The Dim Room

Soul Society, Western Rukongai District 64, code-named Rust Face.

At the entrance to Twenty-Sixth Street, a commotion erupted. Ragged Rukongai residents gathered in a circle at a distance, watching the fight.

"Thud!" "Crash!"

A burly fat man was kicked into the air and slammed into the flimsy wall behind him, bringing it down.

Lin Nan took a couple of steps toward where the man had fallen, dusting himself off as he taunted, "Boss of the Kusajishi Group, are you still up for more? Do you still expect us to pay protection money this month?"

The Kusajishi Group was a gang of thugs that had drifted over from Kusajishi, a district in Northern Rukongai District 79.

After years of warfare, the high-numbered districts of Rukongai had always been synonymous with chaos and death. The gangs that arose there were all ruthless characters.

Since arriving in Rust Face District, the Kusajishi Group had lived by extorting the locals. Faced with such vicious thugs, the good-hearted residents never dared to fight back.

But today, they had run into this white-haired youth.

Lin Nan strolled forward a couple of steps. At his feet, more than a dozen people lay sprawled about. Short blades, hand axes, and other weapons were scattered across the ground.

They were all officers of the Kusajishi Group. A minute ago, they had been swaggering around; a minute later, they were out cold.

With the residents of Rust Face's Twenty-Sixth Street as witnesses, Lin Nan had single-handedly taken down the notorious gang that had swept through Northern Rukongai.

"You're the ones who beat up the old man from my house, right? He was already so thin, and you left his face covered in blood! What kind of people are you...? No, you're not even people anymore... Have you no shame?"

Lin Nan glanced back at the helpless old man leaning against the wall, his face bloodied, and seethed with rage.

With a crash, a dark, pudgy hand suddenly thrust out from the rubble.

The fat man struggled to his feet. His round, dark head had turned beet-red with anger.

Seeing the defiant look on the man's face, Lin Nan gently cracked the joints in his hands, producing a few sharp pops.

"What's the matter? Still not convinced? I've beaten you up over and over, and you still haven't learned your lesson?"

The dark-faced fat man pulled a spiked iron club as thick as a forearm from behind his back, murder in his eyes. "Kid, you're the first person who's made me fight seriously! You're going to die here today!"

He swung the enormous club hard. His clothes stirred as if caught in a wind, and his presence instantly surged!

Lin Nan raised an eyebrow. "Oh? A thug can release spiritual pressure?"

In his previous life, Lin Nan had been a devoted manga fan, especially of Bleach. But fate had dealt him a lousy hand: he'd been transported into the world of the manga with the worst possible background.

How bad was it? In the half-month since he'd arrived, he'd already escaped the Soul Reapers five or six times.

Under the circumstances, he hadn't even bothered to change his name.

There were people with the surname Lin in Japanese, too. Although "Lin Nan" sounded a little odd, it was close enough when pronounced their way.

Besides, if the Soul Reapers ever chased him down again, he could always switch to an ordinary Japanese name to evade the wanted posters.

After all, Soul Society had no household registration system.

Now, the dark, fat man before him was steadily building up his spiritual pressure.

Since his arrival, Lin Nan had become very familiar with spiritual pressure. He needed it to tell whether the Soul Reapers had really left.

People with spiritual power were rare in Soul Society. Those capable of unleashing their spiritual pressure were rarer still.

As the fat man's spiritual pressure continued to rise, the air around his iron club visibly rippled.

"This is what I look like when I'm serious, Oniiwajo! Get ready, then die like a good little boy!" the dark-faced brute snarled.

The slightly elongated spiked club instantly grew to more than twice its size. The hammerhead, which had originally been only as long as a forearm, swelled into a terrifying weapon nearly half a person's height!

It could grow bigger. And longer, too... Lin Nan had a whole list of complaints he wanted to make.

What kind of lousy weapon was that?!

But Oniiwajo's massive body had already launched itself forward. His club left a blur as it swung straight at Lin Nan!

So fast!

The guy was a surprisingly nimble fat man!

Lin Nan had no time to dodge. The club, almost entirely covered in spikes, came whistling down and was less than a foot from his face!

