Gazing at that monstrous existence, Kyōraku Shunsui felt a headache coming on.
He had thought Naraku Sora would be strong, but he never expected him to be this strong.
Even with the four of them joining forces, two had been instantly eliminated.
The speed was so fast that even he hadn't been able to react.
Or rather, he simply hadn't anticipated that Naraku Sora's attacks would reach such a terrifying level. Seemingly ordinary strikes carried surprisingly high destructive power.
Even Zaraki Kenpachi, who had mastered his Shikai, couldn't block them.
That flickering black-and-red lightning was like the physical embodiment of destruction, effortlessly obliterating everything in sight.
He originally thought that after spending so many years together, he understood Naraku Sora well enough. But only now did he realize that the other man still harbored secrets he knew nothing about.
*'Hollowfication?'*
Kyōraku Shunsui's expression turned somewhat peculiar.
According to the information he knew, once a Soul Reaper was infected by Hollow poison, their strength would experience a qualitative leap, but at the same time, they would lose their sanity and become an absolute monster.
But did Naraku Sora look even the slightest bit like he had lost his mind?
Although his flowing Reiatsu was completely restrained, his burning posture was truly eye-catching.
A ferocious, demon-like white bone mask obscured his face. His haori and upper garments had been torn to shreds in the battle, revealing a perfectly sculpted, muscular physique.
As a strong gust of wind swept through the air, residual embers and sparks drifted down.
A pair of golden, slit-like pupils were highly aggressive, radiating a heart-palpitating brilliance. Even a simple turn of his head left two trails of light in the air.
Just as the two sides were locked in a standoff, the shadows in the nearby ruins suddenly rippled like water. A black blade violently thrust out from within, aiming straight for someone's kidney.
As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Naraku Sora swung his Zanpakutō backward without even looking.
The shadow blade struck his sword, sending a shower of brilliant sparks flying.
"I already told you."
Naraku Sora grinned, his voice echoing over the ruins like an electronic synthesizer.
"The same trick won't work on me."
"Why can't you ever learn?"
Long ago, he had familiarized himself with Kyōraku Shunsui's Katen Kyōkotsu, and it had left a deep impression on him.
The materialization of children's games could certainly be described as having quite an artistic flair.
Its complex and unreasonably powerful rule-based abilities were considered magnificent even among the myriad of Zanpakutō.
If it were any other opponent who didn't understand Katen Kyōkotsu well enough, they would have been chopped into mincemeat by Kyōraku Shunsui's blades long ago.
Looking at his deflected shadow blade, Kyōraku Shunsui felt a sense of powerlessness well up inside him.
He had thought Sora dodging it earlier was a coincidence, but after this second sneak attack, he realized that these kinds of tricks truly had no effect on Naraku Sora.
It was as if the guy was covered in eyes from head to toe; no matter what form the attack took, he could easily block it.
At this point, it seemed he only had one last trump card left.
Kyōraku Shunsui turned his head to look at Unohana Retsu not far away. Their eyes met, and they instantly understood the plan they needed to execute next.
Unohana Retsu lightly tapped her toes against the ground, her graceful figure darting forward like a moth drawn to a flame.
Rumble—
As if heaven and earth had inverted, a majestic pressure came crashing down!
The chaotic Reishi on the battlefield instantly went berserk, and a blinding blood-red hue recklessly dyed the boundless terrain.
An endless stench of blood spread out, covering all the ruins within sight.
Unohana Retsu cast her gaze downward, an intense yearning surging in her eyes. She gripped the blade tightly with her left hand and forcefully sliced across it, letting the scalding blood gush from her palm and sink into the earth.
The blade curved even more, as if it had transformed into a creation of pure blood.
"Bankai—Minazuki!"
Thick, slippery blood continuously dripped from the blade, instantly bringing forth a boundless ocean of blood.
Her light footsteps landed amidst the crimson, and she instantly appeared right in front of Naraku Sora.
Looking at the figure who had left an indelible memory deep in her mind, a delighted smile curled the corners of Unohana Retsu's lips.
Although she had subtle differences from her original body, it didn't stop her from becoming infatuated with the exact same person.
To her, the best way to treat this affection—
—was to crush his body and completely integrate him into her own, so that from then on, there would be no distinction between them, and they would be together forever.
Unohana Retsu crossed a distance of a thousand meters, arriving in front of Naraku Sora in an instant. Without hesitation, she swung the curved blade down toward his neck.
Perhaps because her movements were so gentle, they provoked unwarranted fantasies, making it look like the intimacy between lovers.
However, contained within these fluid motions was an undisguised, tyrannical killing intent.
Clang!!
The blades clashed, sending sparks flying.
Naraku Sora's attack had absolutely no technique to speak of; it was merely the purest and most berserk method.
Instinct.
A scorching, boiling heat surged from his body, and berserk power erupted from his shell. Unconcealed brutality surfaced deep within his golden, slit-like pupils.
"What makes you think you're worthy of using the same Bankai as Big Sis Retsu?"
Shunkō: Blazing Lightning Hell!
Brilliant golden arcs of electricity danced wildly. A surging Kidō Reiatsu erupted from his shoulders, and the sounds of explosive thunder and scorching flames echoed across the ruins.
Looking at the face across from him that flashed with a hint of panic, a trace of disgust appeared in Naraku Sora's eyes.
Then.
He clenched his five fingers, triggering the endless, terrifying power within his body like a collapsing flash flood. His body pulled taut like a bowstring, and the lines of his highly tempered muscles emitted the sound of twisting tension.
Although in terms of pure technique, he couldn't compare to Unohana Retsu—even against a clone, he was still a step behind.
