Nothing Happened

Ishida did not linger. He turned and left.

Sakamoto frowned. "Follow him."

Endo said, "Kujo, return to the First Division first and report the situation here."

Kujo blinked. "Me?"

Endo said, "Yes. You go back first."

Kujo said, "All right."

Kujo then turned and left. The three of them stepped out from the edge of the street and followed behind Ishida, maintaining a distance of around ten paces.

Ishida did not look back or quicken his pace, as though he did not care in the slightest that three Soul Reapers were following him.

Those subordinates from the World of the Living, dressed in samurai clothing, began busily working all over the place.

Someone carried lumber past Shuichi, staring straight ahead and treating the three Soul Reapers as though they did not exist.

Another man directed the clearing of rubble. His voice was loud, and his gaze swept over Shuichi without lingering at all.

They could not see them.

These samurai could not see Soul Reapers. They were merely ordinary humans from the World of the Living, organized by Ishida to deal with the damage caused by Hollows. Quincy could see Soul Reapers, but these retainer samurai could not.

Ishida entered the courtyard, and Shuichi's group of three followed him inside.

The courtyard was not large, with the typical layout of a townsperson's home in the World of the Living. A gravel path ran through the front yard, several short pines stood in the corners, and a sliding door faced the entrance. Ishida removed his sandals at the entryway, stepped onto the wooden floor, and walked deeper inside along the corridor.

Shuichi and the other two followed into the courtyard.

At the end of the corridor was a tea room.

Ishida slid open the paper door and entered. He sat cross-legged on the tatami, reached for the ladle beside the tea kettle, scooped up water, and poured it into a tea bowl. His movements were neither hurried nor slow, as if this were something he did every day.

Shuichi stood at the tea room entrance without going in.

Sakamoto and Endo stood behind him, one to either side, their gazes sweeping the surroundings.

"Come in."

Without raising his head, Ishida said, "Since you followed me this far."

Shuichi fell silent for a moment, then stepped into the tea room and sat opposite Ishida. Sakamoto and Endo exchanged a glance but did not follow him in. They stood guard at either side of the tea room entrance, keeping watch over the surroundings.

Ishida pushed the tea bowl toward Shuichi.

"The tea from Karakura Town cannot compare to Seireitei's, but it is not bad."

Shuichi did not touch the tea bowl.

Ishida did not mind. He picked up another tea bowl himself, blew on the steam, and took a sip.

The tea room fell quiet for a moment. Only the water in the kettle bubbled, making the space seem even quieter.

"I heard some things."

Ishida set down his tea bowl and finally raised his eyes to Shuichi. "About the conflict between Soul Reapers and Quincy."

Shuichi said nothing.

"You Soul Reapers are purging Quincy."

Ishida's tone was calm, as if he were discussing the weather. "I heard from other Quincy that Soul Reapers and Quincy were clashing on a large scale in Soul Society, but that has nothing to do with the World of the Living."

Shuichi still said nothing, though his gaze shifted slightly.

"And I can tell you something else."

Ishida set the tea bowl by his knee and leaned forward slightly. "The pure-blood Quincy families in the World of the Living do not wish to participate in this war. At the very least, the Ishida Family will not."

"Not participate?"

Sakamoto spoke from the doorway, his voice carrying into the room. "You established a base in Karakura Town and trained the Reishi Armed Forces. You call that not participating?"

Ishida glanced at Sakamoto without refuting him.

"Karakura Town is my territory."

Ishida said, "I am the lord of this place, and I have an obligation to protect its people. Hollows appear here, and I need people to deal with them. The Reishi Armed Forces exist to protect Karakura Town, not to clash with Soul Reapers."

"But you use Quincy power." Shuichi finally spoke.

Ishida fell silent for a moment.

"I know about Holy Arrow."

His voice lowered. "I know what it means to completely destroy a Hollow's soul, preventing it from returning to Soul Society."

"And yet you still use it." Endo's voice came from the doorway, carrying a trace of coldness.

"I will avoid using it whenever possible."

Ishida's gaze passed over the three of them. "You saw the situation today. Large Hollows appeared at the same time, and my forces could not handle them. I had no choice but to use Holy Arrow. But normally, ordinary Reishi arrows are enough to deal with ordinary Hollows."

Shuichi stared into Ishida's eyes.

Those eyes were calm. There was no evasion, no guilty conscience, not even the slightest tension.

"You want me to believe you?" Shuichi asked.

Ishida shook his head. "I do not want you to believe me. I am merely stating the facts. The Ishida Family will not participate in this war. Karakura Town is my territory, and I will defend it. If you wish to purge Quincy, go find the Quincy who want to fight. There is no one here that you are looking for."

The water in the tea kettle continued to boil.

Shuichi remained silent for a long time.

Then he stood up.

"Sakamoto, Endo, we're leaving."

