The spiritual particle barrier erected by the Shinigami collapsed in an instant.
"As expected, it wasn't going to be that easy." Nanatsuki had noticed the Quincy who'd made a move, but he couldn't figure out how the man had broken through the barrier.
The unfamiliar Quincy's abilities were ones he hadn't seen before—likely a newcomer recently promoted by Haschwalth.
Countless Reishi bullets rained down toward the Onmitsukidō on the ground. Fortunately, the moment the barrier was broken, the well-trained squad had already begun to retreat.
The Reishi bullets struck the earth, kicking up sand and smoke in a storm of chaos.
"There are three Sternritter here. I'll handle two. The armored one is yours," Nanatsuki instructed Yoruichi beside him. "That's the one with Schrift 'K'. You've probably seen his file."
When Nanatsuki had compiled intel for the captains, he'd included the abilities tied to known Schrifts. As for the other two Sternritter—both new recruits—he had no data, so he opted to deal with them himself.
"Understood. Be careful, Sensei!" Yoruichi nodded and vanished on the spot.
The Quincies in the sky dispersed, giving chase to the fleeing Onmitsukidō Shinigami below.
Nanatsuki, too, was quickly locked onto.
Floating beside The Invisible Eye—Bruno—were several disembodied eyes. Each eye fired a beam of Reishi.
Blue beams of light surged toward Nanatsuki.
Clang!
Nanatsuki suddenly drew his blade. A streak of Flowlight rose like a comet. The Reishi beams packed the power of a Cero, but pinpricks of light could never hope to outshine a full moon.
Flowlight swept through the sky—every beam it met was instantly torn apart, detonating midair.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
After shredding the Reishi barrage, the streak of light continued its momentum, cutting straight toward Bruno.
The Invisible Eye—Bruno's face twisted in shock. He immediately activated Hiryūkyaku, narrowly evading the lethal strike.
But Flowlight was too fast. Even as he fled at full speed, it clipped his left arm—severing it cleanly.
"This area prohibits the use of Zanpakutō!"
Proclaimer—Charles—rushed to declare a rule that specifically targeted the Shinigami.
Yoruichi had just drawn her Zanpakutō when it fell from her hand, clattering to the ground. No matter how she tried, she couldn't lift it.
Even Nanatsuki's blade was affected, as if an invisible weight had descended upon it.
"Impossible..."
Proclaimer—Charles stared in disbelief. Nanatsuki's blade hadn't dropped.
"A curious ability... To declare laws and impose them on the enemy..."
"And if you disobey... there's a punishment."
"The punishment for me... is this mysterious pressure on my Zanpakutō?"
Nanatsuki swiftly grasped the essence of this Quincy's power.
"But..." A faint smile tugged at his lips as his Reiatsu erupted. "Against overwhelming spiritual pressure—your little restriction doesn't seem like much!"
The two rookie Sternritter staggered under the suffocating pressure. A wave of despair washed over them.
Charles and Bruno exchanged glances—and in each other's eyes, saw the same horror:
An enemy they could never hope to defeat.
"Hold him off! Just buy some time—Lord Haschwalth will arrive soon!"
From another direction, BG9—shouted in encouragement.
BG9 had more confidence in stalling a Shinigami.
Even though Nanatsuki had brute-forced his way past the Proclamation, the resulting Reiatsu spike had sent shockwaves across the battlefield.
Such an immense spiritual pressure... Even Haschwalth, all the way in Silbern, would definitely sense it.
More importantly, BG9's opponent was still bound by the Proclamation—unable to use her Zanpakutō. If he finished her quickly, the three of them could gang up on Nanatsuki. That might just buy enough time!
"The difference between me and Sensei is still huge... I can't lift it at all."
Yoruichi gave up after multiple attempts to reclaim her fallen blade.
"Too bad... You won't get the chance to pick it up again, Shinigami!"
BG9 flung his cloak aside, revealing an arsenal of cannons and guns emerging from his body.
His body had been heavily modified with mechanized weaponry—every part of him was a weapon.
Dozens of missiles locked onto Yoruichi's position and launched.
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
A full saturation bombardment shook the entire battlefield.
Even nearby Onmitsukidō Shinigami and Quincy foot soldiers paused momentarily to shield themselves from the shockwave.
"Without a Zanpakutō... just how much of your power can you use?"
BG9 smirked confidently and turned to glance at another part of the battlefield.
Just then, a howling gust tore through the dust cloud behind him.
"Don't underestimate me!"
Yoruichi, wrapped in crackling lightning, appeared behind him in an instant.
"What?!"
Before Nine could turn, a force like a freight train slammed into his back.
BOOM! —He was sent flying into the palace ruins, crashing through a row of pillars before skidding to a halt.
"Heh. Who told you a Shinigami can only fight with a Zanpakutō?"
Yoruichi dusted the ash from her face with a grin.
After all, aside from her teacher, she was the fastest Shinigami alive. Not even a saturation strike had left a scratch on her.
"You've given me some very useful data."
BG9 rose from the rubble, sand and gravel falling off him.
"Your speed's impressive... but are you faster than bullets?"
From his body, six heavy machine guns emerged. A torrent of Reishi bullets erupted.
RATATATATAT—
A barrage blanketed the battlefield, surging toward Yoruichi.
"Your bullets are definitely faster than your missiles," Yoruichi smiled faintly and lowered her stance. Reiatsu burst from her shoulders and back. "But I can be even faster!"
Shun Boost: Thunderstep Crossing!
Her body became a bolt of lightning.
The thunderlight tore through the hail of bullets—and struck BG9 squarely.
BOOM!!
On the other side, Nanatsuki glanced over, satisfied with Yoruichi's battle.
Before him, the lifeless body of The Invisible Eye—Bruno lay still.
Splurt. Nanatsuki calmly pulled his Zanpakutō from the man's neck.
"Still a little too green for a newly minted knight."
Nanatsuki turned his gaze to the now-terrified Proclaimer—Charles.
After Nanatsuki's overwhelming spiritual pressure landed, the two rookies had completely lost their coordination. One had been effortlessly slain.
"Stay back! This area prohibits movement!"
"This area prohibits breathing!"
"This area prohibits heartbeats!!"
Charles shrieked in panic as Nanatsuki steadily approached.
He frantically issued new Proclamations, narrowing their area of effect to boost their strength. Mountains of weight, suffocating restrictions—even cutting off the opponent's breath...
But none of it worked.
And when he shouted, "This area prohibits heartbeats!", his own heart stopped.
Proclamation was a double-edged sword. Its rules spared no one—not even its caster.
Yet still, Nanatsuki's heart beat on.
"An excellent ability... but you're just too weak."
A powerful, thunderous heartbeat shattered the constraint in an instant.
Nanatsuki's steps never faltered.
Charles, face frozen in terror, collapsed to the ground without a sound.