Bleach : Begins with a Contract with the Departed Souls of the Uchiha Chapter 291 291: Yamamoto's Response

A hidden blade was concealed within the shadows. Suddenly, it erged from the darkness, thrusting toward Ren's form.

The blade was pitch-black and broad, stabbing directly toward the center of Ren's back!

Ren, however, was looking straight ahead, his entire focus fixed on Yamamoto. He seed completely oblivious to the assassination attempt from behind.

Yamamoto gripped Ryujin Jakka firmly, watching the assassination unfold with a calm expression, as if he had expected it all along.

Behind Ren, his subordinates also saw the assassin erging from the shadow.

The figure was broad-shouldered, wearing a tattered black shihakusho. His brown hair was tied in a braid at the back of his head, adorned with two hairpins.

It was Kyōraku Shunsui!

At this mont, the others had no ti to wonder why he had suddenly appeared from the shadow; the urgency was written all over their faces.

"Great King, watch out!"

Sengoku let out a sharp roar, his voice short and urgent as he warned Ren.

Everyone rushed forward at once, attempting to intercept the assassination.

Kyōraku glanced at the crowd behind him.

'You're too late.' Their desperate movents were far too slow to match the speed of his blade.

He imdiately looked back at his target.

By now, Ren had also sensed that sothing was wrong.

Just as Sengoku's roar echoed, he twisted around instinctively, swinging his Zanma Sword downward.

However, when he saw the person behind him, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

Kyōraku Shunsui?

Why was he there?

Previously, when he had attacked Kyōraku and Ukitake, he hadn't held back. He had sliced through their internal organs with a single strike.

It was a miracle they were even alive; they shouldn't have been able to continue fighting.

Ren's gaze shifted downward, noticing the gaping wound visible beneath Kyōraku's shredded shihakusho.

The wound had not yet healed; the flesh was mangled, and pale bone was still exposed.

Kyōraku's face was deathly pale, his forehead matted with cold sweat.

Under Unohana Retsu's hasty treatnt, only his internal organs had been repaired and his bones reconnected; he was far from fully recovered.

Seeing this, Ren felt a flash of genuine admiration amidst his shock.

As expected of Kyōraku!

What incredible willpower to launch an attack while enduring such agony.

However, no matter the sches or traps, they were useless against his invincible power.

"Ti, stop!"

"Zan Shi—"

Just as Ren swung his sword toward Yamamoto, he suddenly felt a massive force obstructing him.

The descending Zanma Sword was halted mid-swing.

"What—"

Ren whipped his head around and saw a chain tightly wound around the crossguard and hilt of his Zanma Sword.

The chain was taut, pulling against the sword and preventing Ren from following through.

At the other end of the chain stood Unohana Retsu, her hands pressed together in a seal.

The chain was a Kido spell she had just released.

Bakudo Number Sixty-three: Sajō Sabaku!

Beside Unohana Retsu, Garp's lips curled into a fierce grin.

Seeing Garp like that, Ren instinctively felt that sothing was amiss.

Their elaborate setup surely involved more than just Kyōraku's assassination attempt.

'This is bad!' Ren's heart jumped. He looked up to see a figure already looming above him.

A white haori fluttered in the wind, a long beard danced, and a Zanpakuto emitted a blistering heat as it slashed down toward Ren.

It was Yamamoto!

But how was he up there?

Ren glanced at the figure of Yamamoto still on the ground. His eyes sharpened as realization dawned.

The Yamamoto standing on the ground was rely a remnant image of spiritual pressure used to deceive his spiritual sense.

The one above was the real body!

Yamamoto's eyes were filled with murderous intent.

'Brat, you've used that ti-stop ability so many tis in front of . Do you think I wouldn't figure it out?'

'To use ti stop, you must swing your blade. That is the opening I was waiting for!' With his Zanma Sword restrained by chains, Yamamoto in front of him, and Kyōraku behind, Ren found himself in a desperate situation.

"I've got him!" Seeing Katen Kyōkotsu nearly reaching Ren's back, Kyōraku's lips parted in a triumphant smile.

At that mont, a beam of yellow light streaked across the sky, arriving at Ren's side in an instant.

The light exploded with a blinding radiance, turning the dim eting room into a world of pure white that forced everyone to squint.

From within the light, a long leg clad in a yellow suit extended, a polished shoe heel driving toward Kyōraku.

"Oh, how scary... the captains of the Gotei Thirteen!"

Faced with the sudden kick, Kyōraku seed to hear that familiar, mocking tone.

Though surprised, he was prepared. He quickly raised his second blade, Kyōkotsu, to guard his side.

Boom!

The blade and the light-speed kick collided.

Upon contact, Kyōraku felt an overwhelming surge of force transfer through his sword.

In his weakened state, he couldn't resist the massive power. He was kicked right out of the shadow, sent flying backward.

