Chapter 174
"Sternritter- Commander, Schubert!"
Schubert's medium-length black hair was blown about by the storm stirred up by the Reishi fluctuations.
"Here I say to you..."
"Bring down the punishment of death."
He swung his sword, and an arrow flew.
"The Sankt Bogen!!"
The moment the bowstring trembled, the sky seemed to be covered by an ocean of Reishi.
Heilig Pfeil are categorized into many levels based on their size, and at the very top of all Heilig Pfeil lies a non-combination skill that holds the title of the strongest Heilig Pfeil...
This is the Great Sankt Bogen technique.
"Boom!!"
Sōken Ishida stood on the rooftop.
He had no way to dodge this attack—his classmates who had just arrived at school were right beneath his feet. Schubert might not care about the lives of "mortals," but he couldn't.
So.
"Don't even think about it!"
The gloves I had just put on shone with a brilliant, deep blue light.
The Reishi tsunami, no smaller than Schubert in scale, coalesced into an "X"-shaped arrow in Sōken Ishida's hands as it surged and roared.
Sanrei Gloves.
He accumulated Reishi over seven days and seven nights without stopping, and then unleashed it all at the moment he needed it. When Uryū Ishida first used it, he temporarily lost his Quincy abilities because the amount of Reishi he collected exceeded his body's limits.
But Sōken Ishida wouldn't.
His Reiatsu is quite different from the half-baked one that Uryū Ishida had when he first went to Soul Society.
The Sanrei Gloves in his hands were nothing more than a one-time use spiritual tool... equivalent to a consumable item for Captain-level all-out attack.
Facing the Sankt Bogen of Schubert—
"The Sankt Bogen!!"
Sōken Ishida will use the same move to block it!
"Boom!!"
――――
A terrifying explosion rang out in the sky above the school.
"..."
Haruto shielded his eyes from the glare with one hand and looked up at the exaggerated scene overhead.
"Number 90's Hadō..."
"No, my Senju Kōten Taihō doesn't have that much power. These two seem to be using very light and effortless attacks."
"In reality, they all carried out assassinations in secret."
"Sankt Bogen"
Haruto knows this move:
When Yhwach fought Ichibē Hyōsube, he used the Sankt Bogen to shoot back the body that had been sent flying by the Thousand-Mile Heaven-Piercing Palm back into the Soul King Palace.
Unexpected.
That level of technique, used to borrow strength, becomes incredibly destructive when used by Quincy with "only" Third-Class Reii.
"This is really..."
Haruto didn't finish his words.
"Call out!"
Shallow ripples of Reishi spread around him.
Two white figures, riding Hirenkyaku, simultaneously closed in on Haruto from the left and right!
Then--
"Clang!!"
That was black, the complete opposite of white.
Right beside Haruto, two Zanpakuto narrowly blocked the Quincy's blade—it's no wonder there are so many unorthodox Quincy among them, since both the commander and vice-commander prefer melee weapons... even though their most proficient attack method is ranged.
Hey! Baldy!
"You didn't even try to block it!"
The short man who spoke rudely was none other Hiyori.
"I trust Ms. Hiyori completely."
Haruto replied without turning his head.
"... cut!"
Hiyori spat out a disdainful remark.
"Your Haruto."
The one on the right who gives a great sense of security is Kanmuri Yasu, who hasn't fully recovered yet.
According to Kiyōnosuke Yamada, injuries that would normally take one to two weeks to heal were restored to such an extent in just one night. Kanmuri Yasu's physical abilities are simply too good for the 11th Division.
You need to know.
Kiyōnosuke Yamada rarely makes mistakes in his diagnosis of illnesses.
"The Kidō barrier has been set up; all ordinary people within a one-mile radius have fallen into a deep sleep."
"Lieutenant Kanmuri Yasu, you've worked hard."
From the moment he killed that Quincy yesterday, Haruto knew that the next few days wouldn't be peaceful, but he didn't expect the battle to start so quickly; Haruto, who seemed to have wasted a night, hadn't missed a single day of work in secret.
"No, it's all thanks to the support of Lieutenant Sarugaki and the Twelfth Division."
"Boom!"
