Yamamoto, Surrounded (Continued)

The Sixth Division member shouted, pointing his Zanpakuto at his pale-faced colleague, "He's Reigai!"

The accused Grim Reaper's eyes widened. "Nonsense! I was just here—"

Before he could finish speaking, a flash of silver light appeared!

With a sigh, Kuchiki Kyoka sheathed his sword and looked at the "Grim Reaper" in front of him, who had turned into fragments of Reishi, leaving only a round bead spinning around. His brows furrowed.

"Put it away, this is the seventh one..."

Not long after his wedding, Kuchiki Kyoka turned and walked to the center of the street, where dozens of terrified Shinigami had gathered. Everyone looked at each other warily, afraid that their companions would turn into enemies at any moment.

"Listen up, everyone!"

Koga's voice was as chilling as ice. "From now on, no unverified team member is allowed to act without authorization. Report any suspicious persons immediately; violators will be—"

His words were interrupted by a sudden explosion!

In the distance, thick smoke billowed from the Third Division's barracks...

"Here we go again!"

One of the team members clutched his head in despair, exclaiming, "This is the third time today!"

"Don't overthink it. Once each case is thoroughly investigated, this chaos will soon disappear."

Koga's eyes grew colder. He knew better than anyone that the root of this chaos lay in the collapse of trust— the Thirteenth Division was essentially a military organization, and a highly feudal one at that.

In this kind of organization, the Hiszawa no Jō connects everyone, and in a sense, the strength of this bond also affects the strength of combat power. But when even the closest comrades-in-arms may be enemies in disguise, the order of Seireitei becomes as fragile as a sandcastle.

On the street, Koga was leading his team to check suspicious people one by one. His Zanpakuto Muramasa, was suspended in mid-air, emitting an eerie purple light.

"Next."

He said coldly.

A trembling team member stepped forward, Muramasa's blade pointed at his chest, purple light spreading out like ripples.

A few seconds later, Koga nodded. "Passed."

The team members stepped aside with a sigh of relief.

Everyone held their breath and waited for the trial. Those who hadn't been tested yet were naturally anxious, but those who passed were much more relaxed and trusted their teammates more.

—They all knew Muramasa's abilities, so they trusted that Koga wouldn't make a mistake.

Even if the Reigai's acting skills are so superb that it's impossible to tell the difference, the Zanpakuto doesn't lie, and it certainly can't fool Muramasa!

Therefore, during this special period, Iori lifted the ban on Koga, allowing him to freely use his Zanpakuto abilities and quickly identify a squad that he could completely trust.

Just then, a messenger rushed over. "Captain Kuchiki! The Captain-General orders you to proceed to the First Division immediately!"

Koga narrowed his eyes. "I understand."

He turned and gave his adjutant a few instructions, then vanished in Shunpo.

When he arrived at the First Division Barracks, he found that, apart from the Captain-General, the remaining captains were already there—including Kurotsuchi Mayuri, who was acting as the 12th Division captain with a gloomy expression, and Zaraki Kenpachi, who was wearing bandages for some reason.

"Kuchiki Kyoka."

Yamamoto cut to the chase, "From now on, you will be fully responsible for the identification of the Reigai."

Koga bowed slightly. "Yes, sir."

—This is the official appointment; Iori acted first and informed her later.

However, Koga clearly didn't care about this. In his view, Iori's orders were more authoritative than Yamamoto's, and this was just a formality.

"Muramasa's abilities are best suited for this task."

Yamamoto continued, "I will allocate all available manpower to assist you."

Kurotsuchi Mayuri suddenly interjected, "I have a suggestion. Instead of screening them one by one, why not..."

"No need."

Koga said coldly, "I trust Muramasa more than your props!"

Buzz!

The sword at Koga's waist glowed with a faint purple light, and it murmured softly as if expressing its joy—it must be said that this sword was indeed very human-like.

"Captain-General, please give me three days. I promise to find all the Reigai."

"... Okay, then I'll leave it to you."

—A little later, at the First Division Barracks.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni stood by the window, gazing at the black smoke rising in the distance. His cane was deeply embedded in the ground, revealing his suppressed anger.

"Lord Yamamoto."

Shubaku Jiro —the real Shubaku —stepped in quickly. "The Research and Development Bureau has sent word that they've found a way to identify Reigai."

Yamamoto didn't turn around. "Speak."

"The Reishi fluctuation of the Reigai have subtle differences, which can be detected by special instruments."

The Shubaku handed over a report, "But the problem is..."

"Explain."

"The testing efficiency is very low; we can only test about fifty people a day."

"In that case, we can only rely on Koga."

Yamamoto shook his head, feeling both helpless and relieved.

"There's one more thing..."

The Shubaku suddenly stopped, and Yamamoto also lowered his eyelids, as if he were dozing.

"Lord Genryusai?"

"No need to worry."

"Yes!"

Shubaku's expression turned cold, his right hand resting on his Zanpakuto, but he stared intently at the doorway.

However, the next moment, a huge Reiatsu fluctuation came from above, like Mount Tai pressing down!

Boom!!!

Amidst a sky full of Lightning Bolt, the entire pavilion was completely destroyed!

Whew! Whew!

