Night, within Seireitei.
Looking around, the once calm and quiet Seireitei was now engulfed in flames.
Screams echoed from various areas, and explosions continuously rang out.
The streets were in chaos.
A shadowy figure, merging with the darkness, darted through the streets of Squad Nine.
Each time the elusive shadow appeared, a splash of blood would erupt from someone's chest, and screams instantly filled the air.
"Hahahaha—"
Amidst the eerie laughter, two double-headed scythes flickered in and out of sight against the night sky.
"What exactly happened?"
"Watch out!"
"My Zanpakuto?"
"…"
On the street, Squad Nine Squad Members gathered, fighting as they retreated.
More than 10 minutes had passed since the anomaly occurred.
But even now, they still didn't know who was attacking Seireitei.
The enemy suddenly appeared beside a Shinigami, and before the Shinigami could even react, they were severely wounded by the sudden appearance of the enemy.
Especially…
At this moment, the Captain of Squad Nine had defected, the acting Captain was in training, and the Vice-Captain, who had been responsible for managing Squad Nine, had recently received orders to attend a meeting at a designated location and had not yet returned.
"Everyone, stick together and don't rush in. Captain Ishikawa is training nearby on Sōkyoku Hill. He will definitely rush over as soon as he senses the change."
Among the group, a short girl with freckles on her cheeks shouted, "Before that, we must try our best to hold them off and prevent the affected area from spreading further."
When someone steps up in a great chaos, others will naturally follow. With Left Wing Aya's words, the chaotic scene immediately became orderly.
Although they mostly worked as reporters and editors, these Squad Members had all successfully graduated from the Shin'ō Academy before joining the Gotei 13. Even if their individual strength was not strong, when gathered together, they were still an extremely powerful force.
The previously passive situation, with the stabilization of the squad, gradually allowed them to stalemate and contend with the unknown enemies.
"Hahahaha, standing together just saves me the trouble of killing them one by one."
The deranged laughter made the expressions of the Squad Nine members stiffen.
They didn't know the situation in other areas, but in Squad Nine, the owner of this eerie laughter was the attacker who had caused the most casualties.
And most importantly…
Along with a dark vortex, the shadow, flickering in and out of the night, descended from mid-air, revealing its form to everyone for the first time.
This was a strange person with dark purple skin and blurred facial features, making it impossible to discern their exact appearance. Their neck and shoulders were wrapped in black bandages, and they held two large blades in their hands.
They didn't know who this strange figure was.
But the Squad Members of Squad Nine couldn't possibly not know those two double-headed scythes, because they were none other than Vice-Captain Hisagi's Zanpakuto—Kazeshini!
"Who exactly are you?"
"The one who will kill you!"
The dark purple figure let out a strange laugh, and the two scythes in their hands spun like windmills. Controlled by chains, they directly attacked the Squad Nine Squad Members.
This scene made everyone's expressions change.
The several Seated Officers at the front hurriedly raised their Zanpakuto, almost instinctively about to release their Zanpakuto.
However…
No matter how much Reiatsu they infused into their Zanpakuto, the Asauchi in their hands remained unresponsive, just like when they first received them at the Shin'ō Academy.
What exactly happened?
And in that instant, the two scythes had already arrived, blocking all their escape routes from left and right.
Seeing this, the expressions of the several Seated Officers at the front changed dramatically.
However, just then…
Clang—!
A figure suddenly appeared in front of everyone, their blade directly wedged into a corner of the scythe, blocking the left-spinning scythe.
"Bakudō No. 63: Sajō Sabaku!"
At the same time, their free left hand waved, and a sky-blue chain shot out, instantly wrapping around the scythe attacking from the right.
The chain snapped taut with a loud crack, then broke!
But this fleeting moment was enough for the Squad Nine Squad Members to react, scattering and breaking into smaller groups.
The dark purple figure did not pursue, but instead looked at the suddenly appearing figure, their mouth widening into a grin.
"Yo, partner, you're really slow."
"Vice-Captain Hisagi!"
The Squad Nine Squad Members, seeing the person who suddenly appeared, felt as if they had found their backbone, and their faces lit up with joy.
