Tenjirō Kirinji held high a radiant golden light, swirling currents of water wrapping around it.
Visible Reiatsu expanded outward, forming a massive spherical vacuum.
In the next fraction of a second, the golden light flashed forward.
A speed surpassing the limits of both Reiatsu perception and visual tracking unfolded before everyone's eyes. They could not even catch a glimpse of his movement trajectory.
It was as if he had completely teleported, without the slightest warning.
The blinding radiance nearly dyed the entire visible world in a brilliant gold.
Facing this ultimate strike, Naraku Sora naturally had no intention of dodging.
Tenjirō Kirinji only looked incredibly strong, but the actual power he displayed was still within an acceptable range.
Dashing out from a soft, warm embrace, Sora displayed a Flash Step speed that was not inferior in the slightest. The moment his foot pushed off, his figure had already appeared beneath that dazzling golden light.
Black and red lightning coiled around his blade, intertwining and reflecting against the flames of his Reiatsu.
The oncoming oppressive presence instantly solidified into something tangible, making the surrounding atmosphere thick and heavy, like liquid mercury.
His mouth curled into a wide, ferocious grin.
After their brief initial clash, he was just starting to get warmed up.
Looking at that beast-like smile, Tenjirō Kirinji suddenly felt an ominous premonition well up in his heart for some unknown reason, as if something terribly unlucky was about to happen.
*And what is the deal with that intertwined black and red lightning?*
*Why have I never seen or heard of it before?*
*Could it be a new technique developed by the Soul Reapers of the Soul Society in the years since I was promoted to the Zero Division?*
*Why is it accompanied by such a suffocating pressure?*
However, with the attack already in motion, there was no turning back now. At this point, there was no room for retreat.
Tenjirō Kirinji gripped Kinpika, its incomparably sharp blade slashing downward like a miniature sun, radiating a light that distorted the surrounding Reishi.
The overwhelming brilliance blinded Naraku Sora, forcing him to rely purely on instinct to swing his determined strike.
Slash—
The shockwave of Reiatsu crashed down violently, immediately followed by an instantaneous physical eruption.
Black Flash!
In an instant, the world lost its color!
Black and red lightning wildly intertwined and expanded. The surging, explosive currents of water seemed to freeze for a fraction of a second. Cracks spiderwebbed across the Main Approach, spreading all the way to the edge of sight.
Boom—
A deafening explosion echoed through the clouds. The impact kicked up rings of white shockwaves, and even the ground beneath their feet trembled violently.
Through the thick smoke, a figure was instantly sent flying backward, crashing into the ground like a cannonball. Spiderweb-like cracks rapidly spread with a sharp cracking sound, even reaching the nearby stone pillars.
Naraku Sora landed from mid-air, stumbling backward a few steps before steadying himself.
Emerging completely unscathed against an opponent of Tenjirō Kirinji's caliber was absolutely impossible for him at his current stage.
However, by going all out, he still managed to gain the upper hand and even secure a victory in this exchange.
Watching Tenjirō Kirinji struggle back to his feet, Sora sheathed his blade, spread his hands outward, and smirked.
"Little god of the upper realm, you did your best."
With that, his figure flashed, retreating directly to the side of the Tenchūren, looking exactly like someone who had taken advantage of a situation and was now making a run for it.
Tenjirō Kirinji had finally managed to squeeze the injuries out of his body using his hot springs.
Just as he was preparing to fight another three hundred rounds with a certain someone, he suddenly heard this highly mocking remark and immediately flew into a rage.
"Bastard, I haven't lost yet!"
However, just as he was about to charge over with his blade again, a displeased figure suddenly stepped in front of him.
A Reiatsu like a collapsing sky suddenly erupted. In an instant, the air grew heavy once more, and the crushed stones on the ground trembled violently.
Tenjirō Kirinji's expression froze. He abruptly felt a piercing, ice-cold sensation seep through his pores and deep into his body. A bone-chilling killing intent lingered in the air, making one shudder uncontrollably.
But he quickly snapped out of it. Frowning, he was just about to say something when a hearty laugh suddenly echoed from the end of the Main Approach.
"Haha, what an absolutely spectacular battle!"
"To be able to fight Tenjirō at such a young age, with no discernible weaknesses in any aspect... Given time, he will surely inherit Lord Genryūsai's title as the strongest Soul Reaper!"
Looking toward the source of the voice, they saw two figures walking toward the group together.
One of them had the appearance of a monk, sporting extremely thick eyebrows and a dense beard that reached his chest. He had a broad, heavy nose, a towering physique, and thick, muscular limbs.
Despite the amiable smile on his face and his seemingly complete lack of hostility, he still exuded a heavy, oppressive presence that unconsciously inspired awe.
Upon seeing this man, Aizen frowned imperceptibly before quickly smoothing out his expression.
*If I am not mistaken, this must be the leader of the Zero Division.*
"Welcome to the Soul King Palace, everyone."
