"Shihouin Kōe?" Wakasa blurted out, sounding as if he recognized Kōe.
But of course he recognized him. After all, this was the man who had entangled himself in their centuries-long history, reducing them from high-and-mighty nobles to condemned prisoners awaiting death.
"Lieutenant Shihouin, what he just used must be some kind of transparent spiritual fluid, and it's highly corrosive!"
Kotetsu Isane had indeed grown much braver. After briefly checking the injuries of the two squad members, she stood protectively in front of them and shared her deduction with Kōe.
"Take them and fall back," Kōe ordered.
If it was a liquid, then everything made sense. The bizarre Zanpakutō in his opponent's hand wasn't meant for stealthy assassinations; it was a syringe. Channeling spiritual power into his hand wasn't to unleash a spiritual slash, but to convert his own spiritual power into a highly corrosive fluid.
"Fall back? Are you thinking of taking me on alone?" Wakasa sneered, wildly swinging his Zanpakutō as he charged at Kōe. "Perfect. I was thinking the exact same thing!"
Unlike Wakasa, Kōe's Kōki was actually quite well-known within the Seireitei as a direct-attack type with rapid form-shifting capabilities. However, no one expected it to have a mask form, and could this mask possess some kind of see-through vision?
Wakasa couldn't be sure, but he knew this mask was the absolute bane of all escapees. He had initially assumed it was some new Kidō tool developed by the Seireitei, never expecting it to be Kōe's Shikai.
This was even better. As long as he eliminated Kōe, wouldn't he be free to hide wherever he pleased? Driven by this logic, Wakasa chose to take a desperate gamble, aiming to kill Kōe before any reinforcements could arrive!
Although invisible, one could easily imagine that under his wild flurry of strikes, the air was now densely packed with imperceptible threads of corrosive fluid.
"Bring it on!"
Kōe shouted, throwing a punch with his right hand that left a white fist imprint suspended in the air. He then shifted his hand into a palm strike, slamming it directly into the imprint. Instantly, the fist mark transformed into a massive white tidal wave of spiritual power, crashing forward with crushing force.
The chaotic web Wakasa had woven was instantly washed away by the surging wave. Leaping to the right, he barely managed to dodge Kōe's terrifying attack, only to find Kōe standing right in front of him, as if he had been waiting there all along.
"You swing that conductor's baton pretty well!"
Kōe said coldly, delivering a vicious knife-hand strike to Wakasa's fingers. With a sickening crack, Wakasa's four fingers bent backward, snapping parallel to the back of his hand. The 'conductor's baton' Kōe had mocked fell unwillingly to the ground.
"Didn't I tell you that any resistance would be met with lethal force? And you had the nerve to say 'I was thinking the exact same thing'—thinking what? Thinking about dying?"
Before Wakasa could even scream, Kōe seized him by the throat. His burly frame was forced to his knees by overwhelming strength, his spine bending backward until he resembled a bow drawn to its absolute limit. Just a fraction more force, and the man would likely snap in half.
"Urgh—"
"Huh? Are you cursing at me?" Kōe dug a pinky into his ear, his fingers tightening their grip on Wakasa's neck just a fraction more. "What a tough guy!"
"Urgh! Urk!" Wakasa used every ounce of his remaining strength to shake his head slightly. How could he dare curse at Kōe? He was begging for mercy!
"Oh, so you weren't!" Kōe loosened his grip slightly, offering a cheerful smile. "You're only alive right now because I chose not to kill you. Understand?"
Unable to nod, Wakasa could only blink frantically.
"I just figured you might still be of some use. Though, of course, that's just my opinion." Kōe continued his interrogation, "Do you think you're still useful? And by useful, I mean do you know the whereabouts of your little friends?"
Wakasa blinked again. Even though he knew being captured meant he wouldn't live much longer, surviving another day meant another sliver of hope.
"[Bakudō #61・Rikujōkōrō]!"
After binding Wakasa's movements with Kidō, Kōe finally let go. He resealed Kōki, returning the gray, broken blade to its sheath.
"Start talking. If I find out you're lying to me, you're dead!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Wakasa nodded vigorously. "I don't know about the others, but Lord Azashiro—no! Azashiro Sōya fled toward the east! And his younger brother, Azashiro Kōzō, is with him!"
*Now that was a big fish!* Kōe's entire goal for this mission was to rack up enough merit to trade for Kurotsuchi Mayuri's experimental materials. If he was the one to drag Azashiro Sōya back, he might actually have a shot at it.
Unfortunately, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi was also searching the eastern Rukongai. Snatching the credit out from under that guy wasn't going to be easy!
"Do you know of any hideouts he might use?" Kōe asked, frowning.
"I don't know, but he was the first one to break out, and then he freed the rest of us!" Afraid that wasn't enough, Wakasa spilled everything he had experienced in the Senzaikyū. "Also! To cover his escape, he caused a massive disturbance. It looked like it came from the direction of Squad 1, or maybe Central 46!"
*Now that was interesting.* The initial commotion had actually been caused by Azashiro Sōya. But back then, Kōe, Old Man Yama, and Kuruyashiki Kenpachi had reacted incredibly fast. With Captains converging from all directions, how did Azashiro Sōya slip away completely unnoticed? Could his Zanpakutō possess some kind of hypnosis ability, just like Aizen's?
"Do you know what his Zanpakutō's ability is?"
"No idea. Why would someone like him ever confide in people like us?"
That made sense. Even Urahara and Yoruichi had been extremely cautious when revealing their Zanpakutō abilities to him. Why would Azashiro Sōya casually share his secrets with someone like Wakasa, who was neither family nor friend?
"Then tell me what happened in the Senzaikyū. Give me every detail you know!"
"Well, at the time..."
Wakasa didn't know much, so he quickly exhausted his supply of information. To Kōe, most of it was useless noise, but one detail was absolutely crucial: when the massive disturbance occurred, Azashiro himself had not yet left the Senzaikyū.
Just then, having finished healing the two injured squad members and seeing that Wakasa was thoroughly subdued, Kotetsu Isane jogged over. "Lieutenant Shihouin, do you require any healing?"
"No need, I'm not hurt," Kōe replied. He shot a warning glare at the kneeling Wakasa before turning back to Isane. "According to the latest intel, Azashiro Sōya's Zanpakutō might be a biological type capable of casting Kidō. It likely possesses the ability to conceal spiritual pressure, and it appears to be a constant-release type. Relay this message and tell all pursuit squad members to stay on high alert!"
Kōe deliberately held back a key piece of information, keeping the fact that Azashiro Sōya was heading east entirely to himself. Stealing the credit and preventing meaningless casualties weren't mutually exclusive, after all.
"Understood!" Isane replied. She immediately began broadcasting Kōe's warning to the Shinigami within her range. Through a chain of relays, this crucial intel would reach the Shinigami scattered across the Rukongai in the shortest possible time.
Kōe's deductions were highly valuable to the pursuit operation, but unfortunately, they were a step too late. At this very moment, on the outskirts of the Liuhai District—the 80th District of the Eastern Rukongai—a man stood with his sword drawn. He wore a white haori with the character for "Eleven" etched into the back like a blade scar. It was the Captain of Squad 11, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi. And standing opposite him was the very 'big fish' Kōe had been hoping to catch: Azashiro Sōya.
But Kōe, who was currently leading Wakasa and Kotetsu Isane toward the 69th District to continue their search, remained completely unaware of this unfolding clash.
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