Hisagi Shuuhei looked at the dark purple figure in front of him, his expression somewhat grim, but beneath the grimness, his eyes were filled with disbelief.
"What? Don't you recognize me?"
"Are you really Kazeshini?"
Hisagi Shuuhei's words made the Squad Nine Squad Members behind him freeze, then their expressions changed, and they all looked at the unknown attackers around them.
What Kazeshini was, as Squad Members of Squad Nine, they naturally couldn't not know.
If this dark purple monster was Kazeshini, then were all these strange attackers around them…
Zanpakuto?
"You don't even recognize me?"
Kazeshini pulled the chain in his hand, and the two scythes immediately returned to his hands. "However, standing in front of you like this, I realize how truly weak you are, fellow?"
"You really dare to say that."
Hisagi Shuuhei said coldly, "Although I don't know how you materialized, everything you are using now, whether it's Reiatsu or abilities, isn't it all derived from me?"
As he said, Hisagi had already realized it since he arrived here.
The Kazeshini in front of him, whether it was the intensity of its Reiatsu or the characteristics of its Reiastu, was exactly the same as his own.
The only difference was…
It could use a Zanpakuto, while he couldn't release his Zanpakuto.
As for the opponent's ability to absorb surrounding Reishi like a Shinigami's spiritual body to replenish after materialization, Hisagi was not surprised by this.
Because a Zanpakuto can inherently absorb Reishi from the atmosphere to repair its own damage.
If the owner simultaneously repairs it with Reishi, the repair process can be greatly shortened.
Of course, there was also a prerequisite for this.
That is, the Zanpakuto was not destroyed while in Bankai.
How did that guy do it?
Zanpakuto materialization, while not unheard of, mostly occurred during Bankai training or with the assistance of the Transcendent Body.
Zanpakuto materialized through these two methods would indeed exist for a long time, like the Kazeshini in front of him, and could even duel with their owners. After subduing them, one could master the so-called Bankai!
However, Zanpakuto materialized under these two circumstances would never kill their owners. The process of subjugation was less of a battle and more of a tempering and trial for the owner by the Zanpakuto. Only by passing it could one obtain the most basic qualification for Bankai.
"Your self-righteousness is truly as annoying as ever."
Kazeshini looked at Hisagi Shuuhei, still grinning, but his eyes revealed deep dissatisfaction. "You simply don't understand my true desire."
"What exactly do you want to say?"
Hisagi Shuuhei frowned. "Why did you leave my body?"
"I heard a voice, telling me to obey my instincts."
Kazeshini casually swung his chain, and the two scythes continuously spun around him as he slowly walked towards Hisagi Shuuhei.
"Instinct?"
"That's right. All this time, you've never understood me, nor have you understood what the Zanpakuto in your hand truly desires."
A flicker of doubt crossed Hisagi Shuuhei's eyes. Just as he was about to ask, his pupils suddenly constricted.
This scene made Kazeshini's footsteps falter.
Then…
He turned without hesitation, swinging the scythe in his hand to his back left.
But it stopped!
There was no collision sound, no clash of Reiatsu, and no sound of a blade entering a body.
The swung scythe just stopped abruptly in mid-air, as if time had frozen in that instant.
Looking around, one could only see a pure white hand gently gripping the scythe.
Compared to the incredibly sharp blade, that hand seemed as if a light cut would make its five fingers fall off.
But…
It couldn't move!!
Kazeshini's face showed horror, his previous sneer completely gone.
Even though only his blade was gripped, his entire body stiffened at that moment, making it extremely difficult to even move a finger, and even the Reishi within him solidified in that instant.
"Ishi… Captain Ishikawa?"
Hearing Hisagi's voice, Kazeshini finally knew the identity of the newcomer.
"Sorry, I'm a bit late."
Ishikawa didn't look at the Kazeshini in front of him, but instead released his sensory nerves. Immediately, countless flame-like light spots appeared in his mind.
The next moment, the earth trembled.
Boom—!
Centered around Ishikawa, countless soil particles shot into the sky, instantly covering the entire Squad Nine.
Obscuring the sky and moon!
The entire area became pitch black, and a terrifying sense of oppression permeated everyone's hearts.
