"Is this… really just a Shikai?"
The black-cloaked leader's vision gradually returned—
and the sight before him sent a chill through his soul.
The moon, the stars, and even the very sky had dimmed in the presence of this golden radiance.
He had witnessed countless Zanpakutō releases, both Shikai and Bankai—
but never had he seen one so overwhelmingly brilliant.
Not even the most devastating Bankai could rival this.
"Apologies," Lan Yan said lightly, "First time using Shikai—took a second to adjust."
"But thanks for waiting."
"As compensation… I'll let you witness something even Kuchiki Byakuya hasn't seen—"
"The strongest light-type Zanpakutō."
Before his words had fully echoed—
Lan Yan vanished.
His body dissolved into particles of golden light—
Then, it surged forward like a solar flare, splitting the night sky.
BOOM!
Even though the leader had kept his senses focused—
His eyes, his spiritual perception—none of it helped.
He saw Lan Yan's lips move slightly as if speaking—
But no sound reached him.
Only a flash of light.
And then nothing.
His ribs shattered.
His cloak disintegrated into ash.
His body lifted off the ground—
Sent flying backward, trailing shockwaves.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Trees snapped in half. Boulders shattered. The earth cracked and caved beneath his flight path.
Finally, he crashed to the ground like a ragdoll.
Huff… cough!
Blood sprayed from his mouth, painting his shihakushō crimson.
His whole body screamed in pain, but—
"What… what just happened…?"
The leader lay sprawled on the ground, disbelief etched across his face.
He gasped for breath, forcing his neck to lift his head—
Only to see the imprint of a bloody boot embedded into his crushed chest.
"Speed… is power."
"Have you ever been kicked… at the speed of light?"
The voice came after the attack.
And only now did the leader understand.
Lan Yan had spoken before he moved.
But his speed surpassed sound itself—
So the words had arrived only after the blow had landed.
A chill ran through him.
Then—darkness fell.
A shadow loomed overhead.
A foot hovered before his face.
"Now… tell me your master's name."
Lan Yan's tone was calm. Almost patient.
But the weight behind the words?
Crushing.
"Heh… Even if I told you…" the leader coughed blood, "What good would it do?"
"He stands atop all of Soul Society."
"He writes the laws you die under."
"You think… you can change anything… even with the strongest Zanpakutō?"
He smiled grimly.
"You're powerless."
BOOM!
A golden foot stomped down.
The earth shook. Cracks webbed outward like lightning bolts.
Golden light burst upward, filling the fissures like molten lava erupting into the night.
"Nope."
"Wrong answer."
Lan Yan stepped off the now-lifeless corpse—its head crushed beyond recognition.
His voice dropped to a murmur.
"Shiba…
Shihōin…
Kuchiki…
and Tsunayashiro…"
"The Four Great Houses."
Among them, Tsunayashiro was infamous—
For marrying a woman from the Rukongai solely because she bore a fragment of the Soul King.
"A fragment of the Soul King, huh…"
Just then, he remembered—
His dear "Bī-wang" little brother.
Lan Ran.
If he had been targeted, surely they'd gone after Lan Ran, too.
Without hesitation, Lan Yan crouched and touched the ground with one finger.
"Bakudō #58: Kakushitsuijaku."
Golden symbols lit the ground beneath him—
And his spiritual perception erupted outward, scanning ten—no, a hundred times further than before.
Got him.
That familiar reiatsu—Lan Ran's—came into focus.
FWOOSH!
Lan Yan vanished.
A streak of golden light tore across the night.
Ten seconds.
Dozens of turns.
Over 50 kilometers covered.
He arrived.
From atop a rocky outcrop, he looked down—
Below, near a narrow ravine, swords clashed, spells flew, and reiatsu boiled.
Lan Ran was surrounded—
Six black-cloaked assassins remain, with four others already lying in bloody heaps nearby.
"Just like me, huh?"
Lan Yan observed silently.
His brother, even without full mastery of Shikai, was holding his own.
With only a day of training in Kidō and swordsmanship—he'd already slain four enemies.
Blade danced.
Spells flew.
And his face remained calm.
A few more minutes and the rest would fall.
Lan Yan?
He yawned.
If it were a full-powered Lan Ran—Zanpakutō, Reiatsu, everything—he'd be all in for the show.
But this?
Meh.
No witty lines. No dramatic flourishes. No style points.
And then—
The lead assassin spoke:
"Roar, …ahhh!"
He tried to activate his Zanpakutō—
But a golden beam lanced through his chest from behind.
He looked down—
A hole the size of a fist had pierced him clean through.
The name of his sword died in his throat.
His weapon fell from numb fingers.
Then—BOOM!
The laser hit the ground and exploded—
A golden sun bloomed, swallowing the battlefield.
Screams echoed—
Then vanished beneath the roar of the blast.
By the time the light faded, none of them remained.
Author's Note:
Lan Yan: "Let me introduce you to the fastest kick in Soul Society."
Assassins: "...?"
Lan Yan: "Oops. You're already dead."
Don't forget to throw some flowers, votes, and bookmarks!
Next time, Lan Ran gets serious. And so does… the Gotei 13?