Mirai walked out of the hidden base and reached back to press a concealed switch inside the entrance.
The rock wall slid shut, and vines draped back over it. In an instant, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary patch of wilderness.
He stood there and rolled his wrists.
All things considered, his recent training had gone fairly well.
He had already grasped the basics of blending Kidō into Hakuda.
The principle itself was not complicated. You compress Kidō-infused spiritual energy with a specific attribute across the surface of your body, or seal it inside. Then, the moment you strike with Hakuda, you release it instantly. That way, your fists can carry fire, and your kicks can carry lightning.
The problem was that he did not have any single spiritual attribute that matched him perfectly.
Wind, fire, lightning, earth, water... he had tried all of them. He could use every one of them, but none stood out in any special way.
When Yoruichi used lightning, she could bring out 99% of its power. When he used lightning, he could maybe bring out 70%. Fire was the same, and wind was the same too.
He was versatile, but he was average.
"It'd be great if Tenzui Shinkotsu would just say something," Mirai muttered.
He lowered his eyes to the Zanpakutō at his waist.
He had already tried all kinds of ways to communicate with it. Ordinary meditation did nothing. Talking to it got no response.
He had even spread out a sheet of paper, placed the brush-shaped sword on top of it, and thought to it, If you want to say something, just write it down.
The brush was not shy about moving. It rolled around twice and scribbled a few meaningless lines on the paper.
So what exactly was it dissatisfied with?
Mirai shook his head and pushed the thought aside, then started walking toward the Seireitei.
Just as he crossed the boundary between Junrinan and the Seireitei, a heavy explosion rang out in the distance.
Boom!
Mirai looked up.
A pillar of purple spiritual pressure shot into the sky, tearing a hole through the blue clouds.
The nature of that spiritual pressure was familiar. It was Koga Kuchiki.
Ever since Head Captain Yamamoto had formed that special unit under his direct command, the noble houses really had become much quieter.
At the very least, he had not heard of anyone turning the Rukongai into a massive battlefield lately.
But this time...
Mirai stopped walking and carefully sensed the area.
The explosion had happened inside the Seireitei, not far from the Sixth Division barracks.
The fluctuation of spiritual pressure had been brief. From the moment it erupted to the moment it vanished, it had lasted less than ten seconds.
During that short span, several unfamiliar spiritual pressures had appeared. They had all been fairly strong, but they disappeared one after another.
Mirai's brow furrowed slightly.
Killing people outright inside the Seireitei? This was not the Rukongai.
If there really were traitors or intruders who had slipped in, the rules said they should be captured. They should be handed over to the Ninth Division for interrogation, imprisoned, and reported to the higher-ups.
If people could simply be killed on the spot whenever someone felt like it, then what was the point of the enforcement squads? Why build so many prisons?
Head Captain Yamamoto would never give an order like that either. The old man was strict, but he valued rules above everything else.
Koga Kuchiki is...
Mirai looked toward the place where the spiritual pressure had disappeared and counted it out in his head.
At least twelve or thirteen spiritual pressures had vanished just now. That meant twelve or thirteen Shinigami had been killed inside the Seireitei. That was no small number.
Mirai actually knew what would happen to Koga Kuchiki in the future.
He was a tragic genius who would eventually be consumed by his own Zanpakutō and sealed away.
Mirai had originally thought that his book, The Loneliness and Arrogance of a Genius Youth, might help Koga gain some recognition and change his fate.
But if he kept going like this—ignoring the rules and killing people whenever he pleased—that man would probably still end up on the same path as before.
He was too easy to manipulate.
Should I interfere?
Mirai stood there for a moment, letting the thought turn over in his mind.
Then the corner of his mouth lifted in a self-mocking smile.
His strength had improved a little lately, and now thoughts like this were already creeping into his head. That was not a good sign.
He turned and continued toward the Ninth Division barracks. He walked at a slow, steady pace with his hands tucked into his sleeves, like an old man out for a stroll.
The Ninth Division barracks were unusually quiet today.
When Mirai stepped into the courtyard, his first thought was that he had come to the wrong place.
Normally, he would hear the sounds of squad members training, Lieutenant Mashiro Kuna shouting noisily, or Captain Kensei barking at people while scolding them.
But today, the only sound was the wind brushing through the yard.
Mirai thought for a moment, then headed straight for the Third Seat's room.