The residents watching nearby gasped in unison, with a few faint sighs mixed in.

The Kusajishi Group had made it all the way from Northern Rukongai to Western Rukongai for a reason. Its brutality and ruthlessness were already infamous throughout Rukongai. It looked like this young man was about to meet the same grim fate as so many others.

The crowd shut their eyes, unable to bear watching what came next.

The club came crashing down.

A sharp clang rang out, and the air seemed to freeze.

"How... How could this... No way..." Oniiwajo stared at the sight before him, muttering in disbelief.

The young man had casually stopped the enormous club with his pale, slender forearm?!

Lin Nan's left arm held the club steady. He poked his head out from beneath its shadow and tilted it to one side. "That was your best shot? Then this next part might hurt a little!"

As he spoke, he suddenly thrust with his left hand, sending the enormous spiked club bouncing away with ease!

Oniiwajo's eyes widened in disbelief. A wave of horrified cries erupted from the crowd.

They were even more terrified than when they'd seen the fat man fly through the air.

An ordinary Rukongai youth had stopped a spiked club half his height without a scratch—and then sent it flying back?!

Before the crowd could finish marveling, Lin Nan's fist slammed into Oniiwajo's nose!

With a sharp crack, Oniiwajo's head snapped backward, and his nosebleed traced an arc through the air.

Lin Nan's eyes were icy as his fists rained down on Oniiwajo's massive head.

The onlookers were so terrified they fell silent. In the sweltering afternoon air, only the relentless thuds of each blow echoed around them.

"I've taught you lesson after lesson, and you still don't learn? You don't believe I get stronger the more I fight, huh? I'll make sure you remember this!"

As he cursed, Lin Nan slapped the ugly, fat face again and again.

With the strength he had now, a few hard punches to the man's face would probably have sent him straight to the afterlife.

But as a law-abiding citizen in his previous life, he still wasn't used to killing people outright.

Under the ringing slaps, the dark, fat man gradually lost the strength to fight back, flopping like a discarded sack.

"Stop!"

A sharp shout halted Lin Nan's fists.

The residents followed the voice, then fell silent in fear.

The two men who'd spoken wore black uniforms and carried long, narrow swords at their waists. With fierce expressions, they strode toward Lin Nan.

They were two Soul Reapers. Officially, their duties were to protect the Seireitei, escort souls between the World of the Living and Soul Society, and eliminate Hollows. But to Rukongai's residents, they were the very definition of trouble.

"Not bad! You took down all these people on your own?" one of the Soul Reapers asked with a smile. "We're from the Gotei 13's 11th Division. Need any help?"

Lin Nan glanced back at the thugs on the ground and nodded. "Sure."

"Good. Then come with us." The two Soul Reapers exchanged smiles and walked toward him together.

"Huh? Not me. They're the thugs. I'm just a local..." Seeing them approach, Lin Nan panicked and hurried to defend himself.

Damn it, he might have to run for his life again.

"Oh, we know. Don't worry..." One of the Soul Reapers walked up to him and gently explained, "We know they're thugs, but we don't care!"

Lin Nan stiffened. A sharp pain suddenly stabbed into his back. His vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground with a thump.

Behind him, the other Soul Reaper held a thin needle and laughed shamelessly. "Captain Unohana's knockout drug really works. Just a tiny bit on the skin and someone passes out instantly."

The other man laughed, too. "Of course. As members of the 11th Division, we have to match our captain's fighting style—with a weapon ready in each hand at all times!"

Under the silent gaze of the residents, the two Soul Reapers quickly tied Lin Nan up and hoisted him onto a shoulder.

His head drooped. He was completely unconscious and could only let them do as they pleased.

The two Soul Reapers turned and left with Lin Nan slung over their shoulders.

On the way, they exchanged a glance and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Lucky day! We finished the captain's assignment in no time. Hey, kid, don't hate us. If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for being so good at fighting!

"Besides, not just anyone gets the chance to be taken away by us. You should be thanking us, if anything. After all, you ought to feel honored to become an opponent of Unohana Kenpachi!"