Chapter 277
"Next..."
"It's the Tsunayashiro Clan."
――――
Volume 1: 165, Divine Gold
"Puff."
That wasn't the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh.
The guard who collapsed at the entrance of the Tsunayashiro Clan looked as if his body had been drained of its life force, and he lay on his back like a dried-up corpse when he died.
Then it shattered into pieces amidst a cloud of dust.
The defenses of the Tsunayashiro Clan are not that weak.
It's purely because the skilled users who could unleash their Zanpakuto have been almost entirely killed by their own swords, and those who survived were all wounded.
"Puff."
The figures with Shimenoka tucked into their waistbands are falling one by one.
Who goes there!
"Ah!!"
There are still some elites who can recapture their Zanpakuto.
Unfortunately, these elite clansmen, retainers, and guards were far too few in number. Even when they spotted the approaching assassins, they were quickly killed with a single, swift stroke, accompanied by piercing screams.
The assassins all wielded the Bakkōtō. Although their lifespans had been reduced to single digits due to the effects of the blade and the drugs, the potential they had squeezed out allowed each of them to unleash the strength of a vice-captain, at least at the Fifth-Class Reii level.
For the Tsunayashiro Clan, whose high-ranking members were almost completely wiped out yesterday by Kōga Kuchiki's attack, the current situation is nothing short of adding insult to injury.
"Puff."
After the third wave of guards fell—the attacking assassination squad clearly knew the Tsunayashiro Clan quite well—they had arrived in front of the main hall.
Just then...
"Boom!!"
A fierce fire broke out.
The shockwave instantly blew away half of the assassination squad, and the Flow lava, like a tsunami, melted them, along with their weapons, into rapidly solidifying droplets.
"Laugh."
The once spacious and brightly lit plaza in front of the palace was instantly scorched with countless bottomless holes, turning it into a bumpy, uneven landscape resembling a country dirt road.
However.
Such a horrific scene did not frighten the assassins dressed in black robes.
Among them—
"Terukatsu Tsunayashiro!"
A figure that appeared somewhat "bulky" compared to the others emerged from the shadows, a stark contrast to the firelight.
Are you still going to put up a stubborn resistance?
Terukatsu Tsunayashiro.
That is the name of the current head of the Tsunayashiro Clan.
In the Soul Society, no one has dared to call him by his full name... for hundreds of years.
"Boom!"
The burning door frame collapsed with a crash.
A majestic figure with white hair and beard emerged from the flames, sword in hand—those few steps were enough to make the man who had spoken earlier instinctively intend to retreat... until he saw Terukatsu Tsunayashiro's body, covered in charred and bloody blisters.
It's obvious.
During the process of subduing the Zanpakuto, Terukatsu Tsunayashiro's injuries were far more severe than those of the other members of his clan: not only because the strength of his Second-Class Spiritual Pressure far exceeded the current average level of the Tsunayashiro Clan, but also because of the power of Terukatsu Tsunayashiro Zanpakuto.
The sword's name is "Bone-Melting Fire".
Zanpakuto that possesses both heat and earth attributes, capable of wielding magma, specializing in power and range of attack.
If he hadn't fought so desperately, the raging lava could have wiped out the Tsunayashiro Clan.
This is also why the Tsunayashiro Clan is so wary of Kōga Kuchiki.
"When."
Even though he was seriously injured, Terukatsu Tsunayashiro's voice remained calm and composed.
"You had the right to speak before I even opened my mouth?"
That was the accumulated pressure from the powerful nobles, and also one of the reasons for this massacre.
"Traitor..."
"Tenma Fushizuku?"
"..."
"Really."
The man whose name was called out by Terukatsu Tsunayashiro removed his mask.
Aside from the bare top, the rest of the white thing is comparable to that of Terukatsu Tsunayashiro: he's not young either.
"Even with this thing, it can't fool you, you old codger."
The Tenma Fushizuku.
A retainer of the Tsunayashiro Clan and the head of the Fushizuku Clan, a noble family of higher rank.
