Lightning Release

As the Vasto Lorde's hand touched Yoruichi Shihōin's chest and was about to pierce her heart, accompanied by the shouts of Shihōin Shanqing, the Shiba siblings, and the others, Yoruichi Shihōin felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and push her away.

"Pfft..."

The sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh and blood splashing. Shadow, arriving in an instant, only had time to push Yoruichi Shihōin away. Fortunately, instinct born on the brink of life and death caused Shadow to subconsciously tilt her body slightly, avoiding a fatal wound. The Vasto Lorde's hand plunged into Shadow's shoulder, piercing straight through to the other side.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment. Hot blood splattered onto Yoruichi Shihōin's face, burning her enough to cause a pang in her heart. Her falling body could not stop its momentum, mouth open, yet unable to make a single sound. Tears rolled down uncontrollably, dampening the front of her clothes and striking her originally tender heart.

"Boom!"

Shadow's body was casually tossed away by the Vasto Lorde, slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust that filled the air.

"Shadow!"

Yoruichi Shihōin pushed away Shihōin Shanqing's arm and stumbled into the dust.

"..."

Without a word, Shihōin Shanqing's face was ashen as he looked at the Vasto Lorde, his gaze filled with killing intent.

"We'd better finish him off quickly!" Jūshirō Ukitake drew his Zanpakutō, his expression solemn as he said, "Let's join forces!"

"Right!"

Just as the captains were about to make their move, an indifferent yet stubborn and obstinate voice rang out, "None of you are allowed to move!"

The atmosphere seemed to freeze instantly as the captains turned in disbelief, gazing toward the spot where the dust was gradually clearing.

"Tap... tap..."

Footsteps sounded, and a figure slowly walked out from the haze. Despite being covered in blood and somewhat unsteady, his pitch-black eyes—as cold as before—revealed stubbornness and obstinacy.

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

Blood continued to flow down from the pierced shoulder, and the massive consumption of Reiatsu and mental energy made Shadow feel a wave of dizziness. He bit his lip, the momentary pain stimulating him just enough to maintain a shred of sanity and composure.

"Shadow, get back here!"

With an anxious expression, Yoruichi Shihōin rushed forward to pull Shadow back, only to be suddenly grabbed by Shihōin Shanqing. She turned back in confusion, "Father, you..."

"Yoruichi, let him go!"

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

"This is Shadow's pride!" Shihōin Shanqing gazed fixedly at Shadow's figure, his tone grave. "Yoruichi, even if you don't understand, you must remember that battles come in different kinds!"

"One is a battle of life and death; this is a battle where others can participate, where the choice is to live or to die."

"And the other is a battle concerning dignity and glory; this is a battle that absolutely must not involve anyone else. Without dignity and without glory, even living on is like a walking corpse, worse than death!"

"Yoruichi, Shadow is very loyal to you, but it is precisely this loyalty that forces him to face this battle alone. He cannot forgive himself for letting you fall to the brink of death because of his own carelessness!"

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

"No, this is Shadow's fault!" Shihōin Shanqing nodded with certainty. "Chasing out rashly without thinking things through—for a shadow, that is unacceptable!"

"Therefore, for your sake, for his own sake, for his vow to you, and even more for his dignity, glory, and pride, even if he dies, he must face it alone!"

"Is that so?"

Yoruichi Shihōin fell silent for a moment, then suddenly raised her head and shouted loudly toward Shadow, "You listen to me, Shadow! You must... come back alive. Don't make me hate you!"

Shadow's footsteps paused imperceptibly. He did not turn back, but a curve touched the corner of his mouth.

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

He mobilized the Reiatsu within his body, which was already less than a third of its peak state, and his mental energy had also been severely depleted.

"Shinigami, you are very special. Then, remember my name!" The Vasto Lorde laughed loudly, "Nonial! That is the name of the one who kills you!"

"I should be the one saying those words!"

Shadow gave a light cough, wiped the blood flowing from the corner of his mouth, and activated the Body Flicker Technique, his figure vanishing instantly.

He had little Reiatsu left, and his body had almost reached its limit. This battle had to be resolved swiftly for him to have any chance of winning.

Appearing behind Nonial, Shadow was about to attack when he suddenly froze, his black pupils contracting.

"What? He vanished!"

"Shinigami, your Shunpo is quite good."

Nonial appeared above Shadow, raising a hand intending to pierce Shadow through once more. "However, my Sonído is faster than your Shunpo!"

"Bang!"

After a burst of smoke, the Shadow whose body had originally 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?"

"A Kido that will take your life! Cough, cough..."

Shadow's figure appeared once more, but the violent pain triggered by aggravating his wound caused him to cough heavily a few times.

Nonial frowned. What did this mean? Suddenly, as if sensing something, he raised his head to look at the sky.

Dense and heavy dark clouds had appeared over the sky at some unknown time.

"Rumble!"

Angry thunder snakes flickered through the heavy dark clouds. Dazzling thunder light accompanied by deafening thunderclaps produced a massive roar.

With another thunderous sound, torrential rain actually began to pour from the sky amidst continuous rumbling.

"What is this?" Nonial said in surprise.

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

He raised his left hand. Dazzling thunder light flashed in his palm, sharp like the cries of a thousand birds. The "chittering" sound carried very, very far through the air...

Shadow held his left hand high, and the chaotic lightning darting through the dark clouds immediately produced a resonance, as if responding to the Chidori in his palm. The massive, ferocious, destructive power of the thunder actually descended, merging with the Chidori in his palm, and the cry of the Chidori grew louder and louder.

"He altered the celestial phenomena! What kind of Kido is this?"

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's narrowed eyes flashed with a sharp glint.

"Roar!!!"

Amidst a deafening thunderclap, the thunderclouds in the sky roiled, and suddenly a giant beast's head, formed from enraged thunderbolts, protruded from the heavy dark clouds.

"Lightning Release: Kirin!"

Shadow curled his fingers into a claw. The lightning in his palm connected with the beast in the sky, and he thrust his hand downward toward Nonial. Dazzling thunder light filled the entire sky, forming an endless ocean of lightning. Everything lost its sound, and the things on the earth turned to ash in an instant.

After a loud "boom...", everything returned to tranquility.

Shadow panted heavily. Blood flowed down, staining the ruined ground beneath his feet red. His legs shook violently, and he could barely stand.

This move was not one of Shadow's usual techniques, but right now it was the strongest one he could use, simply because his unique Lightning Release Technique was too powerful—so powerful that a severely injured Shadow was completely unable to use it normally.