Vasto Lorde

Soul Society, West Rukongai, Third District.

It was spring, with flowers in bloom and warm weather. Yoruichi Shihōin and the Shiba siblings, eight people in all, had gathered together, chatting, laughing, and playing around. The atmosphere was lively and harmonious, and even Kisuke Urahara had unusually set aside his research.

Shadow stood on a high tree branch, watching Yoruichi Shihōin play happily below. A faint smile crossed his lips.

Although he had been watching Yoruichi Shihōin, his vigilance had not diminished in the slightest. A vast web of spiritual power spread through a fifty-meter radius around him. Not even the slightest rustle of wind or grass could escape his notice.

The Mental Secret Arts improved from the Yamanaka clan of his previous life were Shadow's greatest source of confidence.

Suddenly, Shadow's body stiffened. His hand moved to the hilt of the blade on his back, his expression grave.

Just then, in that brief instant, a fluctuation had appeared in his spiritual detection net. It had been fleeting and sudden. If Shadow had not possessed absolute confidence in his spiritual power, he might have dismissed it as nothing more than an illusion.

Unease. A deep unease filled Shadow's heart. It was an almost instinctive reaction forged through countless brushes with death and desperate battles.

Danger! But who was the enemy? Where were they? Shadow frowned and leaped down from the branch.

"Shadow!"

Everyone looked on in surprise.

"What's wrong?" Yoruichi Shihōin asked softly.

Shadow did not answer Yoruichi Shihōin's question. He controlled his spiritual power, forming an airtight net that spread in all directions, but he still found nothing.

Shadow's frown deepened. Just who could avoid detection by his spiritual power?

At that moment, Shadow's eyes narrowed sharply. He hurled a shuriken toward a corner and simultaneously covered it with his spiritual power.

Yet there was still nothing. He could no longer sense the shuriken either, as though it had simply vanished into thin air.

"What? Damn it!" Shadow gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.

Just then, another extremely faint fluctuation came from the northwest.

"Lady Yoruichi, wait here for me!"

As he spoke, Shadow activated the Body Flicker Technique and immediately gave chase.

"What happened?" Mashiro Kuna asked in confusion.

"Someone's here," Kensei Muguruma said grimly, drawing his Zanpakutō from his waist.

"Well, don't worry so much. Didn't Shadow already chase after them? It'll be fine," Kaien Shiba said.

Thinking of Shadow's terrifying strength, everyone let out a breath of relief. Yet for some reason, a trace of unease suddenly rose in Yoruichi Shihōin's heart.

All at once, everyone froze in place. Cold sweat covered their foreheads as a vast, gloomy Reiatsu filled heaven and earth, crushing them until they could barely breathe.

In the dim yellow sky, it was as though someone had torn apart a piece of cloth by force, producing a piercing sound. A figure slowly emerged from the rift. The hollow cavity in its chest and the fragment of stark white bone mask on its forehead revealed its identity.

A Hollow—and a high-ranking Menos Grande. A Vasto Lorde above an Adjuchas, a being that surpassed Captain-class.

At the same time, all the captains of the Gotei 13 sensed the immense Reiatsu. Their expressions changed drastically as they vanished in an instant. A Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande? How could one appear in Rukongai, so close to the Seireitei?

At the same time, Shadow, who had already chased far away, sensed that terrifying Reiatsu as well. Without hesitation, he immediately rushed back, abandoning the person he had been relentlessly pursuing. His face was filled with worry, and his pitch-black eyes brimmed with icy killing intent.

Lady Yoruichi, hold on!

The instant Shadow left, beneath a large tree not far away.

"Crash!" "Crash!" The sound was like a mirror shattering as a figure watched the direction Shadow had gone with a strange smile.

"Nonial, don't die."

A breeze swept past, lifting the figure's brown hair...

"Revolve, Water and Heaven! Nejibana!!!"

Facing the Vasto Lorde and feeling that gloomy Reiatsu, Kaien Shiba released his Zanpakutō without hesitation.

"Damn it! Why is there a Vasto Lorde-class Menos Grande here?!" Kensei Muguruma clenched his Zanpakutō and shouted through gritted teeth.

"Forget that for now. Kukaku, Yoruichi, Hiyori, Lisa, Mashiro, you leave first!" Kaien Shiba shouted without turning his head. "The three of us will hold it off here!"

"But..."

"The captains of the Gotei 13 may arrive soon," Kisuke Urahara said gravely. "Shadow will be back soon too. We'll be fine, don't..."

"Oh? Shadow?"

The Vasto Lorde stood motionless, speaking in a mocking tone. "Are you talking about the person who was lured away just now? What a pity. He may be strong, but he'll never make it back."

"What..."

Yoruichi Shihōin's heart was filled with unwillingness and helplessness. Why? Why had a Vasto Lorde appeared here? The Reiatsu of a top-tier Menos Grande was so powerful that she had no strength to resist it at all.

Looking at Kaien Shiba and the others lying on the ground, feeling the Reiatsu rushing toward her from the front, her body could not make any response.

Move! Move already! Why can't I move at all?! Am I really going to die here?!

Shadow, where are you? Yoruichi Shihōin closed her eyes in despair.

"Yoruichi..."

Kaien Shiba, Kensei Muguruma, and the others, who barely retained a sliver of consciousness, watched with their eyes splitting in fury. Yet there was nothing they could do. Even they could barely protect themselves.

"Yoruichi..."

Shihōin Shanqing, who had arrived alongside the captains, wanted to save Yoruichi Shihōin, but it was already too late.

"Lady Yoruichi..."

Shadow, racing back at maximum speed, roared. Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!

"Spatial Forbidden Technique: Cross-Plane Shift!"

He consumed a vast amount of spiritual power and Reiatsu to use this spacetime forbidden technique, Cross-Plane Shift, which he had improved in his previous life from Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage's signature Ninjutsu, the Flying Thunder God.

It was a forbidden move that could ignore time, space, and all existing rules. However, its greatest flaw—and the most difficult aspect of using it—was the enormous amount of spiritual power and energy it consumed.

Like the Eight Gates, it was a forbidden technique that dealt a thousand to the enemy while costing eight hundred to oneself. Even Shadow did not dare use it carelessly. Consuming Reiatsu was not much of a problem, but massive spiritual power consumption was often accompanied by weakness and drowsiness.

But at this moment, no matter how great the cost, Shadow could no longer care.

As the technique activated, Shadow's figure abruptly vanished from where he stood.

Welcome, readers. The latest, fastest, and hottest ongoing works are all on Qidian Original!