Chapter 149
However, Haruto didn't want to attribute this to their friendship.
"... You decide."
After receiving verbal confirmation from Naa Ichihara, Haruto slowly released his grip:
He arrived in a hurry and missed the introduction of the other party's abilities, but he could still sense it with his Reiatsu, and he could tell that the toxin that was consuming Reiatsu was rapidly turning into an inert state... As long as Naa Ichihara's life was not in immediate danger, that was fine.
"Whoosh!"
While the two were catching up, the sound of someone using Shunpo (Shunpo) suddenly rang out.
Then--
"Sizzle!"
A severed leg flew straight out... in the exact opposite direction from the arm and the Zanpakuto.
"Thump."
Sakai Shukugo lost his balance and fell to the ground, but his voice remained remarkably calm, as if the two severed limbs were not his own.
And who are you?
Haruto wasn't wearing his Shihakushō, and his Zanpakuto wasn't at his waist, so Sakai Shukugo didn't recognize him.
You don't recognize me?
Haruto asked, somewhat curiously.
Should I get to know you?
With Sakai Shukugo stood up, supporting himself on one leg.
"... It seems my fame isn't very high?"
Haruto asked Naa Ichihara —judging from the look in Ichihara's eyes just now, she already knew about the recent major events at the Shin'ō Academy.
"This guy claims to be the vice-captain of the Twelfth Division."
Naa Ichihara replied.
"Isn't that Hiyori's job?"
This was the first time Haruto Soul Reaper had forged his own seat.
"I reckon this person hasn't been back to Seireitei for a long time... The case of missing souls near the 40th ward has been going on for ten years, with as many as 30,000 disappearing during that time... You know what I mean?"
"Oh."
Haruto nodded.
Aizen would probably do the same thing—using cyborgs for experiments—before long, but he certainly wouldn't do it on such a grand scale. Moreover, since the cyborgs in Rukongai were generally of low quality, Aizen quickly set his sights on the Soul Reaper.
"Wouldn't it be better to just use some magical artifacts? Why do we have to conduct live experiments?"
"... vulgar."
"It seems you're not the type to communicate normally."
Haruto's fingertips shimmered with a powerful light—the move that had severed his opponent's limbs earlier was the Zanka no Tachi, released from his fingers.
"Fourth-Class Spiritual Pressure."
"This level is quite good even among vice-captains."
Haruto glanced at the Soul Reaper lying on the ground; these guys were all genuine members of the Twelfth Division.
As far as I know.
"Whether it's that unfortunate fellow who got caught, or Hiyori stationed in the World of the Living Hiyori, they both seem to only possess Fifth-Class Reii."
What are you plotting by infiltrating the Twelfth Division?
Haruto raised his finger and aimed it at the opponent's Saketsu.
"Plot?"
Despite his broken arms and legs, Sakai Shukugo's activities were not affected; he even had the strength to sneer and retort.
"Joke!"
The blue horn on Sakai Shukugo's head is fading in color and shortening in length.
"If it weren't for that Old Man Yamamoto being blind, the captaincy of the Twelfth Division wouldn't have fallen to Kirio Hikifune!"
His severed limbs quickly regrowed, though their color was somewhat pinkish.
That's Flesh Supplement, or something similar.
"What are you talking about, Reiatsu Bankai...?"
"The fact that the Twelfth Division doesn't use research ability as a criterion for selecting its captain is utterly laughable!"
Haruto did not stop Sakai Shukugo from picking up his Zanpakuto.
"That fool you called in prison was nothing more than a pawn and a mouthpiece for me."
"The Fourth Seat of the Twelfth Division, Sakai Shukugo."
Are you satisfied now?
Both Sakai Shukugo Reiatsu and injuries have fully recovered.
"... Quite a coincidence."
Haruto responded with a smile in return.
"Fourth Seats in the Thirteenth Division, Haruto."
Please give me your guidance.
Volume 1: 091, Taking a deep breath of cold noodles
Please give me your guidance.
Are you kidding me!
Why would he associate with such a monster?
Although he appeared extremely calm, this was merely a basic quality of Sakai Shukugo as a scientist; in reality, he was terrified the moment he picked up the Zanpakuto.
First.
He didn't even see the attack.
The Reiatsu released from the opponent's fingertips (approximately) easily severed his limbs; not to mention Reiatsu, the process was so smooth that he didn't even feel the pain immediately.
