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Silence—
Ishikawa opened his eyes, but no matter how hard he tried to see, the surroundings remained pitch black.
Careless!
Because he was worried about Ganju, Ishikawa concentrated all his perception on the Repentance Palace, completely unaware that he would be attacked the moment he left Squad Nine.
Vision, smell, hearing, and even the perception of Reiatsu… All senses except touch left Ishikawa at this moment.
It was as if the entire world… or rather, his own existence, had disappeared.
"!!!"
A tearing sensation came from his skin.
Was he injured?
Ishikawa was a little unsure, because although he felt like he had been cut, no sound was heard.
Neither the sound of a blade cutting through the air nor the sound of flesh being torn… There was only the tactile sensation of being attacked for an instant.
And this tactile sensation…
Came from his neck, chest, and Spirit Core respectively.
Ishikawa raised his hand and fumbled to his neck, his fingertips touching a knife wound, which, though painful, was not deep.
Strictly speaking…
By the time he touched the knife mark, the wound had almost healed.
So this is what it feels like?
"!"
Ishikawa slightly turned his body. He didn't know which direction the attack came from, but he felt the sensation of the strong wind pressing down on his skin the moment the blade struck.
Probably because of this.
The lethality carried by Kaname Tōsen's attacks was not strong. Not only did he not accumulate power, but he also suppressed the exertion of power, so as to avoid being detected before the attack arrived.
And after one strike, he quickly retreated.
In some ways, his Bankai felt more suitable for assassination than Soi Fon's.
But it also had its drawbacks, the biggest of which was the severe lack of lethality, especially when fighting someone like Ishikawa, who had extremely strong defense and self-healing abilities. This drawback would become even more apparent.
Either maintain stealth and not launch powerful attacks;
Or abandon stealth and pursue lethality;
The first three strikes were undoubtedly the first type, maintaining stealth and using attacks that were difficult for the enemy to detect and had low lethality.
If there were no accidents, he should have suppressed the speed of the blade swing, and performed an ultra-short-distance instant acceleration swing when the blade was about to touch the opponent's body.
Such an attack, lacking the process of accumulating power, was destined not to be too strong in lethality.
As for the blade he had just dodged, it was an attack with high lethality that he chose to use after discovering the strangeness of his body's defense and self-healing abilities.
But such attacks often cause the body to sense the impending attack before they even land.
It's a troublesome ability, but it's not dangerous for him.
If it was just astonishing defense, he might still be slowly worn down by the opponent.
But in addition to his extremely strong defense, Ishikawa's self-healing ability was also extremely strong. Often, before the second attack arrived, the injuries he sustained in the previous round had already healed.
So…
From the very beginning, as long as Kaname Tōsen didn't use powers other than those of a Shinigami, he was already in an invincible position!
This much was absolutely certain!
But it was difficult to end the battle in a short period of time!
And what Ishikawa lacked most now was time.
Although the detection circuit had been blocked, Ishikawa clearly felt Ganju's aura becoming weaker and weaker before he was pulled into this space.
He had to get to the Repentance Palace as soon as possible and absolutely could not be dragged here by Kaname Tōsen.
After a moment of contemplation, Ishikawa restrained all the aura around him, and he seemed to disappear into thin air.
Then, he stepped out in one direction.
As for where he was going, Ishikawa didn't know, because he couldn't distinguish directions at all.
Even…
He wasn't sure if he was even walking in a straight line.
His footsteps were light, like a cat at night, landing silently.
Although he had lost his hearing, smell, sight, and Reiatsu perception, Kaname Tōsen possessed these.
And when he restrained his aura, Kaname Tōsen, who always relied on Reiatsu perception to detect opponents, would inevitably lose track of him.
Now, he was like himself, having lost his sight and Reiatsu perception, and could only rely on smell, hearing, and touch…
Leaving aside touch, smell and hearing were certainly strong points for someone who had been blind for countless years.
Moving air currents and the sound of wind, in his perception, were probably as dazzling as light.
Whoosh~
With a silent breath, Ishikawa slowly closed his eyes. He didn't draw the Zanpakuto at his waist, but slowly took off his black boots.
His bare feet stepped on the ground.
Ishikawa's nerves were highly concentrated at this moment. He didn't mobilize his completely restrained Reiatsu, but kept his whole body's muscles in a strange state, like a volcano approaching its critical point.
If anyone saw it, they would find that the muscles under Ishikawa's clothes were wriggling like tiny mice crawling.
Adjust, adjust, adjust…
Accumulate, accumulate, accumulate…
Then…
One hit kill!!
Ishikawa rarely fought purely with physical strength like this.
