Chapter 44

Inside the crater blasted out by Raikōhō.

The explosion, the howling, the crowds fleeing as though from a disaster—what had happened tonight was so terrifying that many villagers lacked the courage even to step outside and take a look.

However.

That didn't include Jōsuke, who had hurried over after hearing the explosion.

"This place..."

"What on earth happened?"

At some point that night, a summer breeze had picked up. Holding a flickering torch, Jōsuke searched the area as best he could—on a moonless night, if the torch went out, even finding his way home would be difficult.

Fortunately, Jōsuke's persistence paid off.

He soon discovered several objects Haruto hadn't been interested in searching for:

Nagumo's metal cane, which he never went anywhere without, broken in two; a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto, burned beyond recognition; and...

Inukai's headless body.

"This huge crater..."

Jōsuke was utterly bewildered.

Although he knew nothing about what had happened, he could make a rough guess: Haruto and Inukai had been ambushed by old man Nagumo, and after the two sides fought a grueling battle here, the weaker side had detonated a tremendously powerful bomb.

"Did Haruto do this?"

That was right.

Although Jōsuke knew that Inukai had chosen to merge with the gang under Nagumo's control to protect his remaining members, the young lackey had no idea that Inukai had betrayed Haruto long ago.

He now had three "relics": a headless body, an ownerless cane, and a mostly intact Zanpakuto—Jōsuke had exceptionally sharp eyes, or Inukai wouldn't have sent him to watch the village entrances and exits:

He had spotted Haruto as soon as he emerged from the woods, along with the blade hidden in his bedroll.

He simply hadn't gotten a good look at its guard, which was why he had mistaken the owner of the Zanpakuto.

As for a Soul Reaper being killed...

That possibility was beyond anything he could imagine.

"Maybe..."

Jōsuke looked at the cold weapon in his hand.

Now that the main fighters of both gangs had most likely met with misfortune, Jōsuke, the third-generation

head of the lackeys, had a new idea.

"Could I take their place too?"

The following noon.

Haruto said goodbye to the Shusuha siblings.

He had to admit, Lieutenant Ika was exceptionally approachable, and her ability to care for others was absolutely first-rate.

In just half a day, Haruto had mostly recovered: his Reiatsu was back at its peak, and his injuries were sixty to seventy percent healed. He could do more than jump around; he could even handle a simple fight.

Aside from her astonishing talent for Kaidō, the key to accomplishing this was Ika Kyōshiba's Zanpakuto:

"Tsubakibana."

Its name referred to the camellia, known as the "sacred flower."

After Ika released her Zanpakuto into Shikai, it became a Tsubakibana-shaped hairpin that was impossible to identify as either plant or metal. When the hairpin pierced a target's skin, it would either absorb their Reiatsu or share Ika's own Reiatsu with them, according to her wishes. The only restriction was that the amount of Reiatsu could not exceed Ika's own maximum.

It was a powerful Zanpakuto.

Not only did it possess exceptionally good single-target healing abilities, but in a one-on-one fight between opponents of the same level, a careless hit from Tsubakibana would essentially spell the end of the battle.

Thanks to Tsubakibana's effect, Haruto's Reiatsu had returned to its peak almost immediately.

With ample Reiatsu to draw on, Kaidō's healing effects naturally produced twice the results with half the effort.

Meanwhile.

After learning that Haruto excelled at lightning-type Kidō, Seigen Kyōshiba freely shared his insights into using lightning abilities with him. Although Captain Seigen's explanations were vague and general, with Ika explaining them on the side, Haruto gained a wealth of insights he had never considered before in just half a day:

Although Kidō and Zanpakuto were different branches, they still had a great deal in common.

Seigen Kyōshiba's Zanpakuto was called Shiden, and when released, it became a steel saw the size of a two-handed greatsword.

Although he had used a ranged attack to deal with the Giant Hollow, the destructive power of that projected lightning was less than twenty percent of a single slash from his blade.

Captain Seigen, who wielded a lightning-type Zanpakuto, was a close-range powerhouse in every sense: straightforward, direct, and extraordinarily violent.

After the two of them departed eastward using Shunpo—

"..."

"They really were good people."

Haruto spoke from the bottom of his heart.

"If Aizen weren't in the Fifth Division, I'd join without a second thought."

"It's a shame..."

Foreknowledge wasn't always a good thing, or Haruto wouldn't have been so conflicted.

"It's at least a year away. There's no need to worry about it now."

"As for what I can do to help them in the future..."

"I'd better focus on improving my own strength first."

The trip here had taken seven days, but Haruto expected the return journey to take less than five... even with his injuries still not fully healed.

That wasn't just because of his breakthrough in Shunpo, but also because he had...

Successfully reached Sixth-Class Spiritual Pressure.

Volume one: 029, please open your mouth and close your eyes, Byakuya

"I'm finally back."

Standing before Seiryūmon on the eastern side of Seireitei, Haruto couldn't help sighing at the sight of his tattered clothes.

His original clothes and luggage had been completely destroyed during his fight with the Giant Hollow. What he wore now had been found and given to him by Lieutenant Ika when they parted.

