"Haa! Foolish noble, your time has come!"
Inside Squad 2's training grounds, Naraku Sora threw a merciless punch. A piercing sonic boom instantly echoed, and faint sparks of fire flickered amidst the erupting air currents.
The fierce physical collision produced a massive boom, sending white shockwaves rippling outward continuously.
The occasional gusts of violent wind tore fissures into the sturdy ground.
Shihōin Yoruichi wore a grave expression, panting heavily as sweat rolled down her temples. It soaked into her modified sleeveless Shishakushō, staining it a darker shade.
Compared to her disheveled state, Naraku Sora's expression seemed relaxed, comfortable, and even joyful. Arcs of electricity danced and flickered around him; every movement he made gave off an illusion of insurmountable power.
From beginning to end, the intensity of his Hakuda remained at a fixed level without the slightest fluctuation. This clearly showed that Yoruichi's attacks posed absolutely no threat to him.
A look of frustration surfaced on Yoruichi's face. For a moment, she couldn't accept the almost despair-inducing gap between them. 'Even though my Shunkō is already highly perfected, the gap seems to have only grown wider. I absolutely cannot give up so easily!'
Yoruichi's gaze firmed once more. Her agile body crouched slightly, her plump thighs instantly tensing, exuding a beauty of sheer strength. Layers of visible air currents exploded from her bare shoulders and back like rocket thrusters. Amidst the roar, her figure vanished from the spot.
Like a teleportation, she appeared directly in front of Naraku Sora. Her slender fingers brushed past like plucking harp strings, clenching into a fist as she shifted her weight. The moment she stepped forward, a terrifying explosive crack rang out, followed by a howling hurricane. It was like a bomb detonating instantly.
Bang—
Amidst the intense collision, Naraku Sora's right hand covered Yoruichi's delicate fist. His movements were light and fluid, making everything look incredibly natural. It was as if Yoruichi had willingly offered her fist to him.
However, the moment it was completely covered, a terrifyingly loud boom suddenly erupted. Rolling air currents wreaked havoc across the spacious training grounds.
Seeing this, Yoruichi's pupils shrank, her face full of disbelief. 'A fully charged strike was countered this easily? Is this guy a monster?!'
"Getting distracted during a fight isn't a good habit."
The voice suddenly appearing by her ear made Yoruichi's body instantly tense up. She instinctively launched an elbow strike to her side.
However, what met her was an irresistible, brute force. In just a moment of daze, her right arm was completely immobilized.
Yoruichi snapped back to reality. Twisting her soft and elastic body, she broke free from Naraku Sora's restraint with a bend that almost defied physiological limits. Simultaneously, she launched a counterattack.
But such an action was no different from throwing an egg against a rock. Even though her attacks rained down like a violent storm, Naraku Sora remained as immovable as a towering mountain, holding his defense.
Yoruichi threw a forceful punch, smashing into his sturdy arm. His muscles vibrated slightly as Reiatsu diffused outward, completely neutralizing all the impact.
In the silence, only the dark-skinned girl's muffled panting could be heard. After fully activating Shunkō, her stamina and Reiatsu were rapidly depleting. Being able to barely sustain a single battle was already a commendable feat.
"I'm done, I'm done." "I yield."
Yoruichi rubbed her sore forearms and thighs, then unceremoniously leaned against the wall, a hint of unconcealable disappointment flashing in her eyes. She looked at Naraku Sora not far away. Because of his Shishakushō outerwear, he didn't look particularly burly or robust, just tall and handsome. He wasn't very old. But in terms of strength, he had already stepped into the ranks of the Soul Society's absolute elite.
Originally, she had worried that this guy would distance himself due to the gap in their statuses, but judging from his current performance, she was clearly the one who had struck gold. A single collaboration not only smoothed over the Shihōin clan's internal issues but also roped in a genius Soul Reaper whose potential rivaled Head Captain Yamamoto's. No matter how she calculated it, she had made a massive profit.
'I just don't know what's up with this guy. Whenever the topic of our marriage arrangement comes up, he always changes the subject. Could it be that I'm not his type?' Yoruichi looked down at herself. Crystal-clear beads of sweat clung to her healthy, wheat-colored skin, and the form-fitting black Shishakushō cinched her waist, outlining an almost perfect curve. No matter what angle you looked from, she was flawless, okay!
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes, suddenly remembering something. Naraku Sora didn't seem to mind Fong Shaolin following him around. Could it be that he liked the petite and cute type? Thinking of this, Yoruichi narrowed her eyes. She suddenly realized she might have more in common with this guy than she thought. When she had time, she would call Fong Shaolin over and test it out together.
"What are you thinking about?" Naraku Sora walked over with a water canteen and handed it to her.
Yoruichi shot him an exasperated look, pouted, and sighed. "You clearly didn't even use your full strength, yet you completely suppressed me in every aspect." "I'm even starting to suspect that if you went all out, you'd end the fight in a single move."
Naraku Sora sat down beside her and grinned. "How is that possible?"