Because Reiatsu and strength could be said to complement each other, and only by combining the two could he truly unleash all the power within his body.
However, his pure strength was also not weak!
Then, Ishikawa held his breath.
His bare feet didn't lift, but rather scraped along the ground, as if feeling something.
The Reiatsu Imprint within his body circulated wildly, using the Hollow's method of controlling the body to magnify the tactile sensation under his feet.
…
Disappeared?
Kaname Tōsen stood still, his brows furrowed under his blindfold.
No matter how skilled a person was at concealing their Reiatsu, they couldn't completely avoid any aura leaking out, whether they were a Hollow, Shinigami, or human.
The long years of darkness had made his perception of such 'living' auras incredibly powerful.
He could even perceive the opponent's movements through their aura, as if he could vaguely 'see' them, seeing their steps, seeing their blade swings, and even seeing the wrinkles on their clothes.
So although he was blind, he was more sensitive than anyone else and wouldn't miss any details due to his blindness!
No one could escape his perception; as long as they were a 'living being', there could be no absence of aura, even buildings were the same; he could 'see' buildings and easily step on the needle-thin tips of towers.
But now…
Ishikawa seemed to have vanished into thin air; he couldn't sense the slightest 'living' aura.
However, he was sure…
Ishikawa was still here!
Because while the aura had disappeared, the scent had not.
The strong smell of cement, sand, and dust that had been present since Ishikawa arrived here was still Rich.
But by smell alone, he couldn't 'see' the opponent. Kaname Tōsen could vaguely feel the source of the scent constantly moving, spreading his scent throughout the entire space, making it even more impossible for him to precisely determine his position through scent!
Kaname Tōsen's brow suddenly furrowed, because a strong, peculiar smell lingered in one spot.
And this strong, peculiar smell also spread out with the gentle breeze.
What is it?
Some kind of mist used to interfere with my sense of smell?
Kaname Tōsen's brows were tightly furrowed. The sour smell wasn't strong, but it was incredibly clear to someone with his sensitive sense of smell.
The Zanpakuto in his hand was slowly raised, and Kaname Tōsen slashed downwards.
Suzumushi Nishiki: Benihikō!
Countless sharp blades with pointed ends appeared in the dark space above, then fell like rain from the sky.
Although Kaname Tōsen didn't know Ishikawa's exact location, he knew the size of the domain formed by his Bankai.
This attack of his wasn't very lethal, but the Benihikō, which covered the entire domain, would allow him to perceive Ishikawa's location as long as it hit him!
Just for an instant—
Kaname Tōsen raised his Reiatsu to the extreme. He would use this attack to kill this person!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—
The sound of breaking air constantly entered Kaname Tōsen's ears, but it didn't echo throughout the entire space, because being in the domain of Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi, only he, holding the Zanpakuto, could hear these sounds.
Puff puff puff puff—
The sound of the double-edged blades sinking into the ground continued.
Pfft…
And amidst this, a sound distinctly different from the others appeared.
Found him!!
The long-accumulated Reiatsu exploded, and Kaname Tōsen stomped his foot on the ground. As the ground trembled slightly, his entire body burst forward.
A series of soft hums emanated from the Zanpakuto, as if countless flying insects were chirping simultaneously. Although extremely piercing, they were completely unable to spread in this space.
It worked.
Kaname Tōsen was now certain that this attack of his would hit.
Slap—
However…
Just as he rushed halfway to the perceived location, a sour scent suddenly appeared. Before Kaname Tōsen could react, he felt a pain in his face.
The terrifying force made Kaname Tōsen feel a numbness in his face, and his body, driven by the force of the object on his face, shot out like a cannonball.
At the same time—
The sensation on his face finally made him understand where the sour scent came from.
But it was already too late…
He kicked him!!
Ishikawa's eyes suddenly opened wide. What met his gaze was still darkness, but he looked down at his feet.
The sensation under his foot…
Was it a face?
Ishikawa wasn't very sure. He had completely locked onto Kaname Tōsen's direction by the vibration of the ground, and then immediately launched an attack in that direction.
So he wasn't very sure where exactly he had kicked.
But…
He hit him!!
Ishikawa's hidden Reiatsu exploded at this moment. Not only did his strength not diminish, but it was replenished the instant he kicked.
Boom—
Suddenly, the world abruptly lit up.
Ishikawa couldn't help but squint his eyes, then quickly adjusted and looked down at his feet.
It really was a face!
Looking around, countless black mists, like black stars, gradually dispersed in the daylight.
And beneath these myriad black stars, Ishikawa's bare foot was squarely on Kaname Tōsen's face, the immense force completely caving in the center of his face.
