By late afternoon, the sunlight slanted westward.
Suo Tsukasa carried a thick stack of processed documents and placed them on Shiba Kaien's desk.
"Kaien-dono, the paperwork is all handled."
"Oh! Tsukasa, you're so efficient. As expected of you!"
Shiba Kaien looked up from his work. Seeing the neatly organized pile of files, his eyes lit up, and a smile instantly broke across his face.
Tsukasa, however, did not show his usual relaxed expression. Instead, he leaned forward and spoke in a low, heavy voice.
"Kaien-dono, the reports from the advance relief teams have been a bit off lately."
The smile vanished from Shiba Kaien's face. He knew Tsukasa's temperament well; he never spoke without cause.
"Tell me the details."
"The strength levels of the advance team members have been improving at a steady pace. Although the progress isn't massive, I've seen their growth with my own eyes," Tsukasa began.
"However, recent documentation shows that the frequency of injuries is increasing, and the probability of severe injuries is also rising."
Though the daily volume of paperwork was high, Tsukasa had a firm grasp on past data. While there had been no fatalities yet, the casualty data was growing at a small but tangible rate.
"Strength is improving, yet combat performance has noticeably declined compared to the past. This is abnormal."
As the Lieutenant, Shiba Kaien managed the big picture on a daily basis, so his understanding of the ordinary rank-and-file members was actually quite limited.
But Suo Tsukasa was different. He knew the progress of every member under his command by heart and conducted internal assessments on a regular basis.
Tsukasa picked up the top few reports, pointing a finger at them as he spoke.
"Particularly these documents—the frequency of large Hollows possessing special abilities has increased significantly."
Tsukasa paused for a moment before continuing his analysis.
"Hueco Mundo is a world where the strong prey on the weak. Powerful Hollows can easily increase their strength there by devouring the weaker ones."
"Hollows that choose to sneak into the World of the Living or the Soul Society are usually either addicted to the pleasure of doing evil or are too weak to survive in Hueco Mundo. But those appearing lately are somewhat illogical."
"It is a bit strange. Tsukasa, you really are meticulous."
Shiba Kaien took the reports and flipped through them carefully, his brow furrowing deeper. He then asked, "Do you have any thoughts on this?"
"I suggest we convene an internal squad meeting first to gather more information."
"If we confirm that the situation is indeed abnormal, you can raise the issue at the next Lieutenant's meeting, Kaien-dono. See if other squads have noticed similar patterns and warn everyone to stay vigilant."
In his heart, Tsukasa vaguely suspected this might be related to Aizen's activities in Hueco Mundo, but he lacked concrete evidence.
Yet, even if he had proof, under the deterrent power of Kyoka Suigetsu, what he could do now was limited.
Initiative and passive response were ultimately different. The only thing he could do for now was issue a warning to reduce the casualties of ordinary members.
"Alright, we'll do as you say."
"I'll arrange an internal meeting shortly. We'll frame it as a routine summary to avoid causing unnecessary panic," Shiba Kaien said, closing the reports with a solemn expression.
"Understood."
Tsukasa nodded slightly.
Before the truth was clear, maintaining the stability of the squad was far more important than exaggerating the crisis. They needed to instill vigilance without causing self-inflicted chaos.
A meeting was also highly necessary. The writing skills of ordinary squad members were generally subpar; many reports were vague in their descriptions, and specific details needed to be confirmed in person.
Shiba Kaien stood up and called out to Hikone Mitaka nearby.
"Hiko, help notify the other personnel in the squad. We're having a routine meeting later."
"Oh, okay!"
Hikone Mitaka responded immediately, put down his paperwork, and headed outside.
Time passed slowly.
Twilight arrived, and the light on the horizon dimmed abruptly.
Inside the meeting room.
Suo Tsukasa stood beside Shiba Kaien.
Arranged neatly before them were nearly a hundred squad members. They were the backbone of the Thirteenth Division.
Nearly a hundred people remained silent; the room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop. Under their collective gaze, Shiba Kaien took a step forward.
"Good work, everyone."
His voice was resonant, and a gentle smile played on his lips. His gaze swept across the room as he spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Tonight's routine meeting is mainly to hear about the actual situations you've encountered while on duty."
"Don't worry, it won't take long. I promise it won't interfere with your dinner."
A wave of knowing, low laughter rippled through the room, and the atmosphere relaxed instantly. The squad members subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, their postures becoming more natural.
"Then tell us your orders quickly, Captain Kaien! I'm starving to death!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
A bold veteran cracked a joke at Shiba Kaien's expense, and several nearby members immediately joined in, sparking a round of laughter.
Shiba Kaien laughed and raised his hand to quiet them down.
"Alright, alright, I know you're hungry, so we'll keep this brief."
"Tsukasa, you take over."
Suo Tsukasa stepped forward with the reports at the appropriate moment and inquired:
"This time, we mainly need to confirm some details from the reports."
"Those who have been part of the advance teams, tell us about your experiences during recent missions."
"Raise your hand to speak."
Suo Tsukasa's words carried significant weight in the hearts of the members. His question brought silence back to the hall.
"Now that you mention it, things have been a bit strange lately. I feel like the number of Hollows encountered on recent missions is higher than before."
A member standing in the front row rubbed his chin, raised his hand, and spoke.
"Right, right!"
"During our mission last week, we encountered a large Hollow, and there were several smaller Hollows following behind it."
"That was the time many people got hurt."
Another member immediately raised his hand to follow up.
"What was the specific situation? Was there any obvious coordination between them?" Tsukasa pressed.
Although Hollows are the "evil spirits" described in the textbooks, they still possess some human-like thoughts and emotions. Often, key information can be gleaned through their behavior.
"That didn't seem to be the case. That large Hollow's ability was a bit tricky; it would spray smoke to interfere with vision when injured."
"It didn't last long, but the range was huge, covering half the battlefield. In the smoke, you couldn't sense those smaller Hollows at all, and they didn't seem to sense us either."
"It seemed like a move it used only to buy time to recover from injuries. I've never seen it use that move specifically when other Hollows were about to die."
At this point, he turned to a friend beside him for confirmation.
"Gonzo, that was the situation back then, right?"
"That's right, 3rd Seat Suo, I can testify to that!"
"It was like that!"
The person mentioned raised his hand in response, and other members who had been on the same mission followed suit.
Tsukasa nodded, then looked at the crowd for further confirmation.
"Good. Does anyone else have similar situations to report?"
"Yes! Yes!"
The squad members clearly realized this was not just an ordinary routine meeting and began to speak up actively.
Following those words, more than a dozen members raised their hands in succession, reporting their respective observations during missions.
Several dozen minutes later.
Having gathered the information, Tsukasa's gaze swept across the room as he announced:
"Hollow activity has become more frequent lately."
"Everyone must heighten their vigilance during missions in the near future. Do not attempt to show off or act recklessly."
"Specifically, if you encounter a large Hollow that may have special abilities, or if you notice abnormal behavior patterns in a group of Hollows, you must report it to the squad immediately."
"Is that understood?"
"Understood!"
A unified response echoed through the meeting room.
"Everyone, please keep 3rd Seat Suo's words firmly in mind. Put safety first."
"The Thirteenth Division is a single unit; no one will blame you for being cautious."
"Meeting adjourned!" Shiba Kaien concluded.
"Yes!"
The squad members left the room in succession, discussing the contents of the meeting in low voices in groups of two or three. From their serious expressions, it was clear that the meeting had successfully served its purpose as a warning.
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