"Saeki, that Yūshirō Shihōin is far too arrogant. Even if he is from one of the Five Great Noble Houses, he shouldn't be so conceited and overbearing, as if you don't even exist. Everyone knows that your Saeki family, even compared to the Great Five, is not exactly beneath them…"
After Yūshirō Shihōin had left, Saeki Yumiko's three ever-loyal followers couldn't help but voice their indignation.
"Enough! Don't ever bring this up again!"
Yumiko frowned and immediately silenced them.
The three froze in shock, not expecting her to react so strongly.
In Soul Society, even speaking ill of the Great Noble Houses in private was a crime. If word reached their ears, one might well end up dead in the wilderness, body desecrated.
And as for claiming any family could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Five Greats? Laughable. The laws were dictated by the Kuchiki clan, treasures claimed by the Shihōin clan, knowledge hoarded by the Tsunayashiro family… Only rootless upstart families who rose suddenly through research or fortune entertained the illusion that the Great Houses were "no big deal." The closer one came to them, the more one realized their own insignificance.
"Enough… let's focus on the task at hand."
Yumiko forced a small smile. "Whether for others, or for ourselves, we still have to slay at least one Hollow."
"Of course."
"As noble elites, we can't afford to be underestimated."
"Right. Even the four of us alone could easily kill a common Hollow."
The trio laughed clumsily, shaking off their earlier unease, and together followed Yumiko deeper into the woods.
Meanwhile, in a Rukongai ramen shop…
"Boss, two bowls of extra-rich tonkotsu ramen."
Yūshirō Shihōin had dragged Hōshō Aya into a little shop to steal some free time.
"Got it, young man~"
The ever-smiling shopkeeper turned and began preparing the broth and noodles.
"Yūshirō… is it really okay for us to sneak off like this?" Aya asked, a trace of guilt flashing across her noble upbringing.
"Why not? It's just ramen."
Yūshirō clapped her shoulder lightly. "Relax. As for the other four in our squad, don't worry. They're weaker than us, sure—but four against one ordinary Hollow? They'll be fine."
The bowls arrived swiftly.
"Here you go~ enjoy."
"First, let's eat. If something really happens, remember—I'll be there."
He ruffled Aya's hair with a grin.
Blushing, Aya lowered her gaze. "…Alright."
Slurping noodles noisily, Yūshirō laughed: "See? Best ramen in all of Soul Society, hands down."
The old man chuckled proudly. "Haha! If even the Soul King himself ever came down from the Palace and tried it, he'd never want to go back."
Yūshirō laughed with him. "True enough—if he could leave, he'd never return."
"Shhh—careful with your words."
The shopkeeper darted nervous glances around. Speaking lightly of the Soul King was dangerous.
Aya sat quietly beside Yūshirō, watching him. She realized—even after years together, she still couldn't fully grasp him. The younger brother of Shihōin Yoruichi, scion of the most ancient noble family… by human standards, he was above princes. Yet here he was, as at ease joking with the Captain-Commander or the Zero Division as he was chatting with a ramen vendor in Rukongai.
And somehow, that very contradiction made him irresistibly approachable.
Their quiet meal didn't last.
Suddenly, Yūshirō stopped mid-bite of his third bowl, setting his chopsticks down and standing.
"Yūshirō—this reiatsu…"
Aya felt it too—an ominous, oppressive pressure.
"Yeah." He nodded. Tossing coins on the counter, he told the shopkeeper, "Here's the payment. Keep my seat warm—I'll be back for the rest."
The man frowned. "Can't it wait until after you've eaten? Ramen doesn't taste good cold."
"Don't worry. I'll be back quickly."
With a wink, Yūshirō tapped Aya's shoulder. "Wait here for me."
The next instant, his body vanished into shunpō.
"Wha—?!" Aya gasped, then quickly followed, also leaving word with the shopkeeper to keep her seat.
The old man sighed. "These kids… by the time they're back, the ramen will be ruined."
Meanwhile, Yumiko's squad…
"Pathetic Hollow—can't even touch us."
Ise laughed, cutting down a Hollow with his already-released Zanpakutō.
"Didn't know you'd already achieved Shikai! At this rate, you'll graduate straight into a seated officer role."
Yumiko, unusually, praised him.
Ise smiled faintly. Were it not for the political pressure crushing his clan, he would have avoided Yumiko entirely. He had even once considered never becoming a Shinigami. But here he was.
The others were hyped up. "With Ise leading us, let's hunt down a few more Hollows!"
Before long, the air above them cracked like glass, revealing a black void. From it, a massive Hollow with a long nose—a Gillian—emerged, releasing a wave of crushing reiatsu.
"A… Menos Grande?!"
Ise's forehead was slick with sweat. Still, he quickly judged: with the four of them working together, it was possible.
But when he glanced back—his teammates had already collapsed in terror, paralyzed.
"Tch."
He sighed. "Fine. You three—run. Now!"
They only trembled, deaf to his words. He roared louder: "I said RUN!"
That snapped Yumiko out of it. "But… what about you?"
"I'll buy you time. Don't worry, I'm strong."
He braced himself, locking eyes on the Gillian.
The other two hesitated. "We'll stay and fight too!"
"Idiots!" he barked. "Look at your trembling hands. You'll only drag me down. GO!"
Ashamed but resolute, they fled. Only Yumiko remained, frozen. Her sensitivity to reiatsu—source of her great kidō talent—also made her acutely aware of the overwhelming scale of the Cero charging in the Gillian's mouth. She collapsed, unable to move.
"Damn it!" Ise cursed. Channeling all his power, he screamed, "Don't shame the Ise name!" and stood to block the incoming blast.
The scarlet Cero engulfed him. His body was shredded, yet he forced himself to stand, veins bulging, unwilling to yield.
His thoughts raced:
"I can't die here. If I fall, who will uphold the Ise name? Who will protect little Nanao?!"
At the brink of despair—
"My, my. A Menos Grande, here of all places? How troublesome."
A calm voice cut through. A silver-white figure stepped in front of Ise, effortlessly deflecting the Cero.
"Saved…" was Ise's last fleeting thought before collapsing into unconsciousness.
With a flick of his fingers—"Byakurai."
A blinding bolt lanced out, piercing the Gillian's head, dropping the monster instantly.
Yūshirō Shihōin turned, eyes sharp yet casual.
"Now—can someone explain what exactly is going on here?"