Chapter 164
It seems everyone received roughly the same thing.
"Um."
"Since there's nothing else to do with the Fourth Division, I'll be taking my leave now... Would the two ladies from the Eighth Division like to come with me?"
Kiyōnosuke Yamada spoke up.
He also showed a rare display of concern for his colleagues:
Ayaka and Yayahara Yuyu aren't particularly strong fighters, but with him around, they can at least offer some protection—crossing the Dangai isn't without risk, and nobody knows if the Quincy might make a move here.
Because...
The order from the First Division was passed on to everyone:
The Quincy murdered their colleagues in the 11th Division have scattered and hidden in Karakura Town and the surrounding towns. The lieutenants of the 11th, 12th, and Thirteenth Divisions remained in the World of the Living, concealing their Reiatsu and identities to guard against their next move.
Haruto is currently acting as the vice-captain.
Whether they remain in the World of the Living as bait or as combat power is hard to say, but the Captain-Commander's orders certainly cannot be disobeyed.
"Um..."
While Ayaka was still hesitating.
"Hi hi!"
"I'll go back with Lieutenant Yamada!"
"Yayahara Yuyu," Xiong Ru spoke up.
"Ayaka finally ran into her old classmate, and after spending so much time in the World of the Living, she's bound to have..."
"You must have a lot to say, right?"
"The orders didn't say we had to leave immediately. Why don't you set off tomorrow morning, Ayaka?"
Yayahara Yuyu winked hard at Ayaka and then subtly tapped his finger towards Kiyōnosuke Yamada:
This is her type.
"... good."
Having worked together for almost three months, the two instantly understood each other perfectly.
"Ah?"
Only Hiyori showed an impatient expression.
"If you all leave, where am I supposed to take this guy?"
This kick to Kanmuri Yasu was a bit too forceful.
Then...
No need for you to worry.
--So powerful that it could actually wake someone up... That shows how strong this spirit tool made by Kirio Hikifune really is.
"Wow!!"
Hiyori was so frightened that she jumped back more than ten meters.
"When... when did you wake up?"
"Just."
After Kanmuri Yasu finished speaking, he bowed very solemnly to Hiyori and Kiyōnosuke Yamada, clasping his hands in a fist and palm salute.
"Thank you to Lieutenant Sarugaki and Lieutenant Yamada for their rescue."
Neither the name nor the style is Japanese at all.
But.
Having just regained consciousness, he was able to immediately recognize and assess the situation on the spot; his observational skills are truly remarkable.
"And to all my colleagues, I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused you."
Kanmuri Yasu, this red-faced man, gives the impression of being a perfect match for the 11th Division... but he's also quite different from the current 11th Division.
"Vice Captain, you flatter me."
Li Haruto naturally had to respond.
The somewhat awkward thing is that Haruto still doesn't know the other person's last name.
"The work ahead is dangerous, and we'll need everyone's cooperation to overcome the difficulties. There's no question of causing trouble or adding to the burden."
"That is..."
Haruto changed the subject.
"Although it may be impolite to say this, as someone who was there firsthand, does Lieutenant Kanmuri Yasu have any inside information?"
"..."
Haruto's words silenced Kanmuri Yasu.
However, he wasn't avoiding the topic of his defeat; rather, he genuinely began to recall the scene of the battle.
"That was a black- Quincy wearing a white uniform similar to a military uniform."
Military uniform?
A glint flashed in Haruto's eyes for a moment.
Quincy do indeed like to wear white uniforms, but they are definitely not in the style of military uniforms, as evidenced by the information on the Thirteenth Division.
"I'm ashamed to admit it."
Trying to read shame from the red-faced man's expression must be a very difficult thing.
"I was ambushed and instantly killed, without even a chance to Shikai... Anyone who could do that must be Captain-level expert."
Intelligence is crucial in the battle against Soul Reaper. While maintaining a cool and collected demeanor is important, being eliminated before fully unleashing one's power is not impossible.
