Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The Gunbai
Chapter 10: The Gunbai
The scent of the wind changed.
Something dangerous was brewing, taking shape with every passing breath.
The dark tomoe in the Sharingan spun frantically. In a split second, Yato’s spine stiffened, and he leaned violently backward.
The very next instant, an immensely powerful blade of wind sliced past the tip of his nose, taking a few strands of hair with it as it effortlessly cleanly severed all the stone pillars in the training grounds.
RUMBLE...
The eaves collapsed, kicking up a massive cloud of dust that blotted out the sky.
The invisible wind blade swept past once more, dispersing the dust and revealing the figures of Yato and Kentaro.
The right side of Kentaro Koizumi’s face was swollen high, and he had lost a few teeth, but in stark contrast to his miserable appearance, his spirits were incredibly high.
"It seems my ability is quite the counter to yours."
His Zanpakuto had changed form; the blade had eerily expanded, resembling a shield.
"Uchiha Yato, your Zanpakuto’s ability likely channels Spiritual Pressure into your eyes, enhancing your kinetic vision, speed, and physical strength.
"You can easily see through even my Shunpo.
"What’s truly terrifying is that those eyes of yours can probably see Spiritual Pressure itself!
"If you hadn’t been so heavily injured, I likely wouldn’t have even gotten the chance to use Shikai. What a pity. Truly a pity."
Kentaro Koizumi raised his shield-like Zanpakuto to his chest and aimed it at Yato.
"But you can’t catch the wind."
The invisible wind blades attacked once again.
Yato sighed internally. To think that this obscure, lowest-ranked Seated Officer from the original story possessed such seasoned combat reflexes.
—Kentaro Koizumi was right. The tomoe Sharingan manifested through his "Stage One Shikai" was formidable enough to perceive the fluctuating Spiritual Pressure in battle, but it could not see through a rapidly moving hurricane.
Within seconds, the tides of battle had completely reversed.
An overwhelming barrage of wind blades howled toward him. Yato was forced to block with his sword while frantically dodging and maneuvering to evade the onslaught.
But his current speed was no match for the wind.
Occasionally, the wind blades would slice into his body, tearing through flesh and blood. Although Yato reacted fast enough to keep the wounds shallow, as they accumulated, his injuries grew increasingly severe.
Even the ground he stood upon was blasted into a deep crater.
However, despite the mounting injuries and the blood spilling onto the ground, Yato tenaciously held on, refusing to fall, like an acrobat performing on a tightrope.
Gradually, Kentaro Koizumi began to feel anxious.
The commotion at the Horiuchi estate was massive, and a raging fire had even broken out in the western sleeping quarters. Soul Reapers from the Gotei 13 could arrive at any moment!
I can’t drag this out any longer.
Kentaro Koizumi gritted his teeth.
He gripped his shield-like Zanpakuto with both hands, pouring his Spiritual Pressure into it. After a brief tremor, a dragon of wind leaped forth.
I’ll maximize the attack power so this kid can neither dodge nor block it!
The wind dragon roared, bringing with it countless wind blades as it charged directly at Yato.
"It’s over..."
The rapid output of Spiritual Pressure left Kentaro Koizumi pale, but he endured the discomfort and locked his eyes onto Yato.
Even when victory is assured, you must grip your sword tightly and keep your eyes fixed on the enemy. This was a mantra constantly repeated by the Zanjutsu instructors at the Shin’o Academy.
However, contrary to his expectations, the boy facing certain death showed not a single trace of despair.
—The Zanpakuto in Yato’s hands had also changed form.
It was now a black-and-white, gourd-shaped gunbai fan. It featured two sets of six tomoe patterns and had a chain attached to the handle.
Facing the terrifying wind dragon, the youth held the gunbai fan squarely in front of him.
"Uchiha..." Yato’s voice was utterly devoid of emotion.
"...Reflection."
The wind dragon crashed into the gunbai and, without making a sound, vanished completely.
A millisecond later, an even stronger, far more violent tempest surged outward from the surface of the fan, viciously biting back in Kentaro Koizumi’s direction!
Tornado-like gales materialized in the air, shredding the flesh of the Seated Officer.
The building ruins he stood upon were blown away by the immense power, leaving not a single tile intact.
"Urgh!"
Yato’s vision blurred, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, falling to his knees.