Kanmuri Yasu thrust forward with all his might, Zanpakuto instantly pushed the Quincy in front of him dozens of meters away.
Seeing this scene...
"Where did this brute come from?"
Hiyori's physique dictates that her strength is definitely inferior to Kanmuri Yasu's; if she wants to separate her opponents and widen the battlefield—
"Sever him, Kubikiri Orochi!"
The Hiyori, which was originally meant to be carried on the back, instantly transformed into a giant Zanpakuto; with a casual swing, Hiyori turned what was a tense standoff that required both hands to hold it off into the Quincy being sent flying hundreds of meters away—
"Boom!!"
It was an inexplicable competitive spirit that came from nowhere.
"Sarugaki..."
Upon witnessing this scene, Kanmuri Yasu knew he couldn't waste time on his opponent.
Although the Quincy were fighting amongst themselves, they were all extremely powerful Captain-level. Given that his injuries had only healed by less than half and his Reiatsu was only at 30%, he needed to finish the battle quickly if he wanted to be effective.
Then.
The arm holding the knife swung forcefully to the side—
"Ride with me, Heaven-Spanning!"
The originally delicate and exquisite weapon was instantly transformed into a domineering long-handled broadsword.
"Whoosh!"
The two simultaneously used Shunpo) Quincy who had been knocked away!
"I also..."
Everyone has found a rival, and Haruto naturally can't sit idly by either.
Although it is unclear why the Captain-level sent by the Central 46 Chambers did not show up, it can be guessed that the latter is likely planning to wait until Sōken Ishida and Schubert are both severely injured before making their move.
But!
Considering Sōken Ishida's attitude, even if he mistakenly identified himself, Haruto still held the view that it was better to talk than to fight.
Helping him eliminate Schubert would be beneficial and harmless.
However.
Just as Haruto was about to make his move—
"!?"
A dark, imperceptible touch silently reached his neck.
"Puff!!"
――――
Volume 1: 106, Seirin Tsunayashiro
"Whoosh!"
Haruto used a Shunpo to create distance.
If he had been even a fraction slower, his head would probably have been severed—no matter how strong his physique or how regenerative his abilities, once his head is cut off, he will still die.
Even so.
Haruto's throat was still silently slit open by the blade.
His hoarse and labored breathing lasted for more than ten seconds before gradually subsiding... If he hadn't pressed his hand on his Zanpakuto the moment he Shunpo, the enemy's attack wouldn't have stopped so easily.
"Miss..."
Haruto's voice was still a little hoarse.
"Are you sure you haven't got the wrong person?"
Haruto narrowed his eyes, and even more wrinkles appeared at the corners of his eyes... Since graduating from the Shin'ō Academy, Haruto had not felt such a dangerous impulse for a long time.
No~
A playful voice rang out with the almost imperceptible Shunpo.
If Haruto hadn't received visual feedback, he wouldn't have even been able to detect the Soul Reaper standing there by relying solely on his Reiatsu.
That's right, Soul Reaper.
The Zanpakuto worn at the waist is undoubtedly a weapon that only Soul Reaper are allowed to wield; and the elaborate clothing, completely different from the style of covert operations and which cannot be simply described as gorgeous, further highlights the identity of the visitor.
If one were to add certain embellishments to a person's status, then "the Four Great Noble Clans" would undoubtedly be the most eye-catching adornment.
"The request I received..."
Her ruby-like, bright eyes, paired with her short, wispy black hair and doll-like, fair and pretty face, evoked a deep sense of tenderness and affection.
"It means I will kill you, Fourth Seat Haruto."
"... You should know very well that even the Tsunayashiro Clan cannot escape punishment for assassinating a Soul Reaper of the Gotei 13."
Therefore, it can be said...
The red-eyed girl pressed her index finger against her vibrant red lips.
"Since I'm here, there won't be any news getting back to Soul Society ~"
"... I see."
From the moment he saw the other person's face, Haruto's vigilance was heightened to its maximum.
She was Soul Reaper even the Central 46 Chambers could not command, but could only "request," the undisputed strongest of the younger generation of the Tsunayashiro family. If she weren't a woman, no one else would have any chance of competing with her.