I'm a Medic, but They All Want Me on the Front Lines?! (1)

Less than five minutes after the captains' meeting ended, the rescue operation was already underway at full speed.

Even as Shunsui Kyōraku complained that "Old Man Yama only knows how to make trouble for me," he assembled the Eighth Division's elite with astonishing efficiency. Jūshirō Ukitake needed no mention. The Thirteenth Division captain had always been a man of action, and he had already brought his team to the entrance of the Trial Grounds to stand by.

"Um... Captains." Unohana's gentle voice rang out. "For this rescue, I'd like one of my division members to go in with you."

Shunsui Kyōraku turned to see a scar-faced young man standing beside Unohana—Liu Ziyun.

"Him?" Shunsui Kyōraku raised an eyebrow. "A Fourth Division medic?"

"Yes." Unohana nodded. "He's very familiar with several of the students we've lost contact with, and he has... some special abilities that might be useful."

Jūshirō Ukitake looked at Liu Ziyun and asked gently, "What's your name?"

"Liu Ziyun, a sixth-year student at Shin'ō Academy and a Fourth Division reserve member." Liu Ziyun stood at attention as he answered.

"All right." Shunsui Kyōraku tugged at the brim of his hat. "But let's get one thing straight—once we're inside, stay close to me and don't wander off. If a Hollow eats you, I won't have time to save you."

"Yes, sir!" Liu Ziyun answered, though he thought, Who's saving whom remains to be seen...

Inside the Trial Grounds.

The "starter village," which should have been filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, a place suited for beginners to level up, was now thick with the smell of blood and the stench of Hollows.

Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake split up, each leading a squad deeper inside to search.

Liu Ziyun followed Shunsui Kyōraku, his eyes fixed on the path ahead and his ears pricked higher than a rabbit's—he was listening for any sound he could catch.

"Hey, kid," Shunsui Kyōraku suddenly said. "You seem nervous?"

"My friends are in there," Liu Ziyun answered briefly.

"Friends, huh..." Shunsui Kyōraku looked thoughtful. "Then we'd better find them quickly. This damned place... something's not right."

Something really wasn't right.

It was too quiet.

Aside from the occasional Hollow's roar, there was hardly any sound. By rights, the Hollows in the Trial Grounds were all low-level, and the students should have been able to handle them easily.

But the truth was...

"Captain! Signs of a battle up ahead!" an Eighth Division member suddenly reported.

Shunsui Kyōraku's gaze sharpened. "Move!"

The group picked up speed, passing through a dense patch of woods.

Then they saw—

In a ravaged clearing, seven or eight figures stood back to back in a circle, struggling to hold out.

Outside the circle, two enormous Menos Grande radiating terrifying Reiatsu—Gillian-class!—were attacking relentlessly.

At the center of the circle, a blond young man was covered in blood, but still gripped his Zanpakuto tightly as he directed his companions. "Left! Block the attack on the left! Those on the right, get your Kidō ready!"

It was Shinji Hirako.

He was still alive.

But things... looked bad.

"Tch, Gillians?" Shunsui Kyōraku frowned. "How did Hollows of this level show up in the Trial Grounds?"

But he had no time to dwell on it.

"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"

Six pillars of light descended from the sky, instantly binding one of the Menos Grande.

"Hadō #90: Black Coffin!"

Before the other Menos Grande could even react, it was engulfed by a black cube, and then—

"Bang!"

It exploded into pieces.

The entire process took less than three seconds.

Captain-level strength was terrifying indeed.

Shinji Hirako and the others stared dumbfounded at the rescue team that had suddenly appeared, and at the man wearing a conical hat and a flashy haori.

"C-Captain Kyōraku..." Shinji Hirako's voice was hoarse.

"Hey, kids." Shunsui Kyōraku waved. "Can you still stand?"

"I can..." Shinji Hirako gritted his teeth and tried to get up, but his legs gave way and he nearly fell again.

He had at least five wounds deep enough to expose bone, and blood was still seeping from them.

The other squad members were no better off. Every one of them was injured, and some were already barely conscious.

Liu Ziyun's eyes turned red the moment he saw them.

It's all because of me...

If I hadn't offended Tsunayashiro Shigure...

They wouldn't have...

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

Then he did something none of them expected—

"Clang!"

He drew his Zanpakuto.

"Hirako," Liu Ziyun said urgently, walking up to Shinji Hirako, "I don't have time to explain much right now. We still have to find the other squads."