The two elderly men emerged from the chaotic atmosphere. The Shubaku was serious and furious, while the Yamamoto, had long since surpassed the limits of anger; his eyes were now chillingly cold as he raised his eyelids to look at the three people descending from the sky.

"Jushiro, the Unohana, the Hikifune Kirio... no, is it Reigai?"

Yamamoto realized what had happened after a moment's thought, "The Hollowfication Incident itself was a trap, as was the Reigai. The mastermind behind it all is the same person... And you infiltrated Seireitei and have been lying low ever since, all for the sake of taking my head?"

"I'm so sorry, Teacher Yamamoto."

Even though it was just Reigai, Fujitora Shijuro remained polite.

"But that's war; there's no room for sentimentality."

"The Thirteenth Division is currently overwhelmed with its own problems, and all the team leaders have been dispersed. No one will be able to come to their aid in the short term."

The Reigai of Unohana said softly, "This is undoubtedly the best time."

"Don't blame us, old man."

Hikifune Kirio smiled confidently.

"Snort..."

Yamamoto's long white eyebrows trembled slightly, as if he were excited but it looked more like a smile.

"Naive... Naive to the point that I almost laughed out loud... So, the newly created Reigai are only at the level of toddlers in terms of intelligence?"

To actually try to kill me—as a disciple and old friend who knows me well, isn't that incredibly foolish!

All Creation have turned to ashes!

[Ryujin Jakka]!

Boom!!!

Yamamoto's deep voice could resound through the sky, and the blazing flames instantly engulfed the entire barracks.

But at the same time, the ancient buildings turned to ashes in the high temperature, the ground cracked, the air was distorted, and even the sky was dyed crimson.

However, amidst this sea of fire, three figures remained the Unassailable.

"[Waves become my shield, lightning becomes my blade!]"

Jushiro's Zanpakuto emitted a ghostly blue light, then formed two swords resembling Sōgyo no Kotowari, which, like bottomless pits, devoured all the oncoming flames and then released them through the other side of the twin swords.

However, this is a drop in the ocean compared to Yamamoto's Shikai.

To be honest, Sōgyo no Kotowari's ability is particularly effective against Kido -type Zanpakuto like Yamamoto's... but unfortunately, the difference in scale between the two is too great, Jushiro can only manage to protect himself.

Just then, Hikifune Kirio's voice came from behind. "It's too much for the two of you to fight against the Captain-General. Let me lend a hand!!"

Whoosh!

Countless Reishi threads shot out from her fingertips, connecting to the backs of Jushiro and Unohana, piercing through their clothes and entering their bodies. The next moment, their spiritual pressure instantly expanded, and their aura directly rivaled that of Yamamoto!

—A Temporary Soul!

Hikifune Kirio developed this technique to create temporary souls and then place them inside what appears to be a Shinigami (death god), thereby temporarily enhancing their combat abilities!

Of course, in the plan for the captain of the 12th Division, we also need to think about how to develop a gentler "injection method", such as through eating.

However, since they are Reigai and don't care about their physical bodies, Hikifune Kirio used his best skills to significantly increase the spiritual pressure of Jushiro and Unohana.

Boom!

Jushiro crossed his twin swords, unleashing a more ferocious backlash from the flames he had previously absorbed. Unohana charged forward like a ghost, her crimson blade aimed straight for Yamamoto's vitals.

"Bang!"

Yamamoto was forced to take a half step back, and the ground beneath his feet collapsed with a crash. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the spirit of his former beloved disciple—no, it should be said that it was the Reigai that perfectly replicated Jushiro's strength.

"Interesting."

He slowly straightened up Ryujin Jakka. "It seems that I... have no choice but to get serious."

Shubaku Jiro suddenly appeared out of nowhere and advised, "Captain-General! This is the Seireitei!"

"I know."

His voice was deep and thunderous, "But some prices... must be paid."

Jushiro's Reigai suddenly changed color. "Oh no! He's going to—"

"[Bankai Zanka no Tachi] "

The world seemed to stand still at that moment!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no overwhelming flames. Only Yamamoto's Zanpakuto black, and the suddenly dry air around them.

"Kyokujitsu-jinsan".

Yamamoto slowly swung his sword, the movement as light as brushing dust off his sleeve. Yet, wherever the blade passed, the space itself was scorched with a dark crack.

With just one strike, neither Jushiro nor Unohana dared to take it head-on, and they quickly dodged with Shunpo. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet cracked open, and a huge amount of soil and rocks in the crack disappeared into thin air!

"Nishijin Gokusatsu."

The blazing white flames transformed into armor, covering Yamamoto's entire body, instantly burning away the threads that were trying to absorb his spiritual pressure.

"The North Heaven Ash."

The Zanka no Tachi was raised high above his head, and the entire sky of Seireitei changed color. If this strike were to land, most of the First Division's territory would probably disappear from the map.

The three Reigai finally showed expressions of terror. They retreated in unison, attempting to form a defensive formation—

"Stop!"

As a dark shadow fell, a clear, cold voice suddenly pierced the sky. Iori Aizen's figure plummeted into the battlefield like a meteor, Mirror Water precisely blocked the attack between Yamamoto and the Reigai.

"Teacher, why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? I can handle this small matter."