In the silent study, a brown-haired youth stared quietly at the mission log on the desk.
A few simple lines described a tragedy in the Rukongai: District 64 of West Rukongai, Sabitsura—Outer District. An entire village of souls had vanished into thin air. There were no traces of a struggle at the scene.
It was as if they had been erased by something.
"It's quite eerie, isn't it?"
A man with flowing blonde hair and a smile that held a hint of mockery spoke nonchalantly from the side.
"Soul Reapers from other Squads have already gone to investigate, but they obtained no useful information. It's as if that place has been denied by some rule."
"Sabitsura isn't lacking in ronin or wandering samurai at the elite Soul Reaper level, but they've disappeared too. Normally, this matter should be handled by the Lieutenant."
"But that guy happens to be on a mission in the World of the Living, and everyone else has things to do, so your Captain has decided to entrust this to you."
"Sōsuke, you won't let your Captain down, right?"
Aizen calmly flipped through the mission log a few times, then looked up with a gentle smile.
"Captain, the situation is severe. If I go alone, it might be a bit too much for me."
"Well, of course, your Captain considered that." The man revealed a strange smile. "So—"
"I specifically applied to the Inner Court for support."
Aizen nodded. "Then I have no issues."
"Make sure to get along with your teammate!"
Hirako Shinji's tone was flippant, but the gaze he fixed on Aizen flashed with an eerie light.
The next morning.
When Aizen arrived at the designated location, he saw a figure he hadn't expected.
"Yo, long time no see, Sōsuke."
The person greeted him familiarly. "How's the taste of Squad 5? Are people already targeting you?"
"Want to transfer to Hell? I've got people looking out for me there."
Aizen: "..."
This guy was as unreliable as ever.
This was truly unexpected. He hadn't thought the support Hirako Shinji mentioned would be a rookie like him who had only joined the Gotei 13 recently.
Is the Inner Court short-staffed too?
"I didn't expect my first mission to be with my good brother. With the two of us combining our blades, we'll definitely crush the enemy army and ensure those thieves have no return!"
Naraku Sora touched his pocket before realizing he didn't smoke. He had intended to offer a couple to his long-lost brother.
Aizen remained silent. He had thought that after being assigned to different squads, the two of them wouldn't have any further interaction.
But looking at it now, he had been a bit too naive.
He had somewhat underestimated how much this guy lingered like a vengeful spirit.
"Do you understand the mission intelligence?" Aizen asked calmly.
Naraku Sora shook his head. "I was planning to read it, but then I heard my teammate was you, so I simply decided not to waste that energy."
That was what he said, but in reality, Nishikawa had already explained the specific details to him.
Naraku Sora realized his intellect wasn't sufficient to discover the underlying issues, so he decided not to waste his brain cells.
He heard there were criminals to catch, so he came running happily without thinking too much about it.
Aizen sighed helplessly.
Ever since meeting this guy, he had a bad premonition.
This mission would very likely develop in an uncontrollable direction.
To this day, he still remembered their first internship for a Soul Burial in the World of the Living.
It was supposed to be the simplest of missions, yet a certain someone managed to encounter a Hollow in a place where Hollows were least likely to appear.
And it was the kind about to evolve into a Gillian.
The group of academy students, along with their leading teacher, used every ounce of their strength just to stall until other stationed Soul Reapers arrived to rescue them. The whole group was nearly wiped out.
Later, Aizen learned that Naraku Sora had discovered a weak spatial node in a remote corner.
Coincidentally, the passage opened by the Soul Burial ritual resonated with that spatial node.
What followed was a spectacle everyone loved to hear about.
A quasi-Gillian foraging in Hueco Mundo passed through the channel triggered by the Soul Burial ritual and arrived in the World of the Living.
However, Naraku Sora couldn't really be blamed for this; he was purely a victim.
But after spending time together at the Academy, Aizen discovered that this guy's luck was terrible to the extreme.
Whenever he skipped class, the teacher would definitely check attendance.
Whenever he went out, he would inevitably encounter trouble of varying degrees.
Even a trip to the safest area of the Rukongai could result in getting caught up in a duel between wandering samurai.
To a certain extent, this could be considered a talent.
Hopefully, everything would go smoothly.
However...
Aizen observed his friend with some suspicion, discovering a blind spot, and asked in puzzlement:
"Naraku, you seem a bit different from when we last parted ways."
Naraku Sora grinned, full of confidence. "You should look at a man with new eyes after three days of separation, Sōsuke. The current me is—"
"Terrifyingly strong!"
Aizen nodded imperceptibly, not refuting him.
Although it was unclear what had happened to Naraku Sora, he had indeed become stronger, and he gave off a refreshed feeling.
Did he encounter some fortuitous opportunity, or did he learn his Zanpakutō's true name and master Shikai?
It had to be said.
The changes in Naraku Sora did indeed arouse some of his curiosity.
After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, the two headed to the mission location together.
The Rukongai was divided into four large sectors: East, West, South, and North. Each sector was further divided into eighty districts, forming a ring that protected the Seireitei in the center.
The place where the abnormal incident occurred this time was District 64 of West Rukongai, Sabitsura—Outer District.
Because the Outer District was relatively remote, it hadn't affected the atmosphere of the Inner District.
People came and went on the streets, bustling as always.
"Everyone is as kind and friendly as always."
Standing in the alley, Naraku Sora watched two gangster groups hacking at each other, flesh and blood flying, and spoke with a face full of emotion.
Aizen: "..."
Do you have some misunderstanding about the words kind and friendly?
As a lowborn from the Rukongai, Naraku Sora was naturally accustomed to such events.
However, as a rising nemesis of evil, he didn't mind meddling in another business.
He released a little bit of Reiatsu.
Extreme danger instantly lingered in the hearts of both groups. They subconsciously stopped their movements and looked toward the alley entrance in unison.
Two upright figures stood there.
"It's... Soul... Soul Reaper lords."
A weak groan from someone in the crowd was like a drop of water falling into hot oil.
Instantly, they scattered in all directions, fleeing like birds and beasts.
Aizen ignored Naraku Sora's bad taste and instead meticulously captured the Reiatsu he had released externally.
An inexplicable sense of familiarity, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
After thinking to no avail, Aizen frowned tightly.
It was the first time he had encountered a problem he had absolutely no clue about.
The changes in Naraku Sora made him increasingly curious, just like—
The kind of unknown he was exploring.
Having chased away the fighting gangs, the two formally arrived at the north side of Sabitsura's Outer District, a relatively remote medium-sized village.
What entered their eyes was a deathly silence.
Lanterns swayed gently under the eaves, withered leaves blew down, and the wind sobbed.