'Naruki City... Did I not enter the Soul Society?'
He asked the Zanpakuto in his hand, but received no response.
Asuka drew Nugata, his gaze turning solemn.
It had once again become a battered mess, dark red rust crawling all over the blade.
Not only had it lost its original sharpness, but even the edge had become jagged and uneven. It looked like a piece of scrap metal abandoned in the wilderness for decades.
This made Asuka feel as if he had returned to a few years ago, to that snowy night when he had just awakened and was waiting to die in the dilapidated temple at the foot of Hayama.
Lonely, helpless, and filled with confusion toward the unknown.
'Is it because crossing the Dangai caused a problem with Nugata, or is there something wrong with me...'
"..."
Asuka suddenly realized something. His pupils, which had been unfocused from dizziness and confusion, abruptly contracted.
He turned his head, searching everywhere for that touch of pure white.
"Shinobu! Where are you?!"
Only his echoing voice reverberated through the empty streets.
Aside from the endless stream of steel boxes and cold, towering skyscrapers, he saw nothing.
'Damn it, didn't I throw her toward the exit? Did she not make it to the World of the Living?!'
In the turbulent currents of the Dangai, Shinobu Kocho's already incredibly fragile spiritual body would be completely unable to withstand any impact.
'If she ultimately failed to get out, if she fell into the crevices of the Dangai, if she...'
Asuka did not dare to think any further.
He began to sprint down the street, searching everywhere for Shinobu's silhouette.
There were hardly any pedestrians. The weather was terrible today, with dark clouds pressing down on the empty streets, feeling as though a torrential downpour could start at any moment.
'But I should be in a spiritual state right now. Ordinary humans can't see me, so even if there were people around, I wouldn't need to worry about being discovered.'
'Even though that person said an overwhelmingly strong Spiritual Pressure would affect the souls in the World of the Living, I can't care about that right now.'
'This isn't another world. There are people responsible for managing the circulation of Reishi here. Finding Shinobu takes priority.'
However, shortly after, he turned a corner and collided head-on with a dark figure.
The immense momentum made him feel the physical impact of the collision.
"Ouch!"
The dark figure opposite him let out a cry of surprise, staggering backward a few steps before falling straight to the ground.
Asuka also took a half-step back, staring blankly at his own shoulder, then at the person across from him.
'That heavy sensation of bodily impact, the slight vibration that transmitted through me... it definitely wasn't an illusion.'
'Have I regained my physical body? How is that possible?'
He wanted to apologize or ask for directions, but upon clearly seeing the other person's identity, he swallowed the words right back down.
The person standing before him was not the ordinary passerby he had expected.
It was a man wearing a black, wide-sleeved kimono.
He couldn't be more familiar with the style of that garment—a Shihakusho.
The man had a sword tucked into his waistband, looking like nothing more than an ordinary squad member.
"Hiss... Where did this wandering soul come from? How dare you bump into me!" the collided Soul Reaper complained while rubbing his shoulder.
He stood up, ready to lose his temper, but the moment he saw Asuka, the anger in his eyes vanished.
A joy akin to surviving a disaster quickly crept onto his brow.
"Ah! You... are you a member of the backup squad? Thank goodness, we've finally been waiting for you!"
At this moment, although Asuka was not a Soul Reaper, he was indeed wearing a Shihakusho, not to mention the Zanpakuto slung at his waist.
Coupled with the chilling killing intent that had settled over Asuka from years of constant slaughter—which still swirled between his brows even after arriving in another world—he didn't look like an ordinary squad member no matter how one looked at him.
"Backup squad?" Asuka frowned.
Truth be told, even though he wielded the power of a Soul Reaper, he did not like Soul Reapers.
Whether it was those arrogant bastards in the Rukongai or the cunning, sinister face of Sosuke Aizen, they all filled him with disgust for this identity.
But right now, he was all alone.
An unfamiliar city, a missing companion, and a silent Zanpakuto—all of these meant he needed some alternative assistance.
Even if this help came from the group he disliked the most.
