"Uh…"
Even in a life-or-death situation, upon hearing that seemingly teasing remark, Rangiku ignored the opponent who was trying to kill her and cast a strange gaze towards the figure that appeared in the distance.
"Could you please move aside?"
The moment the words fell, a clanging sound of metal immediately rang out.
The bespectacled middle-aged man leaped backward, dodging the short blade's attack, and in the spot where he had previously stood, a figure clad in prison uniform now appeared.
"Tsk tsk, that expression of yours, like you've seen a ghost, is really quite disheartening."
The newcomer looked at the surprised Rangiku, his eyes slightly narrowed, a smile on his face: "All the way here, I was really looking forward to your reaction."
"Ichimaru Gin?"
The bespectacled middle-aged man pushed up his glasses and spoke the newcomer's name.
However, Ichimaru Gin didn't even glance at him, only extended a hand to Rangiku on the ground: "Are you hungry? Too bad I didn't bring any jerky today."
Rangiku froze, her vision suddenly blurred, and then…
Slap~!
Slapping away Ichimaru Gin's outstretched hand, Rangiku propped herself up and stood from the ground, saying irritably: "Who do you think is a child? You didn't run away, did you?"
"How could that be."
Ichimaru Gin chuckled: "That esteemed person from Central 46 said that during my confinement, if I made significant meritorious contributions, my sentence could be reduced based on the circumstances. With such a good opportunity for a reduced sentence, I naturally couldn't miss it."
Sentence reduction?
A peculiar glint flashed in Rangiku's eyes. She had never really taken the matter of a reduced sentence seriously. After Aizen was defeated, she didn't believe Seireitei would again face a crisis that the entire Gotei 13 couldn't resolve, requiring Gin's intervention to make a contribution.
So, she just took it as a comforting remark from that 'drinking buddy' of hers.
She didn't feel dissatisfied about it; she only felt gratitude and relief. After all, given Ichimaru Gin's crimes, just being alive was already a pleasant surprise for her, not to mention Gin being confined within the Tenth Division.
But now it seems…
Her drinking buddy seemed to have foreseen the current situation. What was originally just a casual remark had now become a potentially achievable goal.
"It truly is wonderful."
Ichimaru Gin seemed to read Rangiku's thoughts, smiling slightly: "Perhaps he really can see the future, as Captain Aizen said."
"But no matter what, I must thank him when I get the chance."
Clang—!
Ichimaru Gin swung his short blade, and dazzling sparks immediately burst forth from the blade.
Then, he slowly turned around, looking at his opponent who was aiming a gun at him. The smile on his face vanished, and his narrowed eyes opened into a slit, revealing a hint of killing intent.
"Though it's a bit late to say…"
Killing intent flared, but Ichimaru Gin, with his back to Rangiku, softly whispered with tenderness:
"Sorry, I'm back."
Clang!!
A dazzling white light flashed, and a sharp blade tore through the void.
Rangiku stared blankly at Ichimaru Gin's back, and a scene of a small figure leaving suddenly appeared in her mind.
'I've decided, I'm going to become a Shinigami, and then change everything, that way…'
'Rangiku won't have to cry anymore.'
He's back?
Rangiku looked at the figure fighting the enemy, a brilliant and beautiful smile spreading across her face:
"One cup isn't nearly enough!!"
…
"Is there no one who can fight?"
In the Fifth District, Zaraki carried his jagged long blade, his body already soaked in blood, though it wasn't his blood.
Looking behind him, along the long street, bodies lay everywhere, covering the path as far as the eye could see.
Blood gathered into streams, flowing downwards with a gurgling sound.
"Mon…monster…"
"All the Quincy soldiers…all of them were killed by him…who exactly is he?"
"…"
And on the path ahead of Zaraki, those clad in Quincy attire were all filled with fear.
Even with comrades standing behind them and only one enemy, they retreated again and again, driven by fear!
How could such a monster be defeated?
Especially…
Among the bodies strewn behind him, there was also a corpse clad in a Sternritter uniform, with a thick beard and rugged facial features… a body that had been cut in half by a single strike.
That was the leader of their group, one of the Sternritter, Driscoll Berci, whose holy letter was 'Overkill.' But now… that esteemed person lay miserably in a pool of blood.
The eyes of the body, severed in two, were still filled with disbelief.
Driscoll never expected…
That he, who had chosen to join the Seireitei subjugation force due to his apprehension of the Arrancar from Las Noches, would be killed here by some inexplicable guy who appeared, without even getting to overkill anyone.
