Dense blood-red threads connected the Modified Souls scattered across the ground. All of these threads gathered at a single central point: the coffin located in the middle of the ritual.
The entire ritual site looked as though it had been wrapped inside a bewitching blood-colored flower. It appeared strange and mysterious.
However, the fake Nemu added even more fuel to the fire. As the somewhat damaged Modified Soul pill she spat out shattered, the bloodlines across the ritual site immediately grew restless.
Suddenly, nearly ten Modified Souls appeared out of thin air. Each contained a vast amount of Reiatsu, and all of them were linked into the ritual.
The Reiatsu churned violently, as though it were about to awaken some strange existence. Seeing this, Tsunayoshi and the others no longer had the patience to watch. They all attacked the ritual at once.
Because they did not know exactly what was happening inside the ritual, they all used long-range attacks.
An Earth Flame planet, Getsuga Tenshō, Heilig Pfeil, the Right Arm of the Giant, and the Reiatsu released by two Shunkō attacks—just as these attacks were about to destroy the ritual, the living corpse with its head lowered moved.
A Zanpakutō similar to Raikū appeared in his hand. However, at the center of this blade was a black ring resembling the one that appeared when Arazome Shigure was fully released.
The Zanpakutō spun rapidly, instantly converting all the techniques released by Tsunayoshi and the others into Reishi and absorbing them into the space it had created.
The Zanpakutō was Sōgyoku.
It contained the abilities of both Raikū and Arazome Shigure. Its master, Ōko Yushima, also raised his head. His pale face was filled with the same madness as Inaba's.
"Should I call you Ōko Yushima or Kagerōza Inaba?" Tsunayoshi asked.
He could tell that Inaba's Modified Soul was controlling Ōko Yushima. Since Inaba had not fused with Nozomi Kujō, the true Ōko Yushima could not have appeared.
"A name is only a label. For those of you who are about to die, it doesn't matter!"
Inaba's face was dark and gloomy. As soon as he finished speaking, he coughed up two mouthfuls of blood.
Damn it. Forcibly using Ōko Yushima's body was still too much. If he could have fused with Nozomi Kujō, none of this nonsense would have happened.
But there was no other choice. In his plan, this Zanpakutō, Sōgyoku, was necessary. Only Sōgyoku's ability could allow the ritual to proceed smoothly.
"Hey, you look like you're pushing yourself pretty hard. Why don't you come over here? I'll heal you," Tsunayoshi casually said, trying to distract him.
He did not want Inaba to continue staying inside the ritual.
"Heh."
After a sneer, Inaba stopped paying attention to Tsunayoshi. He did not have much time. Now that all the Modified Souls were in place, he had to act.
Sōgyoku spun, and a familiar black space appeared. All the Modified Souls were activated. The blood-colored flower that had originally spread flat across the ground gradually closed into the shape of a flower bud.
"Tsunayoshi, this is really bad. That guy looks like he's doing something seriously troublesome!" Ichigo said, pointing Tensa Zangetsu at Inaba. "If we don't stop him now, he's going to succeed!"
Ichigo was a man of action. The moment he finished speaking, he had already stepped forward. But someone was faster than him. Yoruichi appeared beside Ichigo in an instant and pressed down on his shoulder.
"Ichigo, now isn't the time to be reckless. That blade is even more troublesome than Arazome Shigure. If you rush in blindly, you'll only be adding fuel to his fire."
Yoruichi's words were exactly the reason Tsunayoshi had allowed Inaba to continue moving. Arazome Shigure's ability to convert all attacks into its user's Reiatsu was already tyrannical enough. Now that Raikū's spatial-sealing ability had been added on top of it, Sōgyoku was practically an absurdly overpowered Zanpakutō.
It was hard to understand how Sōgyoku's master, Ōko Yushima, had failed to remain in a combat division while possessing such a Zanpakutō.
Inaba glanced subtly in Tsunayoshi's direction. Seeing that Tsunayoshi and the others had chosen not to continue attacking, he also let out a breath of relief.
Although Inaba was not afraid of Tsunayoshi and the others interfering—in fact, if someone came to interfere, his Reiatsu could even increase—it was still a good outcome if the ritual could proceed smoothly.
Within this strange tacit understanding, Inaba continued his ritual, while Tsunayoshi and the others waited for the instant Inaba collapsed. The moment Sōgyoku left his hand, Tsunayoshi would launch his fiercest attack.
All the Modified Souls shattered into specks of Reiatsu, which Inaba absorbed into the space he had created. Immediately afterward, he beckoned with his hand, and with the support of Reiatsu, the body inside the coffin was lifted out.
It was Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, his eyes vacant and lifeless.
With just one glance, Tsunayoshi judged that this was the fake Yamamoto. No matter how powerful Inaba was, there was no way he could have reduced the real Yamamoto to this state.
No wonder the fake Yamamoto had never appeared from beginning to end. It turned out that Inaba had long since erased his mind and placed him inside the coffin.
Looking at the fake Yamamoto's body and the Zanpakutō in his hand, madness once again bloomed across Inaba's face.
A mere Modified Soul could not draw out all of the original person's power. Inaba had known this from the very beginning.
At the time, however, Inaba's goal had been Nozomi Kujō. As long as they fused into Ōko Yushima, he was confident he could take control of Soul Society. He simply had not expected that plan to fail.
Therefore, Inaba had shifted his target to the fake Yamamoto. Even though he knew about the power of Zanka no Tachi, the fake Yamamoto could not use it because the Modified Soul lacked enough Reiatsu.
If there was not enough Reiatsu, then he would simply force-feed it more.
