"Tokieda!?"
Tokikaze exclaimed in surprise as a stinging pain pierced through his arm, causing a slight change in his complexion.
Good news: The fish took the bait.
Bad news: It was not the fish he was after.
The sudden turn of events surprised Tokikaze. The blade that struck his right arm belonged to Tokieda.
She initially aimed for the neck. However, at the moment she raised the knife, Tokikaze used the wind to alter her blade's trajectory.
Fortunately, Tokikaze never truly trusted the two people beside him.
A minor injury was nothing to fret about!
Tokieda tightened her grip and exerted her abundant Reiatsu, intending to sever Tokikaze's arm!
Before she could make the next move, Tokinada suddenly dished out a crescent-shaped compressed air blade, sending Tokieda flying dozens of meters away.
Blood gushed out as she crashed heavily into a tree trunk in the distance.
The large tree collapsed, giving raise to dust.
"Lord Tokikaze, are you okay?"
Tokinada approached Tokikaze with a concerned look.
Tokikaze's already pale face made it as if he was on the verge of dying.
Tokikaze sighed lightly, "Has Tokieda also joined the rebels? This is not a good news..."
He suddenly sounded melancholic, as if he trusted Tokinada for saving his life.
Tokinada also shook his head in disappointment, "Tokieda has few friends and always keeps her thoughts bottled in."
"Perhaps because of this, she was swayed by the rebels and took the path of no return."
Tokikaze placed his left hand on the wound, using a basic Kaido to stop the bleeding.
Just as he let his guard down for a moment, another gleaming blade tore through the air, heading straight for Tokikaze's chest.
Swish—
The Spiritual-Severing Rope was and instantly woven into a net, locking the spiritual blade, gleaming with cold light, just an inch away from Tokikaze's chest.
"You finally took the bait..."
Tokikaze let go of his left hand, and the injuries on his right arm had completely healed thanks to the black liquid.
Tokikaze already predicted that Tokinada would be cautious until the last moment.
First, he tested whether Tokikaze was injured by helping him. Then, he had Tokieda perform the second test, and finally, by killing Tokieda to gain Tokikaze's trust, he made him lower his guard.
Fortunately, Tokikaze's acting skills were decent, and he was also quite patient.
Now, he finally exposed Tokinada's despicable nature, achieving his original goal with some effort.
Looking at the suddenly emerging Spiritual-Severing Rope, Tokinada's expression changed, resembling a poisonous snake waiting to strike.
"This is the last Spiritual-Severing Rope, which was supposed to be for Tokieda."
Tokikaze used the Spiritual-Severing Rope like a fishing line, "But I didn't expect that she would be your subordinate. Although there was a bit of an accident, the result didn't deviate too far, at least."
"Tokinada, attacking the heir of the main family without authorization is an unforgivable crime, and you deserve to die for that."
His malicious gaze stared fiercely at the person in front of him, and the resentment was so apparent.
"Why..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Tokikaze interrupted him, "Why did I set you up? No reason, I simply find you unpleasant. Someone as despicable as you is just a waste of Reishi in this world."
Tokikaze then pulled back his Spiritual-Severing Rope, instantly blocking the blade and forcing Tokinada to release his hands.
"Tokikaze, you don't understand anything!"
Since he was already exposed, Tokinada no longer concealed his true nature. His expression was like a madman. With swift Shunpo, he moved away from the original spot, "I am destined to become the superior being!"
"You mean take Soul King's place, sealed to stabilize the Three Worlds?"
Tokikaze casually threw the spiritual blade entwined with the Spiritual-Severing Ropes aside and drew out his own Zanpakuto.
At this moment, the wind in the forest became restless.
Although Tokikaze had not checked the stone tablet that recorded the true history, he could guess its content based on the information he had found.
The founding history of the Five Great Noble Families was indeed dark, but as descendants who enjoyed the blessings of their ancestors, who had the right to criticize them?
The only thing he could do was to change this situation through his own efforts, right?
"Hado #63: Raikoho!"
In a fit of anger, Tokinada erupted with powerful Reiatsu. A bright golden light flickered in his palm, echoing with thunderous roars.
Golden thunder burst forth, piercing the sky like a divine spear.
As a fellow disciple alongside Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshiro, Tokinada's strength was commendable.
Even without his Zanpakuto at the moment, his proficiency in Kido alone was enough to surpass some Captains.
Facing this powerful attack, Tokikaze raised his sword. A hurricane materialized, sweeping up leaves and dust, covering the entire sky with a dark cloud.
The exploding Raikoho entered the tornado, devoured by the strong wind. The golden light instantly dissipated, leaving only a faint burnt smell in the air.
Tokinada's eyes were filled with resentment. "You don't understand the true history, from the very beginning..."
"Aren't you doing the exact same thing that the founding ancestor of the Tsunayashiro Clan do back then?"
Tokikaze's words caused Tokinada to choke on the second half of his words.
Scheming, underhanded attack.
Rather than similar; it was more like identical.
In fact, in some ways, the goals of both sides were consistent.
Rampant Reiatsu surged out, and a huge column of light shot up into the sky. In a fit of anger and shame, Tokinada unleashed his entire Reiatsu.
At this moment, the battles at various positions on the battlefield came to a sudden halt. Be it the rebels or the nobles, all eyes turned towards the northern direction.
The heavy clouds above the sky were dispersed by the column of Reiatsu, spreading in all directions, and warm sunlight illuminated them.
However, they felt no warmth. All eyes were fixed on the powerful Reiatsu in the distant sky. A sense of coldness gripped them, and a strong suffocating feeling choked their throats.