"Hollowfication?"
Tsugikuni Yoriichi, listening to the Shinigami's rapid explanation behind him, roughly understood the situation as he swung his Zanpakuto like a streak of light.
Of course, despite understanding, the sudden transformation of the criminal they were chasing into a Hollow—and this being the second Hollowfication incident in a very short time—was quite startling.
Even as calm as Yoriichi was, he was slightly surprised at this moment.
He gently extended a finger, his gaze subtly shifting: "When did this change occur?"
The Shinigami, seeing the danger recede, breathed a sigh of relief while quickly explaining, "Just now."
"It was too sudden. We suspect it's not an ordinary Adjuchas."
"Are you the Captain of the Ninth Division?"
"From your tone, have you encountered this before?"
Yoriichi did not answer. This was confidential information.
That Hollow wanted to escape.
Considering all factors, he casually asked, "How do you intend to deal with him?"
"This matter is no small thing."
"If something unexpected happens…"
He faintly sensed a conspiracy, as there was no reason for a second operation to occur so quickly…
To frame the Kuchiki Clan?
If so, the scope of suspects would be narrowed, wouldn't it?
Someone with a grudge against both the Gotei 13 and the Kuchiki Clan… Tsunayashiro?
It wasn't surprising that Tsugikuni Yoriichi thought of this, as very few people met both conditions, especially with Kensei Muguruma's Hollowfication having occurred recently…
Perhaps this second incident was a test?
As he pondered, the Shinigami behind him gave a decisive answer: "Slay it!"
"Regardless of whether he is Shinigami, he is now a Menos Grande!"
"Understood." Yoriichi nodded.
Although he was not a retainer of the Kuchiki Clan, he shared a friendship with Kuchiki Sōjun.
If this was a frame-up from Tsunayashiro, he absolutely could not let the plan succeed.
He gently pressed his hand against the hilt of his Zanpakuto, his gaze calm, aimed at the Menos Grande.
Instantly.
Whoosh.
Fuzan was unleashed.
The Menos Grande was annihilated.
Not a single trace was left, nor was there any sign of reishi overflow.
It seemed to have dissipated without a trace, as if scattered by the wind.
!
Behind him.
The Shinigami who witnessed this scene, despite their composed nature, had their pupils widen in shock at that one strike.
Although they had anticipated the Adjuchas' death, the action was so effortless, without even a step taken…
Wasn't that a bit too absurd?
Where was the swinging motion??
If it was just drawing the sword…
They could do that too!
Incredible… Some Shinigami recovered, their astonished expressions gradually calming with their breathing, thinking, "As expected of a Captain."
Only then could it be explained why that one strike was so effortless… Their full-force sword pressures couldn't even break through a steel skin.
Heartfelt admiration mixed with relief rapidly grew within them.
Just then, Kuna Mashiro, Yumichika Ayasegawa, and Tōsen Kaname arrived, hurrying their steps.
They couldn't keep up with Tsugikuni Yoriichi's speed. Even Kuna Mashiro, the fastest among the three, only barely made it halfway.
Upon arrival, all three were bent over, panting heavily, their faces flushed, looking as exhausted as if they had just run a marathon and then participated in a triathlon.
"Cap… Captain…!"
Kuna Mashiro bent over, speaking with difficulty.
She barely managed to lift her head, her voice breathless: "Can't… can't you go a little slower? We really can't keep up!"
Hiss…
Exhale…
Kuna Mashiro took deep breaths, reishi surged into her body, and she gradually recovered some strength.
She slowly straightened up, waited about five seconds, and her breathing barely adjusted. Her voice then became energetic again:
"I'm exhausted, Captain. What happened here? Why did you all stop? Was the criminal caught?"
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Kuna Mashiro looked around, and the shocking sight made her eyes widen in surprise.
Had a major battle just broken out here?
Even the ground was torn up…
Yumichika Ayasegawa also said at this moment, "Phew… Yes, Captain, wasn't our mission to capture the criminal? Why are only we here? Where are Yachiru and the others?"
It was truly shameful to admit, his speed was the slowest among the three. If he hadn't slightly released his Zanpakuto and enhanced some reishi, he might not have even made it here.
Running hundreds of kilometers in a few minutes was simply too much for him.
Yoriichi quietly observed the three. He was about to explain something, but as his gaze swept over Tōsen Kaname's body, his eyes subtly narrowed.
Although Tōsen Kaname, like the other two, was panting heavily.
