bookrebus Chapter 723 Don't lock me up in jail
Chapter 723 Don't lock me up in jail
"Hey! Auntie! Wait for me!"
Ichigo was startled and quickly pulled out his Substitute Shinigami ID from his pocket, pressed it to his chest, and his soul left his body, transforming into Shinigami form and chasing after him. Only the soul that was trapped under the body's body was left behind, constantly shouting as it tried to crawl out from under him.
"Damn it! Don't just abandon me like that!"
……
Below the riverbank, in the shadow of the bridge arch.
A woman wearing a leather jacket and with long hair and side-swept bangs sat on a cement block, gently waving her hand and her lips slightly parted, her singing voice drifting into the distance.
Her name is Yoshino Soma, a member of the Bavent.
In front of her, an office worker in a suit walked towards her step by step with lifeless eyes, like a puppet whose soul had been taken away.
The office worker stopped in front of her, and Yoshino Soma stood up, affectionately cupping his head in her hands. Then, her lips parted slightly, and she slowly brought her teeth to his neck.
"What a strange race. They have bodies that can store spiritual particles, yet they can't use them directly." Just as Yoshino's teeth were about to pierce the skin of this neck, a clear, cold voice rang out from the side.
"Is it the type that uses that strange nail guard as a medium to fight?"
Fangye's pupils contracted sharply, and she almost instinctively pushed the man in front of her away, looking warily toward the source of the sound behind her.
She turned her head and saw that on the cement block where she had just been sitting, there sat a man dressed in casual clothes, with long, wine-red hair that cascaded like a waterfall in the moonlight, his crimson eyes calmly gazing at her.
Those crimson eyes seemed to see through everything.
The man staggered and fell onto the grass. Before he could figure out what had happened, his eyes rolled back and he passed out.
Yu Zi glanced at him and thought, "Good thing he's dizzy, it saves me the trouble of wasting my energy."
"You, who are you?"
Yoshino took a half step back, assuming a defensive stance. Although her facial expression remained relatively calm, her heart was already filled with shock.
What's wrong with this woman?
He saw through her abilities in an instant. It was another Bount… no, impossible…
Ichigo landed beside Yuuko, his hand already gripping the hilt of his sword behind his back, and cautiously looked at Yoshino: "Auntie! Is this guy the enemy?"
"A Shinigami?" Yoshino sensed Ichigo's spiritual pressure as he arrived, his brow furrowing. "No, this orange-haired one is a Shinigami, but you..."
Fangye's words came to an abrupt halt... Only then did she realize with astonishment that she could not sense the woman's presence at all.
Oh right, she also suddenly appeared behind me just now.
Not only the fluctuations in spiritual pressure, but even the footsteps and aura seemed to blend completely into the night. If Yuko hadn't been so close, she might have doubted her own eyes.
Human? Death?
It's completely impossible to determine.
"Since we've been discovered, there's nothing we can do." Fangye had no intention of lingering in the fight. She had no desire to clash with anyone, especially this woman in front of her, who gave her an extremely dangerous feeling.
"Get!"
With a low shout, Fangye waved his arms, and the silver nail guards on his fingertips drew a fiery arc in the air, scattering sparks that fell to the ground and formed clusters of flames that rose up.
Ichigo's expression turned serious: "What is that guy doing?"
His perception wasn't enough for him to see the connection between Yoshino and the ring, but Yuko saw it clearly.
The firelight was reflected in Yuko's eyes: "It is a medium similar to a Zanpakuto. Although it cannot directly control spirit particles, it can fight indirectly through the medium."
As Yu Zi finished speaking, a figure slowly unfolded its body amidst the flames. It was a puppet made of flames, entirely black, with no facial features, and its body wrapped in flame-like lines. It only had an upper body; the lower body, or more precisely, only reached the thighs, and the rest was completely enveloped in flames.
"Did you call me, Yoshino?"
Ichigo was even more shocked: "It actually spoke?"
"Gate, stop them."
"clear."
The fire puppet named Getter pointed its hands at Ikuko and Ichigo.
Ichigo looked surprised: "What?"
"If you're not thinking about running away, what are you doing standing there?"
A sentence was left beside him. Ichigo subconsciously turned his head to look, but Yuuko's figure had already disappeared.
