The Unforgiven, Shinigami 31: We Are All Slaves to Fear! (Boom!)
Yasutora Sado crashed three kilometers outside Silbern, with falling rocks constantly overhead and dust rising from its fall.
This spire-shaped building has become dilapidated and could turn into ruins at any moment.
He stood up, dusted himself off, and showed he wasn't seriously injured.
Long ago, before Fullbring was even discovered, his body was stronger than that of ordinary people.
He could beat a Hollow with sheer physical strength alone.
"Justice will prevail! You vile Shinigami, have you tasted the power of a heroic strike?"
Loud, boisterous sounds came from outside the dust.
Yasutora Sado walked outside the building and saw a tall, strong man at the top of the tower.
He wears a wrestling mask with a gold base and a five-pointed red star in the center, with a golden beard underneath.
He wore a white cloak over Quincy's pure white uniform, with a very conspicuous gold belt.
"You are the Schrift S... right?"
Yasutora Sado read aloud, then suddenly forgot the name Soi Fon had mentioned, only remembering that she wore a mask with a five-pointed star.
"My name is Mask de Masculine!"
Mask loudly proclaimed, then quipped, "A villain should investigate who their enemy is beforehand. Don't be a hero, James, a mere villain."
"You're right, Mr. Mask."
Suddenly, a short, fat boy appeared out of nowhere and started shouting loudly.
" Star Dropkick!"
Mask is very spontaneous, or perhaps this is the kind of personality that heroes he admires: one second they're having a pleasant conversation, the next they're launching a powerful attack.
The person leaped from the top of the tower, kicking downwards with both feet together.
Yasutora Sado's armor, which protruded from his shoulders, suddenly cracked open, spewing out blue-white Spiritual Power flames. He didn't dodge, but instead threw a punch at Mask's feet.
Bang!
A pale blue shockwave engulfed Mask, causing every bone in his body, from his feet to his head, to vibrate and shatter.
Yasutora Sado knocked the man away, and the building directly in front of him collapsed in an instant.
"Mr. Mask was actually knocked down in one blow?!"
James, looking utterly devastated, collapsed to the ground. "Please don't lose, sir."
The piercing scream made Yasutora Sado frown slightly, but he ignored it and continued towards Silbern.
"Please stand up, superstar!"
Yasutora Sado boy, was enlarged when a tall, muscular figure appeared behind him. He turned around and was struck heavily in the abdomen. Without retreating, he retaliated by punching Mask in the chest.
"Ugh." Mask grunted, took a step back, and panted, "You're quite the tough bastard, managing to take my Riot Games- on."
"Aren't you dead?"
Yasutora Sado somewhat surprised. He was certain that the punch he had just delivered was enough to kill Mask, and there was no reason for Musk to appear unharmed, or even stronger, in front of him.
"Haha, I am S! Hero Mask de Masculine, and my support is my strength!"
Mask openly and frankly stated what his abilities were.
He is a righteous hero; he doesn't need to hide his abilities like those villains.
He won't lose anyway.
With James's support, no matter how many times he's knocked down, he'll get back up and face his enemies with even greater strength.
The answer is that righteous heroes will never abandon the people who need protection.
"Keep it up, superstar!"
James was shouting there.
Mask the power surging from the Schrift within his body, filling it completely. He clenched his right fist, and Star Crest appeared on the back of his hand. "Look," he exclaimed, " the Star Crest that appears with the cheers of the fans! This is proof that God has chosen a star to strike down villains!"
"Take this, Murderous Iron Fist!"
He roared, "With the Star Crest's blessing, this attack's power will increase tenfold!"
No villain could withstand it, hence it was named the Murderous Iron Fist.
Yasutora Sado quickly deployed his right arm as a shield, catching the attack once again. He clenched his left fist, covering it with Fullbring, making it look like a white arm guard encasing his entire left hand, with bright red patterns swirling around it.
Its shoulders protrude with sharp angles, giving it an appearance reminiscent of a demon's right arm.
Mask's eyes widened, realizing something was wrong, and he tried to back away, but he was too late.
Yasutora Sado's Riot Games landed heavily on his face, slamming him to the ground.
boom!
