The sudden, explosive Reiatsu made Sui-Feng's face drain of all color.
She never would've imagined that a Ninth Division captain—one of the Gotei 13's highest decision-makers in name—would act so blindly.
It was nothing but one-sided noble testimony. And the Menos corpse and bloodbath on the ground were proof enough that this incident wasn't simple.
Yet Takeda Satoru acted as if he were blind—ignoring the disaster-level traces of battle, putting those disgusting nobles behind him, and even preparing to forcefully "deal with" them.
Whether that meant arrest or outright silencing wasn't hard to tell from the killing intent in his eyes.
Sui-Feng took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.
At their level, there was no chance against a captain-class Shinigami.
Even together, they wouldn't have the slightest hope.
But if they could throw out the right bargaining chip—something that made him hesitate—they might win a sliver of survival.
"Captain Takeda… actually, Sixth Seat Naraku is also a no—"
She didn't get to finish.
A scorching figure flashed past her side.
"Sui-Feng, why waste your breath on someone like that?"
Naraku's voice echoed over the ruined estate. Reiatsu surged through his body like a supernova, blazing into a sun that lit up the battered grounds.
From that relatively slender frame, power erupted—so overwhelming it exceeded Takeda Satoru's ability to properly understand it. Naraku's Zanpakutō carved a near-perfect arc through the air and came down like a falling sun.
At that moment, Takeda's own proud Reiatsu burst wasn't an advantage at all—it was the spark that lit Naraku's ferocity.
The instant this guy showed up, Naraku hadn't liked him.
When facing Shinigami comrades he put on an "official business" face, but when turning toward disgraced nobles he practically wagged his tail off to prove loyalty.
Hypocrisy at that level wasn't worth discussing.
Does being a captain mean you have a few extra heads?
Just cut him first.
Watching Naraku charge, Takeda narrowed his eyes. He'd never met him, but the performance made the identity obvious.
A high seated officer from the Central Underground Prison. The rising star everyone was talking about. The would-be son-in-law already "reserved" by the Five Great Houses—
Naraku Sora.
No wonder Shihōin Yoruichi had agreed to a betrothal with a kid who'd only just started to shine. To have vice-captain-class Reiatsu yet swing with this kind of momentum… there were only a handful like that in Soul Society's entire history.
But still—he was short of the mark.
Boom!
At the instant their blades collided, the entire manor shook.
Cracks exploded outward from their feet, the ground caving in. A violent wind tore through the area, flattening what little structure remained.
From the air, Naraku saw Takeda's figure vanish and reappear like a nightmare.
Too fast to believe—beyond Naraku's visual limit.
This was the real speed of a captain-level Shunpo.
Against an enemy beyond observation, the only thing you can rely on is—
Prediction.
The moment Naraku brought his sword back and set it horizontally, a cold flash struck.
A blade wrapped in thick Reiatsu smashed down like a warhammer.
In a breath, seven slashes landed in succession—each heavier than the last.
If Naraku hadn't already released his Zanpakutō, the sheer difference in Reiatsu alone would've torn his body apart instantly.
His figure fell from the sky and cratered the ground, dust exploding upward.
The nobles hadn't even had time to cheer—
When a shadow burst out of the crater, radiating brutality and ferocity, charging straight at Takeda again.
"Hadō #63: Raikōhō!"
Brilliant gold light detonated, savage arcs turning into visible torrents as they surged skyward.
Takeda's face shifted. He instinctively tried to cast a Bakudō to block.
"Bakudō—"
But Naraku's attack was faster than he expected. Searing lightning condensed into a blinding pillar and swallowed Takeda whole with unstoppable momentum.
Sui-Feng stared, stunned.
From the first clash to the reversal of momentum, it had taken only an instant. She hadn't even tracked where the two of them were, and it was already nearing an end?!
Had Sixth Seat Naraku become that strong?
Just as she was reeling, two hands coated in gleaming crystalline material thrust out of the storm of lightning.
With a burst of strength and Reiatsu, the lightning was torn apart.
Takeda Satoru stepped out, charred smoke curling off him.
His expression was dark to the extreme.
He'd expected an effortless capture. Even if Naraku was talented, he'd just fought an Adjuchas-level opponent earlier.
Yet reality slapped him hard—Naraku didn't look exhausted at all. If anything, he'd erupted into another burst of frightening power.
It didn't resemble anything a Grade 5 Reiatsu Shinigami should be capable of.
Absurd.
And that weird technique—both its delivery and its appearance were extremely similar to Hadō #63, Raikōhō.
Yet both the output and the activation speed far surpassed a normal Raikōhō.
If that strike had hit a weaker vice-captain, they'd probably be out of the fight entirely.
And Naraku's cast had no buildup—like he'd simply swung out a basic sword pressure.
Unthinkable.
To be safe, Takeda decided not to waste time. End it now, before anything else went wrong.
His five fingers closed. The crystal coating his palm shattered, raining down like glittering snow.
"Bankai!"
"Saga Miitsu!"
A multicolored glow flashed in Takeda's eyes, reflecting countless layered silhouettes, as if a god were gazing down on all things.
In the next moment, countless crystals burst up from the ruins, transforming the entire manor into a crystal jungle—an interwoven, translucent world of dazzling beauty.
"It's over."
Takeda stood at the peak of that world, cold eyes staring down like a true god passing judgment on Naraku's fate.
As he raised his hand, innumerable crystal spikes floated up, radiating deadly chill.
Naraku seemed to sense the gap between them. Like someone accepting his fate, he calmly sheathed his sword and stood still, waiting for death to fall.
Yet seeing that unnervingly calm expression, Takeda felt a powerful unease surge through his chest.
No more hesitation.
His right hand chopped down, and the crystal spikes—like soldiers at attention—launched in a vast, overwhelming charge.
The field of view filled with countless glittering points.
And then—
A weary sigh sounded through the crystalline world.
A new Reiatsu entered the manor.
In an instant, the world shook. Crystals trembled violently. A sea-like pressure crashed down, and the sound of cracking filled the air.
Takeda's face changed sharply.
"Captain Takeda."
A cool voice rang out through the shattering. The air rippled like water, parting to either side.
A tall figure stepped slowly into view, her beautiful face utterly calm, her indifferent eyes fixed forward.
"What exactly do you think you're doing… to my person?"
~~~
Patreon.com/Weze_
— You can read more Chapters in my Patreon Page! please vote, comment, share this, or visit my Patreon Page and join the Free Membership!