While the Central 46 chambers and the Fifth Division barracks were still bustling, none of the Shinigami across the Seireitei were idle.
They had completely surrounded the two Quincy who had walked straight in through the South Gate without even trying to hide it.
And yet, not a single one of them dared to truly step forward and trade blows with those two.
Because the fate of Higonyūdō, the South Gate guard, was still fresh in everyone's mind.
In the Bleach anime, Higonyūdō might have been nothing more than a minor background character with barely any screen time.
But in this real Shinigami world, being stationed to guard the South Gate for hundreds of years was proof enough that his strength ranked among the best of the best.
There was no reason to gamble their lives.
That was what most of the Shinigami were thinking.
After all, this was the Seireitei. As long as they stalled these two Quincy for a little while, the captains and vice-captains would arrive soon enough.
"Kabuno-senpai… are we really okay walking down the main road like this?"
Behind Higashino Shuuichi, Kurosaki Masaki looked at the ever-growing crowd of Shinigami surrounding them. The initial fire and ambition in her chest had already been overtaken by tension and worry.
She still hadn't truly fought a Shinigami yet, and the sight in front of her was honestly intimidating.
"No need to be afraid, Masaki." Higashino Shuuichi swept a contemptuous glance around, then smiled. "They're only impressive because there are a lot of them."
"In the World of the Living, sheer numbers stopped meaning much in modern war a long time ago. And for beings like us… it matters even less."
As he spoke, Higashino Shuuichi suddenly stopped. He casually looked toward a Shinigami standing on a nearby rooftop and called out,
"Hey. If you want to fight, then fight. If you don't, then tell me—how do I get to Sōkyoku Hill, alright?"
Higashino Shuuichi obviously knew exactly where Sōkyoku Hill was. But since the identity "Kabuno Takuya" was supposed to not know, he could only pretend ignorance.
"What do you mean, 'hey,' you bastard?!"
The Shinigami he addressed immediately bristled.
But at least he wasn't stupid.
He didn't jump down and try to "spar" with Higashino Shuuichi.
Otherwise, Higashino Shuuichi wouldn't have minded sending him straight into the cycle of reincarnation.
"So you won't tell me?"
Seeing that none of the Shinigami around them looked like they intended to answer, Higashino Shuuichi gave another scornful smile.
"Fine, then I'll ask something else. Where did you lock up that Shinigami named Nemu?"
"If you Shinigami don't want her, I'll take her to the World of the Living. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"That won't do. Not only are you not allowed to see Nemu… you're not taking another step forward!"
A familiar voice suddenly rose from within the sea of Shinigami.
Higashino Shuuichi followed the sound with his eyes.
Sure enough—it was that little bald head he hadn't seen in a long time.
Madarame Ikkaku.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Higashino Shuuichi's face was the product of who-knew-how-many rounds of training; his true emotions almost never leaked through unless he genuinely couldn't hold them back.
And right now, he couldn't.
He actually laughed.
Because it hit him all at once—every single time he disguised himself, Madarame Ikkaku somehow managed to crash into him in the most creative way possible.
Was this guy cursed… or ridiculously lucky?
"Third Seat of Squad 11, Madarame Ikkaku—reporting!"
Ikkaku shoved through the crowd, resting his Zanpakuto on his shoulder as he announced himself with bright, aggressive spirit.
"Quincy, Kabuno Takuya. Nice to meet you~"
Higashino Shuuichi deliberately stressed the words "nice to meet you."
"Perfect!"
Ikkaku grinned savagely.
"Now you already know the name of the man who's going to kill you!"
"Quincy Kabuno Takuya—your trip through Soul Society ends here!"
Before the last word even finished leaving his mouth, Ikkaku moved.
The Zanpakuto that had been perched on his shoulder flashed from its sheath, cleaving down through the air toward Higashino Shuuichi's head.
Thanks to the special training he'd gone through in the Hirugetsu Class under Higashino Shuuichi, Ikkaku was fast now—fast enough to leave an afterimage behind.
Among all seated officers in Soul Society, that speed would absolutely place him near the top.
But in front of Higashino Shuuichi… it was practically a joke.
