Kuchiki Kōga watched the two "master and student" who had turned on each other, his face tight with anxiety.
He wanted to speak—then stopped. Started again—then stopped.
In his eyes, neither side was wrong. Yamamoto was maintaining Soul Society's order; obeying the Central 46's secret judgment was beyond reproach.
If Kōga himself hadn't lived through it, he might have believed the culprit behind this disaster was him.
As for Naraku Sora… Kōga was honestly moved.
The Central 46 had issued a verdict; the Captain-Commander himself was executing it. Just the Reiatsu Yamamoto let leak could crush ordinary Shinigami.
And yet, at a moment this desperate, Kōga's friend didn't abandon him. He charged in—risking everything—to save him, stepping in front of Yamamoto and facing that horrifying pressure head-on.
That kind of loyalty surpassed anything in the world.
Their Reiatsu surged as if it had no ceiling, climbing higher and higher. The warped air crackled with explosive booms.
Crack—!
The instant the ground split under their clashing pressure, both heat-wreathed figures burst forward, leaving afterimages that slowly shattered in place.
The metallic roar of blades became an ecstatic symphony, and the fight instantly entered a white-hot stage.
A scorching Zanpakutō chopped down, meeting the long blade burning with Reiatsu.
A terrifying shockwave detonated and spread. The ground groaned under the load, spiderweb cracks bursting outward as it sank lower and lower.
Steel scraped steel, spraying countless brilliant sparks.
Across the blistering heatwave, old and young locked eyes—one calm and composed, the other vicious and feral, an extreme contrast.
Then—point-blank release—
Secret Technique: Dragon Flash!
Like a crescent moon rising, a torrent of ultra-violent Reiatsu surged out. With a deafening boom, it swallowed Yamamoto whole.
But something unexpected happened.
The killing move that had never failed… failed here.
The sword-pressure that felt like it severed the air itself was completely devoured by a suddenly erupting pillar of flame—like it had crashed into a steel fortress wall, leaving not even a white scratch behind.
Yamamoto truly deserved the title of strongest Shinigami.
Compared to the opponents Naraku had bulldozed through earlier, this old man was on another level.
Everyday "teaching" couldn't show his real terror.
Only when he held the Zanpakutō named Ryūjin Jakka did the Captain-Commander reveal that most frightening edge.
A radiance so intense that even looking directly at it could burn your eyes.
But wasn't that exactly what made it worth challenging?
Naraku grinned. His Reiatsu burned harder and harder, the fierce firelight looking like it could punch a hole through the sky.
His Shikai was pushed to its limit.
Circuit-like glimmers lit up across his palms, layering and stacking. Azure-blue explosive flame rose from nothingness, intertwining with the blood-red Reiatsu flames on his body—
Becoming a terrifying pillar of fire that shot into the heavens.
His momentum—previously crushed—was clawed back a fraction.
Ultimate Kidō-Sword Art: Sōren Sōkatsui!
The blue flames snapped tight, compressed onto the blade, and then—
He slashed down.
In the next instant, a brutal cut-mark appeared across Yamamoto's pure-Reiatsu fire pillar.
Then—
A heart-stopping explosion erupted inside it. The ground collapsed; dust blasted outward amid roaring thunder.
Even while discussing with Aizen how to boost Dragon Flash's power, Naraku had never abandoned Kidō-sword training.
Because the fusion technique was built on both Kidō and swordsmanship foundations, improving either side increased the Kidō-sword's destructive power.
But real combat had endless variables. To make a Kidō hit with full force, timing control, release technique, and angle mattered—deeply.
You couldn't just stand still like a turret and chant.
If you caught the timing perfectly, even a basic Shakkahō could produce absurd effects.
"Sōren Sōkatsui?"
In the roaring chaos, Yamamoto's Reiatsu surged. Ryūjin Jakka braced in front of him as he cleaved the incoming flash-burst sword-pressure into fragments, reishi light-specks scattering like rain.
"Not a bad idea."
"But you've forgotten—something like this has been used on me before."
"With your talent, give it a few decades and you may surpass me. But trying to rebel now is rushing it."
"If you surrender immediately, I might forgive your insolence."
"I'll punish you with a million sword swings beneath a waterfall, and we'll call it done."
"But if you insist on charging down this road… don't blame me for what comes next."
As he spoke, Yamamoto's Reiatsu grew even more searing—like a fire blade that could split heaven and earth—heavy, oppressive pressure spreading outward.
"Sora!"
