The moment Shiraha's voice faded, a surge of Reiatsu, violet laced with deep blue, burst violently from his body and swept across the battlefield. The air twisted under the pressure, and the spiritual ground beneath him fractured. That dense power struck directly toward Ichinose Maki like a tidal wave.
"How now?" Shiraha's lips curved faintly, his tone calm but merciless. "Do you still intend to stand in my way?"
The difference between them was immeasurable. Ichinose's Reiatsu caught somewhere between the level of a vice-captain and a lower-tier captain shuddered beneath the crushing weight of Shiraha's presence. If Shiraha so desired, he could erase him in a single motion.
"No matter what, if you intend to harm Lord Kariya, you'll have to step over my corpse first!" Ichinose said, his voice trembling but unwavering. His face was bloodless, sweat sliding down his cheek to the shattered ground, his hands gripping his Zanpakutō so tightly his knuckles turned white. The overwhelming pressure froze him in place.
The walls surrounding Baidao Gate were made of murderous stones that stifled spiritual energy, but even with that advantage, Ichinose could barely move. He knew perfectly well he was no match for the man standing before him. Yet if his death could buy even a few seconds for Kariya Jin to complete his goal, he would give it without hesitation.
"As you wish," Shiraha said lightly. His tone carried neither mockery nor pity. "Hadō No. Ninety Kurohitsugi."
Without incantation, he extended a single finger. Space warped. A black cube formed instantly around Ichinose, its edges shimmering with suffocating gravity. From within came the sound of blades cutting through flesh. The cube dissolved moments later, leaving Ichinose's body riddled with countless wounds, blood flowing freely onto the stone floor. His Zanpakutō slipped from his grasp with a dull clang.
"My lord… forgive me…" he murmured weakly, his gaze fixed on the distant sky before his life faded away completely.
"What a pitiful man," Shiraha said softly, shaking his head.
Before he could move on, several figures flashed into view. Kira Izuru, Tetsuzaemon Iba, and Hisagi Shūhei arrived with a group of Shinigami at their backs, the air around them still quivering with the remnants of emergency shunpo. The Soul Society's alarms had already been raised the moment Kariya Jin and Ichinose led their group of Rukongai refugees through the Baidao Gate.
"Captain Shiraha!" the assembled squad members shouted in unison as they bowed.
"Captain Shiraha, why are you here?" Kira asked, confusion in his voice.
Shiraha smiled faintly. "Just pursuing the same intruders who forced their way into the Soul Society earlier."
He had indeed been ordered by Yamamoto Genryūsai to remain in the World of the Living for two months. Entering the Soul Society without command was a violation but chasing down enemies who threatened Seireitei provided him the perfect justification.
In truth, Shiraha hadn't expected Kira, Iba, and Hisagi to arrive so quickly. It seemed that since the betrayal of Aizen and the previous Ryoka invasion, the Gotei had become far more vigilant.
"Captain Shiraha, what's with this Shinigami?" Hisagi asked as he knelt beside Ichinose's body, eyes narrowing at the torn uniform.
He examined the insignia. "This one was from the Eleventh Division… but I've never seen him before."
Shiraha glanced down briefly. "He was a former member. Send word to the Eleventh Division and have his record verified."
"Yes, sir."
Tetsuzaemon frowned. "Still, Captain Shiraha… if the Head Captain learns you entered without authorization, your punishment might increase."
"I failed to report immediately because I was in pursuit of a high-priority threat," Shiraha replied calmly. "The Head Captain will understand once the facts are clear."
Inwardly, he thought of his unfinished missions. Once those check-ins were completed, his power would advance even further. Whatever reprimand awaited him later, it would be meaningless compared to what lay ahead.
"But Captain Shiraha" Kira began, only for Shiraha to lift a hand and interrupt him.
"Kira, Tetsuzaemon, Vice-Captain Hisagi. Secure this area and file the report. I'll pursue the remaining target."
Before any of them could respond, Shiraha invoked Cang. His body dissolved into reishi and vanished.
Kira turned toward Hisagi. "Vice-Captain Hisagi, how should we file this? Captain Shiraha didn't leave details."
Hisagi straightened, his expression composed. "We do as he said. Handle cleanup first. We'll wait for his next report."
Meanwhile, deep within the Technology Development Bureau, chaos reigned. Members of the Twelfth Division lay strewn across the floor, unconscious or gravely injured. Deputy Captain Nemu Kurotsuchi had also collapsed amidst the debris, her spiritual energy flickering weakly. Captain Mayuri was absent still recovering from the backlash of his experimental "Flesh Spray" compound.
Kariya Jin stood among the ruins, his eyes sharp as he scanned the area. "Ichinose is dead. Then I'll have to hurry."
He raised his gaze toward the direction of Baidao Gate, a shadow of regret flickering across his face before vanishing into cold resolve. His puppet's arms swung forward, pounding into the ground. Each strike tore the earth open until a massive crater, dozens of meters wide, yawned before him. From within its depths, a scarlet glow pulsed faintly.
"There you are…" he muttered, peering down at the vast, glowing emblem below. "The Pure Realm Chapter."
The symbol radiated destructive power a relic capable of annihilating the entire Seireitei.
Unseen by Kariya, the air behind him shimmered faintly. Beneath the cloaking effect of Bakudō No. 26, Kyokkō, Shiraha concealed his presence entirely. His Reiatsu was suppressed, masked so completely that even a being of Kariya's sensitivity could not detect it.
Kariya's full attention remained fixed on the relic. "With this, everything will return to nothing."
Within the silence of his mind, the system's voice echoed:
Sign-in complete. Task reward: Dior template progress increased by ten percent.
First Template: Fujitora Issho – 100%.
Second Template: Gojo Satoru – 100%.
Third Template: Dio Brando – 30%.
Abilities: Immortality (Perfect), Regeneration (Perfect), Hypnosis (Intermediate – effective against targets with less than one-thousandth of user's Reiatsu), Transformation (Intermediate – effective on targets weaker than one-hundredth of user's Reiatsu).
Exclusive Ability: Time Stop (Elementary) – freezes time for one second; cooldown fifty minutes; area of effect equivalent to Seireitei's scale.
As Kariya extended his hand toward the Pure Realm Chapter, the glow intensified. High above, the suppressed reishi around Shiraha began to stir like a gathering storm.
The next stage was about to begin.