Chapter 61: Akira's "Popularity"
Narrator POV
Some time later…
—W-who could have done this…? —Isane brought a trembling hand to her mouth. Her voice was barely a whisper as she took in the scene before her.
The streets of the Seireitei—specifically the area of Squad 11—looked like something straight out of a nightmare. Shinigami were scattered everywhere: some unconscious on rooftops, others embedded in walls, or collapsed on the ground. The chaos was undeniable. The fight had been brutal… but not lethal.
—They're… alive —she said, with a mix of relief and disbelief upon noticing the absence of corpses. —Quickly! All Squad 4 members, attend to the wounded! —she shouted, regaining her composure. Her now-firm voice snapped the others into action.
The members of Squad 4 began to move swiftly. Some ran with improvised stretchers, others were already checking pulses and examining the injuries of the scattered bodies. It was a full medical emergency response.
And then, silence fell once more. A serene figure walked among the debris: Retsu Unohana. Her expression was calm, almost unsettling in its serenity, as she surveyed the scene.
Broken zanpakutō. Destroyed walls. Traces of reiatsu everywhere. Even shinigami collapsed across rooftops and shattered structures made it clear that Squad 11's defenders had tried to resist… and failed.
—Mmm… it seems the Ryoka are more dangerous than we thought —Unohana said softly, almost maternally, yet with an underlying warning that made Isane shiver.
—C-Captain…?
—Do you see it, Isane? That's why I don't want you fighting that Akira. Even though he didn't kill them… he dominated them all. With precision. With control. With restrained brutality.
Isane lowered her gaze, a knot forming in her stomach. If even the fiercest members of Squad 11 had been defeated without being able to counterattack… just how strong was that Ryoka?
Unohana, meanwhile, continued walking in silence. A faint, nearly imperceptible smile appeared on her lips as something within her—something ancient and long forgotten—stirred.
As a former Kenpachi, Unohana could clearly recognize what others could not: these wounds were not the result of chaos or loss of control. No. Every strike had been measured. Every broken bone, intentional. The attacker had chosen to leave his opponents alive. And that spoke far more of his power than killing them ever would have.
—It was a choice… not a limitation —Unohana murmured to herself, gazing at one of the shinigami on the ground who was still breathing.
—C-Captain Unohana… —Isane asked, her nervousness obvious as she fidgeted with her fingers. —Are the intruders really that dangerous?
Even without being near the battle, Isane could still feel it… that residual trace in the air. Dense. Dark. Like a floating poison, alien to normal reiatsu. A cursed energy that clung to the soul like tar.
Unohana slowly turned her head toward her lieutenant, her expression as serene as ever—but her eyes… those eyes spoke of a thousand battles.
—For now… only one has proven to be truly dangerous.
—The one who injured Captains Kuchiki and Ichimaru… and also Lieutenant Abarai?
—Yes… that Ryoka. —Unohana replied calmly, gently placing a hand on Isane's shoulder.—The others, we still know nothing about. But him… Akira… he is not someone we should underestimate.
The warmth of Unohana's hand contrasted sharply with the chill that ran down Isane's spine. It wasn't just what her captain said… it was what she didn't say. Something in Unohana's gaze, that faint glimmer hidden beneath her calm, made it clear that even she… was intrigued.
—(Power, precision… restraint. I wonder… how far could he go if he stopped holding back?)
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Yoruichi, still in her feline form, trembled with anger. News was flying across the rooftops of the Seireitei: nearly all of Squad 11 had been neutralized.
—That idiot… I told him our main objective was rescuing Rukia, not declaring war on the entire Soul Society…
She knew exactly who she was talking about. Who else but Akira could have defeated almost an entire squad in such a short time… and still left them alive?
Letting out a long, frustrated sigh, Yoruichi began moving at high speed across the rooftops, her black silhouette like a shadow among the buildings of the Seireitei. She had to find him as soon as possible. If she let him wander on his own, he might end up clashing with another squad… or worse, with captains who wouldn't be as merciful as he was.
—(Akira… maybe that defiant attitude comes from his past…)
As she ran, her thoughts were as fast as her steps. She remembered the moment she first saw him. Fragile. Vulnerable. Weaker than the average human. Alone… and surrounded by Hollows.
—(When I left him behind back then… I was sure he would die. But he didn't. He survived. He changed. Now that he's strong, maybe he refuses to ever feel weak again… Maybe every fight is his way of screaming at the world that he's no longer that helpless child.)
A part of her—one she had buried beneath her pride—truly wanted to understand him. She wanted to know what happened to him after that day, after Akira was devoured by a Hollow. What broke him.
What turned him into what he is now. Because Akira wasn't just powerful… he was an enigma—one who refused to take orders from anyone.
—(I want to understand the mystery that is Akira… because at this rate, who knows how this will end.)
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—So Akira is already causing this much chaos? Sounds like he's having fun… —Ichigo commented as he secretly listened to a small group of shinigami whispering that almost all of Squad 11 had been defeated by a single person.
—Ichigo! Stop being so nosy and get over here! —Ganju waved at him from a corner, where he had already found a small abandoned warehouse to hide in.
—I'm not being nosy… I'm just gathering information —Ichigo grumbled as he followed him.
Upon entering the warehouse, Ichigo frowned. Ganju had unknowingly brought someone with him: a young, weak-looking shinigami, clearly nervous and far more frightened than they were. He was thin, short, with somewhat long black hair falling over half his face, and light-colored eyes filled with fear and confusion.
—Hey, Ganju… why the hell did you bring a hostage!? —he said incredulously, pointing at him— He doesn't even have a zanpakutō!
Hanatarō: A-actually… my name is Hanatarō Yamada…
Ichigo / Ganju (in unison): What an ugly name.
Hanatarō: Huh? W-what do you mean? I like it… I think it's a nice name…
—No, it's not —Ichigo said seriously, though with a teasing smile.—Where I come from, "Hana" means flower. You should be called "flower field" or something like that… that would suit you better.
—The name of the vase doesn't matter. What did you hear, Ichigo? —Ganju asked, completely forgetting about Hanatarō.
—Looks like Akira already took care of several shinigami from the same squad that's been chasing us —Ichigo explained casually… completely forgetting Hanatarō again.
—Really? Just how strong is that guy? I thought he only had a pretty face and fancy clothes —Ganju said, surprised, recalling how overwhelmed they had felt while fleeing their pursuers. If Akira had faced them alone… that changed everything.
—I don't know exactly, but… out of our whole group, Akira is probably the strongest —Ichigo thought about it for a moment. After all, during their training, Akira never seemed to push himself.
At that moment, a timid, slightly trembling voice joined the conversation.
—E-excuse me… are you talking about the Ryoka Akira who injured Captain Gin Ichimaru? —The question made Ichigo and Ganju turn toward him in surprise.
—And how do you know that?
—Everyone knows. In fact, an official order was issued: shinigami are permitted to use their zanpakutō without restriction… but only against the Ryoka named Akira.
The atmosphere grew tense. Ichigo narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists at Hanatarō's words.
—So they're going after him with everything they've got?
—I don't think so… even though the order exists, most don't want to face him. They fear him… for having injured one of the Soul Society's captains.
—That only makes it worse, kid —Ganju said, his tone now serious.—If the regular shinigami back off… that means the strongest ones will go after him.
A heavy silence fell over the group. Worry was evident on Ichigo and Ganju's faces, but so was a spark of respect. Akira hadn't just shaken the squads… he was now becoming a high-level target.
And if this continued, true hell was only just beginning.
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End of the chapter.