Ishida remained seated on the tatami without moving. He merely nodded slightly, as though seeing guests out.

Shuichi walked out of the tea room and headed toward the courtyard along the corridor.

Sakamoto matched his pace and lowered his voice. "You believed him just like that?"

"I don't."

Shuichi said, "But Kujo has already returned to make her report. We will wait for Lieutenant Sasakibe's instructions on how to handle this."

Endo looked back toward the tea room. The paper door had already been shut, hiding the situation inside.

"That Ishida."

Endo said, "He did not seem to be lying."

"Not seeming like it does not mean he was not," Sakamoto said coldly.

Shuichi did not respond.

The three left the courtyard, crossed the streets, and headed toward the Senkaimon.

Smoke still rose from Karakura Town, while the cries of merchants continued one after another.

It was as though nothing had happened.

The Senkaimon's white curtain of light swayed faintly within the woods.

Shuichi stepped out of the curtain first, his feet landing on Seireitei soil. The familiar scent of Reishi in the air replaced the clamor of the World of the Living, with Sakamoto and Endo following close behind.

On the other side of the curtain, a figure was about to enter the Senkaimon.

Kujo Shūi.

When she saw Shuichi and the other two emerge from the curtain of light, she paused, stepped aside, and the two groups came face-to-face before the Senkaimon.

"Why are you here?" Endo asked.

"I was about to look for you."

Kujo Shūi swept her gaze across the three of them. "I finished reporting. Lieutenant Sasakibe said to wait until you returned before discussing things further. I was not sure what was happening on your side, so I was preparing to go back and support you."

"It's fine now," Shuichi said. "Let's return to the division together."

Kujo nodded without asking more questions, and the four walked side by side toward the First Division.

They crossed Seireitei's stone-paved roads, passed through several corridors, and returned to the First Division.

Okiba Genshirō was standing at the entrance speaking with Ukai. When he saw the four return, he nodded slightly in acknowledgment but did not stop them.

Chojiro Sasakibe was in the conference room.

He sat at one end of the long table with several documents spread before him and a pen in hand. When he saw the four enter, he set down the pen and calmly swept his gaze over each of their faces.

"You're back. Sit," Sasakibe said.

The four sat across the long table from him. Shuichi sat in the middle, Kujo to his right, with Sakamoto and Endo to his left.

"Kujo has already reported the general situation."

Sasakibe said, "But she said that you later met that Quincy named Ishida. Tell me exactly what happened."

Shuichi nodded and recounted the events.

From Ishida killing the Large Hollow with Holy Arrow, to his turning to leave, to the three following him into the tea room, and finally to what Ishida had said.

The pure-blood Quincy did not wish to participate in the war. The Ishida Family would not participate. He was Karakura Town's lord and had an obligation to protect his territory. He would avoid using Holy Arrow whenever possible.

Shuichi did not speak quickly, but his account was clear and orderly. He neither embellished anything nor omitted any key details.

Sasakibe did not interrupt him throughout, merely listening in silence.

After Shuichi finished, the conference room was quiet for a moment.

"That is all?" Sasakibe asked.

"That is all," Shuichi said.

Sasakibe picked up his pen, wrote a few words on a document, and then set it down.

"Understood."

Shuichi was taken aback. He had expected Sasakibe to question him, analyze the matter, or give instructions for their next step, but there was nothing.

"You have worked hard," Sasakibe said.

"Go rest."

Sakamoto glanced at Shuichi. Shuichi did not say anything more and rose to his feet.

The four saluted Sasakibe, then turned and left the conference room.

Karakura Town quieted after nightfall.

The streets were empty, storefronts had all been shuttered, and dim yellow light shone through the paper windows of private homes. An occasional dog barked in the distance before quickly fading into the night wind.

Ishida stood on the roof of the courtyard, his arms folded as his eyes swept across the night sky.

He felt it.

That Reiatsu had appeared at dusk. It was not intense, but it was clear—strange and powerful.

A Soul Reaper.

Ishida did not move, nor did he send anyone to search.

He merely stood on the roof, quietly sensing the location of that Reiatsu.

It was in the east, near the woods. It had not moved, as though deliberately remaining there.

Over the next few days, that Reiatsu remained present.

It was there by day and by night, neither strong nor weak, neither near nor far. It always remained at the same intensity and in the same direction, like a nail driven into the edge of Karakura Town.

Ishida did not go looking for that Soul Reaper, and that Soul Reaper did not come looking for him.

But when Hollows appeared, things changed.

On the third night, a Garganta tore open on Karakura Town's western side.

A fairly large Hollow poked its head out of the rift. The single eye on its mask glowed red, its claws gripped the edge of empty space, and it was about to leap to the ground.

Ishida had just picked up his Japanese bow and was about to summon the Reishi Armed Forces.

The Hollow's head was gone.

A slash swept past from behind the Hollow, so fast that the Hollow's mask had not even had time to shatter before its entire head was cleanly severed.

