Yoruichi Shihouin had a headache.
But Kisuke Urahara's headache was even worse.
Originally, things were supposed to go smoothly—Byakuya Kuchiki should have just taken Rukia back to the Soul Society without any problems.
But then, out of nowhere, Nanaya showed up.
In just one day, he had grown incredibly powerful. It wasn't Kidō that made the difference—it was Susanoo, a massive red warrior spirit that looked like a god of war.
Susanoo was covered in thick armor and held a huge sword. Every time it swung, it released a destructive shockwave. And now that Nanaya had fully bonded with it, Susanoo was even stronger than before.
"If this keeps going, Karakura Town is going to be wiped out," Urahara said, clearly alarmed.
He couldn't just sit and watch anymore.
If the town got seriously damaged, the Soul Society would definitely send reinforcements. Maybe even the head captain, Yamamoto, would show up.
If that happened, not only he and Yoruichi, but also Hirako Shinji and the other Visoreds (Masked Corps) would be in danger of being caught.
The Visoreds knew it too. They were already blaming Urahara in their heads, furious that he dragged them into this mess. They had been hiding in the human world for over a hundred years, always on edge, like fugitives. And now? All because of Urahara, they might end up facing Yamamoto again.
"Why'd you have to poke the old bear, Kisuke?"
Meanwhile, on the battlefield…
Countless glowing blades, shaped like cherry blossom petals, danced in the air. Every time they flashed, hundreds of them crashed against Susanoo.
But Susanoo's defense was unbelievably tough. Even Byakuya's Senbonzakura couldn't break through.
Nanaya wasn't just defending—he fought back easily, making Susanoo swing its massive blade down at Byakuya.
While attacking, Nanaya activated his eye techniques and shouted:
"Amaterasu!"
"Flame Control!"
A wave of dark fire surged out, setting the cherry blossoms in the sky ablaze.
Byakuya blocked the slash, but the intense flames around him were troubling. His face tightened. He hadn't expected to face such a powerful opponent in the human world.
At this rate, he was burning through spiritual energy way too fast.
He was even having trouble keeping control of his own Reiatsu.
Glaring up at the top of Susanoo, he stared at Nanaya inside the glowing crystal at its core.
"If I kill him, this thing should disappear too, right?"
He figured that Susanoo must work like Sajin Komamura's Bankai—if the user dies, the summoned warrior dies too.
With that in mind, Byakuya activated Shunpo and vanished from sight.
A second later, he reappeared mid-air, right above Susanoo's forehead.
He raised his hand, and the cherry blossoms formed into a sharp blade in his grip.
Looking coldly at Nanaya inside the crystal, he said:
"Seems like you can't move while you're inside there."
Nanaya smirked and replied, "Don't be stupid. This is the strongest part of Susanoo."
Byakuya gave a quiet scoff and slowly lifted his blade.
"This is the final form of my Bankai—Senbonzakura Kageyoshi: the White Emperor Sword. It's my most powerful attack. No defense, just pure offense. Let's see if you can stop it."
As soon as he spoke, a cold flash of light shot forward.
The sword's strike was simple but terrifying—it actually cut through Susanoo's defense.
But just as it was about to hit Nanaya…
Byakuya's expression changed. Something was wrong.
He hadn't felt the sword connect.
In the blink of an eye, Nanaya had slipped past Senbonzakura's blade and appeared directly in front of Byakuya.
He pointed his right index finger at Byakuya's shoulder and grinned.
"I was waiting for you to get close."
"Hadō Number Four: Byakurai!"
A bright bolt of lightning shot out.
It pierced through Byakuya's shoulder, a sharp white flash lighting up the dark sky like a thunderbolt in the night.
"Urgh…"
Byakuya grunted in pain but didn't cry out. Blood spilled onto his white captain's haori, staining it red.
He quickly backed off, ignoring the pain, and stared at Nanaya coldly.
"…Why didn't you kill me?"
He hadn't even released his full Reiatsu yet. He was nowhere near his full strength.
