"At least four have been confirmed so far!" Rangiku hurriedly unfolded the report, her fingertip pointing at the writing on it. "They broke through from the White Road Gate. The gatekeeping Soul Reaper has already been defeated!"
"Lieutenant Kira from the Third Division sent word that the one leading them is an orange-haired human. He's carrying a Zanpakutō that can release extremely powerful Reiatsu. He seems like some kind of unknown Soul Reaper mixed with a human from the World of the Living!"
"Unknown Soul Reaper?" Harry frowned slightly, a trace of confusion flashing through his green eyes before sinking away again. "They came for Rukia, didn't they?"
He remembered the news they had heard at the bar yesterday. Rukia's sentence had only just been issued, and now someone had broken into the Seireitei. The answer was almost obvious.
"Most likely!" Rangiku nodded hard, her voice carrying a hint of anxiety. "And their route is very clear. They're heading straight for the Senzaikyū! They've already fought members of the Third and Seventh Divisions along the way. The enemy is strong. Ordinary squad members can't stop them at all!"
She paused, then added, "Hitsugaya has already received the news. He's leading his squad members west right now, and he asked me to ask you whether the Tenth Division should provide support."
Harry walked to the window and pushed open the wooden lattice frame, looking toward the western side of the Seireitei. Although he could not see the specific battle, faint Reiatsu fluctuations had already begun to spread through the air. They were the collisions of spiritual energy released when Soul Reapers fought outsiders.
He remained silent for a few seconds. The Zanpakutō at his fingertips trembled faintly, as if echoing the emotions in his heart.
"Support them." Harry turned around, his tone firm. "Have the third seat take a quarter of the squad to reinforce the Third Division. Hold the main road leading to Central 46, and don't let the Ryoka throw the Seireitei's order into chaos."
He paused, then added, "Tell the squad members to take them alive if possible. Don't use lethal force. These Ryoka may know the truth behind Rukia's sentence."
Rangiku's eyes lit up, and she quickly nodded. "I'll make the arrangements right away!"
In a situation like this, support should have meant sending at least half the division. That would have been proper procedure. By saying only a quarter, Harry was already secretly supporting Rukia.
Rangiku was just about to turn around when Harry stopped her. "Wait. Go personally to the area near the Fifth Division and keep an eye on Captain Aizen and Gin Ichimaru."
He remembered his encounter with Aizen before the captains' meeting that morning, and that strange sense of dissonance rose in his heart again. "If they do anything unusual, notify me immediately through the communication bead."
Rangiku froze for a moment, then understood and nodded seriously. "Understood!"
She clutched the report tightly, turned, and quickly left the office. The gourd at her waist swayed gently, leaving behind a string of hurried footsteps.
Harry looked out the window again. The Reiatsu fluctuations in the air were becoming more and more obvious.
He raised a hand and gripped the hilt of his Zanpakutō. The silver patterns on the sheath gleamed coldly beneath the sunlight.
The Ryoka invasion, Rukia's sentence, Aizen's abnormal behavior. All of it seemed to be strung together by an invisible thread, making him feel more and more that a deeper conspiracy was hidden behind this seemingly simple rescue.
He took a deep breath, and a hint of resolve flashed through his green eyes. No matter what was behind all this, he had to uncover the truth. At the very least, he could not let Rukia die for nothing.
If there was really no other choice, then he would just flip the whole table over.
To be honest, he would rather devour the Bleach world quietly and gently. He did not want to directly fight his colleagues.
After all, even though most of his attention had not been in the Bleach world, they had still spent decades together. There were feelings there, especially with Rangiku Matsumoto and the others, who had already become his close friends.
After Rangiku had been gone for a while, Harry also stood up and left the captain's office.
He was rather curious about the Ryoka too. Judging by the timeline, the World of the Living should already be modern now, right?
Ichigo Kurosaki's boots landed heavily on the stone pavement of the Seireitei. The morning mist scattered around his feet, carrying the Soul Society's uniquely cold Reishi scent into his nose.
He raised a hand and pressed it against the Zanpakutō at his waist. The wind lifted his short orange hair, revealing his determined eyes.
Just now, he had defeated a Soul Reaper named Ikkaku Madarame, which meant he could keep going deeper to save Rukia.
He knew the road ahead would only become more difficult, but he was not afraid.
From the moment he broke through the White Road Gate, he had never once thought about turning back.
He had to save his friend.
The instant he stepped past a corner, three hostile Reiatsu signatures attacked from behind the cherry blossom trees on the right.
