"Tier, remember this—when you fight, you have to use your head. You can't rely on brute force alone."
"Brute force won't take you very far."
Higashino Shuuichi always taught his own people without holding anything back.
And that naturally included Tier, even though she was an Arrancar.
In the past, Tier hadn't really been able to understand the things Higashino Shuuichi taught her.
But today, she finally understood.
Facing someone like Shiba Isshin—a powerful Shinigami with captain-class reiatsu—
under normal circumstances, she would have needed to spend quite a bit of effort just to secure any results at all.
But just now, she'd used nothing more than a simple sleight of hand.
And she successfully completed a sneak attack on Shiba Isshin—nearly taking his life.
It was just a shame that Shiba Isshin's instincts saved him, leaving her only with his left arm.
But that was fine.
Tier was confident she could end this quickly, at minimal cost.
"Sero (Cero)!"
After her war blade severed Shiba Isshin's left arm, Tier raised her free hand and pointed at him. Scalding reiatsu gathered, and a Sero formed in an instant.
Compared to Grimmjow and Shawlong Koufang—those high-numbered Arrancar—Tier's superiority was absolute, across the board.
For Shiba Isshin—still not fully processing what had happened—this Sero was lethal.
At this moment, Kurosaki Masaki still hadn't realized Tier had already moved in front of Shiba Isshin.
Otherwise, even knowing her attacks couldn't really hurt Tier, that kind-hearted Quincy girl would still have tried to attack.
But Higashino Shuuichi had guessed Tier's intention the moment she shouted something so unlike her usual self.
So he cooperated perfectly—using Seiiki Reizan (Sanctuary Hymn), a flashy, high-presence "big move," to pull Shiba Isshin's attention and help conceal Tier's movements.
And to make sure Tier could definitely escape his Seiiki Reizan using Sonīdo (Sonído)—instead of getting locked inside and turning it into a blunder—
Higashino Shuuichi even deliberately added a useless "draw a circle on the spot" motion to slow down his release timing.
He wanted to see: when Shiba Isshin faced death, would the Soul King's will intervene from some unknown corner?
And would Urahara Kisuke—lurking somewhere—make a move?
Bad news: Tier had failed to kill Shiba Isshin in that first strike. A shame.
Good news: Tier reacted instantly and followed with a Sero. At that distance, caught off guard, Shiba Isshin had no chance of dodging.
Maybe after being hammered and refined by Urahara Kisuke in the World of the Living, Shiba Isshin could reach the level where he could injure Aizen in ten-plus years.
But right now…
Even an experimental Hollow like White could threaten Shiba Isshin's life.
At this point in time, Shiba Isshin's strength was still a step below his future self.
"Bakudō 81: Dankū!"
A transparent reishi wall, marked with eight black petal-like shapes, formed between Tier and Shiba Isshin—right before the Sero fired.
The explosion roared.
Kurosaki Masaki spun around in shock, unable to understand why an explosion of that scale had suddenly erupted behind her.
But Higashino Shuuichi knew.
He had clearly seen those black petals that signified Dankū.
A Dankū that could block Tier's Sero…
There were only a handful of Shinigami in all of Soul Society who could cast that.
And what that implied, Higashino Shuuichi didn't even need to think too hard about.
"That's enough, Tier. While you still can, take Grimmjow and leave.
If Aizen asks, tell him the truth. Tell him…
…you retreated because you thought you couldn't win, so you pulled Grimmjow out too."
Using the special contact method he'd left Tier long ago, Higashino Shuuichi reached her directly.
There was no reason to keep this fight going.
If it continued, then unless Higashino Shuuichi intended to expose his true identity—
he couldn't imagine Tier having any way to survive against the combined force of himself, Urahara Kisuke, Kurosaki Masaki, and an injured Shiba Isshin.
With the current lineup on paper, even Aizen showing up would have to "drink a full cup" to handle it.
"Shuuichi-sama?"
Tier was forced back midair by the blast and was about to counterattack when, after so long, she heard Higashino Shuuichi's voice in her ear again.