After returning from the World of the Living, Inaba began frantically copying Modified Souls. With the mindset of taking Soul Society down with him in self-destruction, he did not care whether excessive Reiatsu would damage the fake Yamamoto's body.
After that, his sick desire for control affected his reason. After sealing the fake Yamamoto's power, Inaba erased his consciousness. He wanted to personally become the pilot and control the strongest "mecha" in Soul Society.
And the Zanpakutō of his original body, Sōgyoku, happened to help him achieve this. It could convert all Reiatsu into his own Reiatsu, then use spatial power to seal it into the fake Yamamoto's body. That was Inaba's plan.
The final reagent fired by the fake Nemu was no ordinary thing either. Even after Inaba became a Modified Soul, it allowed him to maintain his sanity to the greatest possible extent. This was the core of his ability to control Yamamoto.
Now, it was time for him to complete the ritual.
A ritual in which he would personally control Yamamoto and destroy Soul Society.
After issuing the final command to this body, a Modified Soul pill emerged from Inaba's mouth.
It was his own core.
Sōgyoku was still spinning. This time, Sōgyoku did not convert Inaba's Modified Soul into Reiatsu. Instead, it directly sealed it into the previous space, then pierced through the fake Yamamoto's body with a single thrust.
The sealing space temporarily created by Sōgyoku was released inside the fake Yamamoto's body.
Released along with it was the only complete Modified Soul pill.
Ōko Yushima collapsed.
Sōgyoku disappeared as well. Inaba had exhausted the last of the power within that body, leaving Ōko Yushima unable to maintain even his living-corpse state. He entered death directly.
As for Inaba himself, he had already begun adapting to this powerful body.
The fake Yamamoto's eyes suddenly opened. They no longer held the natural dignity that inspired fear without anger. Instead, they were filled with the same arrogant contempt as Inaba's.
The instant Sōgyoku disappeared, Tsunayoshi immediately controlled gravity and pressed it down toward the fake Yamamoto.
However, the fake Yamamoto—no, at this point, he should be called Inaba—vanished from the spot at once and appeared in midair.
It was Shunpo.
Yamamoto's Shunpo allowed him to dodge Tsunayoshi's sneak attack. Looking down from above, Inaba sensed the Reiatsu within his body that was about to overflow, and unprecedented satisfaction appeared on his face.
What a pity. He was not Yamamoto.
This intoxicating power was not something Inaba could possess forever. The Reiatsu piled up from a massive number of Modified Souls had already begun destroying this body.
But so what? Even if it lasted only for a fleeting moment, he, Inaba, would experience the most dazzling brilliance.
"All things in the universe turn to ash, Ryūjin Jakka."
Unlike Yamamoto, Inaba's voice was far more sinister, carrying the flavor of a petty man who had finally gained power. However, the power within the body would not change simply because of the tone in which he spoke.
Flames shot into the sky and burned the entire Nest of Maggots. The firelight dyed half of the Seireitei's sky red.
Enhanced by such high Reiatsu, Ryūjin Jakka's power was far too great. Inaba had no way to fully control it. Of course, he had never intended to control it in the first place.
Seeing the pillar of flame shooting into the sky, the arriving Yamamoto and Ryūjin Jakka both felt their hearts sink. They had rushed over together when Mayuri Kurotsuchi analyzed Inaba's location.
When they saw the mushroom cloud rise and the pink cross appear, the two of them had quickened their pace even further. Yet in the end, they were still one step too late.
Looking at the blazing flames below, Yamamoto nodded toward Ryūjin Jakka. With a wave of his hand, a gap immediately appeared in the flames below.
Tsunayoshi was using the power of Glacier Flames to protect everyone. Seeing a gap appear in the flames, as well as the stern, dignified face above them, he immediately called for everyone to escape the sea of fire within the Nest of Maggots.
"Tsunayoshi Sawada, what is the situation here?" Yamamoto asked, staring at the pillar of fire in midair. He could sense that the one using that power was inside.
Was it another him?
"Kagerōza Inaba took over your copy and poured a massive amount of Reiatsu condensed from Modified Souls into it. Your copy probably doesn't lack Reiatsu anymore," Tsunayoshi said.
"You failed to stop him?" Yamamoto sounded somewhat dissatisfied.
Logically speaking, with Tsunayoshi's strength, he should have been fully capable of dealing with Inaba. How had Inaba been allowed to complete his scheme?
"He used a Zanpakutō with the same ability as Arazome Shigure. Attacking him would only increase his Reiatsu. We could only watch helplessly," Tsunayoshi said.
No matter how one put it, Sōgyoku was simply too absurd as a Zanpakutō.
While Tsunayoshi and Yamamoto were speaking, Ryūjin Jakka suddenly shouted, "Old Man Yama, something's wrong!"
The moment Ryūjin Jakka's voice fell, a sinister voice came from within the pillar of flame.
"Bankai!"
All the flames began surging toward the direction of that voice, just like when Yamamoto had once used Zanka no Tachi. Those flames would all be sealed within the Zanpakutō.
As the flames flowed, Inaba appeared before everyone, wearing Yamamoto's face with an intoxicated expression. He was already impatient to use this power.
All the flames were drawn inward into the Zanpakutō. The Zanpakutō in Inaba's hand burned red-hot.
He shouted loudly:
"Zanka no Tachi!"
Boom!
Even more violent flames erupted from "Zanka no Tachi," countless times fiercer than the previous Ryūjin Jakka. Anyone touched by even a trace of them would be completely devoured.
"That's Zanka no Tachi my ass!"
Ryūjin Jakka completely lost his composure. There was no one in this world who understood Zanka no Tachi better than he did. His expression turned extremely ugly.
"Old Man Yama, that man has gone berserk!"
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