Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō
Chapter 402: That’s Just Too Cruel

Chapter 402: Chapter 402: That’s Just Too Cruel

Kūgo Ginjō’s face was twisted in fury, barely able to hide the anger seething beneath the surface.

To escape from that terrifying man, he had relied on the power of Soul Society’s Shinigami, obsessively gathering fragments of the Soul King to strengthen himself. Decades of endurance, countless lives taken—he had clawed his way to this point with blood and resolve.

How could he possibly resign himself to being Masatsuki Aozaki’s lapdog for life, forever groveling at his feet?

Some people’s ambition is like a beast locked in a cage—docile only because it’s chained. But that ambition never dies. One day, it bares its fangs.

And Kūgo Ginjō was exactly that kind of man.

His ambition only grew stronger over time, though he rarely let it show. But even with his deepest intentions hidden away, he hadn’t expected Masatsuki Aozaki to see right through him.

Ginjō clutched the cross necklace around his neck with one hand. The other hand gripped the Substitute Shinigami badge, marked with the emblem of crossed skulls.

His eyes turned cold and savage—like a beast ready to devour everything in its path.

Harribel and Nelliel immediately sensed the shift in his demeanor. Their instincts sharp, they reached for the Zanpakutō at their waists, ready to respond in an instant.

Bang!!!

A deafening explosion rang out, followed by a powerful shockwave that ripped the apartment building in two.

Amid the crumbling debris, panicked Fullbringers scattered in every direction. None of them were stronger than Seated Officers. They had never witnessed anything like this—let alone fought in it. Survival was the only thing on their minds.

"Shūkurō..."

Ginjō spoke coldly as he watched the black-haired young man approach.

"No deal?"

Even in the face of this chaos, Shūkurō Tsukishima remained unshaken, calmly waiting for Ginjō’s reply.

Ginjō’s expression darkened even further, as if his rage could drip from his skin. Gritting his teeth, he growled through clenched jaws:

"There’s no point in negotiating. They want everything I have. It was only a matter of time before things turned violent. Kill them."

As he finished, Ginjō’s eyes blazed scarlet. Murderous intent surged from him in waves, his entire body exuding a terrifying aura.

Tsukishima frowned slightly and said quietly, "Kūgo, calm down. It’s not time to rebel against Soul Society yet. We still need more time."

Ginjō whipped around, glaring at Tsukishima with fury in his eyes.

"Calm down?! They’re trying to steal what’s mine! You think calm is going to fix this?!"

Years spent collecting the Soul King fragments—how could they just be taken away?

Those fragments were his lifeline!

And now, he possessed first-class Spiritual Power—the highest tier of Reiatsu!

As he shouted, Ginjō swung his massive two-handed sword. A brilliant flash of light streaked through the air.

He slammed the Substitute Shinigami badge against the sword’s guard, eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

"You want a fight? Fine! I’ll kill you all—Masatsuki Aozaki and everyone in Soul Society! Die, all of you!"

His voice trembled with fury and frustration as he muttered to himself.

He wasn’t the same Kūgo Ginjō from before.

Now, he wielded the truth called power.

And anyone daring to challenge that truth was begging for death.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress the rage burning inside him.

This was outrageous!

All he did was kill a few Fullbringers, and now they wanted to punish him?

Those Arrancars and Shinigami—hadn’t they killed just as many?

Then, something strange flashed in Ginjō’s eyes—he looked up, as if witnessing something unbelievable.

In the sky above, two figures hovered, looking down at him.

It was the same two women from before.

They stood silently in midair, like divine beings, radiating a suffocating pressure.

Ginjō’s eyes widened in disbelief.

His full-force slash hadn’t left a scratch on them!

He furrowed his brows, trying to recall the moment he struck.

Yes, he had clearly heard two dull thuds—and then, in the blink of an eye, they vanished.

Now they stood in the air again, appearing like phantoms.

That uncanny movement... it had to be the Arrancar technique—Sonído.

As Masatsuki Aozaki’s former right hand, Ginjō had seen enough to recognize it immediately.

And judging from their swift response, it was clear: these two women were far stronger than their displayed Reiatsu had suggested...

"Hmph... So you’re really going to throw away the opportunity Masatsuki-sama gave you? In that case, we won’t be holding back."

Nelliel’s relaxed smile vanished in an instant, replaced by a chilling indifference and disdain.

Her gaze pierced straight through the soul, sending shivers down the spine.

"Kūgo Ginjō, daring to betray Masatsuki-sama... we’ll be the ones to carry out the purge."

Without a word, Harribel reached into her robes and pulled out a pristine white glove, carefully sliding it onto her left arm.

At those words, veins bulged across Ginjō’s forehead. His face twisted with rage and bloodlust as he roared,

"Then let’s see who dies here today! You damn woman!"

Did they really think he was that easy to control?

Kūgo Ginjō had always been ruthless and defiant—he only acted submissive before to keep up appearances.

But the moment he saw Harribel put on that glove, a powerful sense of unease surged through him.

Though the glove looked different from the technique Masatsuki Aozaki had once used, he was nearly certain—it had to be something designed to strip him of his Fullbring powers.

He couldn’t afford to ignore that threat. His fury erupted instantly.

Bang!!!

With a thunderous crash, the Fullbringers crawling out of the rubble were suddenly blinded by afterimages.

Ginjō’s gaze was cold and fierce as he launched forward, gripping his massive sword in both hands and slashing at Harribel like a bolt of lightning.

Empowered by immense force, the blow carried overwhelming might—enough to tear through the ground and obliterate anything in its path.

Clang!!!

The sharp, earsplitting clash of blades echoed out, as if space itself were trembling.

But there wasn’t even a trace of satisfaction in Ginjō’s eyes—only a flicker of shock and dread.

The blonde woman in front of him had drawn the Zanpakutō from her back and blocked his massive sword with ease.

No matter how much strength he poured in, he couldn’t push forward even a fraction.

His attack had been completely stopped.

And this was no ordinary blow.

When he summoned that gem-embedded greatsword and used it in conjunction with the Substitute Shinigami Badge, it was the same as activating both Fullbring and a Shinigami’s Shikai.

In this state, his power boost far exceeded that of a standard Zanpakutō release!

Even so—he couldn’t break through her short blade defense.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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