The large monk grinned widely, appearing incredibly boisterous.
"It is our first time meeting. I am Ichibē Hyōsube."
"Although the welcoming ceremony was a bit crude, we still need to get down to business."
"Captain Shutara, prepare to receive your Detached Palace."
As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible fluctuation suddenly rippled outward, centered around Ichibē Hyōsube.
Under everyone's astonished gazes, a disc-shaped island the size of a city rose from the end of the Main Approach.
It was as if it were being hoisted up by some unseen force.
It ascended all the way until it was level with the other Detached Palaces.
Naraku Sora raised an eyebrow, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.
The moment that Detached Palace settled into place, he keenly sensed that the Soul King Palace beneath his feet seemed a bit more stable than before.
"You are exactly right, Naraku. This is the meaning of our existence."
Having finished his business, Ichibē Hyōsube strode over to the group, flashing a bold smile.
"Our power is bound to the Detached Palaces. The moment they are raised, they reinforce the Soul King Palace beneath our feet."
"If you want to cause destruction to the Main Approach like you just did, you will have to exert much more power."
Naraku Sora looked thoughtful.
As far as he knew, even if a member of the Zero Division died, as long as their Detached Palace still existed, they could be resurrected.
Although it seemed like they had gained eternal life, the price they paid was their freedom, forced to reside perpetually in this prison in the sky.
Thinking of this, he cast a somewhat pitying glance at Senjumaru.
*...*
*This kid's look is really irritating. I just stood up for him a moment ago, too.*
"Captain Shutara, I still have a few points of caution to go over with you. Please keep them in mind."
Ichibē Hyōsube grinned and began explaining the various functions of the Detached Palace.
This included, but was not limited to, modifying the architectural style and selecting guards.
As a member of the Zero Division, Senjumaru could even have the Soul King Palace's Second-Class Divine Soldiers stationed at her Detached Palace.
All in all, her level of authority was extremely high.
Just then, a loud voice rang out from ahead, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Yo, bro, look over here!"
Suddenly, a beam of light descended from the sky, landing in front of them and illuminating the figure who had walked over alongside Ichibē Hyōsube.
"Yo! I am the No. 1 Zanpakutō creator!"
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five blades!"
"Then four blades, three blades, I am Nimaiya Ōetsu!"
This completely different vibe from the other two made Aizen's eye twitch, inexplicably reminding him of a certain someone who was usually just as eccentric.
*A guy like this should have a lot in common with Naraku Sora.*
This trip to the Soul King Palace had already brought far too many things that exceeded his expectations.
He originally thought the members of the Zero Division would be a bunch of unsmiling, ancient relics, but he never expected their personalities to be more exaggerated and outrageous than the last.
But thinking about it carefully, these people's actions seemed to have been rehearsed in advance.
Tenjirō Kirinji appeared first, using the excuse of smelling a strange scent to forcefully drag Naraku Sora into a fight.
It seemed reckless, but in reality, under the pressure of that instantaneous outburst, he had tested the true strength of the person ascending to the Soul King Palace.
Then came the leader, Ichibē Hyōsube.
Although he did not show the slightest bit of hostility, a hint of warning could faintly be seen in his act of raising the Detached Palace.
Finally, there was this "God of the Sword" who forged the Zanpakutō. He seemed to appear as a buffer, easing most of the previous tension the moment he made his entrance.
*But there is still one question right in front of us: what exactly is the Spirit King's purpose in summoning Naraku Sora?*
*Does it have to do with his perfect Hollowfication?*
*Or is there something else we haven't noticed?*
While Aizen was deep in thought, Nimaiya Ōetsu instantly appeared in front of Naraku Sora. He slowly lowered the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose, his sharp eyes staring intently at him.
"Bro, that battle just now was truly spectacular, but as the creator of the Zanpakutō, there is one thing I have to warn you about."
"Your compatibility with your Zanpakutō is a bit too high."
Naraku Sora: "?"
*Isn't a high compatibility supposed to be a good thing?*
*Why does Nimaiya Ōetsu look like the Spirit King just died?*
"It's actually a bad thing."
Nimaiya Ōetsu took off his sunglasses, seemingly to appear a bit more solemn.
"As everyone knows, as the God of the Sword, I can hear the voices of the Zanpakutō. I can bypass the wielder and communicate directly with the Zanpakutō itself."
"However, during the battle just now, I tried to use this ability, but I received no response whatsoever."
"That means one thing."
"Both you and your Zanpakutō are anomalies."
As his words fell, several gazes immediately focused on Naraku Sora and the Zanpakutō at his waist.
After a moment of silence, Naraku Sora unfastened the scabbard from his waist and held Vajrayati in his hands.
After briefly sensing it, he raised his eyes and grinned.
"That's a good thing. After all—"
"No matter what happens, Vajrayati will always be by my side!"
"And I will always fight alongside her, until the end of the world..."
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