"The 7th Division is under attack?!"
"Damn it, who would dare commit violence in the Seireitei?!"
"Hurry, let's reinforce the 7th Division!"
Shouting these words, several night-patrolling Soul Reapers carrying lanterns ran toward the 7th Division's direction.
But just as they turned a corner, several masked figures suddenly charged out from the shadows—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With the sound of blades piercing flesh, the patrolling Soul Reapers screamed and collapsed to the ground.
Similar scenes played out throughout the Seireitei.
In front of the 8th Division barracks, a night-patrolling Soul Reaper stared in horror at the blade about to pierce his chest.
Suddenly, a figure descended from above.
A pink flower-patterned haori, a large woven hat atop his head.
8th Division Captain, Shunsui Kyōraku!
Facing the attackers, Shunsui expressionlessly raised his Zanpakutō high.
Even in the darkness, the cold gleam of the blade was clearly visible.
Slish!!!
With a swing of his sword, six or seven black-clad figures simultaneously spurted blood.
Looking at the fallen assailants, he spoke calmly: "Take all these people into custody. Lock them in the dojo first and guard them strictly."
"Yes, sir!"
A group of Soul Reapers who had followed responded in unison.
Shunsui sheathed his sword and adjusted his hat with one hand.
He glanced at the patrolling Soul Reaper slumped nearby.
"You alright?"
The Soul Reaper finally snapped out of it and nodded repeatedly. "Y-yes! Thank you very much, Captain Kyōraku!"
Shunsui nodded.
At that moment, a tall girl with glasses and braided hair landed beside him.
"Captain, battles have broken out in various districts centered around the 7th Division."
"Especially along the main routes to the 7th Division—that's where the most attackers are concentrated."
At this point, she couldn't help but frown. "How did so many people sneak in without anyone noticing...?"
Shunsui didn't answer.
His instincts told him tonight's events weren't as simple as they appeared.
But in the short term, he couldn't think of any reasonable explanation.
And right now, rescuing the 7th Division was more important than uncovering any conspiracy!
"Lisa-chan, I'll leave the division to you. Don't let any bad guys break in, okay?"
After smiling and giving these instructions, he vanished into the night with a single step.
At the 5th Division barracks, a golden-haired man sat on the rooftop, quietly gazing toward the 7th Division's direction.
Originally, he had intended to rush over immediately to help.
But... after some consideration, Shinji Hirako changed his mind.
The 8th Division's headquarters was very close to the 7th Division's location. With Captain Kyoraku there, reinforcements should have been sufficient.
Rather than rushing over like a fool, it would be better for him to remain stationed at the 5th Division to prevent any other unexpected incidents that might leave the entire Seireitei stretched too thin.
But just then, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
Shinji blinked in surprise.
A member of the Onmitsukidō—the elite messengers of the Seireitei.
Under his gaze, the messenger knelt on one knee. "Central 46 orders: 5th Division Captain Shinji Hirako is to immediately lead his troops to reinforce the 7th Division headquarters!"
At these words, Shinji couldn't help but show a stunned expression.
The 5th Division was so far from the 7th Division—why did it have to be him?
He instinctively asked, "What about the other captains? Are they going too?"
"Apologies, I do not have that information."
With that, the messenger vanished from Shinji's presence in an instant.
"Tch… how annoying."
Shinji scratched his head, his expression pained.
Though he couldn't fathom what game Central 46 was playing, since the order had been given, he had no room to argue.
The last person who openly defied Central 46's orders was still rotting in Muken.
"Hey! A few of you, come with me to the 7th Division!"
...
...
Satoru stood atop a roof, watching as several night-patrolling Shinigami hurried toward the 7th Division.
Spotting the sudden attackers who were about to strike and kill, he drew the Asauchi at his waist.
In a flicker of movement, he appeared behind the assailants.
With a flick of his blade, droplets of blood scattered in a straight line across the ground.
Behind him, the attackers collapsed like puppets with their strings cut, thudding to the ground one after another.
Only then did the Shinigami who had been attacked snap out of their shock.
Terrified, they drew their swords and glared at Satoru.
"Who are you?!"
Satoru pulled out the 1st Division insignia from his chest. "I am under Captain-Commander Genryūsai's command."
Upon recognizing the emblem on the insignia, the Shinigami visibly relaxed.
With their tension eased, they suddenly noticed just how young this Shinigami looked—barely older than a student fresh out of the Shin'ō Academy.
Though they harbored doubts, none dared voice them aloud.
The scene of Satoru effortlessly cutting down all the assailants with a single stroke had left them thoroughly shaken.
"Tell me your patrol routes for tonight. Now," Satoru demanded.
"Not just yours—every route you know of. All of them!"
Trusting him due to the 1st Division insignia, the night patrol Shinigami complied without hesitation, divulging everything they knew.
Satoru narrowed his eyes, mentally overlaying their descriptions onto a simulated map of the Seireitei.
Gradually, he identified the flaw in the patrol network.
If viewed with this incident as the focal point, the gaps in the patrol routes appeared centered around the 7th Division. Several key pathways from the outer Seireitei to the 7th Division's barracks had blind spots where no patrols passed.
Exploiting these gaps, conspirators could have covertly stationed operatives near the 7th Division's headquarters.
But... if he disregarded the 7th Division entirely and re-examined the map, another location stood out with eerily similar vulnerabilities—
The 2nd Division's compound!
The moment this realization struck, Satoru's expression darkened.
Without wasting time on explanations, he kicked off the ground with explosive force, launching himself like a projectile through the night sky toward the 2nd Division.
At full speed, his Shunpo turned him into a blur, streaking across the Seireitei at an unimaginable pace.
Had Yamamoto witnessed this, his feelings would have been mixed.
On one hand, he'd be thrilled to see Satoru's Shunpo pushed to such heights.
On the other, recalling how Satoru had lazily performed at half this speed during training while pretending to exert maximum effort would undoubtedly spike the old man's blood pressure.
Thanks to his superhuman speed and reiatsu, Satoru reached the 2nd Division's vicinity in under half an hour.
The moment he arrived, his heart sank.
An enormous Kidō barrier had enveloped the entire 2nd Division headquarters, completely sealing in all spiritual pressure.
Even a fool could tell—something was terribly wrong inside.
Sure enough, as he breached the barrier, a tsunami of chaotic reiatsu crashed over him!
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