He paused, then said earnestly, "So first, let me cut you once."

Shinji Hirako: "...Huh?"

The other squad members: "???"

The Eighth Division members: "???"

Even Shunsui Kyōraku froze for a moment. Cut him? Has this kid been scared out of his wits?

But Liu Ziyun gave them no time to react.

He raised his Zanpakuto high and recited its release command in a clear voice: "Existence means changing fate—Life-Taker!"

A pale, multicolored light burst from the blade, and the entire sword instantly transformed into an elegant, slender Tang sword.

Then, under everyone's puzzled gazes, Liu Ziyun aimed at the wounds on Shinji Hirako's body. "Heal!"

He swung the blade down!

"Pfft!"

The blade sliced through flesh.

But no blood splattered.

Instead, white smoke instantly rose from Shinji Hirako's wounds!

"Hiss—"

Within the smoke, the wounds healed at a speed visible to the naked eye!

The cuts, once deep enough to expose bone, became faint red marks in the blink of an eye. Another blink, and the red marks vanished completely, leaving not even a scar.

The entire process took no more than three seconds.

And Liu Ziyun—

"Huff... huff..."

He gasped for breath, the Reiatsu around him dropping at a speed visible to the naked eye—by at least a third.

But he didn't stop.

He turned to the other squad members and cut each one once!

"Heal!"

"Heal!"

"Heal!"

After six cuts, the wounds on every severely injured person had healed completely.

And Liu Ziyun—

"Thud."

He dropped to one knee, leaning on his sword. His face was pale as paper, and sweat had soaked through his Shihakusho.

"Z-Ziyun..." Shinji Hirako stared blankly at his uninjured body, then looked at the nearly exhausted Liu Ziyun. "What are you...?"

"Cut the chatter..." Liu Ziyun struggled to his feet and sheathed his sword, then looked at Shunsui Kyōraku. "Captain Kyōraku, let's... go find the other squads."

Shunsui Kyōraku looked at Liu Ziyun, a flicker of shock crossing his eyes.

What a terrifying ability...

That wasn't ordinary healing at all... that was regeneration! He directly rewrote the fact that they were injured!

Is this kid... really a student?

But he said nothing about it, only nodding. "All right, let's go."

He turned and ordered the Eighth Division members, "Four of you stay behind and escort them back. The rest, continue the search with me."

"Yes, sir!"

The team continued onward.

Before leaving, Shunsui Kyōraku glanced back at Shinji Hirako and suddenly said, "Blond kid, you've got a good friend."

Shinji Hirako watched Liu Ziyun walk away and nodded firmly. "Yeah!"

The second battlefield.

The situation was worse than it had been on Shinji Hirako's side.

Kensei Muguruma lay on the ground, his life or death unknown. The other four squad members stood back to back, every one of them wounded and gasping for breath.

And their opponent—was another Gillian-class Menos Grande.

The Menos Grande seemed to have lost patience. It opened its enormous mouth, and a red light gathered within—

Cero!

"Oh no!" One squad member closed his eyes in despair.

But just then—

"Bakudō #39: Enkōsen!"

"Bakudō #81: Dankū!"

Two voices rang out almost simultaneously.

Liu Ziyun and Shunsui Kyōraku acted at the same time.

A circular shield of spiritual power appeared in front of the Cero—it was Liu Ziyun's Enkōsen.

Immediately afterward, an enormous transparent wall rose behind the shield—it was Shunsui Kyōraku's Dankū.

"Boom—!!!"

The Cero slammed into the Enkōsen.

But unexpectedly, the Cero did not punch straight through the shield. Instead, it was dispersed and weakened, breaking into countless tiny beams of light that scattered in every direction.

The beams struck the Dankū behind it and dissipated completely without even raising a ripple.

The four survivors stared blankly at the rescue team that had suddenly appeared.

The next second—

"Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!"

Liu Ziyun attacked again.

Blue flames surged from his palm, striking the Menos Grande squarely in the face.

"Roar—!!!"

The blow threw the Menos Grande off balance, sending it staggering backward.

"Good chance." Shunsui Kyōraku's eyes lit up.

He drew his Zanpakuto, and his figure flashed—

"Swish!"

A flash of steel swept past.

The Menos Grande's enormous body froze in place.

Then it slowly fell, turning into Reishi and dispersing.

The entire sequence flowed smoothly from beginning to end.