Chapter 254
That's alright then.
Soul Society.
North Rukongai District 1.
This place is right next to the outer perimeter of Seireitei, and you can even see several of the Gotei 13 from a distance; for those nobles who are not qualified to live in Seireitei, it is the second most ideal place to show off their status.
Its safety is naturally much higher than that of the distant Rukongai.
"Clang!!"
In this prosperous region, rarely visited even by ghosts, the long-absent, somewhat hurried sound of gongs rang out.
What was that sound?
"Virtual! It's a warning of a virtual attack!"
Even during the Hollow Clan incident five or six years ago, North Rukongai was the area least affected by the attack, and they were clearly not used to such commotion.
"Go find the Gotei 13 immediately!"
They didn't even need to shout; the Soul Reaper dressed in their Shihakushō had already appeared nearby.
"Seal off the surrounding area!"
The Ninth Division arrived the fastest.
They weren't actually responsible for guarding or patrolling here; they simply stumbled upon it while they were arresting nobles.
Because of the Second Division Vice-Captain's great activities, the Maggot's Nest was almost full, and it is currently being expanded under the organization of the Ōmaeda Clan.
Then.
Many nobles who should have been arrested by the Second Division were temporarily placed in the Ninth Division's prison: this was not because the Ninth Division wanted to take on the job, but simply because the nobles were afraid of being arrested and would rather surrender to the Ninth Division than be arrested by the Stealth Force.
"Careful!"
The one in charge of command is Heizō Kasaki, the Third Seat of the Ninth Division.
The bald man with a serious and earnest expression.
Normally, Seated Officer of his rank wouldn't need to personally go to the front lines to arrest suspects, but because the Ninth Division has been extremely busy lately, and the vice-captain is the kind who absolutely can't do any work, he, as the Third Seat officer, has no choice but to personally step in and share the burden with the captain.
Garganta.
Whether the Garganta originated in reality or Hueco Mundo was still taking shape, Heizō Kasaki had already swiftly directed the members of the Ninth Division present to complete the encirclement: as a veteran Seated Officer, he was quite adept at this basic skill.
"Waaah--"
The sound, like a zipper being pulled open, quickly amplified, and the previously slow-moving Garganta opened completely in an instant.
"Prepare the Kidō!"
Without knowing the strength of the invading enemy, it's natural to first probe with Kidō, which doesn't require close combat: weak, ordinary Kidō, stronger, Huge Hollows can be dealt with by drawing a sword... and for anything more powerful, you'll have to call for help immediately.
Then.
"Aww!!"
The piercing roar, mixed with intense and somber Reiatsu, instantly suppressed the movements of all the members of the Ninth Division, including Heizō Kasaki.
"!!"
Heizō Kasaki's Shihakushō was immediately soaked with sweat.
It was only because of the void that crawled out of the Garganta...
"Adjuchas!?"
Heizō Kasaki's mood instantly plummeted—he was indeed a veteran Third Seat holder, and his methods...
Even with their full strength, they could barely handle one or two Gillian, but when the enemy's level reached Adjuchas's...
"Walk!"
Heizō Kasaki shouted loudly to the team members around the Garganta.
"Go find the Muguruma-- "
"No, go find Lieutenant Kuna, she lives very close by!"
Heizō Kasaki was prepared to sacrifice himself—not to mention that the surrounding area was a noble residential area (although very poor), and among the troops he brought, only he himself could possibly stop Adjuchas for a few seconds after liberation.
If he were to turn and retreat now, absolutely no one in the entire team would survive.
But.
"Zheng."
Before the team members, who had been called by Heizō Kasaki, could even move their feet out of their fear of Adjuchas, the mid-level Menos Grande they regarded as the source of their terror... had already been simply sliced in two, body and Visored, right in the middle.
"Thump."
The corpse didn't bleed even half a milliliter more before dissipating into Reishi on the land of Soul Society: Adjuchas's rank was basically equivalent to Captain-level, so in theory, a ritual must be performed after death to completely "send him away".
