Human World.
Akane Shizuku had been feeling a bit lost recently.
Her mind was often flooded with chaotic and disordered memory fragments, so much so that she couldn't remember who she was.
She only remembered that she was a Shinigami, born in a relatively remote area of Rukongai.
In her memory, there seemed to be a large house, which was her former home.
Her parents' figures flickered in her mind, and they treated her very well; there was also a butler busy around the house.
But this memory was like a tangled mess; one moment, she felt her father often drank heavily and would verbally abuse her and beat her;
The next moment, she felt that wasn't right; it seemed her mother was the one treating her that way…
Yet, neither of these feelings seemed quite accurate. In short, the memories of her parents were so chaotic they gave her a splitting headache.
In any case, the only things she could recall at the moment were her name and her Zanpakuto.
Her memories of her parents were a mess, and though she tried her best to sort them out, she could never find any lead.
Thus, she sat blankly on a park bench, like a statue, completely oblivious to the passage of time.
Unconsciously, night fell. Realizing the sky had grown dark, she slowly raised her eyes.
She instinctively rubbed her stomach, feeling a bit hungry, and stood up to walk towards the nearest convenience store.
On the way, she accidentally bumped into a passerby.
After apologizing, at the moment they passed each other, a wallet suddenly appeared in her hand.
A smile, tinged with both apology and a hint of joy, appeared on Akane Shizuku's face.
The existence of soul candys is actually quite strange.
On one hand, they have no physical form, being merely a collection of memories, yet they can be seen by humans and Shinigami.
On the other hand, when they assume human form, they experience hunger just like humans.
This is probably the human memories within the consciousness at work.
Countless memories grant it countless forms of muscle memory formed by the subconscious…
Like the act of stealing.
Even without ever having learned it, her skills were paramount.
After all, among the countless Hollows, there were always those "masters."
Akane Shizuku didn't find this strange, because in her impression, she was born with these abilities… even if it defied logic.
She opened the wallet and examined it carefully; the stack of banknotes inside wasn't very thick, but it should be enough to cover a week's worth of food without any problem.
She didn't know where she came from, nor where she was going.
She just wanted to stay in the Human World, as if that would bring her a moment of peace.
She put away the wallet, just as she was about to leave.
The next second.
Thump.
Akane Shizuku suddenly felt someone pat her shoulder. The sudden touch was like an electric current, instantly tensing all her muscles.
Immediately after, a cool, clear female voice came from behind her:
"Miss, would you mind returning my wallet?"
"I'd be very troubled without it."
...
Soon after.
Inside the convenience store, Katagiri Yae watched Akane Shizuku, who was wolfing down food beside her, and couldn't help but frown slightly.
How long had this child not eaten? As a girl, how could she be so "savage"?
If one didn't look at her face and only at her eating, one might think she was a big man.
As a Quincy, Katagiri Yae should not have too much contact with humans.
Her current outing was only to buy some things for young master Ryūken… She had originally planned to return as soon as she finished shopping.
But she didn't expect to encounter a thief halfway.
This thief's stealing technique was quite clever; her wallet was stolen before she even realized what was happening.
If it weren't for her caution as a maid, feeling for it halfway, she feared she would be scolded by the old lady upon returning…
Heaven knew what was going on with this human; she was a Quincy, after all.
A clear ripple formed in her heart.
After a brief exchange, Katagiri Yae learned Akane Shizuku's name and understood Akane Shizuku's predicament.
Amnesia?
How pitiful.
Akane Shizuku did not reveal her identity as a Shinigami.
Because even though she had lost most of her memories, she understood that Shinigami were not beings that humans could comprehend.
Both sides mistakenly believed the other was human, which was quite interesting.
After finishing her meal, Akane Shizuku stood up to say goodbye. Of course, she didn't forget to apologize and thank her.
Although she knew stealing was wrong, in her ravenous and penniless state just then, it seemed to be the only thing she could do.
When she was caught red-handed, she thought she was done for.
Fortunately, Katagiri Yae was kind-hearted and didn't pursue the matter; instead, out of pity for her, she treated her to a free meal.