Three Soul Reapers leaped down with their Zanpakutō drawn, their blades flashing coldly as they aimed for his throat.
"Ryoka! You dared trespass into the Seireitei? Die!" the leader roared as he swung his sword, the blade slicing through the air with an ear-piercing sound.
Ichigo did not panic at all. His body instinctively slid to the left, dodging the attack. At the same time, his Zanpakutō was already half-drawn from its sheath, and the back of the blade smashed heavily into the opponent's wrist.
With a crisp crack, the Soul Reaper's Zanpakutō fell from his hand. He grunted in pain.
The remaining two were just about to charge forward when Ichigo Kurosaki immediately forced them back with a punch.
Ichigo had no intention of getting tangled up with them. He instantly shook off the three ordinary Soul Reapers and looked into the distance.
He could clearly sense Rukia's aura coming from the south.
According to Kūkaku Shiba, that direction should lead to the Senzaikyū, the place where Soul Reapers guilty of severe crimes were imprisoned.
Ichigo Kurosaki sped across the stone road, stirring up a gust of wind that sent cherry blossom petals flying on both sides.
The patrolling Soul Reapers along the way sensed the disturbance and drew their swords to stop him, but he knocked them back with clean, precise slashes.
His movements had no unnecessary flash. Every swing struck the opponent's opening with precision, preventing serious injury while allowing him to break through quickly.
He had only one goal, find Rukia and take her away. He had no hatred for these Soul Reapers, so of course he would not use lethal force.
After advancing another few hundred meters, his entire body suddenly froze in place.
He sensed an incredibly powerful Reiatsu rapidly approaching him.
The speed at which that Reiatsu closed in was far too fast. Before he could even react, it blocked his path in an instant.
When the owner of that Reiatsu appeared, Ichigo finally saw what he looked like.
It was a very young-looking man.
He seemed to be around twenty years old, with messy short hair and a faint but extremely striking lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
What surprised Ichigo Kurosaki was that this man did not look Japanese. He looked more like an American.
What was going on?
Weren't the Soul Reapers in the Soul Society supposed to be Japanese Soul Reapers? Why was there an American here?
Had American Soul Reapers invaded the Soul Society? Did the world of Soul Reapers have wars too?
Ichigo Kurosaki shook his head and stopped thinking about it.
Whether from the Reiatsu even stronger than Ikkaku Madarame's, or from the special Shihakushō worn by the man in front of him, Ichigo Kurosaki could tell that this person was no ordinary Soul Reaper. He was not even on the level of a third seat or a lieutenant. He was a true captain.
Ichigo Kurosaki grew extremely tense. He had not expected to face an overwhelmingly powerful captain so soon after invading the Seireitei.
But so what if he was a captain? To save Rukia, Ichigo had to break through every obstacle, even if that obstacle was a captain.
So Ichigo Kurosaki immediately tried to draw his sword and launch the first attack, hoping to strike by surprise and defeat this captain.
But the instant Ichigo Kurosaki's fingertips touched the hilt of his Zanpakutō, a cold Reiatsu surged over like a tide, instantly wrapping around his limbs and bones.
It was not a violent impact, but a restraint filled with absolute control. It was like being bound by invisible chains of steel. Even breathing became heavy.
He suddenly raised his head. Beneath his short orange hair, his pupils contracted in shock, and his gaze locked tightly onto Harry ahead.
The captain of the Tenth Division was still standing ten steps away. His silver-patterned sheath remained at his waist, and there was little emotion in his green eyes. Yet the Reiatsu spreading from his body was like a solid net, pinning every inch of Ichigo's muscles in place.
Ichigo Kurosaki struggled with all his strength, but it was useless.
He was stunned to discover that in front of this captain, he did not even have the ability to attack. He could not even move under his Reiatsu.
What surprised Ichigo Kurosaki even more was that he had been standing there for a while, yet this Tenth Division captain still showed no intention of making a move. He only studied Ichigo with a slightly curious look.
Ichigo Kurosaki immediately understood that this captain had some other purpose. It seemed he did not want to arrest him.
So he gritted his teeth and struggled to ask, "What the hell do you want?"
Harry did not answer. He merely lifted his right hand slightly.
That tiny movement made the Reiatsu wrapped around Ichigo suddenly tighten.
Ichigo grunted, and his knees bent downward beyond his control. His boot heels scraped across the stone pavement with a piercing screech.
He could clearly feel that Reiatsu drilling into him through his pores, suppressing every meridian through which his spiritual power flowed. Even his heartbeat slowed by half a beat.
