Crimson Reiatsu surged out, howling forward with brutal aggression.
Even though his body was exhausted, the boy's spirit was razor-sharp. His eyes gleamed, like a beast waking from its slumber.
The assassin was wrapped head to toe in black, impossible to identify.
Strangely, Naraku couldn't sense any killing intent from them.
But the strikes were vicious, giving him no room to breathe.
Their figures crossed again and again, blurring into afterimages in the small courtyard. Every clash sent out a shockwave that shook the air—
Like explosions going off at point-blank range.
"Araki family send you?"
Naraku's fist, wrapped in dense Reiatsu, hammered toward the assassin's chest. The blow missed by a hair, whistling past their ear and leaving a deep crater in the ground.
His Hakuda rank was still low compared to Shinigami who'd been training for decades or centuries. But backed by his stats, he could completely make up for what he lacked in technique.
Right now, Naraku was only Reiatsu Level 9—middle-to-lower tier among high-seated officers.
But with perfectly fused Hollow Power, boosted growth potential, and a doubled spirit-body toughness, he could already stand toe-to-toe with weaker vice-captains.
That was the beauty of raw numbers.
His opponent, however, was no slouch. Their Reiatsu was solid, technique refined, even their stances were sharper than Naraku's.
Their "stats" were slightly lower, but they still fought him evenly.
"First of all, this is the Central Prison," Naraku said with a feral grin. "Second, you don't actually think the ruckus we're making is gonna slip past that bad woman Warden, do you?"
The assassin said nothing, clearly determined to finish the job.
But in their exposed eyes, Naraku could still see confidence—like they had everything under control.
The fight continued.
Their attacks rained down like a storm. Those pale fists might as well have been forged from steel, tangible Reiatsu wrapping them as they struck from every tricky angle.
A torrent of flawless Hakuda techniques poured out. The assassin fought like a pure killing machine.
Fingers, fists, elbows, knees—even their head.
Every part of their body turned into a lethal weapon. One slip and Naraku could've been taken down on the spot.
From an even match at the start, Naraku's footing began to crumble. Little by little, he fell behind the assassin's tempo.
The training earlier had burned through most of his stamina. Now, with the assassin pressing hard, the fact that he'd lasted this long was already impressive.
The assassin seemed to notice this. A knee strike that had been aimed forward suddenly shifted. Their right leg lifted high and chopped down like a battle axe.
Naraku inhaled sharply, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.
Finally… took the bait.
In close combat, an unsteady lower body was a huge taboo. If it wasn't a finishing move, a strike like that was easy to grab and punish.
Naraku crossed his arms to block, absorbing the full force of the kick. At the same time, his hands snapped down to clamp onto the assassin's ankle.
"It's over."
He swung his arm back, ready to slam them into the ground—when he caught a glimpse of the assassin's eyes out of the corner of his vision.
Heh. Got him.
I predicted that you'd predict my prediction.
The assassin twisted midair, their body bending with inhuman flexibility as they coiled themselves around Naraku.
Their long legs locked around his neck like a vice.
"It's over, kid."
Naraku could feel the warmth at his throat. A bit of pressure and they could twist his head off like a lid.
But he wasn't the type to give up easily. As long as he wasn't dead, there was still a chance.
"Eat my—"
"One hundred thousand volts!"
Perched on his shoulders, the assassin sensed something wrong and their eyes went wide.
"Wait, I'm not—"
Hadō #11: Tsuzuri Raiden!
Before they could finish, brilliant golden lightning exploded across Naraku's body, coloring both of them in an instant.
Crackling arcs swallowed them whole. Neurological shock locked their muscles, freezing them in place.
Everyone knew most Shinigami were glass cannons—big attack, flimsy defense.
Assassins doubly so.
One suicidal cast later and both of them hit the ground.
Unlike a normal Shinigami, though, Naraku's Hollow-infused spirit body took hits far better and healed faster.
Even though both of them had eaten the full power of his Tsuzuri Raiden head-on, while the assassin was still twitching, Naraku was already dragging himself up and reaching for his Zanpakutō.
But as he went to draw and finish the job—
The assassin's presence was gone.
A sharp gust rushed at the back of his head.
Naraku slipped to the side, barely dodging a hand strike, and found the assassin's face right in front of him.
So he didn't think at all—he just headbutted them like a rocket.
Thud!
The heavy impact echoed. Both their skulls rang and they staggered back to the ground again, unable to rise for a moment.
"I'm done, I'm done."
A crisp girl's voice came from under the black mask. "You're the first Shinigami I've ever seen fight like that."
"Who taught you to use Tsuzuri Raiden like that?"
As she spoke, the girl pulled off both her hood and mask. Short violet hair framed her face, sharp and neat. Golden eyes and brown skin made a striking contrast.
Her pretty features were full of curiosity—
Except for the red mark blooming on her forehead, which looked hilariously out of place.
"Self-taught," Naraku said, flopping onto the ground without a hint of composure.
He was completely wiped.
No wonder the "bad woman" hadn't shown up from start to finish—she'd clearly already figured out who the assassin was.
"Let me introduce myself. Shihōin Yoruichi."
Yoruichi scooted over and plopped down right next to him, completely unconcerned, offering a small hand.
"You really don't seem surprised about being ambushed."
Naraku gave her hand a light squeeze and explained, "The Araki family doesn't strike me as the type to just let things go. Especially when both Araki Makoto and Araki Shūto got taken down by the same person."
"It'd be weird if they didn't try something."
"But what I am curious about is—why didn't you go for the kill just now?"
Yoruichi grinned.
"Isn't it obvious? I can't stand those bastards either."
"But as a member of the Onmitsukidō, once I take a job, I have to carry it out."
"The Araki family did pay half the deposit up front."
Naraku glanced at her in surprise. He hadn't expected the future Second Division Captain and Onmitsukidō Commander to be this… unprofessional.
"Hey, kid, I like the way you do things."
Yoruichi suddenly bumped him with her elbow and flashed a sharp grin.
"How about it? Come to Second Division. Be my lieutenant."