章 75: Chapter 76: Getting Serious
"Ah, did I overdo it just a little?"
Yoruichi murmured to herself as she stared at the distant rock face, now almost entirely obscured by billowing smoke.
"But it shouldn't be a problem. Unohana-senpai did mention that Makoto's spiritual body is slightly stronger than the average Vice-Captain."
"Besides, he's skilled in Kaidō, and his Zanpakutō's ability allows for self-healing. He even survived a direct Cero from an Adjuchas without dying on the spot. He shouldn't go down that easily."
Still, Yoruichi glanced at the lingering smoke and hesitated. "But is this spiritual pressure really on the verge of achieving Bankai? Unohana-senpai did ask me to help him master it as soon as possible."
As Yoruichi debated whether to push things further, the ground within the smoke-filled underground space suddenly transformed. A lush expanse of grass began to spread rapidly, covering the area completely in mere moments.
"Hmm? Is he finally getting serious?"
Yoruichi's interest piqued. Few things excited her more than sparring with intriguing prodigies. Her long life as a Shinigami had been filled with moments like this—teasing geniuses, pushing them to their limits, watching their frustration and determination build until they had no choice but to grow.
Makoto's earlier half-hearted retaliation hadn't thrilled her in the slightest.
But now... While his spiritual pressure hadn't visibly surged, this large-scale manipulation of terrain suggested he was finally treating this as a real battle.
Buried in the rock wall, Makoto felt every bone in his body groan under the strain. He observed the spreading grass and calculated its reach.
"Almost there..."
His gaze sharpened as he muttered to himself.
Since awakening his "Spirit Particle Manipulation" ability, Makoto's fighting style had undergone a fundamental transformation. He no longer relied solely on his own spiritual energy to fuel his wood-based abilities and control over nature.
The ever-present spirit particles of the Soul Society had become his true, inexhaustible power source. His own spiritual pressure now only needed to sustain and amplify the plants absorbing these particles.
This underground space was vast, but with spiritual pressure comparable to that of a seated officer in the Gotei 13, Makoto found it manageable.
Failure, however, was not an option. He had no doubt that if he lost, Yoruichi would strip him of his Shihakushō and toss him to the Eleventh Division to fend for himself.
And so, with conviction burning in his heart, he whispered under his breath:
"Manifest, Arrive, trascend. The ultimate essence of all things, the origin of everything. Shinro Banshō!"
With those near-silent words of release, Makoto's Zanpakutō, Shinro Banshō, dissolved into particles of light, merging seamlessly with his spiritual body. His control over spirit particles heightened dramatically in an instant.
Floating beside him, unseen by anyone but himself, was the diminutive spirit of Shinro Banshō.
"Are we finally doing this, Master?" the zanpakuto spirit asked in a playful, lilting voice. "I thought it'd take you another century or two of honing your 'Perfect Spirit Body' before you'd actually unleash this power."
"Just a glimpse of instinct, Master. I've been waiting far too long for this."
The spirit's whispers filled Makoto's mind, but his gaze remained steady. He unclenched his fist and murmured, "Bloom."
In the next instant, under Yoruichi's intrigued gaze, flower buds began to sprout across the vast carpet of grass. One by one, they unfurled, blanketing the underground space with countless blossoms.
"Oh?"
Yoruichi examined the blooming flowers with growing interest as the smoke cleared, revealing Makoto's figure. His Shihakushō was tattered, and he raised a gloved hand, pointing directly at her.
Yoruichi's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Oh? Is that a challenge? You're getting cocky, little brat..."
Before her words fully left her lips, she blurred into motion, vanishing in a burst of speed as she charged toward Makoto.
However, the grass surrounding her suddenly erupted, growing at a ferocious pace. Countless tendrils of green shot toward her like writhing tentacles, forming a massive, impenetrable web.
"Is that all you've got?" Yoruichi chuckled, weaving through the grasping vines. "This soft, fragile technique won't stop me!"
Her slender figure moved like a thunderbolt, and though her spiritual pressure remained within the Vice-Captain level, her sheer strength tore through the vines with ease.
But as she closed to within ten meters of Makoto, she noticed the calm confidence in his expression.
"Captain Shihōin," he said, his voice steady, "underestimating me has its limits. Brace yourself for this."
At his words, the tendrils surrounding Yoruichi abruptly thickened, transforming into massive tree trunks that surged inward, converging on her position with crushing force.
"What?!"
Caught off guard, Yoruichi's golden eyes widened slightly. She had no room to evade as the trees closed in.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The deafening sound of crashing wood filled the space as the massive trunks formed a towering pile. Yet Makoto wasn't satisfied. He willed the trees to grow further, intertwining until they formed a colossal spear-like structure. The wooden spear rotated in mid-air before hurtling toward the center of the pile.
Boom!
Suddenly, streaks of white lightning exploded from the cracks in the wooden structure, obliterating it in an instant.
As the spear descended, Yoruichi swatted it away with a single lightning-clad hand, reducing it to splinters. Her presence radiated an oppressive power as she stepped forward, unharmed.
Makoto, however, merely smiled. "Captain Shihōin, it seems I've won. This isn't just Vice-Captain-level spiritual pressure, is it?"
Yoruichi froze mid-step, her lightning dissipating as she realized her shredded Captain's haori was now completely exposed. Her expression twisted into a mix of annoyance and resignation.
Makoto's grin widened as his gaze settled on her. From the very beginning, his true goal had been to destroy her haori—not to defeat her in combat. That Yoruichi had unleashed her Shunkō in frustration was merely an added bonus.
===================
Consider joining me on P@treon For 50+ Advance Chapters:
P@treon: p@treon.com/JustaPasserby
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット