The clashing spiritual pressures thickened the air like syrup.
Without hesitation, Satoru drew his Asauchi, channeled his reiatsu, and swung—
A crescent-shaped blade of energy tore through the barrier.
Though the breach began repairing immediately, the surge of escaping reiatsu would now ripple across nearly half the Seireitei.
After sending the signal, Satoru instantly activated Shunpo, darting straight toward the Onmitsukidō headquarters.
Having visited the Second Division earlier that day, Satoru was somewhat familiar with the layout of the buildings here.
In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he had already rushed near the command center.
From a distance, the sight at the command center made his pupils constrict.
A tall, robust figure lay sprawled in front of the command center's entrance.
He flash-stepped to the man's side.
Sure enough, it was Kinozhiro.
Kinozhiro bore several deep sword wounds, some deep enough to expose bone.
His side also had a gaping, explosive injury.
Seeming to sense someone approaching, Kinozhiro forced his eyes open.
Recognizing Satoru, he strained to part his lips.
"Quick… Lady Yoruichi… the prison… hurry…"
Hearing this, Satoru's expression darkened.
Without another thought for Kinozhiro, he immediately dashed at full speed toward the direction of the Maggot's Nest.
Though he hadn't been able to enter the prison earlier that day, he knew its location.
The closer he got to the prison, the more corpses of the Onmitsukidō members littered the path.
BOOM!!!!
Suddenly, a dense, crushing spiritual pressure descended from above.
The very air seemed to tremble under its weight!
Satoru's eyes widened.
Captain-level!
...
...
Second Division, prison.
Dozens of Onmitsukidō members stood in a defensive formation, their eyes locked onto the lone figure before them.
Though their opponent was just one man, his power was overwhelmingly superior.
These elite executioners, rigorously trained for battle, now felt as helpless as infants against him!
Behind them, Yoruichi stood silently.
Even knowing she was no match, even knowing the fate that awaited her by standing here, there was not a trace of fear in her eyes.
"Captain of the Ninth Division… Yasushi Takada."
"I never expected even you to be swayed by those people."
Under her gaze, the towering man known as Yasushi Takada slowly spoke:
"Yoruichi Shihōin, as the head of one of the Five Great Noble Houses, you should know better than anyone whether their words are true or false."
"By the honor of a Shinigami, by the pride of a warrior—tell me, are their claims baseless?"
Yoruichi's brow furrowed slightly.
She remained silent for a few seconds, refusing to answer the question, and instead looked at the figure Yasushi Takada held by the collar.
Her silence was answer enough for Yasushi Takada.
His conviction grew even firmer.
Following her gaze, he glanced at the young man he held in his grip.
Messy straw-blond hair, a lanky frame—it was Kisuke Urahara.
Choked unconscious by Yasushi Takada's grip, Kisuke hung limply in his grasp.
Yasushi Takada lifted Kisuke by the neck, bringing him closer.
"Though young, he's sharp."
"Faced with a sudden ambush, he didn't foolishly charge forward. Instead, he fled immediately, trying to break the barrier and draw in reinforcements…"
"If it had been… if it had been anyone else, he might have succeeded."
"A pity. In the end, he was just one move short."
Yasushi Takada turned back to Yoruichi. "What, do you care about him?"
Yoruichi chuckled. "Idiot. We're the Onmitsukidō. There's no such thing as caring or not caring."
"Every one of us is ready to die if it means completing the mission."
"That goes for the rank-and-file—and for me, the commander."
Truthfully, she didn't care much.
The only reason she had paid attention to Kisuke was because Satoru had always shown a keen interest in him.
Yasushi Takada wasn't surprised by her answer.
In his eyes, the Onmitsukidō were indeed such a group of people.
He tightened his grip, ready to crush Kisuke Urahara's neck.
At that very moment, Yoruichi flashed into view, suddenly appearing before him.
She extended her long leg, wreathed in crackling electricity, and swung it viciously toward Yasushi Takada's head—
BOOM!!!!
Yasushi Takada raised an arm to block beside his head.
The spot where Yoruichi's kick landed was marked by faint flickers of lightning and a large charred patch.
Meanwhile, his other hand had already tossed Kisuke Urahara aside at some point, drawing his sword to slash at Yoruichi.
Though it was a sneak attack and she had prepared to retreat, Yoruichi still suffered a cut on her shoulder from the strike.
"Lady Yoruichi!!"
Soi Fon's eyes widened as she desperately rushed forward.
Nearly every member of the Onmitsukidō present reacted the same way.
Yasushi Takada intended to follow up with another slash, but faced with so many Onmitsukidō, he chose to clear the area first.
"Cover me, Ōyamatsumi!!"
Yasushi Takada raised his Zanpakutō, and as he did so, a blinding light erupted.
When the light faded, standing in his place was a two-meter-tall rock giant.
His body was encased in thick layers of stone.
Wild grass, branches, and the like sprouted from the crevices between the rocks, yet they didn't appear chaotic—instead, they exuded a natural, harmonious beauty.
Once fully armored in stone, Yasushi Takada clenched his two "hands" into fists and slammed them together with a resounding crash.
Then, he charged headlong toward the Onmitsukidō!
"Protect the Commander!!"
The Onmitsukidō roared as they brandished their short swords and surged forward.
In an instant, five or six of them were struck in the chest by the rocky fists, sent flying with sprays of shattered viscera.
The others paid no heed, continuing to encircle him from all directions.
During their training as recruits, they had all practiced techniques for dealing with armored opponents.
By thrusting their blades into the gaps in the armor, they could inflict severe damage.
Their short swords were made precisely for this purpose!
Thanks to their comrades' sacrifices, one Onmitsukidō member managed to flip onto Yasushi Takada's shoulder.
A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he gripped his short sword with both hands and drove it deep into the crevice of the stone armor at Yasushi Takada's neck!
But once the blade was in, he froze in shock.
His own blade, once thrust into the gaps of the rocky armor, felt as if it had sunk into a bottomless abyss—there was no feedback at all.
Instinctively, he tried to pull the blade back.
Only when he withdrew it did he realize the front half of the sword had vanished!
Under his stunned gaze, the massive rocky hand reached out and seized him in an iron grip.
"Fool. There are limits to overestimating yourself."
With Yasushi Takada's muffled voice, the body of the Onmitsukidō soldier was crushed in half with a sickening snap.
Yoruichi leaned against the prison door, clutching the wound on her shoulder, her eyes fixed on Yasushi Takada.
Before her, Soi Fon gripped her short sword, her body tense.
She had already resolved herself to die.
As a member of the Fon family, her duty was to protect Lady Yoruichi.
If she could die for Lady Yoruichi, her life would not have been meaningless.
But… the problem now was that even if she died, she wouldn't be able to protect Lady Yoruichi.
At this thought, despair welled up in her heart.
Under Soi Fon's watchful gaze, Yasushi Takada casually swatted away several Onmitsukidō soldiers who were still fighting.
Then, he turned his gaze toward her.
"!!"
Soi Fon gritted her teeth tightly, reversing her grip on her Zanpakutō.
The next moment, his massive, tank-like body charged toward her!
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