"Phew~~"
After climbing the long flight of stairs, Yasutora Sado turned to glance behind him.
He was already on the high ground of Seireitei. Looking down from here, he could take in almost everything around him.
He slowly turned around and looked toward the distant white tower, which had grown increasingly clear. According to his earlier investigation, that tower was Sōkyoku Hill, where Kuchiki Rukia was being held.
"Ichigo, Ishida... They should have arrived by now."
Not long ago, he had sensed Ichigo's spiritual pressure. However, before he could meet up with him, Ichigo disappeared once again, while Sado was held back by the constantly emerging Shinigami.
So, setting Ishida and Inoue aside, Ichigo and that guy called Iwao should be ahead of him—perhaps they had already reached the base of the white tower at the highest point.
He had to pick up the pace too!
Having made up his mind, Sado wasted no time. He ran toward the white tower along the broad avenue.
However...
After only a few steps, he suddenly stopped.
Someone was there!
Looking ahead, he saw a figure slowly approaching from the end of the empty street.
The figure was a young man who looked to be in his twenties, with delicate features.
But his clothes...
They made confusion appear in Sado's eyes.
The young man walking toward him was not wearing the Shinigami uniform like the other Shinigami, which matched Ichigo's. Instead, he wore black work clothes resembling some kind of uniform, and on his feet were not sandals but a pair of finely styled knee-high boots.
He looked completely out of place in his surroundings, seeming more like someone from the Human World than a resident of Soul Society.
Over the black work clothes, he wore a sleeveless white haori with the character