Chapter 687 Megumi: I'm Going to Control You Hard

As Megumi spoke the release command, the pitch-black short blade in her hand, barely longer than a kunai, suddenly emitted a soft glow.

The blade began to dissolve into starlight from its tip, scattering like fireflies blown away by the wind.

Those Reishi Lights crossed over the dune, passed through the thick outer wall of Wall Maria, and silently seeped into the other side of the wall.

Yoruichi crouched at the dune's summit, her amber eyes fixed on the lights disappearing into the wall. "A Reishi Conversion Ability? Quite suitable for infiltration."

Then, the Reishi Lights, transformed from Megumi's Zanpakuto, silently landed on a Gillian guard Hollow stationed at the inner wall of the gate on the other side of Wall Maria.

That guard had been listlessly leaning against the wall, dozing off.

The moment the Reishi Lights merged into its body, its movement suddenly froze.

Then, as if possessed, it slowly stood up, walked to the gate control platform, and pulled the massive control lever to open the gate with hands no longer under its own will.

The heavy gate slid open with a rumbling hum.

Seeing this, Yoruichi's eyes widened, her amber pupils contracting into slits. "A hypnotic-type Zanpakuto? Or a control-type?"

Megumi glanced at the cat, then looked away.

If it were a comrade, she wouldn't mind briefly explaining her Zanpakuto's ability.

But to a cat of unknown identity, Megumi naturally wouldn't reveal her secrets.

Actually, calling those blade-transformed lights 'Reishi' wasn't entirely accurate. To be precise, they were fragments of Megumi's own soul.

Her Zanpakuto, [Reika], could separate her own soul, converted into Reishi, from the blade and possess a target to achieve remote control. (T/N: It's from Spirit Transformation Technique. The name in Japanese is Reika no Jutsu.)

This was similar to the Spirit Transformation Technique she had learned in the Naruto World back then.

But there was a crucial difference between the two. The Spirit Transformation Technique required the user to completely separate their soul from their body. During this process, the user's physical body would become defenseless and immobile, requiring a guard to protect it while the technique was in use.

Kato Megumi's Zanpakuto, Reika, however, perfectly circumvented this weakness.

She could use her Zanpakuto, which was of the same origin as herself, as a vessel for her soul to perform remote control while maintaining full self-awareness and combat capability in her physical body.

It could be said to have fundamentally removed the Spirit Transformation Technique's most fatal limitation.

And as Wall Maria's gate opened, the other Gillian guards patrolling or resting around the gate all turned their attention to it.

One Gillian, larger than the others, hurried over, its voice full of confusion: "Hey, what are you doing?! Why did you open the gate?"

But before the guard possessed by Megumi's Zanpakuto could answer—

"Everyone, go!"

Kanae's decisive shout came from outside the gate.

Instantly, the Shinigami of the expedition team, who had been lying in wait outside the gate, surged through the opening like arrows loosed from a bow.

Renji swung his snake-like Zanpakuto, cleaving through a Gillian that hadn't even reacted.

Ikkaku's bald head gleamed under the moonlight as he swung his three-section-staff-like Hozukimaru, shattering another Gillian's mask.

Asuna's figure flashed through the enemy ranks like a golden streak of light.

Her Zanpakuto glinted coldly under the moon. Each swing was accompanied by the crack of a Gillian's mask shattering and the dull thud of blood spattering.

Many Gillians never even had the chance to gather their Cero before their bodies were severed or their masks pierced by strikes from unexpected angles.

Watching the Maria District descend into chaos in less than ten seconds, Yoruichi, perched on the wall, couldn't help but praise, "These girls really know what they're doing."

In less than a minute, the Maria District was in complete disarray.

After all, for these seated officer-class Shinigami, all of whom had mastered their Shikai, dealing with non-Arrancarized Gillians was relatively easy.

Of course, this 'easy' referred to ordinary Gillians that hadn't yet achieved Arrancarization.

Hearing the commotion from the gate area, Gillians from nearby regions were also drawn in.

Seeing so many Shinigami suddenly appear in Las Noches was a shock to all of them.

This was the King of Hueco Mundo's territory. For decades, no Shinigami had ever dared set foot here. They felt these Shinigami had some nerve.

But shock aside, they quickly prepared for battle, snarling as they charged at the expedition team from all directions.

