Chapter 231 The War Begins!
"Hmm?"
"Is something wrong, Fiander?"
Noticing that Fiander positioned beside her had suddenly opened his eyes with slightly surprised expression across his features, Lilynette—who'd been playing video games aside—suddenly turned her head to regard him.
"No, nothing!"
"It's just... It's been extraordinarily long since I've witnessed rain!"
Fiander's words made Lilynette feel puzzled. She frowned with confusion and declared: "Rain? If you wish witnessing rainfall, can't you create it yourself?"
Lilynette understood that Fiander's Reiatsu could alter weather suddenly, consequently she felt doubtful.
"That's different, Lilynette!"
Fiander smiled. A rare expression of anticipation appeared within his eyes.
On another front, within Soul Society's Seireitei, following the captain assembly not long ago, according to Captain-Commander Yamamoto's orders, each division's captains had stationed additional Shinigami guards at the four gates protecting Seireitei to ensure discovering enemies and implementing corresponding countermeasures immediately—preventing being caught unprepared by invaders like the previous occasion.
At this moment, the squad leader responsible for guarding a particular street witnessed his team members appearing somewhat uneasy. He hurried forward to console them:
"Don't grow so nervous. The area suffering most severe damage during the previous invasion was near the Black Ridge Gate. Overall, the enemy's invasion must have originated from the Fourth Gate. I believe if you encounter enemies, others will notify you in advance!"
The squad leader's consoling words didn't improve the anxious squad members' conditions. Rather, they made them feel even more uneasy.
"However... I believe..."
Just as this squad member wished expressing his unease, a deep, magnetic voice emerged from above their heads.
"Oh? That reasoning sounds quite logical!"
The sudden sound made all Shinigami assembled break into cold sweat. When everyone gazed upward toward the sky, a man wearing a black cloak and mustache—with strange patterns within his pupils—gazed downward like a deity observing all living beings.
WOOOSH—
"It's a Quincy! When did he..."
"Calm yourselves! He's still positioned in midair, beyond the barrier—don't panic!"
The Shinigami's panic made the atmosphere extraordinarily tense. Only the Shinigami who'd spoken previously was whispering palely: "No!"
"The opponent is already... inside the Shakonmaku barrier!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
As his voice concluded, dozens of spirit particle light beams materialized from nowhere throughout Seireitei's streets, representing that all Sternritter members had positioned themselves.
Sensing the panicked gazes of the Shinigami below, Yhwach spoke contemptuously: "This alone frightens you?"
"War... proves truly agonizing!"
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
At this moment, the enemy invasion bell throughout Seireitei had already sounded. All Gotei 13 captains and vice-captains began acting successively. Observing the azure flames burning throughout Seireitei, Sentarō Kotsubaki inquired: "What exactly are these phenomena?"
"Are those light beams?"
"No! Those aren't light beams, but azure flames continuously burning... Each spirit particle concentration proves astoundingly elevated!"
"How many exist?"
Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu—both Third Seats of the Thirteenth Division—advanced toward the squad barracks' exterior while directing soldiers to assemble.
At this moment, a figure leaped into the air and rushed toward the burning spirit pillars. After perceiving the figure's identity clearly, Sentarō Kotsubaki shouted urgently: "Hey! Where are you heading? Kuchiki!"
Rukia Kuchiki—current Thirteenth Division Vice-Captain—turned her head and responded urgently: "Toward the fire pillars!"
"The enemy's commanders are likely positioned there!"
After hearing Rukia Kuchiki's words, Sentarō Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu glanced at one another, then followed Rukia's footsteps and rushed toward one fire pillar's direction.
On another front, within the First Division Captain's assembly chamber, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni stood upon the wall he'd destroyed himself, sensing the chaotic situation throughout Seireitei.
It appeared the deployment he'd implemented possessed absolutely no effect whatsoever. He'd believed the enemy would invade from beyond the Fourth Gate. However, he hadn't anticipated the enemy ignoring the Shakonmaku barrier's detection, so easily breaching Seireitei's greatest defense and invading directly.
The Shinigami's cries for assistance before perishing throughout Seireitei—various scenes depicting torture and slaughter—manifested within the Gotei 13 Captain-Commander's perception.
CLENCH—
Tightly gripping the cane within his palm, Yamamoto Genryūsai addressed Okikiba Genshirō who knelt upon one knee in salute behind him:
"This old man is about to deploy. You must maintain position this time and protect the division!"
"Acknowledged!"
Staring at Yamamoto's tall, upright figure, Okikiba Genshirō responded with reluctance evident within his eyes.
At another location, Kira Izuru—Third Division Vice-Captain—was observing beneath a fire pillar alongside spiritual investigators from the Technology Development Bureau.
"Still no results?"
Observing the busy, perspiring investigators, Kira Izuru turned his head and inquired urgently.
"My apologies..."
The technicians within the investigation team couldn't afford responding to Kira Izuru's inquiry properly. After considerable duration, they continued intermittently: "The spirit particle concentration within this region proves extraordinarily elevated—the instruments are malfunctioning! Obtaining accurate spirit particle data proves impossible. Capturing spirit particle movement paths normally proves extraordinarily difficult!"
While everyone awaited anxiously, figures emerged from the spiritual fire pillar. At this moment, the spiritual investigation team technician hurriedly declared as though relieved of tremendous burden: "Reiatsu has been captured! Similarity with the sample reaches 93 percent!"
"It's Quincy!"
After confirming the enemy's identity, Kira Izuru immediately commanded the Shinigami positioned behind him, shouting: "I've confirmed the enemy's identity!"
"Yes!"
Just as the Shinigami prepared confronting enemies with complete confidence, a beam of flame shot forth from the light pillar. Brief silence fell across the audience. As the squad's leader, half of Kira's body was directly obliterated.
AAAHHH—
"Despicable—a sneak attack! Shikai! Don't permit these bandits escaping!"
Kira Izuru's tragic condition once again ignited the fury of assembled Shinigami. The officers and soldiers present raised their Zanpakutō in Shikai and chanted their release commands.
"Sound off! Wabisuke!"
"Eliminate it! Benihime!"
"Spiral forth! Kazeshini!"
Just as the Shinigami maintained full battle readiness, an afterimage passed directly through the crowd. The locations trailing behind consisted entirely of fallen Shinigami figures.
"My apologies! We're ordered eliminating everyone!"
At this moment, Jugram Haschwalth slowly emerged from the spiritual fire pillar. He lifted the hood from his head, ignored the Shinigami soldiers surrounding him, and spoke with cold eyes: "Tremble, Shinigami!"
"From this moment forward, the Sternritter will annihilate you completely!"