Chapter 125
"I heard that when you were at the Shin'ō Academy, you climbed the social ladder by marrying into the Kuchiki Clan, which is why you have a reputation that's often heard of even in the Gotei 13."
The message from Daci Temple is full of envy and emotion.
"Regardless of the channels or methods..."
"Would Haruto -Haruto be willing to introduce me?"
"As the vice-captain, I believe what I can offer and the assistance I can provide will satisfy you."
――――
"..."
"This is negotiable."
Haruto didn't rule out any possibility of a definitive answer.
Graduation exams have only just begun; finding allies is always wiser than making enemies... even if Haruto looks down on this guy.
"However, we should at least wait until after the graduation exams. Vice-Captain Daijiji should understand what I mean."
"Sincerity... I certainly understand that."
Daijiji nodded in satisfaction, but a sense of unease had crept into its heart.
Haruto didn't answer him directly, but instead used his modified Tenteikūra's "sound transmission to the ear" technique.
The fact that he was able to replicate his prized Kidō techniques in such a short time shows that Haruto had already mastered Tenteikūra; at least in terms of Kidō talent, Daijiji admitted that he was not as good as Haruto.
"That's good."
Seeing that the warning had worked, Haruto nodded with the same fake yet bright smile as the other person.
The subtle changes in Daijiji's expression did not escape Haruto's notice.
"Looking forward to our next meeting."
"Deputy Captain of Daijiji."
Haruto bowed as he had at the beginning, and emphasized the pronunciation of a certain word.
"Whoosh!"
He then Shunpo left the area.
"..."
That's why I hate geniuses—
The inner thoughts and the expression on Daijiji's face were completely different.
"Vice-Captain Daijiji."
Upon hearing the greetings from the audience, Daijiji responded immediately:
"My sage, I'm coming right now!"
Daijiji readily agreed verbally, but his pace did not quicken.
"—Geniuses are most lacking in the beauty that comes from years of accumulated experience."
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"Whoosh!"
Haruto is heading towards the location of the void.
"These are vice-captains I don't recognize..."
Daijiji is no good.
To him, nobles and the Tenth Division were merely stepping stones for advancement—but in this exam, he was a cunning person who could be used... He might not be able to use him, but having him was better than having him.
"No, it should be said that the vice-captains who haven't been in the position for very long all have all sorts of problems."
While Haruto was still pondering the issue of Daijiji.
"Um?"
He suddenly sensed the presence of that illusory creature.
This creature never concealed its Reiatsu from the beginning; Haruto didn't even need to use the Kakushitsuijaku to pinpoint its location in the vast forest.
"That was pretty fast..."
But after it started moving, the ethereal aura became inconsistent in strength... somewhat similar to the movement trajectory of the Sonído object.
However, these are minor issues, since its speed is only fast in the conventional sense, and it can be easily caught up by Shunpo.
In less than two minutes, Haruto was able to match its movement trajectory.
"..."
"Wrong!"
Haruto glanced down at his wrist and suddenly noticed something.
Just now.
A set of Reiatsu records made by Haruto using his Kakushitsuijaku suddenly disappeared.
Although Tenteikūra's speed and accuracy in transmitting messages were not fast at this distance, thanks to his experience in the Tenteikūra Konsō internship and his second enhancement, he could still transmit fragments of information even through a barrier.
Those Haruto sensed something amiss had already received the news.
This means that the group that Nanao and the others were with was fine.
So--
"It just... wiped out a whole squad in an instant!?"
Thinking about this...
Haruto didn't have time to investigate the reasons in detail.
He immediately extended his perception of the Reiatsu Kakushitsuijaku the direction in which it was moving!
"..."
"There really is another team!"
Haruto wasn't in a hurry to act because, according to his plan, the team that set off first had no chance of encountering the three Hollows he had targeted.
However.
"Whoosh!"
Haruto's Shunpo was more than twice as fast as before!
"This guy..."
"They're actually hunting down students in reverse!"
――――
"Boom!"
While not as dissipating as the Hirenkyaku, Shunpo is still a very elegant way to move at high speed, unlike the rougher Sonído.
However.
Haruto's use of Shunpo for travel even violated the most basic understanding of Shunpo, shooting straight down to the ground at a large angle from mid-air like a cannonball—this was not a technique, but the purest brute force provided by Bone Strike.
"Splash."
Broken branches and clods of earth fell to the ground.
"Tenran!"
With a wave of his long sleeves, Haruto unleashed a whirlwind that instantly swept away the murky air that had obscured his vision.
"..."
"You're late."
Haruto's expression was somewhat gloomy.
Apart from the deep crater he blasted, there were no signs of resistance on the ground, nor any corpses or blood.
But!
Haruto's gaze was fixed intently on the man whose mouth reeked of blood—
Empty.
It was a hoofed creature whose body was covered by a black, gleaming curtain that clung tightly to its muscles like skin, and whose head resembled the bones of a sheep.
On the skull, which is both a head and Visored, the areas for eyes, nose, ears, and mouth are all empty holes, darker and more chaotic than black eye drops.
On the surface of the two forelimbs, the dark skeleton protects the fragile joints.
"..."
Haruto raised his arm.
"Your ability is Reiatsu locking?"
In the open space of the "Live Broadcast Hall," Haruto briefly saw the appearance of these Hollows; similarly, because the curtain obscuring Reiatsu had been removed by the Twelfth Division, these Hollows were naturally able to discern the Reiatsu of the Soul Reaper.
But.
Such precise targeting of a sixth-year student's Reiatsu is something even Haruto's Kakushitsuijaku couldn't achieve.
The fact that this phantom could carry out such a precise hunt, and even evade Haruto's pursuit during the hunt, means it couldn't be considered a normal perception ability.
Haruto used his full-fledged Shunpo Bone Strike, chasing the creature for three and a half minutes before finally catching its tail.
In this extra minute and a half...
Another squad fell victim to his wickedness.
Haruto made a promise to Ms. Mutsuki.
But in the blink of an eye, fifteen people were brutally murdered... This was no longer a matter of losing face.
"Not going to tell?"
The electric snakes emanating from Haruto's palm had already transformed the surrounding dozens of meters into a sea of cyan-gold lightning.
Thump!
Faced with the threat of the Raikōhō, the figure of the Ram Head Void vanished from sight in an instant.
Immediately afterwards...
"Whoosh—Boom!"
The fishing net woven from chains slammed Yang Touxu to the ground.
"It really did Sonído."
The previous judgment was correct.
Although the exact reason is unclear, this Hollow, which was "used" by the Twelfth Division, did indeed possess the spatial teleportation ability characteristic of Menos Grande:
The Sonído.
The only drawback is that it cannot be used continuously.
"Not going to tell?"
"Rikujōkōrō!"
Haruto pressed his left hand on the end of the hilt of the sword and made a few small swiping motions in the air.
The silver beam of light converged into a long strip, like a nail, and struck hard into the gaps in the chain net formed by the Sajō Sabaku.
This is a multi-modified combination Bakudō made up of three types of Sajō Sabaku and Rikujōkōrō; even if the opponent's Rei'i Grade is higher than one's own, it will take at least three seconds to break free.
"Then don't speak."
"Raikōhō!"
The piercing thunder startled all the birds and beasts in the forest, and a dazzling beam of light, with a radiance more intense than the sun, swept across.
"Boom!!"
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