Splattered blood stained Ishikawa's fair foot!
Although Ishikawa's kick initially used pure physical strength, this strength had been accumulated for a long time through the continuous wriggling of his muscles. This kick could be said to be the strongest manifestation of Ishikawa's physique!
After hitting the target, Ishikawa even unleashed his Reiatsu to the extreme!
This also caused Kaname Tōsen, caught off guard, to go blind for an instant from the kick, instantly losing consciousness.
But it was only for an instant.
Almost the moment he left the Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi domain, Kaname Tōsen regained consciousness.
However, the force from his face made him completely unable to stop himself, and he could only passively be sent flying backward by the kick!
And that sour smell made Kaname Tōsen wish he could just cut it off with a sword.
Normally, while Shinigami do have body odor, such as sweat odor, body odor, or even old person smell… they rarely have foot odor.
Because although Shinigami have a sense of hot and cold, their tolerance is much stronger than ordinary people. Unless they wear non-breathable shoes that prevent sweat from escaping all day long, it's basically impossible for foot odor to occur.
So Kaname Tōsen had thought of many sources for that smell, but he had never considered that it came from feet.
Ishikawa's attire, which had been the same for over ten years, was deeply ingrained in everyone's memory.
Even if Kaname Tōsen didn't deliberately remember, when he felt Ishikawa's foot with his face, he could recall that this guy always wore those black high-top shoes, no matter if it was spring, summer, or autumn, no matter if he was working or just going about his day…
However, Kaname Tōsen did not know…
The reason he could experience this sourness was entirely because Ishikawa hadn't changed his clothes or shoes since arriving at Squad Nine, coupled with his continuous work.
It wasn't that he had absolutely none, but Ishikawa simply wasn't used to wearing a shinigami uniform and straw sandals…
So he simply hadn't changed his shoes these past few days.
Getting back to the main topic.
The moment he left Suzumushi Tsuishiki: Enma Kōrogi, Ishikawa raised his hand and pointed at the empty space in front of him:
"Bakudo #79: Kuyō Shibari!"
Nine spherical voids, like black holes, instantly formed around Kaname Tōsen.
At the same time, Ishikawa stomped his foot down, using Kaname Tōsen's face to launch himself into the air.
"The turbid crest, the arrogant and defiant talent…"
Almost the moment he soared into the air, Ishikawa pressed his single hand downwards.
Dark Reiatsu silently appeared around Kaname Tōsen, enveloping his entire being.
"A surging tide, denial, paralysis, a momentary impediment to slumber. The crawling iron princess, the self-mutilating clay doll, unite, repel, extend to the ground, know your own powerlessness!"
"Hado #90: Kurohitsugi!"
As the incantation fell, visible traces of heavy pressure appeared in the surrounding void, and a Kurohitsugi, several meters tall, directly enveloped Kaname Tōsen.
"Ahhhhhh—"
A scream suddenly rang out, and the smell of blood silently permeated the air.
Ishikawa drew the Zanpakuto at his waist, pouring Reiatsu into it with both hands. As the nearly 1.6-meter long blade was raised above his head, it carved traces of surging air currents in the void.
Kurohitsugi might severely injure Kaname Tōsen, but it would be difficult to kill him!
A hint of killing intent flashed in Ishikawa's eyes. There was no need for someone who had already died to appear before others again!
However, just as Ishikawa was about to rush forward to deliver the final blow to Kaname Tōsen, he suddenly stopped his movement.
Inside the Kurohitsugi, a surge of black and red Reiatsu suddenly appeared.
This scene made Ishikawa's brows furrow.
Hollowfication?
No, this is…
Release Form!!
A hint of hesitation flashed in Ishikawa's eyes, then he restrained his aura, stomped his foot on the top of the building, and burst towards the Repentance Palace.
He had already wasted a lot of time on Kaname Tōsen. Although he wasn't afraid of Kaname Tōsen's Release Form, the characteristics of the Release Form made Ishikawa feel a bit troublesome.
Because after an Arrancar enters Release Form, they can instantly recover from all damage sustained before Release Form, which means…
If he continued to stay put, he would be facing an enhanced and completely unharmed Kaname Tōsen.
Ishikawa really didn't have time to get entangled with him anymore. The top priority was to ascertain Ganju's condition!
Hmm?
Almost simultaneously with his charge, Ishikawa reactivated his detection circuit.
The aura he detected made Ishikawa feel a sense of relief.
Ichigo, Yoruichi!
Their auras had appeared outside the Repentance Palace at some point.
That being said, Ishikawa didn't slow down. Instead, lightning surged around him, and his speed once again soared!
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr