Chapter 196
Only...
What's going on?
The location marked by the Hell Butterfly, where the Dangai exit should have been, did not have a corresponding Senkaimon; the slightly rapid Kōryū of the Flow indicates that Senkaimon did indeed appear here not long ago, but was blocked for unknown reasons.
"..."
Haruto took a step back.
"Kōten Taihō!"
"Boom!!"
A violent explosion rang out within the Dangai.
Compared to the surrounding thin Kōryū, a huge gap was instantly created.
The core killing mechanism of the Senju Kōten Taihō is spatial power. Kōryū it is troublesome, it can be penetrated with power of the same level.
The same applies to Kurohitsugi.
Gravity currents may be slightly less effective, but they can still work.
But...
The rapidly converging Kōryū from the surrounding area quickly closed the newly formed hole back into a state of impassability.
"This is troublesome."
Haruto will definitely be able to get through this on his own.
We can simply widen the opening with a more powerful Senju Kōten Taihō, and then use the Kaijō to open another Senkaimon.
But "Hadō #91: Senju Kōten Taihō!"
Of all the Soul Reaper on missions, how many can actually use the 90th Hadō?
The strangeness he sensed upon entering the Dangai made Haruto suspect that he was the only one experiencing the same thing.
"Hadō #91: Senju Kōten Taihō!"
"Boom!!"
Haruto decisively used the full version of Kidō No. 91, blasting a path wide enough for passage before Kōtotsu's shadow could even arrive.
"Whoosh!"
Dangai, in another place.
"Crush her, Haguro Tonbo!"
The scabbard and the end of the hilt were joined together, and a flat-bladed spear, several stories high, appeared in the hands of the female Soul Reaper.
"Step back a bit."
"Yes!"
Lisa Yadōmaru and the Soul Reaper of the Eighth Division are both here.
Haruto's guess was wrong. The recent complicated situation has made Shunsui Kyōraku serious, while Lisa has had time to lie on the roof of the team barracks reading erotic books. The reason for choosing such a high spot is to avoid disturbing the other children (specifically Nanao).
The immense Reiatsu was concentrated entirely on the body of the vessel.
"Article 21: Dragonfly Drooping!"
"Boom!!"
The force of the Zanpakuto's swing was in no way inferior to Haruto's high-level Kidō in terms of destructive power.
"..."
Unfortunately, Lisa's Reiatsu level is not high enough to break the rules with pure brute force.
"Beep!!"
The sound of Kōtotsu advancing could be heard not far away.
"Click."
The Zanpakuto was returned to its sheath.
"Everyone!"
The Wall of Kōryū heals very quickly; Lisa's abilities are certainly enough to break it, but using her still-developing Bankai in such a place...
"Follow my steps, don't go too fast, save your energy!"
It's better to just wait for rescue.
If the Eighth Division doesn't arrive at their designated location by the scheduled time, Captain Kyōraku will definitely notice something amiss, and then we can simply wait for his rescue.
That's what Lisa was thinking.
In fact, not only Lisa, but most of the members of the Eighth Division have a very high level of trust in their captain.
"Yes!"
"Boom!!"
The answer and the explosion completely overlapped.
Right where Lisa had just scraped off a thick layer of "putty," Kōryū shattered into pieces, just like rocks crushed by a tunnel boring machine.
Huh?
Haruto stepped out onto the Kōryū.
"Lieutenant Lisa?"
Haruto was surprised to see Lisa there.
If he had known, he wouldn't have rushed over so hastily—he had just left the Dangai and, following the coordinates of the Eighth Division provided by Captain Hikifune, had raced back to the location of the Senkaimon with a streak of sparks and lightning.
Commonplace?
No, no.
Before Haruto blasted open the Senkaimon, he made a point of wiping the sweat from his forehead... He doesn't even sweat in life-or-death battles.
"Come!"
Haruto didn't waste any more words.
The Kōryū created by the Senju Kōten Taihō will heal quickly; there's no time to waste on greetings.
"Keep up!"
Lisa Yadōmaru hesitated for only a moment before leading her team out of the Dangai... The Kōtotsu whistled past less than fifty meters away.
In the World of the Living, in Ishikari City.
While not as grand as Karakura Town, this place is still a rare Jūreichi.
"Fourth Seat Haruto."
Watching the team members safely emerge from the Dangai--
"Thank you for your help, otherwise we might have wasted a lot of time... It's still hard to say whether everyone can return."
Lisa Yadōmaru extended her right hand to Haruto.
Recalling the first time she met Haruto, Lisa felt as if it were a lifetime ago... even though less than two years had passed since then.
"Of course."
Haruto smiled back.
My mission area is not here.
Haruto gently squeezed and then released his hand.
"With Lieutenant Yadōmaru leading the team, the Eighth Division will definitely be able to complete the mission quickly."
Lisa Yadōmaru is very strong.
The reason she was in a predicament of Kōryū was simply because she was not skilled in Kidō; in terms of direct combat strength, she was definitely Captain-level.
Haruto has absolutely no need to worry about Ayaka's safety.
"I should go back too..."
"Bang."
While Haruto was still chatting with the vice-captain, Ayaka, quite inconsiderately, punched him in the back on the waist.
Normal girls wouldn't act so recklessly.
"You've come to see me?"
The sound of the Ayaka was very soft.
But they certainly knew exactly what level the Seated Officer present were at.
"Could it be any other reason?"
Haruto smiled and asked in return, making no attempt to hide the fact that Lisa was right next to him.
"... I'll go back and settle the score with you."
Ayaka had asked the question with a hint of teasing, but Haruto completely disregarded the presence of so many colleagues around him; especially Yayahara Yuyu, who was hiding in the back, whose expression looked like he was planning to "torture" himself afterward.
"So..."
Haruto cannot stay here for long.
Only the person involved truly knows the extent of the effort required to cross half of Japan in such a short time.
--The task he's in charge of hasn't even started yet!
"I won't keep you any longer. Farewell."
"Whoosh!"
Volume 1: Chapter 119, Memories of No One
"Whoosh!"
Shunpo landing.
Haruto stood atop the familiar building.
The sign that was damaged by the Giant Hollow centipede has been repaired, but it seems that the company using this office building has changed hands.
"Naruki City..."
"The last time I came, it was snowing."
The streets were covered with piles of maple leaves, and the desolation was not much better than in winter.
"Bite."
Haruto lightly stepped onto the rooftop.
"Bakudō Fifty-Eight: Kakushitsuijaku!"
Intermediate Bakudō do not require special incantation; the main issue is that the passive state of Kakushitsuijaku has a limited detection range. However, with Haruto's full Reiatsu, Kakushitsuijaku's detection range can completely cover the entire city.
The spiritual energy slowly spread out like ripples on water.
Whether it's the skyscrapers on the surface or the sewers underground, everything is exposed within Haruto's mental network.
"The number of fakes is unusually high."
" With the Hueco Mundo expedition progressing to this point, even near the Jūreichi, there shouldn't be so many active Hollows."
Haruto has identified eight locations where the Hollows have gathered, with over a hundred individuals in total. Even the neighboring Karakura Town doesn't have such an exaggerated density.
"The Captain-level Reiatsu mentioned in the report..."
"Hidden?"