Chương 56: Chapter 56
Shinchira Renzosuke stared at the blood pooling under his feet, momentarily stunned.
Then, as though struck by a sudden realization, his face twisted in terror.
Nearby, Takata Tai cried out in shock:
"Kyōraku Shunsui!!"
As one of the oldest captains of the Seireitei, Kyōraku Shunsui's Shikai abilities were no secret.
Attacking from an opponent's shadow was one of his hallmark techniques.
The thought that Kyōraku Shunsui had somehow slipped into the vicinity without being noticed sent a chill through Shinchira Renzosuke.
Frantically, he scanned his surroundings while repeatedly glancing down at his shadow.
Not far away, Takata Tai mirrored his movements.
Suddenly, a strange sensation of being watched crept over Shinchira.
It was an unsettling feeling that made his heart tighten.
After confirming there was no trace of Kyōraku Shunsui nearby, he quickly lowered his gaze to his shadow.
*Shhkk!*
A sharp blade pierced through his back.
Along with the agonizing sensation of being impaled, a burst of blood sprayed from his chest.
Wide-eyed, Shinchira Renzosuke stared at the sudden wound on his chest.
In that moment, his greatest shock wasn't the attack itself.
It was the baffling absence of a visible weapon, even though the sensation of a blade filling the wound was unmistakable.
He could clearly see the torn flesh of his chest, gaping and unable to close as if held open by an invisible force.
And yet… nothing was there.
Whipping around, he desperately tried to catch a glimpse of his attacker.
What he saw made his scalp tingle.
Nothing.
There was no one behind him.
As he stood frozen in disbelief, the unseen blade withdrew from his body.
"Ugh!"
Staggering, Shinchira Renzosuke clutched at his wound.
Takata Tai, witnessing the scene, was utterly dumbfounded.
In the distance, Yoruichi and Shaolin Fēng also wore expressions of confusion.
What… exactly had happened?
Yoruichi instinctively turned her gaze toward Kaelith Yurei.
Although she had no concrete evidence, her instincts screamed that Kaelith was somehow involved in the incident.
Yet Kaelith simply stood there, motionless and seemingly uninvolved.
Yoruichi frowned slightly, puzzled.
As she pondered, something suddenly caught her attention.
The realization hit her like a thunderbolt, and her pupils contracted in shock.
In the moonlight, Kaelith Yurei had no shadow.
What… kind of illusion was this?
While Yoruichi deliberated, Shinchira Renzosuke was on the brink of madness.
The eerie sensation of being watched returned, sending him into a frenzy.
"Damn it!!"
He roared, wildly swinging his Zanpakutō at the air around him.
*Slash!*
A fresh wound opened on his arm, leaving a deep gash.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
"Kyōraku Shunsui! Show yourself!"
"What? Are you too afraid to face me head-on?!"
As his curses echoed, the attacks came again.
This time, an unseen slash landed on his unguarded calf.
Howling in rage, Shinchira Renzosuke lashed out, his fury mounting.
Takata Tai, observing from a distance, began piecing things together.
Something was off…
This wasn't Kyōraku Shunsui's ability.
Kyōraku Shunsui's "Kageoni" required an attack to emerge from the enemy's shadow.
It was an immutable rule of his Zanpakutō.
Yet, every one of Shinchira's wounds had materialized out of thin air, without a single strike originating from his shadow.
Then… who was responsible for these attacks?
Instinctively, Takata Tai turned his gaze to Kaelith Yurei.
Like Yoruichi, he saw Kaelith standing calmly, unmoving.
Was it not Kaelith after all?
Then who?
He turned his eyes to Shaolin Fēng.
The young woman stood in the center of the battlefield, her gaze fixed on Shinchira, her expression a mix of confusion and concern.
No, it couldn't be her.
Takata Tai felt his thoughts spiral into chaos.
Yoruichi, however, had no doubts left.
The strange attacks were unquestionably Kaelith Yurei's doing.
Moments ago, she had noticed Kaelith's shadow reappear at his feet.
