Lightning Release

As Vasto Lorde's hand touched Yoruichi Shihōin's chest and was about to pierce her heart, amid the cries of Shihōin Shanqing, the Shiba siblings, and the others, Yoruichi only felt a pair of arms catch her around the waist and shove her aside.

"Pfft..."

The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh and blood splattering rang out. Shadow, who had arrived in an instant, had only managed to push Yoruichi away.

Fortunately, his instinct in the face of death made Shadow shift his body slightly. He avoided the vital spot, and Vasto Lorde's hand stabbed through his shoulder and emerged from the other side.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Scalding blood splashed across Yoruichi's face, burning her heart with pain.

Her flying body could not stop itself in any way. Her mouth hung open, yet she could not make a sound. Tears rolled down uncontrollably, soaking her collar and striking her once-soft heart.

"Boom!"

Vasto Lorde casually flung Shadow's body away. It crashed into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Shadow!"

Yoruichi broke free of Shihōin Shanqing's arm and staggered into the dust.

"..."

Without saying a word, Shihōin Shanqing watched Vasto Lorde with a livid expression, his eyes filled with killing intent.

"We should finish him quickly!" Jūshirō Ukitake drew his Zanpakutō and said gravely, "We'll join forces!"

"Alright!"

Just as the captains were about to make their move, a cold yet stubborn voice rang out.

"None of you are allowed to interfere!"

The atmosphere seemed to freeze instantly. The captains turned their heads in disbelief toward the place where the dust was gradually clearing.

"Tap... tap..."

Footsteps sounded as a figure slowly emerged from the dust. Though covered in blood and swaying unsteadily, his pitch-black eyes remained as cold as ever, revealing only stubbornness and defiance.

"None of you are allowed to interfere!" Shadow walked past the captains and stepped forward. "This... is my battle alone!"

Blood continued to flow from his pierced shoulder. Combined with the massive expenditure of Reiatsu and spiritual energy, it made Shadow feel slightly dizzy.

He bit through his lip, and the sudden pain kept that last shred of consciousness and calm intact.

"Shadow, come back!"

Yoruichi looked frantic and was about to rush forward to pull Shadow back, but Shihōin Shanqing suddenly grabbed her. She turned back in confusion. "Father, you..."

"Yoruichi, let him go!"

"But Father, Shadow is badly hurt. He'll die..."

"This is Shadow's pride!" Shihōin Shanqing fixed his gaze on Shadow's figure and said solemnly, "Yoruichi, even if you don't understand, remember this: there are different kinds of battle!"

"One kind is a battle between life and death. Others may participate in that kind of battle, where the choice is life or death!"

"The other kind is a battle concerning dignity and honor. No one may interfere in that kind of battle. Without dignity or honor, even if one survives, one is nothing but a walking corpse. That is worse than death!"

"Yoruichi, Shadow is loyal to you. But it is precisely because of that loyalty that he must face this battle alone. He cannot forgive himself for nearly letting you fall into a deadly situation because of his carelessness!"

"This isn't Shadow's fault!" Yoruichi gritted her teeth.

"No, it is Shadow's fault!" Shihōin Shanqing nodded firmly. "He recklessly chased after them without thinking things through. For a shadow, that is unacceptable!"

"So, for your sake, for his own sake, for the oath he made to you, and even more for his dignity, honor, and pride, he must face this alone, even if it means death!"

"Is that so?"

Yoruichi fell silent for a moment, then suddenly raised her head and shouted at Shadow, "Remember this, Shadow! You must... come back alive. Don't make me hate you!"

Shadow's steps paused almost imperceptibly. He did not turn around, but a faint curve appeared on his lips.

"Lady Yoruichi, I promise you. I will definitely come back alive!"

He mobilized the Reiatsu within his body. Less than a third of it remained compared to his peak, and his spiritual energy had also been severely depleted.

"Bleach, you're quite special. So remember my name!" Vasto Lorde laughed. "Nonial. That is the name of the one who will kill you!"

"That should be my line!"

Shadow coughed lightly and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He activated the Body Flicker Technique, and his figure vanished instantly.

He had little Reiatsu left, and his body had nearly reached its limit. This battle had to end quickly if he was to stand a chance.

Shadow appeared behind Nonial, but just as he was about to attack, he suddenly froze. His dark pupils contracted.

"What? He disappeared!"

"Bleach, your Shunpo is quite good!"

Nonial appeared above Shadow and raised his hand, intending to pierce him once more. "But my Sonído is faster than your Shunpo!"

"Bang!"

After a burst of smoke, Shadow's body, which had just been pierced, suddenly turned into a wooden stump.

Substitution Technique.

"What..."

Nonial's pupils could not help contracting as well.

"What kind of Kido is this?"

"The kind that takes your life! Cough, cough..."

Shadow appeared again, but the intense pain from aggravating his wound made him cough violently several times.

Nonial frowned. What did that mean? Then, as if sensing something, he looked up at the sky.

At some point, dense, heavy storm clouds had appeared overhead.

"Rumble!"

Violent lightning snakes flashed through the thick clouds. Blinding flashes and deafening thunder erupted with a tremendous roar.

Another deafening crash sounded, and torrential rain suddenly poured from the sky as thunder rumbled without end.

"What is this?" Nonial asked in surprise.

"Remember my name, Hollow!" Shadow said coldly. "Shadow is my name!"

He raised his left hand. Dazzling lightning flickered in his palm, sharp as the cries of a thousand birds. The sound of "chirp, chirp, chirp..." carried far through the air...

Shadow raised his left hand high, and the lightning racing through the storm clouds immediately resonated with it, as if responding to the Chidori in his palm.

Vast, violent lightning imbued with the power to destroy everything descended and fused with the Chidori in his hand. The birds' cries grew ever louder.

"He changed the weather? What kind of Kido is this?"

A gleam flashed through Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's narrowed eyes.

"Roar!!!"

Amid deafening thunder, the storm clouds churned. From within the heavy clouds, a massive head of a ferocious beast, formed from furious lightning, suddenly emerged.

"Lightning Release: Kirin!"

Shadow curled his fingers into a claw. The lightning in his palm connected with the beast in the sky.

He suddenly pressed his hand toward Nonial. Blinding lightning filled the entire sky, forming an endless ocean of thunder. All sound vanished, and everything on the ground turned to ash in an instant.

After a thunderous boom, everything fell silent.

Shadow panted heavily. Blood streamed down and dyed the shattered ground beneath his feet red. His legs trembled violently, and he could barely remain standing.

This move was not one Shadow normally used, but it was the strongest technique he could use now. His unique Lightning Release Technique was simply too powerful—so powerful that the severely injured Shadow could not use it at all.