Roar—!!!
Right at the moment those crucial words were about to slip past her lips.
A piercing roar, brimming with cruelty and greed, violently tore through the tranquility of the dusk!
That sound was not something any beast in the World of the Living could produce; it was a howl unique to a Hollow!
"H-Help! Someone save me!"
A childish, tearful voice echoed from the area behind them, which was now blanketed by the Spiritual Pressure of Hollows.
Asuka and Shinobu Kocho suddenly stood up.
Not far behind them, five or six massive lower-class Hollows, sporting grotesque arthropod limbs and bone masks, were frantically chasing a little girl who was running for her life down the tree-lined path.
"Honestly... every time we reach a crucial moment, these annoying pests show up to ruin it."
Shinobu's expression darkened like a gathering storm.
Fuming with anger, she exited her Gigai and drew her Zanpakuto.
The last time Asuka had seen her this genuinely furious was back when they fought Upper Rank Two.
Swish!
Her figure vanished instantly, leaving only a shallow footprint on the ground in front of the bench.
Asuka naturally would not let her face them alone. He hastily wolfed down the rest of his cotton candy and hurried after her.
The little girl looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old.
On this scorching summer day, she was surprisingly dressed in a gorgeous, elaborate traditional kimono, wearing an exaggerated bamboo hat with a long veil draped over it.
This heavy attire severely hindered her running speed, allowing the Hollows to close the distance.
"Pant... pant... You ugly monsters! Stop following me!" the little girl shouted as she ran.
Even though she was crying out of fear, her tone still carried a hint of spoiled arrogance.
A Hollow with mantis-like forelimbs roared and leaped into the air, its sharp bone scythes flashing with a cold gleam as it slashed straight down toward the little girl's back!
It seemed the little girl was about to lose her life on the spot.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Asuka had not expected Shinobu's Zanpakuto to be so incredibly sharp, given its usual role in healing.
The mantis Hollow suspended in midair only saw a flash of a blade before it was sliced into several pieces, turning into flying ash.
The other Hollows instinctively halted, sensing the oppressive pressure radiating from ahead.
Shinobu was in an exceptionally foul mood—the absolute worst...
The Reishi insects buzzed furiously in response to her anger, each baring sharp fangs as they formed several razor-sharp webs of blade light in the air.
Shinobu silently pivoted on her heel, weaving through the Hollows like a phantom. In the blink of an eye, she dismembered every single one of them.
Severed limbs and black blood scattered across the ground, quickly burning away into ashes.
"Terrifying..." Asuka gulped. "When Shinobu gets mad now, she's way scarier than before..."
Thud!
While Shinobu was slaughtering her enemies over there, the little girl tripped and fell over here.
Because she had been running so frantically, the sudden relief of the Hollows being wiped out caused her to lose her footing, and her bamboo hat rolled to the side.
Asuka finally got a clear look at her. She had short blonde hair and delicate features like a porcelain doll; it was obvious at a glance that she came from a prominent family.
"Hey kid, are you alright?"
He immediately stepped forward, crouched down, and reached out to help the little girl up.
"I-I'm fine," the little girl said, looking at Asuka in shock.
Asuka checked her over and, seeing she wasn't injured, asked curiously, "Glad you're okay. But why are you out here all alone..."
Before he could finish his sentence.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Two swift figures suddenly darted out from the nearby woods!
Although these two were wearing Shihakusho, the style was slightly different from the Gotei 13, and their clothes bore no division insignia.
One of them had messy short black hair, while the other was bald and wore sunglasses.
"Let go of Lady Rurichiyo!!"
The moment they landed, they drew the Zanpakuto from their waists and charged at Asuka.
"What is wrong with you? Are you with those Hollows from just now?"
Asuka shielded the little girl behind him, staring at the two men with a vigilant expression.
"Who are you?! How dare you show such disrespect to our esteemed young head!" the black-haired Soul Reaper shouted sternly.
Asuka furrowed his brows, took a step forward, and rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Hey, hey, are you completely unreasonable?" Shinobu, still fuming, stood suspended in midair and spoke with clear displeasure. "We just saved this little girl, yet you draw your swords on us and falsely accuse us?"
The two Soul Reapers froze for a moment. They glanced at the scattered black ashes on the ground and sensed the brutal Spiritual Pressure that had yet to fully dissipate from the air.
It seemed... that was indeed the case...
The two exchanged a look and swallowed hard.
Just then, the little girl Asuka was protecting suddenly exploded in anger.
"You two massive idiots!!!"
The little girl stomped over furiously.
Whack! Whack!
She jumped up and unceremoniously delivered a resounding smack to each of their foreheads.
"Ouch! Lady Rurichiyo, why did you hit us?" The two Soul Reapers clutched their heads, crouching on the ground in grievance.
"You have the nerve to ask!" The little girl named Rurichiyo pointed at them, her cheeks puffed out in rage. "When I was being chased all over the place by those monsters just now, where the hell were you two guards?!"
"If this pretty lady hadn't stepped in to save me, I would have become a snack for those monsters!"
"As guards of the Kasumioji Family, you let me fall into such grave danger! When we get back, I'm definitely docking all your pay!"
Scolded so fiercely by the little girl, these two burly-looking Soul Reapers didn't even dare to talk back. They could only kneel on the ground submissively, bowing repeatedly.
"We are incredibly sorry! Lady Rurichiyo! It was our failure as guards! Please punish us!"
"We were tied up by two exceptionally strong Hollows just now and barely managed to break free... We are truly, deeply sorry!"
After reprimanding her guards, Rurichiyo straightened her rumpled collar and returned to Asuka and Shinobu.
Despite her young age, she tried her best to adopt a dignified and polite posture, tilting her chin up slightly.
"Thank you both for your assistance just now. I am Rurichiyo Kasumioji."
"Please tell me your names and the division you belong to. I will be sure to reward you handsomely when I return!"
"The Kasumioji Family?" Shinobu paused slightly after landing.
During her time serving in the Fourth Division, she had learned about the power structure of the Soul Society.
The Kasumioji Family was an upper-class noble family of extremely high status, their prestige and power second only to the Five Great Noble Families.
Their family not only monopolized the forging and supply of many special weapons and armor within the Seireitei, but they also specialized in forging and maintaining ceremonial blades for the Five Great Noble Families.
It could be said that they were the most important swordsmiths aside from the God of the Sword, Oetsu, holding a pivotal position in the Soul Society.
Why would such an esteemed upper-class noble come fleeing to the World of the Living in such a sorry state, accompanied by only two guards, and end up being hunted by Hollows?