This left him filled with unwillingness even in his dying moments. If he could have overkilled more people, he definitely wouldn't have died so easily.
However…
Whether it was the invasion of Hueco Mundo or now, he never got the chance to enhance his strength through overkill.
"What the hell!?"
Especially Zaraki's words just before his death, which left him unable to rest in peace: "Didn't Ishikawa say these guys were all stronger than Captains? Why are they so weak? Or is my luck just that bad?"
"Yawn—"
Yawning rather boredly, Zaraki glanced at the continuously gathering Quincy soldiers, and then…
He turned directly and walked into the alley on the left. He could feel that someone was engaged in an intense battle over there!
As for the numerous cannon fodder in front of him, they really couldn't pique his interest.
Seeing Zaraki turn and leave, the remaining Quincy present exchanged glances, and not a single one dared to step forward to intercept him.
But…
Just then, Zaraki's steps suddenly halted.
"No wonder Driscoll's spiritual pressure disappeared, so he ran into you?"
A voice suddenly rang out, making the eyes of the remaining Quincy light up, and they immediately parted to make way.
Looking ahead, a young man with delicate features, blond hair, and blue eyes slowly walked out from behind the group of Quincy, stopping beside Driscoll's corpse.
"Special War Power, Zaraki."
Zaraki tilted his head, looking at the newcomer, a savage and cruel grin on his face:
"Hahahaha, now this is interesting!!"
Before his words finished, he had already vanished from his original spot.
Clang—!
Sparks flew, and the blond young man blocked the jagged blade with the sword at his waist, saying softly:
"You all continue to advance."
"Yes, Lord Haschwalth!"
The Quincy spoke with utmost respect, then bypassed the battlefield and continued towards the center of Seireitei, as if they were not at all worried that the blond young man named Haschwalth would be defeated by Zaraki.
Almost as soon as they dispersed, terrifying energy ripples erupted.
Golden spiritual pressure soared into the sky, and as it burst forth, it destroyed all buildings in its path!
"He really is a savage monster, just as the intel said."
…
"Haschwalth even decided to take action himself?"
Several kilometers to the left of Zaraki and Haschwalth, a young man sat on a tent roof, flicking a slightly curled strand of hair from his forehead, saying fearfully: "It seems I can't slack off either. I don't want to be lectured by that guy."
"Do you know?"
The young man seemed to be talking to someone: "Among our Sternritter, Haschwalth is undoubtedly the strongest, so much so that even His Majesty regards him as his other half."
"And his ability is terrifying beyond compare. Among the entire Sternritter, he is the person I least want to fight against. For anyone he targets, even I can't help but feel a little pity for them… Hmm, you don't need to worry too much, and don't struggle to get up. Just pretend I'm talking to myself."
"After all, I'm very weak. I just want to stall for more time here and take advantage of Captains like you who are so easy to defeat."
After the young man finished speaking, he looked down at the ground, where a figure wearing a Captain's haori and with long golden hair lay.
That was the new Captain of the Third Division, Otoribashi Rōjūrō!
At this moment, his face was purplish-blue, as if suffocating, his body trembling slightly, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get up from the ground again.
And behind Otoribashi Rōjūrō, Kira Izuru also lay there, or more precisely…
The entire temporary camp of the Third Division, at this moment, no one was still standing. All of them, like Otoribashi Rōjūrō, had purplish-blue faces, and many had already lost their breath!
As for the enemy…
There was only the young man with a single, slightly curled strand of hair on his forehead.
Unpreventable!!
Otoribashi Rōjūrō suppressed the dizziness, struggling to widen his eyes and look at the figure on the tent. Although he already knew the bizarre nature of the person in front of him through memory, and had been fully on guard before the battle, all defensive measures were completely useless against him.
He didn't even know how he had been hit.
In his memory, even that half-masked female Arrancar in Hueco Mundo, who wasn't even an Espada, was able to hold him back.
"Speaking of which, you seem to know a lot about us."
The young man chuckled: "But my 'The Deathdealing' takes different substances each time, so no matter how much you prepare, it's useless."
"Heh heh, that's truly fascinating."
Blinding light suddenly descended, as if the sun itself had arrived at this moment, making the entire temporary camp of the Third Division incredibly bright.
Erasing all shadows.
Askin looked at the… well, 'little sun' that appeared beside Otoribashi Rōjūrō, and couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
Otoribashi Rōjūrō, whose face was purplish-blue, showed a look of surprise even in this situation.
