Urahara was currently darting around in all directions. If he slowed down even slightly, a black-and-crimson net would descend upon him.
It was a Reiatsu web released by Benihime.
If Urahara were caught inside that spiritual net, a series of small crimson spheres would immediately appear across its surface.
That was Benihime's "Fire Orb Explosion" technique.
From time to time, streaks of bright red Reiatsu also shot past Urahara's body—Benihime's long-range attack ability.
For the first time, Urahara felt a trace of regret.
Regret for modifying his own Zanpakutō to possess so many Shikai abilities.
Now every single one of them had become a boomerang smashing back into his own face.
"Tsuna, you bastard! Can't you lend a hand here?!"
Urahara shouted angrily toward the leisurely Tsuna in the distance.
He had no doubt that if the environment allowed it, Tsuna would already be sitting there sipping tea while watching the show.
"Ah, Shopkeeper," Tsuna waved awkwardly. "Isn't this… a family matter? I don't think it's appropriate for me to interfere."
Urahara knew perfectly well Tsuna was doing it on purpose.
Opportunities to watch him make a fool of himself were rare—and since there was no life-threatening danger, expecting help from Tsuna was completely unrealistic.
But continuing to run wasn't a solution either.
Taking advantage of a brief gap while retreating, Urahara quickly chanted a Kidō incantation and spun around.
"Hadō #54: Haien!"
A blast of destructive flames shot toward Benihime.
A bright crimson hexagonal crystal shield instantly appeared before her.
Blood Mist Shield.
Benihime had already anticipated the attack—she had specifically prepared to counter Urahara's sneak strikes.
And that wasn't all.
After blocking the attack, a barrage of crimson light arrows fired outward from the shield, all targeting Urahara's backside.
Urahara immediately responded:
"Bakudō #39: Enkōsen!"
The circular barrier intercepted the arrows, but that brief delay gave Benihime enough time to close the distance.
Benihime raised her blade—Benihime itself—and slashed toward Urahara Kisuke.
Urahara could only block with his harmless-looking cane sword.
Fortunately, the cane was still fundamentally a Zanpakutō. Otherwise, it would have been chopped into firewood in a few strikes.
The two clashed repeatedly.
Clang! Clang!
Meanwhile, the obsession on Benihime's face grew stronger and stronger.
Holding her cheek with one hand, she murmured sweetly,
"Kisuke… you're being naughty~"
The moment she finished speaking—
A crimson crescent slash flew out.
Urahara was instantly cut clean in half.
That was Benihime's Razor Crescent attack.
The severed halves of Urahara's body fell lightly to the ground.
Meanwhile, the real Urahara appeared some distance away, cold sweat running down his back.
Benihime's earlier words had been deliberate—meant to distract him.
When his mind recoiled in discomfort, she seized the opportunity to strike.
Luckily, Urahara's instincts were sharp.
At the last second he deployed a portable Gigai decoy, obstructing Benihime's vision.
Otherwise, she might have truly succeeded.
"Tsuna! Buy me some time!"
Urahara shouted loudly.
He had now experienced firsthand just how troublesome his own Zanpakutō could be.
If Tsuna intervened for even a moment to slow Benihime down, Urahara could defeat her with Kidō.
"Hang in there a little longer, Shopkeeper. I called for backup."
Tsuna added casually,
"Yoruichi will be here soon. Family matters are best handled by yourselves."
Instead of relief, Urahara felt a sudden chill down his spine.
Looking up—
Benihime's expression had darkened completely.
Tsuna hadn't lowered his voice. She had clearly heard everything.
Benihime naturally understood the relationship between Yoruichi and Urahara.
Although they had never formally acknowledged it, they were essentially lifelong partners.
For someone like Benihime—who wanted all of Urahara—this was intolerable.
"Kisuke… you're mine. Mine!"
Benihime suddenly shrieked sharply.
Her Reiatsu surged violently.
"Bankai — Kannonbiraki Benihime!"
Benihime's body expanded to over ten meters tall.
The color of her surface dulled, her limbs drooping stiffly. Her expressions became sluggish, almost puppet-like—only anger remained visible.
In this state, Benihime resembled a massive marionette.
Her movements creaked mechanically, as if pulled by invisible strings.
Tsuna frowned slightly.
If he remembered correctly, Urahara's Bankai should have been Kannonbiraki Benihime Aratame.
Had Urahara further modified Benihime during the years leading to the Thousand-Year Blood War?
No wonder she emerged full of resentment.
Constantly being modified by Urahara had probably warped her mentality.
Benihime moved.
Her puppet-like arm slowly lifted.
Urahara instantly retreated.
But the moment he stepped backward—
He found himself back in the exact same spot.
That was Benihime's Bankai ability.
Modification.
Within her range, she could reconstruct anything—living beings, terrain, or structures.
Moments earlier, she had already modified the ground beneath Urahara's feet.
Every step he took was subtly altered by her reconstruction.
No matter how he ran—
He could never leave her side.
"Troublesome…"
Urahara smiled bitterly.
Even he didn't fully understand the limits of his Bankai.
