Chapter 131
Adjuchas had only fired Bala.
Thump.
Haruto used the scabbard as a cane to prop himself up.
However, the Bala released by Adjuchas was no less powerful than Gillian's Cero —the injuries he had barely managed to recover from during the standoff at Daijiji had not only failed to heal but had become even more severe.
"Holy shit!"
Even Haruto's curses sounded weak and feeble.
"This time, I'm afraid I'm really going to die."
Adjuchas, who is equivalent to Captain-level, is simply not Haruto can handle.
Unless another Captain-level happens to pass by right now, he's definitely not going to make it... The same the Miracle is unlikely to happen again—it's like Saint Seiya fighting, don't expect the same move to take them down twice.
If we're talking about regrets, Haruto definitely has some.
But he didn't actually have much fear of death:
Isane and the others had already left the forest; although Adjuchas's Bala was powerful, Mutsuki- sensei wasn't so easily defeated by a seemingly exaggerated but actually powerful attack...
As for the useless sage and the noble, that's hard to say; they might just be the ones receiving a standing ovation.
Haruto considers his time in Soul Society quite exciting, except that he slightly regrets not being able to unleash Adjuchas's strongest Kōten Taihō.
"Buzz."
Adjuchas opened his mouth once again.
"Cero..."
The charging time is many times shorter than that of the Gillian, a power unique to Adjuchas.
"This time, there's really no escaping it."
Shunpo?
No.
Even if Haruto forced himself to use Shunpo, Hibiki would easily Sonído... Nobody said that Adjuchas couldn't move while charging Cero.
"..."
That's fine then.
As Haruto resignedly closed his eyes—
"Go, Itegumo!"
The resounding declaration of liberation rang out.
"!?"
"Boom!"
Less than half a meter from Adjuchas's former self, a Zanpakuto from the sky, blocking its path like a doorway.
A crystalline guard, a snowflake-like blade.
Pure white mist climbed onto Adjuchas's body, and the icy frost caused even the most awe-inspiring Reiatsu to falter.
"Whoosh!"
Warm and delicate palms pressed firmly against Haruto's bare back.
"Isane!?"
Haruto never expected that Isane would be here.
"How could you—"
"Kakushitsuijaku!"
Isane's answer was concise and clear; her attention was focused on Haruto's injuries.
"..."
The combined Kidō of Kakushitsuijaku and Tenteikūra naturally also recorded Haruto's Reiatsu information as the initiator; the fluctuating Reiatsu alone was enough to show that Haruto was caught in a tense battle.
Isane is just not good at expressing herself, but she's not unaware of Haruto's situation.
At the same time.
"Makeup should be dyed my colors!"
"Splash."
A familiar figure appeared in front of Haruto.
Despite not knowing how to use Shunpo, her speed wasn't much slower than Isane's... Her wet hair was enough to show how desperate the girl was.
And the Zanpakuto in her hand, with its gradient blade that transitions from light blue to pale pink, does indeed suit her characteristics very well.
Is it pretty?
Ayaka turned her sweat-stained cheek to the side, not giving Haruto a time to answer, her hands continuing their work without pause.
"I was planning to surprise you, but it looks like I'll have to wait until next time!"
"Zheng."
He held his Zanpakuto with both hands, pointing it at the enemy.
On Adjuchas's black and white body, ink suddenly spread rapidly like it was being smeared in water: as the boundaries of the colors became blurred, Adjuchas's Reiatsu, which had been blocked by the Itegumo, also began to decline noticeably.
Not only that.
"Boom!"
The petite figure stood with her fists clenched at her sides, less than thirty centimeters away from Adjuchas.
"What about me?!"
Completely disproportionate to Kiyone's size was the cloud-adorned warhammer, which was over two meters long.
"Smash it, Tiger Cannon!"
"Boom!!"
Kiyone's all-out attack, without holding back, struck Adjuchas in the back of the head, leaving him completely unprepared. The violent impact shook the earth, and the few birds and beasts left in the forest scattered and fled for their lives, even those hiding underground.
However--
"Run!!"
Haruto's roar was somewhat hysterical.
"Huh?"
Kiyone had no chance to think before being casually waved away by the void before her—
"Whoosh!"
The petite figure, carrying a warhammer, was sent flying backward less than ten centimeters from Ayaka's ear!
"Ayaka!!"
Haruto had no time to tend to Kiyone's injuries, because Adjuchas's figure had already blurred out of his sight for a moment.
"Tōzanshō!"
Haruto, standing several meters away, propped up the Tōzanshō in front of Ayaka!
"Boom!"
However, he knew very well that the hastily constructed defenses in such a short time were no match for Adjuchas.
"Dankū!"
Thump.
Adjuchas failed to break through the defense!
"Whoosh!"
It shattered the Tōzanshō's defense with a casual strike.
However, what appeared alongside the Shunpo, which was two Shunpo slower, was Nanao, who opened the Dankū at the critical moment!
"A-Qing!"
Nanao turned back, wanting Haruto to help her launch an attack, but—
"Enhanced Dankū!"
"?"
"Crack!"
As the Dankū shattered completely, Nanao and Ayaka were simultaneously covered by Adjuchas's large, dark hand.
Towards the ground—
"Boom!!"
――――
Volume 1: Chapter 81, The Language of the Sword
One strike.
The aura of Nanao and Ayaka was weakened to less than one-tenth of its original strength.
If Adjuchas hadn't held back... Yes, when this guy grabbed the two girls by the head and lifted them off the ground, Haruto deliberately saw very clearly the mocking grin on Adjuchas's face.
"Want to?"
Adjuchas wasn't seeking advice at all; it was merely a hunter toying with his prey.
"Here you go."
His arm lashed out like a taut bowstring.
"Whoosh!"
"Tsuriboshi!"
The two were thrown several times faster than Kiyone; if they crashed into each other without any cushioning, they would be smashed to pieces in an instant!
"Boom——"
The Tsuriboshi, stretching for tens of meters, blocked the sandbags thrown by Adjuchas.
However.
Even for the Thirty-Seventh Bakudō, maintaining its strength against such a powerful impact requires a significant drain on Reiatsu.
At times like this.
"Call out!"
Then, how to defend against the Bala closely following behind them—
"The Daichi Ten'yō!"
"Hyōga Seiran!"
Blood seeped from the corner of Haruto's eye.
The palm that slammed into the ground revealed a pinkish hue, covered in grass ash and dirt; the raised clod of earth transformed into a massive slope in front of them, covered by heavy, solid ice, forming a strong and resilient barrier.
"Boom!"
Can it withstand it head-on?
Absolutely impossible--
"Boom!" xN!
Even Bala, which are only known for their speed, can undergo a surprising qualitative change when their numbers accumulate to a certain level.
As for using Dankū- blocking...
Haruto doesn't even have that much Reiatsu to draw upon!