Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō towered like a mountain, its colossal blade swinging down with the force of the heavens collapsing.
But Muten Natsu burned the Reigai, causing the powers of Senbonzakura and Suì-Fēng under his control to merge together.
In an instant, a dense swarm of blades swept past the descending colossal blade and sliced across Sajin Komamura's body.
One Hōmonka after another bloomed across Sajin Komamura's Reigai. As the marks linked together, the Hōmonka spread even further, reducing the Reigai of Sajin Komamura to ashes.
Soul Essence Stealing!
A howling storm of Reishi gathered around Muten Natsu and poured into Myōki.
"Bankai, Rin'en Bokukō."
Almost the instant his shadow stirred, Muten Natsu activated his Bankai, spiritual ink churning beneath his feet.
The Reigai of Shunsui Kyōraku burst free from Muten Natsu's shadow and thrust his katana toward Muten Natsu's back.
Ink spread outward, blocking Shunsui Kyōraku's attack.
The ferocious Rin'en Bokukō surged forth with its blood-red maw wide open.
"Sōgyo no Kotowari!"
Jūshirō Ukitake appeared beside Muten Natsu and raised one katana to absorb Rin'en Bokukō. He then lifted his other katana and aimed it at Muten Natsu.
Rin'en Bokukō, which had vanished for an instant, reappeared and lunged straight at Muten Natsu.
"Bankai..." Rukia Kuchiki held her breath. "Hakka no Togame!"
A streak of pure white swept through the air, freezing the Reigai of Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake in midair.
Her long efforts had finally paid off. Although Rukia Kuchiki had yet to fully master Bankai, she could already draw out a portion of its power.
Under her deliberate control, the transformation no longer spread to her head as it had before. Only the Shihakushō covering her right arm turned snow-white.
At her current level, this incomplete Bankai was not enough to defeat the Reigai of Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, but temporarily restraining their movements was well within her ability.
That was enough.
Muten Natsu spread his arms. Rin'en Bokukō slammed into his chest and sank into his body, converting the Reishi it had absorbed into his own power.
The instant black bandages wrapped around his body, Muten Natsu gripped Myōki in a reverse grip and drove it downward. A colossal blade wreathed in Hell Flames formed in the air and crashed down with a thunderous roar in tandem with his movement.
Surging Hell Flames swept across the battlefield, completely incinerating the Reigai of Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake, along with Kenpachi Zaraki's Reigai, which had only just broken free from the ice.
This was... the power that had defeated Sōsuke Aizen.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya's eyes trembled as he gained a much clearer understanding of Muten Natsu's strength.
Although the Hell Flames were particularly effective against Reigai, eliminating so many of them in such a short span of time... that kind of killing power was terrifying.
Muten Natsu glanced aside and saw Orihime Inoue helping Rukia Kuchiki deactivate her Bankai. Only then did he stop worrying and charge toward Kagerōza Inaba.
"Go Mad, Raiku!"
Kagerōza Inaba drew his Zanpakutō and twisted his wrist, transforming it into a long-handled, double-headed blade. He spun it clockwise in front of himself, tracing out a circle.
The instant Muten Natsu drew close, he spun Raiku counterclockwise and traced another circle.
A chaotic space opened, and another Muten Natsu rushed out from within.
Blade light and ink erupted through the air at the same time, and the figure that had emerged from the circular chaotic space vanished.
Muten Natsu frowned slightly and pulled back.
Was that just now... himself?
"Your ability has certainly surprised me." Despite standing alone, Kagerōza Inaba showed no trace of fear. "There's still time to stop. Join me, and together we'll take control of the Soul Society."
"Stop?" Hell Flames flickered across the bone-white mask covering Muten Natsu's face, lending a terrifying growl to his voice. "Try begging for mercy first."
Thick black smoke seeped from between the black bandages covering Muten Natsu's body and spread through the air.
He had no idea what method his opponent had just used, but it looked like some sort of replication ability.
Since direct attacks would be copied, he would simply attack another way.
Once the black smoke transformed into Hell Flames and exploded, even if his opponent could replicate the technique, it would not change the fact that he would still be caught in the blast.
A razor-sharp flash of blade light rapidly approached from the distance. Gin Ichimaru's Reigai launched another surprise attack, and the speed of Kamishini no Yari was chilling.
Muten Natsu made no attempt to defend himself. Mo Shou could block Kamishini no Yari for him.
A figure appeared beside Kagerōza Inaba.
"Shine, Akatsuki!"
A brilliant rainbow light flared around Muten Natsu just as the tip of Kamishini no Yari reached him.
The spreading ink suddenly became as insubstantial as an illusion, completely losing its defensive power as the extending Kamishini no Yari pierced straight through it.
The sharp blade punched through Muten Natsu's body before violently retracting, leaving behind a gaping through-and-through wound.
Muten Natsu's body jolted. He immediately ignited the Hell Flames and detonated them.
Within the surging inferno, the poison from Kamishini no Yari that was destroying his body was burned away completely.
Even with such a swift response, a bowl-sized hole remained in his chest.
"Found you!"
Yoruichi Shihōin, who had remained hidden all this time, finally locked onto the equally concealed Gin Ichimaru. Wreathed in golden lightning, she charged forward and stopped Gin Ichimaru from pursuing Muten Natsu any further.
Relying on her exceptional Hakuda, Yoruichi Shihōin closed the distance and locked him in close combat, giving Gin Ichimaru's Reigai no opportunity to release his Zanpakutō.
"Consider this nothing more than a greeting..." Kagerōza Inaba spun Raiku, and a circular chaotic space appeared behind him. "Take good care of what I want. I'll come back for it next time."
Kagerōza Inaba turned and stepped into the chaos. Beside him, the Reigai of Takuma Tsunayashiro looked toward Muten Natsu.
"Until next time, Muten."
Muten Natsu pressed hard against his wound, igniting his blood and converting it into power that flowed back into his body before lunging forward.
But the circular chaotic space closed a moment sooner, swallowing both figures.
Thunder echoed through the air as Gin Ichimaru's Reigai was completely overwhelmed by Yoruichi Shihōin and dissolved into nothingness.
The remaining Gikon Pill vanished within a strange glow. Even the exceptionally fast Yoruichi Shihōin was unable to stop it.
"Raku Zetsu."
Retsu Unohana raised a hand and cast Raku Zetsu, controlling spiritual energy to form black bandages that wrapped around Muten Natsu's body layer after layer.
"Calm down."
Muten Natsu repeatedly took deep breaths until the restless Hell Flames gradually subsided.
"Sōten Kisshun. I reject it!"
Orihime Inoue immediately began healing him, and the hole in Muten Natsu's body visibly began to shrink.
Kisuke Urahara looked toward the severely injured members of the Visored.
"Let's head back to the shop first."
...
Inside Urahara's shop, a large group of wounded people lay across the tatami mats. All of them were now out of danger.
In another room, Yoruichi Shihōin sat cross-legged on a cushion, ravenously devouring food to replenish the energy she had expended earlier. A huge stack of plates and bowls had already piled up beside her.
Bang!
"Pwah!" Yoruichi Shihōin set the large bowl aside, grabbed a teacup, and gulped down the tea before letting out a deeply satisfied sigh. "Eighty percent full. Perfect!"