It was too bright for him to clearly see who had appeared, but with that unique and morbid voice, plus the unconventional attire, only one person in the entire Seireitei would appear in such a state…
Captain of the Twelfth Division, Mayuri.
"You…"
Just as Otoribashi Rōjūrō was about to say something, a gust of wind came from beside him, and then he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, and he was directly kicked away!
"Don't stand here getting in the way, Nemu, dispose of this trash."
"Yes, Lord Mayuri!"
Before Otoribashi Rōjūrō could understand what had happened, another 'little sun' appeared before his eyes. However, compared to Mayuri's unconventional attire, this little sun's clothing was more akin to a nurse's uniform, looking quite normal.
Provided that…
One ignored her right arm, which had transformed into a giant syringe.
Whoosh!!
With a whooshing sound, the massive syringe plunged straight towards Otoribashi Rōjūrō's head.
Seeing this, Otoribashi Rōjūrō's purplish-blue face instantly turned pale. He didn't know where the strength came from, but he managed to twist his head and dodge the thumb-thick needle.
"Captain Otoribashi Rōjūrō, please do not move. I am detoxifying you!"
Otoribashi Rōjūrō's pupils contracted. This is called detoxification?
This is absolutely an execution!?
"What are you talking about? Are you trying to stab me to death?"
Otoribashi Rōjūrō suddenly stood up from the ground, but then he froze, looking at his hands.
The feeling of suffocation…
It's gone?
Wait!
Otoribashi Rōjūrō lifted his shirt from his abdomen, only to see dense needle marks on his belly. A sudden realization flashed in his eyes.
Was it that kick just now?
Puch—!
A strange sound interrupted Otoribashi Rōjūrō's thoughts. His neck stiffly turned behind him, and he looked at Nemu Kurotsuchi, who was stabbing the thumb-thick needle into his buttocks from behind, his eyes full of confusion.
"Lieutenant Nemu…"
After a while, Otoribashi Rōjūrō said with a dark face: "What is the point of you stabbing me?"
"Hmm?"
The little sun, Nemu Kurotsuchi, shone brightly all around her, tilting her head slightly, and said in an emotionless tone: "Detoxification!"
With that, she pulled out the syringe with a plop.
And then…
With another plop, she stabbed it back into Otoribashi Rōjūrō's buttocks.
"…And this time?"
"Still detoxification!"
"What are you talking about? Hey, what's wrong with this girl of yours…?"
"Still stabbing? This is insubordination… Hey, calm down… I'm fine now… Yes, yes, go stab Kira, hey, why are you coming back again…?"
"Ah ah ah ah…"
"…"
"You're so noisy, you idiot!"
Mayuri cursed without turning his head: "Nemu, stab him through the throat!"
"Ah ah ah…"
Askin scratched his hair with a troubled expression: "To think I'd run into you, I really am unlucky."
"Oh?"
Mayuri's light intensified: "What are you saying?"
"You know full well."
Askin glanced at Nemu Kurotsuchi, who was constantly chasing Otoribashi Rōjūrō with the syringe, and let out a heavy sigh: "I just continuously switched between three types of toxins, but they were all detoxified by that 'exceptionally bright' little nurse, and she simultaneously injected antibodies. As for you…"
Askin retracted his gaze: "You show no reaction at all. I don't want to fight such a troublesome guy like you. Could you please go find someone else?"
"So, what are you saying?"
Mayuri repeated again, then the humanoid sun tilted its head, as if sneering: "I'm just here to collect data, and if possible, I'd like to try and capture some experimental subjects to take back."
"Ah, that's right."
Mayuri seemed to remember something and said: "Could you please answer a question for me?"
"Oh?"
Askin's bitter smile vanished, his eyes narrowed, like a venomous snake fixating on its prey.
"According to a shop owner in Rukongai, it's said that there are also 'Royal Guards' within your Sternritter. Are any of these people among the invaders? Is the 'other half of His Majesty' you mentioned one of them? With so many strong individuals appearing, does this not mean…"
Mayuri paused, the grotesque smile on his face growing even wider:
"That Yhwach who appeared in Seireitei is a fake?"
"Oh, so His Majesty has a fake too?"
Askin blinked in confusion: "That's quite some good intel you've got."
Mayuri said nothing in response, only his body glowed intensely, as if mocking, or perhaps expressing a sun-like anger.