"Don't be in such a hurry." Harry's voice finally came, calm as if he were discussing the weather. "I have no hostile intent."
Ichigo glared at him, even angrier now. You call this having no hostile intent?
You've already pinned me to the ground with Reiatsu, and you're still saying you have no hostile intent?
Harry noticed that Ichigo Kurosaki clearly did not trust him, so he continued explaining, "I really have no hostile intent. I came here only to talk to you for a while. After all, I'm also Rukia's friend. How could I possibly stop you from saving her?"
"Then let me go!" Ichigo roared, his voice hoarse. "Rukia's about to be executed! If you're her friend, why are you stopping me?!"
Harry looked at him. A faint ripple finally passed through his green eyes, but he did not release the Reiatsu.
"Because I understand better than you how to truly save her." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Ichigo's face, which had flushed red with anger. "Right now, either calm down and listen to me, or keep wasting time here. By the time you can break free of my Reiatsu, the Sōkyoku execution will probably already be over."
Those words struck Ichigo like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.
He gritted his teeth hard, his nails digging deeply into his palm. The taste of blood spread through his mouth.
But the helplessness in his body was becoming clearer and clearer. The Reiatsu weighed on him like a heavy mountain, pressing down until he could barely breathe.
In the end, his shoulders slumped, and the hand gripping his sword hilt loosened. He stopped resisting.
Harry sensed his compromise. Only then did the Reiatsu wrapped around him weaken slightly, though it did not fully disperse. It remained like an invisible warning line, reminding him not to act rashly.
Ichigo staggered back onto steady feet, gasping for breath. The way he looked at Harry carried anger, unwillingness, and a trace of helplessness he had no choice but to acknowledge.
Ichigo knew that the current him was not even qualified to make this Tenth Division captain draw his sword.
But even though he was no match for this Tenth Division captain, Ichigo Kurosaki still said stubbornly, "Speak. What's your goal? I'm in a hurry to save Rukia. If you really are her friend, you shouldn't stop me."
Harry raised his eyes toward the Senzaikyū and said calmly, "It is precisely because I am Rukia's friend that I came here to talk to you. Do you really think your current strength is enough to break through the Senzaikyū's defenses?"
Ichigo stiffened. He was just about to argue, but Harry interrupted him.
"The guard at the White Road Gate was only a third-rate squad member. The Seventh Division's interception did not use its full strength either."
"But once you reach the outer perimeter of the Senzaikyū, the ones stationed there will be elite members of the Sixth Division. Beyond that, there are captain-class Soul Reapers on guard."
"You couldn't withstand even thirty percent of my Reiatsu just now. Do you truly believe you can protect Rukia under Byakuya Kuchiki's blade?"
Those words smashed into Ichigo's heart like a heavy hammer. He clenched his fists. His nails dug deeper into his palms, but he could not find a way to refute him.
The helplessness of being restrained by Reiatsu still lingered through his limbs and bones. He had no choice but to admit that his strength was nowhere near enough compared to the true fighting power of the Soul Society.
Harry bent down and gently traced his fingertip over the stone pavement. Reishi gathered with his movement, outlining a complex pattern across the ground.
The pattern glowed with pale blue light. It looked like a miniature magic circle, yet it also carried the unique rhythm of Soul Reaper spiritual arts.
"This is a Reiatsu Amplification Array." He looked up at Ichigo, the distance gone from his green eyes.
"Inject your spiritual power into the array's core, and it can temporarily organize the chaotic spiritual flow inside you."
"You have three kinds of power in your body, Soul Reaper, Quincy, and Hollow. Mixed together, they look powerful, but in reality, most of that power is being wasted. You can't even bring out sixty percent of your strength."
"Only by mixing those three types of Reiatsu together and making them support one another can you unleash several times your current battle power."
Ichigo stared at the array on the ground, then looked at Harry, his eyes full of confusion. "I have Hollow power inside me? Why didn't I know that?"
"You don't need to know." Harry straightened, his tone calm but carrying unquestionable certainty. "I forgot to mention it, but your father, Isshin Shiba, is also my friend. I have no reason to lie to you."
He pointed at the glowing dot in the center of the array. "This array can help you temporarily fuse those three powers. Your Reiatsu will at least rise to the threshold of captain level."
"But the effect only lasts half an hour. After half an hour, you'll fall into spiritual power exhaustion and need an hour to recover, so don't use it carelessly."
Ichigo took a deep breath, walked into the center of the array, and, following Harry's instructions, pressed his hand against the glowing dot.
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