Such great kindness, impossible to repay… Then she wouldn't repay it.
After all, they met by chance, and it was uncertain if they would ever see each other again. She couldn't sell herself just for one meal, could she?
As she said goodbye, Akane Shizuku, like a little adult, earnestly instructed Katagiri Yae to hide her wallet better next time.
Otherwise, if she encountered another master like herself, she wouldn't even know how it was lost.
Katagiri Yae: "..."
The way she said it, it was as if all humans in the Human World were pickpockets.
Where would so many masters come from?
This child was truly not cute.
Katagiri Yae somewhat regretted treating her to a meal.
Watching Akane Shizuku stride away, Katagiri Yae sighed softly behind her.
She slowly stood up, pulled a pocket watch from her pocket, checked the time, and finding that she hadn't exceeded the time limit,
She then hurried back to the Ishida house with the things she had just bought.
However.
As soon as she left the convenience store, she suddenly saw countless white souls falling from the sky.
The scene was like a sudden white snowstorm, swirling and drifting down.
This caused her pupils to constrict sharply.
—Hollows?
No.
She slowly loosened her grip on the weapon she carried, feeling that these souls had no aggressive tendencies whatsoever.
One had to know, there were humans outside.
If they were Hollows, they would definitely go on a killing spree immediately…
If not Hollows, then what?
Plus?
How could there be such strangely shaped and completely identical Pluses?
These souls wore white cloaks, and their heads were orange-yellow, almond-shaped things.
Let alone humans, even Hollows rarely looked like this…
Katagiri Yae fell into contemplation. Due to her special identity, she did not act directly but waited for the Shinigami to appear.
The unwritten rule in the Human World was like this.
If the Shinigami couldn't handle it, then they, the Quincies, could act. Of course, there were exceptions for special circumstances, but this was not a special circumstance.
She had originally thought that the Shinigami responsible for managing Karakura Town would take some time to arrive.
But unexpectedly, the girl who had just left, Akane Shizuku, changed her expression slightly upon seeing these souls.
Thus, under Katagiri Yae's gaze, Akane Shizuku directly transformed back into her Shinigami form.
Bang.
She lightly leaped into the sky with a stomp, drew her Zanpakuto, aimed at the Hollows below, and shouted loudly:
"Entice the night curtain, Miromaru!"
In an instant, accompanying her sword swing, countless gales swirled along the trajectory of her blade.
The people below only felt a sudden gust of wind in their faces, pulling their clothes tighter, thinking it was a natural phenomenon.
However, Katagiri Yae saw Akane Shizuku's actions clearly.
The storm of white reishi swept up all those Hollows and blew them away, like autumn wind sweeping fallen leaves.
In a moment, there was no trace of a single Hollow around.
This sudden turn of events made Katagiri Yae frown slightly.
—I misjudged!
This little girl was actually a Shinigami?
Wait, if she's a Shinigami, why can't she even afford to eat?
Is she that down on her luck?
...
At the same time.
Not far away.
Several members of the Dark Clan were hidden among the humans.
They felt the sudden reishi fluctuations of the soul candys and all changed their expressions.
Immediately after.
They vanished from their spots, clearly rushing quickly towards that direction.
...
...
Soon.
As the Hollows dissipated, the surrounding environment returned to its usual tranquility.
Akane Shizuku neatly put away her sword and floated gracefully down from the sky.
Just as she was descending, the corner of her eye suddenly caught Katagiri Yae staring intently at her.
—Not an ordinary human?
Akane Shizuku mused to herself, after all, in her Shinigami state, ordinary people absolutely couldn't see her.
With a "thump," Akane Shizuku landed softly like a gentle feather.
Before she could even steady herself, she performed an agile Shunpo, instantly appearing in front of Katagiri Yae.
By observing the shifting gaze in Katagiri Yae's eyes, Akane Shizuku confirmed her suspicion.
Combined with her unperturbed expression…
Akane Shizuku opened her mouth and asked:
"Sister, do you recognize me?"
"..."
