Under Shiba Kūkaku's control, the Shiba family's special Kidō ignited blazing flames beneath the base of the Kūkaku Cannon.
The fire spiraled around the barrel once before a thunderous explosion echoed through the Shiba residence.
A transparent shell shot into the sky.
Smoke spread across the Shiba compound.
Kūka scratched her head awkwardly.
"Oops… I might've gotten a little too excited. Looks like I used a bit too much power."
The cannon's base had actually cracked from the force. The Kidō she had released this time was far stronger than usual, and naturally the cannon's launch power had also increased.
Crack.
Inside the Reishi Core, everyone noticed a thin crack forming in the protective barrier.
"Hey, Ganju! What's going on? Is this cannon really that fragile?" Ichigo immediately demanded. "It won't break before we reach the Seireitei, right?"
"That's impossible! Our fireworks are the best in Soul Society!" Ganju protested.
But as he stared at the crack, even he looked uncertain.
"…Could Kinhiko and Ginhiko have given us the wrong core?"
"Can we increase our Reiatsu output and repair it?" Tatsuki asked.
"No," Yoruichi said. "The problem isn't the barrier—it's the Reishi Core itself."
Everyone looked down.
Sure enough, a tiny crack had appeared on the core resting in their palms.
"Can Inoue fix it?" Uryū Ishida asked. With Orihime's power of rejection, repairing it should theoretically be possible.
"No point trying," Tsuna said calmly.
"Right now, our Reiatsu balance is what's maintaining the barrier. If Orihime redirects her Reiatsu to repair the core, the barrier will collapse immediately."
"And we'll all fall."
"Then what if the cannon isn't strong enough to break through the Seireitei's defense?" Ichigo asked.
"It's just a barrier. Everything has its limits," Tsuna replied with a casual shrug.
"If it fails, we'll just change the plan and break in by force."
"Though doing that might seriously provoke that old man."
Yoruichi shivered slightly.
"Let's avoid that if possible. When the old man takes action… it's terrifying."
Everyone except Tsuna turned to look at her.
They had heard the intelligence about surrendering immediately if they encountered the Captain-Commander, but they still doubted just how strong he was.
Seeing someone as powerful as Yoruichi speak with fear made them even more curious.
"Enough thinking," Tsuna said suddenly.
"Get ready for impact!"
He had already seen the defensive barrier surrounding the Seireitei.
BOOM!
The shell collided with the barrier.
The explosion echoed throughout the entire Seireitei.
Fortunately, the shell successfully broke through the defense.
Tsuna's group didn't need to launch any additional attacks.
Unfortunately, the Reishi Core was already unstable.
The collision finally shattered the balance of Reiatsu inside it.
The moment they breached the Seireitei's defenses—
BOOM!
The core exploded violently.
Without the barrier protecting them, everyone was blasted apart by the shockwave.
They scattered across the sky above the Seireitei like fireworks.
As expected of Soul Society's greatest fireworks master—Shiba Kūkaku had literally given the Seireitei a massive firework display.
Tsuna landed smoothly in an alley using Bringer Light.
He immediately contacted everyone through their communicators.
Fortunately, everyone was safe.
However, they had been scattered all across the Seireitei.
After agreeing to regroup at the Sōkyoku Hill tower where Rukia was imprisoned, the call ended.
Tsuna looked around casually.
To be honest, he had no idea where he was inside the Seireitei.
He simply pointed in a random direction and prepared to start moving.
Just as he was about to step forward—
A sudden sense of danger surged through his mind.
He tilted his head slightly.
A blade sliced past his ear.
Tsuna glanced sideways.
The blade had already vanished from sight.
Flipping backward with one hand on the ground, Tsuna turned and saw the attacker.
Of course.
Only one person possessed such a bizarre Zanpakutō.
Short light-purple hair.
Narrow, smiling eyes that always concealed his true emotions.
Cunning like a fox.
Cold and patient like a snake.
An extremely dangerous man.
Captain of Squad 3 — Ichimaru Gin.
"So you dodged it, Ryoka."
Gin's expression remained unreadable.
His Zanpakutō was hidden within the wide sleeve of his uniform.
Looking up with narrowed eyes, he said calmly:
"Breaking into the Seireitei… is a capital offense."
"It's not that serious, Captain," Tsuna replied lightly while drawing his Zanpakutō.
In some ways, running into Gin was actually lucky.
If it had been someone else, Tsuna might not have gotten such an easy opponent—even if Gin wasn't fighting seriously.
"Oh? Another short blade?"
Gin shook his sleeve slightly, revealing his Zanpakutō.
Compared to most Shinigami swords, his blade was unusually short—similar in length to Tsuna's.
Except its edge gleamed with cold metallic light.
"Actually…" Tsuna started to speak.
But before he could finish—
Gin pointed the blade toward him.
Bending slightly, he concealed the sword with his sleeve.
Then he activated its power.
"Shoot to kill… Shinso."