But this did not affect the final outcome.
If he couldn't bridge the gap in skill, he would just use overwhelmingly superior raw stats to fill the void.
When the gap between individuals was so obvious that it couldn't be crossed, a pure collision would only cause the weaker one to instantly—
Shatter into pieces!
The moment Vajrayati slashed down, a fierce, burning wind howled out. Black-and-red lightning distorted the space ahead, completely swallowing up the entire ocean of blood.
Riotous thunder mixed with burning heat erupted entirely in front of him, transforming into a massive pillar of light that covered everything and shot straight into the sky.
The sea of blood trembled!
A single slash shattered the surging waves, crushing Unohana's offensive with overwhelming force and completely destroying that Artificial Soul body.
It turned into clay and fell apart.
Ending the battle, Naraku Sora raised his gaze and looked at Kyōraku Shunsui in the distance.
"Sacrificing your comrades to try and weaken the enemy in this way."
"But did you ever consider that even if I was drained a bit, you still wouldn't have the slightest chance of winning?"
A bitter smile appeared on Kyōraku Shunsui's face.
*'Just who exactly said this guy had no brains?'*
From the very beginning of the battle, Naraku Sora had seen through their tricks.
The others had given their all to weaken and exhaust him, then pinned the key to victory on Kyōraku.
The process was right, but the result had a slight deviation.
Kyōraku Shunsui lowered his gaze, his expression incredibly calm.
"How will we know if we don't try?"
"Bankai—"
The moment his voice rang out, an extremely chilling Reiatsu swept across the entire battlefield and continued to spread outward. Viscous shadows surged beneath his feet as if they were alive.
Kyōraku Shunsui flipped his wrists, plunging his twin blades into the dark shadows.
Reiatsu rose, materializing into a woman exuding an elegant aura. She leaned in slightly, wrapping her arms around Kyōraku Shunsui's neck, rubbing her cheek against his in an intimate gesture.
"Katen Kyōkotsu: Karamatsu Shinjū."
Several pitch-black pine trees extended from the viscous shadows. Pine needles scattered, slowly unfolding beneath their feet like a scroll painting. The Reiatsu permeated the air, enveloping Naraku Sora within it.
"Act One: Hesitance and Apportionment of Wounds!"
From the start of the battle, Kyōraku Shunsui had deduced that Naraku Sora's Reiatsu had a shortcoming.
Compared to Soul Reapers of the same generation, this guy was indeed a monster. Looking throughout the history of the Soul Society, one would be hard-pressed to find many stronger than him.
However, compared to the original Kyōraku Shunsui, he was still slightly lacking in Reiatsu.
Not to mention against a clone that had undergone specialized Reiatsu enhancement.
As his words fell, all the injuries on Kyōraku Shunsui's body were unexpectedly synchronized onto Naraku Sora's body.
In an instant, he was dripping with blood, looking extremely battered.
Seeing this, Kyōraku Shunsui's confidence soared.
As long as Act One took effect, he only needed to unleash the remaining acts in one breath to end the battle instantly.
"Act Two: The Pillow of Shame."
The interlude narration ended there; the hidden struggle was the true climax of the entire battle.
The withered pines formed from dark shadows reappeared, and an aura of sorrow and despair spread along with them.
Accompanied by his words, Naraku Sora's entire body became covered in irregular black spots. Blood flowed from them, as if he had contracted an incurable disease.
"Act Three: The Severing Abyss."
Kyōraku Shunsui pushed forward in one vigorous effort. His terrifying Reiatsu erupted instantly, and the dark shadows covering the entire battlefield rose from the ground. Like an inverted abyss, they dyed the sky a pure black.
"Final Act: Thread-Cutting Scissors upon a Blood-Streaked Throat."
Taking advantage of Naraku Sora being restrained by the first three acts, Kyōraku Shunsui flashed behind him. He calmly sheathed his swords, white thread-like Reishi strings wrapping around his fingertips.
"It's over, junior brother."
Silently, the threads wrapped around Naraku Sora's neck. Kyōraku spread his arms, instantly pulling the Reishi threads taut, and an extremely dazzling sharpness bloomed.
Hum—
A violent tremor transmitted through the Reishi threads, but the expected scene of a head exploding did not occur.
Kyōraku Shunsui looked back in astonishment, witnessing an unimaginable sight.
The attack of the Final Act had been completely blocked by a pitch-black blade.
The injuries on Naraku Sora's body were healing at a visible rate, returning to normal in the blink of an eye.
Seeing the Reishi threads continuously snapping, Kyōraku Shunsui's pupils shrank. Ignoring the orders given to him by his creator, he turned and fled into the distance.
In the blink of an eye, he had traversed dozens of kilometers.
The Severing Abyss could stall for a few seconds, and combined with the effects of The Pillow of Shame and Hesitance and Apportionment of Wounds, it would be enough for him to escape Naraku Sora's Reiatsu range.
*'As long as I can escape to that place...'*
Kyōraku Shunsui gritted his teeth, squeezing out his remaining Reiatsu to push his Flash Step speed even higher.
Watching the fleeing figure, Naraku Sora didn't give chase. He merely raised his bloodstained palm.
A pitch-black torrent swarmed over, condensing into a massive black sphere of light. Like a black hole, it devoured everything around it.
Distorted, jagged patterns scattered across its sides, and the surrounding space emitted a scalp-numbing creaking sound.
Gran Rey Cero!
The torrent swept across the zenith, instantly crossing dozens of kilometers and directly hitting the fleeing Kyōraku Shunsui.
In an instant, fireworks bloomed!