CHAPTER 468: CHAPTER 468: GO MAD, RAIKŪ!

Kagerōza Inaba completely ignored the fact that the head of the Ryōdoji Family behind him had already been shattered into pieces.

He knew that if he didn’t escape quickly, he would be next.

His steps quickened—using Shunpo, he rapidly advanced several times in a row.

Rushing through the spatial passage, he felt a fierce wind howl from behind. He turned and quickly waved his hand, sealing the passage shut.

He didn’t follow me!

Kagerōza Inaba let out a sigh of relief.

Glancing around, he found himself in a long, pitch-black realm and couldn’t help exhaling softly.

The air was thick with miasma, and through the haze, he could make out a faintly glowing black sphere in the distance, slowly approaching.

Behind it, a massive space bubble hovered in midair, almost as if it were about to pierce the fabric of this world.

"As expected, I’m stronger than those losers. I actually managed to escape from a monster like that..."

Kagerōza Inaba spat out a mouthful of blood, then casually tore off his tattered clothes and tossed them aside.

Though his body was riddled with ghastly wounds, none were fatal. To him, they were insignificant.

After all, he was a Reigai.

If this body stopped working, he could just replace it.

Fixing his gaze on the distant space bubble, he began gathering his Reiatsu.

A green glow shimmered in his palm as he pushed his speed to the limit and dashed toward the Valley of Screams.

While healing his injuries, he began to plan his next move.

About three minutes later, Kagerōza Inaba successfully entered the spatial bubble.

The sight that greeted him was unsettling.

Aside from the occasional Blank drifting about aimlessly, not a single soul could be seen.

The eerie silence, strangely enough, filled him with delight.

After all, the Ryōdoji Family—from the head to the lowest vassal—was gone.

Which meant the Ryōdoji legacy now belonged entirely to him.

If luck was on his side, he might even find a way to control the Blanks.

That thought made Kagerōza Inaba quietly thankful to still be alive.

He didn’t mourn the loss of the Ryōdoji Family as a partner.

On the contrary, his heart burned with hatred and resentment toward Masatsuki Aozaki.

"Masatsuki Aozaki, just you wait! Once I create an even more powerful Reigai, I’ll make you pay!"

Kagerōza Inaba growled through clenched teeth.

And so, he passed through the desolate forest and wasteland of Blanks, finally leaving the bloody battlefield behind.

When he returned to that familiar laboratory, he finally began to calm down.

It was the only place that still gave him even a shred of security.

Letting out a long breath, Kagerōza Inaba made his way toward the chair.

Suddenly, a voice rang out behind him.

"Oh... so this is your lab for studying Reigai?"

"Not as hidden as I expected. I thought it’d be underground."

The moment he heard that familiar voice, Kagerōza Inaba froze. Cold sweat instantly poured down his forehead, his legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed on the spot.

"Who—!?"

Though he already knew the answer, he still turned around in terror.

And there stood Masatsuki Aozaki, somehow behind him, casually inspecting the surrounding lab equipment with great interest.

"Ma... Masatsuki Aozaki?!!"

Kagerōza Inaba’s face turned deathly pale, his eyes widened to the brink of bursting, and he let out a sharp, panicked scream.

"Why are you here!?"

His voice was shrill and trembling, as if he’d just seen a ghost.

"What are you talking about? I don’t know my way around this place—of course I followed you."

Masatsuki Aozaki shrugged with a helpless smile.

Kagerōza Inaba opened his mouth, but not a single sound came out.

His mind went blank, completely unable to grasp what was happening.

"You were able to follow me...?"

Only after a long pause did Kagerōza Inaba finally manage to squeeze those words out through clenched teeth.

Masatsuki Aozaki looked at his stunned expression and chuckled.

He lightly patted Kagerōza Inaba’s shoulder and teased,

"No need to be so shocked. I was just wandering around and happened to run into someone I know, so I figured I’d say hi. Didn’t expect to end up here, though."

Kagerōza Inaba: "..."

Who’s your acquaintance!? I’d rather I’d never met you!!

That slightly mocking look made him feel insulted to his core.

Too much!

He was someone strong enough to endure Masatsuki’s attacks—how could he be lumped in with those weaklings who got one-shotted so easily!?

Rage surged up, clouding Kagerōza Inaba’s thoughts once more.

"Go mad, Raikū!"

With his roar, the long staff in his hands transformed in an instant into a sharp, double-edged naginata.

"You wanna fight?"

Masatsuki Aozaki asked, but his feet didn’t pause for even a second as he charged straight at Kagerōza Inaba.

The distance of just over ten meters was closed in the blink of an eye. That young figure rushed toward him like a living nightmare.

Masatsuki Aozaki didn’t hesitate—he pulled back his arm, clenched his fist, eyes devoid of emotion.

Seeing him charge in like a demon from hell, Kagerōza Inaba couldn’t help but sneer.

"Heh... let’s see how you handle your own strike."

As soon as he finished, he spun sharply to the left, slashing with his weapon. The light of the sword pressure grew increasingly dazzling.

To Kagerōza Inaba, no defense could possibly stop this.

No one could block his full-strength attack barehanded.

That was the truth he understood about Shinigami.

But just as he anticipated Masatsuki Aozaki being torn apart by his attack... reality slapped him hard.

The scene he expected never came. Masatsuki Aozaki’s body remained perfectly intact.

His sword pressure shot straight at Masatsuki—

—but that seemingly overwhelming strike crumpled like paper, completely shattered by Masatsuki’s unshielded body.

Before Kagerōza Inaba could even process what was happening, a powerful arm flashed forward and gripped his spinning Zanpakutō in an instant.

At the same time, an immense wave of Reiatsu surged through the blade!

Crack!

With a sharp snap, Kagerōza Inaba’s Zanpakutō shattered in the blink of an eye—splintering into wood chips and iron fragments that scattered across the floor.

He stood frozen, stunned beyond belief.

That same sword pressure that had easily overwhelmed him and Ganryū Ryōdoji...was destroyed just like that?

And the Zanpakutō he was so proud of—something he’d struggled endlessly to master—was also crushed without effort!?

In that moment, he finally understood.

Back in the Seireitei, Masatsuki Aozaki had just been toying with him.

That earth-shattering slash hadn’t even been his full strength.

Realizing this, Kagerōza Inaba stared at Masatsuki Aozaki with a twisted, conflicted look—rage and fear tangled in his eyes.