Katagiri Yae didn't respond, only pursed her lips slightly, her brow furrowed.
Just now, she had suddenly noticed a problem.
That was, the Shinigami responsible for managing Karakura Town did not seem to be Akane Shizuku.
Moreover, Akane Shizuku's behavior was completely inconsistent with the image of a Shinigami in her memory…
After a brief thought, Katagiri Yae was about to ask Akane Shizuku if she needed her help.
That is, to contact the Soul Society and send this poor amnesiac girl back.
However, the next second, her expression suddenly changed.
Katagiri Yae's hand instinctively grabbed Akane Shizuku's collar.
Immediately after, she unhesitatingly used Hirenkyaku. In an instant, the two of them vanished from their spot as if they had evaporated into thin air.
The surrounding crowd only felt a momentary blur before a living person disappeared right before their eyes.
They were stunned at first, then a strange fear welled up in their hearts, thinking they had seen an illusion, or perhaps… encountered a ghost.
Everyone muttered "Ghost!" and quickly quickened their pace, fleeing from the area.
A few days later, a late-night tale about a maid spread in this place.
Of course, these were all later developments. At this moment, Katagiri Yae was suspended high in the sky.
Her expression was slightly cold as she watched the several black-cloaked, villain-like figures before her, gripping the longbow in her hand tightly, and shouted:
"Who are you?"
These people looked somewhat like Shinigami.
But upon closer inspection, she found that the aura they emitted was not what a Shinigami should have; instead, it had that chilling feeling reminiscent of a Hollow.
Their hostility was undisguised, not directed at herself, but at…
Akane Shizuku.
The scarlet eyes hidden beneath the cloak of the leading Dark Clan member flickered slightly.
Facing Katagiri Yae's question, he merely chuckled, his laughter laced with disdain and casualness:
"That's a good question, but unfortunately, we can't answer you."
"Hand over the girl beside you."
"We don't want to resort to force; if you hand her over, we will leave immediately."
"You must have realized that you are no match for us."
"Do you think that's possible?" Katagiri Yae refused without hesitation.
She quickly condensed a reishi arrow and shot it fiercely at the opponent, her movements swift and decisive.
Setting aside whether her moral principles would allow her to hand over an innocent girl to this group of black-clad villains.
Simply from her own standpoint, it was absolutely impossible.
Akane Shizuku was a Shinigami.
As a Quincy, if she were to hand over a Shinigami, once the Soul Society learned of it, it would inevitably lead to endless pursuit.
Unless she was insane, she would never compromise.
Better to die together than to let the Ishida Clan be erased by the Shinigami.
"Stubborn."
Watching the blue reishi arrow fly swiftly like a meteor, the leading Dark Clan member snorted coldly.
He slightly extended his right hand and easily caught the arrow.
Immediately after.
Crack.
The sound of the arrow shattering was particularly piercing in the silent high sky.
The arrow, which had been glowing with blue light, instantly turned into scattered specks of light, like shattered crystals, sprinkling down from mid-air.
This scene clearly entered Katagiri Yae's eyes, and her heart suddenly clenched.
It was crushed by hand again. How come these guys were each more powerful than the last?
Though she was a hybrid Quincy, her strength was not to be underestimated.
Even among Shinigami, she at least possessed the level of a Seat Officer, and an arrow shot with her full power could even wound an Adjuchas…
This fellow, however…
"Akane Shizuku."
Despite knowing that she was likely no match, Katagiri Yae did not give up. She whispered, "Run as far as you can. Leave this to me."
With that, she once again gathered the surrounding reishi.
In an instant.
"Whoosh whoosh!"
Countless light arrows shot out like a surging tide.
The shining light arrows were densely packed, like a torrential downpour, instantly enveloping the Dark Clan members in front of them.
As if to completely riddle them with holes!
—Rain of Light!
The dense blue light reflected in the eyes of the Dark Clan members; it looked powerful, but in reality…
"Hmph, I told you you're not our opponent…"
"Why do you force us to use our Reiatsu? Wouldn't it be better if you just handed her over and we ended this peacefully?"
