The world around them was pure white—an endless realm of ice and snow.
Rukia Kuchiki wrapped her arms tightly around herself, shivering slightly as she glanced at Nanaya. Her cheeks flushed a deep red, caught somewhere between anger and embarrassment.
"My Zanpakutō spirit, Sode no Shirayuki… she may be a part of me, but she's still not me…"
Her eyes shifted toward the graceful figure standing beside Nanaya. The sight only deepened her conflicted feelings, and she muttered softly to herself.
The Zanpakutō spirit was indeed a reflection of her own soul, yet also an independent being. One and the same, yet two identities. That contradiction left her uncertain about how she was supposed to feel in this situation.
Sode no Shirayuki, however, showed no hesitation. Clutching her sleeves with elegance, her expression remained calm and aloof, like the goddess of ice she resembled. Her words were delivered in a soft but cutting tone:
"Rukia, it doesn't matter. We are one. Your man is also my man."
Rukia's face burned crimson. Anger and embarrassment collided within her chest, and before she could stop herself, she turned and bit down on Nanaya's shoulder.
"Ow—hey, that hurts." Nanaya winced, rubbing the sore spot with a pained look. With his free hand, he gently ruffled Rukia's hair and sighed. "Don't blame me for this. It's not my fault you Shinigami are so troublesome. One person, but two souls…"
His thoughts drifted briefly to another example—Kurosaki Ichigo. Inside Ichigo dwelled that pale, grinning Hollow—essentially the spirit of his Zanpakutō. And yet, that presence was stronger and more popular than Ichigo himself.
If that Hollow were ever to manifest fully… his strength might even surpass Ichigo's own.
"Humph!" Rukia huffed, crossing her arms. Though reluctant, she decided to forgive Nanaya for now. But the pressing situation in Seireitei returned to her mind, and her tone grew urgent.
"Nanaya, this isn't the time. Everyone's in danger. Not only have Zanpakutō betrayed their wielders, but Quincies are also appearing and causing chaos!"
"Mm…" Nanaya stretched lazily, his expression faintly amused. "I don't really care. Instead of worrying, it'd be better to let those Zero Division guys handle it."
He wasn't being careless. The truth was simple—when all the manifested Zanpakutō were combined, their collective power rivaled that of the entire Seireitei. Add Yhwach and Aizen Sōsuke into the mix, and confronting them directly would be foolish, even for him.
Rukia's face tightened with unease. She clenched her fists, her anxiety clear.
"Let's at least go take a look first," Nanaya said at last, standing up. His Sharingan flickered with a ripple of light as he placed his hands on the shoulders of both women.
"W-wait! Let me put on my clothes first!" Rukia cried, her face instantly turning scarlet. She grabbed at his hand to stop him, fumbling hurriedly to cover herself.
Sode no Shirayuki, in contrast, moved with calm elegance. Her clothing was already neat, and she waited with composed silence.
The air shimmered, space itself twisting.
In the next instant, all three of them returned to Seireitei.
The noise hit them at once.
Violent roars echoed across the ruins.
Not far away stood the towering form of the Black Rope Heavenly Punishment King. Its eyes glowed red with rage, a massive black iron blade gripped tightly in its hands as it lashed out with reckless, destructive swings.
Every strike crushed ancient buildings into rubble. The once-proud architecture of Seireitei crumbled like sand under the overwhelming force.
Two female figures stood at its side, laughing wildly as they swung their blades in wanton destruction.
"What's this? Somebody call Kyoraku Shunsui over here! I don't feel like playing with this trash!"
"Hah! He's a man, but his Zanpakutō is a woman? Ridiculous! Get him out here—I'll cut him down myself!"
One of them, the taller of the two sisters, lifted her blade high with a grin. From her elevated position, she brought the weapon crashing down in delight.
"Game over! Brand Ghost—I win!"
It was the power of Katen Kyōkotsu's Shikai—when the higher position attacked the lower, the damage was multiplied.
Her slash cut deep. The unlucky target was Kira Izuru, the lieutenant of the Third Division. The blow sent him flying, his body crashing through several walls before slamming into the ground with a sickening thud.
Debris crumbled all around him.
"Hhhn…"
Hinamori Momo, watching from the distance, felt her stomach tighten with fear. Her face drained of color, but she still raised her trembling hand, pointing it toward the rampaging spirit.
