Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the shabby tent, falling right across Lin Nan's eyes. But his eyeballs hadn't yet adjusted to the bright light, and the pain was immediate.
Lin Nan squeezed his eyes shut. The sunlight filtered through his eyelids, forming a pinkish glow in his vision. At the same time, a faint scent of blood drifted into his nostrils.
In a corner of the tent's inner wall, a line of small characters was embroidered: "Temporary Quarters for the 11th Division."
How had he ended up here? Had those two Soul Reapers brought him here?
As he waited for his vision to return, Lin Nan listened for sounds outside and kept thinking.
That was right. He remembered losing consciousness without warning on Rukongai's streets. They must have used some kind of anesthetic on him.
And he'd even woken up halfway there. He seemed to have asked them, "Why are you arresting me instead of those hooligan gangs that oppress the residents?"
Recalling their reply, Lin Nan still felt his blood boil—
"A Soul Reaper's duty is to protect the Gotei 13 and fight Hollows. This is just Rukongai, and there aren't any Hollows around, so what's it got to do with us? We only arrested you so Captain Unohana Kenpachi would have someone to cut up for fun!"
Once his eyes had gradually adjusted to the light and the pain had stopped, he opened them, struggled to his feet, and took in his surroundings.
The little tent was extremely shabby and completely bare. Several wide slits gaped in its roof; the sunlight had shone through them and into his eyes. Now, the breeze made the slits flap, producing a series of hollow thuds.
Not wanting to draw anyone's attention, Lin Nan didn't dare stick his head out of the tent. He only peered through the entrance.
He couldn't see anyone moving nearby, nor could he hear anyone speaking. A few tents blocked his view of anything farther away.
Deliberately ignoring the anxiety in his heart, Lin Nan thought over his situation and what he should do next.
It wasn't that he was making a fuss or getting overly nervous. His arrival in this world had been a little unusual.
He'd entered the Soul Society through a Negacion together with a Menos Grande. Not side by side, though—he'd been dangling from its jaws.
That was right. He'd been brought here as food.
Perhaps a group of Menos Grande had taken a wrong turn while out on a picnic and wandered into the Soul Society, only to be wiped out by the Soul Reapers.
But unlucky Lin Nan had consequently spent half a month being hunted.
It was no wonder. If he'd seen someone fall into the Soul Society through a Negacion alongside a group of Menos Grande, he would have immediately assumed that person was connected to Hollows, too.
As the only target from the "Menos Grande Invasion" whose death had never been confirmed, Lin Nan had done his best to evade the pursuit.
But he desperately wanted to explain that he had nothing to do with Hollows. He'd almost been chewed up as a snack by a Menos Grande himself.
But from the Soul Reapers he'd met, no one would care about those details. After all, the Menos Grande who could have testified on his behalf had already been wiped out by the Soul Reapers. It had even been more than a week since their deaths.
However, judging from the two Soul Reapers' conversation on the way back, they'd only arrested Lin Nan because he was good at fighting and they suspected he'd joined the rebels.
They hadn't mentioned the "Menos Grande Invasion" at all. From that perspective, this might even be a blessing in disguise.
As long as he could prove he wasn't a rebel and win the 11th Division's approval, he'd have a chance to clear himself of his other suspicions and be declared innocent.
Ever since arriving in this world, he hadn't known a moment's peace. If he could shake off the suspicion and move somewhere farther from the fighting, that would be the best outcome he could hope for.
But everything depended on how Unohana chose to treat him.
As he was thinking, he suddenly heard footsteps outside. Lin Nan peered through a gap and saw the two Soul Reapers walking toward his tent, calling out smugly as they came:
"Hey, kid! Wake up! It's time to meet our captain!"
The 11th Division's temporary quarters were stationed in the western part of Rust Face District.
Beside the large tent erected as a makeshift base, mangled bodies lay scattered in every direction—decapitated, dismembered, cut in half at the waist, split into two. The entire temporary base was filled with a terrifying atmosphere.
Beside the pile of corpses, a figure in a white haori, with long black hair hanging low, sheathed the sword in her hand. Gazing calmly at the blood-soaked scene, she let out a weary sigh.
"Captain, I'm sorry. We couldn't find an opponent worthy of you today, either..." A Soul Reaper wearing a forehead protector with a Zanpakuto at his waist stood respectfully to one side and spoke in a low voice.
Though he was a full head taller than the figure in the white haori, he was as flustered as a child facing a scolding adult. A bead of cold sweat even trickled down his temple.
"Your strength is simply too great, Captain. No matter how many of these lowly retainers and lackeys we kill, we can't find a single powerful opponent who'll satisfy you..." (Note: This is the wording used in the Japanese original, meaning retainers of upper-ranking samurai.)