"An ungrateful woman."
His words were filled with displeasure. Then, his figure flashed, instantly disappearing from his original spot.
He dodged the rain of light, which was like a downpour, with incredible speed, and in the blink of an eye, appeared in front of Katagiri Yae.
Reiatsu condensed in his palm.
"Boom!"
With a loud bang, Katagiri Yae flew backward without any resistance.
In an instant, she crashed through a building, and even her weapon broke into two.
This sudden scene left Akane Shizuku no time to react. The previous second, she had just heard the sound, and was silently apologizing, preparing to flee.
The next second, Katagiri Yae had disappeared… It was too fast. Akane Shizuku could hardly believe her eyes.
She didn't think Katagiri Yae was too weak; it was just that these guys were too strong, their Reiatsu intensity several times her own…
Where did they come from? Why did they want to capture her?
Akane Shizuku was full of doubts.
"The troublesome fellow has been dealt with. Everyone, let's move. The Reiatsu has already leaked. I believe those Shinigami will arrive soon. We must erase all traces of ourselves before they arrive."
"Our Dark Clan must never be exposed."
The person who attacked spoke in a cold voice. After speaking, he cast his crimson gaze towards Akane Shizuku.
Akane Shizuku felt her scalp tingle under his gaze, and she felt uncomfortable all over.
Even if she didn't know their purpose for capturing her, her biological instinct told her.
At this moment, she had to resist.
"Entice the Nightfall…"
She instinctively began to release her Zanpakuto. However, before she could finish speaking, the man appeared in front of her, attempting to knock her unconscious with a hand chop.
Unfortunately, though fast, the hand chop did not have time to land.
"Whoosh!"
Another blue arrow flew through the air, transforming into a meteor with an unstoppable momentum, flying like lightning towards Akane Shizuku.
The alarm bells in his heart rang wildly at this instant. The man only caught a quick glimpse out of the corner of his eye, and before he could react.
With a "bang," a dull sound echoed around them.
Accompanying it was a bone-chilling pain.
His chest was pierced by the fleeting arrow, leaving a large cavity due to the cavitation effect, causing him to violently spit out a mouthful of blood.
"You…"
At this moment, he had no time to deal with Akane Shizuku. With a step into the air, he instantly disappeared from his spot.
He endured the pain and looked in the direction the arrow had come from. Suddenly, a silver-haired young man appeared in the air, his expression cold and helpless.
Ishida Ryūken held a long bow and gently pushed up his glasses.
He glanced at the shattered building, listening to the faint sound of falling debris inside, and gently exhaled:
"I knew it. You hadn't returned for so long, something must have happened."
"But… who are these guys?"
His gaze fixed on the man in the middle whose chest had been pierced by his arrow. A hint of doubt appeared in Ishida Ryūken's eyes.
But then, this doubt turned into indifference:
"Never mind. Whoever you are, since you injured my maid, are you ready to face the wrath of a Quincy?"
…
As the most talented member of the Ishida Clan at this stage.
Even though Ishida Ryūken was not yet an adult, his strength was close to that of a regular Captain.
In his opinion, the enemies before him were, at most, at the Vice-Captain level.
Solving them would be easy.
However…
The aura these people emitted was strange, but that wasn't his concern.
At worst, he would report everything here to Soul Society afterward and let them handle it.
The immediate priority was to deal with them and send Katagiri Yae to the hospital.
Although Katagiri Yae was not dead, she was severely injured.
Judging by her Reiatsu strength, she could probably last two to three hours.
That was enough.
Just as Ishida Ryūken was about to act, his gaze inadvertently fell upon Akane Shizuku.
Although he didn't know why a Shinigami suddenly appeared here.
But when he unleashed his group attack, "Rain of Light," the densely packed arrows, like a downpour, had still deliberately avoided her.
The "Rain of Light" poured down like a surging torrent towards the few Dark Clan members in front of him.
Although they tried their best to avoid this fierce attack, how could Ishida Ryūken be compared to Katagiri Yae?
Amidst a series of shrill screams, the enemies were instantly riddled with holes.