His internal muscle fluctuations and blood flow, however, told Yoriichi that Tōsen Kaname's current level of fatigue was far less than what he was showing…
Was it still necessary to hide his strength at a time like this?
No…
Something was wrong.
This was not a normal display; this was no longer being low-key, but a deliberate disguise, deliberately making himself appear very weak…
Why?
Just then, Tsugikuni Yoriichi suddenly remembered Tōsen Kaname's original division, and what Kyōraku Shunsui had told him earlier.
—The Fifth Division… has problems.
His lingering gaze returned to normal an instant later. Tsugikuni Yoriichi's heart rippled slightly, but his expression remained as usual…
He looked at the three and slowly said,
"The criminal is dead. I regret that I cannot explain the details of the matter to you, but I hope you will keep this matter confidential."
"As for Yachiru and the others…"
"They probably got lost."
Yachiru's sense of direction wasn't very good. He had thought that with the Kuchiki Clan's guidance, she might be a bit more normal, but he hadn't expected her to still go off course.
Fortunately, he arrived in time.
Otherwise…
If these Shinigami had been killed by the Hollowfied Shinigami, it would have been truly difficult to explain the subsequent events.
One must know that this criminal had escaped from the Sixth Division.
No one knew what had happened in the Sixth Division.
The "fact" was that he Hollowfied as soon as he came out.
In this situation, with a little guidance, the situation could inevitably spiral downwards. Fortunately, he was already dead, without a trace of his body…
Opposite him, Kuna Mashiro was utterly confused.
"Why?"
She asked.
It was just one mission, why did the mission content need to be kept secret?
Could something special and unexpected have happened?
She looked around.
She had many questions she wanted to ask, but the words were on the tip of her tongue…
"I know what you want to ask, but an order is an order. When the time is right, I will explain it to you, but for now…"
Yoriichi shook his head,
"I am the Captain. Everything must prioritize the stability of Seireitei."
Upon hearing this, Kuna Mashiro swallowed the words she was about to say.
The next second.
She suddenly saw the Shinigami opposite Tsugikuni Yoriichi repeatedly thanking him.
Their attitude was extremely sincere.
It was as if he had saved their lives, and they were preparing to return and tell their clan leaders about it or something.
The more they spoke, the more curious Kuna Mashiro became. A life-saving grace, and for the Kuchiki Clan no less…
It was truly a pity she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.
…
Rustle rustle…
Not far away, Matsumoto Rangiku, who had fallen into a brief coma due to the intense collision of reishi, was slowly waking up.
Her eyelids trembled slightly, then she opened her hazy eyes.
Although her vision was filled with flickering tree shadows, her mind still replayed the scene of reishi rushing towards her, hitting her like a heavy blow, and instantly causing her to faint.
Terrifying…
Too terrifying.
At that moment, she felt as if she were at the bottom of a ten-thousand-meter ocean, with immense pressure surging from all directions, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
Although she had frequently encountered strong individuals before, such a powerful and brutal reishi…
It was the first time she had ever encountered it.
That feeling of being in a storm, completely out of control, unable to guarantee her own safety, as if she could be torn apart at any moment, was truly unpleasant.
She had once thought she was going to die…
Phew…
The fragmented, mist-like sunlight reflected in her eyes, making her dizzy.
Matsumoto Rangiku silently closed her eyes, taking a deep breath from the bottom of her heart, trying to calm her still flustered emotions.
Once her mind gradually settled.
She slowly got up and looked around.
She had intended to determine her current location, and what exactly had happened nearby…
The next second, a beautiful female voice entered her mind.
"Captain, why?"
The voice carried a hint of confusion, as if venting dissatisfaction.
Immediately after, another calm male voice gave its reply.
"For Seireitei…"
Seireitei!?
Listening to their conversation, Matsumoto Rangiku's eyes widened instantly, and her desire grew like seaweed.
If she remembered correctly, Ichimaru Gin's ultimate destination was Seireitei.
It was a place all Rukongai yearned for; its fame reached even the most remote eighty districts.
After all, entering Seireitei meant wealth, honor, and immunity from poverty and hunger.
Originally, Matsumoto Rangiku wasn't interested. Her only dream was to live with Gin.
Becoming a Shinigami… that was too unrealistic.
But after Ichimaru Gin left, and after learning that Ichimaru Gin had become a Shinigami, she had taken the words "Seireitei" to heart.
Now, hearing it clearly, even without seeing the people who spoke, she knew they must be Shinigami…
Captain?