"You understand what I'm thinking quite well..." The figure slowly turned around. Her lowered eyes flashed with a cold, dangerous light that sent a chill through anyone who saw it.
—The 11th Division's captain, Unohana Yachiru.
She lived for battle and had killed countless people.
Her swordsmanship was peerless, and she was said to have mastered every sword style in the world. She called herself "Yachiru," and so she was known as "Kenpachi." From her onward, every captain of the 11th Division bore the title of Kenpachi.
In the pool of blood beside her lay the dozens of Rukongai "retainers" she had cut down today to satisfy her desire for battle.
Vice-captain Nakata Ryunosuke, who wore a forehead protector, swallowed involuntarily. "No, Captain. You're eliminating dangerous, unstable elements here to protect the peace of Seireitei..."
Unohana interrupted him calmly. "No. There's no need to make it sound nice here. I am looking for someone who can serve as my opponent and relieve the boredom of this life. After all, ever since we repelled the Quincy invasion back then..."
She gently stroked the hilt of the Zanpakuto at her waist and said softly, "My sword and I have been empty for many years..."
Nakata glanced sidelong at the nearby sea of corpses and swallowed again. The cold sweat on his temple began to run freely. "By the way, Captain, Kogoro and another man just reported to me that they caught a young man while patrolling District 26.
"Apparently, this guy can knock down more than a dozen armed hooligans with his bare hands. Kogoro and the others suspect that this kind of strength might mean he's a rebel, so they brought him here for your inspection!"
A faint glimmer of anticipation appeared in Unohana's eyes. She looked sideways at him. "If he's really that strong, how did the two of them manage to capture him?"
Nakata froze slightly, realizing he'd completely overlooked that question. "Uh, well..."
Unohana waved a hand lightly. "Forget it. It's hardly the first time my squad members have arrested people at random. With me here, even if he is a rebel, nothing will go wrong. Have them bring him in!"
At Nakata's command, before long, two Soul Reaper officers dressed in black brought a white-haired youth in coarse gray clothes into the makeshift courtyard where the large tent stood.
The vice-captain's expression turned cold. Out of habit, he opened his mouth and barked, "You filthy wretch, hurry up and pay your respects to Captain Unohana..."
Lin Nan's eyes shifted. He suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Nakata's hand, and greeted him warmly. "A pleasure to meet you. You must be Captain Unohana, right?"
The vice-captain felt a tightness in his chest and shook his head. "Look properly. I'm a man! I'm the 11th Division's vice-captain, Nakata Ryunosuke. The captain is the one beside me—Captain Unohana Kenpachi!"
At that, Lin Nan's smile vanished instantly. He let go of Nakata's hand and scolded him solemnly:
"If you're not the captain, why are you butting in? You're the captain's lackey, but don't you know you should let your superior speak first when they're present? How did you even become vice-captain? Is this how you do your job? What will the captain think? What will the squad members think? Don't you know you should be setting an example for them? How are you supposed to get by in the Gotei 13 in the future? Do I really have to teach you such a simple principle? You're worse than a filthy wretch."
Nakata Ryunosuke was stunned by Lin Nan's sudden reversal. He instinctively wanted to snap at him, but then remembered the words "let your superior speak first." He forcibly swallowed his retort, his face twitching with anger.
Only after putting Nakata in his place did Lin Nan turn to Unohana and speak in a measured tone. "Captain Unohana, may I ask why you summoned me?"
"You. Rebel?" Unohana said only two words, her voice light and airy.
Lin Nan hurriedly shook his hands. "Don't joke around. I've only been in the Soul Society for less than ten days. How could I possibly be a rebel?"
This was the plan he'd thought of while in the little tent to clear himself of suspicion.
By claiming he'd entered the Soul Society later than he actually had, he could distance himself from the Menos Grande Invasion and prove he couldn't have joined the rebels. He decided to say it had happened on the day he met the old man he'd shared a home with.
Even if they went to District 26 to check, they'd get roughly the same answer. No one knew when he'd really "fallen" into the Soul Society.
Unohana showed no reaction to Lin Nan's denial. She gave him a casual glance. "Oh, is that so? But my subordinates say you're good at fighting?"
That one simple glance nearly shattered all the mental preparation Lin Nan had done in advance.
He felt every muscle in his body trembling, and even the joints all over his body seemed to stiffen. Four words flashed through his mind: a fiend incarnate.
It was the body's instinctive fear of death. No matter how well he prepared, he could hardly withstand the shudder rising from the depths of his soul.
It looked like the events he'd imagined were going to take a turn for the worse. After all, the long-haired woman standing before him was one of the greatest butchers in the Soul Society.
Before you continue