"Hey, Asuka! Up ahead is Shuwamon!"
Shuwamon was the starting point of the South Rukongai and one of the four great gates leading to the Seireitei.
Since arriving in the Rukongai, Asuka and Kaien hadn't dared to delay for even a second, rushing here at top speed.
But now, they kept their bodies low, their brows furrowed as they stared intently at the massive stone wall towering before them.
Normally, while the four great gates of the Gotei 13 were guarded, it was never like this.
The massive Sekkiseki wall used to block Spiritual Pressure—the Seireitei Wall—which usually hovered in the air, had actually been lowered today, completely sealing off the path to the Seireitei.
Moreover... aside from the South Gate's guard, Higonyudo, there were numerous squads of Soul Reapers patrolling back and forth at the entrance.
These Soul Reapers were organized in groups of three and squads of five, maintaining extremely strict tactical distances from one another and looking highly vigilant.
"Kaien, check which divisions those people belong to," Asuka reminded him in a low voice.
Kaien narrowed his eyes, relying on his memory to quickly identify the insignias.
"That's... Marigold... and Japanese Andromeda... People from the Third and Fifth Divisions? And that's... the Ninth Division?"
Kaien stared at the Ninth Division's daisy insignia, feeling increasingly uneasy the longer he looked. "Strange. The ones responsible for managing and guarding the four great gates are usually either our Tenth Division or the Sixth Division..."
"Why is it entirely filled with people from the Third, Fifth, and Ninth Divisions today?"
"...I remember you telling me that Aizen is the Captain of the Fifth Division."
The mere thought of having once falsely claimed to be a member of the Fifth Division made Asuka feel a wave of disgust.
Kaien nodded. "Yeah. As for the Captains of the Third and Ninth Divisions, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen, they're quite close with Aizen. You usually see the three of them acting together."
Asuka's hand subconsciously rested on Kakudatsu at his waist.
"Do you think this is a coincidence?"
Seeing the heavy concern in Asuka's eyes, Kaien thought for a long time. "...If we look at it from the perspective of a Ryoka invasion, maybe they drafted personnel from various divisions to strengthen the defenses..."
"But now I also feel that something is definitely off here..." His expression darkened considerably. "Could our whereabouts have been exposed? Are they waiting for us to walk right into a trap?"
"Hard to say." Asuka's tone was terrifyingly calm, his eyes still constantly scanning their surroundings.
Ever since stepping into District 10, he had felt a strange sensation.
It was as if something was secretly watching him from the shadows, yet he couldn't pinpoint the source.
Now, standing before the South Gate, that feeling had grown even stronger...
Kaien took a deep breath, suppressing the surging anxiety in his heart.
He had originally planned to simply reveal his identity as the Tenth Division Captain and swagger right in.
After all, in the Soul Society, where seniority and rank were paramount, an old, familiar face was often more useful than any pass.
But looking at the situation now, that face might just be a death warrant.
"So what do we do?" Kaien scratched his hair in frustration. "Force our way in? Even though I haven't fully recovered, if you step in, breaking through this defense line shouldn't be a problem."
"No," Asuka refused flatly. "I'm worried that the moment we engage these people, we'll immediately draw Aizen's attention."
"Do you have any connections that could get us into the Seireitei quietly? Preferably a way that lets us meet that Head Captain directly."
"Sneak in, huh..." Kaien rubbed his chin, a map of the Seireitei flashing rapidly through his mind.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh.
"I've got it! Let's go to the West Rukongai!"
"The West Rukongai?"
"Exactly!" The light of hope reignited in Kaien's eyes. "Back in the day, due to some... uh, rather complicated reasons, our entire Shiba Family moved out of the Seireitei and relocated our estate to the West Rukongai."
Speaking of this, a trace of nostalgia appeared on Kaien's face. "That's my sister Kukaku's territory. Even though that girl has a bit of a fiery temper, she has plenty of tricks up her sleeve. She might just have a way!"
"Oh, right, and Ganju!" Kaien grew more excited as he spoke. "That brat should have graduated by now. As long as we can contact him, we can figure out a way for him to sneak us through the gates and head straight for the First Division!"
Asuka looked at Kaien's confident demeanor. "...Alright, then we head to the West Rukongai."
Without further hesitation, the two silently bypassed the South Gate's alert perimeter and sprinted toward the western districts.
The Rukongai was massively divided. Traveling all the way from the South District to the West District would take quite some effort, even at their speed.
By the time they finally set foot on the soil of the West Rukongai, the sky was already bright.
There were only three hours left until the execution at the Sokyoku.
Relying on his past memories, Kaien led Asuka through a labyrinth of winding alleys, eventually arriving at an open clearing at the foot of a mountain.
However, the sight before them caused Kaien to frown.
Right there, the Shiba Family estate—which, although lacking its former glory, should have still been quite imposing—was supposed to stand.
But now... it was nothing more than a ruin overgrown with moss and weeds.
Amidst the broken walls and rubble, a few wild dogs were fighting over some rotting food.
The gatehouse that once proudly displayed the Shiba Family crest, [The Collapsing Swirl of the Falling Heaven], was now reduced to a half-burnt wooden pillar, resembling a nameless tombstone.
"This... this is my home?" Kaien stood frozen in place.
Recovering his senses, he quickly dashed into the ruins, rummaging around as if trying to find even the slightest trace that his family still lived there.
But aside from dust and rubble, there was nothing.
"The place is deserted," Asuka said, standing behind him and calmly observing the surroundings. "Judging by the level of decay, it's been abandoned for at least a decade."
"...That's impossible!" Kaien looked at it all in disbelief. "Even if we were at odds with Central 46, they wouldn't go so far as to forbid us from living in our last remaining estate, right? Where's Kukaku? Where's Ganju? Where did they go?"
Just as Kaien was on the verge of an outburst, an old woman passing by was drawn by the commotion and looked over timidly.
Treating her like a lifeline, Kaien rushed over and grabbed the old woman by the shoulders. "Old lady! Where are the people who lived here? Where did the Shiba Family go?!"
Startled by Kaien's fierce expression, the old woman trembled and stammered, "The... the Shiba Family? Are you talking about that crazy girl who was always blowing things up?"
"Blowing things up?" Kaien paused.
"Yes..." The old woman patted her chest, still lingering in fear. "That head of the family named Kukaku was always doing some fireworks experiments at home. She nearly blew this whole area flat several times!"
"The neighbors couldn't take it anymore and moved away. Later... later I heard that because it was too dangerous, they were ordered to relocate by some authority..."
"Relocate? Where to?" Asuka asked.
"I think... they moved to a more remote place, somewhere near the river in District 7... I just reincarnated here not too long ago myself, so I don't know the exact details..."
After saying this, the old woman took advantage of Kaien's dazed state, broke free from his grasp, and fled as if running for her life.
"...So it was just your own reckless messing around. That's a relief..." The expression on Kaien's face was a mix of exasperation and bittersweet relief.
"That girl... she really is still a reckless fool."