The earth cracked open, forming a skull pattern, as if a demon was roaring.
This is Yasutora Sado's left arm technique, Blow of the Devil.
It's not a very complicated move; it's simply about gathering Reiatsu in your left hand and then unleashing an extremely powerful punch.
Mask's abdomen was broken at the waist.
Yasutora Sado didn't stop. He rushed to James, but instead of killing him, he simply knocked him unconscious with his right hand.
He wasn't bloodthirsty, especially towards enemies who looked weak and young. He simply couldn't muster any killing intent and could only resort to knocking them unconscious.
"Stop!"
Mask roared, "I'm a big star, how could I possibly lose to a mere scoundrel like James!"
Bang.
James, who had been knocked unconscious, exploded on his own, his hands, feet, and mouth scattered all over the ground, and blood stained the ground.
Yasutora Sado was stunned.
Then, some of these images transformed back into James's likeness, chanting, "That's right." "Go!" "Go!" "Go, superstar!"
They kept cheering.
"Oh oh oh oh oh!"
Mask have been separated, merged back together. His clothes tore apart and dissipated into Reishi, revealing his robust physique.
He was completely dressed as a wrestler, with the five-pointed star on his mask moved to the top of his head, flame patterns covering the area around his eyes, and wrestling shorts printed with a five-pointed star pattern.
"Star power replenished, Shinigami, this is my true power."
Yasutora Sado's expression turned serious as he realized that the man before him was vastly different in strength from before.
"Are you afraid? It's alright. Evil is driven away by justice; this is the natural order of things."
Mask got into a fighting stance, pulled his right hand back, and then suddenly threw a punch forward.
An invisible impact struck Yasutora Sado instantly, causing him to cough up a mouthful of blood. The building behind him was also severed by the impact.
This is Mask's most prized signature move, the Star Takedown, which allows his punches to be delivered a kilometer away without weakening in the slightest; it's also known as the " One-Ri Martial Art."
"Drink, drink, drink."
After landing a successful blow, Mask didn't let up. Instead, he kept throwing punches, knowing full well that it wouldn't be easy to defeat the villain in front of him with just One-Ri Martial Art.
This is the groundwork laid.
The relentless Riot Games kept Yasutora Sado from landing; he floated in the air like a fallen leaf caught in a whirlwind.
Seeing this, Mask quickly used his Vollständig, a pentagram shining behind his head, angel wings spreading in front of his neck, and a blue and white cloak resembling wings fluttering behind him.
With a push of the foot, a person can instantly leap into the air and draw a pentagram pattern on it, which, when compared to the ground, covers an area of more than ten kilometers.
"Turn into dust in the air, you villain."
A dazzling light fell from the pentagram, moving so fast that no one could avoid it.
The building turned to dust in an instant, and then transformed from dust into particles of Reishi.
James is also enveloped in this pentagram.
Because it was so huge, he couldn't avoid it at all. He could only watch helplessly as the star's brilliance faded, his body shattering in the light. "Super... star."
"Hahaha."
Mask let out a hearty laugh, "Don't worry, James, we're Isshin body. As long as I live, you'll be resurrected."
The villain is gone, eh.
He paused slightly, his eyes looking at the ground, where a large pentagram was etched, and many buildings transformed into Reishi, producing a visible white mist.
Within the white mist, a tall figure could be vaguely seen standing there.
"Impossible! There is no one in the world who could withstand the power of a god!"
Mask filled with astonishment. The scene before him forced him to believe that the other party was indeed still alive.
The white mist dissipated, revealing Yasutora Sado in his entirety. Apart from the Giant's Right Arm and the Left Arm of the Devil, his body was also covered in armor formed by Fullbring.
The color is gold with a bright red skull pattern.
" The Armor of the War God, this is my latest Fullbring. Its ability is to withstand all enemy attacks, absorb the power at twice the cost of pain, and then return it doubled by the Left Arm of the Devil."
Yasutora Sado's forehead was covered in sweat; the pain was twice as intense, and every cell in his body felt like it was melting.
Almost no normal person could endure it.
He could endure it.
