While Baraggan was sending his subordinates to Soul Society to gather intelligence, Rei and Maki were about to leave the district. There were still plenty of lesser Hollows, but all the Gillian-class Menos Grande had been killed.
"Seigen, what do you think?"
Shusuke Ihana watched Rei and Maki leave and asked the red-haired man in a captain's haori beside her.
The man was Seigen Kyōshiba, captain of the Fifth Division and Ika's twin brother. Their hair was the same color.
"He's certainly a genius. He only just learned Shikai, and he already has a Seated Officer's Reiatsu. Given time, he's bound to go far... provided he becomes a Soul Reaper."
Seigen Kyōshiba praised Rei's strength and talent for growth without hesitation. But Rei wasn't a Soul Reaper and had never undergone systematic training, so there would be a limit to how strong he could become.
"That's true! But he doesn't seem to want to serve under anyone. That's why he's unwilling to join the Gotei 13. What do you think would happen if we brought him in and let him keep growing stronger?"
Ika asked another question. She had seen right through Rei's thoughts. They had talked about more than Menos Grande just now, including things like dreams.
In Ika's view, Rei had no intention of joining the Gotei 13 as a Seated Officer or regular member right now, but he also longed to join and grow stronger. The way he had looked up to Kuruyashiki Kenpachi and the Vasto Lorde had revealed far too much.
"I imagine he'd make a good captain! But since he doesn't want to join for now... we'll talk when he's grown stronger in Rukongai and made it back alive!"
Seigen was telling the truth, too. Rukongai was no simple place; there were far too many exceptionally powerful people there... like the bloodthirsty monster rumored to have appeared in Zaraki District...
Rei and Maki had only gone a short distance when a fine rain began to fall. It was hard to say whether the sky was mourning the dead.
If the district were compared to a house Rei was building, then the trust he had just established with the others was its foundation. Rei had barely laid it when the unscrupulous Hollows kicked the house to pieces.
What was more, the unscrupulous Hollows and the righteous Soul Reapers had both told him that without strength, he didn't even deserve a house of his own. For every house he built, the Hollows would trample it.
That was also why Rei had resolved to wander. Until he became stronger, he didn't need to build a faction or find companions, sparing himself the sorrow of seeing them die.
He hadn't even wanted to bring Maki along at first, but Maki insisted on being his sidekick. Rei also felt he needed someone to handle odd jobs, so he brought the little brother along.
Rei planned to look around the nearby areas first, then head toward Seireitei.
After five days of travel, the two arrived in North District 67, also known as Northfall Silver. Along the way, Rei had killed more than a dozen Hollows. They had all hidden in the mountain woods near settlements, hunting anyone they found alone.
This place was much better than the western district had been before its destruction. The largest town was called Liuchuan, with a population of six or seven thousand at most, and there were no major factions.
The good thing about this place was that it had a few wealthy households. They had once grown fruit and farmed the land, then used their grain to hire capable people with awakened Reiryoku as guards. The guards transported the grain to the more prosperous districts ahead to sell for money.
The wealthy households had grown larger and larger this way, and the most prosperous place in this North District had gradually taken shape. Money had also begun circulating in large quantities, and there were taverns, clothing shops, and dessert shops.
Once it had begun to look a little like a town, many people, even those without Reiryoku, wanted to enjoy good food and wine or buy clothes. They had to find ways to earn money, and so the market kept circulating.
"The western district was really far behind. People lived off protection money or whatever food they could find in the wild. None of them farmed; they were lazy as hell..."
"Yeah, the district next door is already prosperous. I wonder what the districts ahead will be like."
Rei held a freshly bought wild boar trotter as he complained about how unpleasant the old district was. Maki responded beside him, gnawing on pork ribs.
Compared to the meager wages, everything here was expensive. A day's work for the wealthy might only buy two jin of rice, but at least it gave those with Reiryoku a way to survive.
They had only reached the middle of the street when they noticed a crowd of fierce-looking people carrying weapons gathered there. Rei sent Maki to ask what was going on...
"Excuse me, sir, what's happening here?"
"They're recruiting caravan guards and laborers to go to District 46. They don't take kids..."
Maki returned with the news that the caravan wasn't taking kids. Rei wasn't bothered; he hadn't planned on joining anyway.
The only inn was at the end of the street. After checking in, Rei and Maki prepared to get a good night's rest. The inn was quite expensive, mainly serving Soul Reapers stationed there or passing through, though occasionally relatively well-off wanderers like Rei and Maki stayed there.
There was a mirror in the inn, and Rei could see his face clearly. Even in his previous life, his looks would have been on the level of Heavenly King Andy Lau. His black hair already covered his ears and eyes, and he had grown quite a bit taller than when he first arrived.