Even though Higashino Shuuichi's reiatsu (spiritual pressure) output was heavily restricted due to his body not properly matching the reigai (spirit body)—so restricted that he likely couldn't even use one-tenth of his real power—
Still…
Higashino Shuuichi only extended a single finger forward.
And that lone finger stopped Ikkaku's sudden strike cold.
"Shurifuto (Sacred Letter) Ability I: Kyokō (Fiction)—activate!"
In Higashino Shuuichi's mind, the image of a Sternritter appeared: short black hair, narrow phoenix-like eyes, and a scar along the left side of his lips.
Imagine—then reconstruct!
"Shurifuto (Sacred Letter) I: Kōtetsu (Steel)—activate!"
In that instant, Higashino Shuuichi's finger became as hard as steel—unassailable.
Kurosaki Masaki, standing behind him, was completely stunned.
"Huh?"
"Aren't we… human?"
"Catching a Zanpakuto with your hand?!"
She secretly lowered her head and stared at her own right index finger.
Gulp…
That was the sound of her swallowing—so quiet only she could hear it.
But it wasn't just Masaki who was shocked.
As the one feeling it most directly, Ikkaku's reaction was something else entirely:
Pure exhilaration.
Because the stronger his opponent was, the more interesting the fight became.
"Hahahaha! You've got something, alright!"
Ikkaku pulled his blade back and hopped several steps away.
Then—
His reiatsu erupted.
"Nobiro, Hōzukimaru! (Extend, Hōzukimaru!)"
In an instant, his Zanpakuto shifted from an Asauchi-like form into a long spear with a bladed tip.
"It's Third Seat Madarame's release!"
"That Quincy is done for!"
A Shinigami in the crowd shouted excitedly the moment they saw it.
But that naïve outburst was immediately slapped down by someone beside him.
"Done for my ass!"
"Were you blind earlier when that Quincy fired that Holy Arrow?"
"If Third Seat Madarame can hold him for a while, that already means he's incredible!"
"You actually expect him to win?"
Higashino Shuuichi nearly wanted to give that Shinigami a thumbs-up for being so sensible—if there weren't so many eyes around.
But right now, he still needed to give that little bald head across from him a small, meaningful lesson.
"You can't just mindlessly charge everything head-on," Higashino Shuuichi said flatly. "You're not that freak named Zaraki. Imitating him won't end well."
He remembered saying something like that during his very first lesson training Ikkaku and the others.
Sadly, judging by what he was seeing now, Ikkaku—whose skull was filled with nothing but fighting—had long since forgotten it.
"Hmph. A Zanpakuto release, huh?"
With one hand in his pocket, Higashino Shuuichi looked at Ikkaku with blatant disdain.
Then, with his free right hand, he lifted it and formed a "gun" with his fingers.
And he even voice-acted it himself:
"Bang~"
Ikkaku felt it—an exquisitely aimed surge of reiatsu, like it crossed space itself and struck straight at him.
But the sensation was so brief, so fleeting, that for a split second he thought it might've been his imagination.
"Ikkaku!"
Ayasegawa Yumichika's shout snapped him back to reality.
An arrow had pierced his left calf.
A blue Holy Arrow—appearing the moment he completed his Shikai release, invisible until the instant it tore through his reiatsu and drilled into his body.
Masaki was stunned again.
Because the move Kabuno-senpai had just used…
Wasn't that her Musō Metsuya (Traceless Holy Arrow)?
When had Kabuno-senpai copied that?!
He'd never taught him that—he definitely hadn't!
On the other side, a low, brutal sound came from Ikkaku's throat.
"AAAAAH!!!"
With almost zero hesitation, Ikkaku grabbed the Holy Arrow with his bare hand and yanked it out of his calf.
In the middle of a fight, any hesitation could get you killed.
In truth, Ikkaku was a good student—at least when it came to combat.
After all, back in Higashino Shuuichi's Hirugetsu Class, he'd been one of the earliest Shinigami to grasp a Zanpakuto's Bankai.
But his "studiousness" only applied to fighting technique.
Anything like choosing battles in advance… simply didn't exist in his memory.
So he clung tightly to the combat principles Higashino Shuuichi had drilled into him.
