Just right

Three minutes earlier.

Kyoraku Seishu stared intently at the wall separating the two houses in the distance, as if he could see right through it.

"I have a feeling the courtyard on the right is more suspicious."

"But we all clearly sensed a burst of Reishi just now..." The squad members looked at Kyoraku Seishu, utterly certain that their earlier impression had been correct.

The Reishi fluctuations had been so obvious, and there had even been a faint sound of impact. It all pointed to someone hiding in the rundown house in front of them. What was there to doubt? If they wasted any more time, the person would get away!

Seishu calmed himself and sharpened his senses to their utmost.

A familiar feeling flickered faintly at the edge of his spiritual awareness. But it was so elusive that he couldn't get a proper grasp on it.

"What could it be?"

Suddenly, that hazy sensation was like a ray of light breaking through paper over a window. Kyoraku Seishu's eyes lit up at once!

An object bearing an incredibly familiar Reishi signature abruptly appeared within the range of his senses, like a candle flame in the dead of night!

It was Kyoraku's spinning top!

He had bought the top himself as a gift for his younger brother, Kyoraku Shunsui, and imbued it with a unique Reishi mark.

As the only two brothers left in the Kyoraku House, Seishu had to be on guard against anything bad happening to his younger brother. The top was not only a toy for him, but also a reassuring way to keep track of his whereabouts at all times.

Like a fish leaping out of a deep pool, the top surfaced for an instant, then disappeared beneath the water again.

"So there really is something going on over there! Follow me!" Before he had even finished speaking, he vaulted over the high wall and landed in the courtyard on the right.

The two squad members had some misgivings about his judgment, but they still followed orders, climbing over the wall one after the other to join Kyoraku Seishu.

The instant Seishu landed, he sensed an extremely faint impact coming from underground.

Kyoraku's spinning top... was underground... hitting something?

Seishu had no time to think it over. He immediately released his Zanpakuto. "Stand tall, Proud Snow! Green Pine!"

A verdant light flashed across the blade, and the shadow of a pine canopy spread from the hilt in Seishu's hand.

"Green Pine: Stone Splitter!"

The Reishi shimmered and transformed into enormous, almost solid roots. They tore through the weed-choked ground and spread toward the spinning top underground.

The two squad members nearby held their Zanpakuto at the ready, standing on guard with grave expressions.

In their recollection, this was only the second time they had seen Kyoraku Seishu release his Zanpakuto. They still couldn't release theirs properly, so the situation seemed somewhat dire to them.

"Have you found anything, Big Brother Kyoraku?!"

The Reishi roots extended underground, and Seishu's senses spread along with them—

Beneath the ground was a neatly shaped structure that looked like an underground chamber.

At the same time, a series of impacts traveled along the roots and reached Seishu's mind.

Was Kyoraku using his spinning top to strike the walls? Was he trapped?

At the thought, Kyoraku Seishu called out an order. "Everyone outside, get into this courtyard at once and take up defensive positions!"

The two Soul Reapers outside and more than ten Kyoraku House servants carrying long staffs immediately kicked open the decrepit courtyard gate and rushed in.

Seishu gestured roughly to mark out an area and ordered four Soul Reapers, "Take up positions around this area. Don't get too close. Once I tear up the ground and you see the enemy, attack immediately!"

Then he ordered the remaining servants, "You can't fight, so stay as far back as possible. If anyone escapes in your direction, fight if you can; otherwise, retreat. Don't take them on recklessly."

Everyone nodded, quickly finding their positions and readying themselves.

"Green Pine: Mountain Ripper!" Seishu shouted. The Reishi roots that had pierced underground immediately broke through the ceiling of the chamber. Then countless roots tightened at once, wrenching the buried ceiling straight out of the ground!

The violent shaking left the servants behind him dumbfounded. It was their first time seeing the head of the Kyoraku House use his powers. Such overwhelming strength—Lord Kyoraku was truly terrifying!

Amid a series of thunderous crashes, Seishu casually flung the ceiling and its thick layer of earth into an empty area in the distance. The scene below was now laid bare before everyone.

Kyoraku Shunsui stood by the far wall, covered in soot, his face full of shock and grief;

Closer to Seishu, two people were locked in a tight embrace. One was on one knee, his head hanging limply. Blood drenched him, and he seemed to have lost consciousness. The clothing around his right shoulder had been blown to shreds, and a short blade pierced his left hand, which was clamped tightly around the hand holding the weapon;

The other had blood at the corner of his mouth and stared up in shock, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Faced with the two people locked together, the Soul Reapers didn't know whether to attack them or save Shunsui first.

Seishu immediately turned to his younger brother and shouted, "Shunsui! Are you all right?!"

Hearing his brother's voice, Kyoraku snapped out of his shock and pointed at Lin Nan and Iwamoto, still locked together. "Big Brother! Save Lin Nan, he's hurt!"

Seishu didn't hesitate. He turned his Zanpakuto toward Iwamoto, who couldn't move, and prepared to attack.

"Damn it! You actually found this place..." Iwamoto glared viciously up at them. "I won't let you get your way so easily... Soul Art: Viewing Flowers Through Mist!"

At his soft chant, Seishu and the others on the surface were plunged into terror—

In their eyes, the underground chamber with its ceiling torn off suddenly transformed into a grotesque, terrifying maw lined with fangs, roaring as it lunged to swallow them.

The servants, with no combat experience, dropped their staffs and fled in every direction, wailing in terror;

Even the nearby Soul Reapers trembled so badly their legs nearly gave way. They could only raise their swords in front of them, forgetting to move.

Kyoraku Seishu, the most experienced fighter among them, furrowed his brow. His Zanpakuto turned into green vines that swiftly wrapped around the four squad members frozen in fear and carried them to safety.

