Chapter 24: Mission Complete
Everyone else's battle cries sounded so heroic—
so why did his feel a little… off?
Sure, for someone in his position, casting Hadō #88 without an incantation was already pushing it. But compared to the others—each of them striking stylish poses and shouting out their zanpakutō releases—his plain "stand still and fire a beam" approach was seriously lacking in flair.
"Watanabe Fifth Seat," Urahara called before charging in,
"We'll hold it off. See if you can find a way to break through that barrier."
In other words: frontline tanks take the aggro, backline finds the win condition.
"Understood—"
Mizuma lowered his gaze and replied quietly, his focus already shifting to the hills outside.
If the seniors were putting in that much effort, how could he not do his part?
---
"See? Caught you."
The subordinate Tokinada had sent to contact Katani's men sprinted for several minutes through the rugged terrain, completely unaware that he'd grown a tail. He slipped into a narrow fissure at the base of a valley.
Inside, several figures in black night-cloaks huddled around a large chest, deep in discussion. When they saw the messenger arrive, they stepped forward at once.
"How is it?"
"Are the Gotei 13 already inside?"
"Yes. By now they're fighting the Guardian." The man nodded briskly. "What about you? Is the restraint device ready?"
"Already tuned."
The leader opened the chest. Inside lay a thick chain engraved with intricate markings, radiating a rough, violent reiatsu. It didn't feel like a mere object—it felt almost alive, closer to a zanpakutō than a tool.
But it didn't seem to require a chosen wielder.
If a zanpakutō was a high-security vault with fingerprint, iris, and facial scans, this chain was a half-broken door with a single loose latch.
Anyone with hands could use it.
Its reiatsu formed a self-sustaining circuit, not unlike binding spells—but the structure was self-executing. The user only had to provide the energy input to activate it.
Too simple. One look and Mizuma could already tell exactly how it worked.
"Then let's move. We need to enter right after the Gotei 13 are nearly wiped out. The restraint won't work well on a Guardian in perfect condition."
"Got it. We're moving."
The two masked men hoisted up the chest and turned to leave the valley.
"Ah, ah—no need to rush."
A cool female voice rang out behind them.
The leader froze in alarm, half-turning—only to be blinded by a sudden flash of light.
Binding Chain: Sixfold Link.
Drawing on a fraction of his Heavenly Talismans reserves, Mizuma bound all six in under half a second.
Then he stepped out from the shadows, raised his hand, and mimed a pistol.
Byakurai. Byakurai. Byakurai. Byakurai. Byakurai.
Five streaks of blinding white lightning lanced through the air—each one punching cleanly through a skull's brainstem.
Four of the masked men and Shitaba's messenger fell without even realizing they were dead.
Only the leader remained conscious long enough to hear the dull thuds behind him…
and to smell the sharp tang of scorched flesh filling the air.
"Y-you're—"
"From now on, I ask, you answer. Understand?"
A pale, slender hand rested lightly on his shoulder.
No strength behind it—and yet it felt heavier than a mountain.
Cold sweat poured down his body like a waterfall, soaking his clothes in seconds. He didn't even notice the warmth trickling down his leg—only nodded desperately, clinging to the smallest shred of hope.
"What were you going to do next?"
"C-carry the… the restraint… to join the 'Divine Sword Trial'…"
"How many can enter? And how do you get out?"
"No… no limit. As long as you touch the exit and release reiatsu, you can leave."
"Can someone join midway through the trial?"
"I… I think so… Lord Katani said… once the trial begins… the Guardian… will raise a barrier that only allows entry, not exit…"
"What's the restraint's exact use?"
"Y-you just… input reiryoku near the Guardian. If it's weakened… the restraint will immobilize it… for a short time…"
"Last question. If you got the Divine Sword, how would you deliver it to Lord Katani?"
"In… in the central market of North Rukongai, District Seven… there's a teahouse… Lord Katani is… waiting there…"
"Good. Thank you for your cooperation."
Mizuma gave him one cold glance, raised his finger, and pressed it to the man's temple.
A flash of thunder. A dull crack.
He didn't even scream—his head simply burst apart.
"Tch… overshot the output again. Made quite the mess."
His first time killing.
The first time taking a life of his own kind—
First came disgust. Good. That means I'm not the type who enjoys killing.
Then came relief. But damn, that felt satisfying.
Perfectly reasonable.
If these bastards had succeeded, Urahara, Kensei, and Lisa would've died in that cave.
If time weren't short, Mizuma would've loved to hang their corpses up as paper lanterns.
He wiped the sticky, burnt gore from his hand in distaste, bent down, and picked up the chest—and the heavy chain within.
Key item acquired.
Next step—
[Time-Limited Quest: Prevent the Conspiracy of Central 46 and Tsunayashiro Tokinada — COMPLETE]
[Reward: Fullbring Awakening Card ×1 issued. Please check inventory.]
"…Huh?"
Mizuma frowned.
Why was it already marked complete?
Tokinada didn't even know the restraint had been stolen yet…
He hissed softly and immediately activated the receiver for his Surveillance Technique.
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〔TL〕
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