Clack.
He slid the door open.
Inside, Yamagami Tetsu was hunched over his desk, reviewing documents. He did not look up when the door opened, and his pen never stopped moving.
"Old Tetsu," Mirai said as he walked in. "What's going on with the barracks today? It's way too quiet."
Yamagami Tetsu looked up and glanced at him.
His face still carried that same stone-hard expression as always. His eyes were as cold as if he were looking at a rock.
Then he lowered his gaze again, his pen scratching across the page.
"The Captain was called to the First Division."
His voice was flat and emotionless.
"The First Division?" Mirai looked surprised. "Did something happen?"
This time, Tetsu did not even bother looking up.
"Even if something did happen, is it really something a Third Seat like me—and a minor noble on top of that—would be allowed to know?"
Mirai stepped closer and patted Tetsu on the shoulder, sounding completely sincere.
"Old Tetsu, you know me. I'd say anything for a vacation. I just said the wrong thing that day."
Only then did Tetsu stop writing. He looked up and glared at Mirai.
"So you do know what you're usually like?"
He set down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and rubbed the space between his brows.
"If the Captain was called there, then it must be serious. Several other Captains from different divisions went too. That's all I know."
After a brief pause, he added, "Your patrol assignment isn't over yet, is it? Then go do your job."
"Hm?" Mirai raised an eyebrow.
Was Tetsu trying to get rid of him? And he had deliberately brought up the patrol assignment.
Mirai smiled and did not ask any more questions.
"Thanks, Old Tetsu."
He backed out of the room and gently slid the door shut.
Standing in the hallway, Mirai looked deeper into the Seireitei.
In that direction, another pillar of purple spiritual pressure rose into the sky. It was closer than the last one, and even more blinding.
Koga Kuchiki was causing trouble again.
Mirai looked at that spiritual pressure and did the math in his head.
His training was finished for now. Blending Kidō with Hakuda still needed real combat to refine it, but a chance for real combat... right now was clearly not the right kind of opportunity.
His communication with Tenzui Shinkotsu was still at a dead end. Rushing would not change anything.
The atmosphere inside the squad was strange. The Captain had been called away, and several Captains were gathering at the First Division. Something major was definitely happening, and when something major happened, trouble usually followed.
On top of that, there was a walking disaster like Koga Kuchiki cutting people down all over the Seireitei...
Mirai tucked his hands into his sleeves and turned toward the exit.
His steps were light, and his destination was already decided.
Since it would be difficult to make any major breakthrough in his strength in a short time, he would use the patrol assignment as an excuse and hide out in the Rukongai until this storm passed.
As a bonus, he could avoid Aizen as well. A few days ago, that man had sent word that "guidance regarding Shikai" could begin at any time. The tone of the message had been as gentle as if he were inviting him out for tea.
Mirai definitely wanted no part of Kyōka Suigetsu, that so-called "treasure."
He left the Ninth Division barracks, walked through the streets of the Seireitei, crossed the boundary once more, and stepped back into Junrinan.
The sunlight was pleasant, and the breeze was gentle.
The noise of the Rukongai washed over him—the cries of street vendors, the laughter of children at play, and the smell of food drifting through the air.
Mirai took a deep breath and felt his whole body loosen.
He found a teahouse he visited often, sat down by the window, and ordered a pot of the cheapest tea along with a plate of peanuts.
As he shelled the peanuts, he watched the people passing outside.
From time to time, fluctuations of spiritual pressure came from the direction of the Seireitei. Sometimes they were strong, sometimes weak, sometimes far away, sometimes close.
Mirai took a sip of tea and quietly estimated the situation.
At this rate, the number of people who died at Koga Kuchiki's hands today was probably already over thirty.
"He really knows how to make a mess," he murmured, tossing another peanut into his mouth.
Outside, the sun slowly began to set, painting the streets in a warm golden glow.
Customers in the teahouse came and went in waves. Mirai had his teapot refilled twice.
Only after night began to fall did he finally get up to pay. Then he walked at an easy pace toward the Shiba family estate.
Since he had to patrol anyway, he might as well check whether Yoruichi was there. If she was not, then he would simply stay for dinner.
Stay away from trouble and enjoy life.
That was the right way to live as a Shinigami.
Lately, he had been worrying about one thing after another. It had been a long time since he had simply let himself relax.
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