The sound of dry metal echoed through the palace courtyard.
The zanpaku-to that had appeared from Tokinada’s shadow had been blocked by his own sword, which he had drawn at some point.
“Kageoni, is it? It’s far beyond impolite to step on the shadow of a Tsunayashiro, you know?”
As Tokinada cackled, Kyoraku’s entire body appeared from the shadow.
“How troublesome. I have to fight someone who knows my abilities from the start.”
“That lunkhead! He got a head start!”
Kenpachi was indignant, and a vein popped out on his forehead when Kyoraku launched his surprise attack. From Kenpachi’s standpoint, this happened after he had patiently waited through a tedious conversation, and it was clear even to those observing that he was in a bad mood.
Seeing that, Madarame and Yumichika spoke to each other, their faces oozing sweat.
“Captain General Kyoraku might be in hot water later…”
“After all, our captain hates having his prey taken from him more than anyone…”
However, Kenpachi had leapt in order to knock Kyoraku aside so that he could face Tokinada…
“Hikone.”
While he continued locking swords with Kyoraku, Tokinada’s mouth warped into a grin as he called that name.
In the same moment, an ominous and heavy spiritual pressure broke forth from the castle into the air above their heads.
“Guh…!”
All those who had gathered there were fundamentally powerful, with extensive combat experience. While Nanao, who primarily used kido, was an exception, it could still be said that this was a group that specialized in fighting on the front lines among the most powerful of their kind.
However, even they froze for a moment in reaction to that spiritual pressure.
It was the young Soul Reaper they had just confronted in the Rukongai. Though the child’s spiritual pressure was certainly of the same nature, the pressure it exerted had increased many times over in this short period of time.
After Hikone’s name was called, just how much time had really passed?
In actuality, it had only been a few seconds, but to those who stood in awe of that spiritual pressure, it felt like it had been several minutes or even several hours.
“The hell is this…?” Candice, who could barely stand it, muttered as her face dripped with a cold sweat…
Then that thing fell down to the ground.
The spiritual pressure transformed into a harsh wind and brought up a cloud of dust, making the surrounding air warp just from the impact. Then the child who had disseminated such sinister spiritual pressure raised an innocent voice—too innocent—with delight that seemed to be the polar opposite of the power they exerted.
“Oh, I finally landed nicely! I’m so glad!”
Hikone Ubuginu.
Not much time had passed since they had faced the child in the Rukongai. However, the version of Hikone that Grimmjow and the others saw now gave them the momentary illusion that several years had passed.
It wasn’t that Hikone’s stature or face had changed. The nature of the child’s spiritual pressure hadn’t changed either. The child’s abnormal growth was in the depth of their spiritual pressure, which now gave the impression that the child had fought in several hundred battles.
“Lord Tokinada! I apologize for the delay! What would you like me to do?”
“Ah yes. Wait a bit, Hikone.”
Tokinada crossed swords with Kyoraku and cackled.
“Thanks to you, it’s finally complete, Kyoraku.” Tokinada just barely warded off the successive attacks from Katen Kyokotsu as he spoke proudly. “That is Hikone Ubuginu…the next Soul King.”
The moment those words rang out, some of those present swallowed their breaths and several narrowed their eyes as though that was exactly what they were expecting, while the rest looked as though they had no interest in that conclusion.
In terms of what they had assumed based on previous events, most of those there, including Ginjo, had to completely revise their expectations at this point. Hikone had said they were “being allowed to become the Soul King,” but when the actual head of the Four Great Noble Clans, Tokinada, spoke those words from his very own mouth, the gravity of the situation was clearly different.
As though brushing aside the forceful impact of those words, Kyoraku smiled cynically and continued. “Even if you are from one of the Four Great Noble Clans, isn’t it unforgiveably disrespectful to say you’ll replace the Reio himself?”
“Don’t make me laugh. You must know, don’t you? You know what kind of being the Reio is. If you know that, then don’t you think that in fact the most respectful thing to do would be to replace him?”
Tokinada’s words as he fought on the ornate balcony were becoming difficult to make out over the bewildering clash of weapons. However, Halibel’s ears picked them up clearly. The woman looked at Hikone and, without hiding her repugnance for Tokinada, murmured, “Are you saying you intend to make a little child such as this a sacrifice for the Soul Society?”
“The child isn’t even coming to your aid in this situation?”
“Yes. To Hikone, our fight seems like child’s play.”
Tokinada temporarily moved away from Kyoraku and yelled to Hikone, “Hikone! Hikone! Look at those who are here.”
“Yes, sir! I can even see some people I just met!”
“Yes, and do you like them, Hikone?”
“Yes, sir! They all took it very seriously when they fought me! They faced an opponent like me with determination! And they will become my people soon, so I don’t have any reason to not like them!”
Not knowing much about them, and though Hikone had previously been antagonizing them, the child readily said they “liked them.”
The exchange was more than enough to give the impression of something ominous and wrong, but the conversation that followed made that eerie innocence transform into something repulsive.
“I see. That is more important than anything, Hikone. You must cherish those you love. Do not forget to offer your sincere devotion to them!”
“Yes, sir! Thank you, Lord Tokinada!”
“But also…these are my enemies. Could you kill them for me, immediately?”
Tokinada gave that cruel order in a booming voice.
Hikone did not so much as twitch an eyebrow as they agreed resolutely, wearing an innocent expression. “Yes, sir, Lord Tokinada!”
Though the child understood the meaning of Tokinada’s words, they showed not a single sign of misgiving.