Not long after, a humanoid Hollow in a white robe, with a cylindrical bone mask covering its head, hurriedly passed through the inner gate of Wall Rose and arrived at the gate area of the Maria District.

When it saw the chaotic battlefield before it, it nearly fainted.

The newcomer was Aaroniero Arruruerie, the future the black cat Espada in the original work, and the current highest-ranking officer responsible for maintaining order in the Maria District.

"Damn it... Ishigami Yu is going to kill me..."

Seeing this, Aaroniero was terrified.

His task from Makoto was to maintain order in the Maria District.

The task itself wasn't particularly difficult. After all, no enemies ever dared to infiltrate Las Noches.

Now that a bunch of Shinigami had thrown the Maria District into chaos, he didn't know if Makoto would spare him, but Yu, that sadist, would definitely kill him in the cruelest way possible.

He had to find a way to make up for his failure.

With that thought, Aaroniero gritted his teeth and reached into his own body.

He could directly use the abilities he had acquired through devouring, including a Shinigami's Zanpakuto.

"Watery Heaven, Surge... Nejibana!"

Instantly, three ice-blue tridents appeared in Aaroniero's hands.

With a flick of his wrist, the tridents traced elegant arcs through the air, summoning waves of surging water around him, echoing with the sound of waves crashing against the shore.

Sensing that familiar Reiatsu, etched into her very bones, Rukia, who had been engaging the Gillians, froze rigidly.

Her Zanpakuto nearly slipped from her hand.

Not just Rukia, but Isane, Renji, and others also turned their gazes toward the source of that Reiatsu.

Under everyone's watch, a figure in a white robe with a cylindrical bone mask approached, stepping on flowing water while wielding that ice-blue trident.

The unique high-stance grip with the wrist as the pivot, the elegant, dance-like rotating spear technique... identical to the late 13th Division's Lieutenant, Shiba Kaien!

"How can this be..." Rukia's face turned pale under the moonlight.

Because the ability of that Zanpakuto was Nejibana... the one she knew best and feared most.

It was the Zanpakuto of Shiba Kaien, whom she herself had killed.

Isane, who also recognized or had heard of Kaien's name, covered her mouth. Renji's eyes widened. Kira instinctively took a step back.

'Shiba Kaien had been dead for decades. How could anyone in Hueco Mundo possibly use his Zanpakuto?'

'Could it be—'

"It's probably a Hollow's ability."

Just then, the expedition leader, Kanae, stepped forward, her back to Rukia as she said, "Don't get the idea that Lieutenant Kaien has come back to life."

Hearing this, Rukia lowered her head in shame.

For a moment there, she had indeed thought it was Kaien resurrected.

After all, this had been Rukia's greatest guilt for decades.

Although, in truth, the Hollow-possessed Kaien had willingly thrown himself onto her blade to seek death, just like Nohara Rin in the Naruto World,

Rukia herself, and many in the Gotei 13 who didn't know the full story, had always believed that Rukia had killed Kaien in battle.

"Who?"

Seeing the shocked expressions of the other veteran members, Asuna whispered to Kotonoha beside her.

She had graduated from the Shin'o Academy and formally joined the Gotei 13 several years after Kaien's death, so she naturally hadn't heard of him.

Isane swallowed, her voice trembling: "Th-the Zanpakuto Nejibana... it belonged to the late 13th Division's Lieutenant, Shiba Kaien... He's been dead for a long time..."

The moment her words ended, Kanae gave the enemy no chance to continue its performance.

She took the lead, charging forward. Her toes touched the ground, her figure moving like a swallow. Her Zanpakuto traced a sharp arc of wisteria-colored light through the air.

Aaroniero sneered, swinging his ice-blue tridents to meet her. Each swing was accompanied by splashing waves. Ice-blue water intertwined and clashed with the wisteria-colored blade light under the moonlight.

Watching the opponent's combat stance, Rukia's gaze once again grew distant and unfocused.

The unique high-stance grip, the exquisite pivot rotation with the wrist, the elegant yet fierce spear technique like a dance.

Each swing summoned azure waves that crushed and cleaved enemies apart.

This was exactly as she remembered Kaien.

"Who exactly are you?!"

Rukia finally couldn't hold back and shouted.

By this time, Kanae and Aaroniero had already exchanged thousands of clashes in fierce combat.

Their blades were deflected by each other's force in the final collision, both retreating several steps, temporarily locked in a stalemate.