Chapter 134: Breaking the Poison’s Hold

Poison was a fearsome weapon in Bleach’s world. Szayelaporro Granz, the Eighth Espada, wielded toxins that could trap enemies in endless clones. Ichimaru Gin’s Bankai, Kamishini no Yari, dissolved cells with its venom, nearly felling Aizen in his Hōgyoku-evolved state. Even the Soul King’s Left Hand fell to poison in the Royal Guard’s tales. Yamabuki Haruto, despite his Soul King fragment, had no sure defense against such a threat.

As dark purple gas surged toward him, Haruto’s expression tightened. “Release, Gin’ei Tenshi!” His Zanpakutō glowed, its teleportation ability activating. With a flash, he soared skyward, chaining Shunpo to escape the poisonous mist’s reach, Chiyo slung over his back.

“Youngsters, always so hasty!” the Old Man called, his voice dripping with mockery. He waved his cane, and the gas writhed like living tentacles, chasing Haruto with predatory intent.

Haruto raised a hand, conjuring a Bakudō #81: Dankū. The transparent barrier shimmered, meant to block Kidō-based attacks. But the gas, infused with the Old Man’s reiatsu, slithered around it, undeterred, lunging for Haruto and Chiyo.

With no choice, Haruto retreated to a nearby hill, Chiyo clinging to him. The gas pursued relentlessly, refusing to relent. “It’s just nerve-paralyzing gas,” the Old Man taunted, leaning on his cane. “You’ll only sleep. No need to fear!”

Haruto saw through the ruse. The gas wasn’t just Kidō—it was laced with the Old Man’s reiatsu, granting it unnatural control. A clever trick, but not unbeatable. “Space Removal!” Haruto commanded, Gin’ei Tenshi’s blade flashing. The space within a thirty-meter radius warped, excising the gas entirely.

He tossed Chiyo upward, freeing himself for combat. Carrying her limited his movements in a master’s duel, where a single misstep could be fatal. “Bakudō #62: Hyapporankan!” An iron rod of reiatsu formed in his hand, which he hurled like a javelin. It pierced Chiyo’s shihakushō, pinning her to a distant tree, keeping her safe from the fray.

The gas surged again, undaunted by the temporary reprieve. The Old Man was the source, and Haruto knew he had to end this at its root. Stomping the ground, he cracked the earth and charged with blinding speed.

“Strong reiatsu won’t help against my gas!” the Old Man sneered. “Rush in, and you’ll collapse!” He manipulated the gas, sealing Haruto’s paths—front, back, left, right. Even Shunpo couldn’t evade contamination.

But Haruto smiled. In a flash, Gin’ei Tenshi’s teleportation activated, and he vanished, reappearing beside the Old Man. A Shunkō-charged punch exploded, sending the Old Man tumbling across the ground, his cane clattering.

“No martial ethics, ambushing an old man!” the Old Man coughed, springing up with surprising agility. “Is that your Zanpakutō’s trick? Teleportation?” Despite his tattered robes, he was unharmed, his resilience uncanny.

Haruto pressed the attack. “Spatial Severance!” His blade slashed, splitting space itself. The Old Man dodged with Shunpo, but a towering tree behind him was cleaved cleanly in two.

“So scary!” the Old Man exclaimed, his panic clearly feigned. “Which noble family breeds monsters like you? Are all young Shinigami this strong?”

Haruto stood atop the ruined cabin, eyes locked on the Old Man. Who is this guy? His strength was absurd, and the ever-present gas was the real threat. Aizen, in his Hōgyoku-evolved state, had transcended Shinigami and Hollow limits, his reiatsu rivaling Yamamoto’s. Yet Gin’s poison had pierced his chest, nearly ending him. Haruto, boosted by the Soul King fragment, was powerful but no match for Aizen’s peak or Yamamoto’s Ryūjin Jakka. A misstep here could be fatal.

The valley was now a toxic mire, the Old Man’s domain. To win, Haruto needed overwhelming force. “Hadō #99: Goryūtenmetsu!” He thrust a hand skyward, the earth quaking. Five silver-gray dragons of reiatsu roared into existence, their power shaking the valley. They dove, dispersing the gas and scouring the ground, reshaping the terrain itself.

Chiyo, pinned to the tree, gaped. She prided herself on her Kidō, but Haruto’s instant casting of Hadō #99 was beyond her. No one in Soul Society could match that feat—not even the captains.

As the reiatsu storm subsided, Haruto sensed the Old Man’s reiatsu, unscathed amidst the rubble. Damn it, he thought. Has Goryūtenmetsu ever killed anyone? He vowed never to use it again.

A blast of force scattered the debris, revealing the Old Man, his robes torn but his body barely scratched. “Oh dear,” he said, his grin darkening. “This old man’s getting angry!”