'If I can blend in among these Soul Reapers, figure out where this is, or even find a way to enter the Soul Society...'
'At the very least, they could help me look for Shinobu.'
"I am Asuka," Asuka said, shifting his gaze, his voice dry. "What do you need me to do right now?"
Cold sweat.
The Soul Reaper let out a massive sigh of relief. He didn't look very old, his face still carrying a bit of childishness, and at this moment, his forehead was covered in it.
"My name is Naoto, a member of the Tenth Division," he said hurriedly, wiping away his sweat. "I'll explain the details on the way. Everyone is gathering at the designated location!"
Asuka said nothing, following closely behind Naoto as they moved quickly.
"Where is this?" Asuka asked while running, quietly observing his surroundings.
"Naruki City," Naoto replied, glancing back at him with a hint of oddity in his eyes. "Asuka, weren't you sent by the higher-ups? How do you not even know the name of the jurisdiction?"
"There was a slight error with the Boundary Gate," Asuka answered coldly. "I was lost in the Dangai for a while before getting out, so I'm a bit disoriented."
"Ah? To think such a thing happened! No wonder your Zanpakuto..."
Naoto glanced at Asuka's waist. He could sense something unusual about Nugata and revealed a sympathetic expression.
"Then it seems you encountered the Kototsu. It's a miracle you survived! I heard that in the past, even Seated Officers who ran into that thing were left with not even a trace of Reishi."
Asuka did not continue on this topic; he needed more information.
"Tell me about the situation you're facing. I need to confirm the mission objective."
At the mention of this, Naoto's expression turned exceptionally grim, even carrying a trace of fear.
He lowered his voice, as if afraid of being heard by something lurking in the dark clouds. "Originally, Naruki City was a relatively peaceful mid-level city. Usually, a single stationed Soul Reaper is enough. But two months ago, the stationed squad member here suddenly disappeared, and even the records for Soul Burials were interrupted!"
"The Seireitei assumed it was just an accident and sent two members over to investigate. As a result... last month, the soul signatures of those two completely vanished in this district as well."
"Were they killed?" Asuka asked in confusion.
"It's still unclear right now, which is why the Tenth Division dispatched our small squad here to conduct a thorough investigation."
"Over the past few days, we've noticed that the Spiritual Pressure fluctuations here are extremely chaotic. It doesn't seem like an ordinary Hollow causing trouble at all; rather, it feels like something truly terrifying is lurking..."
He was scared.
"The Captain is currently on his way. Right now, it's just the few of us holding the line as the vanguard."
Naoto panted heavily, his terrified eyes scanning the shadows of the surrounding high-rises. This kind of situation was simply too terrifying for a lowly squad member like him.
'Are Soul Reapers being killed?' Asuka's eyes flickered.
'Shinobu.'
This information was crucial to him.
Although his goal was to seek revenge against Aizen, under the current circumstances, his first priority was to confirm his own safety and find Shinobu Kocho.
'If there is an entity capable of hunting Soul Reapers in this place, then just how strong are they? Is there a possibility of fighting them?'
'Furthermore, could Shinobu, who is lost out there, be in danger?'
At this thought, Asuka couldn't help but quicken his pace.
"Aside from me, is there any other 'backup'?"
"There should be. After all, the distress signal was sent out quite a while ago."
As he spoke, Naoto led Asuka to the city center, where a modern stadium stood tall.
Right before the torrential rain descended, the stadium was empty and desolate. The massive grandstands looked exceptionally grim under the dim lighting.
"We're here, everyone is inside! With an expert like you joining us, everyone should feel a lot more at ease."
With a light leap, he effortlessly jumped onto the grandstand and vaulted into the stadium.
Seeing this scene, Asuka was momentarily surprised; his logical thinking had not yet transitioned from that of a human body to a spiritual entity.
Imitating Naoto, he gathered Reishi beneath his feet and pushed off forcefully.
Sure enough, he jumped much higher than his physical body could after two and a half years of grueling training.
However, the moment he stepped inside the stadium, Asuka felt several vigilant gazes instantly lock onto him.