"However…"
Haruto suddenly shifted the tone of the conversation.
"A Kidō Jade is certainly not something that can be purchased with a few coins. But compared to the reputation of the pleasure district—or rather, the reputation of the entire Yoshiwara district—I believe Manager Ihara understands which holds greater weight."
The atmosphere changed instantly.
The remark carried unmistakable aggression.
"What exactly do you mean by that, Haruto?"
The smile disappeared from Ihara Naa's face. In its place, a dangerous glint appeared within her slightly narrowed eyes.
"Please don't misunderstand."
Haruto placed one hand behind his back and slowly turned the Kidō Jade he had just stored away.
"What I mean is…"
"If Manager Ihara truly intends to 'invest,' then just as you said earlier, this bargaining chip isn't quite enough."
The curve at the corner of Haruto's lips grew wider.
"That's quite the appetite," she replied coolly. "Are you sure you can swallow it?"
"You're welcome to test that."
Since she could cast Dankū, Haruto's Zhanhualun had a very limited range. Even if he attempted a surprise attack, it would likely fail.
So—
Before the spiritual pressure maintaining Zhanhualun completely faded, he needed an opportunity to force her to make the first move.
Earlier, Ihara Naa had clearly shown goodwill regarding the major noble families.
Which meant she had some interest in Haruto.
Otherwise she would never have given him such a valuable treasure.
If that was the case, Haruto decided he might as well push the matter further.
After all—
She was only at Sixth-Class Spiritual Pressure.
"That's not impossible."
Ihara Naa rose slowly from her silk cushion.
The burning tip of her pipe struck the porcelain dish again.
Ash scattered across the surface.
Then—
The front half of the pipe suddenly detached.
From within it emerged a graceful yet deadly black blade, shaped like a slender stiletto.
Hidden mechanisms within the weapon extended its length far beyond what Haruto had expected.
"Since you're so confident, Haruto…"
She used the same address as before.
"Then prove your worth…"
"…with your life."
Black energy flowed across the blade of her Zanpakutō, concealing the already thin sword beneath swirling darkness.
In fact—
Before Haruto had even entered the room, her pipe-shaped Zanpakutō had already been in its Shikai state.
Caution was a necessary quality for anyone who ruled a place like this.
A sharp metallic sound rang out.
The black mist surrounding the blade flared like flames.
Within a blink—
The mist transformed into countless black butterflies with insect wings.
They filled half the room instantly.
Then—
"Heavenly Feather Insect Hunt… Black Swallowtail!"
The swarm surged toward Haruto like a tidal wave.
There was no doubt.
This was the power of Ihara Naa's Zanpakutō.
Whether it was a direct Kidō-like attack or a hallucination similar to the earlier illusion didn't matter.
Everything was unfolding exactly as Haruto had expected.
All he needed to do—
Was strike the moment the butterflies reached him.
Overpower technique with force.
Hadō Number Seventy-Eight: Zhanhualun!
Golden radiance erupted from Haruto's blade.
The brilliant light illuminated the entire room.
Even the windows on the fifth floor burst outward with sunlight-like brilliance against the night.
Boom!
Fifteen minutes later.
"Hmm…"
Inside the spacious and comfortable room on the fourth floor, Haruto quietly studied the two Kidō Jade stones placed on the table.
"Fortune favors the bold…"
"But excessive greed can be dangerous."
He looked down at his arm.
Although his muscles were not overly bulky, his physical strength had steadily improved in the days since he consumed Tenjōmaru.
"Compared to the day I sparred with Byakuya…"
"After learning Zhanhualun, my strength has improved even further as my body recovered."
"But…"
"What I did today was reckless."
Haruto frowned thoughtfully.
"To act so boldly without knowing the opponent's background…"
"Tenjōmaru."
He swallowed slowly.
"Could the fragment of Vasto Lorde spiritual pressure within it… the Hollow's negative emotions… be influencing my mind?"
Kidō techniques related to illusions were rare.
Most illusion abilities came from a Shinigami's Zanpakutō.
Which meant—
Even after realizing that Ihara Naa possessed a Shikai, Haruto had still provoked her.
That was not a wise decision.
"…."
"Fortunately I noticed the issue early."
"In the future, whenever I face important decisions, I'll need to be more cautious."
Although Haruto was reflecting seriously, a faint smile still appeared on his lips.
The second Kidō Jade.
Under normal circumstances, he would never have obtained such an additional reward.
"Speaking of which…"
"The shock on Manager Ihara's face earlier probably wasn't because I used Hadō Number Seventy-Eight without chanting."
"It was because her Zanpakutō ability didn't work on me."
During their clash, Haruto's Zhanhualun had already dropped to barely fifteen percent of its original power.
It couldn't even release spiritual pressure beyond the blade anymore.
The butterflies that touched the sword vanished instantly like snow melting under sunlight.
But the swarm filling half the room was far too large to eliminate in a single strike.
The remaining butterflies—
Nearly a third of them—
After the golden light faded, flew straight into Haruto's body.
And then—
Nothing happened.
Haruto himself had no idea why.
His body had gone numb for less than two seconds.
Then he returned to normal.
That moment was what had shocked Ihara Naa.
And it was probably the reason she gave him the second Kidō Jade.
"That clearly wasn't a physical attack."
"My body has grown stronger recently, but I'm still just an ordinary student."
"There's no way I could withstand a Shikai strike without injury."
