Chapter 130
Adjuchas.
The second tier of the Menos Grande is equivalent to Captain-level being of the Third-Class Reii, far surpassing Haruto...
Three levels.
"Grateful."
Haruto had absolutely no idea how to deal with an opponent of this caliber.
Even disregarding his opponent's incredibly powerful spatial abilities, the sheer difference in raw strength resulting from the vast difference in Reiatsu is something Haruto simply cannot overcome.
If it were Fourth-Class Spiritual Pressure, he would be confident in using various methods to maneuver, but facing Third-Class Reii...
The gap between Captain-level and Vice-Captain-level can no longer be described as an insurmountable chasm.
"?"
"Humans are truly excellent as bait."
The nameless Adjuchas slowly raised his arm, and at the tip of his arm, which was as long as his legs, five energy orbs of the same color as Cero spun endlessly between his sharp, Cero- like fingers, like celestial bodies.
"You will all become prey, one after another."
The energy sphere gradually rose into the air, like a halo hovering above Adjuchas's head.
"If all three of you were to arrive, the outcome of this battle would be uncertain."
"However..."
"Those ants that die at the slightest touch attracted you, and you, in turn, attracted the food I need most."
"!!"
This Adjuchas is smarter than anyone imagined...
Or rather, cunning.
From the very beginning, his goal was to target the souls within Daijiji's Zanpakuto!
"A hundred years ago."
"I'm very close to Adjuchas."
Perhaps because victory was in sight, Adjuchas appeared extremely composed... it hadn't said this beforehand.
A habit of talking so much.
"But no matter how many Gillian I consume, I can't advance any further."
"Until..."
"I've discovered a special Soul Reaper, one capable of creating what we need most for our evolution."
The Soul Reaper of Food.
"Call out!"
The five energy spheres that rose into the air transformed into arcs of light and sped off in four directions.
"I've known and observed him for decades, and finally decided to get involved myself: to let those overly curious Soul Reapers discover my differences and devise a plan to capture me..."
"That way, I can stay in Soul Society without being monitored."
"Boom!!"
The sound of explosions and shockwaves pierced through the dense forest from afar.
The coordinates of three of them are unknown, but the location where two of them were shot in the same direction... is precisely where the sages and nobles are in the audience.
At the same time.
Whether it was the Tenteikūra on his wrist or the Hell Butterfly that he had called for a long time but only received a response and did not appear, all of them had completely lost contact.
"Finally."
"The soul raised by this Soul Reaper, and my fellow souls, have recently reached the most perfect balance."
"That's how I was able to..."
Adjuchas's understanding was very clear: in the Soul Society, the enemy's stronghold, there were quite a few who could kill him.
Therefore, he first eliminated all avenues for distress.
This includes the Twelfth Division, which might cause trouble; specifically, the Observatory, which processes feedback from the modified Hell Butterflies.
While this guy was being studied, he was also observing the Twelfth Division.
"Complete this glorious evolution."
"Alright."
Adjuchas raised his hand to his neck and shook his rather overly muscular head.
"Perhaps it's because I'm in such a good mood that I've talked a bit too much today... I've never found human language so interesting before."
The seemingly indestructible Visored was not dead; it actually showed changes in expression in response to Adjuchas's words.
"This is much more fun than a simple 'trap'."
Why can a virtual being use human language?
Is it because of their memories of being human before they died?
No.
It was for the purpose of hunting.
You're a good listener.
"I can give you a death where you leave with your body intact—"
"Bakudō #61: The Rikujōkōrō!"
A good audience?
Are you kidding me!
If Haruto hadn't been so badly injured that he couldn't Sonído, he would have been able to fight the ram -Menos Grande at Daijiji.
He had already made his escape the moment he no longer needed any support!
It is still the same now.
If Haruto could escape, he wouldn't stay here and listen to its rambling. Unfortunately, all rescue methods have failed, and Haruto can only hope that the outside world will discover the abnormality in the forest in time; until then, he can hold on for as long as possible!
Unfortunately...
For the first time, Haruto felt that the Bakudō of number sixty-something was somewhat powerless.
Whether it's the enhanced version of the Hyapporankan "Gochūtekkan" at number 75, or the enhanced version of the Rikujōkōrō "Kuyō Shibari" at number 79, both would give Haruto a much stronger sense of security than they do now.
And using the fully chanted Rikujōkōrō, he fought Adjuchas, transcending three levels—
Thump.
The silvery-white light fragments closed and contracted, but unfortunately, they all hit empty space.
--Let alone whether it will be effective or not, even the fastest Rikujōkōrō can't even touch Adjuchas!
Adjuchas vanished from Haruto's sight in the Sonído an eye.
Reiatsu?
The difference in their levels and the unique characteristics of the Sonído made it impossible for Haruto to detect the opponent's Reiatsu.
However, based on his previous fighting habits, Adjuchas will most likely use a ram's horn from behind to strike.
Stab yourself to death--
Even knowing this, Haruto was still powerless to do anything about it.
Dankū...
It's too late!
Haruto was already able to use the Eishōhaki Dankū with chanting.
However, the Eishōhaki only compresses the time; it doesn't mean that releasing this move can skip the process of extracting Reiatsu from the Hakusui. This time may not seem long, but against Adjuchas's Sonído, it's enough for the opponent to stab two big holes in your back!
"Tōzanshō!"
Haruto used Shunpo to turn around and struck out with his palm at top speed.
A sharply angled triangular shield...
"Smack!"
It shattered instantly!
"Mountains and seas resonate, celestial mists shift and change direction."
The Kōjutsu Eishō and multiple chanting exercises!
The vast difference in power rendered the Tōzanshō utterly helpless against Adjuchas, leaving Haruto with no choice but to rely on sheer numbers to bolster his defenses.
In the blink of an eye.
Seven overlapping shields unfolded in Haruto's palm like blooming bouquets.
However.
"Smack!"
As always.
The sharp ram's horns pierced through the defenses with ease; breaking through seven shields was no challenge for Adjuchas.
Fortunately.
Thump!
"Dankū!"
Haruto finally bought himself a chance to unleash his Dankū —even though he was instantly riddled with cracks from the impact, this brief opening was enough for him to make his move.
"Hyapporankan!"
Haruto hooked two fingers together.
Where the Rikujōkōrō missed their mark, the silver-white light shards, their Reiatsu contained, instantly transformed into six arcs and hurtled towards Adjuchas.
They decomposed and reconstructed in mid-air into sharper, finer card shapes, just like the scattering of Byakuya's Senbonzakura.
"Clang!"
However, it was all for naught.
"Clang clang clang..."
The Hyapporankan struck Adjuchas, failing to penetrate even the outermost layer of his defenses, let alone suppress his Reiatsu.
"Sajō Sabaku!"
Even if Haruto went further and tried to turn the close Reiatsu into chains—
"Plague!"
"Smack!!"
Amidst Adjuchas's the Roar, both the newly formed chains and the already broken Dankū transformed into primordial Reishi.
After that...
"Call out."
A striking red light flashed briefly atop Adjuchas's ram horns.
"Boom!!"
Haruto's body was sent flying backwards in an instant!
Haruto can still fight.
After all...