Matsumoto Rangiku subtly raised her eyebrows, opened her mouth, took several deep breaths, and tried her best to calm her emotions, thinking, "Their status must be very high…"
Perhaps…
…
…
Dozens of meters away, Tsugikuni Yoriichi, after subtly nodding in response to the Shinigami's thanks, suddenly looked to one side.
His action drew the attention of the Shinigami in front of him. Even Kuna Mashiro, without a word, looked towards the side bush.
Kuna Mashiro saw nothing, her eyes reflecting a normal scene. She asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Captain?"
The Kuchiki Clan Shinigami, however, frowned slightly. One of them drew his Zanpakuto from his waist, ready to act, but was stopped by a Shinigami beside him just before he moved.
Although their intuition told them someone was there.
They couldn't be sure if it was an enemy.
He looked at Tsugikuni Yoriichi, asking for his opinion.
At such a critical juncture, in such a situation, anyone appearing nearby, even if not an enemy, must possess considerable reishi.
Yoriichi noticed the gaze and nodded slightly: "I'll handle it."
Because the reishi emitted by Bai Yunzongshu lingered in the air, all Shinigami in the area currently had their reishi perception disabled.
Even Yoriichi couldn't distinguish the strength of the reishi present there, though one thing was certain… there was no hostility.
Step.
Yoriichi slowly walked towards that direction, his hand unconsciously touching the hilt of his Zanpakuto, but then he pulled it back the next second.
As he approached the bush, he suddenly saw the bush gently swaying, as if blown by the wind.
A strand of golden, flowing hair first passed through the gaps in the leaves.
Immediately after, a small figure cautiously emerged from the bush…
…
Rustle rustle…
Matsumoto Rangiku passed through the bush and suddenly felt the light ahead dim considerably.
She initially thought clouds were blocking the sun.
However, when she slightly raised her head, a wisp of white clothing swaying in the wind abruptly entered her vision…
The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy at that instant.
It was the feeling of being caught red-handed.
This made her heart tighten, as if gripped by an invisible hand.
She forced a smile, knowing full well the situation she had stumbled into, but at this moment, she could only continue to look up.
Just as Yoriichi looked down at her.
The next second.
Their gazes intertwined.
Suddenly.
"Ah!"
…
"So… just a child?"
Kuna Mashiro looked at Matsumoto Rangiku, who was being held by Yoriichi, feeling a bit speechless.
She had thought they had encountered some danger, but instead…
"Hey, let go of me!"
Matsumoto Rangiku struggled ceaselessly in Yoriichi's hand.
Her limbs flailed wildly, like a trapped bird trying to escape control.
As she struggled, she said,
"Who's a child?!"
"I'm over eighty years old this year!"
"Can you Shinigami be reasonable? Why are you arresting me?!"
Yumichika Ayasegawa quietly glanced at her: "We'd like to ask, why are you here?"
"Eighty years old… Hah, I'm over one hundred eighty this year, and I'm not as willful as you."
He knew why Matsumoto Rangiku had been caught; the nature of the mission had changed due to special reasons.
There was no guarantee that this little girl hadn't seen something, leading to a leak of information.
After speaking, Yumichika Ayasegawa raised his casual gaze and asked Yoriichi,
"Captain, how should we deal with this brat?"
"Take her back?"
"Or, alter her memory?"
"Huh?" This made Matsumoto Rangiku's scalp tingle.
The former was one thing, but what was the latter? Can Shinigami even alter memories?
No, absolutely not!
She would not allow any memories related to Ichimaru Gin to disappear.
So, she quickly shouted, "I protest!"
"You can't do that!"
"I didn't see anything! I came to find Gin, he's a Shinigami too!"
"I'm his friend! I demand Gin handles me!"
"Who is Gin?" Yumichika Ayasegawa subtly raised an eyebrow. Just one word, and there were indeed too many Shinigami who fit the description.
Within the Ninth Division alone, there were no less than ten.
"Gin, Ichimaru Gin!"
Matsumoto Rangiku took a deep breath, her voice suddenly becoming firm, "Do you know him?"
"He arrived at Seireitei a year ago!"
"A year?" Yumichika Ayasegawa was about to say that such a short time, even if one arrived at Seireitei, they should still be in school, and Shinigami cadets weren't considered Shinigami.
However…
The name Ichimaru Gin echoed in his mind.
He instantly froze, instinctively looking towards Tsugikuni Yoriichi and asking,
"Captain, the Ichimaru Gin she's talking about, it wouldn't be that Ichimaru Gin, would it?"