Taking Them All Down (2)

The moment the words left his mouth, the blade of Tulu slashed down.

Shinji Hirako didn't even have time to react and could only instinctively raise his Sakanade to block.

"Snap!"

A crisp snapping sound rang out. The Sakanade blade, like fragile glass before Tulu, broke in two. The dark red blade continued its descent, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound on Shinji Hirako's chest.

Then, Liu Ziyun raised his right foot and kicked Shinji Hirako hard in the stomach.

"Bang!"

Shinji Hirako flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily next to the unconscious Hiyori Sarugaki, and slid to the ground, unable to get up for a moment.

The entire process took less than two seconds.

An eerie silence fell over the training ground.

Everyone was stunned. Shinji Hirako's Sakanade, the ability that once struck fear into the hearts of countless enemies, was... utterly useless against Liu Ziyun?

"Because he's blind." Kisuke Urahara's voice broke the silence, his tone filled with complex emotions. "Sakanade's ability is to invert vision, but what's the point of inverting vision for someone who can't see at all? Mr. Liu has been invincible from the very beginning."

These words were like a sudden awakening, making everyone understand.

But the battle is not over yet.

The moment Shinji Hirako fell, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi stepped forward. His expression was unusually serious, and the Kinshara in his hand began to emit a clear, ringing sound.

"Bankai-- "

Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi's voice echoed in the training ground, carrying a certain melody, as if chanting an ancient incantation.

"Kinshara Butōdan"

His Zanpakuto underwent a bizarre transformation. The original whip split and reformed, transforming into dozens of enormous dancers made of metal. These dancers were of various shapes and sizes, some wielding sharp blades, others clad in heavy armor, each radiating a powerful Reiatsu.

Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi stood in the center of the dancers, a conductor's baton appearing in his hand. He gently waved the baton, and the dancers began to move, circling around Liu Ziyun.

"Today's first program is [Sea Current]." Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi's voice carried a hypnotic rhythm, "Riding the rhythm of the swirling sea, let us sing a song of pain and fear."

The dancers accelerated their movements, creating a massive vortex. At the center of the vortex, water appeared out of nowhere, transforming into a raging torrent, attempting to engulf, bind, and strangle Liu Ziyun.

But this is not the end.

"The second program is [Volcano Messenger]."

The dancers' heads opened, spewing out scorching flames. The flames intertwined with the water, creating a bizarre and dangerous steam explosion that completely enveloped Liu Ziyun.

Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi looked at Liu Ziyun, who was engulfed by flames and water, and a confident smile appeared on his face, "Not bad trick, right? But what can seize a mind is always just a trick."

He continued waving his baton, his voice growing even more melodious. "The rolling lava is the earth's rage, trample on despair. I control music, and this false melody that resounds in your ears will rob you of your mind. Once your mind is stolen by deception, you will be burned, even... killed."

These words were less directed at Liu Ziyun and more a boast of his abilities to everyone. Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi had absolute confidence in his Bankai — the Kinshara Butōdan was not merely an offensive Bankai, but also a master of psychological warfare. Through the combination of music and illusion, they could subtly plunge their enemies into despair, ultimately leading to their collapse.

However...

"Are you done talking?"

Liu Ziyun's voice came from the heart of the flames and water, eerily calm.

The next second, all the flames and water disappeared at the same time. Liu Ziyun's figure reappeared in front of everyone - there wasn't even a single scorch mark on his body, and his clothes weren't wet at all.

"Your abilities are indeed impressive." Liu Ziyun looked at Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, whose empty eyes seemed to truly see. "Creating illusions through music, influencing the mind through illusions, and creating flaws through wavering of the mind... a very ingenious series of schemes."

His tone suddenly turned icy. "But you made two fatal mistakes."

Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi's expression froze. "What... a mistake?"

"First, you revealed every detail of your abilities to the enemy." Liu Ziyun a step forward, his figure vanishing instantly. "Second, you forgot the most basic principle of combat—in battle, never give the enemy a chance to breathe."

As the last word was uttered, Liu Ziyun appeared before Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi.

His right hand shot out and grabbed Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi's face like an iron clamp, then slammed it down hard.

"Bang!"

Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi's face made intimate contact with the ground with a dull thud. He didn't even have time to react before he was completely stunned by the impact.

But this is not the end.

Liu Ziyun raised his right foot and stomped hard on Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi's back.

One time.

Two times.

Three times.

Each strike caused Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi's body to tremble violently, and each strike weakened his Reiatsu. When Liu Ziyun finally stopped, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi was on the verge of death, and the Bankai of the Kinshara Butōdan was automatically deactivated, the dancers turning into specks of light and dissipating into the air.

Liu Ziyun looked down at Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi at his feet, his voice filled with undisguised disappointment. "Look at you, you piece of trash. Are you really that amazing? You've been babbling on and on. Are you afraid I can't crack your code?"

He raised his head and looked around at the remaining members of the Visored: "As long as I can hear what you're saying clearly, I can simply block out your hearing. What's the use of your pathetic deception? Deception is for fooling, but if you tell the enemy the whole truth, what kind of deception are you going to achieve?"

These words struck like a heavy hammer blow to everyone's heart.

The training ground fell into dead silence.

The remaining few people— Love Aikawa, Kensei Muguruma, Lisa Yadōmaru, and Mashiro Kuna —stopped what they were doing and looked at each other in bewilderment. They could sense that everything Liu Ziyun said was true. Their performance just now truly deserved the word "trash."

Just then, Love Aikawa made a move that surprised everyone.

He sat down cross-legged, placed the Tengumaru across his lap, then looked up at Liu Ziyun with a helpless smile on his face.

"Ziyun, we haven't seen each other for so many years, is it really necessary to start like this?" Love Aikawa's voice was devoid of anger, only deep weariness remained. "What exactly do you want? Anyway, we can't beat you. And I believe you don't really want to kill us, right?"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the last bit of fighting spirit in everyone's hearts.

The others exchanged glances and then stopped what they were doing. Kensei Muguruma released his Bankai, Lisa Yadōmaru put away her Iron Paddle Dragonfly, Mashiro Kuna removed his mask.

They stood there quietly, looking at Liu Ziyun, waiting for his answer.