Only some tattered black cloth remained in front, falling slowly from the sky like withered leaves.
"Shinigami, follow me."
This cruel scene formed a sharp contrast with Ishida Ryūken's calm expression.
After cleanly dealing with the visible enemies, Ishida Ryūken didn't even glance at the remaining corpses.
He called Akane Shizuku and rushed into the shattered building with her.
By this time, Katagiri Yae had already used all her strength to painstakingly move the rubble covering her.
Although she had escaped the danger of secondary injury, her breathing was still weak.
Upon closer inspection, it turned out her sternum was injured, with a portion shattered.
Fortunately, she hadn't injured any vital organs, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable.
"You, oh you…" Ishida Ryūken sighed softly, "I told you to come back as soon as possible, but now you've made yourself so disheveled…"
"I'm sorry, Katagiri, forgive me for being late."
As the young master of the Ishida family, by common sense, he should have been high and mighty, living a life of luxury.
However, his father's upbringing had instilled in him a completely different character.
In his eyes, every Quincy, whether mixed-blood or pure-blood, was an indispensable part of the Ishida Clan.
Hearing Ishida Ryūken's words, filled with concern, a ripple appeared in Katagiri Yae's eyes.
She desperately wanted to thank Ishida Ryūken.
But the severe pain from the fracture and the immense pressure it caused made her open her mouth, yet she couldn't make a sound.
"Whatever it is, wait until you recover to talk about it."
He seemed to keenly sense the subtle emotions that Katagiri Yae was currently revealing.
Ishida Ryūken stepped forward, bending down to gently pick her up, so he could quickly take her to the hospital for treatment.
However, in the very next second, he suddenly saw an extremely obvious look of astonishment in Katagiri Yae's eyes.
He saw her mouth slightly agape, as if she was trying her best to say…
—Someone behind you!
Ishida Ryūken's heart tightened instantly, and he abruptly turned around.
Under the cold moonlight, a human-like figure had quietly emerged from somewhere unknown.
This person emitted no aura whatsoever, just like a ghost hidden in the darkness.
At this moment, he was quietly knocking Akane Shizuku unconscious. From his posture, it seemed he intended to forcibly take her away.
Ishida Ryūken's always keen gaze instantly detected a black hole on his body.
With just that fleeting glance, he already knew the identity of the opponent.
Hollow!
Damn it!
Ishida Ryūken clenched his teeth, his expression subtly changing.
He raised the long bow in his hand, preparing to draw it. His thoughts at this moment were exactly the same as Katagiri Yae's earlier worries.
No matter for what reason these people wanted to capture Akane Shizuku, she absolutely could not be abducted under the very noses of the Quincy.
Otherwise, if this matter were to spread, they would have no way to explain it to Soul Society.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni might believe it… but what about others?
The figure chuckled, his face full of the smugness of success.
He was originally a infiltrator sent by Aizen. For this moment, he had been waiting for a very, very long time.
By relying on his special ability to erase his own aura and Reiatsu, even if he stood openly beside a Shinigami or a Quincy.
As long as they didn't observe carefully, they would absolutely not be able to detect that he was a Hollow.
Ishida Ryūken was strong, but it was useless.
With Akane Shizuku in hand, he could just use her as his shield. As long as Akane Shizuku didn't die, his mission would be perfectly completed.
What happened next was indeed exactly as the Hollow had thought. Although Ishida Ryūken drew his bowstring tight, he couldn't make a move at all…
How despicable!
To actually use a Shinigami as a human shield.
Not to mention whether he could successfully eliminate this Hollow after making a move.
Just accidentally hitting a vital part of Akane Shizuku and causing her death would be truly troublesome and impossible to explain.
Damn it…
…
On the other side.
Soul Society.
Minutes ago, the Twelfth Division, while monitoring the Human World, detected a strange Reiatsu fluctuation.
This Reiatsu, mixed with Quincy Reiatsu, instantly tensed some people's nerves.
After all, Quincy were a key focus of attention from above.
Normally, releasing a little Reiatsu wasn't a problem.