If Nanaya had aimed at his chest or head instead of his shoulder, he would be dead.
Nanaya lowered his finger and smiled—
"How could this happen? You're my brother-in-law! I just wanted to teach you a lesson," Nanaya said, frowning in disbelief.
Byakuya Kuchiki's eyes turned ice cold. A rare flicker of fury broke through his typically calm exterior.
"You—a human—who dares insult the honor of the Kuchiki family… You think sparing you once means I won't strike again?"
"You'll soon understand how foolish it was not to kill me when you had the chance."
As he spoke, his spiritual pressure surged once more.
Unleashing his full Reiatsu in the human world was strictly forbidden—but that no longer mattered. He knew that unless he went all out, he couldn't defeat Nanaya. Worse, he might be the one to fall here.
Up in the sky, a line of blood traced down his shoulder.
"Is… is Captain Kuchiki injured!?" Renji Abarai muttered, shaken. His own body ached from Ichigo's earlier blow.
Renji stared at the sky, horror creeping into his chest.
That human actually managed to injure him…
The idea was unthinkable, but the proof was right there. Panic itched at the edge of his thoughts.
Could Captain Kuchiki actually lose...?
Gritting his teeth, Renji turned quickly to Rukia.
"Rukia! Are you really going to stay here!?" he shouted.
"You and I—we graduated together. You know what happens to traitors."
"Even if we can't take you now, more captains will arrive soon. When they do, not just you, but Nanaya, Kurosaki Ichigo, the Quincy, and those two humans—they'll all be killed."
"There's still time. Come back with me. You know the Seireitei won't care what happens to the humans."
Renji raised his right hand, chanted quickly, and an ancient Senkaimon gate shimmered into existence before them.
"RUKIA!!" he called again, desperation creeping into his voice.
All eyes turned to her.
Rukia's heart pounded. She remembered how Soul Society dealt with defectors.
She looked up at Nanaya, still locked in a standoff with Byakuya, then turned to Ichigo, Ishida, Orihime, and Chad.
After a long silence, she sighed. Her steps were heavy as she walked toward the gate. Just before entering, she said quietly but firmly:
"Renji. You're not allowed to hurt them again."
Renji nearly coughed up blood.
"Hurt them!?"
Are you kidding me!?
Ichigo slashed me, the Quincy shot me twice, a human punched me in the face, and even that soft-spoken girl blocked two of my attacks!
The only reason I'm still standing is because I'm absurdly durable!
Muttering to himself in disbelief, Renji stepped into the gate. Then he looked up and shouted:
"Captain Kuchiki! Rukia has agreed to return. Our mission is basically done!"
Byakuya, still poised for battle, paused as his gaze fell on Rukia.
After a moment, he dispersed his Senbonzakura petals and stared coldly at Nanaya.
"I'll find you... after you die."
In his mind, it was simple. With Nanaya's power, even if he died, he'd enter Soul Society with his memories and maybe even his strength intact.
And that wouldn't take long. After all, human lifespans were short.
A hundred years at most... We'll finish this then.
With that thought, Byakuya descended.
Meanwhile, Nanaya stood atop his summoned Susanoo, sighing.
"Seriously? I was ready to fight to the death, and Your Highness just gave up?"
He shook his head, disappointed. "Don't you trust my strength?"
Letting out another sigh, he dismissed Susanoo, his body dropping toward the earth.
Just as Byakuya stepped into the Senkaimon, the gate began to close—but Nanaya shot forward and slipped inside at the last second.
"NANAYA! You're—!"
Ichigo shouted, stunned, but the gate closed before he could finish.
Uryu, Orihime, and Chad ran up, watching helplessly as the portal faded from sight.
In the shadows nearby, Urahara Kisuke and Hirako Shinji emerged slowly, both with troubled expressions.
"…Did that guy just go to the Soul Society?" Hirako muttered, rubbing his temple.
Urahara sighed, a slight smile twitching at his lips. "Looks like things just got a lot more complicated."
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