"what?"
He was a beat too slow to react until the bright fireball exploded in front of him with a bang.
boom! ! !
At the critical moment, Ichigo leaped backward, quickly retreating and barely avoiding the direct impact of the fireball.
"Damn it! If it weren't for you, Auntie..."
Ichigo got up from the ground, covered in dust, and muttered under his breath.
Ignoring Ichigo's mutterings, Yuko slowly raised her right hand. Without drawing her Zanpakuto, she simply extended her index finger and gently touched the charging flame doll.
"Probably only at the level of a court official."
With this comment, a compressed, rainbow-like crimson spiritual pressure burst forth from Yuko's fingertips and shot towards the flame puppet.
boom!
A crimson spiritual pressure swept across the grassland, rising in the night with a crimson glow.
Gate seemed to possess its own intelligence; the flames below its thighs intensified slightly, as if it were attempting to use its propulsion ability to evade the beam.
However, the beam of light was too fast. The originally menacing flame doll, when attacked by the crimson spiritual pressure, was like a candle blown out by a gale. Before it could even scream, it was instantly dispersed, turning into sparks and disappearing into the air.
"what?!"
Fangye, who had only run a few steps, sensed the doll's collapse and his expression changed drastically.
Gates was instantly...
Her fingertips unconsciously stroked her nail guards, but she didn't stop walking.
As long as the core of the doll, the emblem, is not destroyed, and as long as Bount himself is not dead or seriously injured, he can slowly recover.
"Does it have its own consciousness?" Yuko lowered her right hand, gazing thoughtfully at Yoshino's departing figure. "Being able to fight autonomously is, in some ways, even more convenient than a Zanpakuto."
Unfortunately, Bount himself cannot control spirit particles to fight, so his potential is probably unlikely to reach the level of Shinigami and Quincy.
Ichigo caught up: "Auntie! That guy's trying to escape!"
"No, she can't escape."
Yu Zi's eyes flickered slightly; she had no intention of letting it escape.
……
Yoshino's heart pounded, and the wind howled in his ears.
If they can escape into the city and use the complex buildings and crowds for cover, there might still be a glimmer of hope.
That woman was indeed no ordinary person; she never imagined she would encounter such a terrifying enemy at this time.
With a single, casual strike, he completely overwhelmed Gates.
Her intuition turned out to be correct.
Just as Fangye's toes were about to touch the street railing, a clear, cold voice suddenly rang out above her head.
"Are you leaving already? Without even saying goodbye? Is this your Bavent etiquette?"
At that moment, Fangye's blood seemed to freeze.
She looked up abruptly and saw the red-haired woman standing atop the streetlamp, looking down at her.
The bright, full moon behind her made her figure appear like a witch descending into the night.
when? !
Yoshino didn't have time to think; her survival instinct made her react instantly.
"Get!"
The re-formed flame doll stood in front of her, raising its hands towards Yuko and unleashing a series of fireballs.
At the same time, Yoshino turned her body and rushed towards the alley to the side.
Not an opponent!
We have no choice but to run!
"A boring trick."
Before Fangye could react, a sudden sound rang in her ears, and a powerful force came from behind, lifting her up and slamming her against the alley wall.
boom!
The wall behind Yoshino was cracked, revealing a spiderweb-like pattern.
"cough!"
A mouthful of bitter liquid mixed with blood spurted from her mouth. Fangye felt as if her internal organs had shifted, and she was completely disoriented from the fall, her vision blurring.
Yuko appeared in front of her as if she had teleported, pinning her to the wall with one hand.
"Yoshino!"
Gates rushed into the alley from the side, his fiery body instantly illuminating the dark alley.
Just as he was rushing towards it, the menacing fiery body suddenly stopped and fell to the ground, unable to move.
"So that's how it is. This nail cover is the key?" Yuko restrained Yoshino with one hand, and pressed the fingers of the other hand on the nail cover on Yoshino's fingertips. Looking at the immobile Gate, she instantly understood.
She had only intended to pick up the woman's hand to check the nail covers, but unexpectedly, she directly and indirectly subdued the flame doll.
This race's weakness is also quite obvious; once the medium is immobilized, their attack methods will become ineffective.
