Chapter 26: Soi Fon's Sharp Tongue |
Beyond the borders of District 80 in Rukongai lay a desolate territory, devoid of any flora or fauna. Scattered across this scorched wasteland were various mountain valleys and gorges where the only signs of life could be found.
Most of Hueco Mundo is a lifeless desert because, unlike ordinary souls, Hollows can survive without water and possess the ability to move freely between the World of the Living and the Soul Society.
In a dark gorge nestled within a small mountain valley, a pool of murky water sat undisturbed. Several human-like silhouettes paced around its edges.
Though these figures appeared human at first glance, a closer look revealed their thick coats of fur and beast-like ears.
The regions past District 80 were arid, offering minimal moisture. While these beast-souls differed greatly from ordinary souls in appearance, they were not Hollows; they still required water to survive. Consequently, any settlement for such clans had to be established near a sustainable water source.
"Let's go... let's go back there... the taste of human souls is exquisite..."
"The King said the Shinigami have already taken notice of us. No excursions are planned for the near future."
"...I wonder if the souls of Shinigami taste even better than ordinary ones?"
Just as the figures gathered around the murky pond were excitedly discussing the flavor of human souls, grinning and baring their large predatory fangs...
A blade streaked down from above, aiming straight for the edge of the small pond, and pinned one of the anthropomorphic leopards to the ground.
The other leopard-men instinctively scattered, dropping into predatory stances and preparing to spring at the intruder at any moment.
However.
The moment they leaped aside, dark silhouettes materialized behind them, their Zanpakuto flashing through the air.
Splatter! Splatter! Splatter!!
Blood sprayed in every direction as the anthropomorphic leopards began to collapse one after another, their bodies hitting the dirt limply.
Yeruashi landed softly on the blood-stained earth and walked leisurely toward the edge of the waterfall. He casually surveyed his surroundings before pulling his Zanpakuto from the ground, where it had pinned a member of the Panther Clan.
The group, composed of elite members from the Second Division and the Onmitsukido, had carried out a series of swift, stealthy strikes in the small valley under the leadership of Yeruashi and Yoruichi. The members of the Panther Clan were annihilated in an instant; they stood no chance against elite Shinigami, especially during a surprise attack.
This small tribe living by the pond numbered only a few dozen. They were slaughtered by Yoruichi and Soi Fon in the blink of an eye, without any opportunity to resist.
Yeruashi calmly sheathed his Zanpakuto, sensing that every member of the Panther Clan inhabiting this small valley had been completely eliminated.
Thud!
Lilith landed softly just behind Yeruashi, her gaze indifferently sweeping over the gorge littered with the bloody corpses of the anthropomorphic leopards.
Yoruichi, having just finished off several clan members in the upper valley, leaped down into the central gorge and approached Yeruashi, glancing at the scattered bodies.
A moment later, a member of the Onmitsukido knelt before her. "Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief!"
"All thirty-three members of the Panther Clan inhabiting this valley have been successfully liquidated!"
Yoruichi nodded in satisfaction and looked at the Shinigami gathered in the dark gorge. "Move to the next lair!"
Yeruashi turned to Yoruichi just as she gave the order to move out. "Do you plan to destroy all the smaller settlements before attacking the main stronghold?"
This was already the third massacre of a small settlement in a row.
Yoruichi had ordered the total extermination of every Panther Clan representative they encountered, sparing neither females nor the young.
"Do you find our actions too cruel?"
Yoruichi replied impassively, "Shinigami differ from Hollows in this regard. The souls we slay will be reincarnated in the World of the Living, though they must first pay the price for their transgressions. Do not forget that only sinful souls become beast-souls..."
While the Wolf Clan, like the Panther Clan, cannot live peacefully among human souls in Rukongai, the existence of Sajin Komamura suggested they were far less malicious and bloodthirsty. The Panther Clan was a different story.
Furthermore, a vast number of fallen souls arrive in the Soul Society from the World of the Living every year. Those who walked the path of the beast were transformed into beast-souls as punishment for their crimes, causing the Panther Clan's numbers to swell constantly.
Once the Panther Clan grew to a certain size, they inevitably began to cause significant problems for Rukongai.
