Ignoring the worsening injuries wracking his body, Isshin pushed Shunpo to its limits. In an instant, he appeared before Masaki, shoving White away with one hand and then tackling Masaki to the ground, intending to shield her from the blast with his own body to save her.
However, given Isshin's severely wounded state, if he were directly hit by the force of White's self-destruction, it was highly likely he wouldn't survive.
But Masaki, shielded beneath him, might have a chance of surviving.
At that moment, White, which had been pushed aside by Isshin, finally exploded.
Boom!
A deafening roar erupted, followed by a terrifying shockwave rapidly sweeping towards Isshin and Masaki.
At this critical juncture, Isshin, who had prepared to sacrifice himself to repay Masaki's lifesaving act, and Masaki, pinned beneath him, seemed to hear a voice ring out.
"Bakudo #81, Danku!"
A transparent barrier suddenly materialized, appearing right in front of Isshin and Masaki.
Immediately, the cataclysmic shockwave from White's explosion crashed against the transparent barrier.
Under the impact, the barrier created from Danku rippled like the surface of a lake, appearing as if it might shatter at any moment.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Under the continuous onslaught, cracks inevitably began to spiderweb across the barrier, threatening to break apart the next second. However, as a powerful surge of Reiatsu poured in, the cracks were constantly repaired.
Thus, destruction and repair proceeded simultaneously. Eventually, the destructive force of Whites' explosion gradually dissipated, and the shockwave vanished with it.
Crackle!
After the explosive shockwave faded, the barrier, now riddled with cracks and lacking further spiritual pressure to sustain it, finally shattered.
"Ah... eh?"
"I'm... not dead yet?"
At this moment, Isshin, who had closed his eyes ready to give his life blocking the explosion to repay Masaki, waited for a while only to realize he seemed... not dead.
Not only not dead, but he also didn't seem to have been affected by White's self-destruction at all.
"Heh, are you that eager to die, Captain?"
A voice sounded from beside Isshin.
Hearing this familiar voice, Isshin immediately opened his eyes and looked up, his face instantly lighting up with surprise. "Toshiro!!"
The newcomer was none other than Toshiro, who had pursued him all the way from the Soul Society.
"Yeah. Sorry I'm late, Captain," Toshiro said apologetically.
"No, no, no, Toshiro! You came at just the right time! You saved me and this young lady. Really, thank you!" Isshin said gratefully.
Although he had been prepared to sacrifice himself to save Masaki, who had saved his life, who would willingly choose death if they could live?
However, seeing Isshin's grateful expression, Toshiro couldn't help but complain instead. "Captain, by the way, shouldn't the Shiba Clan's Senkaimon be properly maintained?"
"The Shiba Clan's Senkaimon? What's wrong with our Senkaimon? When I came to the Living World earlier, there were some minor issues, but it didn't affect its use..." Isshin asked, puzzled.
"Hmph, you have the nerve to ask! I came out to find you and used your family's Senkaimon. The moment I stepped inside, it malfunctioned, trapping me inside. It took me a great deal of effort to repair it," Toshiro said, his tone carrying a hint of anger.
Originally, not long after Isshin left, Toshiro, worried about his Captain's safety, hurriedly followed. But he never expected such a frustrating turn of events.
As is well known, after the Shiba Clan's decline, they moved from the Seireitei to the Rukongai. The Senkaimon belonging to the Shiba Clan within the Seireitei consequently fell into disrepair. Over the years, it often developed minor problems, though it remained barely functional.
However, when Toshiro used the Shiba Clan's Senkaimon to chase Isshin to the Living World this time, an accident occurred. The moment Toshiro activated the gate and stepped through, it malfunctioned, trapping him inside.
This also meant that Aizen's group, who set out after Toshiro, arrived in the Living World before him.
Afterward, Toshiro managed to repair the Senkaimon somehow and arrived in the Living World. Sensing Isshin's Reiatsu, he rushed all the way from Narumishi City to Karakura Town.
He arrived just in time for White's self-destruction.
So, Toshiro promptly used Danku to block the blast's force from reaching Isshin and Masaki.
It's hard to say whether this frustrating incident Toshiro encountered was fortunate or unfortunate for Isshin.
Unfortunate because, if not for this mess, Toshiro would have definitely followed closely behind Isshin, arriving in the Living World before Aizen and finding him. In that case, Isshin wouldn't have been severely injured and nearly killed.
Fortunate because Toshiro wasn't too late. He arrived precisely during White's self-destruction, acted in time to block the blast, and even gave Masaki a chance to play the 'beauty saves the hero' role, likely boosting the rapport between the two.
"Ahaha, I see. My apologies, Toshiro. Once I get back, I'll definitely have it thoroughly checked and guarantee no more problems," Isshin said sheepishly.
Just then, a soft, hesitant voice came from beneath Isshin.
"Um... Mr. Shinigami... could you maybe get off me first?"
Isshin looked down to see the orange-haired girl he had been pinning down.
"Ah! Sorry! My deepest apologies!" Isshin hurriedly apologized.
Masaki just smiled and said, "No, Mr. Shinigami, there's no need to apologize. I know you did that to protect me."
Masaki understood perfectly well that this Shinigami had tackled her to the ground to shield her with his own body from the explosion. If not for his companion's timely arrival, this Shinigami might have died saving her from the blast.
Isshin then tried to struggle up from Masaki, but as soon as he stood, his injuries flared up, and he collapsed back to the ground with a thud.
"Are you okay, Captain?"
"Are you okay, Mr. Shinigami?"
Toshiro and Masaki asked simultaneously.
"Mmm... ow, ow, ow!" Isshin yelped in pain.
"Yare yare, what a disgrace. A Captain of the Gotei 13, saved twice in a row by a young girl and his own subordinate..."