The Hollow's body stiffened for a moment before beginning to crumble apart, Reishi slowly rising into the sky.

Ishida's hand stopped on the bowstring.

He did not see any sign of that Soul Reaper. He only sensed that Reiatsu shift the instant the Hollow appeared, then return to its original position.

The fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day.

The same scene repeated itself.

Whenever a Hollow appeared, before the Reishi Armed Forces could even finish assembling, that Reiatsu would flash near the Hollow's position, and then the Hollow would disappear—cleanly and decisively, without any unnecessary commotion.

The captain of the Reishi Armed Forces came to ask for instructions. "Lord Ishida, that Soul Reaper—"

"Do not worry about it."

Ishida said, "Have the forces patrol as usual. There is no need to assemble."

The captain hesitated briefly, then nodded and withdrew.

Ishida stood in the courtyard and looked up at the eastern sky.

That Reiatsu was still there.

He did not lower his guard, but neither did he feel threatened.

That Soul Reaper was not provoking him, nor was he watching him.

It was as though he were guarding something.

In the woods east of Karakura Town stood a small hut, though its entire structure was formed from condensed Reishi.

Ordinary people could not see it. Only humans with Reiatsu or spiritual beings could.

The hut was small. The moment one entered, there was only a single room. Several jars of sake were piled in a corner, a black Soul Reaper uniform hung on the wall, and a thin blanket lay spread across the floor.

Other than that, there was nothing else.

A messy-haired Soul Reaper slumped in the middle of the room, his back against the wall. One hand hung at his side, while the other shook a sake flask. Liquid sloshed within it, giving off a faint scent of alcohol.

His clothing hung open, revealing the white undergarment beneath. A few drops of sake stained his collar.

His Zanpakutō lay casually across his legs, and a thin layer of dust had gathered on its sheath. It looked as though it had not been properly maintained in a long time.

"Good grief."

He shook the sake flask, tipped back his head for a drink, and smacked his lips. "Those Quincy really haven't come looking for trouble."

His name was Xu Jian Tou.

He was one of the Genji School's early students. In terms of seniority, he counted as one of the old hands among active Soul Reapers.

In terms of Reiatsu, he could already rival a captain-class Soul Reaper, but in terms of Spiritual Might, he was only Fourth-Class.

Fourth-Class Spiritual Might.

That was a very strange thing in the Seireitei.

A Soul Reaper whose Reiatsu had reached captain class but whose Spiritual Might was only Fourth-Class meant that his total Reiatsu was enormous, but its density and purity were insufficient. Put more plainly, he had a large barrel, but the water inside was not concentrated enough.

Even so, his Reiatsu had still reached captain class.

That was entirely the result of relentless grinding over time. Like a piece of inferior iron hammered repeatedly for a hundred years, it might never become a famous blade, but its weight and hardness were there. It would still hurt plenty if it hit someone.

Xu Jian Tou took it in stride.

He took another swig of wine, his gaze passing through the Reishi walls toward the forest beyond. He could sense that familiar Reiatsu. Ishida—the Quincy—was still standing in the yard.

"He's pretty patient," Xu Jian Tou muttered.

He recalled how Captain-Commander Yamamoto had personally come to see him a few days earlier.

That day, Xu Jian Tou had been dozing in his lounge. When Yamamoto pushed open the door, he had nearly fallen out of his chair. The Captain-Commander personally coming to see him was a first in his more than century-long career as a Soul Reaper.

"Xu Jian."

Yamamoto got straight to the point.

"The High-Reishi Zone in the World of the Living, Karakura Town, needs someone stationed there."

Xu Jian Tou was stunned for a long while. "Captain-Commander, I still haven't learned Bankai. The High-Reishi Zone should be guarded by someone stronger."

"You are strong enough." Yamamoto's tone allowed no doubt.

"You only need to remain stationed there, eliminate any Hollows that appear, and observe the Quincy's movements. There is no need to attack proactively, nor are you to act on your own."

"How long will I be stationed there?" He hesitated for a moment.

"Until I call you back."

Xu Jian Tou fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Fine."

He did not ask why he had been chosen, nor did he decline. The Captain-Commander had given an order, so he would carry it out. That was the first lesson taught at Genji School, and the most important thing he had learned during all his years in the First Division.

So he came.

Inside that little house made of Reishi, he drank during the day and drank at night. Whenever a Hollow appeared, he would go out and cut it down. If the Quincy did not come looking for him, he would not seek out the Quincy either. His days were simple, even a little boring.

But he knew perfectly well that Captain-Commander Yamamoto had not sent him here for a vacation.

Karakura Town was a High-Reishi Zone, one of the areas in the World of the Living with the highest Reishi concentration. The Quincy had established a base here, while Soul Society needed an eye—one that could see, hold the line, and avoid easily provoking conflict.