A week later, at the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy.
Azashiro Kana, Muguruma Kensei, Hirako Shinji, Kobane Jin'emon, Kuchiki Sōjun, and Ōmaeda Kishinosuke stood before Katori Nanatsuki, listening as he explained the rules for their upcoming assessment mission.
"Your task is to accompany the transport squad and deliver military supplies to the expeditionary force in Hueco Mundo."
"Throughout this mission, both I and the members of the transport squad will be evaluating your performance. Only those who pass will be allowed early graduation."
"Hueco Mundo is unlike the Seireitei or the World of the Living. Danger can strike at any moment, so don't let your guard down."
"Move out!"
"Yes, sir!" the six responded in unison.
This round of supplies had been prepared by Squad 3. Katori Nanatsuki led the six examinees to rendezvous with the team there.
Squad 3's Shinigami were bustling with activity.
"Vice-Captain Iba, I've brought the examinees," Nanatsuki reported to Iba Chikane, the vice-captain of Squad 3.
"Welcome, Department Head Katori. The supplies are ready—have each student take one pack from over there." Iba pointed toward a pile of backpacks stacked in the corner.
These backpacks contained compressed Reishi spaces filled with the necessary materials for Hueco Mundo.
Each examinee picked up a backpack and slung it over their shoulders.
A short while later, Squad 3's Shinigami finished their preparations as well.
In addition to Nanatsuki and the six students, there were eight fully-fledged Shinigami joining the transport mission.
The leader of the transport squad was the Fourth Seat of Squad 3.
"I'm Saitō Akane, the leader of this mission." Saitō Akane wore her long black-purple hair tied back with a band, her look neat and sharp, with a red sash at her waist.
"Miss Saitō, I'm Katori Nanatsuki, an instructor at the academy. These are the students undertaking the assessment. Please take care of them," Nanatsuki introduced the group.
Saitō gave a nod. "Just stick close to me."
She opened the Senkaimon, revealing the Dangai inside.
Because Hueco Mundo exists outside the standard dimensional flow, a specially-modified Senkaimon was required to create a path through the Dangai and into its borders.
"So this is the Dangai… it really does look dangerous," Azashiro Kana muttered, watching streams of unstable Reishi twist and swirl through the pitch-black space.
The Dangai was a chaotic void between worlds, filled with turbulent spiritual currents and devoid of solid footing. To move through it safely, one had to create temporary paths by compressing and stabilizing Reishi beneath their feet.
"Be careful. If you fall here, the Reishi turbulence might sweep you into some unknown dimension," Nanatsuki warned.
"No matter what happens in here, stay close to me! Move out!" Saitō Akane led the way, stepping into the Dangai as Reishi condensed beneath her feet, forming a path.
The others followed through the gate into the darkness.
With Saitō leading, the others had it easier—they simply walked along the road she laid.
They followed her at a steady pace.
"Reishi turbulence incoming—keep up! Accelerate and get through before it hits!" she suddenly shouted.
To the left, a pale blue tide of turbulent Reishi surged toward them.
The full-fledged Shinigami were unfazed, picking up their pace. But the students, encountering such a thing for the first time, panicked.
As the turbulence hit, they instinctively slowed down, raising their arms to shield themselves.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team surged forward without hesitation.
The students' hesitation created a gap between them and the main group.
Then the core of the turbulence struck, blowing apart the Reishi road beneath the students' feet.
They scrambled to recreate the path, but in their rush, they began interfering with each other's control—none of them could stabilize a road.
The gap widened rapidly, and the six were swept away by the Reishi turbulence.
Nanatsuki noticed the separation. Reishi gathered beneath his feet as he broke from the group and dashed toward the students.
But by then, the squad had exited the turbulence zone, and Nanatsuki and the six students had vanished.
"Fourth Seat Saitō! The academy group is gone!" a Shinigami called out.
Saitō raised a hand to halt the squad.