Using the gunbai as a prop, he forced himself not to collapse entirely and looked toward Kentaro Koizumi.
The Squad 9 Seated Officer had been torn limb from limb, his internal organs and bones mangled beyond recognition.
He couldn’t be any more dead.
The heavy stone weighing on Yato’s heart finally lifted. His crimson Sharingan reverted to pitch-black pupils, and the gunbai transformed back into the shape of a katana.
He gasped heavily for air, resting in place for a short while before forcing his battered body upright and staggering into the distance.
Yato had no intention of waiting for the Gotei 13 to arrive.
This mess between him and the Horiuchi family involved nobility, meaning it would definitely be reported to the Central 46 for trial.
But... could those guys be trusted?
A decade from now, they would be absurd enough to sentence eight Captain-level Soul Reapers to execution!
Falling into their hands was worse than running off to Hueco Mundo to become a Gillian.
Therefore, Uchiha Yato planned to conceal the whole ordeal and head straight home.
The Horiuchi clan would have undoubtedly been extremely cautious when orchestrating something like this, and since Kentaro Koizumi had just carried out a total massacre, there was no fear of leaks. The Tsunayashiro Clan was also highly unlikely to proactively bring the matter up.
The raging fire from the west was drawing closer and would soon engulf the entire Horiuchi manor.
The inferno would bury everything.
...
"Hurry! Faster!"
"Those skilled in Water-type Kido, step forward! Water-type Zanpakuto users, get over here!"
"Someone go request aid from Squad 4..."
"What do you mean there isn’t a single survivor?"
Late into the night, dozens of Soul Reapers in their black shihakusho bustled outside the burning Horiuchi estate.
From the moment the alarm was raised to organizing a response team and arriving at East Rukongai’s District 62 "Hanagare", barely half an hour had passed.
Considering the distance, such organizational capability was astoundingly efficient.
Naturally, the division responsible for handling emergency rescue operations was Squad 5 of the Gotei 13.
Unfortunately, when the Squad 5 members rushed to the scene, they found not a single living soul within the Horiuchi manor—only a roaring inferno.
The Soul Reapers looked at each other in dismay, unsure of what to do.
Just as confusion was setting in, a warm, mellow voice drifted into their ears.
"Continue doing your duties."
A man walked over at a leisurely pace.
He appeared to be a young man, handsome and refined, with brown hair and black-framed glasses that further accentuated his gentle, scholarly demeanor.
His shihakusho was impeccably neat, his Zanpakuto hung at the optimal position on his waist, and the Lieutenant’s badge bearing the character "Five" and the Andromeda flower motif was fastened to his left arm.
The newcomer was none other than the Lieutenant of Squad 5 of the Gotei 13—
Sosuke Aizen.
"Lieutenant!"
"Yes, Lieutenant!"
"Lieutenant, for you to make the trip personally at this late hour..."
"It’s no trouble at all, 3rd Seat Shunsuke Kurokawa," Aizen smiled warmly.
"It is merely my duty as a Soul Reaper."
The arrival of their Lieutenant gave the Squad 5 members a pillar of support. Following Aizen’s commands, they quickly brought the fire under control.
The Horiuchi manor had been reduced to scorched earth.
Sosuke Aizen stepped onto the ruins.
The Spiritual Pressure that had briefly erupted during the battle had long since vanished.
However, faint traces of Reiraku (Spirit Ribbons) remained in obscure crevices and corners, slowly dissipating with the passage of time.
These minuscule Reiraku were difficult to notice, even for Captain-level figures.
But...
As he walked past a certain section of the ruins, Aizen’s footsteps paused imperceptibly.
...What a marvelous Spiritual Pressure.
"3rd Seat Shunsuke Kurokawa."
Aizen smiled lightly at the Seated Officer behind him, his tone casual.
"Are there any Soul Reapers from the Horiuchi family currently serving in the Gotei 13?"
"Lieutenant, as far as I recall, there are none. Sigh, their family doesn’t seem to favor martial prowess. They only attend the Shin’o Academy to network with other nobles. But why do you ask so suddenly..."
"It’s nothing."
The gentle, gentlemanly man smiled and shook his head. At the same time, his foot tapped lightly against the ground, crushing the lingering Reiraku.
"I just suddenly thought of... that flower blooming upon the cliff."
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