The power of Modification depended entirely on the user's imagination and knowledge.
That was precisely why Urahara rarely used it.
He knew himself too well.
If he let his creativity run wild again, he might accidentally create something as dangerous as the Hōgyoku .
After living alongside Yoruichi, he had made a decision to restrain himself.
Yoruichi was his limiter.
As long as she existed, he wouldn't allow his inventions to destroy the world.
Fortunately, for now Benihime didn't seem intent on killing him.
Urahara abandoned incantations and began rapidly firing Kidō.
"Bakudō #4: Hainawa!
Bakudō #30: Shitotsu Sansen!
Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!
Bakudō #62: Hyapporankan!"
Every single spell was Bakudō.
He didn't dare use Hadō, fearing it would further agitate Benihime.
Meanwhile he shouted toward Tsuna,
"Tsuna! This mess is your fault—help me deal with it!"
If Tsuna hadn't said that earlier line, Benihime would still be toying with him instead of releasing Bankai.
Tsuna stood up and brushed the dust off his pants.
At this point, he couldn't really remain uninvolved anymore.
After all, he had indeed caused part of the problem.
But just as he prepared to act—
The surrounding environment suddenly changed.
Beneath his feet appeared a massive stitched scar stretching over a hundred meters.
Benihime had instantly modified the ground around him, relocating both Tsuna and Muramasa over a hundred meters away.
Tsuna scratched his head awkwardly.
Channeling Reiatsu into his voice, he shouted:
"Shopkeeper! Benihime threw me out!!!"
Urahara sighed helplessly.
He didn't even need to look to know Tsuna wasn't taking this seriously.
Now he had no choice but to rely on himself.
None of the Bakudō he threw could even approach Benihime.
She knew him too well.
Whenever Urahara attempted a spell, she would simply modify something to block it.
He needed an opening to use a powerful Kidō and defeat her in a single strike.
But Benihime clearly had no intention of allowing that.
Just then, Tsuna's voice rang out again.
"Good news—Yoruichi's almost here."
A black blur flashed past Tsuna.
Someone capable of appearing that quickly could only be the woman known as the Flash Goddess.
Tsuna grinned happily and hoisted Muramasa over his shoulder as he followed behind.
The moment she arrived, Yoruichi instantly understood the situation.
"Kisuke. When something refuses to behave, you just beat it into submission."
After all, she had seen Urahara's Bankai before.
But instead of relief, Urahara inwardly groaned.
As expected—
The instant Yoruichi appeared, Benihime's eyes locked onto her.
"Kisuke… naughty."
Suddenly—
Urahara's clothing transformed into ropes.
In the blink of an eye, he was suspended in an extremely embarrassing pose from a tower Benihime had just created.
"Pff—!"
Yoruichi couldn't hold it in.
She had never seen Urahara look this ridiculous.
For a moment she even forgot why she had come.
"Yoruichi! Stop laughing and help!"
"Alright, alright—I'm coming."
She tried to suppress her laughter, though the smile never left her face.
Benihime stared expressionlessly at Yoruichi.
How dare this woman laugh at her Kisuke.
She needed to teach her a lesson.
In Bankai form, Benihime had become almost entirely puppet-like, losing most of her rational thought.
Suddenly—
Massive claws burst from the earth, stabbing toward Yoruichi.
Yoruichi's Reiatsu erupted.
"Shunkō."
With a flash of speed, she vanished and easily avoided the attack, landing cat-like atop the tower beside Urahara.
With a swipe of her fingers, she freed him.
Then she looked at Benihime calmly.
"Your Bankai isn't much of a threat to me."
"Your strength relies entirely on Kisuke's foresight. Without his brain guiding you, all you can do is exploit your knowledge of him."
"Without Kisuke… you'll never touch me."
For Benihime's Bankai to work in combat, modification requires time.
Unlike instant techniques, it involved a process.
To someone as fast as Yoruichi—
That process was painfully slow.
Tsuna could have dodged earlier too.
He had only allowed it because he sensed Yoruichi's Reiatsu approaching.
And after entering puppet form, Benihime's ability to think became even worse.
Only when paired with Urahara's intellect did her Bankai become complete.
Unfortunately, the puppet-like Benihime couldn't process that logic.
Instead, she interpreted Yoruichi's words as pure provocation.
Especially when Yoruichi released Urahara.
It felt as though her toy was being taken away.
Benihime attacked again.
But just as Yoruichi said—
Her modifications couldn't catch Yoruichi's position.
In a flash, Yoruichi appeared above Benihime.
Her leg swung down with devastating force.
BOOM!
Benihime's head slammed into the ground.
Her posture resembled Urahara's own Bankai form during the Thousand-Year Blood War, lying face-down.
At that exact moment—
Urahara had already completed his incantation.
"Hadō #91: Senjū Kōten Taihō!"
A barrage of massive crimson Reiatsu cannons—each the size of a missile—rained down on Benihime.
The terrifying power of a fully-chanted Hadō above #90 erupted across the battlefield.
When the smoke finally cleared—
Only Benihime in Shikai form remained on the ground.
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