It's Over, I'm Targeted Again

Siwei Yan's feet landed in the courtyard of the Ninth Division barracks.

His vision blurred abruptly!

"Little Mirai!"

As the energetic, slightly tearful shout hit his ears, Yan Si felt as if his abdomen had been directly struck by a colossal Hollow charging at full speed.

"Uwah!"

A short, muffled grunt.

He didn't even see what happened clearly before he was lifted off the ground, flying backward.

Bang!

His back slammed solidly into the hard stone wall of the courtyard, shaking his internal organs as if they had shifted position, dust raining down.

"I heard there was a Great Hollow in the Human World this time. I haven't even seen one myself. Are you alright?! Are you injured?! Let me see!"

Lieutenant Kyunnan Shiro's small face instantly filled his entire field of vision.

She tightly gripped the collar of Yan Si's Shinigami uniform with both hands, shaking him forcefully. The strength of her grip made Yan Si's head involuntarily swing back and forth, stars beginning to appear before his eyes.

"L-Lieutenant..." Yan Si struggled to force out the words from his constricted throat, "I... can't breathe..."

"Huh?" Hearing this, Kyunnan Shiro's eyes immediately welled up with tears, and she shook him even harder.

"Little Mirai, don't die! Talk to me! Where does it hurt? I'll kiss it better!"

Yan Si felt like a willow branch in a gale, swaying helplessly under this overwhelming force.

The pressure on his neck grew stronger, his vision began to darken at the edges, and his consciousness slowly receded like an ebbing tide...

"Idiot! Are you trying to kill him?!"

An angry roar sounded, followed by a muffled "Bang!" and a pained yelp. The immense force gripping Yan Si's neck vanished abruptly.

Captain Kensei Muguruma had arrived at some point, punching Kyunnan Shiro on the head.

The petite Lieutenant immediately let go, clutching her head, tears in her eyes, and crouching down aggrievedly.

"Waaah... I was just worried about Little Mirai... Kensei, you're an idiot! A big idiot!" she accused.

"You..." Kensei Muguruma looked at the tearful Lieutenant squatting on the ground, his temples throbbing.

He sighed heavily and quickly reached out to support Yan Si, who was sliding limply down the wall.

"Hey, Yan Si, still alive? Not dead?" Kensei patted Yan Si's cheek forcefully.

"Cough... cough cough..." Yan Si coughed violently, gasping for air, his throat burning painfully.

"C-Captain... if you had been even a tenth of a second later, the Ninth Division could have started planning my 'funeral ceremony' and updating the recruitment notice for the vacant fifth seat..."

"It's good you're alright." Kensei Muguruma carefully examined Yan Si's complexion, confirming that he was merely shaken and had some minor physical injuries, his spiritual pressure remaining stable. He then breathed a sigh of relief and patted Yan Si firmly on the back.

"I've already gotten a preliminary understanding of the situation from the Human World mission. I didn't expect you to encounter a Great Hollow; it was indeed dangerous.

Your performance on the battlefield was excellent. You eliminated a group of Hollows, provided timely support to exhausted comrades, and made decisive judgments. You did well."

A slightly weary but composed expression appeared on Yan Si's face: "It was just my duty, Captain. You flatter me."

Kensei Muguruma nodded, a look of approval on his face:

"Mm. You've worked hard. You contributed significantly to this mission, so I'm granting you three days of leave. Get some good rest."

Leave!

These two words instantly lit up Yan Si's somewhat dim eyes.

He immediately raised a hand to cover his chest, furrowed his brow, and put on an expression of three parts weakness, three parts suppressed pain, and four parts needing care.

"Captain... now that you mention it, I suddenly feel... a dull ache here.

Perhaps it was the impact of the Hollow's spiritual pressure earlier, or maybe I moved too quickly during the retreat, leaving some hidden internal injuries...

Could you perhaps extend this leave a little? Say... ten days?

That way, I can fully recuperate and avoid becoming a burden to the squad due to any lingering issues during future missions."

His tone was sincere, his gaze earnest.

The smile on Kensei Muguruma's face vanished at a visible speed, his gaze becoming calm as he looked at Yan Si.

Yan Si's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly unfazed and immediately adjusted his strategy:

"Ah, ten days is a bit much... How about seven days? I promise to rest properly and won't go out wandering!" He held up seven fingers.

Kensei's expression began to turn grim, and he silently took half a step back, crossing his arms.

Yan Si gritted his teeth, as if making a huge sacrifice, and held up five fingers, his voice resolute:

"Five days! Captain, just five days! That's my bottom line! Any less really won't be conducive to my recovery!"

"Stop it," Kensei Muguruma finally spoke. "It's three days, and on the morning of the fourth day, you have to come out with me."

"Huh? Go where?" Yan Si was taken aback. An additional task?

"The Kuchiki family," Kensei uttered the three words.

Siwei Yan slowly straightened up