Joy—excitement—surging.
So Shuuichi-sama really had been watching her all this time.
What did Shuuichi-sama think of her performance just now?
…That question would have to wait for another day.
For now—
Tier glanced at Grimmjow on the ground, still not recovered.
Following Shuuichi-sama's order came first!
"Senpai! It looks like there's fighting over there too!"
On the other side, Kurosaki Masaki had wanted to rush over to the explosion site herself—
but remembering she had an extremely senior Quincy "senpai" beside her, she immediately turned and asked Higashino Shuuichi for his opinion.
"Mm. I saw it too. Let's go take a look together!"
Higashino Shuuichi nodded, and at the same time dismissed the Seiiki Reizan around him.
He didn't want to stay here anyway—otherwise it would be hard to explain how Tier managed to take Grimmjow right from under his nose.
Now Kurosaki Masaki had handed him the perfect excuse.
Driven by worry and urgency, Kurosaki Masaki used Hirenkyaku (Flying Scythe Foot) to rush over.
Naturally, Higashino Shuuichi followed with Hirenkyaku as well.
And honestly, compared to a Shinigami's Shunpo, a Quincy's Hirenkyaku really was more convenient.
By the time Higashino Shuuichi and Kurosaki Masaki arrived, the explosion site held only one person—
Shiba Isshin, missing his left arm.
"Mr. Shiba—your arm!"
Kurosaki Masaki spotted the injury instantly and cried out.
Thanks to the last incident with White—when she saved Shiba Isshin—she knew him, and she knew he was a Shinigami.
So calling him "Mr. Shiba" was natural for her.
"It's fine, Miss Kurosaki. Just a small wound—nothing worth mentioning."
Shiba Isshin forced a smile.
This, too, could be blamed on Higashino Shuuichi meddling back then—leading Kurosaki Masaki to master certain high-level Quincy techniques she shouldn't have had yet.
So the crisis that should've happened to Kurosaki Masaki never occurred.
And as a result, it became Shiba Isshin who owed Kurosaki Masaki the debt—unilaterally.
The two of them never got the chance to take a step closer, never sparked that "love flame."
So whether it was Shiba Isshin or Kurosaki Masaki, they remained politely distant and courteous.
"So what happened here just now?"
Higashino Shuuichi wasn't trying to butt in for no reason—
but with his "senior" status, if he didn't cut in forcefully at moments like this, it would look strange.
After all, in theory, no one should have realized Tier had already fled yet.
This wasn't the time for romance and warming feelings.
Sure enough, Shiba Isshin didn't get angry at Higashino Shuuichi's "rudeness" at all. Instead, he looked at him a bit more.
Given what he knew of Kurosaki Masaki, this orthodox Soul Society Shinigami—former head of a branch family of one of the Four Great Noble Houses—
still showed Higashino Shuuichi, this mysterious Quincy, sufficient trust.
"It was Tier—the Arrancar who was fighting you just now. She launched a sneak attack on me."
Shiba Isshin didn't emphasize the details of the ambush—he didn't want Higashino Shuuichi to misunderstand and think Isshin was blaming him.
In terms of social tact, Shiba Isshin had it down.
"Tier? That Arrancar?
That can't be right, Mr. Shiba—are you sure you didn't see wrong?
Wasn't she already destroyed by senpai's Seiiki Reizan (Sanctuary Hymn)?"
Kurosaki Masaki asked, confused.
At the same time, Higashino Shuuichi turned his head and looked into the distance.
At the far edge of his vision, Tier was already dragging Grimmjow as she opened a Garganta.
"What a crafty Hollow…"
Higashino Shuuichi's tone stayed calm and flat.
And then, a short distance behind Shiba Isshin, Urahara Kisuke revealed himself as well. Smiling, he looked toward the same spot as Higashino Shuuichi.
"Yes… what a crafty Hollow~"
"Mr. Urahara—you're here too?"
Kurosaki Masaki was genuinely overwhelmed now.
Why was Urahara Kisuke here too?
Why did that mysterious shopkeeper always show up in places like this?
