Several months later.
One day, Ais brought her Zanpakuto to Rayleigh's workshop for maintenance.
Although a Zanpakuto is a blade made out of soul, its vessel is still physical and susceptible to wear and tear.
The prime example was Kenpachi Zaraki's Zanpakuto, Nozarashi.
Due to its master's ferocious fighting style, the blade was riddled with nicks and chips, looking so battered it seemed useless for actual combat.
Yet Kenpachi Zaraki could cleave through anything with that dull blade.
After all, the Captain's hobby was to weaken himself.
He wore an eyepatch to suppress his spiritual pressure, tied bells to his hair to make it easier for enemies to detect him, and treated his sword the same way.
By neglecting its maintenance, he ensured it wouldn't be too sharp, preventing him from killing his opponents too quickly.
To Rayleigh, Zanpakuto maintenance was much like taking a pet to the groomer for a bath.
Rayleigh took Gonryomaru from Ais's hands.
This was the first blade he'd delivered to the Loki Familia, its master being Ais Wallenstein.
Gonryomaru was a lightning-attribute Kidō-type Zanpakuto capable of manipulating electricity, making it highly compatible with Ais.
Combined with the explosive power of her Magic, Ariel, Gonryomaru's lightning attacks elevated Ais's offensive capabilities by several tiers.
At mid-to-long range, the lightning strikes it unleashed were no less potent than a rapid-cast spell like Firebolt.
Its potential was also high.
The power of its Bankai, Koko Gonryo Rikyu, was acknowledged even by the strongest Shinigami of all time.
Like the strongest ice-type Zanpakuto, Hyōrinmaru, it was a blade capable of manipulating the weather.
Ever since obtaining this sword, Ais had been on a rampage in the Dungeon, and a week ago, she successfully reached Level 3.
Unlike ordinary swords, a Zanpakuto possessed its own consciousness and would complain to Ais, demanding she take it for maintenance!
"Gonryomaru scolded me," Ais said, sounding aggrieved.
But Rayleigh wasn't swayed by her cuteness.
"A Zanpakuto is like a person," he said. "If you don't cherish it, be careful it doesn't start to hate you."
"I don't want that."
"Then treat your Zanpakuto better. Also, if you want to learn Bankai, you need to earn Gonryomaru's approval. I told you that before, didn't I?"
"You did." Ais lowered her head, looking like a child admitting her mistake.
Rayleigh patted her head, then began to maintain Gonryomaru, restoring it to pristine condition.
"Thank you, Rayleigh."
"Don't think you can get away with just being cute. The maintenance fee is 40,000 Valis."
"..." Ais fell silent before turning her face away, unable to meet Rayleigh's gaze.
Seeing this, Rayleigh knew she was about to ask for another IOU.
"You already owe me 160,000 Valis. If this keeps up, I'm telling Riveria."
The way Ais's face fell showed just how effective that threat was.
...
Half an hour later, Rayleigh handed Gonryomaru back to Ais and saw her off.
He then closed the door and headed to the Hephaestus Familia's factory in the Industrial District.
A new shipment of materials had arrived, including something he ordered.
The factory was located in the Second District, between East and Northeast Main Streets.
From the outside, it resembled a volcano.
'It'd look even more like one if it were smoking...'
'Wait. Smoke?'
Rayleigh used Shunpo, rushing toward the factory.
"Haha, kill these blacksmiths!"
"Dye this place red with their blood!"
BOOM!
Slaughter and destruction meet his sigth.
The Hephaestus Familia's factory was under attack!
A group of black-cloaked figures rampaged through the facility, smashing, looting, and killing.
Rayleigh's brow furrowed. Just as a blacksmith was about to be struck down, he used Shunpo to intervene.
The attacker swung his blade, only to find his target unharmed.
He stared in disbelief.
"How are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion.
The blacksmith he'd attacked was just as bewildered, but he'd seen something.
Trembling, he raised a shaky hand and pointed at the attacker's weapon.
"Where's my blade?" the attacker demanded, stunned.
He looked down at his scimitar. Only a short stump remained in his hand, the rest of the blade have vanished into thin air.
"Looking for this?" Rayleigh's icy voice came from behind the attacker.
The sound sent a jolt of terror through the man, making him scramble away and only dare to turn back once he'd put some distance between them.
When he did, he saw the boy standing there, not even bothering to pursue him, still holding the missing section of his blade.
"Wh-When did you...?" The attacker was dumbfounded.
He stared at the broken hilt in his hand, then back at the boy, his mind going blank.
This boy had shattered his weapon, and he hadn't even seen it happen!
'This kid is bad news. Seriously bad news.'
Rayleigh studied the attacker, assessing the situation.
Attacking their factory in broad daylight, killing with such efficiency... These guys were undoubtedly from the Evilus.
"You lot dared to attack the Hephaestus Familia... You really underestimate us, don't you?"
...
"There's a High-Rank Adventurer here! Attack!"
Sensing Rayleigh's danger, an Evilus member roared, and several others converged on him.
The approaching men froze mid-stride, their faces contorted in terror as they stared at him.
The man who shouted didn't understand why they were staring at him, so he tried to look down at himself, but his world spin violently.
'What's happening? Why can't I feel my body? That figure... who is it?'
Thud.
The head landed on the ground, rolling a few times before coming to a stop at Rayleigh's feet.
Rayleigh had casually lopped off the man's head, but the victim's reaction was so delayed he didn't even realized he'd been decapitated.
The surrounding Evilus members felt a chill run down their spines as they watched the man—a bloody line already etched across his neck—shouting for them to attack.
When his head finally fell, their chill turned to sheer terror!
Rayleigh kicked the head away with an expression so unnervingly calm.
Strictly speaking, this was his first time killing a human, yet the sensation was barely different from slaying goblins, imps, or other monsters he slain before.
If there was any difference at all... it was that humans left behind corpses when they died, unlike monsters, which vanished, leaving only Magic Stones.
Even the blacksmith Rayleigh had just saved was staring at him in terror.
"You lot—"
Rayleigh had barely begun to speak when his voice, which had been in front of the Evilus members, echoed from behind them.
Hearing the sound, they turn around, but their lower bodies remained facing forward.
With a single slash, he bisected all five men at the waist, then vanished with a Shunpo, reappearing outside the factory and breaking into a dead sprint!
He hunted down Evilus members, teleporting behind them the moment he found them.
Decapitation, bisection at the waist, a blade through the heart, or simply cleaving them in two.
He didn't release his Zanpakuto, nor did he use both swords, ensuring one slash meant one kill.
These were mere grunts.
Among the masses of Level 1s, few had reached the upper ranks, and only a handful were Level 2, but even those Level 2s couldn't stop him as they got cut down the instant they met.
Rayleigh was now at the upper ranks of Level 2, but his combat prowess far exceeded that.
---
The Great feud soon.