Rukongai, Western 9th District, Sendō.
It was named after the Sendō-yami on the edge of the area.
Over a hundred years ago, the Saito family, after relocating from the Noble Street, decided to settle here, and many of their enterprises also developed in this district.
Arata returned home and, after a long absence, collapsed onto the bed, which was several times larger than the one in the Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy dormitory.
If he remembered correctly, it had been almost two months since he last came home to fetch the family emblem and seek out Unohana Retsu.
Although two months, compared to the long lifespan of Shinigami that often exceeds a thousand years, are as brief as a blink of an eye, Arata constantly had the feeling that a lot of time had passed.
After learning in the morning from Shūhei and the others about the graduation assessment reform, Arata immediately submitted a request to Shibata Mitsunobu for a three-month leave from classes.
Thus, from today until the start of the final exam, he would be on leave.
And he wasn't the only one who had done so. Including Shūhei and two others, part of the top-ranked sixth-years had collectively requested leave from the academy.
Arata understood what they were planning. Nothing other than preparing for the graduation exam, no, it should now be called the expedition to Hueco Mundo.
Completely different from previous written exams, practical internships, or even real-world exercises, this year's test could be considered as turning students into cannon fodder in a war.
During real combat exercises, the Hollows they fought were at least under the control of the Technical Development Bureau. Even if they were much stronger than them, their lives weren't in serious danger.
But once they joined the expedition corps into Hueco Mundo, the nature of the assessment became completely different.
You could never predict whether a Gillian or even an Adjuchas might appear from some corner at any given moment.
Even with the support of the expedition team and Gotei 13, it was impossible to fully protect the lives of all the students.
If they encountered an attack by a large number of Hollows, even the captain and lieutenant of the expedition might be in mortal danger, let alone the regular soldiers and students.
Rather than leave his fate to others, it was better to use the remaining three months to quickly strengthen his own power.
That was why the sixth-years had requested leave and all went off to train with Shinigami or their instructors.
Arata knew that Shūhei and the other two were training with instructor Uehara Haru from the Kidō Club.
However, even though Uehara Haru's level in Kidō was relatively good within the Spiritual Arts Academy, it was at most that of a lower-ranked officer. Arata didn't have high expectations for any major power gains from Shūhei and the others.
"We no longer expect to get high marks in this year's final exams. As long as we get out safely, that's the best result."
Those were Shūhei's exact words to Arata.
As schoolmates who had been together for six years, whether out of personal friendship or due to the need for destiny value, Arata sincerely wished that the three of them would survive.
Calming down, Arata jumped off the bed and went to the secret training ground his family had built, to study the use of the Tenshintai.
There was no time to waste. If he could grow a little stronger before the expedition, his life would be better secured.
Through a secret door, Arata entered a vast underground space.
With a quick glance, he roughly estimated the area. It was at least as big as the entire Shinō Academy, far larger than Urahara Kisuke's secret base.
But Arata paused and realized that made sense. After all, the space had been built with the full financial resources of the Saito family, it would be strange if it weren't spacious.
Arata lightly focused his thoughts and retrieved the Tenshintai stored in the system. It was a strange doll, as tall as a human, ice-cold to the touch.
He took a deep breath, placed his palm on the Tenshintai, and without hesitation, poured his spiritual pressure into it, pressure that was near the lieutenant level.
Bzz——!
With the influx of a large amount of spiritual pressure, the surface of the Tenshintai suddenly lit up, releasing a blinding dark purple light.
The entire underground space was instantly filled with that light, and the purple spiritual pressure spread and swirled across the ground like countless restless vengeful spirits howling.
Suddenly, from within the Tenshintai, an indescribable suction force erupted; the Zanpakutō at Arata's waist trembled violently, letting out a low, muffled roar, like a wild beast forcefully awakened from a long slumber!
A cold, powerful, and destructive storm of spiritual pressure exploded from the Tenshintai as its center!
He was like a small boat on a raging sea. The academy uniform on him was torn apart by the surge of extremely fierce spiritual pressure, and the gravel under his feet trembled and was crushed.
The purple light grew more intense as the spiritual pressure surged, almost engulfing everything in the space!
And at the center of the storm, the pure white transformed doll of the Tenshintai gradually disappeared, and in its place, a figure became more and more clearly outlined!
"What the hell is happening?!"
Arata stared wide-eyed at the scene before him, speechless from shock.
Her long white hair flowed down to her waist, wildly fluttering in the stormy swirl of spiritual pressure without a hint of wind, each strand seemingly burning with a cold flame.
Beneath the black glasses, a pair of narrow, sharp red eyes was terrifying.
A black coat wrapped around her full, proud figure; the seductive curves and dips simultaneously conveyed a sense of deadly danger.
The most striking feature was the long sword gripped tightly in her hand, shaped exactly like Meigetsu after Arata's Shikai.
The sword was pitch black, and along the blade surged blazing purple flames, constantly emitting a chill that pierced the bones.
Even a fleeting glance caused Arata's body to tremble uncontrollably; even his soul felt enveloped by the cold.
Meigetsu, the sword spirit of his Zanpakutō, after a long silence, was finally forcibly drawn out and materialized through the Tenshintai, descending here!
The woman stretched lazily, and the voluptuous curves beneath the coat traced a stunning arc; but that relaxation lasted only a moment.
In the very next instant, her ruby-like eyes locked onto Arata.
There was no joy of a first meeting, nor surprise of reunion after long separation, only a cold killing intent!
"Heh…" a female voice, mixed with undisguised disgust and thick sarcasm, rang out: "Finally remembered me, Master~~?"
The last two words she dragged out like a passionate invocation or a curse uttered with all her might.
"Or did that demon woman outside bewitch you so much that you think I'm in the way, and now you want to get rid of me through this underhanded method—"
Before she could finish the sentence, Meigetsu vanished from her spot, as if she had merged with the purple aura of spiritual pressure around her.
Almost the next moment, the blade burning with purple flame was at Arata's neck. The icy breath of destruction made every hair on his body stand on end!
"That woman who only knows how to wave a knife around…" Meigetsu pressed her cheek against Arata's; her red lips were almost at his ear, but the breath she exhaled was as cold as a polar wind.
"And that little black cat, it's been two weeks and the scent is still there! How filthy!"
"What do you take me for, what kind of power do you use me for? Answer me!"