Chapter 100

At this moment, Senbonzakura, who had been idly standing by, finally appeared before Muramasa.

"Muramasa, go. I'll hold off Rukia and Senna."

Seeing Senbonzakura, Muramasa finally let out a sigh of relief. Without him, he wasn't confident he could hold back both Senna and Rukia with just these Hollows.

Right now was a critical moment—if he failed to release Kuchiki Kōka because of Rukia and Senna, wouldn't everything he'd done be for nothing?

"Alright, I'll leave it to you!" Muramasa replied, and in a flash, he used Shunpo to leap onto the small island at the center of the lake.

Rukia looked at Senbonzakura in front of her, surprised.

"Senbonzakura, why are you still helping Muramasa?"

Senbonzakura let out a cold snort.

"Don't ask questions."

On the island, Muramasa quickly began chanting incantations, shattering the illusionary barrier that enveloped the island.

This island, everything on it, was a false image created by an illusionary barrier.

If you didn't know there was a seal here, neither Shinigami, Hollows, nor humans would have been able to see through the truth of the island!

As the barrier broke, a black coffin pierced by four golden halberds appeared amidst the thick mist.

"Muramasa!"

With Senna's help, Rukia tried to approach—

But it was already too late!

A beam of spiritual pressure shot from Muramasa's eyes, and a powerful Reiatsu erupted from the black coffin!

That spiritual pressure easily knocked away the halberds piercing the coffin!

The man sealed for hundreds of years had finally been released!

At that moment, even Hōrin, who had been holding back, couldn't remain silent anymore.

"Muramasa!"

With a loud roar, Ichigo swung his Tensa Zangetsu straight at Muramasa!

Muramasa, already at the end of his strength, barely managed to block Ichigo's attack.

But Ichigo's target wasn't him—it was Rukia standing nearby.

Ichigo flashed beside Rukia.

"Are you alright, Rukia?"

Rukia shook her head.

"I'm fine, but… we're in trouble now!"

Ichigo looked at the coffin. From within, a man who looked withered and emaciated slowly rose to his feet.

As his eyes opened, the already overwhelming Reiatsu surged again, growing several times stronger!

"So this is Muramasa's master… Kuchiki Kōka?"

Ichigo stared at Kuchiki Kōka in disbelief.

It was hard to imagine a Shinigami sealed for centuries could still possess such immense Reiatsu!

This level of Reiatsu rivaled that of some high-ranking captains!

Muramasa gazed at the familiar yet unfamiliar figure in front of him, his voice gentle.

"You've awakened… Kōka?"

But Kuchiki Kōka said nothing. He simply stared at Muramasa with cold eyes, holding a broken Zanpakutō in his hand.

"Do you know how long I've been waiting for this moment? That dream from back then… let us realize it now!"

Muramasa approached him, completely unguarded.

"Kōka?"

Kōka's voice was icy.

It was a scene none of the onlookers could have predicted.

Without a hint of emotion in his eyes, Kōka thrust his blade into Muramasa!

"Why… why?"

Muramasa stared at his master in disbelief.

Muramasa stood there, stunned, eyes wide open.

"Why would you do this to me? Weren't we the best of partners?"

"You didn't respond to me! Back when I was about to be sealed, I called out to you… but you never came!"

Kōka's voice was filled with bitterness.

Muramasa, utterly confused, said, "You called for me? But I never heard it! I swear, I never heard it! I've always been waiting for your summons!"

"As long as you call me, no matter when or where, I'll give you my all!"

"But I waited and waited, and never heard your voice. After I got out, I realized you'd been sealed! That's why I wanted to break your seal… that's why I did everything I did…"

Muramasa's voice was sincere and full of sorrow. He reached out toward Kōka, tears welling in his eyes.

But after centuries of being sealed, Kōka had lost all reason.

Without hesitation, he raised his broken blade and, with a single slash, sent Muramasa flying.

"If you weren't there for me when I needed you, then you're meaningless!"

"You were born from my power as a Shinigami! You just need to do as I command!"

Kōka's arrogance was boundless!

Muramasa, clutching his wound, collapsed on the ground.

"Partner…?"

"Partner? To me, you're just a blade, a tool! A mere tool shouldn't get carried away!"

Kōka roared, swinging his blade down at Muramasa.

In that instant, Byakuya appeared in front of Muramasa, blocking the attack!

No one had expected this turn of events.

"Byakuya?"

"Big Brother?"

Rukia and Ichigo cried out in surprise.

Byakuya looked at Kōka with disdain.

"Calling your Zanpakutō a mere tool and even trying to kill it… you're unworthy of being a Shinigami!"

Muramasa himself was stunned—he hadn't thought that even at this moment, Byakuya would step forward to shield him!

Kōka, however, didn't care. His gaze swept over Byakuya's attire.

"Silver-White Fūkasaya and Keiseishin… You're from the Kuchiki clan?"

"I'm the 28th head of the Kuchiki clan—Kuchiki Byakuya!"

Byakuya announced his lineage.

"So… that old man, Ginrei, is dead, huh?"

Kōka casually made a throat-slashing gesture.

"Don't speak my grandfather's name so lightly!"

Byakuya's expression darkened.

"You, who have tarnished the Kuchiki clan's honor, have no right to mention my grandfather's name!"

