"Thank you for the compliments, Madarame-san. I'm just applying what I learned at the Academy. The performance of my teammates wasn't any worse than mine."
Arata put down the bowl and chopsticks and answered Ikkaku's question with some modesty.
However, he deliberately avoided directly answering the question about which division he would join after graduation.
"Hahaha! You sure know how to talk, kid!" Madarame slapped his thigh with his thumb and burst out laughing. "But in our 11th Division, if you're this modest, it's seen as a sign of weakness!"
Ayasegawa slightly bowed and smiled elegantly: "Don't let him scare you, Saitō-san. Your performance today was truly outstanding."
"The angle at which you released Byakurai was so perfect it seemed like it was calculated by a precision device."
What Yumichika said wasn't exaggerated at all. Although he was the fifth seat of the 11th Division, he was also someone highly skilled in Kidō, he simply used it very rarely due to the nature of the division.
By his estimation, the fact that Arata could release such a Byakurai meant that his Kidō level was indeed quite high.
He also remembered something: earlier, Rangiku-senpai had asked him to buy unused wooden training swords from the 11th Division, and the name of the buyer, as far as he recalled, was Saitō Nozomi.
It couldn't be just a coincidence, could it?
If that was really the case, then it meant Arata's kendo level should be even higher than the Kidō level he displayed today.
Members of the 11th Division around them nodded in agreement. Although they were known as battle-hungry warriors, they were never stingy with praise for those who truly had ability.
Arata was just about to respond when he was interrupted by a sudden commotion that arose in the center of the camp.
Amagai Shūsuke could be seen emerging from the temporary command post along with several captains and vice-captains. As he walked around the campfires, he seemed somewhat relaxed.
"Looks like the meeting is over." Ikkaku stretched up to get a better view. "I wonder what the next deployments will be."
As the patrol passed by them, Isane secretly poked her head out from behind Unohana Retsu and cheerfully winked at Arata like a mischievous thief.
This subtle gesture naturally didn't escape Yumichika's notice.
"Ohooo~" he drawled meaningfully, "it seems our outstanding student not only has extraordinary skills but also quite enviable interpersonal relations."
Arata pretended not to understand Yumichika's implication, just smiled and let it slide, then quickly changed the subject and asked, "Ayasegawa-san, do you know who that man in the crimson cloak is?"
As he spoke, Arata pointed at a gray-haired, middle-aged man in the patrol group. It was the leader of the Kidōshū whom he had noticed even before the expedition set off.
This topic successfully redirected everyone's attention; both Ikkaku and Yumichika looked in the direction Arata pointed.
"That guy over there?" Ikkaku frowned. "I have no idea who he is, feels like I've never seen him before in the Soul Society."
He squinted into the distance, trying to recall some memory of the man, but nothing came to mind.
Then he turned his head toward Yumichika and asked, "Hey, Yumichika, do you know that guy?"
Yumichika lowered his gaze for a moment and fell into thought, then as if he suddenly remembered something, he raised his head and said, "I remember. I saw his picture in a report from Seireitei. I think his name was Izumo..."
"Yes, yes – Izumo Shin Aritsuki! He was appointed deputy chief of the Kidōshū after the previous chief and deputy deserted. They say he comes from the lower noble Izumo clan." He shared everything he knew.
Unlike the typical fighters of the 11th Division who turned a deaf ear to anything unrelated to combat, Yumichika, aside from daily training and brawling, also liked to collect bits of gossip and information about the Soul Society.
"Tsk tsk tsk… so he's still a minor noble, huh?" Ikkaku stroked his chin, his voice carrying a strange undertone.
In his mind, aside from those in the Gotei 13, most nobles were useless parasites who just sat in chairs and collected salaries.
If one of them could even swing a sword at someone, it was already considered an exception and he never expected to find someone who had even made it to deputy chief of the Kidōshū.
"It really is rare for a Shinigami from a lower noble house to come this far." Arata nodded thoughtfully, then continued observing the figure named Izumo Shin Aritsuki.
Yumichika suddenly lowered his voice: "I heard that this gentleman Izumo was accepted into the Kidōshū without even revealing his Zanpakutō's power, purely based on his Kidō talent!"
"Oh?" Ikkaku also became interested. "So, same style as Captain Zaraki?"
"Not at all the same." Yumichika theatrically rolled his eyes. "The Captain is a natural-born monster. A completely different story from this Izumo–"
Before he could finish, a piercing alarm suddenly echoed through the entire camp!
All the Shinigami who were resting or about to relax immediately jumped to their feet; the sound of unsheathed Zanpakutōs filled the air as they simultaneously entered combat readiness.
Arata's hand was already resting on Meigetsu's hilt, and a faint purplish-black aura of spiritual pressure surrounded him.
They quickly realized the alarm was coming from the 12th Division's surveillance devices.
"A group of Hollows detected! Located ten kilometers northwest of the camp!" shouted the Shinigami from the 12th Division in charge of surveillance.
"A group of Hollows is rapidly heading toward us, expected encounter in twenty minutes!"
Amagai Shūsuke, Soi Fong, and others quickly ran to the 12th Division's position.
"Do you have any more detailed data?" Amagai asked, with a tone of slightly suppressed impatience.
"We've only registered a rough reaction of spiritual pressure so far. According to calculation standards, the number of Hollows in the group is at least, at least over three hundred!" The operator took a deep breath. Although his voice trembled slightly, his professionalism never wavered.
Amagai Shūsuke's expression changed sharply upon hearing this, and he immediately continued, "Can this device detect if there are any Menos Grande among them?"
He wasn't particularly concerned about the total number of Hollows. If they were just small fry, it didn't matter whether there were three hundred or even six hundred, it was still something the expeditionary force could handle.
What worried him was whether there were any large-class Hollows among them.
Because as soon as a Hollow reaches the level of a Gillian, it begins to master large, destructive techniques like Cero. A single Cero blast could easily cause serious losses among tightly packed troops.
Not to mention the academy students, even regular soldiers and some lower-ranking officers would have serious trouble evading a Gillian's Cero.
The operator fell silent for a moment, then immediately started working on the console again, switching to a more detailed mode of surveillance. But the longer he worked, the paler his face became.
He stared at dozens of dark red dots on the screen in front of him; his lips trembled uncontrollably. "The data shows that the spiritual pressure has reached Gillian level, yes, yes…"
"How many of them?" Soi Fong grabbed him by the collar.
"Twenty-five! A total of twenty-five Gillians!" the operator nearly screamed in terror.
As soon as those words echoed, several captains and vice-captains, including Unohana Retsu, could no longer remain calm.
"Damn it! Are you seriously sending this many Gillians at once?" Soi Fong wiped cold sweat from her forehead and shot a questioning glance at Amagai.
She was a local Shinigami born and raised in the Soul Society. Although she had already reached the level of captain and personally killed several Menos Grande during missions in Rukongai, her knowledge of Hueco Mundo itself wasn't much greater than that of an average Shinigami.
When faced with such a problem, she had no idea where to begin and could only look to the expedition leader for answers.
Amagai Shūsuke sighed heavily, then shook his head and smiled bitterly.
"Even after all the campaigns against Hueco Mundo I've led, this is the first time I've seen so many Gillians moving together."