The blade aid at Ren's back missed its mark, only tearing through Ren's outer cloak.

Ren looked up at the descending Yamamoto.

Feeling the scorching heat on his face, he made a split-second decision. He let go of the Zanma Sword and threw a punch to et the attack!

However, the mont Ren released the sword, Unohana Retsu pulled hard on the chain, yanking the Zanma Sword toward her.

The chains rattled loudly, causing Ren to stumble. His footing faltered, and he nearly collapsed from the pull.

Ren's pupils shrank.

Damn it!

A lapse in judgnt—I made a bad move!

At the sa ti, Yamamoto's slash descended, wrapped in roaring flas, striking toward Ren.

Psh!

Yamamoto's blade bit into Ren's shoulder, cutting down toward his chest.

Ren felt a searing pain, followed by a surge of raging flas.

The inferno instantly incinerated the splashing blood and engulfed Ren's entire body.

Seeing his strike land, a flicker of joy appeared on Yamamoto's face, only to be replaced by a frown.

The sensation was wrong!

Originally, he had intended to split Ren in two from head to toe.

But Ren's stumble, though accidental, had moved his head out of the way, forcing Yamamoto to hit the shoulder instead.

That wouldn't have mattered; Yamamoto intended to cleave him diagonally through the torso.

But the feedback from the blade felt as if it had only grazed the surface of the flesh.

Looking at his Zanpakuto, Yamamoto had a sudden epiphany.

His blade had been snapped earlier; it was only about half its original length.

A miss by a hair's breadth is as good as a mile.

That slight difference ant his attack failed to produce the intended result.

At that mont, a robust figure darted to Yamamoto's side, a fist the size of a sandbag swinging with terrifying force.

"Iron Fist!"

It was Garp!

Facing Garp's punch, Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. He swung his blade, sending a wall of fla toward Garp.

"Don't even think about it!"

A clear voice rang out as a figure wreathed in fire blocked Yamamoto's path.

Ace extended both arms, catching Yamamoto's Zanpakuto between his palms, stopping the flas.

Garp's punch arrived as scheduled, slamming into Yamamoto's cheek!

Boom!

Under the sledgehamr-like impact, Yamamoto was knocked back several steps before using Shunpo to reappear in front of the other Soul Reapers.

His aged face was bruised and purple on one side, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Spitting out a mouthful of blood, Yamamoto suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down to see two slash wounds appearing on his torso out of nowhere.

Though the bone wasn't hit, the flesh was sliced open, and blood began to soak his clothes.

"When did I get cut?"

Yamamoto was bewildered.

He hadn't been touched by a blade just now.

He looked up at Ren, who was still standing within the flas.

"Is this also your ability?!"

After repelling Yamamoto, Ace imdiately moved to Ren's side as he burned.

Flas rose from Ace's hands, covering the inferno surrounding Ren.

A mont later, the flas dissipated, revealing the dark figure within.

Burned by Yamamoto, Ren's cloak was mostly destroyed, and his skin was covered in a layer of burns.

"Old man Yamamoto, you're really playing for keeps, aren't you?"

Ren looked at Yamamoto, his expression grim.

He reached out and touched the sword wound on his chest.

"Great King, are you alright?"

"How is your body?"

Sengoku and the others rushed to Ren's side, their faces full of concern and anxiety.

"Don't worry, how could I be taken down by this?"

Ren shook his head to reassure them.

As he spoke, the flesh at his wounds began to churn. They healed at a rate visible to the naked eye, emitting wisps of white smoke. In an instant, the wounds were gone.

The burns on his face scabbed over and fell away, revealing perfectly intact skin.

Seeing this, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Shisui silently released the hand seals he had prepared and let out a long breath.

Ren ripped off his tattered cloak and faced Yamamoto's group.

"I was careless, letting your little tricks succeed."

At Unohana Retsu's feet, Ukitake remained prone, his fate unknown.

Nearby lay Kyōraku's ornate kimono and haori, along with his bamboo hat.

Ren understood now.

"Yamamoto, you used your Zanpakuto to release flas specifically to create shadows so Kyōraku could attack."

"Having a heavily injured disciple launch a sneak attack... Yamamoto, you really are heartless."

It seed his string of victories had made him a bit arrogant, even leading him to underestimate Yamamoto.

The man had suppressed the Soul Society for a thousand years for a reason; his thods were indeed sharp.

Yamamoto snorted coldly.

Ren said confidently, "Unfortunately for you, that was your only chance."

"I won't show another opening!"

Ren grabbed the chain with one hand and yanked hard.

The Kido chain ford by Unohana Retsu shattered instantly, fragnts scattering across the floor.

Ren reached out and gripped the Zanma Sword once more.

Feeling the familiar weight of the weapon, Ren felt his heart steady.

On the other side, Kyōraku had been kicked away, his feet plowing two furrows into the floor for nearly ten ters before he stopped.