Ichigo and Rukia were stunned.

"What's going on? Isn't Byakuya here to save Kōka?"

Ichigo asked.

Rukia also looked puzzled.

Senbonzakura appeared in front of them.

"Here's what happened—"

Senbonzakura explained how he had been subdued by Byakuya, and how they had planned this together…

After hearing the story, Ichigo and Rukia nodded in understanding.

"So that's how it is!"

Kōka's expression darkened as he stared at Byakuya, his dislike for the Kuchiki clan evident.

Just as they were about to clash again, Muramasa, dragging his injured body, stumbled toward Kōka.

"Kōka… use me. My power will always be by your side!"

Even now, even after being stabbed, Muramasa still hadn't given up on Kōka.

It was absurd—while other Zanpakutō had rebelled over trivial issues like aesthetic differences or roasted sweet potatoes, Muramasa, the one who had been literally stabbed by his master, remained utterly loyal.

Yet Kōka had no intention of sparing him.

Right in front of Muramasa, he raised his Zanpakutō and shattered it with a single strike!

Everyone was stunned by the scene!

Muramasa froze, unable to believe what he had just seen.

"You're just an obstacle now! Even without using an unstable blade like you, my power is more than enough!"

Kōka's words completely shattered Muramasa's hopes.

He collapsed in despair, struggling as dark red Reiatsu surged out of his body like a tide!

From the Reiatsu, dozens of Gillian-class Menos Grandes emerged, blocking Byakuya's path!

Even abandoned and in despair, Muramasa hadn't forgotten to aid his master.

Byakuya let out a soft sigh and prepared to draw his blade to eliminate these Hollows—

But a black Getsuga Tenshō suddenly slashed through the sky!

"Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Byakuya was surprised to see Ichigo.

"I'm not sure what's going on either, but Byakuya, I know for sure—you're not our enemy. Go and finish your fight. We'll handle things here!"

Ichigo gave Byakuya a thumbs up.

Rukia also Shunpo'd to Byakuya's side, her eyes full of admiration.

"That's right! We'll take care of this!"

"Alright, I understand."

Byakuya looked at Ichigo and Rukia charging into the group of Gillians and nodded.

He called out to Senbonzakura.

"Senbonzakura! Let's go!"

With that, he dove toward Kōka on the ground.

Senbonzakura reformed into his blade, returning to Byakuya's hand!

Kōka also raised the halberd that had once sealed him, facing off against Byakuya!

These halberds weren't just ordinary weapons—they were made from special materials.

Back in the day, Yamamoto and Ginrei had used these halberds to break Kōka's Zanpakutō in a single strike!

Their Reiatsu conductivity and durability were exceptional!

After clashing with Byakuya a few times, Kōka smirked.

"As expected of the Kuchiki heir. You've got some skill!"

They separated after their exchange.

"How about some Kidō then?"

Kōka raised his halberd and pointed it at Byakuya.

A self-created Kidō gathered at the tip of the weapon.

"Kongō Baku!"

A red fireball swirled around the halberd's tip, growing larger as Kōka poured more Reiatsu into it!

Byakuya evaded using Shunpo, countering with his own chantless incantation:

"Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!"

The red Kongō Baku and blue Sōkatsui collided, canceling each other out!

Byakuya unleashed another spell:

"Yakki Rekkō!"

A barrage of green energy beams shot at Byakuya.

Byakuya, unfamiliar with this Kidō, had to rely on Shunpo to dodge, trying to figure out the timing of the attacks.

Once he had a grasp of the pattern, he landed on the ground and counterattacked with rapid-fire Kidō.

"Hadō #4: Byakurai!"

Bolts of Byakurai rained down like a storm, forcing Kōka to dodge repeatedly, not daring to let the thick white lightning touch him!

But as Kōka adapted to Byakuya's attack pattern, he suddenly accelerated and appeared behind Byakuya.

Another self-created Kidō!

"Suiya Seihō!"

Blue ice energy surged from the halberd, aiming to freeze Byakuya solid!

"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"

Byakuya unleashed the high-level barrier spell without an incantation!

The powerful spatial barrier blocked the freezing attack!

But Kōka's continuous Reiatsu output eventually overwhelmed the barrier, shattering it.

The ice surged forth, freezing everything before Kōka!

Yet even trapped in ice, Byakuya remained calm.

"Scatter, Senbonzakura."

The sharp blades shattered the icy mountain created by Suiya Seihō, returning to Byakuya's hand as a sealed blade.

"In front of my Senbonzakura, your so-called Kidō is nothing but a petty trick."

Byakuya's words further struck at Kōka's pride.

Hearing the same arrogant phrase he once said himself, Kōka snapped.

With a roar, he Shunpo'd toward Byakuya, slashing at him!

Byakuya easily dodged the strike.

But that was exactly what Kōka wanted—his fury was a ruse!

He needed Byakuya to dodge!

That way, he could execute his next move!

Kōka's eyes gleamed with cunning as he unleashed a technique similar to Muramasa's—

A binding spell!

Everything Muramasa could do, Kōka could do as well!

Byakuya, suspended mid-air, was immobilized by the invisible bindings!

But to Kōka's surprise, while Byakuya himself was frozen in place, Senbonzakura remained unaffected!

(End of Chapter)

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