That night.
Tenth Division Barracks.
"Hiss~"
A sharp intake of breath shattered the night's silence.
On the sickbed, Inuno Yang slowly opened his eyes.
He was covered in bandages, and his swollen, bruised eyes looked particularly horrifying in the dim moonlight.
He painstakingly turned his eyeballs to look at the ceiling, and the tragic battle from that morning involuntarily surfaced in his mind.
Negative emotions surged like a tide, overwhelming him; his internal organs felt as if they were tightly gripped by an invisible hand, causing unbearable pain.
"Damn it!" he cursed in a low voice, veins bulging, sweat beading on his forehead, his hands clenched into fists as he tried to struggle to his feet.
But the intense pain radiating throughout his body felt like thousands of needles pricking him, constantly reminding him.
—This was a complete and utter defeat.
"That old woman!"
"And that brat!"
Inuno Yang gritted his teeth, his heart burning with rage:
"Why?"
"Can they just do whatever they want because of their noble status? Is there still justice in this world? Is there any fairness?!"
He knew well that while infighting among Shinigami was strictly forbidden without reason, these rules were nothing but a dead letter to nobles.
Especially upper-class nobles; even if they committed heinous crimes within the Seireitei, they could still escape justice by relying on their family's power.
The Vice-Captain position should have been his!
However…
It was all ruined due to Tsugikuni Yoriichi's intervention…
He had lost his prestige and dignity, instantly reduced to a clown. How could he accept this?
Bang!
Suppressing the pain, he slammed a fist onto the sickbed. The bedding absorbed the sound, but it couldn't suppress the spread of his repressed emotions.
Inuno Yang's heart was filled with unquenchable resentment.
Just as he was thinking about how to get his revenge.
"Cough, cough…"
Two sudden coughs sounded by his ear.
Like a clap of thunder from a clear sky, Inuno Yang was startled and laboriously turned his head.
In the dim corner.
A masked man in black stood silently there.
He stood with his arms crossed, as if he had merged with the night.
Seeing this.
Whew…
Inuno Yang let out a long sigh: "You're finally here. Hurry and save me!"
"That old woman from the Kyoraku family is truly insane; her attacks were too brutal!"
His voice trembled slightly with pain, every word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth.
However, the man in black remained motionless, like a statue.
He simply stood there silently, as if oblivious to Inuno Yang's plea for help.
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Inuno Yang's brows furrowed, and a hint of doubt and unease flashed in his eyes.
He endured the intense pain in his body and raised his head:
"Hey! Why are you just standing there blankly? Didn't you say you were coming to heal me?"
"Hurry up and do something!"
Upon hearing this.
The man in black finally moved.
Rustle~
Stepping forward, he stood beside Inuno Yang and shook his head, his voice incredibly low:
"Inuno, you are too incompetent."
"Lord Aizen is very disappointed with your performance…"
"If I were you, I would be ashamed enough to commit suicide right now, instead of repeatedly urging me."
"Not only did you fail to hold onto the Tenth Division's Third Seat position, but you also got yourself beaten into such a miserable state…"
"Do you take your mission as a game?"
Inuno Yang's eyebrows furrowed into a knot; he hated the other party's tone.
He was just a tool.
He lowered his voice and reprimanded: "What are you talking about! Hurry up and heal me! Are you trying to usurp authority?!?"
"Don't forget, I am Lord Aizen's confidant!"
"…Not for long." The man in black shook his head slightly, his tone as if he were looking at trash.
However, he still followed his duty, using Healing Kido with both hands to quickly heal Inuno Yang's body.
Until all internal contusions disappeared.
The spiritual pressure scattered in the ward gradually converged and vanished.
"What's going on?"
Some pain still lingered in his body. Inuno Yang raised his eyes and looked at the mirror hanging on the wall beside him.
In the mirror…
He still looked as terrifying and hideous as ever, a sight that would make anyone fear him.
Veins protruded on his forehead. He abruptly turned his head, staring at the man in black, one hand tightly gripping his collar, gritting his teeth, and snarling:
"You bastard, are you playing a trick on me?"
"Who uses Healing Kido like this?"
He had never seen a patient whose external injuries showed no improvement after a treatment.
He wasn't terminally ill; it was just superficial wounds.
"Let go."
The man in black casually grasped Inuno Yang's wrist and, before he could react, gently squeezed.
"Crack!" The sound of bones shattering instantly echoed in the empty room.
Inuno Yang's face instantly turned ashen, and pain surged like a tide. His body trembled violently from the sudden severe blow.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead. He gritted his teeth, trying his best not to make a sound.
The man in black looked at Inuno Yang's suffering expression with satisfaction, then slowly released his right hand.
As soon as the restraint was released, Inuno Yang rapidly fell backwards like a kite with a broken string, stumbling to lean on the bed and bending over, gasping for breath.
His eyes held pain, unwillingness, and a hint of ruthlessness flickering within them.
"You… do you know what you're doing?" Inuno Yang barely managed to raise his head, questioning the man in black.
"I do, but what of it?" The man in black snorted coldly, looking down at him.
"In Lord Aizen's grand plan, you and I are merely insignificant pawns."
"There is no hierarchy among pawns, but strength determines everything. Now, I am stronger than you. What do you intend to do?"
The man in black clapped his hands lightly, gathering his sleeves, and seeing Inuno Yang's silence, he said coldly:
"Truly useless."
"Years of complacency seem to have greatly diminished your strength."
"But Lord Aizen is willing to give you another chance."
"For your next mission, find an opportunity to go to West Rukongai District 1 and guide a Hollow to attack a girl named Rukia."
"She is Tsugikuni Yoriichi's sister."
"Although not blood-related, there is still a close connection between them."
"Remember, your mission is only to guide; you must not directly intervene."
Upon hearing this, Inuno Yang's breathing suddenly hitched.
Rukia? The name was like a flash of lightning cutting through the gloom in his heart.
A complex emotion immediately flashed in his eyes—shock, anger, and a hint of imperceptible anticipation.
"Why does Lord Aizen want to do this?" he couldn't help but ask.
"I can just kill her directly."
"That would satisfy me."
"She's just a Rukongai resident."
"I'm confident I can make sure no one else finds the real culprit. I want that brat to be plunged into unbearable pain!"
"No need to ask further." The man in black interrupted him.
"Remember, this is your last chance."
"I have secretly healed your injuries; although they don't look good on the surface, they won't affect your mobility."
"But if you fail again…" His words were full of menace.
"Don't forget who guided you to become a Shinigami."
"Don't forget who made you the Third Seat of this Tenth Division."
"Serving Lord Aizen is your duty until death!"