The Assessment Begins (2)

A blurry, translucent figure was wandering around in the middle of the park.

It was a "Plus"—an ordinary soul that wandered the World of the Living after death.

Liu Ziyun stared at the Plus for a long time.

Something's not right...

This Plus... seems a little too 'obvious,' doesn't it?

He remembered that Pluses in the World of the Living were usually very faint. Ordinary people couldn't see them at all, and even Soul Reapers had to sense carefully to detect them.

But this Plus... was as conspicuous and striking as a firefly in the dark.

A trap?

Liu Ziyun immediately became wary.

He neither approached nor retreated. He simply stood where he was, staring at the Plus.

He watched it for a full five minutes, then... turned and walked away without looking back.

In the shadows near the park, two masked Soul Reapers stared at each other.

"W-why isn't this guy performing Konsō?" one Soul Reaper asked, dumbfounded. "He's just leaving?"

The other Soul Reaper was stunned too. "Did he... notice something?"

"No way, right? Our disguise is perfect! That Plus is real, too, not a fake!"

"Then why did he leave?"

"...I don't know."

The two stared at each other for a while before finally deciding, "Forget it. Since he found this Plus, he'll definitely come back. If we go after him, we're more likely to give ourselves away."

"That's true. So... we wait?"

"We wait."

And so the two poor saps kept watch near the park for an entire night.

A cold wind blew, rustling the leaves.

Mosquitoes buzzed.

The two were covered in mosquito bites.

Meanwhile, Liu Ziyun...

He found the rooftop of a tall building, curled up in a corner, wrapped his Shihakusho tightly around himself, and slept soundly.

The next morning, the sun rose.

Liu Ziyun stretched and got up from the corner.

"Ah... I slept so well."

He looked down at the bustling streets and nodded in satisfaction. "There are lots of people around during the day, so those nobles should be a little wary. Perfect... I can stroll around openly now!"

He went downstairs, found the busiest shopping street, and began... wandering around.

That's right, wandering around.

He looked here and there, occasionally popping into a convenience store to buy a rice ball and eating it on a roadside bench.

Did he look anything like a Soul Reaper here for a field assessment? He was plainly a tourist on a sightseeing trip.

Meanwhile, near several of the other barriers, the Soul Reapers lying in ambush had run into problems of their own—

Shinji Hirako's large group of more than twenty people always appeared together, and they moved quickly and worked seamlessly as a team.

Wipe them all out without alerting anyone?

Dream on.

And so the Soul Reapers responsible for those areas could only watch them leave, then... send someone to report to Tsunayashiro Tokinada.

After hearing the report, Tsunayashiro Tokinada's face darkened. "These little bugs... have learned to live in a swarm?"

He fell silent for a few seconds, then sneered. "In that case... let them go."

He looked at his subordinates. "A captain is leading them this time, after all. You couldn't possibly take them out before a captain came to their aid. You'd only alert the captain, and that wouldn't be worth it."

He paused. "Just keep an eye on that little bug Liu Ziyun."

Just then, the two Soul Reapers who had kept watch in the park all night and been bitten by mosquitoes until they looked like "red bean shaved ice" also came to report.

After hearing their account, Tsunayashiro Tokinada fell silent.

A long time passed before he finally spoke. "What a... cautious little brat."

A trace of excitement flashed in his eyes. "Things... are getting interesting."

He looked at his subordinates. "Send a few people to find that little bug. The rest... keep watch over the barriers."

He paused, then added, "Once you find him... make a little commotion and lure him to a barrier."

"Yes, sir!"

Liu Ziyun was still wandering around.

He came to a busy street and watched the pedestrians passing back and forth, thinking to himself:

Looking like this isn't going to work... Pluses aren't cabbages; they aren't all over the streets.

Maybe... I should check a graveyard? There should be more of them there, right?

He was still thinking when suddenly—

"BANG!!!"

A tremendous crash rang out!

Not far away, a car had gone out of control and smashed into a roadside shop!

Glass shattered, an alarm blared, and pedestrians screamed.

Liu Ziyun frowned.

He walked over and examined the car.

A tire... had been slashed.

The cut was clean, clearly made by a sharp weapon.

And there was still a faint trace of... Reiatsu on the cut?

Did a Soul Reaper do this?

Liu Ziyun's heart sank.

He immediately extended his senses—

Sure enough, there were several faint traces of Reiatsu nearby, doing their utmost to stay hidden.

A trap...

They caused an accident to get my attention... then what?

Wait for me to go over and investigate, then ambush me? Or...

His mind raced.

Then—

He made a decision that none of the Soul Reapers lying in ambush had expected.

He took a deep breath, concentrated his Spiritual Power in his throat, and then—

"Captain Unohana!!! Captain Kyōraku!!!" His booming voice rang out across the entire street. "There's an emergency here!!! Come save people, quick!!!"

The Soul Reapers lying in ambush were dumbfounded on the spot.

"Th-this brat..."

"That's not fair!!!"

"He's calling for help the moment something happens?! Who does that?!"

"Retreat! Hurry! Don't let the captains catch us here!"

The few of them hurriedly exchanged a few words, then turned and ran!

They were so fast they might as well have been using Shunpo.

Liu Ziyun's shout not only scared off the Soul Reapers lying in ambush, but also alerted all the trainees in Karakura Town.

Everyone heard it.

Shinji Hirako and the others were looking for Pluses in an alley. When they heard the shout, they were all taken aback.

"Was that Ziyun's voice?"

"Did something happen?"

"Should we go take a look?"

Shinji Hirako hesitated for a few seconds, then shook his head. "No. Ziyun said... not to worry about him."

He paused. "Besides... if he dared to shout, that means he's confident. If we go over there, we might just get in his way."

The others thought it over and nodded in agreement.

Some of the other trainees, meanwhile, ignored it, thinking it was better to avoid extra trouble.

Only a curious few headed in the direction the shout had come from.

But by the time they arrived, Liu Ziyun was already... gone.

After shouting, he had slipped into the crowd of onlookers, then snuck away amid the confusion.

He hid his achievements and his name.

On the roof of a distant high-rise.

Tsunayashiro Tokinada had watched the whole thing through a special device.

His face was so dark it looked as though it might drip water.

"That... little bastard..."

He gritted his teeth. "He actually... used a trick like that?"

He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.

But soon, he smiled again.

His smile... was icy.

"Very good... this... is what makes it interesting." He looked into the distance, a mad gleam flickering in his eyes. "Liu Ziyun... let's see... what other tricks you can pull."

The wind swept across the rooftop, carrying a chill. Meanwhile, Liu Ziyun had already slipped away to another street, found a café, ordered a cup of coffee, and sat by the window, sipping it at his leisure.

"Whew..." He blew on the hot coffee and took a sip. "Coffee in the World of the Living... tastes pretty good."

He looked out the window, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "Trying to set me up? Dream on."

He put down his cup, a hint of slyness flashing in his eyes. "Next... it's my turn... to strike back."