If she hadn't been watching closely, she might have believed it had never vanished in the first place.
Once Kaelith's shadow returned, the assaults on Shinchira Renzosuke ceased.
So, this was Kaelith's Zanpakutō ability?
The power to manipulate his own shadow, creating an invisible attacker?
Yoruichi's eyes sparkled with admiration.
As expected of someone she had taken an interest in—his awakened ability was perfectly suited for the Second Division.
Kaelith glanced at the shadow now settled at his side with the corner of his eye.
Earlier, as he emerged from the smoke, ready to fight to the death, he had heard a voice calling out to him.
"Take me… "
"Take me…"
The moment he heard it, one word flashed in his mind—his Zanpakutō.
From his experience watching the anime, he knew such voices often signaled the awakening of a Shinigami's blade.
However, when he examined the weapon in his hand, he realized the voice wasn't coming from it.
Following the sound, he scanned his surroundings, his confusion growing.
Eventually, his gaze fell upon his shadow.
"Take me…"
Kaelith gradually understood that the voice was emanating from his shadow.
To be precise, it was coming from the shadow of his Asauchi.
Realizing this, Kaelith felt an overwhelming sense of absurdity.
How was he supposed to pick up a shadow?
If it meant grabbing the real blade, he was already doing that.
If it meant using his hand's shadow to grasp the blade's shadow, wasn't he doing that too?
Did he need to lie on the ground and physically grab his shadow?
The thought almost made him laugh.
After a moment's hesitation, he reached out and tried grasping the shadow in the air.
The instant he made the motion, he felt something solid in his hand.
A flood of knowledge surged into Kaelith Yurei's mind...
---
After a brief moment of confusion, Takata Tai's gaze shifted back to Kaelith Yurei.
Though there wasn't much evidence, he gradually became certain—the problem lay with this boy.
If that were the case, eliminating him would solve everything!
Takata Tai took a deep breath, lowered his shoulders into a charging stance, and launched himself toward Kaelith.
This time, he was prepared. Even if Kaelith used his "Twin Bone" technique again, at worst, his shoulder might suffer a minor injury that could heal within a month.
But Kaelith would undoubtedly die!
"Shinchira! Support me by restricting his Shunpo!"
Hearing Takata's shout, Shinchira Renzosuke snapped out of his own frantic search for the enemy.
Despite being tormented by Kaelith's strange ability, his combat instincts as a captain still prevailed. Seeing Takata's charge, he quickly grasped his intent.
Planting his Zanpakutō firmly into the ground, Shinchira shouted:
"Entangle him! Frenzied Forest!"
As his voice echoed, countless roots burst from the ground. Before Kaelith could react, vines coiled tightly around his ankles.
Under normal circumstances, he had plenty of ways to break free.
But now, with Takata Tai charging at full force, Kaelith had no time to escape without being crushed by this human battering ram.
Within mere moments, more roots climbed up Kaelith's legs, binding his lower body securely like a vice awaiting the impact of a hydraulic hammer.
Seeing Kaelith thoroughly restrained, Shinchira couldn't help but grin.
Success!
Shaolin Fēng tried to intercept Takata along the way, but her attack failed to penetrate his defenses, and she was sent flying with a single punch.
Her petite body spun like a broken doll through the air before crashing to the ground. One of her arms twisted unnaturally, clearly suffering multiple fractures.
Meanwhile, Yoruichi rushed toward Kaelith, firing several high-level Bakudō spells in quick succession.
Yet none of them managed to hinder Takata Tai's relentless charge.
Yoruichi's heart sank as she watched the scene unfold, but her sharp eyes caught something strange—Kaelith's shadow had vanished once again.
Her eyes lit up in realization.
Kaelith's shadow had already demonstrated the ability to create invisible attacks, which meant it had a physical presence.
If that were the case, couldn't it also block Takata Tai?
Her gaze filled with hope, but the imagined barrier never appeared.
Not only did Takata Tai remain unaffected, he wasn't even slightly disturbed by the shadow.
