Chapter 163
"Beep."
Reishi formed a cushion beneath his feet, and Haruto stepped out of the Senkaimon.
"As expected of Karakura Town."
"The Reishi density of the first- Jūreichi Seireitei land in the World of the Living is only slightly lower than that of Seireitei."
"..."
Haruto scattered the Kakushitsuijaku, but found no trace of anything that was not human.
"Really."
A delicate talisman burns at your fingertips.
In Haruto's eyes as he gazed into the distance, tiny specks of pale blue starlight also appeared.
"It's protected by a barrier, and it's quite high-level."
Those were special humans with spiritual senses; to put it bluntly, they could see the souls of the dead and the unseen world.
In Jūreichi like Karakura Town, the likelihood of being attacked by the latter is even higher.
"With this, Quincy will definitely have to put in more effort to find any trace of it."
"Whoosh!"
Haruto didn't hesitate any longer and immediately used Shunpo to walk towards the largest bonfire.
River bank.
The place where Ichigo's mother will be killed in the future.
This place is a paradise for wanderers and camping enthusiasts, but now it is deserted under the expulsion of the Kidō, becoming a temporary camp for the Soul Reapers of the World of the Living.
The hemispherical Kidō barrier completely covered the entire area; such a range and concealment effect indicated that it was at least an 80th-level Bakudō used by Captain-level.
"Whoosh!"
As soon as Haruto appeared, he saw several familiar faces.
Ayaka and Yayahara Yuyu were on guard by the river, responsible for using Kidō to dispel humans.
Directly opposite them stood a short, freckled figure of Soul Reaper, wearing flip-flops.
Hiyori Sarugaki the Twelfth Division.
By the way...
Hiyori's slippers are actually special magical artifacts made by Kirio Hikifune, which can be used to counter Captain-level (Shinji Hirako) special attacks Hakuda "Super Fan Slipper Strike".
In the very center, surrounded by the three, stood Haruto with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a physique reminiscent of the Daijiji —as robust as an iron tower.
Haruto had never seen him before, but in the World of the Living, no one else besides the 11th Division Vice-Captain Kanmuri Yasu was injured so severely.
The Grim Soul Reaper who was healing Kanmuri Yasu was also a familiar face to Haruto:
Fourth Division Vice-Captain, Kiyōnosuke Yamada.
"Could this be the Captain-level support Captain Ukitake mentioned?"
Because there were Captain-level experts among the Quincy, Haruto had already adjusted his Reiatsu to the highest level Third-Class Reii, before setting off for the World of the Living.
Haruto, whose attributes are identical to those of Captain-level, is able to accurately assess Kiyōnosuke Yamada's strength.
Just as predicted, this person is indeed a Captain-level expert.
But.
"The vice-captain of the healing squad..."
"Kidō expert who excels at the Kaidō must be quite skilled, but this guy probably has no interest in going to the front lines himself. Could it be that he's interested in dissecting Quincy?"
The moment Haruto appeared.
"Yo."
Kiyōnosuke Yamada was the first to notice his approach.
"Isn't this Haruto? Captain Ukitake sent you here?"
"Lieutenant Yamada."
Haruto nodded to Kiyōnosuke Yamada — Haruto still held considerable respect for his former attending physician.
Although this person has quite a few bad intentions.
Are you the team leader for this trip?
"No."
Kiyōnosuke Yamada shook his head.
"I was just ordered to come and rescue people."
As he said this, Kiyōnosuke Yamada had already stood up from his kneeling position.
I'll go back immediately after it's over.
"The Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force is still sending people to Soul Society in droves, and Captain Unohana is simply overwhelmed."
Speaking of which...
The Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force has already dispatched its third batch of Soul Reaper. If this is merely to adjust the balance of the three realms, it should be the final wave of personnel.
"The information you want to know..."
"I haven't received any news either."
As Haruto's strength continued to grow, this casual friendship reached a point where it could deepen for Kiyōnosuke Yamada.
A little bit of intelligence is nothing.
"... Thank you for your hard work."
