"Otherwise what? Finish your sentence!"
"Otherwise, if a situation like today happens again, with Ishida and the others being divided and attacked, that wouldn't be good!"
"I see!"
After hearing Ichigo's explanation, Kisuke nodded seriously, then opened a Senkaimon.
Ichigo strode through.
But Kisuke didn't know that Ichigo's earlier reason was true, but incomplete.
The real reason was because the event rules had been announced!
[Born from Seireitei experiments, then slaughtered by the Seireitei, the Bount Clan returns bearing hatred for the Seireitei.]
[Next, the Bount army arriving from Hueco Mundo will land at different locations in the Rukongai. Please proceed to eliminate them.]
[Ding! Event points ranking list activated!]
[Ding! Temporary Dolls have appeared!]
In the passage to the Soul Society, a blank Doll appeared in Ichigo's hand.
Touching it, Ichigo understood its ability.
'Nurturing babies...' Ichigo realized.
As long as he defeated enough Bount Dolls, he could inject the dropped essences into his own Doll, eventually becoming a 'Stand User'.
"Then this event isn't bad!" Ichigo understood.
At this point, Ichigo fully understood the game's purpose.
This was an opportunity to provide supplementary means for players from all sides who currently lacked methods.
[Ding! The first wave of Bount Doll armies has arrived. Please eliminate them quickly!]
[Ding! Caution: Doll armies can grow by consuming souls!]
[Ding! The Doll armies are troublesome. If you are not confident of victory, please withdraw.]
The game's warnings were very serious.
'So fast?'
'Although the intention is good, I still feel something will go wrong.'
'Then I need to hurry too!'
Ichigo quickened his pace.
Meanwhile.
West Rukongai.
Jing Bing and Xin Na were walking along, planning to go to Xin Na's original home as a base for activities.
But then, information arrived.
"Jing Bing, they're here!!" Xin Na's pretty face turned serious as she looked ahead and to the left.
"Hm?" Jing Bing looked.
Just like Hollows arriving from Hueco Mundo to the Soul Society, a Garganta suddenly opened.
However, what emerged wasn't Hollows, but a group of weapon-wielding Dolls.
"This is the so-called army?"
Looking at the red, blue, and yellow Dolls ahead, Jing Bing was very puzzled.
But no matter how strange, attacking would clarify things.
Jing Bing extended her fair palm and chanted:
"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south… Hado #31: Shakkaho!"
Under her rapid chant, a huge fireball shot towards the Doll army ahead.
However, facing Jing Bing's Shakkaho, the other side was unafraid.
The fire-wreathed Doll, Goethe, stepped forward and actually absorbed the flames of the Shakkaho with its own body!
After taking a Shakkaho, Goethe only retreated half a step!
Then, the giant rock snake that could manipulate inorganic matter advanced, slithering forward.
Under its ability, the soil it passed turned into small snakes. In an instant, it created an anaconda disaster!
"Hado #33, Sokatsui!" Xin Na used incantationless casting.
Sokatsui struck the snake swarm.
Sapphire-blue flames exploded.
However, the snake swarm only vanished in large numbers, then was regenerated by the giant rock snake!
Seeing the rock snake's strength, Jing Bing's expression changed. "Holy mother of... this is beyond the scope, right?"
The two of them were considered top-tier players, yet couldn't handle these Dolls.
Clearly, Ichigo's worries were coming true!
"Run!" After testing, the two decisively made a swift exit!
The Bount Doll armies arrived at the Seireitei through not-very-stable Gargantas from multiple locations.
However, Jing Bing and Xin Na encountering a full squad of Dolls was actually an exception.
The Gargantas from Hueco Mundo to the Soul Society were quite unstable.
Most Bount Dolls arrived as single units, or in pairs or trios.
"Tear in Frenzy, Ruri'iro Kujaku!"
Sister Mei released her Zanpakuto. Numerous glazed color vines extended from her hands.
These glazed color vines accurately bound and wrapped the steel doll ahead.
Then, Ruri'iro Kujaku's ability to absorb Reiryoku activated. The vines constricted.
On the vines, clusters of blue flowers bloomed.
These blooming flowers were manifestations of the absorbed Reiryoku.
The Reiryoku absorbed by Ruri'iro Kujaku would be released into the Soul Society as flowers, or could be absorbed by Sister Mei himself.
The steel doll, impervious to blades and immensely strong, was easily drained of all its Reiryoku by Sister Mei's vines, shattering and vanishing, leaving only a small core.
However, picking up the core, looking at the instinctually pleasing, beautiful scene of blue flowers blooming everywhere, Sister Mei, who had easily dealt with a Doll, showed no smile.
"Old He, how are Old Liu and the others?"
Sister Mei asked the Shinigami beside him.
Old He, also a player, replied: "Fifth Seat, Old Liu and the others were sent to the 4th Division in time. There were no issues."
"That's good!" Sister Mei sighed in relief.
Yet, when his gaze fell on the steel core left by the steel doll, his handsome face grew solemn!
Because the enemies in this event were too troublesome!
At least for ordinary players, i.e., Shinigami of division member level, that was the case!
His arrival here this time was purely for rescue.
Earlier, Sister Mei had encountered a water-type Doll, which he easily dealt with.
Then he encountered a fire-wreathed Doll. This Doll had an elemental advantage against him, so it was handled by Ikkaku, who was always by his side.
This steel doll came after.
Although easily dealt with, the strength of the Dolls sent by the game event was far beyond expectations.
Take that water doll and this steel doll. Their immunity to blade attacks made them nightmares for ordinary Shinigami!
Remember, the graduation requirement from Shin'o Academy was merely proficient use of Hado and Bakudo below number 33!
It was only because Sister Mei's Zanpakuto happened to counter these that he handled them so easily!
As for that fire doll, Sister Mei would have to use Kido!
Therefore, Sister Mei could clearly judge that this event would have major problems.
"Let's go, continue patrolling forward!" Sister Mei said to Old He beside him. "Time is very critical now!"
And just as Sister Mei predicted-
Single Dolls were one thing… if you couldn't win, you could run. But players encountering groups of Dolls were already in dire straits.
"Smash them, Tettomaru!"
A burly 11th Division player released his Zanpakuto.
The elongated katana instantly transformed into a long-handled sledgehammer.
Bravely wielding his sledgehammer, Ma Kun smashed towards the steel doll Dalk ahead.
"Bashi!"
"Bashi!"
"Bashi!"
Accompanied by the sledgehammer's 'bashi' shouts.
The usually invincible steel doll Dalk, which used its own hardness as a weapon, was reshaped into various forms under Ma Kun's hammer, like steel being recycled.
Soon, struck by the power-enhanced Tettomaru, Dalk was completely deformed and shattered, turning into a steel core that dropped.
"Hahaha, fought well today!"
Ma Kun laughed, picking up the steel core and stuffing it into his pocket.
"If the event is all like this, maybe I can catch up to the big shots ahead!"
"Yeah!" Ma Kun's friend, Cai Xu from the 10th Division, nodded.
"This kind of steel doll really is countered by you."
"With us teaming up, my control and your power, we're invincible!"