His body, honed through years of rigorous training, developed an iron will, and, coupled with his grandfather's teachings, he regarded his body as a gift from heaven.
As long as his will remains unyielding, his glory will not be broken, and he will not fall.
"What a dangerous guy."
Mask's eyes turned cold, a flame of justice pulsating in his chest. "To actually withstand this superstar's ultimate attack, I won't let you live! Die!"
He pushed off with his feet and soared down from the sky.
"At least you need to understand how you died."
Yasutora Sado was frustrated; he realized that his words had been completely ignored.
Lost in his heroic fantasy, Mask swung his Riot Games, imbued with the Star Crest, downwards, unleashing a devastating " Murderous Iron Fist!"
" The Strike of the Devil, Enhanced Version!"
Yasutora Sado Left Arm of the Devil to meet the attack, and the Armor of the War God transferred the power it had just absorbed to the demonic left arm, mixing it with his Reiatsu to form a dazzling light.
A blinding white light.
In the white light, the shadow named Mask was constantly collapsing, first the skin surface, then the flesh and bones.
Bang!
A blinding white light shot straight into the sky.
Even the Ice Palace can be seen clearly from here.
" Mask, well done."
Yhwach gave a sound of praise and said in a deep voice, "Come back, come back to my side."
An unusual wind of Reishi swept by.
Shiraishi tilted his head and said, "Devouring the souls of your dead subordinates, what a cruel Your Majesty."
"That's what compatriots are like."
Yhwach didn't think his actions were cruel, and said in a very matter-of-fact manner, "It's different from what you call 'our comrades die, but their spirit lives on forever in our hearts.'"
My compatriots died in battle, and their souls and will live on in my body.
This is a feeling that transcends yours.
"Your fraternal bond is so great that it brings tears to my eyes."
Shiraishi's sarcastic remark, all that talk, was ultimately about absorbing Mask's soul for his own selfish desires, depriving him of the chance to be reborn.
It's important to understand that, given the impact of the merging of the World of the Living world and the Soul Society, Quincy is essentially given two lives.
One is the life of a human, and the other is the life of a spirit.
Yhwach's absorption directly ended the life of the spirit, forcibly leaving the Quincy with only one life left.
"You can't understand if you don't have compatriots."
Yhwach said calmly, his eyes lowered, "It seems you're going to suffer some losses. That little girl, she hasn't learned Bankai yet, has she?"
Shiraishi pursed his lips, offering no reply.
Silbern, second floor.
Ichigo Kurosaki kept running upwards and finally saw the stairs leading to the next floor from the spiral staircase.
Just as he was about to rush forward, a cold, wet hand grabbed his wrist.
"What?" He turned his head, but saw no one.
" Ichigo, you guys go up."
Rukia cried out, realizing it was the enemy's Reiatsu, cold and dark.
" Rukia!" Ichigo Kurosaki called out, without stopping her, "Be careful!"
"Um."
Rukia emphatically, paused, and stood guard at the top of the stairs leading to the third floor, staring straight ahead into the darkness.
The ground resembled a frozen pool.
When people walk on it, it creates ripples, which disappear in an instant.
That was an illusion caused by Reiatsu.
" Schrift F, Äs Nott."
Rukia recognized who it was from the other person's appearance.
Her long, black, center-parted hair swayed in the still air; she had fair skin, no eyebrows, and large, dark eyes. She wore a black mask with a row of golden spikes running down it.
Enveloped in a pure white cloak, he asked, "Are you afraid?"
His voice was chilling, "It's pathetic that one person stayed behind to hold me off."
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."
Without hesitation, Rukia immediately used her Shikai, revealing a long, moon-white ribbon and an exquisitely crafted hilt.
Äs tossed his cloak aside, revealing his pure white Quincy uniform adorned with rows of symmetrical gold buttons. "I don't have much time. I'll kill you first."
Suddenly, cone-shaped beams of light appeared, lining up in a circle in the air.
Was that the Heilig Pfeil? Rukia narrowed her eyes, finding it unlikely. No Spirit Bow appeared; was this the power of the Schrift?
Äs tilted his head, and the light arrow flew over instantly.
