Punishment Force

"Phew... it's over."

Duan Mu sat outside the low house, looking tired. Iwao, who had been moving things with him from morning till night, looked even worse, slumped beside him like a dead dog, staring at Duan Mu with a peculiar gaze.

"You, man, were you some kind of strongman like Jidanbō in your past life?"

"I'm just better at conserving energy than you," Duan Mu replied, not offering further explanation.

While his Spiritual Pressure wasn't as strong as Iwao's, after spending the day together, he realized he was much better at controlling and regulating his Spiritual Pressure.

This control and regulation wasn't gained by adding experience points to his Spiritual Pressure; it was a byproduct of his three years of continuous practice of 'Kidō #4: White Thunder.' This showed that... unlike his sister, Iwao wasn't very skilled in Kidō.

"I'd say he knows how to conserve spiritual energy better than you."

Kūkaku appeared beside the two of them at some point, stepping directly onto her brother with a look of disdain. "Don't tell anyone you're my brother, Shiba Kūkaku, in the future. To be so weak when your Spiritual Pressure is so much stronger than his."

"Huh? I wasn't... it's just that he... huh?" Iwao subconsciously tried to retort, but then he realized something and quickly turned to look at Duan Mu. "You have Spiritual Pressure too!?"

"Mm."

Duan Mu nodded, not hiding it.

Duan Mu wasn't surprised that Kūkaku could sense his Spiritual Pressure; he had intentionally displayed it.

However, the Spiritual Pressure he displayed was only half of his internal Spiritual Pressure, roughly equivalent to that of students at the Soul Reaper Academy.

"You're not a Soul Reaper, are you?" Iwao asked suspiciously.

Duan Mu replied, "Do you think a Soul Reaper would open a Yorozuya in Rukongai?"

"I suggest you don't stay in Rukongai for too long. Judging by your control over spirit particles and the strength of your Spiritual Pressure, the entrance exam for the Soul Reaper Academy wouldn't be difficult for you," Kūkaku said, looking at Duan Mu. "And if I remember correctly, you've only been in Rukongai for a little over three years. If you continue to grow at this pace, you should be able to graduate and join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads to become a Soul Reaper."

"What's so good about becoming a Soul Reaper!!"

Iwao, pinned under Kūkaku's foot, showed undisguised hatred. "Being a lapdog in Seireitei is worse than being my subordinate here in Rukongai... Ugh..." Before he could finish, Kūkaku stomped on the back of his head, pushing his face into the dirt.

"Don't listen to this kid's nonsense," Kūkaku said, sighing slightly as if remembering something. "My brother and I have special reasons for not becoming Soul Reapers. For the people of Rukongai, becoming a Soul Reaper is undoubtedly the best choice."

"I understand."

Duan Mu pondered for a moment and didn't hide his thoughts. "When I first came to Rukongai, I did consider joining the Soul Reaper Academy. But after living in Rukongai for a while, I've come to prefer life here."

"Rather than being bound by all sorts of complicated rules, I prefer the freedom to do whatever I want now. And as I've learned more, I've found that the work of a Soul Reaper is too dangerous. I'm also very afraid of death, so I've given up on the idea of becoming a Soul Reaper."

"That's right." Iwao struggled to lift his head and gave Duan Mu a thumbs-up.

Kūkaku nodded at this, not trying to persuade him further. Since Duan Mu understood the pros and cons of becoming a Soul Reaper, she saw no need to continue.

Moreover, with the current reputation of his Yorozuya, Duan Mu wouldn't have to worry about survival. Compared to becoming a Soul Reaper, his current lifestyle was indeed more comfortable.

"It's getting dark. Have dinner here."

Kūkaku turned and walked towards the low house. But after only a few steps, she stopped and turned sharply to look into the darkness.

Her unusual behavior immediately caught Duan Mu's attention.

Following Kūkaku's gaze, Duan Mu found nothing out of the ordinary, a hint of confusion flashing across his face.

Iwao, who had just gotten up, asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

As soon as Iwao finished speaking, Duan Mu saw a blue arc of light appear in his vision. With the appearance of the arc, several figures gradually emerged from the darkness hundreds of meters away.

Only when he saw the people did Duan Mu feel the fluctuation of spirit particles, which made him glance at Kūkaku beside him.

When Duan Mu looked into the distance again, the figures had already reached within tens of meters. One person was fleeing, pursued by four others.

The attire of the five people was different. The one fleeing was a middle-aged man around forty, with a fierce face, wearing a Soul Reaper uniform. His face was filled with terror. The four pursuing him were dressed in black and masked, their appearances unclear.

Onmitsukidō?

Seeing the attire of the pursuers, a strange glint flashed in Duan Mu's eyes.

As far as Duan Mu knew, the Onmitsukidō was an organization independent of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, along with the Kidō Corps. However, due to the fact that several successive Commanders also served as Captains of the Second Division, the Onmitsukidō had a tendency to become subordinate to the Second Division.

"Soul Reapers!?"

Upon seeing the appearance of these individuals, Iwao's face showed disgust, and he instinctively moved to drive them away, but Kūkaku stopped him. "Don't interfere."

As she spoke, the four members of the Punishment Force had already surrounded the Soul Reaper.

"Why!?"

The middle-aged Soul Reaper cried out in despair, "What did I do wrong...?" Before he could finish, the four Punishment Force members attacked.

However, the four did not use their Zanpakutō; instead, they engaged the Soul Reaper, who wielded a Zanpakutō, in a battle of pure Hakuda.

Despite having the advantage of a Zanpakutō, the four Punishment Force members were clearly much stronger than the pursued Soul Reaper. Less than half a minute after the fight began, the middle-aged Soul Reaper, due to an opening, was punched in the abdomen, causing his swung blade to falter.

At that very moment, the remaining three seized the opportunity and closed in!

Thump, thump, thump...

With a series of dull impacts, the middle-aged Soul Reaper was like a falling leaf in a storm, utterly defenseless. He finally crashed heavily onto the ground, his life or death uncertain.

"Don't let him die," someone said.

Hearing this, another person crouched beside the middle-aged Soul Reaper. His hands began to emit a blue light, covering the injured area. After a while, he withdrew his hands and nodded at the other three.

Two of them immediately stepped forward to help the middle-aged Soul Reaper up. However, the four did not leave immediately; instead, they looked towards Duan Mu and the others.

More precisely, they looked at Shiba Kūkaku, who stood in front of Duan Mu and Iwao. After bowing respectfully, they disappeared from the spot with the middle-aged Soul Reaper.

"Let's go."