But…
Level seven…
This was already beyond the warning line, not to mention the appearance of unknown Reiatsu.
It was neither like a Shinigami, nor a Hollow, nor a Quincy.
Detecting such an unusual situation, the members of the Twelfth Division dared not show the slightest slack.
They swiftly and orderly reported these detailed circumstances, completely and accurately, to the person in charge of this mission—Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
At this time, Mayuri Kurotsuchi was talking with Yoriichi Tsugikuni. He stood in front of a machine, eloquently explaining its function.
But shortly after, upon learning of the situation in the Human World,
Mayuri Kurotsuchi instantly seemed to have been put on pause, immediately ceasing his eloquent explanation.
His eyes, which had been slightly bright with excitement, instantly turned cold.
He looked directly at the white-clad squad member standing respectfully beside him, frowning, and said coldly:
"What did you say? The Reiatsu of unknown creatures?"
"They're fighting the Quincy in the Human World?"
"Are you sure there's no detection error?"
As a mad scientist who was determined to dissect and thoroughly study every creature in the Three Realms, Mayuri Kurotsuchi had a nearly obsessive persistence deep down.
He absolutely would not allow the existence of anything in this world that he had not yet understood, anything completely unknown.
Even the legendary demons,
If they hadn't been suppressed at the bottom of hell, he probably would have shamelessly begged Yoriichi Tsugikuni for one.
Right now…
Heh heh.
…
…
In the Human World.
Thump.
A few minutes later, a Senkaimon slowly opened in mid-air.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Mayuri Kurotsuchi appeared one after another above Karakura Town.
Their arrival here was based on the judgment made from the Reiatsu fluctuations detected earlier.
However, the scene before them now was vastly different from a few minutes ago.
The unknown creatures that had caused so much speculation had now vanished without a trace.
The place seemed as if nothing had ever happened, so calm that it felt somewhat unusual.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi couldn't help but frown.
His sharp gaze, like a searchlight, quickly swept around, then he spoke:
"Captain Tsugikuni, it seems I've made you come all this way for nothing. Those guys either ran away or died…"
No sooner had he finished speaking than his gaze instantly fixed on a severely damaged building that had clearly been pierced through.
From the gap in the building, a human-shaped Hollow was tightly holding a Shinigami, slowly retreating.
That posture looked like he was holding a hostage, and the situation seemed quite tense.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi saw this, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly as he chuckled sinisterly, muttering, "Interesting…"
As he watched the Hollow's movements, he analyzed to himself:
"Could that Hollow be the unknown creature detected earlier?"
"After all, there are residual Quincy reishi here, which means a Quincy was also involved in the incident just now…"
"In that case, it's quite possible."
At this point, he frowned slightly, a hint of confusion on his face:
"However, why do I not sense any reishi from him?"
"Tsugikuni Captain, you…"
But before he could finish speaking, Mayuri Kurotsuchi suddenly realized that Yoriichi Tsugikuni had already disappeared from his side.
Looking towards that building.
In his line of sight, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's appearance, as if he had flashed behind that Hollow, was clearly reflected.
The speed was simply astonishing.
But Mayuri Kurotsuchi fell into a deep silence because of this.
As expected… he must have been ignored…
Very angry, but…
Can't beat him…
Forget it.
Who told him he was the Captain?
Perhaps in Yoriichi Tsugikuni's heart, the urgency of saving someone right now was far more important than carefully assessing the entire situation.
…
Inside the building, Ishida Ryūken was in a very helpless situation.
He tightly gripped his long bow but was unable to act.
This was because this Hollow was simply too despicable and shameless; he actually used Akane Shizuku as a human shield, making Ishida Ryūken hesitant to act.
If it weren't for the current delicate detente between the Quincy and the Shinigami.
According to Ishida Ryūken's usual temperament, he would never have let this Hollow go so easily.
Even if it meant accidentally killing Akane Shizuku, he probably wouldn't hesitate.
Just as that Hollow was about to take Akane Shizuku and flee the scene.
And Ishida Ryūken could only helplessly prepare to passively accept this outcome.
