Shunsui felt a heavy pressure as he gazed at the colossal Harald. In a single encounter, Harald had defeated three Captains; such power was simply preposterous. Even with his observation, Shunsui couldn't find a single weakness in the monster.
However, the keen-witted Shunsui sensed something off. This big fellow... though he looked fierce, he didn't seem to have any killing intent. His earlier attacks could have been far more lethal, which would have put the Captains in grave danger. Yet, he had precisely controlled his strength to a level that incapacitated his opponents without threatening their lives or even leaving lasting injuries.
Regardless, as long as he was an enemy, Shunsui's first thought was how to take him down. Since no weakness was apparent, he had to use Bankai. Facing Harald, Shunsui didn't even consider stalling with his Shikai. He realized that if he were hit even once, he wouldn't fare well. Furthermore, while his Shikai techniques were effective against human-sized enemies and could allow him to win against stronger foes, they were insufficient against a giant monster—especially one with High-Speed Regeneration.
Since the others had been pushed back by Harald, Shunsui didn't have to worry about his Bankai affecting his allies. Without further hesitation, he gripped his twin blades and spoke in a low voice: "Bankai: Katen Kyokotsu: Karamatsu Shinju!"
BOOM!
In an instant, a cold and immense Reiatsu enveloped the area. Harald, who hadn't been actively attacking, immediately sensed this aura. His pupils shrank, and his whole body tensed. This human... the aura radiating from him was terrifying, completely different from any strong warrior he had seen before.
Rocks D. Xebec's aura was wild, arrogant, and strong—an absolute power born of absolute confidence. Beltz's aura was more majestic, like a deity descending from the heavens, as vast and endless as mountains and seas. But Shunsui's aura was so cold it felt eerie and macabre. The sky seemed to darken; Harald stood still, feeling as though he were trapped in a cage.
However, after erupting with such powerful Reiatsu, Shunsui himself didn't move, remaining stationary in front of Harald.
?
Harald looked at Shunsui with confusion, wondering what he intended to do. Shunsui was actually a bit stuck himself—he wondered why Harald was just standing there.
Shunsui's Bankai is divided into four acts, each with a different effect. The first act, Tamerai-kizu no Wakachiai, means that any wounds inflicted on the opponent are also shared by Shunsui, and vice versa. It's essentially a "Thorn Mail" effect—hitting him means hitting yourself. It is a terrifying ability with strong synergy for the subsequent acts.
But if Harald stood still and didn't attack, there were no wounds to share. Harald wasn't there to cause destruction; he was there to distract the Gotei 13! Having drawn the Captains over, his mission was complete. He had fought the others because they attacked him, but with Shunsui making no move, he wouldn't initiate an attack.
Without wounds, how could there be sharing? Shunsui hadn't understood Harald's goal before, but seeing him stand still within the Bankai domain, the truth began to dawn on him. This Harald... he didn't look like he was here to attack the Seireitei at all. It looked more like... he was stalling for time!
!
As this thought hit him, Shunsui's pupils dilated and a drop of cold sweat ran down his forehead. "You're intentionally drawing us here, aren't you?"
"..."
Harald was surprised; he hadn't expected their plan to be seen through so easily. He remained silent. Shunsui took this silence as confirmation. He grew anxious; he didn't know what the enemy was up to, but if they sent someone this strong just as a distraction, the person behind the scenes must be plotting something even bigger!
I can't stall any longer! I must end this battle quickly!
Shunsui made up his mind and moved past the first act. Since Harald wasn't attacking, the first act was useless, and the second act, Zanki no Shitone would also be ineffective. The second act is a follow-up to the first; after being wounded and sharing the pain, the opponent feels regret, which leads to them suffering from an incurable disease. Without the first act, there was no second.
Shunsui's Bankai only had four acts, and Harald had bypassed two without shedding a drop of blood! But the third act was an attack that acted directly on the opponent!
!
Harald didn't know what Shunsui was doing at first, but suddenly he felt as if he were submerged in the deep sea! He found it difficult to breathe, and his strength seemed to be ebbing away!
"I must admit, you are a monster," Shunsui said. "The first two acts of Karamatsu Shinju couldn't hurt you, so I must ask you to accompany me into this Dangyo no Fuchi."
"Dangyo no Fuchi..." Harald felt his power draining. He gripped his Zanpakuto and asked deeply, "What is this?"
"I don't like explaining, but sometimes I have no choice. Simply put, you and I will consume each other's Reiatsu here. Theoretically, it lasts until one of us is completely drained."
Beltz had told Harald that after his death, his Haki had converted into spiritual energy. Therefore, the ability of Dangyo no Fuchi was essentially directly consuming their Haki? Harald's Haki was very powerful, but since losing his physical body, while its intensity remained, the total volume had dropped significantly.