Haruto rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully.
"I've never fought an illusion specialist before."
"Is this immunity something my soul already possessed… or a mutation caused by Tenjōmaru?"
His earlier impulsive behavior was closely tied to the mental domain affected by illusions.
Judging by Ihara Naa's reaction, her illusions were certainly not weak.
"In the future, perhaps…"
"No, no, no!"
Haruto immediately dismissed the thought.
For a moment he had thought of Sōsuke Aizen.
Then he nearly slapped himself awake.
Aizen's strength was not simply the power of Kyōka Suigetsu.
If the current Fifth Division Fourth Seat had obtained Ryūjin Jakka or Hyōrinmaru instead—
No.
Even a weaker Zanpakutō would have rewritten Soul Society's history.
"…."
Whatever ability Ihara Naa's Zanpakutō possessed, it no longer mattered.
"In any case, I obtained the goods."
"Bakudō: Mirror Gate."
Haruto had heard of this technique.
During the invasion by Ryoka in the future, Tōshirō Hitsugaya used Mirror Gate to protect Momo Hinamori.
The technique created a barrier capable of reflecting all attacks from outside.
Haruto even suspected that if he had not appeared tonight, the Kidō Jade containing Mirror Gate would eventually have fallen into the hands of the Tenth Division.
He had once believed it to be a technique invented by Hitsugaya himself.
Of course, considering Hitsugaya's popularity with women, he likely didn't obtain it through battle.
According to Ihara Naa, although Mirror Gate did not belong to the official numbered Kidō system, its difficulty and effectiveness surpassed Dankū, placing its level around the mid-eighties.
"A barrier that reflects all external attacks…"
"Incredible."
"But the requirements are absurd."
"No wonder it was never officially numbered."
The conditions were extremely strict.
First, casting Mirror Gate required at least Fifth-Class Spiritual Pressure.
Without that level of power, constructing the barrier was impossible.
Second, the incantation took over a minute to complete.
In a real battle, that alone made it impractical.
As for casting it without chanting—
The difficulty increased exponentially.
And the spiritual pressure required would overwhelm most Shinigami.
Mirror Gate's full effect was simple:
It reflected attacks weaker than the caster's spiritual pressure.
But to reflect an enemy's attack, the caster needed to inject enough spiritual pressure into the barrier beforehand.
Too much wasted energy.
Too little allowed the barrier to shatter instantly.
And if cast without chanting—
The barrier's power dropped to one-third or even one-tenth.
Meaning one would spend three to ten times more spiritual pressure to reflect an attack.
Even the most foolish person would know that was a terrible trade.
"This technique is flawed."
"In fact, it's basically unfinished."
"Self-created Kidō without a number places ridiculous demands on the caster."
"Of course…"
"If someone refined Mirror Gate over time…"
"It might eventually become a truly useful technique."
"…."
"Well."
"I got it for free."
Haruto shrugged.
"They're still high-level Kidō above number eighty."
"Normally treasures like these are impossible to obtain."
"With my talent for Kidō, I might be able to use them even at Sixth-Class Spiritual Pressure."
"That's far more useful than martial arts or Shunpo."
Kidō could show results quickly.
Mastering Shunpo, by contrast, took years.
Haruto's body continued improving.
During his recent travels, he could already feel his progress with Shunpo accelerating.
At his current rate, he might master it within a year.
That might sound long—
But many seated officers studied Shunpo for decades without success.
Haruto's speed of progress would shock many people.
As for Hakuda, the situation was even worse.
Very few Shinigami truly specialized in hand-to-hand combat.
The techniques Haruto desired were far beyond ordinary training manuals.
Shunkō.
Twin Bones.
Thousand-Mile Heaven-Piercing Palm.
Secret techniques of the Shihōin family, the combat methods of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, even the legendary enhanced strikes of Ichibē Hyōsube.
Those were things even captains struggled to obtain.
Haruto casually plucked two strands of hair from his head.
After consuming Tenjōmaru, his hair had become far stronger than ordinary fibers.
Using them as cord, he tied the Kidō Jade stones carefully to the guard of his Asauchi.
"Perfect."
Haruto admired the result.
His previous self could never have dared such an extravagant act.
"I rarely use my Zanpakutō anyway."
"This should be safe enough."
He opened the closet door and stamped the tatami floor to check for traps.
Once satisfied, he untied his bedding bundle and spread out his blanket and pillow.
"The fourth floor is even more spacious than the second."
"A true VIP room."
Then he glanced around the empty chamber.
A hint of disappointment appeared on his face.
"Manager Ihara's sense of hospitality still needs improvement."
"One Kidō Jade as hush money."
"One as investment capital."
"But the fake girl turning into a swarm of bugs…"
"Shouldn't I at least get proper compensation for the night?"
"…Ten coins is still money."
Haruto sighed regretfully.
The lights outside kept sleep at bay.
And it was still far too early for bed.
The room was spacious but unsuitable for practicing Kidō.
All he could do was lie down with his Zanpakutō beside him.
Back at Shin'ō Academy, he would normally train swordsmanship and Hakuda at the practice grounds before bathing.
Sweating was the best sleep aid.
But in a pleasure district like this—
Once temptation had been stirred, it was difficult to calm down without proper physical exertion.
"Ah…"
Haruto folded his arms behind his head.
His eyes slowly closed.
"The night is long…"
"And only my sword keeps me company."