The surrounding moonlight suddenly dimmed.
Seeing this, Ishida Ryūken's eyes showed obvious joy.
This hint of joy naturally didn't escape the Menos Grande's eyes; his heart suddenly skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition instantly surged through him.
The Menos Grande hadn't even had time to turn around and check the situation.
A calm and steady male voice suddenly sounded from behind him:
"The power of Hōgyoku?"
"Are you Aizen's subordinate?"
These two simple sentences, however, were like two muffled thunderclaps, instantly tensing the Menos Grande's mind.
The moment the words "Hōgyoku" entered his ears, he already knew his identity had been exposed.
Out of a strong survival instinct.
In his panic, he quickly and forcefully blocked Akane Shizuku in front of his chest, attempting to protect himself and evade a potential attack from behind.
However, the speed of thought ultimately could not keep up with the speed of action.
The moment he had just conceived this thought.
Crash.
With a crisp sound, the Menos Grande's shoulder was instantly and easily severed by a powerful force.
Akane Shizuku fell from his hand, and Yoriichi slightly raised his hand, catching her smoothly.
—What!
The intense pain did not immediately flood the Menos Grande's mind.
But this sudden scene before his eyes had already made him furious and filled him with shock and anger.
At this moment, having lost Akane Shizuku as a human shield, he instantly reverted to an ordinary Arrancar Adjuchas.
Yoriichi's eyes were calm, completely ignoring him.
Thump.
Gently stepping, Yoriichi appeared in an open space inside the building in the next instant, then set her down.
Just then.
Ishida Ryūken seized this fleeting opportunity.
Bang!
A dazzling blue light flashed like a spark.
Immediately following was a dull thud, as the Menos Grande's chest was violently pierced by this blue light!
The powerful impact carried a large gust of wind, whistling past like flying sand and stones, blowing up fragments of surrounding buildings.
Some white papers were also affected by this powerful force, turning into snowflakes, falling down in drifts.
Due to the presence of the Shinigami, Ishida Ryūken did not directly kill this Menos Grande.
Only after severely wounding him to the point of immobility did he slowly turn around and respectfully bow to Yoriichi Tsugikuni:
"Greetings, Tsugikuni Captain."
Yoriichi nodded lightly.
Then he looked at Katagiri Yae, who was lying on the ground nearby, severely injured, and asked:
"He did it?"
Ishida Ryūken naturally knew who "he" referred to and shook his head, denying:
"No, if it were a Hollow, Katagiri would probably be beyond saving by now."
"She was attacked by a group of guys in black cloaks. I've already killed them all. Although I'm not sure of their exact origins, Katagiri should know something."
"Tsugikuni Captain, you were also affected by them, weren't you?"
"That reishi is very special."
Indeed, at least from the current situation, if Aizen truly had a hand in this matter.
Then this reishi at least combined the powers of both Shinigami and Hollows.
After roughly sorting out the incident in his mind, Yoriichi Tsugikuni looked at Akane Shizuku nearby and asked:
"So, who is she, Ryūken, do you know?"
A Shinigami he had never seen before; Yoriichi's memory was excellent. At least, in the past twenty years, she was not among the graduates of the Spiritual Arts Academy.
Ishida Ryūken gently shook his head and replied:
"I also arrived here shortly after."
"Tsugikuni Captain, if you want to understand the details of this incident, it's best to heal Katagiri first."
Just as he was speaking, Mayuri Kurotsuchi arrived right behind them.
As soon as he appeared, he saw the Menos Grande nearby, constantly wailing, and a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.
He happened to overhear their conversation, then unhurriedly pulled out a vial of medicine from his person, displaying it as he spoke:
"Healing, huh… I have a good thing here, you know."
"I remember you Quincy should have a dual body, composed of reishi and kishi, right?"
"In the Human World, it's the kishi body; in the Soul Society, it's the reishi body…"
"Considering that reishi healing methods cannot be used in the Human World…"
"Why not come with us to the Soul Society?"
"It just so happens that I also want to hear what exactly you encountered…"
He chuckled, his expression self-evident.
