Chapter 178: Illusion? No, This is the Ghost Domain!

Chapter 178: Illusion? No, This is the Ghost Domain!

As Haku charged forward to attack, the ghost immediately retreated in alarm.

"Die!"

Wielding his Zanpakutō, Haku unleashed a barrage of ice spikes, shooting them toward the ghost.

"I told you, I don't want to fight you! Winning brings no benefits and only wastes my spiritual energy," the bulky ghost grumbled as he easily dodged Haku's attack.

The ghost, his eyes reddened, glared at Haku in frustration. "You're really crossing the line!"

"So, do you think that guy called Oni San can beat Suigetsu Hozuki? And then you want to gang up on him, two against one?" Haku said calmly, his words making the bulky ghost freeze in place.

Clearly, Haku had guessed the ghost's intentions.

"Looks like I was right. I didn't expect someone like you to have such a plan," Haku remarked as he used Shunpo to instantly appear in front of the ghost.

Yes, Shunpo! After Ishihara distributed the Zanpakutōs, he also taught everyone how to use Shunpo—a higher-level movement technique much faster than Body Flicker.

The sudden appearance of Haku startled the ghost, who instinctively tried to flee. However, Haku had already prepared his attack during his Shunpo.

With a squelch, Haku's strike pierced through the ghost's body, and the ghost began to freeze from the wound.

In no time, the ghost turned into an ice sculpture.

Crack! Crack!

The frozen ghost shattered into pieces.

"Something's wrong. Why was that so easy...?"

The overly smooth victory made Haku feel uneasy. He scanned his surroundings but found nothing unusual.

Could it be that he had actually eliminated the ghost just now?

However, just as Haku was about to lower his guard, the ghost's voice echoed again from a distance.

"Did you really think it'd be that easy to kill me?"

It was the same ghost's voice!

He appeared before Haku, a sly grin on his face, and a mask began forming on half of his face.

Yes, only half a mask!

The ghost chuckled as he looked at Haku, and with his laugh, the surrounding scenery began to warp and transform.

"Actually, I'm a bit stronger than Brother Oni San. But he's my elder brother—without him, I wouldn't be here today.

"Now, you've fallen into my domain. I call it the Ghost Domain!"

The scenery turned ominous, filled with graves, and the air resonated with faint screams of anguish.

Haku gripped his Zanpakutō tightly and shouted, "Illusion! Dispel!"

However, nothing happened, no matter how loudly he yelled.

Clearly, this was not an illusion!

"Hahaha, did you think this was just an illusion? No, this is the Ghost Domain! A realm that pulls us into an entirely new space.

"And now, I'll show you my true strength."

The ghost suddenly appeared before Haku again.

But this time, he was no longer the bulky figure from before. Instead, he had transformed into a lean and well-proportioned ghost, wielding none other than a Zanpakutō!

That's right, a Zanpakutō.

"Surprised to see my weapon? It's not exclusive to you guys, you know," the ghost sneered before lunging at Haku with his Zanpakutō.

In that moment, Haku thought he saw countless ghostly shadows behind the attacker.

He had no time to hesitate. Gripping his Zanpakutō with both hands, he braced to block the strike.

Clang!

Though Haku successfully parried the blow, the immense force sent him flying.

This shocked Haku. The strength of this opponent was terrifying—was it because of the sword?

"Hahaha! So, this is all you've got? Then let me finish you off right here!"

The ghost laughed maniacally, charging at Haku again.

Under the relentless attacks, Haku found himself struggling to keep up.

---

Meanwhile, Suigetsu Hozuki noticed Haku's disappearance and froze momentarily.

That brief distraction gave Oni San the opportunity he needed.

"Fighting me while worrying about someone else? You must have a death wish!"

Oni San lunged at Suigetsu, slashing ferociously.

Suigetsu was sent flying, a deep, bleeding wound slashed across his body.

Oni San didn't let up, appearing above Suigetsu and stomping down viciously on his face.

With a squelch, Suigetsu's face collapsed under the pressure.

But then Suigetsu dissolved into a puddle of water.

"Huh? A clone technique?"

"Nope, it's a substitution technique, idiot!"

Suigetsu reappeared behind Oni San, swinging his Zanpakutō fiercely at his neck.

With a single strike, Oni San's head was sent flying.

However, Oni San didn't die. He ran to retrieve his severed head and reattached it.

As it turned out, killing a ghost required exhausting their spiritual energy entirely. Decapitation alone had little effect, serving only to consume more of the opponent's spiritual energy…