Segawa Shigure gazed at the man before him with a faint smile, saying nothing.
The man's attire, though tattered and worn, unmistakably bore the signature look of a Soul Reaper's uniform.
Whatever he had just said, Shigure had no intention of listening any further. His lips curled slightly, and a surge of spiritual pressure erupted from him, directly pressing down upon the man.
Bang!!
A terrifying force descended like an invisible giant hand, forcing the man to his knees. The sound of his bones creaking under the immense pressure echoed in the air.
He tried to lift his head to look up at Shigure, but the overwhelming spiritual pressure rendered him utterly incapable of doing so.
This was the absolute disparity in spiritual power!
At that moment, his face was consumed by nothing but fear. Yet, even in such a state, he shouted desperately:
"Don't... don't trust them!!"
"This is a conspiracy by Seireitei!!"
"This is their first step in eliminating you!!"
"That man, Sugi! He's an executioner for the Central 46 Chambers!!"
"His Zanpakutō... its special ability... it drives people mad!!"
"You've already... already fallen into their trap!!!"
His voice was hoarse, almost choking with emotion as he screamed.
"Seeing my condition, haven't you even the slightest doubt?!"
"Why have the Soul Reapers assigned as your guards fallen into madness one after another?!"
"Why was your trial suddenly moved to such a peculiar location?!"
"With your power, haven't you ever questioned any of this?!"
He shouted hysterically, but Shigure's gaze merely shifted slightly, betraying no emotion.
Just then, a sharp gleam of light shot out from the darkness!
Whoosh!
A violent surge of spiritual pressure came rushing from the shadows, aiming directly for Shigure's head.
But Shigure merely smirked and, with a slight tilt of his head, effortlessly dodged the oncoming blade.
In the next instant, a figure followed the blade, charging straight at him.
Sugi.
His expression was icy, and his spiritual pressure surged wildly. The rapid movements of his body caused his Soul Reaper uniform to flutter noisily.
His Zanpakutō was already released, slashing down with immense force.
Shigure, however, didn't even bother drawing his own sword. Instead, he simply raised a hand.
"Bakudō #76: Source Mirror."
Hum!
A sky-blue barrier of spiritual particles instantly formed in front of Shigure's palm.
Sugi's eyes flashed with surprise.
Clearly, he hadn't anticipated that Shigure could react so quickly and even cast a Bakudō spell without incantation.
Clang!
Sugi's Zanpakutō struck the Source Mirror.
But then, his figure suddenly vanished, reappearing behind Shigure in an instant.
Once again, he swung his blade.
Shigure, however, didn't even turn around. The smile on his face remained unchanged.
He raised his hand slightly and parted his lips:
"Bakudō #99..."
At the sound of those words, Sugi's pupils contracted sharply.
"What?!!"
But Shigure didn't stop. In his hand, an eerie black light began to form.
He softly uttered the final word:
"Prohibition."
Boom!!
A massive gray pillar descended from the heavens, trapping Sugi within it.
Immediately, dense black spiritual particle bindings extended outward, firmly restraining Sugi's limbs.
Seeing the seal enveloping him, Sugi felt his hair stand on end.
Impossible!!
A Vice-Captain... casting a top-tier Bakudō #99 without incantation?!
Shigure turned around, his smile unwavering:
"Mr. Sugi, isn't this development a bit too sudden?"
Sugi forced himself to calm down, his gaze locking onto Shigure as he spoke in a venomous tone:
"I didn't expect that guy to reveal the truth to you... so I had no choice but to act."
"But... I never imagined you'd possess such overwhelming power..."
Sugi sneered. "No wonder the Central 46 wants to get rid of you..."
Hearing this, Shigure's smile deepened.
"Mr. Sugi, such rhetoric..."
"Do you really think anyone still falls for it these days?"
Sugi froze, caught off guard by Shigure's words.
Still smiling, Shigure snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The gray pillar and spiritual bindings vanished, freeing Sugi.
"What... what are you doing?"
Sugi's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Shigure.
But Shigure didn't even look at him. Instead, he turned and approached the cage where the kneeling Soul Reaper was held.
Looking down at the man, Shigure chuckled softly.
"Mr. Sugi, continuing this charade any further would be meaningless, don't you think?"
"I imagine being suppressed by my spiritual pressure hasn't been particularly enjoyable, has it?"
With that, Shigure crouched down.
Staring at the man before him, Shigure's smile grew even wider.
Behind him, Sugi stood frozen for a moment before letting out a sudden chuckle.
"Tsk tsk... I really underestimated you..."
As he finished speaking, his body abruptly vanished, transforming into a piece of paper that floated gently toward Shigure.
Shigure withdrew his spiritual pressure from the caged man and stood up.
The paper drifted into the cage, and then... it transformed into a Zanpakutō.
The man inside the cage began to change as well.
And before long, his true identity was revealed—Sugi!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Discover 10 Amazing Fanfics on My Patreon!Unlock 400+ Advance Chapters and Dive into the Story Early! 👉 [patreon.com/DarkGolds]