Chapter 58: Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Assassination Arts
A single claw strike passed, blood sprayed, and Captain-Commander Yamamoto's figure retreated rapidly.
Across his exposed torso, five massive claw marks had appeared, stretching from his shoulder all the way down to his abdomen. Blood flowed freely, but the injury did not last long. Yamamoto's powerful muscles shuddered; combined with the circulation of his spiritual power, the wounds spontaneously closed, stopping the bleeding until not a trace of the injury remained.
His overwhelming combat experience was not reflected only in his offense; his expertise in managing injuries was so extensive it was frightening, having naturally evolved into specific techniques.
"Keke... using nothing but the manipulation of flesh and spiritual power to possess strength equivalent to High-Speed Regeneration... how delightful. Come, let us exchange our feelings even more passionately..."
Ichigo Kurosaki's figure rushed forward like a ghost along an irregular path. His entire body was now wreathed in an ominous black-and-red Reiatsu. His hands blurred as ten Getsuga Tenshos erupted from his fingertips. However, instead of firing them, he solidified them at his tips, shaping and extending them into ten soft, eerie black-and-red energy blades.
These bizarre blades whirled in an irregular vortex as he flickered, making it impossible to predict where his strikes would land.
"Hmph. A truly disgusting form!"
Faced with Ichigo's Hollow-like appearance, the Commander let out a cold snort. Yet, the instant before the black-red blades reached him, his figure vanished. When he reappeared, he was already in Ichigo's blind spot. In that split second, Ichigo's pupils contracted violently.
Yamamoto's Shunpo was unique. It lacked the elegance and precision of Byakuya Kuchiki's, nor did it have the fluid speed of Yoruichi Shihoin's.
Two thousand years of war and slaughter had caused Yamamoto's Shunpo to evolve into a technique specialized purely for killing. A single step was timed to land exactly in the gap between an enemy's thoughts; he could be seen, yet the opponent would feel as if they simply could not react. Furthermore, he always landed in the enemy's most uncomfortable blind spot.
Ichigo instinctively turned, but the moment his head began to pivot, he found a finger had already reached out silently, tapping the space between his eyes!
An invisible shock arrived without warning. In that moment, Ichigo felt his entire body go limp and weak. His vision dimmed, and he could barely maintain his Hollowfication. Then, a terrifying premonition of crisis surged violently in his heart.
An invisible blade of spiritual energy had, at some point, already been swung!
Its edge was incredibly sharp. A single slash nearly split Ichigo's body in two diagonally. Blood erupted like a geyser. It was a fatal injury, but although Ichigo perceived everything, he could not respond. His body had sustained a lethal blow, yet his brain and nerves were already shutting down toward unconsciousness!
"Tsk. A thousand years have passed, and the old man acts like he's cultivated a peaceful soul on the surface, but he hasn't let go of his old tricks at all."
In the distance, Yoruichi Shihoin marveled as she watched the battle.
A millennium ago, Captain-Commander Yamamoto used any means necessary for victory. Ambushes, kidnappings, sneak attacks, and assassinations were his specialties. But unlike a traditional villain's lackey, Yamamoto's skills in this field were artistic.
His iron patience and powerful insight, paired with tactical execution, made every ambush a guaranteed hit. Even Yhwach had tasted the bitterness of defeat because of this.
The Shunpo that stepped precisely into psychological and visual blind spots—making it impossible to react even while watching—the technique called "Iminari" (Majestic Sleep), which used a tiny amount of Reiatsu and extreme precision to shock an enemy's brain into unconsciousness, and the god-speed slash called "Nadegiri" (Clean Sweep)... these were the witnesses of Yamamoto's true nature as a master of assassination.
Thousands of years ago, countless soldiers on patrol or sentry duty would suddenly see their vision go black and die silently. Only when their heads hit the ground would their peripheral vision catch a glimpse of a tall figure flashing by like a demon from a ghost story.
The Yamamoto of a millennium ago was a bona fide King of Assassins. The name of the "Ghost" that shook the Soul Society was forged through this!
But after the Gotei 13 was established, the era changed. After a thousand years of self-restraint, the Commander became "gentle." Perhaps even he knew that no one wanted to see a King of Assassins who killed without a sound.
Yoruichi used to think the Commander had truly changed, but what she saw now was assassination artistry even more refined than it was a thousand years ago.
It made her feel that the demon who once deterred the entire Soul Society had never truly left. Like every strike he made in the past, he had simply slipped away from everyone's gaze, watching from the psychological blind spots for a thousand years, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Beside Yoruichi, Soi Fon spoke: "But against Ichigo Kurosaki, such means are indeed effective."
Soi Fon had been Yoruichi's personal attendant since childhood. After Yoruichi's exile, she was pushed forward by the Shihoin family to take over the Captaincy. During her tenure, she had sharpened her insight, and now she pointed out the truth with piercing accuracy.
Ichigo's Reishi Recomposition and recovery were too exaggerated. Forcing him into unconsciousness before finishing him off was a tactic worth trying, and the effect so far was excellent.
Yoruichi agreed, but there was one thing she didn't quite get: "Soi Fon, this place is so wide open. Why are you constantly pressed against me? Aren't you hot?"
"I'm worried you will leave me behind again, Yoruichi-sama."
Soi Fon, pressed tightly against Yoruichi, felt a blush rise to her cheeks and leaned in even closer.
The battle took a sudden turn. After taking the slash, Ichigo had not yet died, but he had lost consciousness. Even the Hollow mask on his face began to crumble as his body slowly collapsed. Yamamoto's eyes lowered slightly, a flash of killing intent passing through them.
He was not in the habit of holding back, and he didn't intend to start now.
Using his hand as a blade, he lunged forward. The move called "Onibi" (Demon Fire) was designed to pierce an enemy at god-speed!
Yet, at that exact moment, the unconscious Ichigo suddenly moved. With a speed faster than a thunderclap, he reached out and gripped the arm Yamamoto had lunged forward!
Then, Ichigo slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was entirely different from before.
A cross-star shimmer emerged in his pupils—elegant and majestic, yet hiding a dangerous edge capable of destroying everything. This look felt inexplicably familiar to Yamamoto.
"It has been a long time, Yamamoto... you too have grown old!"
The Commander retreated instantly, but a brilliant cross-shaped arrow of light had already blasted through the air, piercing through all phenomena.
Feeling that familiar power as he was struck, Yamamoto growled:
"Yhwach! You are actually hiding inside this brat's body!!!"
Ichigo did not pursue him. His gaze was deep as he whispered elegantly:
"Yamamoto, my apologies. I am not the Yhwach you know. I am merely a phantom summoned by the call of combat instinct to temporarily save the day. But due to the destiny between you and the original, I shall tell you this: Yamamoto, prepare to go all out. Stimulated by death, Ichigo Kurosaki has evolved once more..."
With those words, Ichigo's eyes slowly closed. When they opened again, his original spirit had returned. He looked at Yamamoto and said:
"Sorry. It seems some unexpected things just happened. But that's not important. Let's continue..."
It was hard to describe what Yamamoto felt from Ichigo's gaze in that moment. His reaction was tell-tale: he reached out, and his wooden cane flew into his hand before shattering to reveal the Zanpakuto within.
"All things in the universe, turn to ashes!"
Accompanying the whisper of his Shikai, majestic flames swept across the heavens. Yamamoto raised the towering inferno and slashed toward Ichigo!
In the next instant, Yamamoto turned his head slightly. Ichigo had vanished from his sight. When he reappeared, it was in the blind spot of Yamamoto's vision and senses. Then, a fist slammed forward!
End of Chapter
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