Therefore, roughly once every century, the Gotei 13 would form a strike force to nearly wipe out the clan, sending them back into the cycle of reincarnation.
"That makes sense," Yeruashi muttered, nodding.
He had visited several worlds, but the structural laws of the Bleach world were vastly different from anything he had seen before.
The Shinigami were the arbiters of law in the Soul Society, and death was by far the most common sentence they carried out. Moreover, many souls died daily in the remote districts of Rukongai due to lawlessness or famine. The Gotei 13 ignored such things unless they threatened the global stability of the Soul Society, because death here was merely the starting point for a new life cycle.
It was rather amusing to witness Soi Fon's hesitation during the clearing of these small settlements.
Yeruashi himself, having witnessed countless deaths in other worlds and clearly understanding the laws of this one, felt no particular emotional stirrings during the mission.
Judging by the fact that they had discovered far more Panther Clan settlements in this region than were indicated on the maps, it was clear that Gotei 13 scouts had rarely investigated this territory in recent years.
The original plan to split into two groups for a surprise attack on the main lair had become moot. Not only were there more settlements to destroy than anticipated, but they also lacked their exact locations.
While the elite Shinigami of the Second Division and Onmitsukido tried to suppress their Reiatsu as much as possible, their presence was eventually detected by the Panther Clan.
Chaos erupted.
Some members of the Panther Clan chose to flee into even more remote regions of the Soul Society, while others began to flock toward the primary stronghold, known as the Crimson Plateau.
The elite Shinigami led by Yeruashi, Soi Fon, and Yoruichi arrived at the clan's main lair approximately one day later.
The Crimson Plateau!
The name was literal; the plateau was a large, flat mountain covered in reddish soil, looming over the lifeless wasteland.
Yoruichi walked to the edge of a cliff and crossed her arms, staring at the dark red plateau rising in the distance. "They've already prepared a warm welcome for us, haven't they?"
They currently stood before a chasm several hundred meters deep. Across the gap, only about fifty meters away, the crimson plateau loomed.
On the opposite heights, numerous scarlet, predatory eyes peered out from behind various rocks and fortifications. Furthermore, several powerful Reiatsu signatures radiated from that direction, some even rivaling the strength of a Gotei 13 captain!
Yoruichi looked down into the deep gorge and spoke to Yeruashi, showing no signs of worry. "This place is also called the Valley of Repentance, because in the past, the final battle with the Panther Clan almost always took place here."
"So many powerful Reiatsu signatures..."
Soi Fon, standing to Yoruichi's right, was visibly tense.
Yoruichi placed a hand on Soi Fon's shoulder and said confidently, "The Panther Clan is indeed strong, but we are stronger!"
Dark silhouettes with terrifying blood-red eyes began to step forward from behind their covers following Yoruichi's words.
Soon, a large number of Panther Clan members lined the edge of the opposite cliff.
Some possessed massive, muscular bodies and thick manes, while others were small and agile with spotted fur.
"We've been waiting for you."
A massive anthropomorphic tiger stepped forward confidently and addressed Yoruichi, emitting faint but incredibly powerful waves of Reiatsu. "Are you the leader?"
The leader's Reiatsu had undoubtedly reached the captain level, but Yoruichi was unfazed. "So, you are the head of the Panther Clan?"
"I am the King of the Panther Clan... Great Org!!"
The King, Great Org, grinned predatory, baring his sharp teeth. "Only one captain? It seems you Shinigami greatly underestimate us!"
Yoruichi replied impassively, "I alone will be enough."
"We shall see."
Org smiled grimly. "You damn human souls have always ruled the Soul Society without question, while my Panther Clan had to hide in corners like mice. But today... I will rewrite that order! First, we will spill your blood to honor our ancestors who died in disgrace, and then I... the great King Org, the strongest leader in our history, will lead my clan to conquer the entire Soul Society!!"
Boom!!
Instead of replying, Yoruichi simply released a powerful burst of Reiatsu.
Under the influence of her captain-level pressure, the surrounding Reishi began to vibrate violently. Distortions visible to the naked eye appeared where her energy clashed with Great Org's equally potent Reiatsu.
"So this is the Reiatsu of a captain. Interesting... very interesting..."