Captain Seigen wasn't as tall or as big as Haruto, but fortunately, he liked wearing loose clothing, so it didn't feel particularly tight on Haruto.

At least it was good enough to get by.

However.

Having successfully advanced to Sixth-Class Spiritual Pressure, Haruto had spent most of the journey adapting to the differences brought about by the new changes in his body and Reiatsu.

Eager to train, Haruto hadn't entered a single Rukongai district along the way. It was no exaggeration to say he had braved the elements and slept outdoors.

By the time he reached Seireitei, all he had left, aside from the Zanpakuto at his waist and a pouch intended for concealed weapons such as kunai and shuriken, which he had seized after wiping out a band of thieves while passing through the Thirty-Eighth District, were two trouser legs, one long and one short.

Even his sturdy straw sandals had been worn out while he was practicing Shunpo.

Still.

At least he had somewhere to put the wages he had worked so hard to earn on this trip.

"Stop!"

Plenty of people passed in and out of Seireitei, but most were Soul Reapers and nobles, whose identities could quickly be distinguished by their clothing.

Students of Shin'ō Academy, meanwhile, carried waist badges issued by the school, allowing the guards at the four gates to verify their identities.

Just as Haruto was about to enter Seireitei, a massive Zanpakuto shaped like a machete barred his way like a door panel. The roar-like command instantly drew the attention of the surrounding crowd.

"Show me your identification."

His immense body, comparable to a Giant Hollow's, gave off an oppressive presence like a mountain bearing down on someone.

The giant before him was named Kaiwan. To guard the "four gates," Seireitei had specially selected a suitable soul from Soul Society and modified him.

Although his strength was only at the lower end of the upper Seated Officers, his massive physique and special Zanpakuto allowed him to hold his own against any Soul Reaper below vice-captain.

The only reason Kaiwan hadn't immediately cut Haruto down was the Zanpakuto at his waist. When it came to other people from Rukongai trying to enter Seireitei without permission, Kaiwan had always cut first and asked questions later if they didn't speak to him beforehand.

"I'm a student at Shin'ō Academy."

Haruto raised his head and looked at Kaiwan, who provided excellent shade from the summer sun.

"I lost my student ID, so I'll have to get a replacement when I return to the academy. If you need a record, I can come back and register again this evening."

Haruto was being quite reasonable.

What he was doing was against the rules, and under normal circumstances, he would have had to bring a teacher from Shin'ō Academy to vouch for him. But Haruto didn't want to waste time half-naked in such a conspicuous place as the entrance to Seireitei, much less trouble Mutsuki—he had returned faster than expected, taking only three days to cross sixty-six districts by traveling at full speed.

At this hour, the teachers most likely hadn't returned to the Spiritual Arts Academy yet.

He had to admit it.

Although Haruto's total Reiatsu was only at the level of Sixth-Class Spiritual Pressure, it recovered incredibly quickly. Even though his imperfect Shunpo consumed more Reiatsu than the complete version, he had managed to keep it up with ease.

Haruto had a vague awareness that this definitely wasn't simply a matter of talent.

"No entry without permission."

Kaiwan maintained a strictly businesslike attitude.

In fact, anyone who knew Kaiwan would have been stunned by his behavior—a gatekeeper's job was highly lucrative, and his considerable strength and rapidly accumulated wealth had earned Kaiwan a fair amount of prestige in Rukongai.

He couldn't be bothered with ordinary people.

Yet the very normality of Kaiwan's behavior was what made it most abnormal... in truth, he was caught in a dilemma.

As a type of Modified Soul, the guards of the four gates were born with an exceptionally keen perception of Reiatsu and auras. They could identify and home in on the credentials a person carried with great speed.

That was how they quickly distinguished the identities of people entering and leaving Seireitei, without having to stop and question each one.

The brat in front of him...

Had nothing on him to prove his identity, but his genuine Zanpakuto, as well as the killing intent and Reiatsu that,

The killing intent and Reiatsu he could hardly conceal in his eyes gave Kaiwan an extraordinary sense of pressure.

Even though Kaiwan prided himself on being no weaker than a Vice-Captain-level fighter, he wasn't at all confident of winning.

But.

Under the eyes of the crowd, if he simply let him in... there was no denying he lacked permission, and if a rebel slipped inside like this and was discovered, Kaiwan would certainly be sentenced to death.

Just then.

"Isn't that Haruto?"

Someone finally appeared to help Kaiwan break the deadlock.

Both men turned toward the voice at once. The middle-aged man, who looked like a little old fellow and wore an expression that was partly serious and partly shifty, was none other than the Fifth Division's Sixth Seat, who had supported Haruto from the sidelines during the Live-Blade Match:

"Mr. Mitarai."

Haruto composed himself and nodded to Mitarai.

Regardless of one's own strength, respecting teachers and their teachings was a basic standard of character.

"What are you and Kaiwan doing here..."

As Mitarai spoke, he came over with easy familiarity. He soon noticed Haruto's ragged clothes.

"Have you been away training?"

"You could say that."

Haruto gave a noncommittal answer.

Haruto didn't want to get too close to Mitarai, a male teacher who was a little too streetwise, but he wouldn't deliberately act distant either.