Chapter 82

I felt the tip of a cold blade against my bare back. 'Damn.' I thought, craning my head around while immobilized. Haschwalth stood behind me, pressing his double-edged sword into my spine. He didn't say a word, just stared at me with that neutral expression. I grit my teeth. 'Hope this works.' Releasing my Reiatsu in a sudden wave, I felt the energy push slightly Haschwalth, who froze for a split second. That was all I needed, I reinforced my body with a surge of cursed magic and shattered the energy bindings holding me. Spinning, I landed a back kick on Haschwalth, hearing a small crack in his shoulder as he was forced back.

I didn't waste a moment, darting toward Yamamoto and Yhwach. As I got closer, I saw Yhwach toying with Yamamoto. Gritting my teeth, I combined my Reiatsu and cursed magic into my hands, which glowed with a dark blood red light. Using Shundō, I closed the distance between us, and Yhwach merely turned to meet my attack as I thrust my palms into his torso. The impact unleashed a shockwave, obliterating everything in the vicinity. As the dust settled, I saw my own hands bleeding from the backlash. Yhwach, on the other hand, stood unscathed, staring at me without a scratch.

The next thing I knew, he was pointing a finger directly at my chest, the very spot he'd struck before. He spoke with such casual indifference, it was almost insulting.

"Burner Finger: One."

Reacting instinctively, I shifted slightly left, but his attack wasn't the narrow beam of fire I'd seen him use before. Instead, a beam of fire as thick as my thigh pierced through me, blowing off my upper chest and right shoulder. 'Shit!' I felt a hand grab my left arm, and I looked up to see Yamamoto pulling me back from Yhwach's immediate range.

"Breathe, boy." Yamamoto commanded. I gave a snort and caught my breath, muttering. "Not the first time this has happened." Fortunately, my right arm was still attached, even if it was limp at my side. "What do we do now, Captain Yamamoto-san?"

Before he could respond, an explosion sounded in the distance, accompanied by a surge of Reiatsu that vanished almost as quickly as it appeared.

I knelt on the ground as black spots danced in my vision. 'Might pass out soon.' Just as I thought that, the Reiatsu flared up again, and this time I recognized it. Letting out a small smile, I turned to Yamamoto, who had sensed it as well. "Seems we've got backup."

Yhwach and Haschwalth began walking away after Yhwach motioned for retreat. But as he took his first step, a katana crashed into the ground right in front of him, its owner following shortly behind. When the dust cleared, there stood Ichigo Kurosaki, visibly pissed and slightly injured. I chuckled, pushing myself back onto my feet as Yamamoto moved to encircle the two from another angle.

"Looks like you've had some fun, Ichigo-san." I said, cracking my neck. 'Probably have five minutes before I'm out cold.' I was using cursed magic to keep my body functioning, but it wasn't enough to restore lost blood. Ichigo shot me a mix of an apologetic and pissed look. "Seems like you've been busy too." He turned back to Yhwach, eyes narrowed as the two locked onto each other.

As Haschwalth attempted to walk past Yhwach, he was stopped by a raised hand. Yhwach smirked. "Kurosaki Ichigo, do you really intend to fight me in that ragged state?"

Ichigo's voice was steady but sharp. "Are you the enemy leader?"

Yhwach's smile widened. "The enemy? I am, but you could also say I'm not."

"Cut the crap!" Ichigo yelled. "Did you destroy the Soul Society?"

Yhwach paused before answering with an even broader smile. "I did indeed." At that, Ichigo's Reiatsu exploded in a mix of red and purple waves, deepening to a blood-red hue.

Taking that as my cue, I launched toward Haschwalth, who quickly turned to intercept my punch, blocking it with his sword. Taking advantage of his brief surprise, I gripped his face with my right hand, infusing my feet with cursed magic to propel us both forward in a high-speed Shundō. "I'll keep this one occupied!" I shouted to Yamamoto and Ichigo, though neither responded.

I slammed Haschwalth through any rubble and buildings in our path until he managed to angle his sword and thrust it at me. I veered back and kicked him into another building, watching as he emerged from the debris, his expression colder than before.

'He's slightly faster and stronger than me, since I'm juggling my cursed magic.' I clicked my tongue as Haschwalth emerged from the debris, unscathed. 'I don't have enough experience with Reiatsu to use it effectively.'

Suddenly, heatwaves and bursts of wild Reiatsu washed over from the direction where Yamamoto and Ichigo were battling Yhwach.

My knuckles cracked as I clenched my fists, slipping into a stance just as Haschwalth blitzed toward me. I tilted my body left, letting his sword pass my right, then slammed my hand over the blade, pushing it down to increase his forward momentum. I followed up with a sharp uppercut, snapping his head back. In an instant, he adjusted his grip and drove the hilt into my right side, a sharp crack signaling a fractured rib. 'Shit, he might be stronger even when using cursed magic to enhance my body's strength to the max.'

I grabbed his wrist, aiming a hand shaped like a lance at his chest. But he countered with a headbutt, breaking my nose and knocking me back a few steps.

"Aiming for cheap shots now?" I grunted, wiping away the blood and quickly pressing my nose back into place with a painful crack. He responded as a dark substance swirled around him before moving away from his body. "Until next time, Ryou Sasaki."

"Cursed Slash!" I roared, swinging my hand in a desperate attempt to stop him. The recoil cracked bones in my hand, and my attack fell short as he disappeared with the substance vanishing.

"Damn it!" I cursed, sighing as I steadied myself and began making my way toward Yamamoto and Ichigo. It looked like the fighting there had stopped as well.