Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three muffled thuds rang out almost simultaneously, and the three guards in front flew backward faster than they had approached, crashing hard into the wall ten meters away.
Before the others could even react, they felt pain at the back of their heads and their vision suddenly turned dark.
The whole process didn't last more than three seconds.
The bystanders didn't even clearly see what Arata did, and the people from the Kurokawa family were already lying scattered on the ground.
"You, do you know who I am…" Kurokawa Shinken's face turned blue from the grip, but he still stubbornly managed to say, "My father is the head of the Kurokawa family! He's related to the Kasumiōji family! You…"
Crack.
The soft sound of bone breaking suddenly cut off the threat of Kurokawa's sword.
With horror, he realized that his jaw had been dislocated. Sharp pain and fear surged like a tide, and his groin instantly turned wet.
"Aaaaaaaa!"
With disgust, Arata released his grip, letting the spoiled brat collapse to the ground like a pile of mud.
He turned to the stunned Rangiku and helplessly spread his arms: "I didn't kill them."
"Well… at least not all of them." He glanced at the guard who had started it all, the guy was embedded into the wall in a weird position and probably had a few broken ribs.
"Arata… if you do this, it'll be hard for me to withstand the pressure from the captain…"
Rangiku held her forehead and sighed. She knew something like this would happen, but compared to the bloody massacre she had expected, the current outcome was much better.
"Don't worry, Captain Shiba won't make a fuss. After all, he's a noble too." Arata patted Rangiku on the shoulder, letting her know she didn't need to worry too much.
Then, under the stunned gazes of the bystanders, he leisurely walked into the Kikuchaya tea salon, dropped a small stack of banknotes, and took two cups of their signature milk tea drink.
As for how the situation would be dealt with later, that was no longer their concern. The patrolling Shinigami would naturally come and sort everything out.
…
"Drink slowly, no one's going to snatch it from you." Arata watched Rangiku slurp her milk tea with puffed cheeks and couldn't help but wipe away the tea from the corner of her lips. "Careful not to choke if you drink that fast."
Rangiku narrowed her eyes, enjoying his attention, and murmured, "It's just too delicious… hik!"
The two of them strolled home slowly along the path through Rukongai. Arata deliberately slowed his pace so Rangiku could enjoy the scenery along the way while sipping her milk tea.
They chatted carefree like that until they stepped through the barrier of Seireitei and returned to their familiar home. Warm yellow light wrapped the courtyard in a cozy atmosphere.
"I'll go make dinner first." Rangiku slipped off her geta sandals and socks and ran barefoot into the kitchen. The hem of her kimono fluttered in motion, revealing her white calves.
"Alright."
Arata watched her, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously lifted.
He entered the bedroom and took out the Hollow Mask from the system space. The translucent mask glowed ominously under the light.
[Do you want to accept the destiny mission "Secret Investigator"?]
The system window popped up right on time, and Arata selected "Yes" without hesitation.
[Task accepted, completion time: two months]
[Mission Requirements: Infiltrate Noble Street, investigate the aristocrats who have recently behaved abnormally, and find evidence related to the Bakkōtō sword incident]
Current progress: 0%
"Arata—" Rangiku's voice came from the kitchen, "can we have sukiyaki tonight? I bought some extra good beef!"
"Of course." Arata put the mask away and headed toward the kitchen, hugging Rangiku from behind while she chopped vegetables. "But I might have to head out after dinner. The captain gave me some tasks."
Rangiku briefly paused with the knife in her hand, then continued slicing green onions as if nothing had happened. "Is it dangerous?"
"It might be dangerous for others, but it's nothing special for me." Arata gently kissed the ends of her hair, trying to reassure her.
Rangiku lowered her hands, turned around, and looked him straight in the face with her gray eyes. "Promise me you won't do anything too risky."
"I promise I won't." Arata pinched her cheek. "Besides, a woman this beautiful is waiting for me at home."
Rangiku blushed and pushed him away: "Stop talking nonsense, eat dinner and go on your mission!"
…
Arata quickly finished dinner and left on his own.
He headed straight to a shadowy alleyway on Noble Street and took out the transparent Void Mask from the system space. The moment he pressed the mask to his face, a cold sensation spread through his entire body.
Arata could feel his bones emitting subtle, clear sounds, and his muscle fibers melting and reshaping like liquid.
When the transformation was complete, a sinister, pale face reflected off the mirror-polished wall tiles. High cheekbones and narrow eyes were the classic features of the Tsunayashiro family.
However, it was an image he had crafted in his mind, based on that vile man Tsunayashiro Tokinada.
"So this is the aura of one of the Five Great Noble Families? Quite interesting…" Arata looked down at his fingers, now slightly dry. His once abundant spiritual pressure was now restrained like a deep pond.
The total amount of reiatsu wasn't small, but it was just about on par with that of an average lieutenant.
Tsunayashiro Akutagawa, diplomatic envoy of the Tsunayashiro family, that was the identity profile of the simulated character provided by the system.
With an identity like this, it would be much easier to handle things from now on.
The Kurokawa family's villa was lit brightly in the night. As soon as Arata appeared at the main gate in wooden sandals, the swords of two guards clattered to the ground.
"Tsu–Tsunayashiro-sama!" One of them ran into the courtyard, stumbling and crawling. "Lord Patriarch! The special envoy of the Tsunayashiro family has arrived!"
Just because of Arata's arrival, the entire Kurokawa family villa fell into chaos.
When Arata slowly stepped into the main hall, the Kurokawa family patriarch was hastily tying his belt, followed by a dozen disheveled family members.
The heavy stench of alcohol wafted from his face, as if he had just left a grand banquet.
"Lord Akutagawa, I deeply apologize for not welcoming you properly at such a late hour…" Cold sweat drenched his forehead, and his fat belly nearly touched the floor as he bowed.
Behind him, Kurokawa Shinken, with his dislocated jaw, was hanging onto a servant. The moment he saw Arata, his legs gave out in fear and he collapsed to the ground.
Arata mimicked the posture of nobles from his memories, and gently pressed the folded bone fan under the Kurokawa patriarch's chin. His gaze occasionally swept over to Kurokawa Shinken at the side. "I heard your foolish son pointed a Bakkōtō at civilians in Rukongai today?"
A sudden surge of spiritual pressure from the top of the fan left a dent in the opponent's fat stomach.
"Who gave you the courage to wave such a secret item around in public?!"
Leaves in the courtyard rustled without a single gust of wind. The Kurokawa patriarch collapsed to his knees so hard that they cracked three stone tiles. "Lord Akutagawa! This is a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding! What my son holds is just a replica, a decoration…"
"Hmph! We'll talk about that later." Arata kicked him aside. "Take me to the production line immediately!"
His earlier words were just to break down their defenses on the surface.
More than lingering on the incident with Kurokawa Shinken's sword, he was interested in something that was being hidden here.
"Yes, yes! Lord Akutagawa, I'll take you right away!" The Kurokawa patriarch instantly changed his expression, turning into an obedient dog, and humbly led the way forward.
After passing through a secret door protected by layers of barriers, they arrived at a hidden underground workshop. The sight inside made Arata's stomach instinctively clench.
Before his eyes appeared dozens of Rukongai residents pinned to the wall, with countless dark red tubes jammed into their throats, continuously draining their life away.