Before everyone could understand what was happening, they heard a series of screams. The countless soil particles in the air actually transformed into large hands, gripping all the attackers.
When the moonlight shone down again, Squad Nine, which had been incredibly noisy a second ago, suddenly fell silent.
Large hands made of soil descended, forming cocoon-like structures, and within them were the bizarre attackers.
"Find your own Zanpakuto and slay it, and your Zanpakuto will return to normal."
Ishikawa's voice roused everyone from their daze. "Those whose Zanpakuto have recovered, form a squad for rescue work. The rest of you, go to other areas for support. Try to let the Zanpakuto's owner personally slay their Zanpakuto, as this will immediately restore the Zanpakuto to normal."
"Of course, prioritize your own safety. If necessary, don't hold back. Although a Zanpakuto defeated by someone other than its owner will take a long time to recover, it will not be permanently damaged."
"And among the bound Zanpakuto, if there are ownerless Zanpakuto whose owners have died, simply kill them."
Looking at Captain Ishikawa's calm face, the Squad Members of Squad Nine couldn't help but swallow.
Although they had long known that Captain Ishikawa was very strong, the scene before them still left all of them stunned.
They had personally experienced the terror of those attackers, yet these powerful and strangely capable attackers were utterly helpless before Captain Ishikawa.
"Yes!"
The Squad Nine Squad Members all responded firmly, then dispersed, searching among the cocoons made of soil.
"Hisagi, the same goes for you."
"But…"
Looking at the Kazeshini restrained by Ishikawa, a hint of hesitation flashed across Hisagi's face.
"There's no more time to waste."
Ishikawa said in a deep voice, "Our enemies are not Zanpakuto. They were merely instigated by someone who stirred up the dissatisfaction in their hearts towards their owners, and used that to control them."
The enemy is not a Zanpakuto?
Hisagi Shuuhei froze, subconsciously wanting to tell Captain Ishikawa about how someone had recently gathered the Captains and Vice-Captains under the Captain Commander's name and launched an attack.
That man named Muramasa, although he didn't know his identity, the feeling he gave him was no different from the Kazeshini in front of him.
But seeing the solemn expression on Captain Ishikawa's face, Hisagi did not continue speaking, but instead walked forward with his sword.
For Captain Ishikawa to have such a reaction, it meant he already knew… or at least guessed who the enemy was, so as a Vice-Captain, he only needed to follow his Captain's orders!
Thud!
Along with the sound of the blade entering a body, Hisagi Shuuhei unhesitatingly slew the Kazeshini beside Ishikawa.
Kazeshini immediately transformed into Reishi and merged into Hisagi Shuuhei's blade.
Hisagi Shuuhei felt it slightly and found that the previously unresponsive Zanpakuto seemed to suddenly come alive, and a faint glow appeared on its surface.
Then…
A figure appeared beside Hisagi Shuuhei, none other than the strange person who had previously claimed to be Kazeshini.
Seeing this, Hisagi Shuuhei's expression darkened, and he immediately adopted a defensive stance.
But the reappeared Kazeshini did not attack again. Instead, he looked at Ishikawa with fear. Although his dark purple face showed no expression, his arrogant demeanor was completely gone.
However, after another glance at Hisagi, his face once again showed dissatisfaction.
"You, you really don't hesitate when you strike."
"Uh…"
Hisagi Shuuhei was stunned at this. Although there was no change in the other party's body, he always felt that the Kazeshini in front of him was somewhat different from before.
He then looked into the distance and saw that many Squad Members had already slain their own Zanpakuto.
And by their side were the very enemies who should have been killed.
But no battle occurred again; all of them appeared bewildered, staring at each other.
"Don't worry, all defeated Zanpakuto will break free from control. However, they can still maintain their materialized state for a period of time before the ability's effect disappears."
Ishikawa's voice came in due time:
"The rest of you, follow my previous instructions and act under the leadership of the Seated Officers. As for Shuuhei…" Ishikawa paused, looked at Hisagi Shuuhei, and continued:
"You come with me."
Hisagi Shuuhei heard this, immediately put down the doubts in his heart, and asked:
"Captain Ishikawa, where are we going?"
"The Thirteenth Division's back mountain training ground!"