Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the largest open-air dojo of the Shino Prison, two figures erupted with terrifying spiritual pressure rarely seen in the Soul Society, slaughtering each other as if they were mortal enemies.
Yamamoto had taken off his Captain's haori and torn open his Shihakushō, revealing a body covered in hideous scars.
His muscles and bones shifted, grinding together like solid blocks of iron. A scorching heat surged and erupted from within him, much like an active volcano on the verge of blowing its top.
Raising an arm that had bulged significantly in size, he swung Ryūjin Jakka, which was engulfed in blazing flames, kicking up a terrifying storm within the dojo.
Opposite him, Naraku Sora refused to be outdone. Every time Vajrayati struck down, distorted ripples rippled through the surroundings, as if the very space itself was being evaporated.
The boiling heat permeated outward, even affecting the barracks beyond the Kidō barrier.
Countless gazes were cast toward the distant dojo. The squad members were shocked by the terrifying might of the two, while simultaneously marveling at how their leader had grown to such an incredible level of strength.
He could actually stand toe-to-toe against Head Captain Yamamoto, the strongest Soul Reaper in the Soul Society, without losing any ground.
If he took it a step further, he might just end up replacing Head Captain Yamamoto altogether.
The squad members suddenly found themselves somewhat looking forward to that day.
Tyrannical flames washed over them like a tidal wave. The two burning blades clashed, bursting with a surging, overwhelming power.
Such a long-lost clash of brute force made Yamamoto's blood boil with excitement.
Looking at the current Soul Society, only Naraku Sora could force him to go all out.
At this thought, Yamamoto unleashed an even stronger Reiatsu. He closed the distance and swung his blade down without hesitation, kicking up a massive cloud of scorching embers.
"Bring it on!"
Naraku Sora revealed a ferocious smile. Taking a step forward, he charged into the crimson flames and raised the pitch-black blade in his hand.
[Dragon Flash: Rhino Strike]!
Deafening explosions rang out endlessly.
At this moment, the old man and the young man threw everything else to the back of their minds, wholeheartedly enjoying this hard-won, exhilarating battle.
To fight to their heart's content, the two coincidentally tossed aside their flaming Zanpakutō. Clenching their fists with deafening sonic booms, they charged forward.
Boom!!
Their hardened fists collided like crashing planets. A visible white shockwave instantly erupted and surged, rippling outward with the two of them at the epicenter.
In a mere instant, the soil within a radius of several kilometers exploded layer by layer. Grayish-brown dust shot into the sky, forming a tornado-like wave of dirt.
Naraku Sora pulled his arms back. His muscles writhed and his joints ground together as pitch-black Reiatsu dyed his body. Staring at Yamamoto opposite him, a smile curled on his lips.
A white bone mask surfaced on both sides of his cheeks, swallowing and covering his face like a venomous symbiote attaching itself for a transformation.
A tyrannical aura recklessly washed over everything.
Yamamoto's expression shifted slightly. This was the first time he had felt the oppressive weight of Naraku Sora's Hollowfication from such a close distance.
The suffocating pressure was already the strongest he had encountered in a thousand years.
"Consecutive Normal Punches!"
In an instant, countless fist shadows appeared, dominating the entire battlefield. Scorching winds erupted recklessly in their wake, sending wave after wave of impact that violently obliterated the surrounding ground.
Unwilling to be outdone, Yamamoto unleashed his Reiatsu once more. Swinging his fists, he blasted out identical fist shadows to counter his rebellious disciple.
The surrounding air violently fluctuated and distorted, looking as if it might collapse at any moment.
The scorching aura continued to spread, filling the space with a heavy, oppressive weight.
No techniques were used; these were nothing more than the most ordinary of straight punches.
But even so, countless sparks erupted from their collisions, igniting the surrounding earth and kicking up raging infernos.
Yamamoto noticed that although Naraku Sora's fighting style was similar to before, careful perception revealed a massive difference.
Soul Reapers relied on their own spiritual power, whereas Menos Grande relied more on their sturdy bodies.
Although fundamentally different, there were many points of compatibility.
The combination of the two unleashed a combat prowess that almost bridged the gap in Reiatsu between them.
Coupled with the subtle emotional and personality shifts brought on by Hollowfication, Naraku Sora's performance was exceptionally fierce and formidable to the extreme.
Even without using Soul Reaper-exclusive techniques like Shikai or Bankai, his combat strength remained utterly terrifying.
Realizing this, Yamamoto immediately stopped holding back. As he pulled his arm back, black and red lightning surged wildly, continuously distorting the surrounding space.
It caused both of their figures to blur.
Naraku Sora: "?"
*'How is this old man's Black Flash so proficient?'*
*'Just how much time did he spend secretly practicing and cultivating this technique?'*
At such a close distance, there was no time to dodge. He could only choose to meet it head-on.
The same black and red lightning intertwined, wrapping around his arm and engulfing his fist. Gathering all the strength in his body, he suddenly threw a punch.
Crack!!
The moment the two clashed, the black and red lightning distorted the space it passed through into cobweb-like cracks. A terrifying shockwave violently swept out in all directions.
The black and red lightning and Reiatsu transformed into a massive, intertwined pillar of light that shot straight into the sky. Like a hideous, ferocious black dragon, it dyed the heavens and obliterated the thick clouds in its path.
The largest dojo completely shattered under this massive impact.
Urahara Kisuke stood before the window of his laboratory, staring blankly in the direction of the giant pillar of light, his face written with despair.
The previous work project wasn't even finished yet, and now the next one was already here.
