Seireitei Shinigami Office in Konoha.
Rukia was somewhat anxious. Part of her duties had always included managing soul guidance and maintaining constant contact with Seireitei, yet for some unknown reason, Seireitei had suddenly stopped responding.
Besides that, she had received word from the Empire that Hollows had appeared throughout the various provincial regions, and the Shinigami were being urged to purify them.
Seireitei's prolonged lack of response made her check her equipment several times to see whether it had malfunctioned.
The Konoha ninja came to urge her again. Left with no choice, Rukia returned to the Soul Society through the Senkaimon at the Temple of Samsara to investigate.
However, when she returned to Seireitei, the sight before her left her stunned. This was clearly a battlefield shrouded in smoke and fire. Ruined walls and broken buildings lay everywhere, countless figures darted through the air above the structures, and winged beast-like monsters filled the sky.
She sensed several familiar Spiritual Pressures surging in battle. Dragon roars echoed from afar, and Rukia hurriedly stopped a Shinigami to ask what was happening.
"What happened?"
Having remained in Konoha all this time, she had received no news from Seireitei and knew nothing of what had occurred here.
Seeing Rukia's uniform, the man asked, "Are you from the Thirteenth Division?"
Rukia nodded. "I'm Kuchiki Rukia of the Thirteenth Division. I've been stationed in the Living World."
The Shinigami told her everything about the monsters ravaging the Soul Society and instructed her to head to the front immediately to stop them if she had no other pressing matters.
Monsters...
Rukia looked up at the strange birds in the sky. One of them noticed her as well, let out a piercing cry, and dove toward her. Rukia was startled and hurriedly prepared to attack with Kido, but