"What keen perception."
The gentle voice seemed to trigger a switch, and the darkness slowly lit up.
A hazy white light appeared as Reishi in the atmosphere gathered, gradually coming into focus to reveal a plain figure.
He wore a pure white Captain's haori over a simple black Shishakushō.
His black hair was tied into a ponytail with two strands hanging down like catfish barbels, and his pale face was devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
His pitch-black eyes calmly stared ahead.
"I've tried my best to suppress my Reiatsu, and even controlled the Reishi fluctuations to their absolute weakest. I didn't expect you to still notice me."
"Shino Prison Warden, Naraku Sora."
"Is it an instinctive perception of danger, or is it a Hollow's Pesquisa?"
Naraku Sora frowned.
Not many people knew he possessed Hollow powers. Aizen was one, Shutara Senjumaru was another, but aside from them, not even Urahara Kisuke or Kurotsuchi Mayuri knew.
They only had vague suspicions.
But the person before him saw through his abilities at a single glance.
Coupled with this gentle and refined appearance, his identity was obvious.
The former Captain of Squad 11, the eighth generation Kenpachi, listed by Central 46 as one of the most dangerous individuals.
"Azashiro Sōya?"
Naraku Sora was somewhat surprised.
Although he knew this guy's abilities were exaggerated, he didn't expect him to be able to walk freely in Muken.
After all, the floor here was made of Sekki-seki.
Furthermore, all Soul Reapers imprisoned in Muken had to undergo spiritual power deprivation and Kidō sealing.
Clearly, conventional methods had no effect on this eighth generation Kenpachi.
"I didn't expect Warden Naraku to know my name."
Azashiro Sōya nodded slightly as the vast light spread across the floor, dispelling the surrounding darkness.
Strangely, even though the illuminated area exceeded the limits of sight, no boundaries could be seen.
Beyond the light, there was still pure darkness.
"How surprising."
"Could you tell me why the Warden would risk violating Soul Society laws and Central 46 taboos to trespass into Muken?"
Hearing this, Naraku Sora revealed a mocking smile.
"If I said I was here to promote justice, would you believe me?"
He naturally knew a bit about Azashiro Sōya's past.
Strictly speaking, he was a pitiful person persecuted by the Soul Society's current system.
Centuries ago, the Azashiro family lived as lower-class nobles in the Seireitei's Sixth District. Because their family had amassed massive wealth through business but lacked the power to protect it, they attracted countless greedy eyes.
Other nobles banded together, using framing, assassination, and infighting. Soon, the entire Azashiro family completely fell into ruin, and even its family members were sent to the Shino Execution Grounds.
Including Azashiro Sōya.
Stimulated by despair, he forcibly awakened the power of his Zanpakutō. In just a few short seconds, he slaughtered every single noble present, leaving none alive.
Even the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō at the time stated that it was the "most tragic and unimaginably gruesome sight" he had ever encountered in his life.
As for the conclusion of the incident, the entire case was closed with the explanation that "the Hollow used for execution killed all the condemned and the spectating nobles through unknown means."
Afterward, Azashiro Sōya continued to grow, inheriting the title of "Kamaitachi," and under the watchful eyes of Squad 11 members, he defeated Kuruyashiki Kenpachi head-on.
Becoming the eighth generation Kenpachi.
After a period of stability, Azashiro Sōya had a sudden brainwave, coming up with a vanguard plan out of nowhere.
The general plan was to transform all the residents of the Rukongai into weapons of war, then send them all to Hueco Mundo to exterminate every Hollow in the world.
At the time, Central 46 disapproved, believing that a mere brute from Squad 11 couldn't possibly achieve this.
But when Azashiro Sōya placed the results of his modifications in front of them, those high-and-mighty old fools immediately panicked.
Believing this plan would affect their status, they immediately ordered him to stop.
But Azashiro Sōya obviously didn't listen to them, stubbornly continuing on his own path until he headed to the Rukongai, ready to execute the plan.
Suddenly, for some unknown reason, he forcibly aborted the plan and surrendered to Central 46.
The final outcome was that due to his dangerous actions, he was judged as a heinous criminal and thrown into Muken with a sentence of nineteen thousand five hundred years.
Even longer than the sentence of Aizen, who implemented the plan to collapse the Soul Society.
Aizen only got eighteen thousand eight hundred years at the time. It was only later, because of his insolent remarks that caused Central 46 to collectively lose their composure, that they added another two thousand years to his sentence.
On some level, Kenpachi Azashiro could be considered quite the talent.
Naraku Sora's expression was somewhat subtle.
He suddenly wondered what Aizen's state of mind would be if he knew that his decades or centuries of scheming were inferior to someone else's sudden brainwave.
"Justice?"
The corners of Azashiro Sōya's mouth curled up slightly, his originally gentle smile taking on a hint of sarcasm.
"If you truly adhered to justice, you wouldn't lock up and release those so-called sinners at will, nor would you deliberately target the so-called nobles."
"As the Shino Prison Warden, you not only treat Soul Society laws as nothing, but you also repeatedly provoke the bottom line of Central 46."
"The 'justice' coming from your mouth is truly laughable."
Naraku Sora raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to tell me how to do my job?"
"?"
Azashiro Sōya's expression froze.
Under his bewildered gaze, a certain someone grinned, revealing a smile typical of a protagonist.
