Two days ago, after Ishida Sōken returned to Silbern, he immediately sought out Haschwalth.
"Haschwalth!"
"What is it?" Haschwalth replied calmly, even in the face of Sōken's stormy arrival.
"Don't play dumb!" Sōken slammed his hand down on the desk, blocking the documents Haschwalth was reviewing. "Answer me! Why did you do it?!"
"To prevent the Wandenreich from being exposed," Haschwalth lifted his head slowly and answered flatly. "The soldiers who were captured by the Shinigami would have eventually cracked under interrogation."
"You knew I was trying to save them!"
"You couldn't save them all."
"Do you know some of them died right in front of me?! Killed by your damn Reishi spell—just because I was a moment too late to undo it!"
"...I'm sorry."
"Then explain this—" Sōken took a deep breath, forcing himself to look Haschwalth in the eye. "What's with the new rules for the recruitment ceremony? It's nothing more than sending soldiers to slaughter each other!"
The new recruitment rules hadn't been publicly announced, but the Sternritter were already informed internally.
Previously, the Wandenreich's recruitment was simple: a ranked dueling system to identify the strongest and most talented.
But the new rules laid down by Haschwalth called for a far bloodier test.
He'd constructed a massive hunting ground, even pulling numerous Hollows from Hueco Mundo to populate it.
Each round, one hundred candidates would be thrown into this sealed space. The survivors were those who could make it out.
That alone might have earned Haschwalth praise for creativity.
But within the hunting grounds, participants could earn points by slaying Hollows—and steal points from each other by force.
Whoever held the top spot in the rankings could leave immediately.
And all the Hollows Haschwalth had brought in were Menos Grande, not easy prey.
In such a brutal setting, candidates would inevitably choose to attack their peers instead of risking being torn apart by packs of Menos.
As the stronger participants escaped, those remaining would have fewer allies—and less hope of cooperative survival.
"The Wandenreich has been sealed in the Shadow Space for too long," Haschwalth said dispassionately. "In this comfort, our soldiers have grown soft. To keep up with His Majesty's pace, they must be forged in harsher trials."
"There are other ways to train soldiers!" Sōken snapped. "We could increase the intensity of drills—"
"Without a sense of crisis, drills are meaningless," Haschwalth cut him off.
"I won't agree to this!"
This was too cruel. Sōken estimated at least half the soldiers from the outer districts would die. He couldn't accept that.
Acting on impulse, he turned to leave—intending to destroy Haschwalth's hunting ground. If he wiped out all the Hollows, let's see how Haschwalth continued with his bloodbath.
But just as he turned, he found himself bound by chains of Reishi.
"...Sorry, Sōken."
Even now, Haschwalth's expression barely shifted.
"Haschwalth!" Sōken struggled, but the chains held fast.
"For His Majesty's vision, I have no choice. You've been overworked running back and forth lately. Consider this a chance to rest."
Haschwalth stepped forward, confiscated Sōken's Reishi capsule and all his spirit tools, then left the room.
A few moments later, Sōken managed to break the chains—only to find the entire room sealed by a Reishi barrier.
It wasn't just any barrier. This one was designed specifically for Quincy: a Reishi vacuum. The space inside had been drained of all usable spirit particles.
With his Silver Capsule and spirit tools taken, Sōken had no way of breaking out from within.
"Damn it!" He pounded the wall, helpless.
—
After helping Meninas train for a while, Nanatsuki left her to continue working on her basics with the wrist-bound spirit tools.
He took a walk through the streets again.
This was a busier hour—more people around. The perfect time to find a new disciple.
This time, he wandered farther—away from Silbern's central districts and into older, less well-maintained neighborhoods.
Every time he passed a Quincy, he pulled up their Status Interface to check.
Eventually, in a quiet alley, he found his target.
A group of four—three men and one blonde girl—had cornered a black-haired girl.
"Nowhere to run, huh?" the blonde taunted, flanked by the tall youths.
"Try fighting me one-on-one, coward," the black-haired girl snapped back.
"Heh..." The blonde smoothed her white military uniform. "See this? I've already enlisted. And you? Still just some stray mutt."
They had all grown up in this district—but they'd never gotten along. Old grudges ran deep.
"A garbage soldier's still garbage," the black-haired girl sneered.
"Ooh, sharp tongue…" Nanatsuki chuckled from a rooftop above. None of them sensed his presence.
He pulled up her interface:
[Bambietta Basterbine]
[Talent: S]
[Reishi Control: |v30]
[Reputation Level: Stranger]
Another girl group member found.
"You're dead, bitch!" the blonde shouted, then barked at her entourage. "Get her!"
Even enraged, she didn't forget that she couldn't beat Bambietta alone.
The three guys had been itching to impress her and eagerly stepped forward.