As soon as he halted, Kyōraku's face turned pale and he swayed unsteadily.

His freshly healed wounds burst open, spraying blood.

"Shunsui!"

Yamamoto's heart tightened.

Kyōraku stubbornly steadied himself and shook his head.

"Old Man Yama... I can still hold on."

"Oh, as expected of a captain. To endure such injuries and keep going... you're a monster."

A flash of brilliant light appeared beside Ren, revealing a tall figure.

The man was equally large, standing nearly three ters tall, wearing a yellow suit and a Justice mantle draped over his shoulders.

He had a stubbled face, deep wrinkles, and a weathered look, with a pair of sunglasses hiding his eyes.

It was Borsalino.

While shielding Ren, Borsalino locked eyes with the distant Kyōraku.

His mouth twisted slightly as he spoke in a mocking drawl.

"It's not very nice to launch sneak attacks, Captain."

Kyōraku's eyes were shadowed, a deep glint within them, yet he forced a smile onto his sweat-drenched face.

"Thanks for the reminder."

"But then again, you started this war. We don't have to be so scrupulous, do we?"

"Hmm... well, that's true."

Borsalino stroked his chin, looking indifferent.

He turned his head slightly toward Kyōraku.

"Kyōraku Shunsui, you're the sa as ever, liking to ambush people while they're talking."

"Thanks for the complint."

"I wasn't complinting you."

Seeing Kyōraku's proud deanor, Ren couldn't help but admire his thick skin.

Ren glanced at Kizaru and said, "Borsalino, I'll leave Kyōraku to you."

"Leave it to ."

Borsalino waved his hand, his casual tone belying a strong sense of confidence.

"After all, I am quite strong."

While Borsalino spoke, Ren swung his Zanma Sword.

Yamamoto, who had been watching Ren's every move, saw his eyes narrow.

"Zan Shi!"

As Ren's voice fell, the entire world plunged into a state of stasis!

Every sound vanished, replaced by a profound silence.

The world lost its color, turning into a dull gray.

In this world of stopped ti, only Ren could move freely.

Carrying the Zanma Sword, he walked past Sengoku and the others toward Yamamoto.

"Yamamoto, I acknowledge your strength, but that's all."

"Before my invincible ability, all your resistance is utterly futile."

Ren arrived in front of Yamamoto, his eyes full of disdain.

He raised the Zanma Sword high, aiming for Yamamoto's shoulder.

"First, I'll take your limbs—wait!"

Suddenly, Ren's movents froze.

He quickly lowered his sword and his expression changed drastically as he scrambled back several steps.

His previous ease was gone.

Ren stared at Yamamoto, his face turning grim.

He wasn't sure if it was an illusion, but he thought he saw Yamamoto's finger twitch.

"How is that possible?!"

"In the world of stopped ti, only I, the wielder of this power, can move!"

"A re Soul Reaper like Yamamoto shouldn't be able to do this!"

But in that mont, Ren was certain he hadn't misseen.

Yamamoto had definitely moved!

Could it be that Yamamoto had actually found a way to counter the ti stop?!

"Ti, resu."

Ren exhaled slowly. Color flooded back into the world, and sounds returned.

Ti resud its normal flow.

Yamamoto slowly turned his head, his gaze calm as he looked at Ren.

Seeing this, Ren's face darkened.

"Yamamoto, you can see , can't you?"

Yamamoto raised a snowy eyebrow, his voice steady.

"Who knows? But from your reaction, I take it you just paused ti again."

"What? Did you fail to do anything to during the pause?"

Ren's eyes narrowed, his gaze turning cold.

"You really can see it!" Watching Yamamoto's expression, Ren felt a surge of doubt.

He frowned, his face turning decisive as he swung the massive Zanma Sword again.

"True or false, one more test will tell!"

"Zan Shi!"

The world fell into stasis once more.

Ren gripped the Zanma Sword with both hands, no longer hesitating as he struck at Yamamoto with all his might.

At that mont, Yamamoto moved!

With a sudden burst of power from his legs, Yamamoto flashed in front of Ren, swinging his Zanpakuto with incredible force.

"You really can move!"

Seeing Yamamoto actually moving and entering his strike range, Ren's expression beca fierce, erupting with a terrifying killing intent!

He didn't know how Yamamoto was doing it, but if he killed him now, everything would end!

Facing Ren's powerful strike, Yamamoto didn't retreat. Instead, he took a step forward.

At the sa ti, he extended his left hand.

Clang!

Ren felt a massive force block his blade; the descending Zanma Sword was ground to a halt.

Yamamoto's left hand was clamped firmly onto the guard of the Zanma Sword, veins bulging on his arm.

His other hand gripped Ryujin Jakka, the blade wreathed in roaring flas, as he slashed toward Ren's chest.

Ren could feel the blistering heat hitting his face again, scorching his cheeks.

"This isn't over yet!"

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