The Rabble

Yuko suddenly turned around and planted her hands on her hips. "Too quiet! I can't hear you!"

"...Does that even matter?" Everyone's mouths twitched violently.

Yuko sighed softly, clasped her right pinky with her left hand, and then, under the dumbfounded, brain-frozen stares of Ichigo and Renji, simply snapped off her own pinky and casually tossed it toward Yoruichi.

The whole process looked just like she was throwing away an eraser.

Yuko gave Yoruichi a faint smile. "My life is entirely in your hands."

Yoruichi caught the finger, then woodenly put it away, completely ignoring the two frantically probing gazes beside her.

Ichigo broke into a cold sweat. "What was that? Magic?"

Renji also broke into a cold sweat and nodded. "Come to think of it, Human World tricks have gotten pretty amazing in recent years. I heard there are even tricks where people make the living disappear. Incredible. You can't tell they're fake at all."

"Ah, this isn't one of those." Yuko looked innocent as she raised her pinky. The severed flesh visibly regenerated.

Not one of those my ass!

At least try to fool them!

What is this supposed to be?!

Are you even human anymore?

The two men's faces turned ashen.

Yuko put her hand away. "Enough. Don't look like you've never seen the world before. Get ready, and we'll set out."

"..."

How were they supposed to calmly get ready after that?

Renji couldn't resist pulling Ichigo aside and whispering, "What was that? Is she really human?"

Ichigo still held on to a sliver of hope. "C-can Soul Reapers not do that?"

"Of course we can't!" Renji hissed under his breath. "Even if we could, how could it possibly be that simple?"

"Could it be a Zanpakuto ability? Aunt's Zanpakuto ability seems pretty powerful."

"'Seems'? You