A dazzling white flash burst from his sleeve.
The blade shot forward, extending rapidly toward Tsuna.
Tsuna sighed helplessly.
Some people just refused to listen.
In that case, there was only one option—
Convince Gin physically first.
Tsuna swung his Zanpakutō.
"Rage, Storm — Arashi."
A circular barrier instantly formed in front of him.
Part of the Sistema C.A.I.'s defensive module.
Gin's attack slammed into the barrier.
The white flash revealed its true form—
An impossibly long blade stretching across the entire alley.
Gin silently retracted Shinso, keeping it hidden inside his sleeve while waiting for another opening.
This was Shinso's ability.
It could extend instantly to assassinate opponents.
Its thrusting attacks were Gin's most common technique.
A cold weapon wielding the destructive power of modern firearms—
Thus the name Shinso — "Divine Spear."
Because Tsuna understood Shinso's ability, he deliberately chose the Storm-attribute Sistema C.A.I. combat system, which mimicked modern firearms.
What kind of clash would occur between simulated firearms and a blade acting like one?
Tsuna was curious.
"What's wrong?" Tsuna asked.
"Not attacking?"
"Then I'll go first."
He raised his arm and fired a Scarlet Flame Arrow from the skull-shaped cannon.
Gin dodged sideways while activating Shinso again.
The Sistema C.A.I. defense barrier appeared once more.
But this time Shinso didn't stab Tsuna directly.
Instead, it curved upward in front of the barrier and shot into the sky.
Then Gin swung his arm.
The extended Shinso whipped downward like a giant blade, slashing toward Tsuna.
Another application of Shinso.
Even when extended, it retained the full power of Gin's swordsmanship.
Tsuna stepped on a floating barrier and slid sideways, narrowly dodging the strike.
Gin's response was simple.
He twisted the blade—
Shinso swept horizontally toward Tsuna.
With such an enormous range, it wouldn't take long to catch him.
Tsuna switched ammunition.
A combination of Sun Flame and Storm Flame.
High-mobility guided missiles shot toward Gin.
The rapid projectiles forced Gin to reposition, and Shinso had to retract.
Gin slashed repeatedly, destroying the pursuing missiles.
He landed lightly atop a wall.
His expression remained calm.
"You're pretty capable."
"But this ends now."
Gin placed the hilt of Shinso against his chest, gripping it with both hands.
He activated Shinso again.
The blade shot forward at incredible speed.
Just as fast as Tsuna's missiles.
The blade extended and retracted rapidly, firing like a machine gun of stabbing attacks.
Tsuna didn't remain passive.
He switched ammunition again.
A fusion of Rain Flame and Storm Flame.
Corrosive Scarlet Flame Arrows shot from the skull cannon.
Blue Rain Flames wrapped around the red Storm Flames.
The outer Rain Flames slowed Shinso's attacks with their calming effect.
Then the inner Storm Flames began decomposing the Reiatsu within the extended blade.
Boom boom boom boom!
A barrage of explosions erupted between Tsuna and Gin.
The two reached a stalemate.
Shinso couldn't break through the corrosive flame arrows.
Or rather—
At this level of Reiatsu output, Gin couldn't overpower Tsuna.
Gin retracted his blade and stood silently.
He was hesitating.
Was it worth using greater power to eliminate Tsuna?
Or should he simply allow this powerful intruder to disrupt their plan?
If the plan was ruined—
Could he still achieve his ultimate goal?
Tsuna had no idea what Gin was thinking.
But the moment Gin's attack rhythm slowed—
Tsuna immediately switched tactics.
A fusion of Cloud Flame and Storm Flame.
Countless self-proliferating orbital beams spread toward Gin like a giant spider web.
Gin hadn't expected Tsuna's attacks to come so relentlessly.
Like a raging storm, they gave him no chance to breathe.
Now the question was no longer whether Gin wanted to disengage—
But whether Tsuna would let him leave.
In the blink of an eye, Gin was surrounded by proliferating beams.
If he remained passive, he would be hit.
Gin rose onto his toes and spun in place.
As he rotated, Shinso extended further and further, spiraling around him.
Layer upon layer.
Like a giant rotating spiral shield.
Centered on Gin, Shinso cut down every incoming beam.
Watching this, Tsuna couldn't help sighing.
In a way, Shinso's extension ability was strangely similar to the Cloud Flame's proliferation.
And Gin spinning Shinso like this reminded Tsuna strongly of Hibari Kyoya spinning his chain weapons.
But this wasn't the time to admire the similarity.
Tsuna switched ammunition again.
A combination of Lightning Flame and Storm Flame.
A powerful energy beam wrapped in a hardened lightning shell shot from his arm.
Lightning increased the beam's hardness.
Storm added devastating decomposition power.
Together they formed the most destructive attack in the Sistema C.A.I..
The High-Power Ion Beam.
The moment Gin stopped spinning—
A green-and-red beam had already appeared in front of him.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789