"Kensei!!"
Kyunnan Shiro's voice came from the distance.
He shouted as he charged over, his short hair whipping into a tangled mess in the wind.
"Idiot, stay back!"
Kensei's voice was even louder, like thunder.
His back was turned toward Shiro, his stance slightly lowered and his hands hanging at his sides.
His eyes were fixed on the Shinigami lying facedown on the ground five meters ahead.
The Shinigami lay motionless, his face against the ground.
There was a tear in the back of his Shinigami uniform. Something sharp had sliced through the fabric, exposing the skin beneath.
The wound was shallow, but its edges had turned black.
Without looking back, Kensei reached behind him with his left hand, grabbed the Spiky-Haired Boy by the collar, lifted him, and hurled him backward.
"Whoa?!" The Spiky-Haired Boy sailed through the air and landed right in Shiro's path.
Shiro instinctively spread his arms to catch him. The impact forced him back two steps before he regained his footing.
"Kensei!" He set the Spiky-Haired Boy down and looked up angrily. "A big one's appeared over by Little Future!"
"We've got a situation here, too." Kensei didn't turn around. His voice was grave. "Yan Si will be fine."
Shiro blinked, only then looking around.
There were no Hollows, no enemies—only Kensei and the Shinigami lying facedown.
"Huh?" Shiro tilted his head. "What are you doing, Kensei? There aren't any Hollows here."
Rangiku Matsumoto caught up from behind.
She wasn't as fast as Shiro and was a little out of breath, but her sharp eyes swept over the scene.
Kensei, the Shinigami on the ground, the empty surroundings, and...
She counted.
Including Kensei himself, there should have been four Shinigami on this patrol. Now only Kensei was standing, and one lay on the ground. Where