Return to the Soul Society, Banquet, Disturbance

The human nations in the World of the Living had just concluded a war and were currently in a period of post-war recuperation.

Whenever this happened, the population would begin to grow rapidly to replace the young, able-bodied labor force lost during the conflict.

Therefore, the onset of a population explosion would begin to manifest gradually over the next few years.

However, more people meant more deaths!

The number of children who died and turned into Hollows would likely be the highest.

If Soul Society did not prepare itself, the World of the Living would truly become the territory of Hollows!

After emerging from the Senkaimon, Shiba Kaien ran toward the 13th Division barracks.

Aoto held his Zanpakuto and watched his retreating back, only to be surrounded by the 11th Division members who had come to meet him.

If there was anyone who had been most unhappy over the past two months, it was naturally the members of the 11th Division.

Although Aoto had left behind food and plenty of processed ingredients, and the other cooks in the mess hall could make dishes that increased spiritual pressure... none of them tasted as good as what Aoto made!

Their morale had taken a massive hit.

And most crucially, with Aoto not there to keep things in check, someone had come to the 11th Division a month ago and snatched away nearly half of the ingredients in the mess hall.

So, even with rationing, the 11th Division members had run out of food ten days ago.

Aoto's expression changed upon hearing this, and his hand moved to draw his Zanpakuto, "Stolen? By whom?"

Daring to cause trouble in his mess hall—did they have a death wish?

Seeing the change in their 4th Seat, the members felt they had found their backbone and replied in unison, "It was the 4th Division!"

Aoto silently slid his Zanpakuto back into its sheath, "Oh, the 4th Division! Then it's fine!"

Are you kidding?

Even if you provoke the 1st Division, you should never provoke the 4th Division!

Especially since the 11th Division relied on the 4th Division to save their lives on a daily basis.

Aoto had previously issued an order: if they encountered 4th Division members, 11th Division members were to provide as much assistance as possible... and if anyone was caught drawing their blade against a 4th Division member without a valid reason, they would face the most severe punishment.

Therefore, when that tall woman, the Lieutenant of the 4th Division, brought people to the 11th Division mess hall a month ago to haul away the ingredients, not a single person present dared to stop them.

Besides, there was no reason to.

After all, Aoto had a private agreement with Captain Unohana that he would prioritize supplying the 4th Division with enough special ingredients to help patients recover their strength.

Otherwise, how could the two walls between the 11th and 4th Divisions, which had been broken ten years ago, still not be repaired to this day?

Even if the 11th Division didn't fix their side, the 4th Division should have repaired theirs long ago!

However, Aoto clearly remembered leaving enough ingredients for the 4th Division.

At a normal rate of consumption, it should have lasted until the end of the year; how could they have used it up faster than the 11th Division?

"Ahem," Aoto cleared his throat and asked the disappointed members, "Did anything major happen in the last two months? Or were there a large number of patients sent to the 4th Division for treatment during this time?"

The 11th Division members looked at each other, all indicating they didn't know.

Many of them had gone to the 4th Division for treatment during this period.

But they hadn't noticed that many patients there.

Aoto found it quite strange!

Surely Captain Unohana hadn't eaten it all herself, had she?

To appease the members who had been without food for ten days, Aoto held a banquet that very evening.

Many of the high-quality goods he had brought back from the World of the Living, which were meant to be sold, were added to the menu.

It served as compensation for the members.

There was no resentment that a banquet couldn't solve!

Even if there was, there wasn't anymore!

Aoto couldn't afford to host a second one right now!

At this feast where everyone ate their fill, the resentment from the hunger of the past few days completely vanished... though many members ended up with indigestion and had to be sent to the 4th Division for treatment.

During the banquet, several big eaters emerged within the 11th Division.

The first place, of course, went to Zaraki Kenpachi; no one could compare to him. He was a bottomless pit, and if Aoto hadn't been cooking frantically, he wouldn't have been able to keep up with his speed of consumption.

And the second place, surprisingly, was taken by Shiro!

He was so thin and small that many couldn't understand where all that food was being digested!

This result left Ikkaku, who considered himself a heavy eater, heartbroken.

Even third place wasn't his; it was Yachiru.

With two little kids ranking ahead of him, Ikkaku was ready to shut himself away.

Aoto, however, thought this was perfectly normal.

After all, the food he made would turn into reishi once it entered the stomach. Although it appeared to be a contest of who could eat the most, it was actually a competition of who could absorb reishi the fastest.

It was from this that one's natural talent became apparent.

Watching the Shinigami collapse to the ground one by one after eating their fill, Aoto felt that if a Hollow were to invade right now, they would be incredibly easy to wipe out.

However, at that very moment, Aoto's Command Divine Machine actually received a message from the Twelfth Division... A massive Hollow invasion!

And there were many of them!

The location: South Rukon District 20!

It was very close to the Seireitei!

"Ikkaku, Yumichika! Stop lying around! We have a mission! A massive Hollow invasion! South District 20."

With that single sentence, both men sprang to their feet.

Many of the squad members on the ground also struggled to sit up.

But there were truly not many left who could move freely! The squad members were all pot-bellied, and only the seated officers were in slightly better shape.

"Master, I want to participate too!" Shiro, who had been completely unaffected, also stood up.

Having not seen him for two months, he was already the 15th Seat!

Aoto looked at him and nodded, "As long as your Shunpo can keep up!"

Once he finished speaking, Aoto vanished from the spot, taking Ikkaku and Yumichika with him.

Shiro also unleashed his Shunpo; although slightly slower, he followed right behind them.

Yachiru jumped onto Zaraki Kenpachi's shoulder at that moment, "Ken-chan, let's go too!"

Zaraki Kenpachi stood up with a loud laugh, "A full stomach and enemies to hack—this feels great! Let's hurry, we can't let Ikkaku and the others kill them all!"

With that, Zaraki Kenpachi also charged out... but the direction he headed in was completely different from the one Aoto and the others had taken.

Who knew when he would ever find the correct path.

South Rukon District 20 was already filled with screams.

The 10th Division Shinigami patrolling nearby had basically all gathered around... but they had already suffered significant casualties.

This was because those who had broken into the Soul Society this time were not just Gillian, but also an Adjuchas.

However, this Adjuchas seemed to be searching for something; if a Shinigami did not appear directly in front of him, he had absolutely no interest in paying them any mind.

"Found you!" This wolf-like Adjuchas let out an excited sound, and under his command, the surrounding Gillian simultaneously fired Cero toward a specific direction.

In that direction lay a large residential area, with over a thousand Rukon District residents who had yet to evacuate.

For Rangiku Matsumoto, who was already in the midst of battle, dodging such an attack was simple, but blocking it was beyond her capabilities.

Using her Zanpakuto, Haineko, to barely slice off half the head of one Gillian was already her limit.

Watching the Cero already fired by the other Gillian, Rangiku Matsumoto was utterly helpless.

She had never hated her own lack of strength so much.

But at that moment, a voice filled with fury rang out.

"Devour! Ogre!"

A massive spiked club suddenly blocked the path of the several Cero, and all the attacks directed at it vanished after a sound of devouring!

Aoto had arrived, brimming with rage.

However, the primary source of Aoto's anger was not the Adjuchas before him, but the individual hiding within the residential area.

"Get out here!"