Shiba Isshin was facing off against Askin Nakk Le Vaar, bearer of Schrift 'D'—The Deathdealing.
They fought in an open expanse now blanketed in a green, circular field—a poisonous zone released by Askin.
"Whoa, whoa! You're pulling out some pretty sketchy stuff there!"
Askin, ever casual, raised an eyebrow at Isshin injecting a strange fluid into his arm.
"Your ability's way too dangerous. If I don't use this, I'd be paralyzed before I could blink,"
Isshin grinned.
Thanks to intel gathered through Artificial Bodies, Nanatsuki had extracted classified data from the Invisible Empire in advance. The Sternritter's trickier powers had been analyzed, and counters prepared.
The Deathdealing allowed Askin to designate a substance as lethal. If he designated Reishi as lethal, anyone with Reishi flowing through them would suffer paralysis or worse.
The serum Isshin injected was specifically developed by the Research and Development Bureau to counter this.
"Three to five minutes of immunity, huh…"
Isshin calculated in his mind.
"I'll have to go all out. Dragging this out won't end well for me."
"You're not affected by my poison field at all… Weird. The Shinigami sure know a lot about my ability,"
Askin narrowed his eyes.
"Could it be… Ishida Sōken betrayed us?"
After all, Askin had never revealed his power to a Shinigami before—yet Isshin knew everything. His suspicions fell squarely on the Quincy who had entered the World of the Living.
"Getsuga Tenshō!"
Reiryoku surged within Isshin. His Zanpakutō ignited in flame, launching a fire-wreathed crescent slash that engulfed Askin completely.
When the flames cleared, Askin was charred black—but alive.
He had already adapted to Isshin's Reiatsu.
"That's your best move?"
Askin gave a faint smile.
"Too bad—it's not lethal. In fact, because you just used that attack, I'm now immune to it."
No matter what Isshin tried next, Askin would already be adapted to his Reiatsu—it was part of the nature of The Deathdealing.
"I really hate opponents like you..."
Isshin sighed.
But this was war—and someone had to stall Askin's overwhelming ability.
"And since you know my power so well, I'm sure you also know I can change the lethal substance I designate. So what'll you do about this?"
Askin bit into his palm and licked his own blood.
Blood became the new lethal substance.
And the more blood in the system—the deadlier the reaction.
"Oh, I've got a plan for that too."
"Before coming here, I replaced all the blood in my body with a synthetic substitute. Take a wild guess what I'm running on now?"
Isshin smirked.
"You guys came really prepared, huh…"
Askin shrugged.
"How am I supposed to guess that kind of thing?"
"But I'm noticing that serum you took earlier... looks like it's wearing off, huh? Didn't realize it had such a short half-life."
Askin's eyes narrowed—he could sense Isshin's movements slowing as Reishi poisoning began to take effect again.
"Well, Vice-Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi never saw your power in person…"
Isshin admitted.
"Just the fact he managed to make something like that from Nanatsuki's briefing is already incredible."
But still—short duration. Once the serum wore off, Isshin would be helpless.
Askin conjured a toxic orb and hurled it at Isshin. The Shinigami's evasions were noticeably sluggish—clear signs of poisoning.
"You don't seem that worried, though?"
"That's because… I've stalled you long enough."
Isshin smiled.
He had sensed it—his teacher's opponent's Reiatsu had vanished.
"You were buying time?"
Askin turned—
—and saw a black blade coming for him.
Death aura. Speed. A lethal intent.
He jumped back—but not fast enough.
Slash!
A deep gash tore open his abdomen.
"So fast!"
His expression twisted—but before he could retaliate, a purple spherical field enveloped the battlefield, trapping him, Nanatsuki, and Isshin inside.
Askin had entered Vollständig.
His body was now etched with glowing molecular sigils.
Above his head—a halo of molecular structure. On his back—dual molecular rings like light-forged wings. His arms hovered with micro-sized toxic Reishi particles arranged in precise arrays.
Vollständig: Gift Ball Deluxe.
The gash on his stomach rapidly regenerated.
In this form, Askin had tremendous healing—as long as the wound wasn't instantly fatal, he could recover in seconds.
"Tch. Not finishing it in one strike makes this much messier,"
Nanatsuki said, a trace of regret on his face.
Askin's adaptation rate was one of the most annoying of all Sternritter powers—and in Vollständig, it only got worse.
But Nanatsuki had one advantage—
Hollow Reiatsu.
To a Quincy, Hollow power was toxic.
Even The Deathdealing couldn't completely nullify that.
And Nanatsuki had mastered Hollowfication.
A white mask formed across his face as his Reiatsu exploded upward.
"Whoa whoa whoa! Why the hell do you have Hollow powers?!"
Askin's calm demeanor shattered.
He could feel it—that monstrous Hollow Reiatsu—something even he couldn't adapt to.
"Rule-type abilities are strong…"
Nanatsuki's voice came from behind him,
"But if you get hard-countered, there's not much left to do."
Askin looked down.
The black blade had already pierced his heart.
He couldn't adapt.
The Hollow Reiatsu flooded in—and shredded his heart from within.
SHUNK!
When the blade pulled out, it took all his strength with it.
He fell to the ground, coughing blood.
"Such… speed… cough…"
And then—
The purple field pulsed.
The toxic Reishi and spiritual pressure inside surged violently.
Isshin collapsed—unable to move at all.
"A Shinigami with Hollow powers… what a lethal combo… But… when I die… the poison in the Gift Ball Deluxe…"
"...is released."
He died with a twisted smile.
In life, Askin had locked the sphere's internal poison to protect himself.
In death, the lock was undone—
And the Deathdealing poison erupted in full.