The shadow domain fell into a deathly silence.
Both men stared at the sudden intruder in disbelief. His appearance was jarringly abrupt—the thunder and fire swirling around him felt completely alien to the surrounding darkness.
Neither had expected Naraku Sora to make an entrance like this.
Just a moment ago, Ukitake Jūshirō had been drowning in regret, blaming himself for not making Sōgyo no Kotowari submit sooner and dragging Sora into this crisis.
But in the next heartbeat, he witnessed a scene that shattered his understanding of the world.
"Naraku Sora?"
Tsunayashiro Taketori's brow furrowed. He watched the figure steadily walking into his shadow domain and asked in confusion, "Where is Gosuke?"
"Don't tell me he actually chose to betray us at the last second?"
Sora waved a hand dismissively. "Captain Gosuke was loyal to a fault, right until the very end. Don't worry, I'll be sending you to join him shortly."
Hearing this, Taketori lowered his gaze. He could sense the spiritual pressure that had vanished from the courtyard.
"I truly didn't expect this."
"A mere newcomer who only recently joined a squad actually managed to kill a Captain in a head-on confrontation."
"Looking back at the million-year history of the Soul Society, such talent is a rarity."
As the head of the family that controlled the Great Library, Taketori knew exactly how difficult it was to increase one's spiritual pressure. Even the genius Soul Reapers who had made their marks on history often took decades to break through to 3rd-class Spiritual Power.
He had never seen anyone like Naraku Sora.
However, the Great Library wasn't omnipotent. It couldn't observe things that were intentionally hidden by Soul Reapers—for example, Kidō barriers could block its sight. Otherwise, Taketori would have known exactly who was responsible the moment Takeda Goki met his end.
"Even if you flatter me, I'm not going to go easy on you."
Arcing electricity flickered within his pitch-black eyes as Sora locked onto Taketori.
"I'm not entirely sure what your goal is, but it doesn't matter to me. Because..."
"All evil shall be brought to justice!"
He raised a finger, and thunder erupted.
"Hadō #88: Flying Dragon Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon!"
A brilliant, massive beam of light roared from his fingertip. Sizzling arcs of lightning coiled around it, radiating a terrifying aura of destruction as it tore through the air.
Wherever the beam passed, the surface shadows were vaporized, revealing the shattered floorboards beneath—though they were quickly swallowed by new shadows again.
It was as if the darkness could proliferate infinitely.
Seeing this, Sora narrowed his eyes.
Taketori's ability seemed slightly more formidable than he had anticipated.
"Bakudō #81: Danku."
A massive, transparent wall descended from the sky. The explosive lightning slammed into it, producing a scalp-numbing, screeching sound.
Normally, Danku could easily stop any Hado below #89, yet it seemed to be struggling against this single blast of Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō.
Crack!
Following a sharp sound of fracturing glass, Taketori's expression changed instantly. Without a second thought, he used Flash Step to dodge to the right.
Boom!
Under that intense destructive force, the shadows writhed and shook violently. Countless black droplets flew in every direction like a rain of ink.
'To have such power even with a discarded incantation...'
Taketori, who had just barely regained his footing, felt a surge of horror.
Bakudō #81 was known as one of the strongest defensive spells. Between opponents with similar Reiatsu, it should have easily nullified anything below Hado #89.
And yet, that rule didn't seem to apply to Naraku Sora.
Perhaps he needed to prioritize this intruder from Shino Prison over the Captain of the 13th Squad.
Opening with Hado #88 was Sora's way of showing respect. This wasn't the result of some secret, intense training; it was the "modest" reward he had received after Gosuke's death.
[SYSTEM: SINNER GOSUKE ELIMINATED. SIN VALUE: 1024. PARTICIPATION: 100%.]
[SYSTEM: YOUR SPIRITUAL PRESSURE HAS INCREASED.]
[SYSTEM: HADO COMPREHENSION INCREASED. HADŌ #88: HIRYŪ GEKIZOKU SHINTEN RAIHŌ MASTERED.]
[SYSTEM: BAKUDO COMPREHENSION INCREASED. BAKUDO #61: RIKUJŌKŌRŌ MASTERED.]
'That's it?'
When Sora fully processed the contribution paid for with Gosuke's life, the first thought that crossed his mind was that it was a bit underwhelming.
A Captain and the Ninth Kenpachi only yielded a bit over a thousand Sin points.
Forget Arturo—he wasn't even worth as much as some of the lower-ranking nobles locked away in Shino Prison.
Compared to those sinners who easily hit thousands or tens of thousands, Gosuke was practically a saint.
Sora looked at the shadows on the ground, which resembled a murky swamp, and frowned.
He had seen a similar ability during his fight with Enrakyōten. At first, he thought it was his senior Kyōraku Shunsui's Katen Kyōkotsu.
Now, it seemed more like Taketori's own power.
Katen Kyōkotsu's Shikai turned children's games into reality. While it could also use shadows to strike at enemies, it was fundamentally a set of game rules.
In contrast, the pitch-black environment here felt like a perfect utilization of shadow as a physical element.
The probe with the lightning cannon showed that while Taketori was strong, that strength had its limits.
'In that case, I don't need to play it safe.'
Sora grinned. Thunder and fire erupted as his Flash Step speed multiplied several times over. He moved like a true bolt of lightning, weaving through the dark shadows.