You need to know.
In order to withstand the various accidents during the experiment, Sakai Shukugo underwent various enhancements and modifications to his body, which resulted in the neither-male-nor-female-nor-child appearance he has in the vicinity.
Not only that.
His body was also covered with a living defensive spiritual artifact of extremely high density, enough to resist most known intermediate-level Hadō —if it weren't for the need to deplete Naa Ichihara's Reiatsu, he wouldn't even have needed to clash with her Kidō.
To break through such a defense, one would need at least a high-level Hadō with extremely strong cutting power.
However...
The Reiatsu emanating from the opponent's fingertips was so intense that even Sakai Shukugo couldn't determine the type of the Kidō it possessed, let alone the incantation.
If the other party hadn't revealed their Soul Reaper identity, he might have even thought it was Quincy or Hollow technique; of course, although the other party didn't reveal their Zanpakuto, it couldn't be ruled out that it was a special attribute attached to their Shikai.
Secondly.
This person's demeanor was far too composed.
Using the most basic Reiatsu recovery Kaidō, Naa Ichihara's Reiatsu was replenished to more than one-fifth. The consumption of the entire process exceeded Sakai Shukugo's understanding of "Vice-Captain-level," which was no longer a matter of a few "Dankū" techniques.
Moreover, this wasn't the exciting part of the earlier exchange of Kidō. During the process of recovering Reiatsu, the opponent would definitely be able to detect the signs of Reiatsu depletion.
The poison from the Zanpakuto hasn't completely dissipated yet.
Instead of using wind-attribute Hadō disperse them, the opponent stood in the poison and chatted away, appearing completely fearless.
The Thirteenth Division, Fourth Seat?
Although Sakai Shukugo was focused on his research and had little interest in information that didn't affect his experiments, he still knew the names of the captains and vice-captains of each division. If it were Kaien Shiba, who was a vice-captain but had Captain-level strength, it would be understandable why he was only ranked Fourth Seat despite having such strength.
Unlike his previous confrontation with Naa Ichihara, where he pretended not to know, he genuinely lacked information about his opponent; however, it can be inferred that this nameless Soul Reaper named Haruto certainly possesses the combat power of a vice-captain at his peak.
"Fourth Seat Haruto."
Turn enemies into friends?
Sakai Shukugo didn't expect this, but he still didn't want to lose the consumables he had painstakingly collected before the research was completed.
" With Fourth Seat Sakae, please feel free to speak."
Haruto gestured.
"... Are you really going to fight me, a fellow Seated Officer of the Gotei 13, just for the sake of Rukongai?"
Sakai Shukugo took the initiative to feign weakness.
"Ah?"
"I've already slashed you twice, how can you still say something like that?"
Haruto's inability to discern the truth from falsehood left Sakai Shukugo quite embarrassed, but fortunately, his hardened skin was remarkably resilient.
"... Anyway, there wasn't any real loss, was there?"
There were losses, of course.
The precious Flesh Supplement agent, still under development and not yet perfected, was being wasted like this; Sakai Shukugo.
"If you're willing to pretend nothing happened today, other things are hard to say, but the resources of the Twelfth Division..."
"I've been involved in quite a few projects."
Sakai Shukugo continued to add weight to the scales: As for the Gotei 13, they use the Fourth Division and Twelfth Divisions quite often.
Especially the Twelfth Division.
Whether for personal use or as gifts, there are simply too many valuable treasures... Sakai Shukugo Soul Reaper.
Are there any that split up into Menos Grande?
Haruto asked so casually that Sakai Shukugo naturally didn't realize the problem.
"... While I don't know what your specific needs are, I have indeed provided guidance for similar projects."
"That's good."
Haruto nodded.
"Fourth Seat Sakae."
"Huh?"
Haruto's sudden shift to a "friendly" tone caught Sakai Shukugo off guard.
"Let me see what you're really capable of..."
"Otherwise."
"!!!"
Reiatsu and killing intent.
The mixture of the two rushed towards us like a fierce blizzard.
"If I don't satisfy you, you won't even be able to leave behind a complete corpse."
Although the source of this murderous intent is unknown.
But having already been targeted like this, Sakai Shukugo naturally wouldn't sit idly by and wait for his doom.
"You mistook my concession for weakness?"
A delicate metal syringe slid out from the cuff.