Well, that concludes the matter with Nemu Kurotsuchi for now. Since the objective has been met, there should be no problem letting her return to the Twelfth Division. Now, next is—
"Ah, Captain. Perfect timing, I was just about to come looking for you."
I stopped in my tracks as one of my squad members called out to me. Good thing, too... it would have been a disaster if they had called out while I was still in Nemu Kurotsuchi's hospital room.
"Is something the matter?"
"Yes. Captain Shunsui Kyoraku of the Eighth Division has arrived. He says he has business with you, Captain Yukawa."
"Captain Kyoraku...? Understood, I'll head there immediately."
Captain Kyoraku is here? Hmm. I wonder if there was an event like this...?
"Oh, Airi-chan. Sorry about this. I feel bad making you come all the way out here."
"You're the one who called for her, Captain... Ah, Captain Yukawa. Good work today."
I headed toward the entrance—the front of the General Relief Station. Shunsui Kyoraku and Nanao Ise were there, along with several other members of the Eighth Division.
"Not at all. Since you came here personally, Captain Kyoraku, I assumed there was a special matter to discuss. Also, Nanao Ise, I'm sorry I haven't been able to show my face at the library at all lately."
"Oh, please! I am well aware of how busy you are, Captain Yukawa... Please, don't let it concern you..."
"Ah, that's right. Nanao-chan and Airi-chan have been reading buddies for a long time, haven't they? Now, now... wait, that's not right. I didn't come here to chat about that."
For a moment, Shunsui Kyoraku had a nostalgic look as if reminiscing about the past, but his expression quickly sharpened. He pulled his hat down low, hiding his eyes. Usually, he'd go on to tease Nanao Ise a little, but...
...Ah, maybe! Perhaps he's being considerate because he's afraid he'll get depressed thinking about Lisa Yadomaru.
'Oh, I see!! That sounds plausible!! Gah!! What a smooth move!!'
"To be honest, I caught a traveler. But things got a bit complicated, and I ended up seriously injuring him, so I brought him to the Fourth Division. After all, there are plenty of healers here, and I get to see Airi-chan too..."
"...Captain? Surely you didn't come all this way just for that?"
Nanao Ise's glasses glinted. She didn't say it out loud, but she looked slightly irritated, as if thinking, 'If that's true, what on earth is this superior officer thinking?'
"Also, several of my squad members were injured. Look at that guy over there; he's my 3rd Seat... well, he was knocked out quite spectacularly..."
Following the direction Captain Kyoraku pointed, I saw a large man with braids lying on a cart. Just as described, he was completely unconscious. Even from here, it was clear he had been knocked out by a single, clean blow. Lying on the cart next to him was... oh, this kid!
"So, the boy lying next to him is the traveler. We only traded blows for a bit, but he's quite the man. You can put my 3rd Seat on the back burner, so could you please prioritize healing this boy first?"
Right, right, that's how it was. Shunsui Kyoraku was the one who defeated Yasutora Sado. This is the setup for that famous "his reiatsu has vanished" scene.
But Yasutora Sado really is well-built... with a physique like that, he looks incredibly strong, giving off the impression of a tough guy who won't go down easily. Because of that impression, the roles of "getting taken out in one hit by a boss's ultimate move" or "leave this to me and go on ahead" suit him perfectly...
...Ah! That means right about now, Ichigo Kurosaki must be recreating that famous scene: "Chad's reiatsu... has vanished...!?"
'I suspect... they don't have the luxury for that right now...'
Why? I specifically asked Ikkaku Madarame to "test the waters" first, didn't I?
'...No, that's exactly why...'
...Why?? I mean, it's Ikkaku Madarame...????
"I see. If that's the case, I understand. As you may have heard, we already have two travelers in custody in the Fourth Division cells."
"Oh? Is that so?? Well done, Airi-chan. You caught two of them?"
"Actually, it seems Captain Kurotsuchi wounded the travelers, and Captain Yukawa moved in to capture them. There should have been a notice sent out..."
Nanao Ise provided the clarification.