Rukia quickly dodged with Shunpo, the light arrow landing on the walls and steps, staining them with a layer of ink.
What kind of ability is this?
Rukia was puzzled and felt it was safer not to touch the light arrow.
An arrow of light appeared in front.
With a swing of her sword, the chilling aura emanating from the Sode no Shirayuki blade created an ice shield in front of her to defend herself.
The light arrow, like the one that struck the wall, turned inky black. However, the inky black seeped through the ice shield and rushed towards Rukia's face.
"Fear cannot be stopped."
Äs said slowly.
Rukia couldn't avoid it; she was struck by the dark lake of fear and froze on the spot.
"Unable to move? There's no other way, it's fear."
Äs tilted his head, his long, ink-black hair falling downwards.
Rukia raised her hand, her face expressionless, and said, "Is this all you can do?"
"That's right, my Schrift ability is fear."
Äs slowly straightened up. Although the situation was urgent, he did not rush to finish the fight.
This is a bad habit.
Seeing the fear on other people's faces is truly reassuring.
Fear is an easily perceptible emotion, unlike peace of mind.
When someone enters a place that makes them feel at ease, and is asked why they feel so at ease, the answer is usually a vague, "It just happened unconsciously."
Äs opened his arms, his tone clearly showing a hint of pleasure, and said, "When you step into a place of fear, whether you're smart or stupid, you can clearly explain the reason for your fear."
It was narrow, dark, painful, and dirty; the reasons for fear were varied and numerous...
"So, what are your fears?"
Rukia abruptly interrupted him.
"... What do you mean?" Äs noticed that something was off about her expression.
Rukia said coldly, "Fear has no effect. Is it fear to you?"
Fear doesn't work?
The question flashed through Äs's mind, but he immediately dismissed it; it was impossible.
In this world, as long as there is the concept of life, there will be the feeling of peace of mind.
Conversely, if only the concept of death exists, then fear will exist.
All things in the world, not just humans, but even animals, experience fear in the face of death.
"As long as a person is alive, it is impossible to escape fear!"
Äs said this with great certainty. He raised his hand, and the cone-shaped light arrows reappeared, shooting forward one after another.
Rukia didn't swing her sword; instead, she raised her hand and froze the light arrow, the ice spike falling from her palm to the ground.
"Heh, even if it's frozen, it doesn't matter. My fear doesn't need to seep through the wound; it'll just drift by like the wind and seep into your body through your pores. Do you feel fear now?"
Äs stared wide into his dark, lifeless eyes, trying to see the fear that Rukia should have on her face.
Rukia didn't say much, and Shunpo.
Äs was startled and quickly dodged to the side.
The blade still slid across his waist, but strangely, not a drop of blood flowed out, and he felt no pain at all.
A chill? Äs saw tiny specks of white frost spreading near the wound.
-18 degrees Celsius.
These are the names Rukia chose for the moves.
Having wandered alone in the wilderness for so many years, she and Utsuru experienced countless battles, gradually growing and comprehending the true power of Sode no Shirayuki.
The Sode no Shirayuki Shikai does not control the cold air through the blade, but rather lowers the temperature of the wielder's body below freezing, freezing everything it touches.
The blade is only designed to increase the freezing range.
Because her body was initially unable to withstand the power of her Shikai, it created the illusion that she could only use the cold air of Sode no Shirayuki to kill enemies.
As she grew, she finally developed the true power of Sode no Shirayuki's Shikai.
In her fully Shikai state, she is essentially a dead corpse, only able to maintain her physical activity by manipulating Reishi.
Under normal circumstances, the duration can last for three or four days. However, if you use too powerful a technique, the duration will be shortened rapidly, and you will also need to release your Shikai to avoid dying completely.
The fear that Äs exerted had no effect on those who were already dead.
"I'm so glad I stayed."
Rukia's words enraged Äs, who roared, "You!"
boom.
The ground trembled, and ice spread from Rukia's feet to the surrounding buildings.
-50 degrees Celsius.
She is gradually lowering her body temperature.
Äs's eyes were filled with murderous intent. He launched a Hirenkyaku forward, using his Blut Arterie on both arms, intending to tear the woman to shreds.
