Masatsuki Aozaki stood motionless, as if waiting for Amagai to make the first move.
Shūsuke Amagai sneered, his face full of disdain.
"You’re not even drawing your sword? Standing before me empty-handed—are you an idiot?"
His tone dripped with mockery, as if Masatsuki was nothing more than a pathetic insect.
"Or do you really think this will help you resist the Bakkōtō’s power?"
"But a Shinigami without a Zanpakutō is no different from an ant."
There was a haughty arrogance in his voice, as if he found Masatsuki’s supposed ignorance amusing.
"And let me enlighten you—it’s not just that the Bakkōtō prevents Zanpakutō from being released. It also suppresses a Shinigami’s Reiryoku."
"As a Shinigami, you have no chance of winning!"
His laughter echoed, filled with wild arrogance, as if he had already won.
As if he had completely forgotten the fact that Mashiro Kuna had just kicked him across the battlefield.
In his mind, it was impossible for every Shinigami to possess monstrous strength without relying on their Zanpakutō.
In the original timeline, he had even believed that sealing Ryūjin Jakka alone would be enough to defeat Yamamoto.
Seeing that Masatsuki still hadn’t moved, Amagai smirked condescendingly.
"So, you really don’t dare to use your Zanpakutō in front of me anymore?"
"How foolish. Did you come all this way just to die? Then let me grant your wish."
With a triumphant look, Amagai raised his left hand.
At this moment, his tuning fork-shaped Bakkōtō was no longer just a weapon.
It coiled around his arm like a black dragon, its mouth forming a jagged blade glowing with an eerie green light.
A strange energy pulsed through the air.
The blade’s power spread outward, surging toward Masatsuki and the Zanpakutō at his waist. f r\eew,eb novel.c(o)(m)
This was the unique ability of the Bakkōtō—
It emitted sound waves that negated a Shinigami’s Reiryoku, preventing the release of a Zanpakutō.
Yet, despite all his confidence, Amagai couldn’t shake an uneasy feeling.
Masatsuki Aozaki’s reputation was too great. He had to be absolutely certain—he had to completely erase any chance of Masatsuki using his Zanpakutō.
...But then, without warning, a sudden sense of dread gripped him.
A chill ran down his spine.
His instincts screamed at him—danger.
Without thinking, he reflexively raised his Zanpakutō, positioning its massive shell-like handguard in front of his chest as a shield.
A heartbeat later—
An unfathomable force slammed into him through the guard.
Amagai’s eyes widened in shock.
Across from him, Masatsuki Aozaki calmly extended his right hand.
His slender index finger reached forward, exuding an overwhelming power.
With just that one simple gesture, Amagai felt an unprecedented fear take hold of him.
He struggled to resist.
But he couldn’t.
There was no stopping it.
Boom!
With a mere flick of Reiatsu from Masatsuki’s fingertip, Amagai was sent flying like a cannonball.
Bang!
A deafening crash rang out as he smashed into a wall with incredible force.
The structure couldn’t withstand the impact and collapsed instantly.
A cloud of dust billowed into the air, and Amagai’s figure vanished beneath the rubble.
His fate? Unknown.
Masatsuki Aozaki smirked.
"This is what you meant by ’granting my wish’? Doesn’t seem like nearly enough."
There was nothing but scorn in his expression.
Casually, he waved his hands, as if the devastating attack he had just delivered was of no consequence.
Release his Zanpakutō?
What a joke.
If he actually needed to release his Zanpakutō just to deal with Amagai, then what was the point of fusing with the Hōgyoku in the first place?
Zanpakutō? Completely unnecessary.
Not to mention, he didn’t even have a real Zanpakutō anymore.
Using its abilities was nothing more than a thought away.
And this Bakkōtō—was it supposed to stop him?
How?
I don’t even have a sword. What exactly are you sealing?
A real card master doesn’t even play the game, kid. Get it?
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion roared in the distance.
A hand reached out from the rubble.
Moments later, Shūsuke Amagai slowly crawled out.
He stared at his Zanpakutō, his grip tightening as he noticed the deep cracks along its blade. A cold shiver ran down his spine.
How... is this possible?
That hand—one that looked no different from an ordinary person’s—had shattered his Bankai with nothing more than a flick of a finger.
Had it not been for the shell handguard absorbing most of the impact, he would already be dead.
What kind of monster is this Masatsuki Aozaki?
Why is a creature like him even a Shinigami?!
This level of raw strength... was it something a Shinigami could even possess?
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