From the Ikkaku to the Sasakibe, there are such experiences that serve as negative examples.
Haruto's advantage lies in this.
If one is not wary of his true combat strength, and once the abilities of his Zanpakuto are known, even Captain-level could be killed by his full-power Kidō attack before he can even Bankai... or even before Shikai.
We already know that.
Hiyori pointed to the Hell Butterfly.
"Um..."
Kanmuri Yasu remained silent for a while, as he was reading the information from the Hell Butterfly.
"That's all the information I can confirm; the rest is just speculation."
"Guess?"
Haruto asked rhetorically.
"Right."
"The reason I'm still alive and able to see you all isn't because that Quincy had no intention of killing me, but rather because after I was ambushed..."
"It seems like someone saved me?"
"Um?"
All eyes turned to Hiyori.
"What?"
"I can't beat Captain-level Quincy. Besides, when I got there, you were the only one lying on the ground!"
Hiyori vehemently denied the claim of rescuing anyone.
No one would question that; both Haruto and Kiyōnosuke Yamada could see that she wasn't hiding her strength.
Before she could Hollowfication, Hiyori was just an ordinary vice-captain.
But.
If Kanmuri Yasu wasn't lying...
"Is it the captain who wasn't with us? Or... is there a third party involved?"
Volume 1: Chapter 100, I Began to Retake High School After Being Transmigrated to the World of Soul Reaper
Good morning.
Haruto woke up in his 20-square-meter bed.
The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Ayaka's familiar face—the girl was lying beside him, her hands supporting her head, her beautiful arches swaying back and forth behind her, easily reminding one of the beauty of their feet together.
"You got up pretty early."
Haruto poked Ayaka's cheek, and the latter cried out "Ouch!" and fell sideways onto the bed. The color that had just been covered by her forearm was even more delicate than the childlike bed sheet.
"I'll give you a chance to put it another way."
Ayaka held the thin sheet in front of her, gathered her disheveled hair, and knelt up.
"... Still not asleep?"
Shouldn't you ask yourself that question?
"..."
Haruto has no choice but to take the blame.
After absorbing the Soul King Hakusui for more than two months, Haruto personally experienced the side effects that Kirio Hikifune had mentioned: if it weren't for Yoshiwara District, he probably would have already burst from being cooped up... He was constantly rushing from Seireitei to the East District 45, and Haruto's Shunpo had even increased by half a percent.
Okay.
Ayaka rummaged through the hair tie that was mixed in with the pillow and temporarily tied her messy middle-length hair into two buns at the back of her head.
As she bent down towards the floor beneath the bed, searching for her lower body clothing...
"Fine, I'll just go bare-legged."
Ayaka muttered something casually.
--The 25D thin black stockings are torn and riddled with holes.
"Having wasted an extra night, Yuyu's lame excuse won't hold water with Lieutenant Lisa."
I need to get back right away.
Ayaka pulled open the bedside table, bent her knees, and casually picked out a pair of pure white boat socks to put on.
"Your apartment lease expires tomorrow, remember to return the keys to the landlord!"
"Ah?"
Haruto's expression froze for a moment.
Is it appropriate to say something like this when two people are about to part ways after a sweet, intimate moment...? It sounds like an old married couple transitioning from a stable period to a period of boredom.
"Isn't this the Eighth Division's base?"
"Temporary, temporary!"
Ayaka pushed Haruto hard, finally managing to pull out the silk shirt that was pinning him down, along with the triangular piece of fabric tangled with it.
"We're not like the Thirteenth Division, with bases in many places in the World of the Living; our missions are all conducted at temporarily rented locations."
"But the place is really big."
Haruto said bitterly.
Although I had a large, single-level apartment to stay in last night, I'll have to go back to the old, run-down apartment provided by the Thirteenth Division after today.
"... Are all the Seated Officer of the Eighth Division treated this well?"
A 20-square-meter king-size bed is no joke; the living area of a single floor in this apartment building is over 300 square meters.
"No, no, no."