Chapter 135: Gyokotsu Saiin

“Oh dear, this old man is getting angry; you’ve demolished my house! You’re not leaving this time without paying for the damages,” the Old Man growled, squeezing his walking stick. The outer wood shattered, revealing a purple Zanpakutō still in its sheath.

Yamabuki Haruto’s expression turned solemn; the Old Man had drawn his blade, signaling he was finally serious.

The Old Man slowly unsheathed his sword and spoke the release command: “Corrode flesh and bone, open your eyes, Yōdokuga.” The hilt transformed into a snake’s tail, coiling around his arm, while the blade became a pure black poisonous snake with crimson eyes, its fangs and mouth as black as ink.

“A living Zanpakutō?” Haruto mused, unfazed. Unohana’s Minazuki could turn into a giant fish, so this wasn’t new. Unlike Zabimaru, which only extended and retracted, this snake was a living creature, staring at Haruto with crimson eyes, flicking its tongue.

“Once bitten by Yōdokuga, no matter how strong you are, your internal organs will be dissolved by the venom, leading to an extremely painful death, young man, repent for your sins!” the Old Man said. He flicked his hand, and Yōdokuga shot out at incredible speed. The snake, originally no more than two meters long, stretched to twenty meters, biting toward Haruto’s arm with speed far exceeding a normal sword swing.

Haruto’s pupils constricted. He backhanded a slash at the snake’s head with Gin’ei Tenshi, but sparks flew as his blade struck its scales. Yōdokuga twisted, coiling around his sword, and bit toward his wrist.

Haruto wasn’t good with slippery things—not fear, but disgust. He wanted to throw his sword away, but Gin’ei Tenshi’s spirit had been cold lately. Tossing her in battle would earn him a scolding. With no choice, he filled his left hand with reiatsu and grabbed for the snake’s neck. But Yōdokuga’s body seemed to extend infinitely, stretching out and biting Haruto’s wrist with a backhand strike.

A piercing pain shot through his wrist. The Old Man chuckled, “Young man, if you give in now, this old man will let bygones be bygones and can give you the antidote, otherwise you’ll just be poisoned to death…”

Before he could finish, Haruto pulled Gin’ei Tenshi back and severed his own left arm with a single slash. The Old Man stood stunned; this kid was ruthless!

The severed arm fell, instantly dyed black by the venom, then corroded into a pool of pus. Seeing Yōdokuga’s potent venom, Haruto felt a chill; if it had bitten his neck, the consequences would’ve been dire. Thanks to his Soul King fragment’s ultra-fast regeneration, his arm regrew in seconds—not his first time.

The Old Man was shaken. A severed arm recovering so quickly? “You seem more interesting than that little girl. I’ve decided, I’m going to keep you and make you my test subject,” he said, flicking his hand. Yōdokuga darted like black lightning.

Haruto didn’t dare clash head-on again. He dodged with Shunpo, but Yōdokuga’s length seemed infinite, its body stretching at blinding speed. As Haruto evaded, the snake formed a cage with its coils, encasing him.

“This is what I’ve been waiting for!” Haruto shouted, raising Gin’ei Tenshi. “Space Removal!” In a blink, all objects within tens of meters vanished, Yōdokuga’s body destroyed by spatial turbulence.

A cold smile crossed Haruto’s face. No Zanpakutō, no fight. But the next second, the severed snake regenerated, transforming back into a black viper, launching a sneak attack at even faster speed.

Damn it! This thing is endless! Haruto created a “Spatial Sphere!”—a ten-centimeter orb of indestructible space—to block Yōdokuga’s mouth. The snake bit into it, trapped for three seconds.

“Cero!” Haruto roared, silver light erupting from his fingertips. The valley glowed with the Hollow technique from his Soul King fragment. The Old Man dodged, but his expression grew surprised. A Shinigami with Hollow powers?

“Sneak attacks are wrong! To use the same trick against me, aren’t you looking down on this old man too much?” The Old Man turned and punched behind him, clashing with Haruto’s Shunkō punch. Though Haruto had the edge in strength, his sneak attack failed to injure the Old Man. Yōdokuga returned at lightning speed, forcing Haruto to widen the distance.

This was the first time he’d faced such a troublesome Zanpakutō!

“The younger generation pushes the older generation forward,” the Old Man sighed. “It seems that after so many years out of the world, the outside world has undergone tremendous changes. Even a child like you can withstand so many moves from me. I’m old, I’m old, I’m useless!” He grabbed his outer garment and tore it off, revealing a robust physique beneath, defying his frail appearance.

Haruto’s eyes twitched. Not a good guy in his youth, huh? He asked, “By the way, old man, we’ve been fighting for so long, and I still don’t know your name. Could you tell me your name?”

The Old Man’s grin widened. “Gyokotsu Saiin. Young man, remember my name.”

Haruto’s eyelids twitched uncontrollably. If he remembered correctly, Gyokotsu Saiin was the first captain of the Thirteenth Division, a legend from the Gotei 13’s founding days. Before he could process the realization, Gyokotsu uttered two words in a low voice: “Bankai!”