"Moshi moshi, anyone here?"
A figure draped in a pink floral-patterned haori greeted the guards at the prison entrance before smoothly making his way into the first level of the underground facility.
To Kyōraku Shunsui's surprise, the corridor before him was deserted. The air was thick with a viscous, oppressive, and chaotic Reiatsu, suggesting that a significant and serious incident had occurred.
Kyōraku Shunsui's expression immediately turned grave. He began to unpick the threads of the turbulent Reiatsu, quickly identifying its source. Not daring to delay, he burst into a startling burst of speed and hurried toward the depths.
However, when he finally reached the innermost area, the scene that met his eyes was entirely unexpected.
The prison wardens were lined up in a row, blocking the entrance to a certain cell. Their necks were craned, their eyes wide, and their faces flushed with intense excitement, as if they were watching some forbidden spectacle. From time to time, sounds of agony drifted from within.
Kyōraku Shunsui stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then stepped forward to tap one of them on the shoulder.
"What are you all looking at?"
"Ky... Captain Kyōraku..."
The warden recognized Kyōraku Shunsui at once. The iconic pink haori was far too conspicuous; in the entire Seireitei, few would dare to wear it. "Um, you should probably just see for yourself."
Kyōraku Shunsui curiously leaned in, and a scene definitely not suitable for children filled his vision.
Inside the cell, an Adjuchas radiating a powerful Reiatsu was acting with extreme violence. Its bloody maw was wide open, letting out a deafening roar in an attempt to bolster its own courage.
On the other side, an innocent-looking youth wore a kind smile. He flexed his arms and stepped forward, intent on teaching this ferocious creature the true meaning of hope.
In the next instant, the Adjuchas's massive body blurred. Even within the relatively cramped cell, it created exaggerated afterimages. This wasn't Sonído, but raw speed achieved through its own natural talent.
An extreme spark of violence flashed in its crimson pupils. It had been playing weak precisely to create this perfect opening. A mere Soul Reaper was nothing more than a frail individual. 'As long as I land one hit, this battle is over.'
The high-speed Adjuchas felt as if freedom were waving at it. Its terrifying figure crossed the cell in an instant, and a fist as massive as a heavy hammer descended upon Naraku Sora, leaving him no room to dodge.
But at the same time, it was meaningless.
In the split second before the fist landed, Naraku Sora had already instinctively raised his arm to block, absorbing the terrifying impact. While he was far inferior to this Adjuchas in terms of speed, a simple prediction was within his capabilities. After all, his previous training partners had been one more exaggerated than the last.
Putting everything else aside, the speed of that bald, white-bearded old man was not something he could normally react to. But after being beaten countless times, Naraku Sora had developed a powerful ability to instinctively predict the location of an opponent's attack. Though he was still ruthlessly beaten by Yamamoto, it was quite useful when facing relatively weaker opponents.
Boom!
The ground sank as countless spider-web cracks instantly expanded. Only the youth's figure stood upright like a pillar holding up the heavens, bearing almost the entire impact.
In a flash, Naraku Sora's other fist broke through the air, carrying a rolling heat wave as it slammed unhesitatingly into the Adjuchas's chest. Following that, the sound of shattering echoed through the cell, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
It was the crisp sound of bones breaking!
Under the heavy blow, the Adjuchas's body buckled downward. It was almost instantly crushed by the terrifying force contained in that single punch, and its vision went black. At this moment, it finally understood why the previous Adjuchas had been defeated so quickly.
'Is this kid really a Soul Reaper?'
In terms of performance, he was more like an Adjuchas than it was. What kind of Soul Reaper takes a full-power strike from a Great Hollow with their bare body and remains unscathed? And then there was that terrifying strength that completely surpassed a Great Hollow. Did this kid take off the white haori he was supposed to be wearing before he started punching them?
The high-speed Adjuchas refused to accept defeat just like that. It forced its High-Speed Regeneration to activate, healing the broken bones in its chest while searching for a chance to turn the tables.
And then it got beaten even harder.
As he struck, he explained the nature of hope, fervently expounding on that set of twisted theories to make it realize the error of its ways.
Brilliance mixed with violence spread through the prison, boiling and erupting like an undersea volcano, swallowing everything within the cell. In the eyes of the onlookers, only two blurred figures remained locked in combat, causing their own blood to boil in response.
Watching the somewhat familiar figure in the cell using iron fists to pummel the Adjuchas, Kyōraku Shunsui couldn't help but fall into deep thought. This scene looked incredibly familiar. It was as if he had seen it somewhere before.
In a trance, Kyōraku Shunsui seemed to return to the past, back to his days as a student. At that time, the Academy's founder was just an ordinary-looking bald old man. The style of his fist techniques was identical to what he was seeing now, and even the agonized screams matched up.
That was it.
The posture this kid took when he moved was carved from the same mold as Old Man Yama. The same arrogance and crudeness, the same lack of sentimentality.
Kyōraku Shunsui let out a long sigh. Watching the one-sided, tragic carnage, he felt a faint, phantom ache in his own body.
"Now I understand why Old Man Yama asked me to come get this kid."
[SUCCESSFULLY SUPPRESSED CRIMINAL HOLLOW ADJUCHAS, SIN VALUE 777, PARTICIPATION 50%]
[YOUR REIATSU HAS INCREASED. CURRENT SPIRITUAL POWER LEVEL: 4!]
[YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF KIDŌ HAS INCREASED. PERFECTLY MASTERED HADŌ NO ROKUJŪSAN: RAIKŌHŌ!]
[YOUR INSIGHT INTO ZANJUTSU HAS INCREASED. SUCCESSFULLY LEARNED SECRET TECHNIQUE: RYŪSEN!]
The moment the light screen faded, an endless stream of inspiration surged forth. Simultaneously, Naraku Sora's mind went blank as he efficiently absorbed the new insights into Kidō and Zanjutsu.
He was somewhat surprised that he could actually draw Soul Reaper combat techniques from a Great Hollow. Could it be that the rewards drawn weren't necessarily determined by the sinner themselves? Naraku Sora tried to think about it, following the example of his "adopted son."
At the same time, a cracking sound echoed from the depths of his soul. A vast amount of spiritual energy flowed through his body like a great river, continuously tempering his already powerful spiritual body. Beneath his Shihakushō, his numerical values were climbing at a rate visible to the naked eye.
Truly, powerfully strong!
Outside the cell, Kyōraku Shunsui looked with suspicion at the youth standing still like a stone monument, wondering if he was having some sort of hallucination. He felt that in that very instant, the boy's aura had somehow become even stronger.
Just as Naraku Sora was savoring the wonderful sensation of his spiritual body being tempered, a tapping sound came from the bars behind him. He turned his head and saw a face that was partially strange yet partially familiar.
Kyōraku Shunsui grinned. "Let me introduce myself. I'm the Captain of Squad 8, Kyōraku Shunsui. I suppose I'm also one of your senior brothers. I've come here to inform you of something. Little junior brother, you're busted."
Naraku Sora: "?"