Under Yoruichi's stunned gaze, Kaelith stood calmly as Takata Tai barreled toward him.
Kaelith's eyes seemed unfocused, as though he were lost in thought.
When Takata Tai's enormous frame was only twenty meters away, Kaelith finally moved.
Tilting his upper body slightly, he clenched his fists.
Seeing Kaelith's motion, Takata Tai shook his head inwardly.
So, it's the "Twin Bone" again.
Unfortunately for Kaelith, this time, Takata Tai was determined to disappoint him.
Last time, he'd been caught off guard by the technique and exposed his vulnerable chest and abdomen.
Now, his attack relied entirely on his toughest areas.
Even if Kaelith could sprout extra arms and perform "Four Bone" or "Five Bone," Takata Tai was confident in his victory.
As he advanced, a flicker of black light appeared around Kaelith, but Takata dismissed it as an illusion.
Kaelith drew his fists to his waist, his expression calm.
An inexplicable sense of dread surged within Takata Tai as he closed in.
It made no sense—he knew the power of Kaelith's "Twin Bone."
Strong? Absolutely.
But not strong enough to shatter the rock armor encasing his shoulders and arms.
Though the technique would leave him injured, it shouldn't provoke such primal fear.
Unable to reconcile this feeling, Takata Tai pushed forward with even greater determination.
Attack was the best form of defense!
In a flash, the twenty-meter gap vanished.
Takata Tai loomed over Kaelith, ready to crush him into a smear on the ground.
At that precise moment, Kaelith struck.
He unleashed his fists in a double punch—
**BOOM!**
A massive impact shattered the rock armor, sending shockwaves through Takata Tai's body.
Feeling the strength of Kaelith's punch, Takata allowed himself a moment of triumph.
As he predicted, the attack wasn't enough to—
Wait.
Another force surged forward, identical to the first.
It was another "Twin Bone."
Two strikes, perfectly synchronized yet staggered, hit Takata Tai as if two people had attacked him in unison.
The impossibly seamless coordination caused the spiritual energy in Takata Tai's rock armor to collapse.
With a deafening crack, his armor exploded into dust, exposing his vulnerable flesh.
Kaelith's punch carried through, smashing into Takata Tai's shoulder like an apocalyptic force.
In that instant, Takata Tai finally understood the true meaning of overwhelming power.
Even though Kaelith's spiritual pressure was inferior, his strike felt like the end of the world.
Takata Tai's shoulder disintegrated into a mist of blood as he was flung backward, painting the air crimson before crashing into the ground.
Shinchira Renzosuke's triumphant grin froze on his face, replaced by sheer disbelief as he followed Takata Tai's arc with his eyes until the latter landed lifelessly.
Yoruichi, charging toward the scene, was so shocked that she stumbled, face-planting into the ground with a loud thud.
Takata Tai lay motionless, his rock armor completely obliterated, his fate uncertain.
Kaelith lifted his hands, examining the mangled, bloodied remains of his fingers.
Despite their gruesome state, his face radiated satisfaction.
As expected, his instincts were correct.
The "Twin Bone" technique did have an advanced form.
Of course, achieving it with flesh and spiritual pressure alone was impossible.
No wonder both Aizen and Yamamoto dismissed his ideas as delusional.
Now, he'd love to see their expressions.
Smiling at the thought, Kaelith glanced down at the vines still binding his lower body.
Without their support, his counterattack might have faltered halfway through, leaving him unable to withstand the recoil or aim properly at Takata Tai.
Turning to Shinchira Renzosuke, Kaelith gave a small nod of gratitude.
Shinchira's eyes widened in horror at the gesture.
With a strangled cry, his legs gave out beneath him, nearly sending him to the ground.
At that moment, the air trembled.
New spiritual pressures erupted within the barrier.
**BOOM!**
**BOOM!**
**BOOM!**
Three captain-class presences entered the scene.
Feeling their oppressive spiritual energy, Shinchira Renzosuke's face turned ghostly pale.
-------------------
T/n Should have taken that chance to flee.
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