"Yes, Miss Kurosaki.
A Quincy as 'special' as this… of course it's worth coming to see in person~"
Urahara Kisuke didn't comment on Tier's escape at all, as if she were beneath notice.
Instead, his words smoothly shifted the focus straight onto Higashino Shuuichi.
So he'd been found out?
Higashino Shuuichi turned back and met Urahara Kisuke's gaze.
He was certain the Gigai itself had no flaws.
And Urahara Kisuke didn't have some special detection method like that.
So it had to be another link in the chain that had gone wrong.
Which one?
Higashino Shuuichi couldn't tell yet.
But there was one thing he could judge for certain:
If Urahara Kisuke was willing to appear in front of him, it meant he had the intention to make contact.
For Higashino Shuuichi, that alone was enough.
Shihōin Yoruichi? Old news.
"So in the eyes of you Shinigami… I'm that 'special,' huh?
But I suppose that's only natural. After all, my existence might threaten your Shinigami rule~
So what are you planning to do?
Fight me here?"
Since Urahara Kisuke didn't expose him, Higashino Shuuichi was happy to speak in riddles too.
"No, senpai—Mr. Urahara and Mr. Shiba aren't like other Shinigami at all! They're absolutely not the kind of bad Shinigami you're imagining!
I can guarantee it!"
Before Urahara Kisuke or Shiba Isshin could say anything, Kurosaki Masaki panicked first.
She hurried to stand in front of Higashino Shuuichi, speaking up for them.
"Heh. Good Shinigami, bad Shinigami…
Young Quincy, don't be fooled by the masks these Shinigami wear.
They're all…
…not good people."
Higashino Shuuichi sneered coldly.
The hatred and dissatisfaction in his eyes were so vivid it felt as if everything that had happened to the Quincy had truly happened to him.
If you wanted to fool others…
…you had to make yourself believe it first.
As long as Urahara Kisuke didn't tear off his mask, Higashino Shuuichi would keep telling himself—
He was a Quincy forced into slumber within the Shadow Domain to avoid Soul Society's secret assassinations.
"Senpai…"
Kurosaki Masaki tried to speak again, but Shiba Isshin stopped her.
"Senpai—first, I apologize. I still don't know your name, so I can only address you the same way Miss Kurosaki does.
Second, as a former captain of the Gotei 13, I want to apologize—on behalf of all Shinigami—to you and your companions…
…to those Quincy who may have died because of us Shinigami.
That apology may have no practical value. But I hope you understand this—
Even among Shinigami, there are Shinigami with different views.
At the very least, Mr. Urahara and I are such people."
Dragging his wounded body, Shiba Isshin still clenched his teeth and bowed to Higashino Shuuichi.
As a member of the Shiba family, Shiba Isshin truly did feel sympathy and guilt toward the Quincy of the World of the Living.
So faced with Higashino Shuuichi's accusations, he didn't argue back.
Because he knew—
Those were facts as solid as iron.
"Mr. Shiba…"
Kurosaki Masaki fell silent too.
She knew part of the truth, but Shiba Isshin's frankness still shocked her.
"Hmph.
Don't think sincerity will move me, Kabuno Takuya. I'm not buying it!
Don't tell me what you'll do—show me what you'll do!"
Higashino Shuuichi snorted.
And then everyone heard Kurosaki Masaki let out an untimely little laugh.
"Pff—!"
"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Kabuno-senpai!
I didn't mean to laugh!"
Kurosaki Masaki hurriedly explained.
She really couldn't help it—because to her, Higashino Shuuichi's "refusal" just now sounded like…
…he'd already accepted Shiba Isshin's words.
He was just being stubborn, that's all~
So Kabuno-senpai was a classic sharp tongue, soft heart type!
In Kurosaki Masaki's mind, she'd already stamped Higashino Shuuichi with a "good person" label.
And that…
…was exactly the outcome Higashino Shuuichi wanted.
Because he wasn't truly trying to part ways with Urahara Kisuke and the others either.
He just needed a step to climb down.
One that made things easier for everyone.
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