Chapter Fifty-Six: Awakening

Heavy Fire Binding Sash.

Among the many techniques of Flowing Blade Like Fire, this is the only one used for sealing. Unlike other sealing arts, the Heavy Fire Binding Sash allows the sealed individual to either undo or reactivate the seal on their own—it is, in simple terms, a “crackable seal.”

Because of this, the other personality that had long slumbered within Nagatsuro finally awakened. Whether Yamamoto Shigenkuni had believed Nagatsuro would use this power or for some other reason is unknown, but now...

It was the moment when Nagatsuro truly erupted.

"...Who are you?" Mohamed stared at the silver-haired man before him, whose personality had suddenly changed. After a long silence, he finally spoke.

"Huh? Who am I? Have you lost your mind? I'm Nagatsuro, the head of the Sparrow Department, aren't I?" Nagatsuro cocked his head, grinning mockingly.

What is happening... Mohamed frowned inwardly. Despite his rough appearance, he was actually a meticulous person. Although Nagatsuro’s appearance had not changed, from his spiritual pressure and intuition, the man before him was undoubtedly someone else.

Two personalities?

The thought flickered through Mohamed’s mind. Was this a joke? As a Quincy who had lived for over a hundred years, he’d heard of split personalities but had never actually encountered one. Could this boy really be an exception?

"Ugh, this place is just as disgusting as ever, enough to make someone want to vomit." Nagatsuro swept his gaze over the scene, then fixed his eyes on Mohamed.

Sealed in the depths of Nagatsuro’s soul, this personality truly knew nothing of the outside world. Rarely given the chance to emerge, he quickly assessed the situation and understood his predicament.

"So, you’re the enemy, aren’t you?"

"Obviously," Mohamed responded with a broad grin.

No matter the circumstances, as long as he could defeat his opponent, nothing else mattered.

"Is that so..." Suddenly, Nagatsuro’s eyes widened, his expression twisting into a fierce snarl.

"Boom!"

Without warning—even Mohamed couldn’t react—Nagatsuro made no motion, yet a golden pillar of lightning crashed down from the sky, enveloping him. The thunderclap only sounded after the lightning had already struck.

This guy’s Bankai—his lightning was descending faster than the speed of sound!

Engulfed by the lightning, Mohamed struggled to hold his ground. His carelessness had put him at a disadvantage in an instant.

"Did you think you could withstand it?" Nagatsuro, face twisted in a ferocious grin, swung his hand sharply. Another massive bolt of lightning, accompanied by deafening thunder, struck the ground.

The speed of the falling lightning exceeded the speed of sound—Nagatsuro could indeed accomplish this, but only just barely. His limit was perhaps two bolts. To unleash such rapid strikes required extreme focus and mastery over spiritual pressure. Even this inner personality could do no more than this; the real Nagatsuro might only scratch the surface.

"Bang!" Amidst the lightning, a muffled sound rang out, and a dark figure burst forth from the electric storm.

"Crack." Mohamed tore off his tattered white cloak, his eyes locked firmly onto Nagatsuro.

That strike—though he had been careless—proved the opponent truly possessed skill. Bankai allowed manipulation of lightning, but to elevate it to such a level, this vice-captain was no simple man.

"I may have changed my mind. Perhaps you’re not a bad opponent after all," Mohamed said, flashing his white teeth. "Let’s make a bet—if you can withstand ten of my attacks, I’ll spare the Soul Society. How about that?"

"Spare the Soul Society? Interesting..." Nagatsuro spread his hands nonchalantly. "If you want to destroy it, go ahead. It’s got nothing to do with me..."

"Swish!" Nagatsuro pointed his finger at Mohamed. "I just want to wipe you out completely!"

"..."

Mohamed fell silent. He knew that whatever this Nagatsuro did, he would not care. Even if Mohamed slaughtered every Soul Reaper in the Soul Society before his eyes, he wouldn’t so much as frown. He’d probably just wait until Mohamed finished, then strike him down—

Strike him down?

Why would I suddenly use that phrase? With his power, if all he can do is speed up his lightning like that, there’s no way he poses a threat to me.

Mohamed quietly mocked his own sensitivity.

"Enough talk. Let’s continue," Nagatsuro bent slightly, raising his hand.

"Boom!" A thick bolt of lightning shot down from the clouds, but this one was much slower than before. Mohamed didn’t even bother to lift his head—he dodged it effortlessly.

"Crack..." Nagatsuro, keenly aware of Mohamed’s landing spot, twisted his wrist. Another bolt of lightning crashed down.

"Hmm?" Mohamed raised an eyebrow, catching a flash in the sky through his sunglasses.

"Boom!" The pillar of lightning struck as expected, but Mohamed narrowly avoided it.

"..."

Nagatsuro’s eyes locked onto Mohamed. With a twisted motion of his wrist, he unleashed another bolt.

"Boom!" This time, the lightning didn't follow a straight path—instead, it bent at a right angle in the air and struck Mohamed directly.

He had thought that even if struck, he would suffer at least some injury. But Nagatsuro suddenly realized that Mohamed had simply raised his hand, gathering scattered spiritual particles, and easily caught the lightning, tossing it aside like garbage.

"Boom!" The wild energy shattered the already broken earth even further.

"Is that supposed to be an attack?" Mohamed brushed the dust from his hands and looked at Nagatsuro with a leisurely air.

"Tch, so arrogant..." Nagatsuro laughed instead of getting angry. With a forceful gesture, another blinding golden lightning pillar fell.

"I already said it’s a waste of effort..." Mohamed didn’t even look up this time. He simply raised his hand, intending to brush aside Nagatsuro’s attack as before.

"Crack!"

But this time, the lightning didn’t strike Mohamed. Instead, it split apart before reaching him, transforming into a cage that trapped him inside.

"Don’t think my attacks are so one-dimensional," Nagatsuro sneered triumphantly, stretching out his palm.

"This time, I’ll treat you to five times the force..."

"Rumble!" The sky thundered louder than ever before, and Mohamed looked up in surprise.

"Turn to charcoal!"

"Boom!"

A massive pillar of lightning, five times thicker than any before, crashed down from the sky, engulfing both the cage and Mohamed within it.

"Hahahahaha!" Nagatsuro threw his arms wide and laughed wildly. "How does it taste, Quincy? Don’t think this is the end! The real show has only—"

Suddenly, an arrow of spiritual particles shot out from the lightning, aimed straight at Nagatsuro’s head!

"Swish!" Dodging the surprise attack, Nagatsuro’s triumphant expression vanished, replaced only by astonishment.

"I wondered what you’d do—gave me a start. But for a small fry..."

Aside from looking slightly battered, Mohamed bore no other injuries.

"Not bad, Soul Reaper."