A powerful surge of pressure erupted from Kyoya.
A purple Reiatsu, forced out by the force Kyoya unleashed, bounced several times on the ground like a skipping stone before rolling to a stop in front of Koga.
"Muramasa..."
Koga's expression changed drastically as he immediately crouched down to check on Muramasa's condition.
At this moment, Muramasa's face was deathly pale, his eyes tightly shut, and a trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
If not for his faint breathing, Koga would have thought Muramasa had already died.
"Don't worry, your Zanpakuto is fine."
Kyoya opened his eyes and said to Koga, "If he had just attacked me alongside my Zanpakuto, it would've been one thing. But your Zanpakuto tried to pry into my memories, so I had to strike back a little harder."
Indeed, it was exactly as Kyoya said.
The moment he sensed Muramasa attempting to read his memories, Kyoya unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, directly knocking Muramasa unconscious.
"Thank you for showing mercy, Captain Kyoya."
Hearing Kyoya's words, Koga felt slightly relieved.
This was the first time he had used Muramasa's Bankai against a captain-level opponent. But he also knew that since Muramasa could enter the Inner World of a Shinigami to attack their soul, it was equally possible for him to be harmed within that world.
Given the overwhelming pressure Kyoya had just unleashed, killing Muramasa wouldn't have been impossible.
If Muramasa died, Koga wasn't sure whether he could revive him.
After all, for other Shinigami, the core of their Zanpakuto's soul resided within their Inner World and the physical Zanpakuto was merely an external manifestation of their spiritual pressure. Even if it was broken, a Shinigami could restore it by nurturing it with their own Reiatsu.
But Muramasa's Bankai allowed him to leave Koga's Inner World and enter the Inner Worlds of other Shinigami.
If he died inside another Shinigami's Inner World, he might truly be gone forever.
Taking a deep breath, Koga stood up and gripped his Zanpakuto with both hands, pointing it at Kyoya.
Muramasa was down, but he was still here!
Surrendering to Kyoya without a fight was something Koga couldn't accept.
"Good."
"If you had given up just because your Zanpakuto failed, you wouldn't have been worth saving in my eyes."
"After all, your Zanpakuto's ability only works on Shinigami."
"But a Shinigami's enemies aren't limited to just other Shinigami."
"I know."
Koga replied solemnly.
A Shinigami's primary duty was to purify Hollows.
And his Zanpakuto's ability was useless against Hollows.
When fighting Hollows, the greatest advantage his Bankai provided was probably just the boost in Reiatsu and the ability to manifest Muramasa to fight alongside him.
"Bakudo #61: Rikujokoro!"
Koga chanted under his breath, charging at Kyoya while simultaneously casting the high-level Bakudo he was most familiar with.
Six beams of yellow light materialized around Kyoya, forming six fan-like barriers that trapped him within.
Rikujokoro, though only numbered #61, was no less effective than Bakudo #80 and higher when it came to restraint.
This was because Rikujokoro sealed the Binding Chain of a Shinigami.
The Binding Chain was the point from which all spiritual pressure was channeled. Once sealed, the target would lose the ability to resist.
Of course, the difficulty of casting Rikujokoro was proportional to its power.
Executing Rikujokoro wasn't hard… what was difficult was accurately sealing the opponent's Saketsu.
Thus, in the eyes of many, Rikujokoro was less practical than Hyapporankan or Sajo Sabaku.
However, any Shinigami capable of successfully using Rikujokoro to restrain an enemy was undoubtedly a skilled combatant capable of exploiting even the slightest opening in battle. Without a doubt, Koga was one such fighter.
Especially since, with Kyoya standing motionless, Rikujokoro was, in Koga's view, the perfect opening move.
As expected, things went exactly as he predicted.
Kyoya didn't even bother dodging his attack.
"Haaahh!"
Purple Reiatsu condensed around his Zanpakuto as Koga leaped high into the air, bringing his blade down upon Kyoya, who was bound by Rikujokoro.
Kyoya assessed the strength of the Rikujokoro sealing his Binding Chain.
'Hmm… if I unleashed my full Reiatsu, I could instantly shatter the seal around my Binding Chain.'
Click, click-
Boom!
With a slight movement of his body, Kyoya's immense physical strength alone shattered the six beams of light binding him.
His right hand clenched, and in an instant, golden light condensed into a radiant sword, Ama no Murakumo, materializing in his grasp.
Then, with a single swing, Kyoya slashed the sword toward Koga, who was mid-charge.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Koga's Kenatsu was split in two.
Kyoya's flying slash, barely diminished, continued its path toward Koga.
A deafening explosion erupted in the sky.
Amid the flames, a charred figure plummeted to the ground.
Thud!
Cough!
Koga tumbled several times before spitting out a mouthful of blood. Forcing himself to look up at Kyoya, his eyes brimmed with sheer terror.
"Such… an overwhelming slash!"
"This is Captain Kyoya's power?"
Without facing it head-on, it was impossible to fathom just how monstrous Kyoya's flying slashes truly were.
Unlike Koga's Kenatsu, which relied purely on condensed Reiatsu, Kyoya's flying slash was like a masterful fusion of countless sword techniques.
It dismantled Koga's defensive Reiatsu with surgical precision, tearing through it as effortlessly as a butcher carving meat.
Koga could even sense that if Kyoya had harbored any intent to kill, his body would have been erased just like his Reiatsu.
'Only a slash of equal caliber could oppose Captain Kyoya's.'
This was the realization that struck Koga the moment he was hit. And he was absolutely certain… this truth was undeniable.
Dispelling Ama no Murakumo, Kyoya approached Koga and extended a hand.
Hum-
A soft green glow emanated from Kyoya's palm, enveloping Koga.
