Monsters in Action
The Shinigami maintain a dedicated surveillance system in both Soul Society and the World of the Living: the Visuals Department, historically overseen by the Tsunayashiro family, one of the Five Great Noble Houses.
In recent years, the aristocracy's grip has weakened, its former vigilance dulled by decadence. Taking advantage of this, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of Squad 12 negotiated access to the department in exchange for certain "favors."
Since then, the Visuals Department has effectively become a satellite of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, functioning as both a monitoring station and an experimental lab. Its new duties include detection work—observing distortions in the Dangai to infer Hollow activity. Coordinates are forwarded to Hell Butterflies, which dispatch the appropriate Shinigami.
When a Shinigami dies in battle or requests reinforcements, the system alerts command and relays messages to combat divisions, usually the 3rd, 5th, or 11th.
On paper, the work sounds busy. In truth, it is less intense than outsiders imagine. Hollows do not constantly breach the World of the Living or Soul Society. Most of the time, the staff in the Observation Institute are free—free to snack, free to daydream.
Tsubo Rin, a plain-looking man in a drab uniform, sat before a glowing wall of surveillance screens. He tore open a packet of senbei rice crackers, scattering crumbs across his keyboard. His eyes never left the footage: images shifting from modern skyscrapers in the Living World to mountain villages in Rukongai's 360 districts.
Sometimes he even envied the people he observed. How wonderful…
But the memory of his section chief's glare quickly crushed such thoughts. If Rin hadn't failed the Academy entrance exam twice, he wouldn't have been dumped into Squad 12 on his third try. Now he had no holidays, year-round shifts, and "stimulant" injections whenever fatigue set in. One mistake, and he might wake up on Captain Kurotsuchi's lab table—missing organs, or worse, with new ones he never asked for.
The work atmosphere was terrifying. Life was exhausting.
"Rin-chan, I came to play!"
A sing-song voice rang out from the entrance. None of the department's elaborate traps activated.
A small figure landed lightly on Rin's shoulders. Pink hair, childlike frame, and wide mischievous eyes—Yachiru Kusajishi, Vice-Captain of the 11th Division. She plucked a cracker from the bag and bit down. Crunch.
"This is my snack…" Rin's voice trailed into resignation. For the umpteenth time, his protest was ignored.
Yachiru only laughed, swinging her legs as if perched on a swing. "Rin-chan, I searched the whole video hall and found it!"
The room was filled with complicated equipment, yet somehow she had rummaged through every corner to locate his hidden food stash. Truly the vice-captain of the most fearless combat squad.
Rin lowered his head, silently wishing for a transfer—anywhere Yachiru couldn't wander so easily.
"Beep!"
An alarm chimed sharply. Hollow incursion.
Rin shoved aside his snacks and leaned toward the monitors, fingers flying across the keyboard. Readings showed a Black Cavity opening from the Dangai. Destination: West Fourth District, mountain ridge five ri west of Stone Village. Arrival time: one minute.
He pulled up local footage, projected across the largest screen, and attempted to dispatch the alert. "Send… send… why isn't it clicking!?"
"Something's stuck." Yachiru tapped the console lightly. Her spiritual pressure vaporized the obstruction without harming the machine.
The alert transmitted successfully. Rin exhaled, relieved he wouldn't end up in Mayuri's operating chair. "Vice-Captain Kusajishi, thank you."
She grinned, tossing a konpeitō candy into her mouth. "It's fine! Rin-chan shares snacks with me and plays hide-and-seek. I should help you back sometimes!"
"I never gave them to you…" Rin muttered, half-smiling despite himself.
Onscreen, the Hollow appeared—small, weak-looking.
"It's nothing strong," Yachiru said breezily.
"Then the local Shinigami should handle it," Rin replied, already distracted by a sudden change. The Hollow flickered—and disappeared.
"???" His jaw dropped. "Where did it go?" He frantically scanned the readouts. No trace of reiatsu.
"Someone beat it," Yachiru answered simply.
Rin froze. "But the responding Shinigami hasn't arrived!"
"It wasn't a Shinigami," she corrected. "It was a silver-haired man. Really strong. The way he moved—like he could crush anything."
Rin rewound the footage, slowing it frame by frame. At last, a blurred figure emerged—long silver hair, sharp features, dressed in modern clothes, wielding a golden Zanpakutō.
His eyes widened. "Shiraishi…"
Just yesterday, the Second Division circulated his likeness: wanted for the murder of 5th Seat Hasegawa Yasuzō. Orders were clear—if spotted, report immediately.
"Do you know him, Rin-chan?" Yachiru tilted her head.
"Yes. He's a wanted killer. I need to contact—"
Rin's words broke off. His vision reeled, skull pounding like thunder. His limbs grew heavy as lead. Yachiru's playful smile remained, but her spiritual pressure pressed down mercilessly.
"Nope," she said sweetly. "I'm bored. And it's rare to find such a strong guy. I can't let the Second Division steal him. This one's ours."
Her grin sharpened. "The 11th Division handles fights. Always."
"…Understood." Rin's voice was weak, his resignation heavy. I really want to quit this job.
"Bye-bye, Rin!" Yachiru waved cheerfully, clutching her bag of konpeitō, before vanishing in a flash step—off to chase the silver-haired intruder.