Chapter 95
"These are things students shouldn't know. They'll naturally learn more once they join the Gotei 13."
Seireitei glorified the actions of the Soul Reaper, but it did not portray the Quincy as heinous criminals.
This might be a change in Shigekuni Yamamoto... and a sign of benevolence.
"Do you want the new generation of Soul Reaper to be filled with hatred towards the Quincy, who are already in a disadvantaged position?"
Haruto spoke calmly to the Quincy.
"Soul Reaper, is this your leeway?"
The Quincy's expression didn't change much, but those words had clearly provoked his anger.
"No."
Haruto shook his head and said:
"I just think you live such a fake life."
"If you're so capable, why don't you go and settle accounts with the Soul Reaper of the Gotei 13?"
Haruto glanced at Nanao, who were being protected by Tōzanshō, not far away.
"If I remember correctly, dealing with you is the job of the Third Division and 11th Divisions... and it's also the Quincy's own fault. If you hadn't gone too far recently, Captain-Commander Yamamoto wouldn't have bothered with you at all."
The Soul Society's dispatch of an expeditionary force to Hueco Mundo and the large number of Hollows appearing throughout Rukongai are fundamentally related to the Quincy's actions.
The Gotei 13 is short-staffed, partly due to the large number of personnel being transferred from the 11th Division to deal with the Quincy.
"Too much?"
Haruto's description made the Quincy in front of him almost lose his composure.
"Soul Reaper."
The expression on his face when he said those two words was one of gritted teeth.
"You told me about fire?"
"To kill the entire Quincy family, men, women, and children, leaving no survivors—isn't that what you call going too far!?"
Despite his deep, resonant voice, the Quincy's voice sounded hoarse and strained.
I express my condolences for what happened to you.
"But to transfer the pain you've endured onto innocent people in this way—doesn't that run counter to the path of the Quincy?"
In order to eliminate Soul Reaper without bloodshed, the enemy used a Hollow Bait to plunge half the city into crisis.
Such behavior can only be described as hysterical.
You must understand, Quincy are heroes who protect humanity... This is an indispensable part of their sense of self-identity.
"You're right."
At this point, the Quincy's emotions suddenly stabilized.
"The nobility of the Quincy is no longer relevant to me. Now, I am nothing more than a pathetic avenger."
"Soul Reaper!"
Immediately afterwards, the suppressed emotions suddenly exploded!
Stop putting on airs!
The Quincy rolled up the cuffs of his pure white coat, and the silver cross emblem shimmered with a dazzling light.
"As you said, my target for revenge is the Grim Soul Reaper."
"The 11th Division's lieutenant is the only guy in my intelligence who hasn't shown up yet, but all the operations against the Quincy were planned by him—"
"To be able to take down those Hollows, that level of strength is impossible to remain unknown among the Soul Reaper... How long are you going to keep up this act!"
Quincy caught off guard by the Haruto's move.
"..."
You've mistaken me for someone else.
After a brief silence, Haruto could only tell the truth to the Quincy lived in his own perception.
"Really?"
Of course, the other party wouldn't believe it.
"I am Haruto from Class 1, Grade 6 of the Shin'ō Academy. Since you have access to information about the Soul Reaper, you must have heard of me."
Haruto knew that explaining wouldn't be of much use.
Perhaps when he killed other Soul Reapers, he used the same excuse... to justify his brutality.
"..."
The Quincy didn't say whether he believed it or not, but instead revealed a new piece of information to Haruto:
The magic array enveloping this area is called the Star Cross Barrier.
"The ability to disable the communication capabilities of the Hell Butterflies in your hands is a result of our research after killing more than thirty Soul Reapers."
"... you?"
Haruto noticed the other person's choice of words.
"Right."
"Although their setup was slightly smaller than mine, they were all able to replicate it."
The Quincy, on the contrary, seemed to be handling the situation with ease.
"Since you say you're a student, then how does it feel to wait for your friend to be tortured to death?"
The opponent is Quincy with a legitimate lineage.
Although the criteria for distinguishing the Reiatsu of Quincy differ significantly from those for Soul Reaper and Hollows, their general strength can still be determined.