Almost immediately, Koga felt his injuries, which were inflicted by Kyoya's flying slash, rapidly healing.
In mere seconds, his external wounds had completely closed.
As for the deeper injuries…
It wasn't that Kyoya couldn't heal them, but rapid recovery Kido like this, without sufficient Reishi replenishment, would drain the Shinigami's own lifespan.
Since the remaining injuries weren't life-threatening and would naturally heal within a week, there was no need to push further.
To Kyoya's knowledge, the only methods of instantaneous healing without lifespan cost were Unohana's Shikai, Minazuki, and Zero Division's Kirinji's [Blood Pond Hell].
This encounter further solidified Kyoya's image in Koga's mind-
'Invincible swordsmanship, a powerful Zanpakuto, and a Kaido that rivals the Captain of the 4th Division...'
'Was this really someone who had only entered the Seireitei a mere decade before me?'
If Koga hadn't known better, he would've assumed Kyoya was from the same generation as Kyoraku.
"Captain Kyoya… may I ask what it is you truly seek?"
Though Koga knew his only chance of leaving alive was to align himself with Kyoya, he still wanted to understand the man's goals.
If Kyoya's ambitions clashed with his own principles, Koga was prepared to face death without fear.
"Hmm. It's simple."
"I just think… the Soul Society is far too vast for there to be only one Seireitei."
"Look at it now. Because there's only one Seireitei, the nobles can oppress and slaughter commoners without consequence, wielding countless privileges."
"The ordinary people of the Seireitei and the Rukongai have no choice but to conform, becoming tools that uphold the nobles' power."
"So… I want to create something new in the Soul Society… a place without nobles, one that rivals the Seireitei."
"A place where everyone has a real choice."
"What?!"
Even though Koga had braced himself for something monumental, hearing Kyoya's words aloud still left him stunned.
The Seireitei had existed since the dawn of the Soul Society… a reward from the Soul King himself to his loyal followers.
To challenge that was to challenge history itself.
For millions of years, the Seireitei's rule had been deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people.
No one ever questioned whether the Seireitei's dominance over the Soul Society was right or wrong.
No one ever questioned whether the actions of the noble families were justified.
It was as if this was simply the natural order of things.
'But what if… another 'Seireitei' existed… one without nobles?'
'If such a place were to emerge, at least 70% of the Rukongai's inhabitants would likely flock to it.'
'But would the Seireitei allow such a thing to exist?'
'Would the noble families, the Gotei 13, or even the Soul King himself permit Kyoya's vision to become reality?'
'No.'
'In the end, it's likely that the two sides would inevitably clash.'
'Only when forces are evenly matched can coexistence be possible.'
'The moment one side weakens, it will be doomed to destruction.'
'And as things stand now, unless Captain Kyoya grows strong enough to rival Captain-Commander Yamamoto, such an organization could never survive in the Soul Society.'
'Perhaps… this was why Captain Kyoya wanted me to join him.'
'My ability was a direct counter to Shinigami.'
It's not that Koga is arrogant, but as long as his enemies are Shinigami, he believes that, with the exception of a handful of individuals, he could single-handedly take on the entire Gotei 13 without any issues.
And this is indeed the case.
In the future, after Koga Kuchiki was sealed away, his Zanpakuto, Muramasa, wreaked havoc on the Seireitei all by itself. Even Yamamoto had to close off his mind to prevent Muramasa from reading his memories.
Well, admittedly, the brainwashed Ryujin Jakka didn't end up being much of a threat, as Yamamoto just punched it back into submission with his bare hands. But this was all just the chaos caused by Muramasa alone.
If Koga were to fight alongside Muramasa, more than half of the Gotei 13's Shinigami would likely die… and that's assuming Koga was feeling merciful.
"By the way, you don't need to decide right now."
Seeing Koga hesitate, Kyoya waved his hand, and Borsalino, who had been brainwashed by Muramasa, appeared before Koga.
"I haven't lifted Muramasa's control over my Zanpakuto."
"For now, let Borsalino accompany you."
"I think you'll find his assistance useful during this time."
With that, Kyoya said nothing more to Koga, his body dissolving into golden light and dispersing...
Though Kyoya had handed over the brainwashed Borsalino to Koga and released his Bankai, he had still touched the essence of [Light]. Even without Bankai, he could use his Shikai's control over light to achieve the elementalization that was normally only possible in Bankai.
"Haah..."
Only after confirming that Kyoya had left did Koga finally relax his tense nerves.
'I'll need the help of Captain Kyoya's Zanpakuto?'
Koga glanced at Borsalino, who stood three or four heads taller than him, and fell silent.
'Under what circumstances would I need his Zanpakuto's help?'
'Probably...'
Shaking his head, Koga suppressed the thoughts in his mind.
Until something actually happened, he didn't want to doubt his father-in-law.
Though he was married into the Kuchiki Clan, Koga truly loved his wife.
If any conflict arose between him and Ginrei, he knew Haruko would be deeply distressed.
As a daughter of the Kuchiki Clan, her position meant she couldn't betray her family.
But as Koga's wife, Haruko also didn't want her husband to suffer.
It was precisely because he understood this that Koga, when he sensed Ginrei's suspicion, chose to drink alone at an izakaya to vent his frustration. Otherwise, he feared his wife might notice something was wrong and worry in silence.
"Ara ara, I really ended up with an unreliable master..."
Borsalino adjusted his sunglasses.
Though brainwashed by Muramasa, Borsalino hadn't become Muramasa's subordinate, bound to obey its commands.
However, he wouldn't ignore Kyoya's instructions either.
After all, when Kyoya kicked him out of his Inner World, he had made him a promise… if Borsalino protected Koga during this time, Kyoya would fight him using only the powers of the Pika Pika no Mi in their next battle.
A fair and square duel!