It's roughly like a mage's role; if someone gets close, things will go very badly.
Of course, it's unknown whether the other Bounts will use their power differently.
At least that's true for the woman in front of us.
At that moment, Ichigo finally arrived at the scene, panting heavily.
"Auntie! You were too fast!" Ichigo stared in disbelief at Yoshino, who had already been subdued. "That's it?"
He hasn't even drawn his Zanpakuto yet!
“I already said, they’re just a bunch of small fry,” Yuko said without turning her head, her eyes still coldly fixed on Fangye in her hand.
Fangye's consciousness was still somewhat hazy, and a little blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, clearly indicating that he had been severely shaken.
"Fangye!" Gate struggled desperately on the ground, trying to resist the force.
Yuko watched this scene thoughtfully: "If I crush this little thing, will it disappear?"
Although she could sense the connection between the doll and the woman, she was not in her Bankai state at this moment, so she could not clearly determine how the two were linked together.
"Stop, stop!"
Yoshino spoke in a hoarse voice, reaching out with difficulty to try and pry open Ikuko's fingers.
But those hands were too weak to budge even a single finger of Yuko's.
Ichigo stared blankly at the scene, wondering who the villain was. Was the aunt going a bit too far?
The thought arose in his mind unconsciously.
Yuko showed no awareness of being a villain. She loosened her grip on Yoshino's neck and brought her face close to Yoshino's, so close that they could feel each other's breath.
After a moment, she stepped back slightly and said calmly, "Now, I'll ask, and you'll answer."
What's the deal with that flame puppet?
"Is that your fighting style, Bavent?"
Yoshino gripped Yuko's wrist so tightly it almost left nail marks. She struggled to lift her eyes and met Yuko's calm, red eyes. Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind.
If, if it were this capable woman… perhaps she could stop it…
Ignoring Yuko's question, Yoshino turned her head with difficulty to look at Gate: "Gate..."
The flaming doll struggled to raise its head: "Fangye..."
Ichigo: "..."
"..." Yu Zi's fair face twitched almost imperceptibly twice.
Fangye's eyes revealed a hint of tenderness and reluctance: "Gate, please... die with me."
She gave up struggling and let her hands fall to her sides.
Yuko's lips moved slightly, as if she was about to say something, but Yoshino had already given up completely. He slowly closed his eyes, and a relieved smile appeared on his lips.
She was seeking death.
The Bounts are a race that lives by consuming human souls; if they had no fear of death, they could not have done so.
If feeding on the souls of the dead could be explained by lifestyle, they are now feeding on the souls of the living.
But if she were afraid of death, she shouldn't be showing this expression now.
The air suddenly became deathly still. Even Gate, who had been struggling desperately just moments before, gave up after hearing Fangye's voice and simply lay quietly on the ground, as if waiting for his master to leave.
Ichigo didn't dare to breathe loudly.
So, what's going on now?
He was just one step too slow!
Why does it seem like the aunt is the bad one?
“…Hey.” Yuko’s voice became somewhat low, revealing a hint of indescribable displeasure.
"What's that expression on your face?"
Fangye's eyelashes trembled slightly as she slowly opened her eyes, looking at her weakly: "Do it... kill me."
"Okay, answer my question and I'll kill you."
"..."
Yoshino closed her eyes again.
She wanted to stop her companions, but she also didn't want to betray them.
Yuko stared at Yoshino for a few seconds, then loosened her grip.
Fangye lost her footing and slid down the wall to the ground, clutching her neck and coughing violently: "Cough cough cough..."
She raised her head and looked at Yuko with difficulty: "I won't tell you, you might as well kill me."
Yu Zi looked down at her and said, "I'm not interested in helping people commit suicide."
"Don't die and leave my fingerprints behind, then lock me up in jail."
Ichigo almost fell over.
Fangye was stunned for a moment, and her mind almost couldn't process it.
Yu Zi's expression was indifferent: "Speak, what exactly do you Bavents want to do by absorbing the souls of the living?"
Yoshino shook her head. "I already said..."
"Those who are contemplating death but cannot die are either mentally ill or have attachments in their hearts."
She had barely begun to speak when Yuko interrupted her again.