The Arrancars that had been in Ikomikidomoe’s vicinity bore the direct brunt of the attack, but its power was dampened by a water shield that Halibel had instantly put up around them. Though everyone was somewhat scuffed up, they were not gravely wounded.
Considering that concentrating spiritual pressure was usually what made a Cero more powerful, diffusing a Cero in all directions would be pointless. However, because Ikomikidomoe had such a vast amount of spiritual pressure at his disposal, his Cero was even more powerful than a typical one, regardless of the fact that it had been diffused.
Nanao had used Bakudo, and the Quincies had expanded their Blut Vene to its maximum extent in order to mitigate any injuries. As for Kenpachi, he had forcibly dispersed the flash of light by cutting it. As a result, he and Madarame and Yumichika, who had been behind him, were unharmed. Kenpachi cracked his neck as he once again set out to select his prey.
“Well, that sure was close. You’ve got some nerve,” said Kyoraku, who had been hiding in the shadows. He slashed at Tokinada as though nothing had happened.
Though Kyoraku had instantly evaded the flash of Cero by stepping into the shadow that it had created, he had no idea how his opponent had defended against the attack, as Tokinada had not even a speck of dirt on his kimono.
“Oh well, it seems the garden and estate were all for naught. I’ll need to have Aura remake them later.”
Tokinada smiled sarcastically as he spoke. Kyoraku replied, “You have more friends then?”
“Not a friend. She’s simply a pawn.”
“I don’t know who this person could be, but my condolences. But…I see. Is that zanpaku-to an erosive type?”
“Oh, so you noticed.”
Seeing Ikomikidomoe’s form directly, Kyoraku was able to guess at the reason Hikone had some Hollow power. For reasons unknown, a pronounced Hollow nature seemed to dwell in Ikomikidomoe, which was already a rarity as a living-creature zanpaku-to. By linking that zanpaku-to with their soul, it seemed that the Hollow reishi assaulting Hikone was being infused into the child’s body. Under normal circumstances, Hikone’s konpaku boundaries would become unsettled, and the user’s body would have burst by now.
However, whether it was due to the influence of the Fragments of the Reio embedded in Hikone’s body or because Ikomikidomoe was regulating it, Hikone was taming that power and had even begun to master it.
What kind of recklessness made that possible?
Considering the nature of Hikone, a newly born Soul Reaper, Kyoraku quietly looked at Tokinada.
“Don’t be so deplorable to that child. What are you intending to do with them?”
Tokinada’s cruel smile remained on his face as he said, “Now that you’ve felt their spiritual pressure directly, you know for certain, don’t you, Kyoraku?”
Kyoraku did not answer, remaining silent as he swung his sword. Dodging it by a hair’s breadth, Tokinada continued to smile.
“They can become the Soul King. Just as Ichigo Kurosaki and Kugo Ginjo are able to.”
“So you were lying when you said you didn’t know much about Ginjo.”
“You didn’t believe me anyway though, did you, Kyoraku?”
“I have one more question for you…” At that point Kyoraku’s smile disappeared. With a serious expression he asked, “Was what you told Nanao also a lie?”
“Hm…? Oh! You mean about her mother!”
“Are you really sure you weren’t involved in her judgment?”
“I almost wish I could say I was, but…unfortunately, that was the truth.”
Then, though they were in the middle of a sword fight, Kyoraku sighed. “I see… Too bad.”
“Hm?”
Not understanding the meaning of Kyoraku’s words for a moment, Tokinada was bewildered. However…
When he realized the reason for them, a delighted smile came over his face as he cried out, “So you made a Pinky Promise then! Ha ha ha! That was close!”
“I don’t remember telling you about that game.”
Kyoraku’s Katen Kyokotsu used techniques related to various types of play, such as the games Takaoni and Kageoni. Though it wasn’t strictly a game, but just linked to child’s play, the Pinky Promise was an ability that channeled the implication of children saying, “Let’s play again.”
If either of them lied to each other, first, the liar’s fingers would stop moving. At the second lie, all the bones in the liar’s body would become incapacitated as though a fist had crushed them, and at the third lie, the liar would be assaulted with an intense pain as though their entrails were being pierced by needles from the inside out.
It was a technique to use in battles against opponents who were prone to lying, or for use against people who had been put under his control and whom he needed to retrieve information from. However, since Ohana would become upset when he made pinky promises with other people, Kyoraku did not use the ability often.
And while he had it activated, there was a drawback, in that he also could no longer lie.
“I can tell without needing to see it. Aren’t you underestimating me? You really should have used that ability in the First Company barracks! Had you done so, you wouldn’t have been so late and you could have settled things!”
“I couldn’t have drawn my sword on you, much less used my shikai on you, before you even drew my suspicion, now could I? If that’s your way of thinking, I was late from the moment I didn’t kill you.”
“Ha ha ha! That’s certainly true!”
Though Kyoraku was rather pleased that Tokinada’s words were not what he had expected, Tokinada continued to provoke Kyoraku while maintaining his smile. “Really now, it’s quite irritating to tell only the truth. Oh, right—I wasn’t involved in Nanao Ise’s mother’s execution, but I did make the suggestion that there was a possibility her daughter carried the divine sword, and that we should torture her!”
“Guh!”
Kyoraku’s face changed color.