Being stuck with such a boss was truly eight lifetimes of terrible luck.
It was bad enough that he constantly assigned all sorts of absurdly difficult tasks, but he never even handled squad duties.
As the new Head Captain, was it really appropriate to hand all the paperwork over to the Captain of Squad 5?
Even Captain Kyōraku, who was famous for slacking off, occasionally knew to help his Lieutenant share the workload.
Ever since Naraku Sora took on this hands-off approach, he would disappear every few days.
Those in the know had already accepted it as the norm, while those who didn't might think he had died a heroic death in the line of duty somewhere.
*Sigh...*
All his bitterness melted into a single sigh.
Urahara Kisuke shook his head and walked back into the laboratory.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri gave him a strange look, wondering what kind of fit this guy was throwing out of nowhere.
Was their current life not wonderful enough?
Whether it was research funding, cutting-edge equipment, or novel and highly difficult research projects—as long as it existed in the three realms, Lord Naraku could get it for them.
As a scientist, being able to serve such a person was simply a blessing cultivated over eight lifetimes.
For this guy to still be ungrateful only showed that his moral standards were extremely low.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri shook his head and threw himself back into the research of the Zanpakutō modification project.
Since his Ashisogi Jizō was a biological-type Zanpakutō and could be modified, could other biological-type Zanpakutō be modified as well?
For example, Komamura Sajin's Tenken?
Amidst the ruins, two figures sat cross-legged opposite each other, looking at one another.
Naraku Sora reached up and wiped his face. The white bone mask crumbled as if weathered away, splintering into countless Reishi that scattered into the air. Revealing his original face, he grinned at Yamamoto.
"Teacher, how was that Hollowfication just now?"
"Were you shocked by my power?"
Yamamoto wiped the sweat from his forehead. Glancing at Naraku Sora, who wasn't even flushed or out of breath, he said in annoyance,
"Hmph, it was average."
Naraku Sora sneered disdainfully. The incompetent Yamamoto was trying to replicate his previous mocking words to break his defenses, little knowing that he had long seen through the old man's tough facade.
*'I'm not listening to your old man nonsense.'*
*'I'm invincible anyway!'*
Yamamoto: "?"
Seeing Naraku Sora still wearing a smug expression, Yamamoto was instantly furious.
This stupid disciple wasn't playing by the rules, so how was he supposed to win back his pride?
Just as he was about to lash out, Naraku Sora suddenly spoke up. "Teacher, if there's another war with the Quincies, how confident are you in winning?"
Seeing his rebellious disciple suddenly turn serious, Yamamoto frowned and said with some dissatisfaction,
"If Yhwach is still at the same level he was a thousand years ago, I am one hundred percent certain I can burn him to ashes."
"As for the remaining Quincies, the combined forces of the Gotei 13 should be able to handle them easily, right?"
Naraku Sora spread his hands and gestured as he asked,
"Then what if Yhwach is about this much stronger than before?"
Yamamoto cast a sidelong glance, sweeping his eyes over the distance his rebellious disciple had gestured with his hands. For a moment, he couldn't judge exactly how much stronger this Yhwach had become.
"Did that Quincy captive from before confess more intel about Yhwach?"
"No, the information Quilge Opie knows is also very limited."
"Then how dare you be so certain that Yhwach is definitely stronger than he was a thousand years ago?"
"The big fat monk from the Zero Division said so."
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Naraku Sora in front of him.
His intuition told him that the rebellious disciple in front of him was just spouting nonsense.
Unfortunately, he had no proof.
"We will cross that bridge when we come to it. That brat Kyōraku still can't find the location of the Wandenreich, so what else can we do now besides wait?"
Yamamoto's expression returned to calm.
Naraku Sora grinned. "It's exactly because of that that we need to prepare early."
"Look, Teacher, if a war really breaks out, as the Head Captain, you'll definitely be charging on the front lines, right?"
"Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals."
"Your opponent will undoubtedly be Yhwach."
"So if that old thing has become stronger than before, wouldn't I, a black-haired youth, have to bury a bald old man?"
Hearing this, Yamamoto glared at his rebellious disciple in annoyance.
This brat was already strong enough to one-shot a Captain, yet he still expected this old man to charge the front lines. He had absolutely no filial piety to speak of.
However, when that time truly came, it was impossible for him to just sit in the back and watch the show.
As the Head Captain, if he didn't set an example, it would severely affect morale.
Could it be that he should hand over the position of Head Captain?
Yamamoto glanced at the completely composed Naraku Sora, deep in thought.
Although his stupid disciple was a bit of a bastard, he was a tough fighter who could take a beating, and he had a rather good grasp of the big picture.
He was considered the most suitable candidate.
Most importantly, he wouldn't be led by the nose by those nobles and Central 46.
People like Kyōraku and Ukitake might still be influenced by complex, intertwined relationships.
But this brat didn't care about any of that. If he was truly provoked, he'd probably even dare to stab the Spirit King.
Yamamoto recalled Naraku Sora's previous feat of brawling with Ichibē Hyōsube, and his expression suddenly became somewhat subtle.
"Then what do you propose we do?"
Naraku Sora grinned. "As the saying goes, even a broken ship has three thousand nails."
"Teacher, you're just a little old. If we patch you up and add a few planks of wood, there's no reason you can't reach new heights."
Hearing this, Yamamoto furrowed his brows tightly.
His intuition told him that whatever this brat was about to say next might challenge the upper limits of his psychological endurance.
Seeing that Yamamoto didn't refute him, Naraku Sora chuckled and continued,
"Teacher, do you want to try Hollowfication too?"