No hesitation in pulling the arrow out.
And then—
Attack! Attack! Attack!
Gritting his teeth, Ikkaku forcibly controlled his left leg through sheer inhuman will, making it keep pace with his body as he surged forward and attacked Higashino Shuuichi again.
Every swing of Hōzukimaru dragged the surrounding reiatsu along with it, forming powerful cutting force that made defending extremely difficult.
Ikkaku knew he couldn't block that strange Holy Arrow.
So the only answer was to give the Quincy no chance to fire it again.
Higashino Shuuichi was genuinely pleased.
Because Ikkaku had chosen rapid, continuous strikes instead of his specialty—heavier cleaving attacks with wider range and greater power.
That meant Ikkaku was actually using his head, instead of fighting purely on instinct like before.
It proved Higashino Shuuichi's teaching had left at least some mark.
As Ikkaku's half-teacher, Higashino Shuuichi couldn't help but feel a trace of satisfaction.
But as Ikkaku's enemy…
There was no way Higashino Shuuichi would completely go easy on him.
When Ikkaku swung again, Higashino Shuuichi simply reached out and grabbed the blade of Hōzukimaru barehanded.
He let the razor-sharp reiatsu bite into his arm—yet it left not even the smallest mark.
"If this is all you've got, Third Seat Madarame… then I'm probably going to have to say goodbye."
Through the slanted blade between them, Ikkaku could only see half of Higashino Shuuichi's face—and one eye.
But in that eye, Ikkaku saw something freezing.
A coldness that stabbed straight into the soul.
This Quincy wasn't joking.
That was Ikkaku's first thought.
And then—before Ikkaku could yank Hōzukimaru free—
A circular ring of light suddenly appeared on the ground around them.
Unlike the terrifying reiatsu explosions that often accompanied Shinigami techniques…
Quincy abilities rarely put on that kind of show.
They were more like spring rain—quietly saturating the space without fanfare.
That was because Quincy, as humans, weren't born with reiatsu at the overwhelming levels of Shinigami or Hollows.
So they had to take another path, discarding all unnecessary "performance."
That was the common impression most Shinigami had of Quincy.
Straight out of the academy textbooks.
But the ability Kabuno Takuya was using now shattered that rigid understanding.
"This reiatsu… it's so high…"
Yumichika stared at the glowing ring, feeling the pressure radiating from it, and murmured without thinking.
That level of reiatsu didn't feel like something a human should possess.
Then, at Ikkaku's ear, Higashino Shuuichi's calm voice drifted in—
"Seiiki: Raisan (Sanctuary: Praise)."
A massive cross-shaped star emblem surged up from the earth.
Yumichika didn't need to think twice.
Ikkaku was in danger.
"Sakero, Fujikujaku! (Bloom, Fujikujaku!)"
Yumichika released his Zanpakuto instantly—he was going to help Ikkaku!
But perhaps Higashino Shuuichi's brilliance was simply too overwhelming.
Because even Yumichika forgot there was one more person present.
A Holy Arrow shot straight toward him.
Yumichika was forced to halt his dash toward Ikkaku and instead swung his Zanpakuto—now shaped like a set of spread claws—
And cut the Holy Arrow in midair.
"Sorry," Kurosaki Masaki said, still holding her bow-drawing stance as she looked at Yumichika. "I'm not letting you interfere with Kabuno-senpai's fight."
For that shot, she didn't use any special technique at all—just a simple, ordinary arrow.
Because she only meant it as a warning.
This was Kabuno-senpai's battle.
No one else had the right to meddle.
But Masaki also forgot what kind of environment she was standing in right now.
"Do you really think you can stop it?" Yumichika asked, meeting her gaze.
"You can try."
Masaki barely had time to feel excited at how cool that sounded in her head—
Because a storm of Kidō (Demon Arts) was already flying toward the area where Higashino Shuuichi and Ikkaku were.
"Damn it!"
Only then did Masaki finally remember—
They were still trapped inside a full encirclement of Shinigami.
The Shinigami around them hadn't wanted trouble.
That didn't mean they were afraid of it.
The moment they saw their comrades about to fall into danger, they no longer had any desire to keep watching like it was a show.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 30 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.