Absolute zero.
Rukia lowered the temperature to her limit, pushed off with her feet, and assumed a sword-wielding stance, just like Su Zhen.
Äs easily dodged the blade; however, as he passed it, his body was frozen solid by the cold air, and he stood there.
Rukia didn't finish off the attacker. As soon as her foot touched the ground, she began raising her body temperature: 194 degrees Celsius, 142 degrees Celsius...
Absolute zero is very strong.
The downside is that it can't last too long; if it exceeds four seconds, she will be frostbitten by absolute zero.
Furthermore, when dispelling the effect, one needs to gradually raise their body temperature, otherwise it will damage their body tissues, making it a rather troublesome ability.
-14 degrees.
With the temperature rising to this point, Rukia was basically out of danger. She breathed a sigh of relief and turned to chase after them up to the third floor.
Kakaka.
The sound of the ice cracking amplified Rukia's pupils, and she quickly turned around.
"Fear isn't enough! Compared to the fear of being scolded by His Majesty, of having His Majesty take your body, your moves are utterly worthless!"
Äs forcefully broke through the ice, whether from the cold or because his ugly face was hidden beneath the mask, it was unclear.
His teeth, devoid of lips, were exposed to the air; his eyes rolled upwards, revealing Quincy Cross in the whites; blood overflowed from his eye sockets. " Tatarforas!"
In an instant, a ring appeared on his head, with multiple cone-shaped light arrows attached to its surface, and Quincy pentagram-shaped halo embedded inside.
Blood was seeping from under his eyes, and he was wearing a white, close-fitting robe, with his ribcage clearly visible.
She wore long black gloves on both arms, and two thorn-like, thread-like Reishi wings appeared on her back, with stitching marks extending from her throat to the hem of her skirt.
Rukia was stunned for a second, but still resolutely used Shunpo to leap forward, and the person in front of her disappeared without a trace.
She stopped in her tracks, gripped the Sode no Shirayuki in her sleeve, and swung it backward in a slash.
Almost there?
"It's no use. From now on, you'll never be able to touch me again."
Äs uttered a wild statement.
Rukia didn't speak, and lunged forward again, slashing and parrying repeatedly, but she couldn't even touch Äs's body.
"You're probably thinking that I can transform into this form faster than before, right?"
Äs spoke her mind, "The answer is no. My Vollständig form doesn't increase my speed. Look at your feet. Have you moved a single step since the beginning of this?"
"!" Rukia's gaze remained fixed on Äs. "You mean my body is feeling fear?"
Impossible, my body is in a state of death.
"Are you watching me?"
Äs rolled his eyes and tilted his head to the right. "Even if your body is dead, if you can still move, it means your nerves are still active. My Tatarforas is forcibly instilling fear into you through your optic nerve."
As they spoke, a curtain-like structure rose up from all around, enveloping the area.
From within the cubicle, countless dark eyes opened, their gazes fixed on Rukia.
No matter which direction Rukia looked from, she could see those eyes.
She quickly closed her eyes, wanting to use her Spiritual Sense to fight.
"Even if you close your eyes, it won't help. Beautiful memories will fade with time, while painful memories will linger in your heart longer."
Äs grinned, revealing his gaping, bloody Kog'Maw devoid of lips, and said in a maniacal voice, "Just as past fears resurface in the darkness, close your eyes, and all the fears you've been running from until now will assail you simultaneously."
Rukia's mind quickly returned to that night many years ago, her hands stained with blood, a familiar profile resting on her shoulder, those dark, childlike eyes seemingly staring at her.
The world collapsed. Renji Abarai died, Captain Ukitake died, Kiyone, Sentarō, Big Brother...
Everyone is dead!
Infinity darkness enveloped Rukia. There seemed to be water here; gurgling sounds blocked her nostrils.
She tried to open her mouth, but couldn't breathe.
Am I going to die?
No, should I live?
Rukia knelt on the ground, her delicate expression contorted, as if the word "pain" was written all over her face.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Äs let out a wild laugh. No one can conquer fear, and no one can escape it.
As he laughed, his expression turned to one of near tears. "We are all slaves to fear."