She turned and looked behind them—but the seven from the academy were nowhere in sight.
The turbulence had made it impossible to sense Reiatsu, and only now had they realized the separation.
"They were probably sucked into a nearby 'Valley Of Scream' space…" Saitō muttered. She tossed her pack to a dark-haired man. "Sixth Seat Nagashima, lead the rest of the transport. I'm going back to find them."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The squad continued forward, while Saitō headed into the turbulence zone.
The chaotic current had torn open a Jiao Valley space, dragging Muguruma and the others inside.
Nanatsuki followed without hesitation.
Inside, the turbulence continued to ravage the Valley of Scream.
Once it subsided, however, the residual Reishi would remain behind—explaining why some of these spaces were so densely saturated.
The group had been scattered, landing in different parts of the valley.
"Wake up, damn it!!!"
Muguruma Kensei stared in terror as the ground rushed closer.
Ōmaeda Kishinosuke's massive body had pinned him during the fall.
Thud! Thud! Thud!—they crashed into the ground.
"You fat bastard, you nearly killed me!" Muguruma shoved Ōmaeda off and clawed his way out of the crater.
He scanned his unfamiliar surroundings in a panic.
They were in a rocky gorge—barren, without a single trace of life.
"Endless… I thought Valley of Scream was supposed to be small?" Muguruma climbed a rocky outcrop to survey the area.
Whoosh!—Nanatsuki suddenly appeared beside him.
"Sensei!" Muguruma breathed in relief.
"The turbulence scattered everyone," Nanatsuki said. He could only sense three nearby. Kobane, Hirako, and Kuchiki had been swept too far.
With Muguruma's help, Ōmaeda came to.
"Where are we?!" he asked, rubbing his swollen face.
"This is probably Valley of Scream. We got swept into one by the turbulence," Muguruma replied.
"Come on. Let's regroup with the others and get out of here," said Nanatsuki.
He led them toward Azashiro Kana's location, which wasn't far, but he had already sensed high levels of Reiatsu near her.
When they arrived, they found Azashiro in the middle of a fight with two Shinigami clad in green armor.
"What are Shinigami doing here?" Nanatsuki frowned. The green armor sparked a faint memory.
They were likely exiled nobles.
Without hesitation, he drew his blade. A flash of Flowlight tore through the valley.
One of the armored Shinigami, aiming to ambush Azashiro, suddenly saw the world spin-and then a headless corpse.
'That looks like… me?'
The thought crossed his airborne mind just before it hit the ground and faded into eternal blackness.
The remaining attacker was stunned by his ally's sudden death.
In that moment of distraction, Azashiro Kana lunged forward in a low stance and drove her blade into his throat.
Katori-ryu: Shun Strike!
The Zanpakutō pierced straight through, and the armored Shinigami collapsed, clutching his neck.
"Sensei!" Azashiro flicked the blood from her blade.
"Who were they? Why were you fighting?" Nanatsuki asked.
"They said they were from the Ryūdōji clan. Attacked me on sight," she replied.
"Ryūdōji? Probably one of the exiled noble houses," Nanatsuki muttered. The green armor did ring a bell, though the name didn't.
"I've heard of them," Ōmaeda added. "Like the Kasumioji clan—they were exiled recently. Treason, I think."
"If they bear hatred for the Shinigami, this space is dangerous. We should regroup and leave quickly," said Nanatsuki.
He inspected their weapons—not standard Zanpakutō.
"Chaotic Reiatsu…"
Nanatsuki could feel the unstable energy surging within. It was nothing like a Zanpakutō.
Channeling Reiatsu into his hand, he shattered the blade with sheer pressure.
Fragments of white-cloaked souls drifted out from the shards.
"Weapons made from 'Missing Souls', huh?" Nanatsuki understood.
The spaces were formed by souls that had been caught between reincarnation and pulled into the Dangai.
These lingering souls—called Missing Souls—had been forged into weapons, each bearing strange powers.