The corners of Yoruichi's mouth lifted, but just as she was about to say something, a certain someone immediately added the next sentence. "It would take at least two moves."
"..."
Seeing his completely serious expression, she felt she really shouldn't discuss heartbreaking topics with this insensitive blockhead.
"Judging from your performance, your Shunkō is already highly perfected." Naraku Sora took a gulp of sweet water. He raised his left hand, spreading his five fingers, and countless Reishi gathered in his palm. They intertwined and wove together, like a 3D printer, outlining a complete human body. Well, judging by the figure, it looked exactly like Yoruichi.
Seeing this, the dark-skinned girl beside him raised an eyebrow, seemingly realizing something. But a certain someone had no intention of explaining, simply continuing on his own: "The main issue is that your Kidō Reiatsu conversion efficiency is still a bit too low." "You can practice high-level Kidō more often, like Dankū, Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō, or something similar." "Once you've mastered their release techniques, converting Kidō Reiatsu will become a breeze."
While addressing the problem, Naraku Sora occasionally manipulated the Reishi human model for demonstration. Although his theoretical knowledge was still a complete mess, combining it with this little trick allowed Yoruichi to barely understand. This was something he had discovered by accident—one of the basic Quincy abilities, Reishi Gathering, which could forcibly fix Reishi in the atmosphere into a specific shape. Although it wasn't very useful for combat, it could assist in completing some Reishi-related experiments and serve as a teaching aid.
"What about that idea you mentioned before, combining Shunkō with your Lightning Release mode? How is that coming along?" After solving Yoruichi's current problem, she suddenly remembered what Naraku Sora had said earlier and asked curiously.
"So-so." Naraku Sora raised an eyebrow. A streak of electricity traveled along his palm and climbed all the way onto the Reishi Yoruichi, making it look much more imposing. Immediately after. As Kidō Reiatsu erupted from the shoulders, astonishing air currents swept outward to both sides, kicking up miniature whirlwinds. But before it could even show off its power, the imposing figure suddenly collapsed.
Naraku Sora spread his hands helplessly. "That's how it is." "If I do it myself, I can maintain it briefly for a few seconds, and then it will instantly collapse due to a Reiatsu conflict."
Yoruichi looked thoughtful. She felt like she had seen this somewhere before. It seemed she would have to flip through some of her clan's ancient texts later.
After resting for a good while, Yoruichi suddenly stood up and pulled Naraku Sora up beside her, a soaring fighting spirit seemingly erupting in her eyes. If she continued to slack off, she feared she wouldn't even be able to see this guy's taillights anymore. She had to work hard.
"Come on, let's fight again." "Let me see your limits!"
After a fierce battle, Naraku Sora took a shower at Squad 2's barracks and left the compound feeling refreshed, preparing to head straight back to the Shino Prison. However, not long after he started walking, a black butterfly suddenly fluttered over from ahead. A Hell Butterfly, a rare species that only Soul Reapers could control. Every squad barracks had professionals specifically responsible for breeding them. They had a built-in miniature Tenteikūra, which could be used to pass messages or guide Soul Reapers through the Dangai.
Naraku Sora raised his finger, allowing it to land on his fingertip. As a faint trace of Reiatsu was injected, a familiar voice suddenly rang out. "Brat, come to Squad 1. It's urgent."
Filled with doubt, Naraku Sora changed direction and used Flash Step to head toward Squad 1, quickly disappearing down the street. As soon as he arrived at the barracks, he suddenly noticed that the atmosphere in the courtyard seemed a bit different from usual. It was dead silent; there wasn't even the sound of footsteps.
Seeing this, Naraku Sora narrowed his eyes, instantly becoming vigilant. Following the Reishi fluctuations in the air, he walked all the way to the reception room, where two figures sat facing each other. One of them was Yamamoto, and the other was somewhat unfamiliar. It was a face he had absolutely no impression of, but the person was dressed rather luxuriously and carried themselves with a dignified aura, clearly a member of the nobility.
Naraku Sora was curious. Since when could Old Man Yama sit down and chat so calmly with a noble? Sensing the presence approaching from outside, Yamamoto looked up and waved at the door. "Come, let me introduce you."
Naraku Sora entered the reception room and sat down next to Yamamoto. "This is the head of the Mikado clan, Mikado Mamoru." "And this is the foolish disciple I mentioned to you earlier, who is now in charge of managing the Shino Prison, Naraku Sora."
Hearing the name Mikado, a look of realization appeared on Naraku Sora's face, followed quickly by surprise. One of the Five Noble Families, the only family that didn't involve itself in power struggles, and their duties were related to Hell, which existed outside the three realms. They were extremely special.
"Lord Naraku is truly a promising young man." Mikado Mamoru smiled amiably. After offering a few simple compliments, he got straight to the point. "Actually, the main reason for my visit today is related to the message Head Captain Yamamoto relayed earlier." "He mentioned that during a mission, Lord Naraku saw the Gates of Hell, which others are unable to see?"
Hearing this, Naraku Sora was stunned.