"I don't like hitting girls..." one muttered, throwing a casual punch at Bambietta's face, "but you brought this on yourself."
Bambietta easily sidestepped and retaliated.
"Stay down!" the guy scoffed, still underestimating her.
But the moment her punch connected—it felt like being rammed by a freight train. A powerful explosive shock sent him flying.
Boom! He slammed into a wall and slumped over, unconscious.
"I told you—her punches are insane! Get her together!" the blonde shrieked.
The other two hesitated, now realizing this wasn't some pushover.
They were soldiers—and had assumed one of them could handle an untrained girl. The others were just backup.
"Is this all you've got? Come at me together!" Bambietta snapped.
"You're dead meat!"
Now fully provoked, they attacked without restraint.
Boom. Boom. Two punches. Two more bodies down.
"All trash."
The blonde's face twisted in disbelief. These were the same guys who boasted in front of her all day—yet they folded instantly.
"Y-you—don't come any closer!!"
Thunk! She collapsed before finishing the sentence.
"Tch. A trash soldier is still trash."
Bambietta sneered.
Clap-clap-clap—
A slow applause echoed behind her.
"Who's there?!"
She froze. She hadn't sensed anyone!
"Impressive," said Nanatsuki, stepping forward with a calm smile. "You defeated soldiers without any formal training."
"You with that blonde bitch?"
"No. Don't even know her." He shook his head. "Just heard the noise and came to check."
"Then I'll be going."
Bambietta's instincts screamed danger—this man was not someone she wanted to cross.
"Don't be in such a rush."
A hand landed gently on her shoulder.
"You've got real talent. But talent needs guidance to grow."
"A strong mentor can take you much further."
His voice was calm—warm, even. Close enough that she could feel his breath.
Yet her body locked up like a frightened animal facing a predator.
"And I'm strong."
"I'm also short one disciple."
"Teacher!" she blurted instinctively.
"Good." Nanatsuki nodded in approval. "Once you're my disciple, there's no going back. Betray me, and I'll personally strike you down. But if you stay loyal, I'll teach you everything."
Bambietta had a wild streak—earning her trust wasn't easy. If he tried to win her over gently, it would take too long.
But he didn't have time. The Quincy identity wouldn't last forever. And power—raw, undeniable power—was the fastest path to recognition.
"I won't betray you, Teacher," Bambietta said firmly. She knew when to yield—and when to follow.
"Good. Come with me, Bambietta."
He withdrew his hand and started walking.
"How'd you know my name?"
She followed him, wary yet intrigued.
Becoming this stranger's disciple was a risk—but also an opportunity.
"I will become strong," she whispered to herself, glancing at the looming silhouette of Silbern behind them.
Nanatsuki checked his interface:
Successfully accepted disciple: Bambietta Basterbine
Reputation Level: Stranger
Still a stranger in status—but forming the bond was enough. Reputation could come later.
Nanatsuki considered himself a fair teacher. He didn't abuse his students like beasts of burden. Raising her affection wouldn't be hard.
"Teacher, where are we going?" Bambietta asked hesitantly.
They were officially master and student now, but her uncertainty hadn't faded.
"You live in this district, right? Any family?"
"No… my parents died in the World of the Living."
Her voice tightened. She glanced at Silbern again, eyes glinting.
Nanatsuki studied her more closely. She looked a bit younger than Meninas—about thirteen or fourteen.
But he'd learned something from his other two disciples: the Wandenreich had sent a batch of Quincy to the World of the Living twenty years ago.
If her parents died there, she must have been born by then. Meaning she was older than she looked.
"So your parents were among that group..." Nanatsuki said softly. "I just came from the World of the Living myself."
"You were stationed there?" Bambietta felt their bond deepen. "Is it as terrifying as they say? I visited the camp Lord Sōken established… hardly anyone came back."
Twenty years ago, her parents had deemed the world too dangerous to take her with them.
"For Quincy... yes. Many fell in battle."
Nanatsuki's gaze softened. For the first time, he wondered if taking her in was the right choice.
If her parents had been killed by Shinigami... and now he, a Shinigami himself, was her teacher...
"No." Bambietta stopped. "Some didn't die in battle."
"What do you mean?"
"My family was silenced—by other Quincy."
She struck the wall beside her, leaving a crater.
"Will you tell me?"
"To prevent leaks… they were executed!" she said through clenched teeth. "Right in front of Lord Sōken… if he'd been just a second faster—he could've saved them!"
She broke down at last, tears streaming down her face.
Nanatsuki remembered the report Yoruichi had submitted. She had mentioned similar executions.
"This area's not safe. Come live with me instead. Your two senior sisters are already there." He gently patted her head.
"Aaahhh—" Bambietta collapsed into him, sobbing uncontrollably.