But.
The members of the Ninth Division, still in shock, clearly had no time to pay attention to this.
"..."
They stared blankly as Soul Reaper emerged from the Garganta.
"Yo."
"Isn't this... Gasa... Little Kasakasa Third Seat?"
Aside from Mashiro Kuna, Haruto wasn't really familiar with the Ninth Division and could only remember the nickname Mashiro Kuna gave to the Third Seat.
"Hyo- Lieutenant Haruto!?"
Haruto who solved the problem of Adjuchas.
Actually, he was the one who opened the Garganta, but to avoid too much trouble explaining, he simply grabbed an Adjuchas before opening the door as an excuse—he happened to follow the Menos Grande when they invaded Soul Society... This excuse couldn't be more perfect.
"You... how are you?"
Heizō Kasaki was still reeling from the shock of Haruto's one-hit kill on Adjuchas —even when Captain Muguruma dealt with the Gillian, he had to unleash "Tachikaze" to ensure efficiency; to kill Adjuchas without even drawing his sword...
Lieutenant Kuna seems to have dealt with Huge Hollow in this way before?
But...
The difference in level between the Huge Hollow and Adjuchas is just too huge!?
--It wasn't that Lieutenant Haruto drew his sword too quickly; the traces of Reiatsu slowly dissipating from his fingertips...
This shows that what just severed Adjuchas was merely a simple Hadō.
This is something beyond common sense...
"How long has it been since the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force returned?"
"... ah?"
"I said, how long has it been since the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force returned?"
Seeing that "Little Kasakasa" was still confused, Haruto had to raise his voice and ask again.
"Oh oh!"
"Two days! Captain Haruto!"
When Heizō Kasaki replied, he not only straightened his posture as he had when facing Muguruma, but he even added honorifics.
"Good..."
"Looks like it didn't take long."
Haruto nodded.
"I need to go back to Seireitei first. I'll report back on what happened here myself... You just continue with your mission."
Haruto swiped his finger.
The suspect, bound like a dumpling—now a fugitive—rolled right up to Heizō Kasaki.
This guy tried to escape when the Garganta opened.
"Yes, Captain Haruto!"
"..."
The riot in North Rukongai ended even faster than it began.
At the same time.
Hueco Mundo, the outer perimeter of Las Noches.
A small number of Adjuchas, all wounded but full of energy, surrounded the hunched figure in black robes.
"..."
Those were white bones wearing a crown.
"Hammerhead is dead."
Grains of sand fell from the tips of the skeleton's fingers.
"Died in..."
"In my hands???"
Volume 1: Chapter 153, "Traitor"
Feel the Reiatsu lingering here.
Baraggan came to a conclusion that even he himself could not believe.
But soon--
"Report!"
Adjuchas had returned to Las Noches ahead of schedule, brought back a message.
"Explain."
Baraggan's dark, hollow eyes revealed no expression whatsoever.
"Lord Szayelaporro has been ambushed by Soul Reaper!"
"... Could he have been seriously injured and never recovered?"
Baraggan was quite confident in his two subordinates.
"No!"
"Lord Szayelaporro is currently conducting research in his laboratory; this information was relayed by his deputy."
"..."
Baraggan understood.
If he hadn't been beaten so badly, Szayelaporro certainly wouldn't have been in such a hurry to send himself to the laboratory.
His failure to provide timely support for Hammerhead's pursuit of accountability appears to be impossible.
"... Soul Reaper."
Thump.
The ground beneath their feet instantly vanished, and some Adjuchas who couldn't maintain their footing fell directly into the Forest of Menos below.
Baraggan recalled unpleasant memories—though even those memories had become blurred with the loss of his power, he could still remember the hatred... the hatred of being thrown back into Hueco Mundo like a dead dog after losing his power.
"What are you doing...?"
"He's courting death!!"