The opponent is at least a Vice-Captain-level.
Those Quincy slightly weaker than this guy are basically the third to Fifth Seats of the Gotei 13... their Rei'i Grade is probably between Sixth Class and Seventh Class.
The problem is...
The Shin'ō Academy does not teach Quincy- related skills, making battles with Soul Reaper especially difficult when the opponent's background is unknown and information is unilaterally transparent.
"... You're trying to provoke me."
The vague grip on the Zanpakuto's hilt has become a firm grip.
"Right."
The Quincy replied indifferently.
"But this will only fuel my killing intent... As a member of the Soul Reaper, I originally felt somewhat apologetic."
Reiatsu began to flow within the Zanpakuto.
"You?"
The Quincy replied dismissively.
At the same time, he also raised his right arm high towards Haruto, and a stream of deep blue Reishi flowed from the silver...
It poured out from the cross and instantly transformed into the shape of a longbow.
"Taking down so many Hollows is certainly commendable, but how much Reiatsu did you expend to do it?"
He glanced at the street ravaged by Reiatsu and snowstorm.
"And that child over there, she seems terrified of fighting... Are you sure you can..."
"How can you protect them while fighting me?"
Haruto's squinted eyes opened slightly.
"You can give it a try."
"Hahaha!"
The Quincy let out a harsh laugh, but his gaze remained fixed on Haruto's every move.
"Soul Reaper!"
"You certainly don't seem like the thugs and scoundrels of the 11th Division!"
The Quincy recalled the night he wasn't home.
Although he did not witness the scene, he reconstructed the events of that night bit by bit with blood and tears: a child with exceptional talent but who had not yet begun to grow up, and a father who was old and battle-hardened—if the former had not been kidnapped and taken hostage, how could those inhuman Grim Soul Reapers have so easily wiped out a Quincy family?
"My Krien Pascal!"
The Quincy reported his own life.
"Blame it on—"
"I guess I was born into the wrong camp!"
"Buzz!"
The arrow of light extended rapidly with the drawing of the bow.
"Heilig Pfeil!"
A silvery-blue light swept straight towards Haruto!
Heilig Pfeil.
The basic abilities of Quincy are equivalent to the Zanpakuto that Soul Reaper possesses.
However, a foundation does not equate to weakness. Just like the Shikai of Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto, Quincy can imbue Heilig Pfeil with different forms and attributes—for example, Uryū Ishida's "Rain of Light" is the ultimate, mixed version of Heilig Pfeil.
The Quincy before us, named Krien, is wielding the Heilig Pfeil... Since his Reiatsu is at the Vice-Captain-level, this move couldn't possibly be just a simple drawing of a bow and shooting an arrow!
"Hadō #78"
Haruto drew his sword.
All the Reiatsu poured into it was concentrated into a single, simple strike.
"Zanka no Tachi!"
"Zheng!"
The sharp Reiatsu pierced the air and struck the incoming arrow of light with tremendous force.
"Boom!!"
As the Reishi flew through the air like flying stones, the trajectory of the Heilig Pfeil was instantly rewritten.
"Call out--"
The silver-blue arrow of light relentlessly pierced the snow pit left by the Giant Hollow, and after penetrating the asphalt, rocks, and cold, solid soil, it continued its relentless advance into deeper and deeper places.
"Laugh!!"
Only a wisp of smoke remained, drifting in the air.
"..."
"Is the ability enhanced across the entire system?"
Haruto thought to herself.
While his actual combat strength had approached that of a vice-captain, his Reiatsu concentration was still somewhat lacking. Facing opponents with superior Reiatsu who were also experts in this area, he inevitably showed some signs of weakness.
If Haruto had used his Zanka no Tachi meet the attack head-on, he would probably have been pierced through the heart by now by the Heilig Pfeil.
Fortunately.
Haruto had no intention of confronting it head-on; his previous use of the Zanka no Tachi was merely a test of the Heilig Pfeil's power.
Now it seems...
Haruto closed his eyes.
"?"
Before the other party could react.