When they arrived at the meeting point to practice the Soul Burial rites, everyone was already waiting there. After a long wait, the instructor leading the team had not yet arrived. Yohan felt a bit puzzled, so he asked one of the students he had spoken to before.
"Excuse me, may I ask? Do you know when the instructor in charge will arrive?"
"Instructor?!" The student cast a fleeting glance at Yohan and then said, "You don't know yet? Since Karakura Town is a land teeming with spirits, it's highly likely one might encounter a Hollow. Therefore, if this location is chosen for Soul Burial practice, a member of the Gotei 13—likely an officer—is assigned to lead the team. But I don't know who it is."
Suddenly, the noise faded. A figure appeared in a flash of Shunpo and stood before everyone. She wore a gentle smile and waved to the crowd.
"Hello, everyone! I am the Lieutenant of the Tenth Division of the Gotei 13, Rangiku Matsumoto. I'll be leading you all to complete this Soul Burial exercise!"
As she finished speaking, everyone stood shocked; the realization that a Lieutenant was taking command froze the expressions on their faces. In that moment, they greeted Rangiku Matsumoto with smiles. They stood tall—even those who tried to act cool and aloof couldn't help but stammer with excitement.
"You... Hello!"
Seeing this, Rangiku Matsumoto nodded with satisfaction. Realizing she was quite late, she drew her Zanpakuto, thrust it into the air to open the Senkaimon (World Gate), and cleared her throat.
"Ahem! Alright, let's head to Karakura Town for the training! The precautions should be known to everyone, so I won't repeat them here. In case of a sudden crisis, please inform me as soon as possible. I know you have experience dealing with Hollows since this is your sixth year, but I still want to remind you: don't be reckless. Understood?"
"Understood!" the students shouted enthusiastically.
This time, it wasn't just about Soul Burial practice; a beautiful Lieutenant was leading the team, and everyone was in high spirits. Only Yohan felt a lingering sense of unease. He felt that certain things might happen during this trip to Karakura Town—perhaps because he had read many novels where such things occurred.
After passing through the world transfer gate, he and the others successfully entered the current Karakura Town. It was a familiar place; he hadn't expected to return to it this way. In the dark of night, Rangiku Matsumoto issued an order, and the students vanished into the night sky in an instant.
Yohan immediately used Shunpo and disappeared as well.
Soul Burial is a rite where a Shinigami sends the soul of the deceased to the Soul Society. There is a balance of souls between the Soul Society and the Human World. The Soul Society is where souls reside, while the Human World is where the living dwell. The Shinigami's mission is to guide the [Dead] to the [Soul Society] through Soul Burial. If these [Souls] remain trapped in this world, they will either turn into [Hollows] due to resentment or be devoured by other Hollows.
The rite of Soul Burial is not complex: gently touch the hilt of the Zanpakuto to the soul's forehead, and a circle with the word "Soul" will appear. In this way, the ceremony is complete, and the soul is delivered to the Soul Society.
Yohan moved along his path and soon completed the burial of three souls. But in an instant, a black shape lunged at him from the side, its mouth wide open to bite his head. Without even moving his head, Yohan used his Zanpakuto to block with one hand, parrying the attack effortlessly, then swung upward.
Accompanied by a flash of cold light, the black shadow in front of him was split directly into two parts. When he saw the strange corpse and the abnormal Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure) before him, he frowned subconsciously.
"Is this... a Hollow? Certainly, I knew this Soul Burial exercise wouldn't be as simple as I imagined! It seems I've fallen into a trap. I just don't know if I am the target..."
As he was thinking, through his enhanced perception, several abnormal Reiatsu signatures suddenly appeared. Yohan stepped out, vanishing in an instant, and stood in mid-air looking around. Those twisted and strange Reiatsu signatures gradually emerged one by one, becoming clearer.
"Even if this land is teeming with spirits, their numbers are far too high... Who is playing these tricks, and what is the goal?"
At that moment, Yohan's sealed state suddenly vibrated. He felt as if his consciousness was linked to his Zanpakuto. There was no mistaking that kind of golden thunder flashing through his body in an instant. This was a message from the Zanpakuto.
Seeing this, he smiled and stroked his sealed blade, unable to help but speak. "What do you want?"
He then injected his Reiatsu, feeling the will of his Zanpakuto. Immediately after, a mysterious power entered his mind. In the end, all these elements gathered into a single word:
KILL!
Yohan smiled, tilting the Zanpakuto in his hand slightly to the side, revealing a gleaming edge.
"You're still as quick-tempered as ever! But for once, it's rare that you and I agree on the same thing."
Note:
Hello guys, long time no see. Sorry, I've been busy lately. I will try to return, but I can't promise a regular upload schedule. Thank you.