Chapter 5: Pierce Him, Gonryōmaru!
Under the cover of night, Mord trudged toward the rendezvous point, his body covered in wounds.
The blood loss was worse than he'd thought.
After running through the mountain paths, his face was deathly pale. Wounds that had begun to clot started bleeding again.
He couldn't hold on much longer.
Gasping for breath, his steps grew unsteady, and his vision blurred.
Then, mercifully, a flicker of firelight appeared in a familiar spot.
"Zald… I did it…"
The moment he saw that familiar face, Mord finally collapsed, unconscious.
Zald reached out and caught the falling boy. His usually stern, rigid face—etched with hardship—rarely showed emotion, but now, a faint smile appeared.
"Congratulations," Zald murmured softly.
The words were for Mord—and for himself.
Time passed. The night faded.
The stars relinquished the treetops to the pale dawn light. A few clear birdcalls echoed through the forest.
Mord's eyes snapped open. He bolted upright, scanning his surroundings warily, but all he saw was the dark forest path.
"Zald?!" he called out softly.
No response.
Looking down, he saw the fire meant for warmth and warding off beasts had nearly burned out. Charred logs crumbled into pale ash, embers still glowing faintly.
Beside him lay a letter.
He tore it open.
The words written with Aura Ability flew off the paper, appearing before him out of thin air.
[Seeing these words is like seeing me in person.]
[It was my fortune to meet you on the final journey of my life.]
[First, I apologize for not being able to bid you this last farewell face to face.]
[Second, I must confess that when I taught you Aura Ability, I had my own selfish motives.]
[Moreover, the method I used to awaken your Aura Ability was extremely dangerous—it could have easily cost you your life.]
[The reason I did this was because I had something immensely important to accomplish, more precious to me than life itself. Yet even after sacrificing my life, I still failed to achieve it.]
[At this final moment of my life, I have no choice but to entrust this matter to you.]
[Of course, we've only known each other for twenty-eight days. Even if you refuse, I would bear no resentment.]
[If you're willing to accept this selfish request of mine, then go to the Hunter Association. I've left everything there for you.]
[Before retrieving it, you'll need to obtain a Hunter License—though I'm certain that won't be a problem given your strength.]
[Setting aside my dying wish, I truly believe you should leave Meteor Street and see the world outside. It's vast… incredibly vast.]
[—Zald]
After reading the final line, the Aura-conjured words scattered with the wind, as though they had never existed in this world.
His injuries had completely healed—undoubtedly Zald's doing.
"What a shame."
"Zald."
"I wanted to share my current joy with you."
Mord murmured softly while opening his status panel.
[Name: Mord]
[Aura Ability Rank: C—]
[Aura Ability: Zanpakutō]
[Awakened Attribute: Pierce, Gonryōmaru!—Aura attacks can now freely inflict additional lightning damage (Evolution conditions not met)]
[Mastered Skills: Basic Hakuda, Basic Zanjutsu, Basic Footwork.]
Compared to before, his Aura Ability rank had risen from D to C-, and Mord could indeed feel his Aura growing stronger.
Elevate the mind, temper the spirit.
The cultivation of Aura is the refinement of one's will.
Through relentless training of body and mind, one's Aura—their life energy—grows. This process is lengthy, never something achieved overnight.
Yet Mord had accomplished it regardless.
If others were to learn of this, it would utterly shatter their worldview.
Did they think Chairman Netero threw ten thousand punches daily just for fun?
Mord familiarized himself with his newly enhanced Aura, finding no irregularities—it responded as naturally as before, like an extension of his own limbs.
Then he turned his attention to the newly awakened attribute of his Aura Ability.
Evolution conditions not met?
What exactly were these conditions?
His Aura Ability rank, or something else?
He set that aside for now.
Gonryōmaru!
Mord recognized this as the Zanpakutō of Chōjirō Sasakibe, lieutenant of the 1st Division in the Gotei 13.
A lightning-based Kidō-type Zanpakutō.
This blade had been entirely overlooked until the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.
It wasn't until then that Head Captain Yamamoto himself affirmed its status with his words.
After all, this was the Zanpakutō that had left a thousand-year scar on Yamamoto's forehead!
Calling it the foremost lightning-type Zanpakutō would be no exaggeration.
Moreover, it is one of only two Zanpakutō in the world capable of controlling the weather, the other being the supreme ice-type Hyōrinmaru.
Its Bankai, "Kōkō Gonryō Rikyū," is a terrifying technique that even shocked Head Captain Yamamoto.
To say it could bring about the destruction of heaven and earth would not be an exaggeration.
However, as things stand now, this ability cannot be used.
[Awakened Attribute: Pierce, Gonryōmaru!—Aura Ability attacks can now inflict additional lightning damage (evolution conditions not met).]
Mord glanced at his status panel. Currently, he couldn't even achieve Shikai—he could only wield basic lightning abilities.
Electricity?
The previous Aura Ability user also possessed this power. There might be some connection here.
Of course, this would need to be verified through further experimentation.
"For now, let's test just how potent this lightning damage can be," Mord muttered, extending his right hand. A slender Zanpakutō materialized in his grip.
Slightly different from its Asauchi state, it now bore faint white glimmers, like scattered stars.
Mord tightened his grip and swung forward fiercely.
BOOM!!
As the blade descended, Mord could clearly feel the Aura within him surging forth, channeled through the strike.
The moment the Zanpakutō completed its arc—
A blinding white bolt of lightning erupted from thin air, lancing toward the direction of his slash.
Like a thunderclap.
It struck a massive tree—one so thick it would take four men to encircle it.
With a deafening crack, the tree split in half, collapsing in a storm of dust.
The severed section was charred black, flames licking at the edges.
If this had hit an ordinary person, they would have been reduced to ashes.
And this was merely the lightning power granted without even releasing Gonryōmaru.
Mord grew even more eager to witness its full potential.
At the same time, he tentatively reached out to touch the lightning coursing along the blade. It caused him no harm—meaning that, if he wished, developing an Aura Ability like that black-clad man's was only a matter of time.