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Fate In Bleach (293)
🕑 Added 2024-09-15 17:00:08 +0000 UTCChapter 293 - A Matter of Perspective
After all, Yhwach, as the son of the Soul King and leader of the Quincy, his Almighty ability, much like Head-Captain Yamamoto’s Ryūjin Jakka, was no secret.
It seemed he had been mistaken. This Ryoka invasion was unrelated to the Quincy. These individuals were truly just teenagers from the World of the Living. Teenagers, in the Soul Society, would typically be children under 1.2 meters tall.
No, unless they matured mentally at an accelerated rate, twelve-year-olds were considered infants in the Soul Society.
Appearance reflected one's mental state, not their physical age. Of course, stronger spiritual pressure did equate to a longer lifespan in the Soul Society.
Toshiro Hitsugaya, for example, was nearing his forties, but he still had the appearance of a child.
Ailin, when his spiritual pressure was weaker, had resembled a young man in his thirties. But as his strength increased, even though he was over three hundred years old, his appearance hadn't changed significantly.
Facing such “infants,” even Shunsui Kyōraku felt a twinge of shame.
He pulled down his straw hat and tried to reason with Chad.
“Young man. I understand from your words that you and your friends infiltrated the Seireitei because your companion wanted to rescue Miss Madarame. However, even he has been defeated. Is there any point in continuing this pointless struggle? Surrender now, and I, with my authority, can guarantee leniency from the Captain-Commander.”
“Thank you for your offer.”
Chad shook his head. His unique life experiences had taught him to discern kindness from malice. While this man's words weren't particularly pleasant, Chad sensed his good intentions.
“But I don’t believe Ichigo has been defeated. Besides, even if he were, as his friend, I cannot surrender. I must help him achieve his goal, to rescue Miss Shino Madarame.”
With those words, Chad threw a punch towards Kyōraku.
Boom!
His fist unleashed a beam of spiritual energy.
“My, my…” Kyōraku tipped his hat and vanished. The beam of energy shot past where he had been standing a moment before.
Boom!
It struck the wall behind him, creating a massive crater.
His attack having failed, Chad began circling Kyōraku, unleashing a barrage of punches. He knew the vast difference between his strength and that of a Gotei 13 captain. He had never considered defeating Kyōraku. His only goal was to follow Yoruichi's instructions:
“If you encounter a captain, don’t hesitate. Run!”
Having forced Kyōraku to dodge repeatedly, Chad reached the end of the alley. He threw a final punch, then turned and fled.
“Ah, what an adorable little fellow.”
Kyōraku dodged Chad’s attack and landed gracefully.
He had been observing the boy, noting his strength and his lack of experience. Any ordinary Shinigami could condense reishi beneath their feet to stand in the air. Why couldn't this boy?
He had been curious to see how far Chad would go, playfully hopping and dodging the boy’s attacks.
He hadn't expected Chad to simply run away.
What a clever choice!
However, if he allowed the boy to escape, his reputation as the Eighth Division captain would be tarnished.
For instance, Gin Ichimaru's failure to capture the Ryoka, allowing them to escape through the White Road Gate a few days ago, had been a blow to his standing.
However, after one of the Ryoka defeated Ikkaku Madarame, Gin's reputation had recovered. After all, Ikkaku Madarame was the Fourth Seat of the Eleventh Division, a powerful Shinigami who had mastered Bankai.
If those Ryoka could defeat Ikkaku, then escaping from Gin Ichimaru, who hadn't even used Bankai, was nothing.
While he considered Chad a formidable opponent, his strength was, at best, comparable to that of a seated officer.
Despite his thoughts, Kyōraku didn't intervene. Nanao Ise had already acted.
“Bakudō #63 - Sajō Sabaku!”
Three chains materialized that snaked towards Chad.
“Not good!”
Chad had never encountered such an attack. He spun around, gathering a ball of blue spiritual energy in his right fist, and slammed it into one of the chains.
Boom!
The blue energy collided with the black chain, causing loud noise and dispersing large amount of dust.
Crackle… Crackle…
The chain’s speed decreased, and sparks flew from its surface.
Boom!
Seeing his attack having some effect, Chad unleashed two more punches.
Bang!
The chain shattered. However, the other two chains had already reached Chad and bound his arms.
“Bakudō #62 - Hyapporankan!”
Nanao chanted. Dozens of rectangular pillars of light materialized, then shot towards Chad.
Thud… Thud… Thud…
The blue pillars pinned him to the ground, rendering him helpless.
Clap… Clap… Clap…
“Impressive, Nanao-chan. You can even use Bakudō above sixty without incantations. In the entire Gotei 13, few can match your mastery of Kidō.”
There was a hint of surprise in Kyōraku’s voice. Even he hadn't known Nanao’s Kidō mastery had reached such a level.
Of course, in recent years, the Seireitei had been relatively peaceful. Nanao hadn’t had many opportunities to use her skills.
Unless she deliberately showcased her abilities, how could anyone know she could use Bakudō above sixty without incantations?
Even among the Gotei 13 captains, aside from those specializing in Kidō, few could match Nanao’s mastery.
Nanao glared at Kyōraku and ignored his praise. If it weren't for Ailin’s guidance, her Kidō wouldn't have progressed so rapidly.
“Captain Kyōraku, if you were more reliable, I wouldn’t have to intervene,” she said, frowning at the bound Chad. “Did I overdo it? We should take him to the Fourth Division for treatment.”
While she had only used two Bakudō spells, Hyapporankan, unlike Sajō Sabaku, possessed offensive capabilities.
Over a dozen blue pillars had pierced Chad's body. He couldn't even access his spiritual pressure, and his injuries were severe.
“Yes, you’re right.” Kyōraku nodded. “After all, they came here to rescue Shino.”
“Things are quite complicated in the Seireitei right now. Perhaps their presence will shake things up a bit.”
To Kyōraku, while the Seireitei might appear peaceful on the surface, beneath the calm facade, a storm was brewing.
He would rather purge those who weren’t loyal to the Seireitei than face betrayal from within during their battle with the Quincy.
He would observe closely, waiting to see who else would reveal themselves.
…
“Chad…”
Uryu and Orihime, still running, had just sensed Ichigo’s spiritual pressure vanish. Now, they felt Chad’s disappear as well.
“What’s happening?” Orihime whispered while clutching her chest. While saddened by Ichigo's disappearance, neither she nor Uryu believed he was dead.
But when it came to Chad… they weren’t so confident.
“Uryu, what should we do?”
Overwhelmed by helplessness, she turned to Uryu for guidance.
“Don’t worry, Orihime. I can still sense Chad’s spiritual pressure. It’s faint, but he’s still alive. We need to get out of here and rescue Shino before the other Shinigami realize what’s happening. Once they learn of our target, our mission will fail.
Based on Ichigo and Chad’s spiritual pressures, they can’t help us. They’ll be focusing on capturing us. We have to take advantage of the chaos, before they arrive at the Palace of Penitence.”
“Okay.”
Orihime nodded, following closely behind Uryu as they ran towards the Palace of Penitence.