In Soul Society, a soul's own growth meant its Reiryoku was growing as well. If its Reiryoku stopped growing, the soul's appearance would not change.
Those who kept growing from childhood into middle or old age had great potential for growth in their Reiryoku...
When they entered the inn, a person in a tattered black robe who had been sitting opposite its entrance quickly left...
Early the next morning, beneath a gloomy sky, Rei and Maki left with the food they had bought. As they walked, Rei swung his Zanpakuto from time to time, looking like a madman.
Only Maki knew that Brother Nangong was practicing his swordsmanship even while walking, though he didn't know what kind of swordsmanship it was.
Ten kilometers outside town, the road split in two. One led to East District 67, and the other to North District 66. Rei and Maki took the road to East District 67.
The caravan that had also set out early that morning had hired a group of laborers to push its carts and was heading to North District 66. There were no horses in this world at all, so people had to push and pull carts themselves, while important figures traveled in sedan chairs...
As the two continued forward, a middle-aged man with a scruffy beard and long, loose hair suddenly appeared ahead and blocked their path. He said mockingly, "Where are you two little brothers going? I can point you in the right direction!"
"Brother Nangong..."
Maki called out to Rei. Rei sheathed his Zanpakuto and faced the man in front of them, then turned his head slightly. Sure enough, two more people had appeared behind them.
"Heh heh heh..."
The two skinny men behind them cackled strangely. One held a hand axe, while the other carried a great cleaver over his shoulder.
"What do you want?" Rei asked indifferently.
"My name's Sanjo. You two have money, don't you? Lend us some to spend! Heh heh." Sanjo, the scar-faced man at the front, had seemed imposing at first, but his expression gradually turned lecherous.
"Oh, so you're robbers!" Rei was full of disdain. He drew the Zanpakuto he had just sheathed, making his intentions clear.
Maki also quickly drew his sword and faced the two skinny men behind them. His calm expression showed that he would no longer be afraid. After being surrounded and attacked by thousands of Hollows, a small situation like this could no longer shake him.
"Hahaha, don't tell me you want to fight us!"
"No helping it, Sanjo. Let's oblige them!"
The two skinny men charged at Maki, and the three were soon locked in battle. Maki roared repeatedly...
Rei also swung his sword and charged at the long-haired Sanjo. Sanjo had still been mocking him, but a tremendous force came through the Asauchi he had stolen, making him lose his footing.
Rei followed up with two fierce chops. His vicious swordsmanship made Sanjo unable to keep a firm grip on his Asauchi. Rei gathered Reiatsu into his Zanpakuto and cut Sanjo's Asauchi in two with one stroke...
"No, impossible! How... how can you be this strong?!"
Sanjo was stunned. Someone had actually cut through his Asauchi; it was the first time such a thing had ever happened. Two screams rang out, jolting him from his daze.
His two skinny subordinates were dead. Maki had stabbed one through the chest, while Rei had cut down the other as he tried to ambush Maki.
"You're the only one left. Any last words?"
Rei slowly approached, pale red Reiatsu rising from his body. Sanjo understood that he had no chance of escaping.
"Y-you can't kill me. I'm the younger brother of the Kujo Group's boss. If you kill me, the Kujo Group won't let you off..."
Sanjo backed away in terror and announced who he was, but it was no use. Rei kept closing in on him.
"My brother has lots of money. You can trade me to him for money!"
"Hm? Good idea. I agree to spare your life for now..."
Rei saw that the fear in Sanjo's eyes had reached its peak, and he didn't seem to be lying, so Rei agreed for the time being to trade him for money.
It didn't really count as trading him for money, though, because Rei planned to take it all...
From Sanjo, they learned that they had been marked the moment they entered the inn, taken for young nobles traveling through Soul Society.
The Kujo Group specialized in killing and robbing people, fleeing after each job in places with good security. Their boss dreamed of moving to District 1 of Rukongai and living as a rich man, and was currently amassing wealth.
There were twelve people in the group in total. Two had died and one had been captured. The remaining nine were reportedly ambushing the caravan that had set out that morning elsewhere. Once they killed the people, they could seize the grain and sell it for money.
As Sanjo led the way ahead, he repeatedly stressed that their group had plenty of money. He was terrified that Rei would cut him down...
Startled birds flew up from the mountain woods not far away. Clearly, that was where the Kujo Group was ambushing the caravan. The fight was not over yet; the caravan had capable people too.
Two fairly strong waves of Reiatsu were still clashing. After the three arrived at the scene, Rei used the information Sanjo had given him to identify which one was his elder brother, Kujo.