He tore through the layers of dark tendrils trying to climb up his legs.
Finally, under a terrified gaze, he raised his Zanpakutō high.
A cold flash of steel erupted.
With a massive boom, the elderly figure was sent flying. He slammed into the ceiling, where the viscous shadows spread and writhed so violently that he couldn't even pull himself free.
The shadows absorbed the violent force, nullifying more than half of the impact.
Sora tilted his head, glancing sideways at the figure trapped in the ceiling. He looked genuinely curious.
"You look pretty shocked."
"Old man, Gosuke is gone. You didn't actually think I couldn't beat you too, did you?"
The Zanpakutō in his hand vibrated gently. Circuit-like patterns appeared on Sora's skin, and crackling electricity coiled around him.
While the change wasn't very obvious in Sora's current state, it caused the shadows to writhe faster, as if they were a living creature.
Taketori's eyes were filled with wariness.
Whether it was long-range Kidō or close-quarters combat, this kid was ridiculously powerful. No wonder Gosuke had fallen to him.
Sometimes, he really envied that old man Yamamoto Genryūsai. He could pick up such an outstanding disciple with a casual recruitment.
With his blade raised, the burning figure stepped forward. Before anyone realized it, he was already within arms' reach.
The instant Taketori's pupils shrank, a massive explosion of sound erupted.
A thunderous roar swept through the room as a shockwave blasted out from the lightning-cloaked blade.
A soul-deep chill instantly enveloped Taketori, forcing him to summon an endless mass of shadows to act as a shield without a second thought.
Then, everything went black.
It felt like being hit by a meteor.
Shadows splashed in all directions like mud. His Zanpakutō vibrated uncontrollably, the skin on the webs of his thumbs splitting open as blood soaked his grip.
But he had, at the very least, blocked that horrific strike.
Even as the head of the Tsunayashiro family, he still possessed a wealth of combat experience that ordinary Soul Reapers couldn't hope to match—the fruit of centuries of accumulation.
This would be the key to his comeback!
'A flaw!'
A light seemed to flash in Taketori's eyes. Countless arms suddenly reached out from the shadows splashed on the ground, frantically crawling up Sora's body.
A crushing weight slammed into him.
"Carriage of thunder, bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six!"
"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"
Without a moment's hesitation, the instant the incantation sounded, Taketori slammed his palm forward. The pre-charged binding spell combined with the shadows to instantly freeze Sora in place.
There was no need to think. Next was the counterattack, seizing this hard-won opportunity.
Raising his blade cloaked in Reiatsu, Taketori gripped it with both hands, erupting with his full power.
He slashed down!
Clang!
Steel met steel, and his Zanpakutō shrieked under the vibration. Taketori's fingers split open with numerous cracks, his hands trembling.
He stared at the figure before him in shock.
The binding shadows and the Six-Rod Light Prison had been completely pulverized by the surging lightning and flames. In their place was an aura of overwhelming majesty.
Like a demon walking out of hell, the lightning-wreathed figure batted away the incoming blade and raised his own edge with a savage grin.
Vertical cleave.
Slashes from below to above.
The high-pitched sounds of heavy impacts overlapped, turning into a roar like a torrential storm. Every hit made Taketori tremble in terror as a profound despair slowly consumed his heart.
There were no fancy tricks—just simple, raw power.
Basic attacks chained into more basic attacks.
Mercilessly and without a single pause, he delivered a brutal execution upon Taketori.
The assault continued until the Ugendo collapsed under the expanding shockwaves. The ground shattered and split, and the external Kidō barrier began to spider-web with cracks.
Heavy dust billowed out, blotting out the sun.
But it was instantly incinerated by the crackling lightning.
Sora looked down at the enemy before him.
It was over.
On the ground, Taketori was kneeling. Despite the protection of the shadows, he was covered in blood, with thick crimson seeping from his nose, mouth, and eyes.
The arms holding his Zanpakutō were shattered and twisted, the exposed bones covered in horrifying cracks.
Facing the source of so much corruption, Sora felt no pity.
The fact that the Soul Society had reached this sorry state was largely the fault of the Tsunayashiro family.
And so, he raised his blade once more.
Faced with imminent death, Taketori seemed to reach a certain resolution. His eyes closed slightly, and his gaze fell. A strange, alien aura suddenly diffused from his body.
Under Ukitake's tense watch, the remaining shadows writhed frantically, gathering around Taketori's position.
The next moment, it sounded as if something was boiling.
One bubble after another popped on the swamp-like shadows, making a wet sound as they reached their limit.
New eyes emerged from the darkness.
Eerily, deep within those eyes were two pupils, creating an inexplicable sense of horror.
A flash of steel.
A head the size of a soccer ball rolled across the ground in silence, accompanied by a geyser of blood.
The transformation in Taketori came to a grinding halt.
However, just as Sora thought it was all over.
Ukitake's raspy cry rang out from the ruins: "Sora, watch out!"
The moment the words left his mouth, an endless darkness erupted from the thick puddle of blood, gurgling outward.
It grew more and more violent.
Finally, it exploded into a pillar of silent light, pulverizing the last of the Kidō barrier and soaring straight into the heavens!
In an instant, countless gazes across the Soul Society turned toward the 13th Squad.
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