Kōga tried to tell Naraku to stop—but before he could finish, Naraku was already gone, blasting forward and leaving a scorched mark across the wilderness like a whip-strike on the earth.
"Kōga—Naraku-sama has made up his mind," Muramasa said. "Instead of arguing, we should join forces and try to escape the Captain-Commander."
Muramasa didn't know what this old-and-young pair were truly plotting, but from their subtle expressions it was obvious they were aiming big.
The best response was to cooperate and see the performance through.
"Fine. I'm in!"
Kōga might be stubborn, but when it came to throwing hands, he was remarkably similar to Naraku.
So when Naraku reappeared in front of Yamamoto—
"Kongōbaku!"
Kōga flashed behind Yamamoto with Shunpo, swung his blade hard, and a burst of scorching flame exploded outward, adding fresh heat to the dry land.
A massive gold-red fireball shot straight at Yamamoto.
The old man stood still. As he swung his Zanpakutō, he pointed a finger behind him.
"Bakudō #81: Dankū."
The blazing fire blade crashed down like a hammer, chopping toward Naraku head-on.
At the moment of impact, explosive flames spread like a sea of fire, covering hundreds of meters in a blink.
Blinding heat flared; visible ripples shook through the air.
A storm rose, expanded, and smashed the ground. Jagged fissures stacked, trembled, and boomed.
At the same time, Kōga's attack arrived.
Kongōbaku—nearly all of his Reiatsu—hit the suddenly formed Dankū barrier head-on. A teeth-grinding scrape sounded as sparks flew.
Even just a fraction of Yamamoto's attention was enough to casually block Kōga's full-force strike.
Seeing Kongōbaku couldn't break Dankū, Kōga instantly changed tactics. He gripped his sword with one hand and pressed his other palm against the blade.
Reiatsu detonated.
"Gaki Rekkō!"
A circular green halo formed at the blade tip, and dozens of razor-sharp beams blasted out, all smashing into the invisible wall.
Dankū cracked with a spiderweb of fractures.
"Hyōga Seiran!"
Temperature dropped instantly around Kōga.
White vapor curled off his blade, forming a stark contrast with the rising fire pillars nearby.
With a slash, countless ice and snow erupted from the sword tip, surging toward Yamamoto like a burst dam.
Where it passed, the scorched earth froze solid under thick ice.
Yamamoto—tied up by Naraku—couldn't fully evade. The extreme cold washed over him, slowing his motion by a second, even suppressing the pure-Reiatsu fire pillars.
Even though Muramasa's ability couldn't affect Yamamoto, Kōga's sheer fundamentals and numbers still placed him at captain level.
This was the "new star" of Soul Society—one of the greatest prodigies in centuries.
Once Kōga's suppression landed, Muramasa followed immediately, forcibly releasing the essence of his Zanpakutō ability: a hypnotic interference that disrupted Yamamoto's sense of distance and time.
But at the same time, pressure hit back like an ocean flooding in.
Shaking Yamamoto's perception was far harder than shaking the perception of a hundred rebel Shinigami on a battlefield.
A mayfly trying to move a tree.
At that moment, Yamamoto felt like the ultimate raid boss.
Only chained control—one after another—could reduce his overwhelming threat for even a breath and create an opening for the main damage dealer.
Spiritual Threads!
Kōga stood firm. His shadow split into dozens of strands like snakes, sliding forward through the sea of fire and latching onto Yamamoto's shadow.
Bind!
For a heartbeat the battlefield fell silent. Fire pillars quieted.
Then the volcano erupted again—magma-like heat devouring the earth.
Yamamoto forcibly shattered the bind, but in that same instant the deadliest strike arrived.
Naraku Shunpo'd in, charging into the fire like living steel. Both fists locked together like a hammer—the exact stance Yamamoto knew all too well.
Sōkotsu!
That moment's boom was deafening.
The "unburnable" flames were blown open. The metallic crack of impact rang across Yamamoto's scarred body, and the old man's face froze.
BOOM!!
A column of blood-red Reiatsu shot into the sky.
In a burst of dazzling light, Yamamoto was flung away—like a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier—shockwaves rippling outward.
From east to west, rings of white air exploded, dragging a long tail of dust and carving a deep trench across the blackened ground before smashing into a stone peak and kicking up a sky of dark ash.
"Haa…!"
Yamamoto stepped out of shattered rock, chest heaving, his breathing slightly disordered.