Then he called out, "Green Pine: Proud Snow Branch!"

Pine needles formed from Reishi surged from Green Pine's gnarled branches like a swarm of insects, flying toward the monstrous maw. The instant they struck it, every needle triggered a small explosion.

In a flash, the smoke from the explosions engulfed the desolate courtyard.

Beneath the smoke, Kyoraku choked and coughed, unable to keep his eyes open. The deafening rumble left his ears ringing and his hearing gone for a moment.

It had all happened too quickly. He hadn't even had time to warn them.

"Big Brother! The enemy's underground! Why are you attacking the ground?!" He covered his mouth and nose with both hands and shouted with all his might, "Watch out for a sneak attack!"

At Kyoraku's warning, a wisp of white mist seemed to pass before Seishu's eyes, and everything changed:

The terrifying maw with its fangs had vanished. Beneath the ground was still the underground chamber with its ceiling ripped away;

The abandoned house that had been intact before was now mostly collapsed, and clouds of dust had billowed high into the air.

"Damn it!" Seishu realized at once. "It was an illusion!"

At the same time, a calm chant reached his ears, raising goosebumps across his skin.

"Ruler of all creation! Mask of flesh and blood;

All things—flap your wings—crowned in the name of man!

Etch twin lotuses upon the wall of pale blue fire,

And await the abyss of flames beneath the distant sky!"

While everyone was distracted by the illusion, Iwamoto had finished chanting his Kido. A smug look showed in his narrow eyes.

The people aboveground were still trapped in the illusion; Kyoraku Shunsui was too stunned by the explosion to move; and Lin Nan in front of him had long since lost consciousness.

Now, no one could stop him!

"It's too late, Mr. Soul Reaper!" A polite smile curled his lips. "Hadō #73..."

Seeing that his opponent had finished the incantation, Kyoraku Seishu knew there was nothing he could do in time. His mind went blank, the man's words echoing endlessly in his head...

Hadō #73, Sōren Sōkatsui.

Kyoraku Seishu could almost see two enormous, scorching blue fireballs crashing down toward the ground.

Of the people aboveground, perhaps only he could survive a Hadō above No. 70, and even then he would suffer grave injuries. Everyone else—especially the servants—would be vaporized by the Kido, without a trace left behind...

How could this happen...? That was the only thought he had time for.

"Hey, your dad isn't dead yet!" A sudden voice interrupted Iwamoto's incantation.

Lin Nan's head snapped up. His bloodshot eyes blazed with defiance.

Iwamoto turned to look at him, stunned.

That kid had taken a direct hit from a No. 20 Kido to his right upper chest, and I'd stabbed him twice in the abdomen. How could he still be conscious?!

Lin Nan suddenly yanked Iwamoto toward himself with both hands, then clung tightly to him. He extended both index fingers and pressed them firmly against Iwamoto.

"Try dodging this." He smiled at Iwamoto's bewildered expression. "Hadō No. 4: Byakurai!"

Two dazzling beams of white light crackling with electricity flashed into being, piercing through Iwamoto's chest and right abdomen. The bolts blasted fist-sized holes through the underground chamber wall and the earth above it!

Soil and rocks scattered. The underground chamber was wrecked, and the barrier vanished with it.

Seishu had just recovered from his shock when he saw what happened. His mouth fell open in disbelief: that kid could use Kido with both hands at once!

Could he be the new student Captain-Commander Yamamoto had taken on?

Iwamoto spat out blood and cursed through the agony in his chest. "You little... bastard! Why aren't you dead...?"

A mysterious smile appeared on Lin Nan's bloodstained face. "Didn't see that coming, huh?"

Iwamoto's brows drew together. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kyoraku Seishu aiming his Zanpakuto at him. A strange glint suddenly flashed in his eyes, and he slammed his head into Lin Nan's forehead.

"Soul Art: Viewing Flowers Through Mist!"

With his shout, Lin Nan, caught in the illusion, was struck by darkness. His body fell backward against his will.

Iwamoto broke free of Lin Nan's grip and leaped backward toward the stone door. He wiped his wound with his left hand, then smeared the blood over the symbol in the center of the stone pillar.

Kyoraku had only just regained his senses amid the rapidly changing situation. Horrified, he poured all his strength into charging at Iwamoto and cried out his incantation like a clap of spring thunder: "Bakudō No. 9: Geki!"

A bright yellow rope shot from Kyoraku's hand and chased after Iwamoto.

At the same time, Kyoraku Seishu launched his own attack. "Green Pine: Stone Splitter!"

Several Reishi roots swiftly coiled toward Iwamoto. The moment they touched his body, they would capture him completely.

With blood at the corner of his mouth, Iwamoto smiled smugly through his exhaustion. "Too bad, Soul Reapers. You still can't catch me..."

He fell backward, his entire body instantly merging with the darkness beyond the stone door, as if melting into an unseen abyss. Then he was gone without a trace.

The Kido and Zanpakuto of the Kyoraku brothers both struck empty air.

Seishu cursed, "Damn it! He got away after all!"

Kyoraku Shunsui froze for a second, then hurried over to Lin Nan, who lay motionless. He scooped him into his arms and shook him hard. "Lin! Are you okay?"

"If you shake me like that, aren't you worried I'll bleed to death?"

Lin Nan coughed softly and gradually came around from the illusion.

Kyoraku Seishu also jumped down from above and asked anxiously, "You're badly hurt. How are you feeling?!"

The exhausted Lin Nan could barely hold himself up. Looking at the worried Kyoraku brothers beside him, he pointed to his own head and smiled:

"Just the right amount of force. It scrambled my brains without damaging them."