Soul Society.
Rukongai.
The scorching sun hung high in the sky.
On a small path on the outskirts, a group of people was quietly gathering.
"Cough, cough…"
Not far from the group, beneath an ancient tree, a refined young male Shinigami in a shihakusho was gently coughing.
His face was somewhat pale.
The black strands of hair falling behind his ears swayed gently with his movements.
The Senkaki tied in his hair gleamed under the sunlight, reflecting a noble, expensive lustre.
The Sixth Division insignia on his shoulder clearly indicated his identity.
—Sixth Division Vice-Captain, Kuchiki Sōjun.
Rustle…
The rustling of trees in the wind filled his ears, Kuchiki Sōjun's eyes were half-closed, his breathing slowly adjusting with the rise and fall of his chest.
Just then, a dark shadow obscured his vision.
"Young Master Sōjun!"
The voice from the shadow was deep and powerful, echoing through the air like a majestic lion:
"The surrounding area has been swept, and there are no traces of the rebel army!"
"Would you like to return?"
Kuchiki Sōjun slowly raised his gaze, meeting the figure of a middle-aged man.
Time had left its mark on his face, and his eyes were filled with concern for Kuchiki Sōjun's current state.
His gaze was like that of a loving father looking at his injured child…
"Cough, cough…"
Kuchiki Sōjun slowly stood up, leaning on the tree trunk, and said with a hint of helplessness:
"Uncle Ginhui, outside, you don't need to address me like that, just call me Sōjun…"
"Father isn't here."
"How can that be!" Kuchiki Ginhui's gaze was incredibly firm, his tone brooking no argument, "Etiquette cannot be disregarded."
"I have served Master Ginrei for a full seven hundred years, and as his son, and the current Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division, you naturally cannot lose your manners."
"Furthermore, before we departed, Master Ginrei warned me to protect you well."
"Your health is not good, and this place, located in the 70th District of South Rukongai, has an extremely low reishi concentration…"
"This is not a place you should be."
"I know…" Kuchiki Sōjun nodded with a smile.
His gaze looked into the distance, his voice gentle, "But I have to come; I cannot hold everyone back…"
"I've heard about the rebel army for a long time. They were suppressed by my Kuchiki Clan decades ago, but I never expected them to resurface decades later…"
"The mission my father couldn't complete, it's only right for me, his son, to finish it…"
Saying this, he withdrew his gaze and nodded at Kuchiki Ginhui:
"Let's go."
"To the next place…"
"I can still hold on…"
As his words fell.
Swish, swish, swish!
A series of continuous whooshing sounds suddenly echoed from the surroundings.
As the sounds of rushing wind disappeared, all the Shinigami within sight fell to the ground like wheat after a harvest, unable to get up.
Seeing this, Kuchiki Sōjun's expression changed.
Step—
He instinctively took half a step back, his eyes instantly becoming vigilant.
One hand gripped his Zanpakuto's hilt, his gaze fixed tightly on the front.
Then, at the end of the path, a burst of unrestrained laughter suddenly rang out:
"Hahaha!"
"The Kuchiki Clan is nothing special!"
"Leave? I don't think any of you are getting away today!"
"Our brothers didn't stake out for half the day for nothing; we finally waited for a big fish like you."
"Lord Sōjun, would you kindly make a heroic sacrifice?"
Upon hearing this, Kuchiki Sōjun quickly identified the group's identity.
—Rebel army!
The person slowly walked from the end of the street, not revealing his true face, showing extreme caution.
Looking at the wary Kuchiki Sōjun through his mask, the corners of his mouth curved slightly, revealing a sneer:
"Tsk tsk tsk…"
"I imagine the death of a prominent figure like you should shake the Seireitei three times over!"
"I never thought we would actually have a day when we could kill you. It's truly an honour, an honour!"
His voice was undisguisedly high-pitched, as if everything was under his control.
And indeed, it was.
Within a ten-kilometre radius, the area was desolate.
Furthermore, some places were covered by their barriers.
Even if spiritual pressure erupted or he screamed until his voice broke, no one would discover the abnormality here and come to save him.
As a bird in a cage, Kuchiki Sōjun had no chance of survival.
The only thing he could do was be killed by them, and then they would pin the crime on another noble, allowing the mastermind behind the scenes to profit.
Facing this sudden change in the situation, Kuchiki Ginhui instantly drew his sword.
He tightly shielded Kuchiki Sōjun behind him, his wary gaze fixed on the masked man with extreme solemnity, and he said in a deep voice:
"Young Master, leave this to me, you must go quickly."
"Bankai!"
"Gingetsu!"
The blade glowed silver, and he directly used his Bankai, attempting to give Kuchiki Sōjun a slight chance of survival.
Although he knew there was danger on this trip, he didn't expect these guys to completely throw away their dignity and launch an all-out attack.
At least twenty Shinigami were surrounding them from all directions, their spiritual pressure not weak; at the very least, they were Seat Officers, and the leader was even a Captain, roughly estimated to be of second-grade spiritual power…
Are these nobles crazy?
It was only because he was a guardian specifically appointed by Kuchiki Ginrei, possessing Captain-level combat power.
Otherwise, this encounter would have ended in utter defeat.
Of course, even as a Captain, facing dozens of opponents would not yield much advantage.
So he could only resolve to sacrifice himself, in exchange for Young Master Sōjun's hope of survival…
Whew…
Exhaling heavily, Ginhui's mind was in turmoil.
The masked man opposite couldn't help but laugh at this situation.
He raised a finger: "Kuchiki Ginhui, I know you, the Sixth Division Vice-Captain six hundred years ago."
"You announced your retirement three hundred years ago, but I didn't expect you to re-emerge now as Kuchiki Sōjun's guardian."
"If I'm not mistaken, you should be over nine hundred years old this year, can you still wield a sword?"
"Bankai? Interesting."
As he spoke, he slowly drew his Zanpakuto, and his spiritual pressure instantly erupted.
Boom!
"Bankai!"
As the words fell, a twenty-meter-tall stone elephant slowly emerged from the void.
Its aura was majestic, like a towering mountain.
With just a light stomp, countless dust clouds arose, and the surrounding rock layer instantly collapsed by half a meter.
"Manzō!"
Whoosh!
Manzō raised its trunk and roared.
Amidst the loud sound, its body gradually became covered in pale white rocks.
—As one of the Bankai's effects, these rocks could transfer damage.
At the same time, they could grant him powerful strength and defence amplification.
Manzō was immortal and could regenerate.
On the ground, wherever there were rocks, he was invincible.
There would be no need to clean up the battlefield afterwards.
Seeing this, Kuchiki Ginhui's expression instantly darkened!
A Bankai he had never seen before!
In Captain-level combat, if one couldn't quickly ascertain the opponent's Bankai ability, the chance of defeat would be over eighty per cent!
Not to mention that the opponent knew his Bankai…
Damn it!
A strong sense of crisis suddenly gripped his heart.
In contrast, the masked man's confidence soared to its peak.
However, at the same time, not far away, either due to the clash of spiritual pressures or some other reason, a black spatial rift slowly opened from the edge of the forest.
Whoosh—!
A blood-stained hand suddenly reached out from within.