Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Death Match in the Zaraki District
Chapter 45: Death Match in the Zaraki District
Moments before the catastrophe struck, Yato was playing marbles with Yachiru.
The rules were simple: flick your own stone with your fingers to hit the opponent’s piece. If a piece is knocked out of the drawn circle, it’s eliminated. The winner is determined by the number of remaining stones.
Though simple, it was a wildly popular game across the 320 districts of the Rukongai, and one of the most beloved pastimes among children.
Thwack!
Yato Uchiha casually flicked his finger. His stone shot into the circle in a sharp, straight line. After several ricochets, it knocked all of Yachiru Kusajishi’s stones out of bounds.
"One hundred and forty wins, zero losses."
The tomoe in Yato’s eyes faded away as he chuckled:
"Want to keep going?"
"Stupid Yato." The pink-haired little girl pouted, unhappily pounding her small fists against the dirt. "You’re cheating."
"A Zanpakuto is a part of a Soul Reaper, just like my fingers."
"That’s still not fair, I’m not a Soul Reaper."
"Alright, I won’t use my Zanpakuto’s abilities. But in exchange, you have to give me a handicap of three... no, four pieces."
"You two still have the damn mood for this?" Zaraki, standing nearby, couldn’t stand it anymore and violently chopped at a tree with his Zanpakuto. "Yato Uchiha, you bastard, where is this strong enemy you talked about?"
"The worst thing to have before a grand feast is impatience, Zaraki."
"Hmph. If it turns out differently than what you promised..."
"I’ll hack away at you myself," Yato shrugged. "Until one of us can’t move."
The corners of Zaraki’s mouth curled up. It didn’t look like a smile; rather, it resembled a wild beast preparing to feed.
It was right at this moment that the catastrophe struck.
At the encampment on Mount Ketsuto, Yato, Kaien, Zaraki, and Yachiru’s expressions hardened slightly as they looked toward the distance.
A massive Reiatsu erupted from over there. Thunder roared, destroying buildings and pulverizing everything in its path.
"That’s Hado #63: Raikoho," Yato Uchiha frowned. "This guy... he’s slaughtering the residents of the Rukongai? Is he crazy?"
"Who the hell cares!" Zaraki hoisted Yachiru onto his shoulder and charged down the mountain with a manic laugh. His robust physique smashed trees to splinters, leaving only his voice echoing back from afar:
"Yato Uchiha, Kaien Shiba! Don’t you dare interfere! This fight belongs to me!"
Atop the mountain, the remaining two looked at each other in dismay.
"Yato, you were right. That guy called Zaraki really is a beast born for slaughter."
Kaien Shiba sighed. Dropping to one knee, he began reciting a complex incantation:
"Black and white net. Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns and belts. Footprints, distant thunder, sharp peaks, engulfing land, hidden in the night, sea of clouds, blue line. Form a circle and fly through the heavens!"
"Bakudo #77: Tenteikura!"
Reiatsu expanded outward in a net-like formation, threading through the air and the earth, spreading all the way to the distant Seireitei.
"3rd Seat of the 13th Division, Kaien Shiba, reporting the location of the Ryoka known as the ’Villain’. Due west of Mount Ketsuto in the 80th District of the North Rukongai, straight-line distance of approximately seven spirit-miles..."
As the communication continued, Yato Uchiha noticed Kaien’s expression becoming increasingly grave.
"...Yes, understood. I will execute this mission together with the 3rd Seat of the 12th Division, Yato Uchiha."
"Everything for the Seireitei."
The effects of Tenteikura faded away. The handsome noble heir let out a bitter smile.
"It’s not just the Zaraki District. At this very moment, a total of seven districts are under attack by the Ryoka."
"There are that many of them?"
"No, from beginning to end, the only attacker is the leader of the Ryoka." Kaien recounted the intelligence just provided by the 1st Division:
"His Zanpakuto grants its wielder the ability to split himself into copies. Of course, with each split, his power weakens proportionally."
"Using this ability, he simultaneously attacked seven districts in the Rukongai, including the Zaraki District, indiscriminately unleashing Kido."
"The 1st Division has ordered us to stop him—preferably to kill him right here. Even if we can’t, we must hold out until Captain-class reinforcements arrive."