Well, I had already sent word up that "two travelers have been captured." At the same time, I made sure to report that "they are injured, so interrogation will wait until they recover; based on their condition, it will take several days," so Orihime Inoue and the others won't be dealt with immediately.
Of course, I also reported it as: "Captain Kurotsuchi cornered the travelers, but they put up unexpected resistance and he let them slip away, at which point I captured them."
' (The way you put it makes Captain Mayuri look like an incompetent guy who got counterattacked... Was that on purpose!? Did you do that on purpose!?) '
"Oh, was there a notice like that? Well, whatever. Anyway, I'll leave the rest to you."
"Understood."
I would have loved to stay and chat more with Captain Kyoraku and the others, but I need to get my work done first. I called out to my squad members.
"Alright everyone, we have more emergency patients! Start with this traveler boy, quickly! Then the Eighth Division wounded! You can leave the 3rd Seat for later; I have permission from Captain Kyoraku himself!!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"What, another traveler!? Whoa, this guy is huge!?"
"Is the treatment room ready!? Check immediately, and if it's not, get it ready now!"
"Yes, Senior!!"
"...Wait, this person... it's 3rd Seat Enjoji! ...Um? Is it really okay to leave a 3rd Seat for last...?"
Just like that, one word from me and everyone jumped into action. We've had a lot of emergency patients since yesterday... so whether they like it or not, they're getting better at managing the workflow.
There's one person worried about the 3rd Seat, but he'll be fine! He was beaten skillfully, so he'll probably heal on his own if you just rub some spit on it.
"—And that's the situation, so I'll be joining the treatment for the traveler. Therefore, if you have business, please make it brief. I can't stay away for too long."
"Oh boy, you noticed after all?"
"Wait, um... Captain? Captain Yukawa as well...? Just what is going on...?"
Nanao Ise looked bewildered.
After all, if the goal was just to treat Yasutora Sado, he could have just summoned a medical team. It was slightly unnatural to call me out specifically for these injuries. So, he came to ask or tell me something under the pretext of "the traveler has been captured, but the Captain is participating in the escort just in case." To put it another way, he wanted to create a situation where it wouldn't look suspicious for him to "take a little detour" outside the Eighth Division's jurisdiction. That's likely it.
"Then, I'll keep it simple. The movements this time seem strange to me. It's inconsistent, or how should I put it... I'm concerned about the Central 46's actions, and I'm also curious about why that Captain Shihoin suddenly appeared. I have no idea why they're being so flashy."
I bet. I played a prank on Sosuke Aizen by trying to use him as much as possible. So Sosuke Aizen likely tried to turn that situation to his advantage... he must have worked hard. Yeah...
"I was wondering what you thought about all that."
"Well..."
Ever since Soifon was removed from the board, things have taken a strange turn. In a sense, it's become extremely confusing. ...But I can't say that openly. At least not here.
"I had an opportunity to speak with Captain Ukitake a while ago, and I was able to hear his thoughts. You should pay him a visit."
"Heh... Ukitake's place, huh..."
I've already explained the general situation to the Thirteenth Division, so there shouldn't be a problem. In fact, I'm starting to feel like it would be easier to just leave everything to Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyoraku.
"Got it, thanks. I'll stop by on my way back. Well then, shall we go, Nanao-chan?"
"Wait, Captain! Oh, honestly... Captain Yukawa, thank you very much!"
Nanao Ise jogged after Captain Kyoraku, who had already started walking away.
The treatment for Yasutora Sado was completed without issue. Although the injuries were quite severe, the wounds themselves were sword cuts. They had already been given first aid, probably by Nanao Ise. So in reality, there was no need for me to participate in the treatment.
In any case.
"I'm sorry to do this while you're still injured, but I'm going to have to put you in a cell."
"Nn..."
I brought Yasutora Sado to the cells. It's exceptional treatment for a Captain to personally escort a prisoner.
"Don't look so dissatisfied. I'm sure you'll like it there."
"..."
He gave me a look that said, 'Nobody likes being in a cell.' ...Wait, is that just his normal expression...? I can't quite tell... But it's true that he'll like it, so don't worry.
"Look, over th—"
It was just as the cell holding Orihime Inoue and Uryu Ishida came into view.
