The World of the Living, Akihara Town.
Snowflakes drifted down, settling on the ground.
Laughter and music still filled the streets, people singing and dancing—yet everyone with Higashino Shuuichi had gone taut with nerves after the sudden report.
"An unknown creature attacked you? And it swallowed every defeated shinigami?"
After hearing the panicked report, Higashino Shuuichi frowned.
"Isn't that just a Hollow? What's 'unknown' about it? I recall the 13th Division has a mature response system for Hollows."
Soi Fon was just as puzzled.
Unless it was an Adjuchas-class Menos, the 13th's World of the Living response playbook should handle a mere Gillian-class without issue.
And if it really were an Adjuchas, then a vice-captain-class shinigami would…
Mm. At that thought, Soi Fon looked up and met Higashino Shuuichi's eyes.
Right—no problem there. Whether it was Shuuichi-sama, a vice-captain, or herself, a 3rd Seat, both now held stable captain-class combat power.
True, upon entering the World of the Living, they were restricted to twenty percent of their power, and they couldn't lift that limiter without Soul Society's permission—
—but if there were extenuating circumstances, the penalty could be reduced afterward.
"But that definitely wasn't a Hollow. We've never seen any Hollow grow to look like that!"
The 13th Division reaper stuck to his story.
"Where did it appear? At a border monitoring point on the Soul Society perimeter?"
Higashino Shuuichi asked, a few guesses already forming.
"Y-Yes, Vice-Captain Shuuichi—the thing was spotted at our easternmost outpost. A warning was sent the moment it showed… Vice-Captain, do you already know what that unknown creature is?"
The reaper was surprised; he hadn't even described its appearance, and yet Higashino Shuuichi had guessed the location.
"Mm. I think I have an idea. It shouldn't be a Hollow, but it's close—something extremely dangerous. Take me there, now."
Higashino Shuuichi nodded, without nailing it down—what he remembered came from wandering the Great Spirit Book Corridor with Sōsuke back then; just a faint impression on a dusty page.
"Shuuichi-sama, let me come too. I should be able to help."
Soi Fon volunteered the instant she heard his decision.
"Me too! Shuuichi-sama!"
Kisaragi Shūsuke chimed in, unwilling to be left behind. He wasn't a once-in-a-century genius like Gin and still hadn't reached Shikai (Initial Release), but his heart burned to contribute.
"You better sit this one out, Shūsuke. Let me go with you, Shuuichi-sama. I'm not that strong, but my Shinsō (Divine Spear) can do something."
Gin read the room and spoke up as Shuuichi's mouthpiece.
Normally, Gin wouldn't jump into a mess like this. He moved because he saw the faint, frustrated look on Rangiku's face.
He knew she wanted to help—but she also knew her strength wasn't enough and she'd only be a burden if she forced it, so she held her tongue at the side.
So Gin stepped forward without hesitation, so Rangiku wouldn't carry that little sadness.
Sure enough, after Gin said it, Rangiku's expression eased a bit.
"Then go, Shuuichi-sama. Shūsuke and I will cheer from the rear!
"And Gin—don't you dare drag Shuuichi-sama down!"
"I won't."
Gin promised, looking at Rangiku's face.
Soon, Higashino Shuuichi followed the 13th Division reaper to the battle site.
Four seated officers from the 13th had encircled a pitch-black creature with a tuning-fork-shaped head and an unremarkable pair of wings on its back.
"This reiatsu…"
At Shuuichi's side, Soi Fon watched the creature—its airy movements slipping past the shinigami's kidō barrages with nimble ease.
"It reads like Gillian-class, so why is it this troublesome?"
Its sonido-like bursts were clearly inferior to a Hollow's, and its movements weren't true Shunpō (Flash Step). Yet here, it handled the field with baffling ease.
"Because it's not the same system as ours at all, Soi Fon."
Seeing its full form and how it fought, Higashino Shuuichi finally confirmed the thought in his heart.
"Shuuichi-sama, you mean—it isn't a product of Hueco Mundo or Soul Society?"
Gin caught on immediately.
Higashino Shuuichi didn't answer. He drew his Zanpakutō.
"Advance, Heisha! 'The finest in war craft win with the unexpected!'"
"Bakudō 61: Fū · Rikujōkōrō (Wind · Six Rods Prison of Light)!"
A light breeze brushed Shuuichi's ear—nothing seemed to happen—then a feral roar ripped across the distance.
Six pillars of light had appeared without a sound, pinning the unknown creature's body.
"As expected of Shuuichi-sama!"
Soi Fon's flattery rang at his side.
"Shuuichi-sama—"
Almost at the same moment, Gin called to him.
"Mm. It's yours."
From Gin's tone, Shuuichi heard his meaning.
Gin, too, had seen how unstable that Rikujōkōrō was—kidō cast under an eighty-percent limiter.
Unless he had to, Higashino Shuuichi didn't want to blow his limiter in public; it would be hard to explain to Central 46 afterward.
But Gin was different. He sat just shy of vice-captain level now and wasn't bound by the law that slapped an eighty-percent limiter on captains and vice-captains in the World of the Living.
"Ikorose, Shinsō! (Shoot to kill, Divine Spear!)"
With permission given, Gin released his Zanpakutō. The blade shot out, extending toward the unknown creature.
"Ka-pu!"
Between its forked head came a sound like human speech; then its flattened, ribbon-like hands gripped two spirit-rods embedded in its own body, crossing them to parry—Shinsō's tip stopped half a meter from its face.
"Got you."
Beneath Gin's drooping silver fringe flashed a viper's gaze.
High above, a storm of fully-chanted, high-level Hadō (Way of Destruction) spells streaked for the unknown creature.
A feint and strike.
Out of the corner of his eye, Higashino Shuuichi watched Gin's back. Everything he'd hoped to teach Kisaragi Shūsuke… none of it seemed to stick with Shūsuke—but Gin had taken it to heart.
"Let's hope Sōsuke gets lucky when his turn comes…"
Shuuichi looked over the battlefield and offered a silent prayer for his boss.
He was, after all, a very good employee.
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