You shouldn't be here.
Terukatsu Tsunayashiro stared intently at Tenma Fushizuku.
"Where should it be? The Kuchiki Clan?"
Tenma Fushizuku sneered.
"Betrayed the Tsunayashiro Clan... By what right, with that brat Kumoi's Bakkōtō? You've submitted to the Shihoin Clan?"
Kumoi Gyokaku, after all, the head of the Kasumioji Clan, which nominally belonged to the Shihoin Clan —it was rare for a family like the Kyōraku Clan not to be affiliated with a higher-ranking noble family.
The existence of the Bakkōtō is no secret.
Especially for the Tsunayashiro Clan, who control the Great Spirit Book Gallery... it's just that they haven't actively exposed it due to the tacit understanding among the upper echelons.
"The Shihoin Clan?"
Tenma Fushizuku revealed a disdainful expression.
"Terukatsu Tsunayashiro, you underestimate me."
"... I see."
A hint of mockery flashed across Terukatsu Tsunayashiro's face.
"You want to take the place of the Tsunayashiro Clan?"
"..."
Tenma Fushizuku did not speak, but his silence spoke volumes.
"Was it you who ordered... secretly orchestrated Tsukinori's killing of Kuchiki Hine?"
"..."
Just as the Kasumioji Clan excels in forging, the Fushizuku Clan stands out in pharmacology; their expertise extends far beyond just strengthening drugs.
Poison.
This is the area where the Fushizuku Clan excels most.
"Aren't you going to tell me?"
Terukatsu Tsunayashiro raised his Zanpakuto.
"Your skills have improved considerably, but your courage seems unchanged... You haven't even heard news of my death yet, how dare you stand here like this."
"..."
Tenma Fushizuku still did not answer him.
"Fine."
Terukatsu Tsunayashiro gripped the hilt of the sword with both hands.
Intense flames converged from all directions, and the sun-like lava sphere completely illuminated the entire Tsunayashiro Clan.
"Being able to capture you all is a way of cleaning up the mess for my Tsunayashiro Clan— "
"Puff."
Before he could finish speaking...
A familiar Zanpakuto emerged from the flames behind Terukatsu Tsunayashiro and pierced straight into his back.
"You..."
Terukatsu Tsunayashiro slowly turned his stiff neck.
"... Tokinada!?"
――――
Ninth Division.
A figure wearing goggles leaped up from a distance.
Thump!
A powerful, downward kick, like a chopping axe, knocked the burly man, who was surrounded by a storm and wore heavy armor, unconscious.
"Heave-ho!"
Mashiro Kuna landed on the ground in a gymnastic landing motion.
Kensei, you're no good!
#!
His incredibly irritating waving and pouting gesture immediately made Muguruma, who was covered in bruises, bulge with veins.
"How can someone who can't even Zanpakuto lead the entire Ninth Division?"
"##!"
The Mashiro Kuna said, the angrier I got.
But Kensei couldn't refute her: Mashiro Kuna's Zanpakuto had just materialized, and he hadn't even seen what it looked like before his vice-captain punched him back into its original form... This was so different from his disheveled appearance.
And.
At this moment, all the materialized Zanpakuto in the barracks had been taken down by Mashiro Kuna, and not a single one of them had been killed.
The reason why he was the last to help Kensei...
To paraphrase Mashiro Kuna, Kensei should have been able to hold off Zanpakuto as ordinary as Tachikaze for a long time.
But.
No matter how foul-mouthed he is, Kensei has to acknowledge Mashiro Kuna's contributions.
If it weren't for this reliable vice-captain's help, the Ninth Division would probably have been wiped out several times over by now.
Kensei himself didn't dare to directly withstand the attack of the Tachikaze. Those Seated Officers and soldiers with slightly slower Shunpo speed would simply be slaughtered when facing the Tachikaze.
――――
Eighth Division.
At the entrance to the captain's office.
"Lisa."