"Shutara Senjumaru."
Faced with the woman who had suddenly appeared inside his Bankai domain, Takeda Satoru's expression sank. His brows pulled tight.
As a long-serving captain of the Ninth Division, he naturally knew this researcher—the one who had altered the course of Shinigami history.
He'd heard that years ago she'd already received an invitation to the Royal Guard, but because her research wasn't finished, she chose to remain in Soul Society.
Later, due to a lack of certain materials, she applied to the Central 46 to become Warden of the Central Underground Prison. In rank, that post was equal to a Gotei 13 captain.
But for a "clerical" person to stroll straight into the domain of Bankai: Saga Miitsu…
Wasn't that essentially spitting in his face?
Or did she truly believe he wouldn't dare kill?
Takeda's gaze toward Shutara turned hostile.
"Ninth Division is conducting an operation. I see no need to explain anything to people outside my jurisdiction."
"And besides…"
"Your subordinate attacked nobles without authorization and has already violated Soul Society law. If you insist on interfering, I don't mind arresting you along with him."
Shutara's lips curved into a barely noticeable smile, a small ripple passing through her calm eyes.
"Is that so?"
"Captain Takeda, are you aware that in Zanpakutō research there's a theory: abnormal emotional fluctuations can affect Bankai states."
"Especially domain-type Bankai."
Takeda stared coldly at her, unmoved.
A Zanpakutō was a Shinigami's foundation, bound tightly to the soul—how could a mere emotional wobble influence it?
Ridiculous.
Did she think he was some ignorant Academy brat she could fool with a few casual lines?
"Whether you approve or not, Naraku Sora breaking the law is an established fact. Today I will take him. Let's see who dares stop—"
Takeda had no intention of wasting time on Shutara. He lifted a finger, preparing to command the crystal spikes and erase her on the spot.
But the moment he tried to act—
His right hand locked up like stone.
A spike of pain, like a sewing needle being driven between finger and nail, exploded outward through his limbs in an instant.
Like a winter tide, it swept over everything.
The sudden agony numbed his nerves, drilling into marrow and even into the soul itself. Takeda's face twisted grotesquely. He couldn't even hold himself upright.
His body bent forward like a dried, hunched shrimp, trembling uncontrollably as he coughed violently. Bright blood stained the translucent crystal beneath his feet.
Crack—crack—crack.
Like ice struck by a boulder, fractures spread in chains, branching and expanding until they webbed across the entire Bankai domain.
Takeda's eyes widened. He stared at what was happening, utterly disbelieving.
He didn't even know what had happened. In the instant she finished speaking, his Zanpakutō had shown clear signs of losing control.
It felt as if someone were sewing his very soul with a needle. He could tell the "damage" wasn't severe—so mild it wouldn't even require Fourth Division's specialists.
But he had no idea what she had done.
To make a Zanpakutō go out of control with only a few lightly spoken lines—what kind of terrifying ability was that?
If he ever truly fought this woman, he probably wouldn't even know when he died.
In that moment, bone-deep fear swallowed him whole.
"Well?" Shutara asked softly, her smile beautiful and composed. "Captain Takeda—was anything I said incorrect?"
Her lovely face, reflected in the shattered crystal light, looked almost dazzling.
But to Takeda, she was no different from a demon.
Both of them were "captain-class," yet the gap between them was larger than the gap between a man and a dog.
Faced with her question, he didn't even dare think too hard, afraid he'd suffer an even worse fate.
Around them, the onlookers stood dumbstruck, their worldview taking a blow they could barely process.
This wasn't like Takeda's earlier clash with Naraku, where the shockwaves of power made it hard to breathe and thunder and flame tore the land apart.
Shutara hadn't shown anything flashy at all—her Reiatsu even seemed plain and unremarkable.
And yet with nothing more than a few lines of conversation, she had caused the "godlike" Takeda to collapse completely, unable to sustain even his Bankai.
Takeda hunched there, panting heavily. It took him a long time to recover from the horror, cold sweat soaking the clothes beneath his uniform.
"S-Shutara-sama is right. I… I may have been affected by negative emotions lately."
"I'll leave matters here to you. I'm returning to Seireitei immediately."
Without waiting for her reply, Takeda hurried off toward Seireitei as if something terrifying were chasing him—
Not even calling the other Ninth Division members who had come with him.
They exchanged uneasy looks. After hesitating, they chose to follow their captain and withdrew from the ruined manor.
"Brat, you really made a scene this time."
Shutara looked toward Naraku in the distance, her smile noticeably brighter.
"You not only killed an Adjuchas head-on, you destroyed an illegal gathering site, and you even arrested so many criminals."
"The Central Prison is going to be busy for a long time."
She didn't even mention Takeda again, as if a Ninth Division captain was nothing more than a trivial detail.
"What I'm more curious about is what you did to him," Naraku said, pointing at the fleeing back, frowning.
"You broke a captain's Bankai that easily?"
From their earlier clash, it was clear Takeda had been utterly humiliated, but he was also strong as hell.
Even ignoring the rare domain-type Bankai, his Reiatsu alone was at least Grade 2 or higher.
A true veteran among captains.
Shutara smiled faintly and replied:
"That was simply Shigarami's Bankai. If you'd paid attention to what I've been telling you, you would've understood why he ended up like that."
"I'm stronger than he is. That's all."
"But what you should be paying attention to now isn't Captain Takeda."
"It's the situation."
She lightly pointed with a slender finger toward the nobles, whose faces were still twisted in fear.