"So... where is it?"
Kyōraku Shunsui's eyes fixed on Muramasa's face, his voice low and dry, carrying a faint tremor beneath the calm. Deep in those eyes flickered a complexity that no one could name. The memory of that boy's slash still burned vividly within him an overwhelming power that had shaken even the strongest captains. If that kind of existence were to appear as an enemy, the outcome of this battle would be obvious from the start.
Ukitake, Unohana, and the surrounding Shinigami all shared the same heavy expression. The boy lay unconscious. Yamamoto Genryūsai was sealed. If Su Li's sword beast were to awaken, who among them could resist it? The tension that filled the air grew suffocating, pressing down on every breath like a storm waiting to burst.
"Su Li's... sword beast..." Sui-Feng muttered, her face turning pale. Even as someone close to him, she knew there was nothing she could do if it appeared. And she was certain no one here could stop it.
"I swear... that's barbecue waiting to happen," Omaeda groaned, biting his finger in nervous habit as he parroted one of Su Li's favorite phrases. His expression was gray, eyes wide with dread. He wasn't the only one Rukia, Renji, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto all those who had once witnessed that devastating slash fell silent, unable to even speak.
"Hey, hey, what's with those faces?" Kurotsuchi Mayuri's mocking voice cut through the silence as he rubbed a strange ointment on his arm. "What's so terrifying about that guy's sword beast? Blow it up and be done with it, no?"
Everyone turned toward him in unison, their collective glare heavy with disbelief. But no one bothered to explain. After all, Mayuri hadn't been present when Su Li unleashed that strike; he had no idea what kind of nightmare they were imagining.
Kyōraku didn't answer him either. His gaze stayed locked on Muramasa, watching every minute change in his expression. "What's wrong? Aren't you going to answer me? Where is it?" His tone deepened, the weight of authority woven beneath the softness.
Every Shinigami turned their attention to the two men. This was the question that haunted them all.
Muramasa's face darkened beneath the scrutiny. His eyes flashed coldly before he straightened, forcing indifference into his voice. "Who do you think I am? I'm not your messenger to be interrogated like some obedient servant." His tone was sharp, but even the untrained could hear the faint break beneath his words.
Kyōraku exhaled quietly. "So, it really hasn't come..." The subtle change in Muramasa's tone was all the confirmation he needed. Su Li's sword beast had not appeared on Sōkyoku Hill. Whatever else Muramasa was hiding, that much was clear. His relief was slight but real. Around him, the others let out quiet breaths of their own.
It was complicated—good news and bad news intertwined. The bad news was simple: Su Li's Zanpakutō had been released. With such overwhelming power, there was no one in Soul Society aside from Yamamoto Genryūsai capable of restraining it. But the Captain-Commander was sealed, his location unknown. The thought chilled even the most battle-hardened captains.
Yet the good news his sword beast wasn't here offered a fragile comfort. None of them wanted to face that nightmare again. The mixture of relief and dread churned within each heart, but they knew one thing for certain: the battle wasn't over, and hesitation meant death.
Since Su Li's Zanpakutō hadn't joined the fight, the Shinigami still had a chance. These sword beasts were strong, yes but not unbeatable. Many of the captains and lieutenants had already begun to adapt, shaking off the initial confusion that came from losing their Zanpakutō. None of them were green recruits. They'd fought Hollows, Espada, and traitors. Despair would not chain them long.
The realization spread like fire through their ranks. A Zanpakutō wasn't their only weapon.
Sui-Feng and Byakuya Kuchiki were the first to act. A thunderous crack split the air as Sui-Feng's fist exploded forward, tearing through the wind toward Suzumebachi. Until now, she had tried to match her Zanpakutō's speed, always a step behind. But she finally remembered speed wasn't her greatest weapon. Her fists were.
She didn't need Shikai. She had Hakuda.
