murmured the attack name, voice low and dramatic. In the next instant, he vanished, Soru propelling him forward. Dozens of afterimages flickered through the alley, wind howling as if a tornado had touched down. Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls. In a blink, Shuo hovered above the Stray Devil's head.
CRACK!
He landed, then calmly walked over to retrieve his backpack from where he'd dropped it.
It was only his first real fight, but he felt his mastery of the Six Styles and Haki rivaled even a Navy Admiral's. The system's combat experience downloads made battle feel almost second nature. Maybe he really did have a knack for this. Shuo couldn't help but feel a little smug.
Behind him, the Stray Devil—her body battered but still breathing—managed a sneer.
"Hahaha! That's it? All flash, no substance. You really thought those fancy moves would work on me? Don't make me laugh. Now it's my turn—"
"Tsk. Still haven't figured it out, huh?"
Shuo stopped, glancing back with cold, flat eyes.
"You're already dead. Or, more accurately, you're already a dead devil."
"What are you—?"
SPLURT!
The Stray Devil's body collapsed, limbs severed and scattered. A thin line traced her neck as her head tumbled to the ground, blood spraying in crimson arcs. Only now did she realize—somewhere in that flurry, Shuo had sliced her to pieces.
THUD! Her body hit the ground.
Shuo eyed the carnage with mild annoyance. Cleanup wasn't his problem; that was for Rias or Sona, the city's administrators. Besides, in the future, they'd both be his women—helping their future husband out was only fair.
"Ding. Mission complete. Reward: Perfect Rumble-Rumble Fruit (sea water weakness removed)."
Shuo's jaw dropped. "No way… a Rumble-Rumble Fruit with no weaknesses?"
The Logia-type fruit from One Piece—lightning incarnate. Physical attacks, most energy, and anything not Haki-based, all useless. He could become lightning, teleport with electromagnetic pulses, amplify his Haki, even restart a heart. And now, without the classic Devil Fruit weakness? He couldn't use its full power yet, but for survival? He was set.
He was just starting to daydream about a future full of beautiful women when a magic circle flared into existence before him. Several familiar figures began to materialize.
Shuo's smile faded, replaced by a resigned sigh.
"Here comes trouble."
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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