Chains Unleashed
The air shimmered as Senbonzakura scattered, its countless razor-sharp petals hovering in a perfect storm around Byakuya. The battlefield was death in motion, shifting like a living entity under his command.
But Harry did not move.
He felt everything.
The weight of the air, the shifting of the petals, the vibration of his chains as they responded to the spiritual pressure pressing down on them.
Byakuya flicked his fingers.
The petals rushed forward, a tidal wave of shimmering death—
Harry moved.
Not backward. Forward.
A single step sent a pulse of Reiatsu through the ground as his scythe spun outward, the chain extending in a perfect arc.
And then, he spoke.
“Tighten—Mors Vincula.”
The chains exploded outward.
Not wildly—not recklessly—but with absolute precision.
They moved like living things, intercepting the petals before they could reach him. The moment a fragment of Senbonzakura touched the glowing silver chains, the energy shifted—the petal stopped, frozen mid-motion as if trapped in place.
A deep hum resonated through the battlefield.
For the first time, Byakuya’s expression shifted slightly.
Harry exhaled slowly, his blindfolded eyes remaining closed. “I understand now.”
The chains coiled, then snapped outward, redirecting the frozen petals with a single flick—sending them flying back toward Byakuya.
Byakuya vanished, dodging effortlessly—but he did not attack again.
He was watching.
Analyzing.
Harry took another step, and the ground cracked beneath him. His Reiatsu was heavier now, denser, refined.
The Zanpakutō spirit’s voice whispered in his mind.
You are not bound by sight. You are bound by control. By fate. By choice.
The chains snapped forward, now moving without his hands even guiding them. They extended, looped, redirected attacks before they even came.
A defensive countermeasure. A binding force. A weapon that didn’t cut—but controlled.
Byakuya finally spoke.
“You are unlike any Soul Reaper I have faced.”
Harry tilted his head slightly. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Byakuya raised his hand, Senbonzakura swirling tighter around him.
“Then show me what your Bankai is truly capable of.”
Harry smiled.
“Gladly.”
He raised his scythe—
And the chains of fate roared to life.