Quincy

The white that represented the Quincy stood in stark contrast to the black of the Soul Reapers, making it easy to see the newcomers as their opposites.

That wasn't entirely wrong. They had indeed fought the Soul Reapers for a long time. But that was all in the distant past. Now they were allies, not enemies—or at least, when it came to dealing with Hollows, they stood together. These people were Quincy, humans who had made their name in the World of the Living and dedicated themselves to eliminating Hollows.

Hongjiang had encountered plenty of Quincy over the past few years, and he'd gotten along pretty well with a few of them. For instance, the young man who had just spoken to him and led the group was named Nodt Futz.

Hongjiang knew that Fuzi hadn't been in Soul Society long, which meant he hadn't been dead for long, either. According to Fuzi, he'd died in his early twenties, but Hongjiang had always been skeptical.

He was half a head taller than Hongjiang and so powerfully built that the Quincy's white uniform looked utterly ridiculous on him, not the least bit stylish. He had dark skin, a buzz cut, and a sharp, no-nonsense look. Deep furrows creased his forehead, so Hongjiang had always figured he'd been at least forty when he died!

"Long time no see, Fuzi. When was the last time we met?" Hongjiang held a hand to his forehead and thought for a moment before answering himself. "A few months ago?"

"A few months? It's been almost two years!" Fuzi said helplessly, holding up two fingers. "How long has it been since you left this place?"

"It's been a while, I guess. But what are you doing here?"

Fuzi was about to answer, but when he saw Tsukikage and the five others hurrying over, he swallowed his words and instead gave Hongjiang a strange look, sizing him up.

"You bastard, Kamisawa! Didn't you say you'd make me pay if we ever met again? Come on, let's see how you're going to do that!"

"Let go! Didn't you say you didn't want to see me again, either? Is my face that ugly?"

Yamagata and Kamisawa were reunited, and promptly began grappling and rolling around on the ground. Though they traded accusations, everyone present knew they were simply celebrating their reunion after surviving a disaster in their own way.

Hongjiang, however, had no time to pay attention to them. He'd noticed Fuzi's odd behavior, and being stared at by a muscle-bound man made the back of his neck prickle.

"What's with that look? Just so you know, I'm straight and traditional!"

"Don't get the wrong idea. I'm just glad to see it." Hongjiang stared at him blankly, so Fuzi went on, "It's good to see you getting along better with your companions—"

"Cut it out!"

Fuzi looked fierce, but you had to get to know him to realize he was actually a big softie. If Hongjiang didn't cut him off now, the guy would probably keep rambling at him for half an hour.

"So what are you doing here?" Fuzi asked, then pointed at Tsukikage and the others behind Hongjiang. "And what about them?"

"Just passing through. It's not as complicated as you think."

Hongjiang's explanation was perfunctory, but when Fuzi saw how awkward Tsukikage and the others looked, he knew Hongjiang was telling the truth. His relationship with the other Soul Reapers hadn't improved.

Just because things hadn't improved yet didn't mean they couldn't in the future. And wasn't this the perfect chance to clear up their misunderstanding? Fuzi already had a plan.

"That fight just now was dangerous! You got pretty banged up, too!" Fuzi clapped Hongjiang on the shoulder, but faced Tsukikage and the others, winking as he spoke. "We don't have a doctor with us, though, so you'll have to put up with it a little longer!"

Tsukikage had lived for centuries as a Soul Reaper. How could she fail to understand what he meant?

"Treat their injuries right away!" Tsukikage instructed the 4th Division woman beside her, deliberately raising her voice. "Take care of Hongjiang first."

There was clearly goodwill on both sides. Tsukikage hadn't formally apologized to Hongjiang, but her friendly attitude was unmistakable.

By all rights, even if Hongjiang kept a sour face, all he had to do was accept treatment to show that he accepted Tsukikage's goodwill. That would settle his grudge with her, and sooner or later, through Tsukikage, the Soul Reapers of Zaraki District would accept him, too.

But Fuzi was the one who cared, not Hongjiang, and what he considered common sense was just his own opinion. Hongjiang was about to show him what it meant to have absolutely no social skills. Not only did he keep a sour face, he had a sharp tongue to match!

"Get lost, you bitch!"

He shoved away the 4th Division woman who had approached him. When she froze, Hongjiang sneered at her. "You're useless—you even need someone to carry you when you run away. Are you here to prove you're not good for nothing? Give me a break! If you want to focus on saving people, go back to Seireitei!"

Hongjiang paid no more attention to the woman, who stood with her fists clenched and her head bowed, looking resentful. He had no intention of letting Tsukikage off the hook. In fact, the one calling the shots was the worst of all. Peace? If you wanted peace, fine, he'd give you peace. Who did she think she was?

"You're there to watch, and you're there to give orders, but where were you when the fighting started? She wants to prove she's not good for nothing. What are you trying to prove?" Hongjiang stroked his chin, pretending to ponder. "That you were here? Fine, I'll admit you succeeded. If you hadn't spoken, I wouldn't have even noticed you! The 5th Division's ventriloquism is as impressive as ever!"

Hongjiang's words weren't just about Tsukikage's inaction right now. They were also an oblique reference to how she'd exaggerated things seven years ago. Having lived for centuries, Tsukikage naturally understood the meaning behind his words. Her face turned a deep, liverish red before their eyes.

The mood had plummeted to freezing. Even Kamisawa and Yamagata stopped messing around, afraid to say anything. Being scolded like that in front of the Quincy was humiliating!

The Quincy present were all just as baffled. Who chewed out their own people that viciously, especially in front of outsiders? People like that were rare!

As for the instigator—well, Fuzi didn't think of himself as the instigator. He'd only meant well. He just hadn't expected Hongjiang not only to refuse to take the out, but to tear down every rung of the ladder for everyone else, too.

What a headache! Fuzi kept rubbing his temples. This was nothing like how he'd imagined things would go! He turned to look at Hongjiang, who was glaring back at him with a dark expression. Their eyes met.

"Don't give me lip! I'll hit you, I swear!" Fuzi hurriedly raised a fist and threatened him.

"Come on. Once you're done causing trouble, aren't you going to make it up to me?"

"I don't mind making it up to you, but I wasn't trying to cause trouble! I was only trying to help!"

"Thanks for your 'help,'" Hongjiang said, rolling his eyes. "I don't want to spend every day worrying about a bunch of babies."

With that, Hongjiang rose onto his toes and leaped onto a nearby branch. He called to Fuzi, then disappeared into the dense forest.

Fuzi gave a wry smile and sighed softly. He placed his right hand over his chest and bowed slightly to Tsukikage and the others. "You Soul Reapers have been working hard, too. It's still not safe here, so you should head back and rest. We'll take our leave."

By the time Tsukikage came to her senses, Fuzi and the others had vanished, too. Hongjiang and the Quincy were as if they'd never appeared at all.