"Wha—"
Rennosuke Kamikawa's expression twisted as the energy wave rushed toward him.
Satoru had dodged so precisely that he'd practically entered Rennosuke's guard.
The point-blank attack left no time to counter.
BOOM!!!
Azure spiritual pressure detonated outward from Rennosuke in a shockwave.
Satoru backflipped through the air, tracing a graceful arc before landing lightly beside Yoruichi.
"You alright?" he asked.
Yoruichi couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry. "I'm fine... It's you who should be worried, actually confronting a captain head-on like that. Are you okay?"
"Not bad, nothing serious."
Satoru nodded.
Truth be told, even without Yoruichi's reminder, he'd known his opponent was a captain.
After all, the man hadn't even bothered to conceal his identity, arriving directly in his haori.
As the dust settled, the figure of Rennosuke reappeared.
Blue spiritual pressure swirled around him like special effects in a movie.
Faced with Satoru's point-blank attack, he'd simply released a portion of his spiritual energy in an explosive burst.
Much like a Saber's mana burst, this technique completely shattered Satoru's sword pressure without leaving a scratch.
"As expected of a captain. Any regular seated officer hit by that attack would be down for the count," Satoru remarked admiringly while observing Rennosuke.
Yoruichi felt a headache coming on.
Did this idiot even realize how dangerous their situation was?
Rennosuke quietly studied Satoru, his zanpakutō in hand.
The mask prevented him from seeing Satoru's face clearly.
The spiritual pressure contained in that earlier sword strike was unfamiliar too.
Probably someone he didn't know then.
In that case... there'd be no problem killing him, right?
Sensing the murderous intent radiating from Rennosuke, Yoruichi quickly spoke up.
"Captain Kamikawa! We're members of the Onmitsukidō!"
"We received intelligence about possible intruders targeting Squad 12 tonight, so we set up this ambush!"
As she spoke, she produced a wooden identification tag from her waist.
"This is my token."
"If you have doubts, you can ask Vice-Captain Ōmaeda!"
Hearing this, Rennosuke Kamikawa gave a slight nod.
"I see, the Onmitsukidō, then."
Seeing that Rennosuke seemed to accept her explanation, Yoruichi let out a small sigh of relief.
But in the next instant, Rennosuke suddenly appeared right in front of her.
His Zanpakutō, gleaming with a silver light, slashed straight toward her neck!
Yoruichi's eyes widened.
She hadn't expected Rennosuke to attack without hesitation even after hearing her identity.
Is this guy… insane?
No.
No!
This guy—he isn't here to catch a thief!
A terrifying realization flashed through Yoruichi's mind like lightning.
She tried to dodge with Shunpo, but since she was a step behind Rennosuke's movements, she missed the best chance to evade.
At this point, she could only try to avoid a fatal blow—whether her stomach would be sliced open was already beyond her control.
However, Satoru seemed to have anticipated Rennosuke's actions long before.
Before Rennosuke could swing his blade, Satoru had already kicked Yoruichi.
BAM!!
Before the blade could reach her, Yoruichi's body was sent flying like a cannonball by Satoru's kick!
His slash missing, Rennosuke frowned.
This annoying brat had already interfered with his plans twice.
Wait… brat?
Could it be?
Sent flying by Satoru, Yoruichi flipped midair and landed steadily on the roof of a nearby building.
Ignoring the fact that she'd just been kicked, she shouted angrily, "…Be careful! This guy is with the rebels!"
Though shocked and furious, she still had the presence of mind to swallow the first word and avoid calling Satoru by name.
Hearing this, Rennosuke curled his lips, about to say something.
Satoru grinned. "Idiot, isn't that something you should've noticed ages ago?"
"From the moment he appeared, he's been suppressing his spiritual pressure to an extreme degree, not letting even a trace leak out."
"If he were one of the good guys, he'd be trying to maximize his presence to attract reinforcements."
"Someone like him, who'd rather the whole world not notice him—what other explanation could there be besides guilt?"
Hearing this, Yoruichi froze for a moment before her expression cleared in realization.
Then, she couldn't help but look at Satoru in surprise.
This guy, despite never having received Onmitsukidō training, had spotted such a flaw in such a short time.
Yoruichi's lips curled slightly.
As expected—she'd been right all along. This guy was perfect for the Second Division!
Rennosuke lightly clapped his hands.
"Impressive, brat. I didn't expect you to be not just a prodigy in combat, but also outstanding in intelligence analysis."
"No wonder the Captain-Commander took you as his disciple."
"Am I wrong… Satoru Mikami, the genius of the Shin'ō Academy?"
Miyako tilted his head.
"Satoru Mikami? I've heard of him—that ridiculously handsome, exceptionally talented prodigy from Shin'ō, right?"
"Though I've got some talent myself, I'm nowhere near his level."
"Let me introduce myself—I'm Musashi, and that guy over there is my cousin, Kojirō."
"Please take good care of us, Captain Kamikawa~"
Yoruichi: "…"
Just how many names was she going to cycle through tonight?
Upon hearing Satoru's words, Rennosuke slightly furrowed his brow.
Every characteristic matched the legendary Satoru Mikami.
Yet, the identity he'd just introduced didn't seem fabricated...
After two seconds of contemplation, he shook his head lightly.
No matter. Whether this was Satoru Mikami or not, he had to kill him today.
If these two weren't eliminated, his collaboration with the rebels would be exposed.
Dispatch them swiftly, then hurry to the archives to retrieve the artificial soul research data.
No one would ever trace this back to him!
The moment this resolution solidified, he raised his Zanpakutō.
Noticing Rennosuke's movement, Satoru narrowed his eyes.
Gripping his own Zanpakutō with both hands, he muttered:
"I'll hold him off. You run."
"Before I'm killed, call for reinforcements."
"Whether we survive depends on your speed now!"
Yoruichi took a deep breath upon hearing this.
Without wasting words, she pivoted on her heel and fled.
Rennosuke blurred into motion to intercept her—
—only to find Satoru barring his path. Channeling reiatsu into his blade, he unleashed a slash dozens of times more powerful than before.
If this fool dared block, he'd cleave him in twain!
Satoru's expression changed as he sensed the lethal force behind this strike.
Yet he didn't retreat. Instead, he swung his own Zanpakutō to meet it head-on.
Stopping Rennosuke meant Yoruichi's survival—and his own chance to live.
Failure meant death for them both!
Just as Rennosuke's blade began its descent, a new voice rang out:
"My, my... what a lively gathering."
"Having a party at my place without inviting me?"
For the first time, genuine panic flashed across Rennosuke Kamikawa's face!
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