But before he could fully steady himself, Naraku Shunpo'd right in front of him and raised his hand—
Hadō #63: Raikōhō—perfectly mastered—fired point-blank.
Brilliant golden lightning swallowed the old man again, followed immediately by azure explosive flame.
Hadō after Hadō rained down in succession—perfectly embodying what "firepower saturation" meant.
Naraku had finally found a chance to "pay back" the beatings he'd taken every day.
If he didn't charge interest now, what was the point of such a golden opportunity?
As for what happened afterward—Naraku had already thrown it out of his mind.
Getting to pound Yamamoto today—
Even if he died afterward, it was worth the ticket price!
While happily unloading everything, Naraku shot a look at Kōga from afar.
Kōga blinked blankly at the exaggerated face, until Muramasa flashed beside him and he finally understood.
"Kōga—leave now."
Kōga wanted to say something, but Muramasa's next words made him shut his mouth immediately:
"Don't waste Naraku-sama's hard-won effort."
After a brief hesitation, Kōga nodded toward Naraku—who was carpet-bombing the mountain—then bolted toward Rukongai with determined eyes.
One Shinigami and one blade-spirit sprinted into the small forest at the horizon.
Sensing Kōga's Reiatsu vanish, an enraged voice exploded from the swirling dust. A pillar of fire shot into the sky and blasted everything aside.
"YOU BASTARD—HAVE YOU HIT ENOUGH?!"
Yamamoto, furious, slapped a Shakkahō apart with one hand.
"I was afraid we'd blow our cover," Naraku replied instantly.
Seeing the old man stride out of the rubble, Naraku hurriedly snuffed out the Raikōhō he'd been charging, then jogged up and started kneading Yamamoto's shoulders like nothing happened.
"Teacher's might shakes the heavens. A little scratch is nothing."
Yamamoto shot him a glare and asked darkly, "How did you know?"
Naraku grinned. "Everyone knows Kōga's talent is terrifying—he dominates battlefields. But if you ask me, the truly 'invincible' one is still the Captain-Commander."
"If you really wanted to execute him, Kōga wouldn't have escaped the barracks perimeter."
Yamamoto's face eased a little.
"You said you could prove Kuchiki Kōga is innocent. Where's the evidence?"
Naraku shook his head. "Not yet."
"But Teacher—do you really believe the Zanpakutō uprising was Kōga's doing?"
Yamamoto half-lidded his eyes and replied heavily:
"I don't."
"But the iron rule remains: Soul Society cannot have two Zanpakutō with identical abilities."
"And every sign points to Kuchiki Kōga."
Naraku said seriously, "Then what if I told you… there's a Zanpakutō that can copy other Zanpakutō abilities?"
Yamamoto froze.
...
While Seireitei drowned in chaos and captains rushed to suppress the fighting, one man arrived beneath Sōkyoku Hill.
Gosuke shattered the rock wall and entered the pitch-black tunnel. Following winding paths with no sense of direction, he advanced until he reached a wall covered in Kidō inscriptions.
He looked up at the towering wall. The dense scripts made his eyes swim—forget breaking them, even identifying them all would be extremely difficult.
But he had come prepared.
"Per the lord's instructions, I only need to stab this 'Sword' into the wall, connect to Sokyoku's destruction king above, and then the seal will be undone."
He thrust the blunt, unsharpened sword—covered in bizarre incantations—into the wall.
For a moment, countless inscriptions lit up and a faint cracking sound spread.
The supposedly unbreakable seal began to crumble, revealing a figure bound by countless chains.
Long turquoise hair draped down. On the upper right of his face, a fragment of mask—like a fish fin—clung to him.
As the seal released, a heavy, sticky Reiatsu spread through the cave, suffocating it.
In the next instant, yellow eyes like a beast's snapped open in the darkness.
Pressure slammed down like a tidal wave.
Gosuke frowned. "I went through all this trouble to free you, and that's how you treat your savior?"
A scornful snort answered from the dark.
"Savior?"
The freed man lifted his head. The chains on him tightened and snapped, debris falling nonstop.
"A Shinigami who releases a great evil that nearly destroyed Soul Society is clearly acting for his own purposes. Spare me the 'gratitude' nonsense."
"The first thing I'll do after leaving is take revenge on the man who sealed me."
Gosuke looked at him calmly and answered, "If you show your face in Soul Society right now, you'll be killed instantly. No suspense."
The freed man's eyes sharpened.
"Arturo… Plateado. The era has changed—"
~~~
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!