At this point, a chill crept into even Kaien’s voice:
"What the hell is the 1st Division doing? If they knew the Ryoka’s abilities, they should have informed the frontlines immediately. Waiting until things got to this point to tell us is flat-out delaying critical combat intel..."
Yato nodded, chiming in with a few words of agreement.
However, he knew in his heart that the 1st Division likely had their own difficult reasons for keeping Hanzo Mochizuki’s intel classified. After all, it involved the founding Gotei 13 and the Captain-Commander, and even vaguely implicated the Soul King Palace. The secrets buried underneath were likely massive.
After receiving their orders, the two didn’t delay for long, swiftly rushing down the mountain.
The closer they got to the epicenter, the bleaker the situation became.
Collapsed, burning buildings were everywhere. The streets had been torn apart by immense force, and severed limbs and viscera were scattered all around. It was a gruesome purgatory.
At the center of this hellscape, two figures were locked in a frenzied death match.
"Rrrrooooaaarrr!"
Zaraki laughed maniacally. Having never received orthodox Zanjutsu training, his movements were filled with a raw, primal beauty. His jagged, uneven Zanpakuto was like the fangs of an ancient beast, constantly tearing into his enemy.
Faced with such a ferocious onslaught, Hanzo Mochizuki was clearly struggling to hold his ground.
Possessing nearly a thousand years of combat experience, he had once been one of the authors of the Shin’o Academy’s textbooks. He knew exactly how to deal with this type of enemy.
However, even though his mind was as clear as a mirror, Hanzo’s physical movements simply couldn’t keep up with Zaraki. His Kido incantations were often interrupted mid-chant by a vicious slash.
After all, he was currently split into seven, and his power was drastically weakened.
Seeing this situation, Yato and Kaien exchanged a glance. They didn’t rush to join the fray; instead, they kept their distance, acting as backup to secure Zaraki’s flanks.
"Is this all you’ve got? Release your Zanpakuto, Soul Reaper!"
Zaraki roared. In the heat of the fierce battle, his Reiatsu spiked once again!
The Zanpakuto in his hand chopped downward with tremendous force.
Clang!
Hanzo Mochizuki held his blade up with both hands, barely managing to block Zaraki’s strike. But unable to deflect the overwhelming weight behind it, his arms gave out. Zaraki’s Zanpakuto hacked right into his shoulder.
The blade bit deep into the bone, nearly reaching his internal organs. Hanzo’s face turned as pale as paper, his gaze instantly dimming.
But a beast that has caught the scent of blood will never let go of the prey in its mouth.
Zaraki increased his strength, pressing down hard on Hanzo’s Zanpakuto. With a Reiatsu as heavy as the deep sea, the two of them were driven straight into the ground.
—He actually intended to cleave the Ryoka in half with a single stroke!
"He got him!" Seeing this, both Yato and Kaien showed looks of relief and joy.
However, at that very moment, a twist that completely reversed the tide of battle occurred.
A certain "fragment" leapt out from a rift in the void. Moving at speeds far surpassing the speed of sound, it merged directly into Hanzo Mochizuki’s body.
Since he could split from one into seven, he could naturally fuse from seven back into one.
One-seventh of his soul and Reiatsu had returned just in time.
"Crap... Zaraki, fall back!"
The Sharingan in Yato Uchiha’s eyes spun rapidly. Recognizing the massive shift, he lunged toward the battlefield.
Beside him, Kaien Shiba didn’t possess such dynamic vision, but out of complete trust in Yato, he didn’t hesitate for a second. He released his Zanpakuto and closed the gap with Shunpo.
Unfortunately, they were half a beat too slow.
Feeling a portion of his power return, a vicious glint flashed across Hanzo Mochizuki’s eyes.
"Bite him to death, Shichishurei!"
He chanted his release command, and the Zanpakuto in his hands transformed into a black spear with seven distinct blades!
The situation reversed in the blink of an eye. Channeling the power of his Shikai, Hanzo smashed Zaraki away. The spear struck like a venomous snake, tearing right through his flesh.
Zaraki’s abdomen was pierced straight through in a single blow.
"You were wrong about one thing..."
Hanzo Mochizuki violently kicked Zaraki’s body away, the scars on his face twisting into a hideous sneer:
"I stopped being a Soul Reaper a long time ago."
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