Org smirked at Yoruichi, but instead of stepping forward himself, he turned and shouted, "Justin, conduct a reconnaissance-in-force!"
"Yes!"
An anthropomorphic leopard standing behind Org stepped forward, releasing a powerful surge of Reiatsu. Then... he drew a Zanpakuto!
Yoruichi, who had been watching the opposite side's every move, narrowed her eyes. "Is that a Zanpakuto? Now you truly have managed to surprise me..."
Justin grinned. "This trinket we stripped from a Shinigami's corpse decades ago turned out to be... quite convenient..."
"Yoruichi-sama," Soi Fon whispered, looking at her commander.
Instead of engaging in a full-scale clash immediately, the King of the Panther Clan had decided to propose a duel between 'generals'...
Yoruichi and Soi Fon understood Great Org's goal instantly.
A large-scale battle involving hundreds of Shinigami and thousands of Panther Clan members would inevitably lead to heavy losses for both sides. Org intended to crush the enemy's top combatants to avoid the need for a total war.
"Even better. Hehehe... you can take this one, Omaeda."
Yoruichi laughed softly as she kept her eyes fixed on Justin across the gap.
She accepted the proposal.
Any rank-and-file member of the Panther Clan was significantly weaker than the elite Shinigami on their side, but a mass battle would still result in casualties regardless of individual strength simply because of the clan's overwhelming numbers.
Yoruichi was more than happy to settle the outcome through a clash of high-level fighters. This would minimize their losses. Once the strongest members of the Panther Clan were defeated, the rest would likely flee, ceasing to be a serious threat.
"Yes, Captain!"
Marenoshin Omaeda shouted as he stepped forward. He lifted his chin and spoke coldly while drawing his weapon, "You have exactly thirty seconds to live... kitty."
Justin bared his teeth, his beastly eyes filling with bloodlust. "I'll rip you to shreds in two!"
Whoosh!!
Marenoshin released his Shikai with a loud cry. It took the form of a massive mace about two meters long, which he swung violently toward Justin's head.
Clang!
Justin attempted to block the Shikai with his own Zanpakuto. The sound of metal on metal rang out, and Justin's arms shook violently before his body was sent flying back several dozen meters.
Yoruichi remarked indifferently, "Possessing a Zanpakuto does not mean mastering it... The very idea that one could hope to defeat a Shinigami just by obtaining our weapon is foolish..."
"No," Yeruashi countered, shaking his head. He had been standing quietly beside Yoruichi until now. "Marenoshin will lose."
Soi Fon shot an irritated and indignant look at Yeruashi for daring to challenge Yoruichi's judgment. But just as she opened her mouth to snap at him, a loud laugh erupted from across the gap.
"Hahahaha... hehehe... it seems your Shikai gives you a decent boost in attack power, doesn't it? In that case... I should get serious."
"Rip, Hitokuchi!"
Accompanied by a loud shout, Justin's body erupted with a powerful pulse of Reiatsu. His Zanpakuto transformed into a massive, jagged blade roughly two meters in length!
Soi Fon's mouth fell open in shock as she watched the transformation. "A Shikai release... how is that possible..."
"It seems they managed to obtain an Asauchi, not a finished Zanpakuto," Yoruichi said, her brow furrowing. "Students who fail to graduate from the Shin'o Academy return their entrusted Asauchi so they can be used by other pupils. Until a Shinigami masters their Zanpakuto to a certain level and achieves Shikai, any other soul can begin the process of imprinting upon it."
Boom! Boom! Boom!!
A series of loud collisions erupted in the air.
Both Marenoshin's and Justin's Zanpakuto were of the power-type, so every time they clashed, it sounded like a thunderclap.
Soi Fon frowned as she watched the duel. "So what? Just because he reached Shikai doesn't mean he can defeat our Marenoshin..."
'You really have a sharp tongue...'
'Far too sharp!'
Yeruashi smirked and thought to himself as he glanced at Soi Fon. 'I wonder if, in place of even a slightly decent chest, this girl was cursed with an exceptionally long and poisonous tongue...'
After all, Omaeda's opponent hadn't just reached Shikai... he had achieved Bankai!