However, this was currently the only choice Ishida Ryūken could make…
…
Some time later.
Soul Society, inside the Ninth Division.
"Your name."
"…Akane Shizuku."
Akane Shizuku looked confused. She gazed at the red-haired man sitting directly opposite her, and after answering his question, she couldn't help but blink gently:
"By the way, who are you, and where is this place?"
"Why are you arresting me?"
Two hands reached out.
Click.
The chains made of sealed stone rattled.
Akane Shizuku lowered her gaze to the chains binding her two palms, feeling a little depressed.
Heaven knew why, as soon as she opened her eyes, her surroundings had changed, and she was wearing something like handcuffs.
Was this delayed retribution for her act of theft?
Yoriichi observed Akane Shizuku's reaction and said in a businesslike manner:
"I am the ninth division captain, Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
"Akane Shizuku, after investigation, there are extremely serious issues with your identity. We hope you can answer our questions truthfully."
"What issues?" Akane Shizuku was very cooperative. She wasn't bad by nature and at this moment only wanted to answer all the questions and leave this place as soon as possible.
Ninth Division… Although her memory was very blurry, she could still recall some related information.
In her impression, wasn't the ninth division captain named Kensei Muguruma?
When did it change?
As if recalling a crucial point, Akane Shizuku suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head, like being pricked by a needle.
Countless chaotic memories surged into her mind like a slideshow, causing her to frown.
Before she could clear her thoughts, Yoriichi slowly asked:
"First question, where are you from?"
"Which Division are you employed by?"
"Huh??"
What kind of questions are these?
Akane Shizuku suddenly felt it was absurd, because in her opinion, Shinigami should be able to easily find out these things.
However, considering her current status as a prisoner, she could only answer according to his wishes:
"I'm from… from… um…"
"Where am I from again?"
Something was not quite right. Akane Shizuku couldn't remember her origins at all.
Although she knew she was from Rukongai, exactly which part of Rukongai?
And, in her memory, she was employed by the Third Division, but why did she also have memories of working in the Fifth Division and Fourth Division?
Seeing her fall into a state of confusion, Yoriichi looked at her deeply, then asked again:
"Second question, where did you obtain your Zanpakuto?"
Akane Shizuku came back to her senses and answered without hesitation:
"Aren't all Zanpakuto transformed from asauchi? My Mirokumaru is naturally no exception, Tsugikuni Captain, why are you asking this?"
Although she couldn't accurately answer the first two questions, she was one hundred percent certain about this one.
However, the moment her words fell, Akane Shizuku suddenly noticed a change in the surrounding atmosphere.
Yoriichi put down the report in his hand and said in a slightly low voice:
"Are you sure that's your Mirokumaru?"
"To be honest with you, Akane Shizuku."
"We have reviewed all Shinigami archives from ancient times since the Spiritual Arts Academy was founded, but we haven't found your name."
"We did find the Mirokumaru you possess, but its owner is not you."
"The original holder of Mirokumaru was from the Third Division, lost his way in the Dangai twenty years ago, and his whereabouts are still unknown."
"So the question is…"
"Who are you?"
The Soul Society is currently unaware of the existence of soul candy, as this is the first time soul candy has appeared in the Human World.
She was only brought to the Soul Society because it was considered highly likely that Akane Shizuku was Aizen's target.
Akane Shizuku couldn't respond to Yoriichi's words,
Because when Yoriichi mentioned the Mirokumaru holder getting lost in the Dangai, she involuntarily recalled the corresponding scene.
But the person in the scene… was not her.
Just then.
Thump.
The door to the interrogation room was pushed open.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi walked in excitedly, carrying a document.
He chuckled:
"Tsugikuni Captain, new discovery!"
"We examined Katagiri Yae's wounds, and from them, we detected a special energy originating from the Dangai."
"Considering the Soul Society's history over the past few millennia, we have already identified that group of people…"
"And also…"
His gaze slowly shifted to Akane Shizuku, "We've also figured out this young lady's identity and origin."
"Interested in becoming my experiment, Miss soul candy?"