Harald quickly realized things were going south. He looked upward and prepared to "swim" out!
"Ah, I'd like to just let the abyss drain you dry, but things rarely go exactly as planned," Shunsui whispered. "Sorry. I can see you don't have killing intent, but I have to finish you quickly and get back to the Seireitei."
As he spoke, Shunsui's hands were wrapped in Reishi that looked like thousands of threads. After the abyss comes the final act: Itokiribasami Chizome no Nodobue.
He returned his twin blades to their sheaths, then pressed his index and middle fingers together, condensing Reishi into white, thread-like fibers.
!
Harald, attempting to leave the abyss, sensed a powerful aura from below. He stopped and looked down to see the threads in Shunsui's hands spinning and coiling toward his neck!
Not good! Harald realized the danger. He stopped holding back. His Conqueror's Reiatsu poured out, covering not only his neck but also condensing into his sword.
Squelch!
Black lightning was pulled out like threads. He watched as Shunsui swung his arm, releasing the condensed threads to slice at his throat, and swung his own blade in response!
Their forms crossed in an instant! Harald's strike landed solidly on Shunsui's right shoulder, actually severing the right hand that held the threads! But before the arm fell, Shunsui released the killing power of the threads, directly slicing through Harald's neck!
!
Harald's pupils dilated. A massive wound appeared on his giant neck. For a creature of his size, this single strike wasn't enough to decapitate him completely, but it left a visible, gaping hole. If he were a normal human, his head would have been gone. Even a large monster would have been left with a wobbling head. Because Harald was so huge, the wound looked horrifying, but it didn't seem immediately fatal yet.
However, the act didn't end there.
BOOM!
The highly condensed Reishi exploded instantly on Harald's neck! The secondary burst of force was immense. Harald tried to cover the wound, but it was no use; the wound was torn open even wider! His head, as large as a building, was engulfed in the fire of the exploding Reishi!
"..."
Shunsui looked deathly pale. He was now behind the giant, his back turned. He turned around and saw Harald's massive body falling. He let out a sigh of relief while clutching his severed right arm, desperately using Kaido on himself.
Harald's strike had indeed been extraordinary. If he hadn't already unleashed the final act, he probably would have passed out by now. At that moment, he was in a state of high Reishi concentration, which acted as a barrier to protect him, yet he still lost an arm.
But at least... even at the cost of an arm, he had successfully killed the demon giant.
"You idiot!"
The voice of Kurotsuchi Mayuri suddenly rang out. He yelled angrily, "Who told you to kill him!"
Mayuri had been watching from the side. Seeing Harald fall, he flew over and said, "This thing is different from the others before. It's an important research specimen!"
"Please, Captain Kurotsuchi, this isn't the time for research. It didn't look like he could be taken alive." Shunsui continued, "More importantly, the Seireitei—this monster was a distraction to draw us away...!"
BOOM!
Before he could finish, he saw a shocking sight. Harald, whose head had been blown apart, was now...
Actually beginning to regenerate?!
How... is that possible?! Shunsui looked at Harald in disbelief. He knew Harald had High-Speed Regeneration, but even with that, it shouldn't be possible to regenerate a head! Most Hollows cannot regenerate internal organs, let alone a head! That was why he relaxed after the "decapitation"!
But Mayuri broke into a smile. "To have such powerful regeneration... he's not like those other demons; he's more like those five monsters!"
Whether Harald was a Hollow or a demon, they knew he'd have regeneration. When the Five Elders descended and merged into Imu, they used Domi Reversi on many Soul Reapers. Those Soul Reapers had been sent to the Technological Development Department for study. Mayuri knew from his research that they possessed a form of "immortality," but it had limits.
Unlike a Hollow's regeneration, this immortality's effectiveness was determined by the quality of the Reishi in the attack. For example, attacks from ordinary soldiers were useless. adjutant-level attacks could have an effect. Thus, it was usually ineffective against Captain-level foes.
But Harald's demonization was clearly different from that of ordinary soldiers. Even a full-power strike from Captain Kenpachi Zaraki healed instantly! That was why Shunsui used Bankai. He thought even if a Shikai strike could be regenerated, a Bankai level attack would finish it.
Yet now, the unthinkable had happened. Harald's head actually regenerated?! This wasn't simple demonization; he was like those five immortal monsters—the creators of the demons!
Because Harald combined Hollow energy with Imu's demonic power, he had indeed retained the traits of the the Knights of God. Their "immortality" was far superior to standard demonization. Even a powerhouse like Rocks using Conqueror's Haki could only slow the regeneration, not stop it. Furthermore, Harald used Conqueror's Reiatsu to neutralize part of Shunsui's attack!
So, despite the incredible blow from Shunsui, Harald could still regenerate!