Chapter 64
That's right.
The hunter who became the prey was none other than the auctioneer:
Judging from the scale of the auction, his actions were unlikely to be authorized by nobles; therefore, it could only be a personal act.
With tacit approval behind the scenes.
Certainly.
Compared to the few Soul Gold on Haruto's body, the people in room number one are the truly wealthy.
However, the relationship between wealth and power is usually directly proportional, so maybe this guy just thinks the two of them are easier to get his hands on.
Pity.
He has a problem with his eye for choosing opponents.
"..."
He was struck directly by the fully chanted, enhanced version of the Raikōhō, even while his Reiatsu was Rikujōkōrō Prison.
Even Fifth-Class Reii would lose half their life.
After this guy shakily stood up from the pit—
"Whoosh!"
"Chase!"
The sounds of Shunpo from both sides rang out almost simultaneously!
Byakuya reacted very quickly, immediately using Shunpo to catch up.
Although Haruto was half a beat behind, he was still able to follow the Reiatsu traces left by Byakuya and barely keep up: Byakuya was seriously injured by the Raikōhō, his body was injured and his Reiatsu was unstable, so his Shunpo speed also slowed down.
Otherwise, Haruto wouldn't be able to keep up.
Although Byakuya's Shunpo speed was faster than his opponent's, he did not press too hard to prevent his opponent from launching a last-ditch counterattack.
Once victory is assured, the prudent approach is to bleed the enemy dry, which is also the most common fighting style of the Kuchiki Clan.
Moreover, given Byakuya's status, he wasn't worried about the nobles behind the other party making a move... in that case, the gains tonight would only be greater.
However.
Just as the Grim Reaper's spiritual pressure was about to plummet to the bottom—
Stop!
Haruto suddenly shouted at Byakuya.
"?!"
Although Byakuya was a beat slow, he quickly sensed the danger:
A dangerous and chaotic Reiatsu was rapidly approaching from afar; the attack, completely integrated with the darkness, silently descended upon the land before them—
"Beep!!"
――――
Ten minutes ago.
When Haruto and Byakuya walked out of the auction, the forest opposite Rukongai West District 1 was already ravaged beyond recognition by the explosion.
"Boom!"
A slender figure tumbled out of the explosion.
A young man with a side ponytail and an excessively pale face knelt on one knee, leaning on his Zanpakuto.
"Huff, huff!"
His chest heaving violently indicated that his condition was far from good.
"I already said..."
From the shadows of the trees opposite him, two men of similar age slowly emerged.
The shorter one was dressed quite ornately, wearing the same haori as the captain of the Gotei 13, but in a slightly different color, a light green with a grid pattern.
But.
He was described as being slightly shorter, but that was only in comparison to the nearly two-meter-tall man next to him: a man with a bare upper body, a light green headscarf on his forehead, and two Zanpakuto at his waist.
Most importantly, they made absolutely no attempt to conceal their appearance.
"Hand over everything, and I might spare your life."
Judging from the wording, the shorter one is the one in charge.
"... There really aren't any left."
"No?"
He completely ignored the other person's bitter expression.
"The Senju was once a prestigious clan among prestigious clans."
"As the right-hand man of the Shiba Clan in the past, you're telling me that now all that's left is a secret manual of the ninety-odd Hadō?"
"Who do you think you're deceiving—"
"Senju Shinran?"
"..."
The Senju Shinran, whose name had been called directly, no longer wore the previous expression of feigned ignorance and bitterness; instead, it instantly turned ferocious.
"Pooh."
He spat out the bright red blood from his mouth.
"Although the Senju Clan has declined, I am still a direct descendant of the family. What right do you, a bastard son of the Tsunayashiro family, have to judge me?!"
"Tsunayashiro Mamoru?"
"..."
If Haruto were here, he would have already recognized the identities of the two parties: the generous Room One and the consignment shop selling valuable treasures in Room Thirty.
"You really dare to say that."
A ferocious expression appeared on Tsunayashiro Mamoru's face.
"It seems your rat-like scurrying away just now made you think you had an opportunity."
"Uji!"
Tsunayashiro Mamoru's voice wasn't loud, but it was full of menacing intent.
"After playing for so long, you finally remembered me, young master?"
The tall man wearing a headscarf took a step forward, gripping the two Zanpakuto at his waist with both hands.
"Give him a memorable death."
"... Can't we improvise?"
The Soul Reaper named Uji asked a question in return, but only silence answered him.
"..."
"Alright, since it's your request, young master."
The relationship between the two is not as simple as it seems. Although Tsunayashiro Mamoru is equipped with guards, the latter's status is actually not much lower than his.
It's hard to say whether a bodyguard from the main family or an illegitimate child from a branch family is more important to the Tsunayashiro Clan.
Don't worry, my friend.
Uji looked at Senju Zanpakuto a wary expression.
"Although your eyes are as sharp as your name suggests, you don't need to stare at me like that... I'm not very familiar with this Zanpakuto that I acquired not long ago."
Uji released his left hand, striking a harmless pose.
"Besides..."
But his right hand, which was gripping the hilt of the knife, quickly closed, and his forward steps did not falter in the slightest.
"You're not worth me using two knives on you at the same time."
"Zheng!" x2!
Two gleaming blades were simultaneously drawn from their sheaths in the hazy moonlight!
"Copy it, Kaleidoscope!"
"Entangle it, Shade Tree!"
The two simultaneously unleashed their Zanpakuto.
"..."
Just then, Uji's raised foot suddenly stopped, and the branch that Senju was about to plunge into the ground—a cane like a withered tree, which was the form of his Zanpakuto after its release—stopped less than two centimeters away.
"What's wrong?"
Uji showed an expression of unsurprise.
Even though the battle hadn't started, cold sweat was trickling down Senju's cheeks.
"It causes plants within its domain to grow wildly, indiscriminately drawing life force from all targets except the holder, to nourish itself."
"The scope of application is..."
"A circle with a radius of twenty meters."
The Tsunayashiro Clan not only recognized his name, but could also accurately describe the abilities and stats of his Zanpakuto —the intelligence gap was so large that the outcome of the battle was practically predetermined.
But!
Just as Uji speaking.
"Zheng."
The tip of the Zanpakuto, almost touching the ground, plunged deep into the earth.
"Call out--"
A deafening roar, tearing through the air, mingled with the sound of earth breaking through the ground!
"Boom!"
The grass ropes, which came from all directions and were tangled together like ropes, Zanpakuto.
"..."
Oh dear, I forgot to mention.
Uji flicked the second Zanpakuto in his hand.
He wasn't familiar with the Zanpakuto he had just bought and couldn't unleash its Shikai power... but it was still good enough for weeding.
"If the focus is concentrated in one direction, the distance can be extended to a maximum of thirty meters."
"Did you miss anything this time?"
"..."
The Senju fell silent.
With all their hidden cards exposed, they had no other thought but to escape.
What happened to your boastful words?
The Senju technique requires first distracting the opponent.
"It was just to let you die with some dignity. I never expected that a descendant of a fallen noble family couldn't even show compassion for others."
However, Uji, who saw through his intentions, wasn't buying it.
"Why not give it a try—"
Uji raised his Zanpakuto.
"Can your Shunpo be faster than my gun?"