Chapter 210
Ganryū Ryūdōji finally revealed a disdainful expression.
"I don't think you really like this word either, so why don't you stop using it on other people?"
"... clever words."
"Same to you."
The conversation has basically stalled at this point.
What happened next—
"Whoosh!"
Of course, the only way to prove their skill is through their own actions!
――――
"Crackling sound."
Even without Ryudoji's control, the Blanks within the Valley of Screams continued to grow wildly toward the Shinenju; they coalesced into a decaying silver tree, its canopy almost obscuring half the sky above the Valley of Screams.
"Whoosh!"
Haruto and Ryudoji arrived at the first and strongest branch of the tree— Agata was not far below where they were standing.
Can I ask you another question?
Haruto stood holding a sword.
A blue glow originating from Reishi shimmered quietly on the surface of the bare upper body.
The medicine brought by Kisuke Urahara did help him recover a lot of Reiatsu, but Haruto's total amount was simply too large—to deal with an opponent of Ryudoji's caliber, relying on less than 1/3 of his reserves was clearly a reckless move.
The Quincy's abilities, no matter how much they are, must be used... Of course, the most important thing is to rely on the assistance of the Sklaverei.
"Explain."
Ryudoji did not harbor any resentment because of their previous bickering.
"What price did you pay to make Baishin risk her life for you?"
Within the Valley of Screams Space, due to the extreme activity of the Blanks, the Ryudoji Clan's ability to conceal their Reiatsu was greatly weakened; the special Heavenly Bestowed Armaments they wore clearly required the right environment to be fully effective.
In Haruto's view, the true Reiatsu level currently displayed by Ryudoji is not much stronger than that of Baishin.
It could even be described as weak.
"... you."
"I?"
Ryudoji gave an unexpected answer.
"A worthy opponent to match his demise, even if it's not you... the Soul Society will send other Soul Reaper with sufficient experience."
According to Ryudoji, Baishin is more like a martial artist who wields a powerful aura.
"Then why did he defect from Soul Society?"
However, this contradicts the records in Soul Society: either one of them is false, or neither is so "accurate".
"Baishin were not mentioned."
Ryudoji gave us an expression of unfamiliarity.
"But based on my guess, the special Zanpakuto that can fuse with his body also brings him endless pain."
"Two hundred years ago, Baishin probably didn't have such a resilient spirit... The seal of Soul Society, in a way, helped him."
That's all?
Ryudoji's answer was too casual.
What answers are you looking for in the deceased?
"Just out of curiosity."
Ryudoji also casually brushed aside Haruto's follow-up questions.
"Are you curious about any hidden secrets behind this, or did you sense something during your encounter with him?"
"..."
Haruto did not answer.
"Fine, don't tell me then."
Ryudoji said nonchalantly.
"Zanpakuto is essentially a reflection of its wielder's soul; it's perfectly normal to gain understanding through the clash of swords."
"Like now."
Ryudoji drew his Zanpakuto—
"?"
The problem is...
He had already taken out a Zanpakuto during the awakening ceremony of the giant Shinenju.
Now this is...
The second one!
"No need to guess."
"That Zanpakuto I just encountered wasn't mine, but rather a debt from the very first Zanpakuto my clan 'encountered'."
It was formed by the fusion of my soul and my grandfather's Zanpakuto.
Before Haruto could speak, Ryudoji took the initiative to explain the origin of the sword.
"If you have the ability to take it, you can break my control over Valley of Screams."
"..."
Information that is obtained too easily can actually make people feel somewhat constrained.
This is not a trap.
"It's just stating... an impossible fact."
"Zzz!!"
Ryudoji brandished two swords and assumed a fighting stance.
At the same time.
Measuring the Heaven Measuring of the world from a mere inch, the path to God Sealing in this World of the Living.
The liberation speech, as poetic as it was, resounded.
Silver spear, golden sword.
Both were held in perfect harmony by Ryudoji.
"Come and try out my Ryūdōji Clan's 'Slaying Path'!"
"This name—"
"Spear and Sword Dual Mastery."
――――
Volume 1: Chapter 127, Good morning, and then goodbye... right?
A dual liberation with unknown capabilities.
Haruto had seen people wielding dual Zanpakuto, but the enemies he faced at that time were relatively weak, and he was unable to fully unleash the power of these "inherited" Zanpakuto.
Ryudoji is different.
He seems to have truly integrated both Zanpakuto into his combat system: before obtaining the other sword, part of his so-called Spear and Sword Dual Mastery should have been replaced by spiritual tools or even Heavenly Bestowed Armaments.
"Let's go!"
He swung the spear he was carrying on his right shoulder with force.
"Call!"
A whooshing sound filled the air.
Ryudoji didn't use Shunpo at all; instead, he struck empty air with a force so great it bent his spear.
"!?"
Sensing danger, Haruto immediately moved aside, but although his awareness caught up, he couldn't immediately adjust his speed to its maximum.
"Puff."
The spear tip, over forty centimeters long, not only sliced through the Blut Vene's defenses but also casually ripped off a thin strip of flesh from the outside of his arm.
"Call!"
The attack on Ryudoji is not over yet.
As the spear missed its mark, his arm coiled around the shaft like a snake, and he gave it another sharp jerk, aiming at the spot where Haruto had dodged Haruto.
"Bang!"
A sweeping blow aimed directly at his side sent Haruto a baseball.
"Boom!!"
Two shots, half a round.
Haruto was unable to defend against any of their moves.
"Call out--"
As Haruto crashed into the mountain, a cutting sound a hundred times sharper than before tore through the air and followed closely toward his location!
"Boom!!"
The hilltop was blasted to obliterate by this attack.
"Bang."
Amidst the falling lime dust, Haruto crashed through the mountaintop and emerged.
"Completely unharmed?"
Ryudoji shouldered the silver spear again, but even with the butt of the spear facing the enemy, he could not relax his guard against this "insidious" weapon for the slightest.
"No."
"To only suffer such minor injuries during the initial encounter, one would say she truly deserves the strength to hold her own against Baishin?"
Ryudoji said with a smile.
He hasn't even used his second Zanpakuto yet.
"Is this all the power of your Zanpakuto?"
Haruto was on high alert, watching for even the slightest movement from Silver Spear.
"That's right."
The Heaven Measuring named Zanpakuto has the ability to attack targets regardless of spatial distance: Ryudoji did not move an inch from beginning to end, but his attacks hit Haruto without exception.
From the moment it was thrown to the moment it hit, the opponent had less than a tenth of a second to react—in terms of speed alone, this Zanpakuto with spatial attributes was almost as fast as a rule-based weapon that could Zanpakuto...
It's probably even harder to deal with than Silver's "Shinsō".
The key point is...
Haruto learned about the Shikai ability of the other party's Zanpakuto, but Ryudoji also successfully tested Haruto's physical strength:
Cutting, blunt force, puncture.
The three attack patterns from Heaven Measuring gave Ryudoji a deeper understanding of Haruto's physical abilities, which he already knew from the battle with the Baishin... The damage that followed would not be as simple as it was now.
"Whoosh!"
Haruto used Shunpo to create distance.