"It's my duty."
The two had just finished their conversation.
"Hello!"
Hiyori Sarugaki walked over with a girl who looked like a little devil, but would turn into a tsundere with just a little teasing.
"Baldy, have you cured him?"
"... Lieutenant Sarugaki."
Kiyōnosuke Yamada straightened his hat with a serious expression, as if making a silent protest; he did not refute it directly because he had long seen through Hiyori's true nature, and what remained was all adult "pity" and leeway.
"A full recovery definitely won't be quick."
Kiyōnosuke Yamada shook his head.
"However, Lieutenant Kanmuri Yasu's Reiatsu has stabilized, and he should be able to wake up in a few hours. The rest is up to time to recover."
Your efforts to save your people weren't in vain.
"Thanks."
"As fellow members of the Gotei 13, this is my duty."
Kiyōnosuke Yamada used the same excuse he used when chatting with Haruto, but when he said it to Hiyori, there was a hint of sarcasm in it.
However, the latter didn't seem to notice.
"A-Qing!"
After the vice-captains finished their conversation, Ayaka approached with Yayahara Yuyu.
"Ayaka."
Haruto answered with a smile while looking Ayaka up and down.
"I never expected to run into you in the World of the Living again."
There are too many people and too much gossip here; he doesn't want any bad rumors to spread.
Are you alright?
"Fine."
Ayaka shook her head.
"We happened to be quite far away at the time, and we were also very careful, so the Quincy didn't discover our presence."
When Ayaka said this, she turned her head to look at Yayahara Yuyu behind her. Although they looked about the same age, Yayahara Yuyu, who joined the team earlier than Ayaka, had a composure in his actions that was completely opposite to his personality.
"That's good..."
Where are your parents and older brother?
Haruto followed up with another question, not forgetting another important reason why Ayaka came to the World of the Living.
They're alright too.
"The only ones attacked by the Quincy were the elite 11th Division gathered in Karakura Town; everything else was quiet as usual."
"However, after this incident, other cities will likely send additional personnel... if Seireitei still has manpower available."
"..."
"I see."
Although it was supposed to be a reunion between acquaintances, Ayaka's words also pretty much explained the World of the Living situation.
"What about the Quincy attacked the 11th Division?"
Haruto continued to ask.
"The Reiatsu disappeared after the battle ended."
This time, it was Hiyori who answered.
"The Twelfth Division's base is the closest to here, so I was the first to arrive... This guy is just lying there like a corpse, he hasn't moved an inch."
Hiyori kicked Kanmuri Yasu was lying on the ground.
Although she had a lot of complaints about the 11th Division, she didn't hesitate at all when it came to saving people—she was the first to arrive at the scene. In other words, Ayaka and Yayahara Yuyu were still lingering on the periphery observing the situation after the battle ended.
This is consistent with the Eighth Division's usual practice; they are not a front-line combat unit, and they did not get close for fear of being ambushed.
"Is this what the scene looks like?"
"That's right."
There were no signs of fighting around the riverbank, indicating that the battle was a complete rout, with the stronger player able to control the situation.
But that doesn't make sense. Why would the other side spare Kanmuri Yasu's life? If they wanted to ambush him... one prey in Hiyori might not be enough, but they should have made their move when Haruto arrived.
Haruto's current Reiatsu is a deliberate leak of Fifth-Class Reii; otherwise, no one else would be able to detect even the slightest trace of him.
This lineup should theoretically be enough to satisfy the opponent's appetite.
Unless this person genuinely wanted to capture a real vice-captain wearing a haori... to set up such a trap...
The Quincy shouldn't be that stupid.
"That's strange..."
"Ayaka, is there any other news from you?"
"That's all."
Ayaka shook her head.
If the Seireitei had made any discoveries, they should have already informed the group through the Eighth Division.
However, Ayaka had barely finished speaking.
--
Six Hell Butterflies suddenly flapped their wings and landed near the ears of everyone present... even the fallen Kanmuri Yasu was no exception.
"..."
"Breaking news."
The group exchanged glances.