"Does a heinous criminal locked up in Muken have the right to judge someone else's justice?"
"I'm not interested in your twisted fallacies, but I do have some thoughts about beating you up."
"Azashiro Sōya, after being suppressed for so many years, don't you have even the slightest bit of remorse?"
Accompanied by the crisp sound of cracking joints, scorching Reiatsu surged upward. A burning wind suddenly rose in the cold, pitch-black Muken, rapidly evaporating the moisture in the surrounding air.
"Do you understand what hope is?"
The moment his voice fell, the figure in the distance vanished into thin air. A demon-like smile appeared before him without warning, and a fist wrapped in scorching Reiatsu smashed downward.
Although Azashiro Sōya was prepared, he was still startled by the sudden outburst. As his pupils shrank sharply, a blue light seemed to flash past the depths of his eyes.
The moment he dodged with Flash Step.
Boom—
A deafening explosion echoed through Muken. The resulting wind from the punch directly shattered the restraining stone pillars behind him, and the ground beneath his feet was plowed into a trench dozens of meters long.
"What an exaggerated outburst."
Azashiro Sōya glanced at the cracked Sekki-seki floor, the corner of his eye twitching imperceptibly.
His Zanpakutō was named Urozakuro. Its Bankai ability was to merge his own Reishi into the Reishi of inorganic matter, allowing him to freely control that substance to attack or bind enemies.
Once merged with a certain space, he could monitor everything happening within it.
Relying on this heaven-defying ability, very few things that happened in the Seireitei could be hidden from him.
Including the things Naraku Sora had done.
Of course, this ability was not without limitations. He could not merge with places protected by Kidō barriers or special technology.
But even with a relatively clear understanding of a certain someone's strength, experiencing it firsthand still gave him a scalp-numbing, explosive illusion.
This guy didn't look like a Soul Reaper in the slightest!
"You're far weaker than the Kenpachi I know."
Naraku Sora wore a mocking smile as he dropped his stance, slightly flexing his muscles. He looked completely defenseless, allowing Azashiro Sōya in the distant faint light to search for his weaknesses and openings.
"You don't even have the courage to face your enemy head-on, yet you have the nerve to call yourself Kenpachi?"
Azashiro Sōya's gaze remained calm, completely unmoved by the trash talk.
He knew his own strengths and weaknesses well, so avoiding a direct confrontation was the most correct decision.
The moment his voice fell, Reishi suddenly swept up into a howling storm, and the atmosphere was filled with intense pressure.
The nearby gravity seemed to multiply several times over. The terrifying pressure indiscriminately enveloped everyone in Muken, covering every inch of their skin and internal organs. Kuroda Ryōsuke let out an unbearable wail.
Having been bound and imprisoned for years, his Reiatsu had been greatly weakened, leaving him completely powerless to withstand a battle of this caliber.
However, this level of pressure was like nothing to Naraku Sora.
Suddenly.
Invisible blades of air instantly condensed, slashing toward his most vulnerable neck. The sound of tearing silk rang out endlessly, like a high-pitched symphony.
Clang—
The sound of clashing metal rang out, sending countless brilliant sparks flying onto the floor, where they melted into the darkness.
"As a Kenpachi, you actually dare to bring out an attack of this level."
Naraku Sora raised an eyebrow, feeling as if his neck had been bitten by a mosquito.
He couldn't say it was completely useless, only that it struggled to even break his defense.
Even if he just stood there and let the other party attack him for ten days or half a month, he might not even see a wound.
"If this is all you've got, then prepare to be beaten to your knees, and then take a good moment to comprehend what hope truly is."
As soon as he finished speaking, the expression of Azashiro Sōya opposite him changed.
Because within the range of his Reishi fusion, Naraku Sora suddenly vanished, and even he couldn't perceive the trajectory of his movements.
In almost that exact instant, Naraku Sora's figure had already appeared behind Azashiro Sōya.
With his five fingers spread wide, he grabbed straight ahead.
Azashiro Sōya didn't even turn his head as he softly chanted a Kidō incantation:
"[Bakudō #81・Dankū]."
A transparent barrier several meters high appeared out of thin air, directly separating the two.
"Since you know a bit about me, you should know that such clumsy methods can't hurt me. At least with your current level, it's far from enough."
Azashiro Sōya stepped forward with Flash Step, once again widening the distance between them.
However, a shattering sound came from behind him.
The Bakudō number eighty-one, cast without its incantation, was completely insufficient to withstand Naraku Sora's frontal assault.
It only held on for a split second before turning into a sky full of Reishi, scattering into the air.
At the same time, a strong and powerful right hand violently grabbed the haori bearing the character for "Eleven."
Feeling the scorching aura approaching, Azashiro Sōya's expression changed drastically. Just as he prepared to manipulate Reishi to counterattack, an irresistible force surged forth.
Naraku Sora swung his arm in a full circle, violently smashing him toward the ground.
Boom, boom, boom!
He repeatedly slammed him left and right. The sturdy ground let out a wail as rings of cracks spread in all directions.
Azashiro Sōya was like a ragged doll, completely powerless to resist. The sounds of squelching flesh and shattering bones rang out continuously.
The tyrannical torture continued until the haori in his hand was torn to shreds, and the body fell apart, exploding in the air like fireworks.
Naraku Sora glanced at his masterpiece, then immediately frowned.