Her voice rang out, desperate but resolute:
"O Lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all things of the universe, wings beating in the sky, names given to man! Burn with heat and chaos, surge forth from the southern seas—advance!"
Her hand ignited with scarlet light.
"Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"
Blazing flames swirled together into a sphere, bursting from Hinamori Momo's palm as it shot forward like a cannonball, streaking straight toward the small, loli-like Kuang Gu.
Kuang Gu glanced at the attack with calm indifference.
"Sōgyo no Kotowari—handle it."
"Leave it to us!"
In an instant, two small children appeared before Kuang Gu. Both wore tall hats and long, blue cloak-like garments. They each held a folded piece of origami between them, their tiny hands joined together as they chanted.
The child on the left raised his hand toward the incoming fireball. In the blink of an eye, the roaring sphere of flame was swallowed whole, vanishing into nothingness.
The child on the right extended his hand toward Hinamori, his voice cheerful and crisp:
"Bounce!"
A heartbeat later, the fireball was spat back out, redirected with merciless precision.
"What—?!" Hinamori's pupils widened in horror as the very same Shakkahō hurtled toward her. Panic rose in her chest, and instinctively, she lifted her Zanpakutō in front of her. But her blade hadn't even been released into Shikai—how could it possibly withstand such force?
The flames screamed closer.
At that instant, Nanaya's brow twitched.
"Heavenly Power Hand."
In a flash, Hinamori's figure swapped places with his own. Standing in her place, Nanaya faced the oncoming fireball. With nothing but a flick of his finger, he struck the blazing sphere.
BOOM!
The fireball detonated into sparks, vanishing into harmless fragments of flame.
Gasps rippled through the battlefield. The five manifested captain-level Zanpakutō, who had been watching, all stiffened in alarm. Unease flickered in their eyes.
"It's him," Hanako of Katen Kyōkotsu muttered, her playful expression giving way to tension. "That human… he's too strong."
She turned to the towering figure beside her—the Black Rope Heavenly Punishment King, with his massive blade and thunderous presence.
"Kuroko Tensei Myōko, you have to stall him. We need to buy time until Ryūjin Jakka manifests. He's the only one who can take this monster down."
The massive figure nodded, his crimson eyes burning as he fixed on Nanaya. His voice boomed like thunder.
"Human. You may have defeated Komamura Sajin twice… but I am no such weakling. Unlike him, I can wield my power at one hundred percent."
With that, the Black Rope Heavenly Punishment King raised his colossal iron blade, a weapon nearly the size of a tower. The air split with the force of his swing as he brought the enormous blade crashing down toward Nanaya.
Nanaya only smiled faintly.
"Twice? You've underestimated me."
As the shadow of the blade engulfed him, Nanaya lifted his hand. Just one hand.
CLANG!
The titanic iron blade stopped dead in its tracks, caught in the slender grip of Nanaya's palm.
Shock rippled through both Shinigami and manifested Zanpakutō alike. The sight was unbelievable—a young man, barely 1.8 meters tall, effortlessly holding back an 80-meter blade with nothing but flesh and bone.
It was like watching an insect halt a falling mountain. The impact of that image pressed into their hearts with unbearable weight.
"…Too weak." Nanaya's voice was cold, almost disappointed. His right hand tightened slightly, Reiatsu crackling around his grip. "The difference between your power and mine is absolute."
CRACK—!
Spiderweb fractures spread from his fingers across the iron blade.
"GAAAHHH!"
The Black Rope Heavenly Punishment King let out a roar of agony. As a manifested Zanpakutō spirit, his body and his weapon were one—damage to the blade was damage to his very being.
Hanako and Kuang Gu's expressions changed instantly. Panic flashed across their faces—they couldn't afford to wait for Ryūjin Jakka's arrival anymore. They had to act.
Kuang Gu, her eyes narrowing, raised her short blade. Her voice was sharp, filled with murderous intent:
"Shadow Ghost!"
Her body dissolved instantly into the shadows around the ruined buildings. Slipping seamlessly from darkness to darkness, she darted unseen, reappearing at last within Nanaya's own shadow.
Her short blade gleamed, aimed mercilessly at Nanaya's heart.
For Advanced chapters Visit :: patreon.com/Kaguyahime20