The strike roared with compressed air, the sheer pressure warping the space around her arm. Suzumebachi's eyes widened, wings blurring in panic as she tried to dodge. The golden blur twisted in midair, narrowly evading the first blow but Sui-Feng's body moved again, her fist changing direction unnaturally fast.
Hakuda technique Shunpō Strike.
The next hit connected cleanly. The sound of impact echoed through the night. Suzumebachi went spinning across the sky, crashing through a cluster of falling sakura petals. Sui-Feng's lips curved into a fierce grin. After being humiliated for so long, she had finally landed a clean hit and it felt glorious.
"So what if you're my Zanpakutō? Disobey me, and I'll beat you until you learn respect!" she shouted, vanishing again in a flash of movement.
As she dove after Suzumebachi, Byakuya Kuchiki moved as well. "Hadō number thirty-two: Ōkasen." The golden flash erupted from his fingertip, striking the black-robed form nearest him. The massive sword beast staggered back, cracks forming along its armor.
One spell became many.
"Hadō number thirty-one: Shakkahō!" Hitsugaya fired his own Kidō, a massive red sphere slamming toward Hyōrinmaru. The dragon of ice recoiled, frost scattering through the air. Even without his blade, Hitsugaya's precision was terrifying.
"Don't run, you coward!" he shouted, chasing after the retreating figure with renewed confidence.
The hill erupted with chants of Kidō as every Shinigami joined the counterattack. Those less skilled in spells turned to pure hand-to-hand combat, channeling Reiatsu through their limbs. Hakuda, swordplay, and raw power everything they had honed for centuries now came alive.
Even stripped of their Zanpakutō, they were still warriors of the Gotei 13.
And for the first time, the momentum shifted. The sword beasts, caught off guard by the sudden unity, faltered. The once-overwhelming tide began to turn.
"Move! Move! That poison doll's about to spray again!" Omaeda's panicked voice carried across the hill. True enough, Ashisogi Jizō opened its grotesque mouth wide, releasing a thick, hissing cloud of poison. The Shinigami leapt away in all directions as the mist rolled across the battlefield, toxic and heavy.
The chaos scattered the sword beasts. Some leapt from the cliffs to escape the deadly fog; others were chased down by their Shinigami counterparts. The battlefield shifted from a hopeless siege to a frenzied pursuit. Shinigami and sword beasts clashed across the hills in flashes of color and fury.
Whether by design or chance, it felt like a new rhythm had begun a counterattack, loud and defiant, echoing across the sky like a clarion call.
Above them, Muramasa watched the chaos unfold, a faint smile playing on his lips. The retreat of the sword beasts was no accident it was part of his plan. The greater the disorder within Seireitei, the easier his next step would be. Confusion was his ally.
"Muramasa," a calm voice spoke behind him. "That girl... she still refuses to come?"
It was Senbonzakura, his tone carrying a faint sorrow.
Muramasa's expression darkened. "Hmph. Not only did she refuse, she had the nerve to insult me." He clicked his tongue, recalling the girl in black.
"Ah... the rebellious phase, perhaps," Senbonzakura murmured awkwardly, scratching his head before his voice steadied. "Still, we need her strength. She is our companion. Give her time."
Muramasa sighed quietly. "Yes... that's all we can do."
But before he could finish the thought, a voice cut through the air behind them.
"Then tell me are you my sword beast?"
Byakuya Kuchiki stood there, his presence cold and absolute. The wind stilled. Senbonzakura turned slowly, his expression hardening into steel.
"Standing aside while chaos spreads... that is the act of a coward," Byakuya said, his voice calm but deadly. His blade rose, gleaming in the moonlight. There was no sentiment in his gaze. No anger, no grief only judgment.
Senbonzakura understood the meaning in those eyes. For a noble, betrayal was unforgivable.
And for a warrior, there was only one answer to betrayal.
The air shivered.
A thousand petals burst open at once, painting the night in silver and crimson bloom.