"Really!! So they have things like that in the World of the Living!?"
"Yes, yes! I used to stop by quite often on my way home from school!"
"That sounds wonderful, I want to try it too!"
"Then you should come and eat with us next time! The flavor just melts on your tongue...!"
"Can I invite Teacher too!? Oh, and let's invite that Kurosaki-san Orihime-san was talking about earlier!!"
"Ehh!! K-Kurosaki-kun too!! I appreciate the thought, Momo-san, but th-th-th-that's a bit... ehehe... oh, what should I do..."
"It's fine, it's fine! I'll help you! Right, right! It's easier to invite someone if everyone is going together, isn't it?"
"—This... cell...? A cell...??"
Incredibly cheerful voices were drifting out.
Wait? This is a prison, right...? Why do I hear nonstop chattering and giggling...? Even though it's all stone walls and should have a cold atmosphere, is the "girl aura" being radiated so powerful that it's blowing all that away in an instant!?!?
'It seems that before we knew it, we warped into a girls' high school classroom after school...'
'Excuse me...!? ...Well, looking at the situation, it's hard not to think that!!'
"Nn, that voice... Inoue?"
"...Y-Yes, that's right. Orihime Inoue. You're Yasutora Sado's friend, right?"
"Yeah, that's right... wait! How do you know my name!?"
"I'll explain that along with everything else inside the cell, so just wait a moment..."
Yasutora Sado is very confused... but I'm confused too!
"Um, Momo? And Orihime-san? Could I have a moment?"
"...Ah, Teacher! I made sure to capture them and put them in the cell."
"Yes! Momo-san guided me here!"
I did ask her to capture them and put them in the cell, but... I didn't tell them to have a fun chat... Even the one who was "captured" has a huge smile on her face...
"I-I see... I'm glad to see you've become friends..."
"Teacher, listen! Orihime-san is such a great person!"
Yeah, I already knew that. ...This is strange. They're supposed to be in a prisoner-warden relationship, so why is the prisoner the one saying "She guided me here!" with such a beaming smile? Well, since I'm in a position to cooperate, this is much better than them being hostile...
Come to think of it, during Yasutora Sado's treatment, there was no sign of Momo Hinamori anywhere... does that mean they've been chatting this whole time!? Judging by how lively the conversation was just now, that's likely the case...
"...How... this... impossible... no... cannot understand..."
While the incredibly energetic Momo Hinamori and Orihime Inoue chatted for hours, Uryu Ishida—who was forced to listen to it all alone—had completely dead eyes. He was muttering something under his breath. It seems he was overwhelmed by the power of two women... My condolences.
"So, I've brought one more person..."
"Ah! Chad-kun! Thank goodness, you're safe too!"
"Inoue! Well, I wouldn't say 'safe,' but..."
"Is this the other person you were talking about, Orihime-san?"
"Yes, this is Chad-kun! He's kind and strong and a really great person!!"
"Oh, so it's not Kurosaki-san. A bit disappointing. I wanted to see the face of the person Orihime-san has feelings for..."
"Feelings... u-um, yeah..."
Seriously!! Momo Hinamori just slides right back into the conversation in an instant!! Just how compatible are you two!! I'm glad you found a good friend!! In a little while, Orihime Inoue will be set free and her treatment will improve, so make sure you keep in touch!!
'Ah, I see... they're both women with someone they care about... I suppose they bonded over that and hit it off in no time...'
"Um... for now, I'll explain the situation to the three of you: Uryu Ishida, Yasutora Sado, and Orihime Inoue. First of all, Ichigo Kurosaki is safe for now. And he's cooperating with us—"
"Look, Chad-kun! It's a letter written in Kurosaki-kun's handwriting."
"Yeah... that's definitely Ichigo's writing..."
"I saw it earlier too, but it really looks like a boy's handwriting. So, Orihime-san, since you know Kurosaki-san's handwriting, that means—"
"Ehh! Th-that's, well..."
"—Did you study or train together before exams!? Were the two of you alone!?"
Stop it, Momo! We're not getting anywhere!!
After that, I somehow managed to finish explaining the situation to Uryu Ishida and the others.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]