Clash Once More

At the sight of this Zanpakuto, Hibiki Hoshino's eyes flared with a devouring, terrifying light as he looked toward the rapidly approaching figure.

"Yo, long time no see, Third Seat Hoshino."

Stopping roughly thirty meters in front of Hibiki Hoshino, Ailin even smiled and waved at him.

To everyone else in the Seireitei, Hibiki Hoshino was a Soul Society traitor who had started a rebellion.

But to Ailin, Hibiki Hoshino was his lucky star.

Well, Haruko Kuchiki, who had brought Ailin and Hibiki Hoshino together, was even more of a lucky star to Ailin.

Look at this—only a few days after encountering Hibiki Hoshino, Ailin had completely copied the Zanpakuto of every captain in the Gotei 13.

Once the Hibiki Hoshino rebellion was resolved, Ailin could take the time to forge those Zanpakuto one by one.

When that time came, Ailin's spiritual pressure would rise once more.

Beyond that, the experience of those Zanpakuto's owners would also bring a qualitative transformation to Ailin's Zan, Ken, So, Ki.

Ailin was still deeply grateful to Hibiki Hoshino for bringing him all these benefits.

"Ailin!"

Hibiki Hoshino was consumed by rage.

This was the man who had destroyed everything he had.

If Ailin had never appeared, Hibiki Hoshino would have become Kuchiki Hyōga—the Kuchiki Clan's son-in-law, its future head, and the future captain of the Sixth Division.

But because of Ailin's appearance, he had now lost everything.

"Indeed, it's been a long time."

Though they had parted only last night, to them, their identities, strength, and even beliefs had changed beyond recognition since yesterday.

It felt as if a very long time had passed.

"But I still have to thank you. You were the one who let me see this hypocritical world for what it truly is."

"To thank you, let your Zanpakuto become my power!"

Hibiki Hoshino then pointed his Zanpakuto at Ailin. "Bankai—Hookless Punishment Muramasa!"

Boom!

Vast spiritual pressure erupted from Hibiki Hoshino, and a purple halo spread outward with him at its center.

Over the past few days, Hibiki Hoshino had repeatedly reviewed his battle with Ailin in his mind.

He remembered that before Ailin had released his Zanpakuto, his own Zanpakuto, Muramasa, had indeed controlled Ailin's Zanpakuto, forcing Ailin to use Hado No. 11, Tethering Lightning, to injure his own right hand and knock the Zanpakuto from his grasp.

This time, Hibiki Hoshino had decided to seize Ailin's Zanpakuto from the very beginning and turn it into his own aid.

At the same time, the materialized Zanpakuto around Hibiki Hoshino surged toward Ailin like a flood.

Hibiki Hoshino intended to kill Ailin as quickly as possible.

Perhaps Ailin's Zanpakuto ability was powerful, but the fact that it could resist Muramasa's control after release was enough for Hibiki Hoshino to decide that Ailin could not be allowed to live.

No one liked things beyond their control.

Especially when that thing was their natural enemy.

As the purple halo passed over Ailin's body, the materialized Muramasa had already found Ailin's Mindscape and entered Unlimited Blade Works.

Within Ailin's Inner World, Muramasa's eyes widened. Everything before him frightened him so badly that he did not dare move.

Was this the soul space of that Shinigami from before?

Wasn't a Shinigami only supposed to possess a single Zanpakuto?

Why were there so many Zanpakuto here?

And if he wasn't mistaken, the figure standing behind that Shinigami across from him seemed to be himself.

"Welcome, Muramasa."

"But unfortunately for you, from the day I awakened this ability, everyone who enters this space must die!"

After saying that, Ailin turned and left. At the same time, his voice echoed throughout the Inner World.

"Everyone, I know you've all been bored lately, so I'll leave this guy to you for entertainment!"

"My only requirement is that he must not leave here alive."

"As for everything else, do as you please."

"How is that possible?"

Outside, Hibiki Hoshino felt as though he had lost his connection with Muramasa.

Muramasa's Bankai infiltrated an opponent's soul space and used some method to turn the enemy's Zanpakuto against them, causing the Zanpakuto's dissatisfaction with its master to erupt until it ultimately submitted to Muramasa's control.

Because time within the soul space differed from the outside world, the Zanpakuto turned by Muramasa would materialize almost instantly in reality.

But now, let alone Ailin's materialized Zanpakuto, even Hibiki Hoshino's own Zanpakuto, Muramasa, had not appeared.

"How is it impossible?"

Ailin opened his eyes and smiled at Hibiki Hoshino. "Third Seat Hoshino, you couldn't control my Zanpakuto six days ago. Why do you think you can control it now?"

"And have you never considered that I came alone to subdue you because I possess absolute strength and confidence?"

Ailin's words made Hibiki Hoshino's pupils tremble violently.

The next instant, Hibiki Hoshino's hysterical voice rang out.

"Everyone, attack! Kill him!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

More than forty Zanpakuto with distinct physical forms, along with over five hundred shadowy Zanpakuto, charged madly at Ailin under Hibiki Hoshino's command.

"Projection—"

Buzzzzz...

Spiritual power surged as Zanpakuto appeared one after another above Ailin, transforming into arrows that shot toward the incoming Zanpakuto like a torrential rainstorm.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom...

Aaaahhh!

For a time, explosions and screams rang out one after another.

In that wave alone, at least a hundred Zanpakuto were killed. Their shadows dispersed, while the actual Zanpakuto in their hands shattered into several pieces and fell to the ground.

After that wave of sword rain, a forest of swords had appeared before Ailin.

Beneath it lay countless fragments of shattered Zanpakuto.

"Kill!"

Although Ailin had slain hundreds of materialized Zanpakuto with a single move, the remaining Zanpakuto still rushed at him in a swarm under Hibiki Hoshino's command.

Whoosh—

Ailin's body became an afterimage as he charged into the forest of swords. He casually pulled a Zanpakuto from the ground and flashed through dozens of Zanpakuto like lightning.

Slash, slash, slash...

Blood sprayed through the air as those Zanpakuto fell in confusion, never seeing how they had been struck before they died.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

Amid the crisscrossing figures, Ailin would pull another sword from the forest on the ground after killing nearly seven or eight materialized Zanpakuto, then continue his slaughter.

Every time he switched swords, Ailin's fighting style changed somewhat.

At times he was swift as wind, at times fast as thunder, at times immovable as a mountain, at times violent as earthfire, at times surging like a rushing torrent...

Any Zanpakuto that entered the forest of swords was annihilated by Ailin before it had even crossed one-third of the way through!

That's right, this was no longer a battle.

It was a massacre!

Thanks to reader Sakura Drifting Mio for the tip! Thank you!