Muten Natsu suddenly realized something important.
Judging by the appearance of the other Zanpakutō, they clearly knew this place was a trap. That was why several of them had come together.
They knew it was a trap, yet they still came and caused such a huge commotion...
The most likely explanation was that they were trying to draw everyone's attention.
Which meant the Zanpakutō had another objective!
Veins bulged on Muten Natsu's forehead as his Hell's Eye opened. Its abnormal vision crossed the vast distance in an instant and rapidly swept over the 4th Division.
"Hm?" Shunsui Kyōraku looked up and adjusted his straw hat. "This feeling is..."
"Captain?" Light surged from Nanao Ise's palm as invisible ripples spread outward, enveloping the entire General Emergency Center.
Only Nanao Ise could maintain a barrier over such a vast area.
Of everyone affected by the Zanpakutō rebellion, Nanao Ise had suffered the least.
Unlike Kenpachi Zaraki, who couldn't release his Zanpakutō, or Yoruichi Shihōin, who rarely used hers, Nanao Ise... didn't have a Zanpakutō at all.
When she first entered the Shin'ō Academy, she had also been given an Asauchi.
But she had never been able to establish any communication with her Zanpakutō.
Even Shinigami who couldn't achieve Shikai could at least communicate with their Asauchi to some extent.
With Nanao Ise, however, it was more as though she had been rejected.
So she returned the Zanpakutō and devoted more of her attention to Kidō, which she excelled at.
She had originally believed that someone without a Zanpakutō like herself would be better suited to the Kidō Corps. Yet after submitting her application, she had instead been assigned to the 8th Division.
At first, she had been puzzled.
But after meeting Shunsui Kyōraku...
"I only sensed Muten's gaze." Shunsui Kyōraku looked into the distance. "It seems the battle over there isn't as simple as it looks. With that much commotion, it's probably meant to cover another operation."
He smiled.
"Don't worry, Nanao-chan. The Zanpakutō have their plans, and naturally, the Shinigami have plans of their own."
"Aren't you going to reinforce them, Captain?"
"If I left too, Nanao-chan would be all alone here~"
Nanao Ise lowered her eyes slightly. "Captain..."
"No need to be so touched." Shunsui Kyōraku smiled cheerfully. "You do so much work for me every day, Nanao-chan. The least I can do is stay by your side when it really matters~"
"No." Nanao Ise's voice was cold. "My hands are occupied right now. Could you pick up the folder I left beside me earlier?"
Shunsui Kyōraku held up the folder. "This one?"
"Yes, that one." Nanao Ise turned her head slightly. "Could you use it to hit yourself for me?"
Shunsui Kyōraku: "..."
He silently put the folder down, pretended he hadn't heard anything, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and looked up at the sky.
"At a troublesome time like this, the 4th Division has stayed safe entirely thanks to your barrier, Nanao-chan~ But with things so quiet here, I'm afraid the 12th Division might be..."
Inside the Research and Development Institute's observation room, alarms blared from the instruments, warning of an external intrusion.
Soon, however, the alarms were drowned out by a much more direct series of explosions.
Flames erupted everywhere!
A girl wearing a plum-blossom hairpin swung her pink silk ribbons. The bells attached to their ends jingled loudly as blazing fireballs flew in every direction, smashing apart and setting fire to every building they touched.
"Aah~ Honestly~" the girl complained in a drawn-out voice. "It's all your fault for making such a racket. Wouldn't it be better to spend that time running away? You're really getting on my nerves."
Izuru Kira charged toward the girl with his blade drawn. "Stop!"
"Izuru Kira?" The girl tugged on the enormous bell. "Looks like last time wasn't enough to teach you a lesson."
"Last time..."
Izuru Kira dodged the incoming fireball as old memories surfaced in his mind.
"You're Hinamori's Zanpakutō... Tobiume?!"
"Could you not mention that person's name?" Tobiume's expression instantly darkened. "I wasn't even planning to kill you before."
The bells rang chaotically as several fireballs shot toward Izuru Kira at once.
"Hadō #58: Tenran!"
Izuru Kira held his Zanpakutō in a reverse grip and raised both hands.
A blue tornado roared to life, blowing the approaching fireballs away.
"Why..." Izuru Kira stared at Tobiume. "Why are you doing this?"
"Don't look at me like you're thinking, [You're not that kind of person]." Tobiume clicked her tongue. "This is the first time you've even met me."
"But..."
Izuru Kira was about to continue when he suddenly sensed a fierce gust approaching the back of his head.
He instinctively raised his blade to block.
The instant he did, a bad feeling rose in his heart.
Damn it!
A backward-hooked blade collided with the Asauchi in Izuru Kira's hand.
As Izuru Kira tried to pull his sword back, the strange blade hooked backward and struck his Asauchi a second time.
His hand suddenly grew heavier.
The movement of withdrawing his blade immediately slowed, allowing the bizarre weapon to strike the Asauchi for a third time.
The Zanpakutō that Izuru Kira had been wielding with ease suddenly became terrifyingly heavy and slammed straight into the ground.
"What a gloomy guy..."
A long-haired young man stood there with a stone slab strapped to his back and an enormous iron ball resting on his left shoulder. Shackles bound both his wrists and ankles.
Tilting his head, he studied Izuru Kira with a somber gaze.
"Looking at you like this somehow makes you seem even gloomier."
Sweat appeared on Izuru Kira's forehead.
"Wabisuke..."
Anything struck by Wabisuke doubled in weight.
After three strikes, the Asauchi in Izuru Kira's hand now weighed eight times as much as before!
As Izuru Kira looked at Wabisuke, he seemed to understand why the Zanpakutō had chosen to leave him.
The burdens and shackles weighing down Wabisuke were probably there because of him.
It was all his fault.
He was the one who had burdened Wabisuke with all of this...
"You'll be free soon..." Wabisuke raised his Zanpakutō. "You, me, and everyone else."
"Hadō #12: Fushibi!"
A voice rang out.
Threads of Reiatsu wove themselves into a net around Wabisuke before tightening sharply.
Momo Hinamori had acted just in time, yanking Wabisuke away from Izuru Kira.
Renji Abarai rushed in, scooped up Izuru Kira, and dodged Tobiume's fireball.
"It's a little early to be talking about freedom, isn't it?!"
"Renji..." Izuru Kira looked at the face of his former classmate. "I... Watch out!"
A blade swept across.
Its fang-like edge tore open Renji Abarai's shoulder.
Renji Abarai gritted his teeth against the pain and dragged Izuru Kira over to regroup with Momo Hinamori.
That attack just now...
"Come out!" Renji Abarai shouted into the darkness. "Zabimaru!"
A boy with short red hair sat cross-legged nearby, his body supported by a white snake tail extending from his tailbone.
"Not bad. You actually managed to keep me from hitting anything vital."
"You..." Renji Abarai froze. "Who the hell are you, you little brat?"
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