No Incident

Ishida did not linger. He turned and left.

Sakamoto frowned. "Follow him."

Endo said, "Kujo, return to First Division and report what happened here first."

Kujo blinked. "Me?"

Endo said, "Yes. Go back first."

Kujo said, "All right."

Kujo then turned and left. The three of them emerged from the edge of the street and followed Ishida, keeping a distance of about ten steps.

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

The World of the Living subordinates dressed in samurai clothing began bustling about in various places.

Someone carrying lumber passed by Shuichi, staring straight ahead and ignoring the three Soul Reapers completely.

Another person directed the clearing of the rubble. His voice rang out, and his eyes swept over Shuichi without pausing at all.

They could not see them.

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

Ishida entered the courtyard, and Shuichi and the other two followed.

The courtyard was not very large. It had the typical layout of a townhouse in the World of the Living. A gravel path crossed the front yard, with several short pine trees planted in the corners. Directly opposite the entrance was a sliding door. Ishida removed his sandals at the entrance, stepped onto the wooden floor, and walked inward along the corridor.

Shuichi and the other two followed him 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, then reached for the water ladle beside the kettle and scooped water into a teacup. His movements were unhurried, as if this were something he did every day.

Shuichi stood at the tea room entrance and did not enter.

Sakamoto and Endo stood behind him, one on either side, scanning their surroundings.

"Come in."

Ishida spoke without looking up. "Since you followed me all the way here."

Shuichi was silent for a moment before stepping into the tea room and sitting opposite Ishida. Sakamoto and Endo exchanged a glance but did not enter. They stood guard on either side of the entrance, watching their surroundings.

Ishida pushed the teacup toward Shuichi.

"The tea in Karakura Town cannot compare with that of Seireitei, but it is not bad."

Shuichi did not touch the cup.

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

The tea room fell silent for a moment. Only the bubbling of the water in the kettle could be heard, making the space seem even quieter.

"I've heard a few things."

Ishida set down his teacup and finally looked at Shuichi. "About the conflict between Soul Reapers and Quincies."

Shuichi said nothing.

"You Soul Reapers are hunting down Quincies."

Ishida's tone was flat, as if he were discussing the weather. "I heard other Quincies say that Soul Reapers and Quincies are engaged in a large-scale conflict in Soul Society, but that has nothing to do with the World of the Living."

Shuichi remained silent, though his eyes shifted slightly.

"And I can tell you one thing."

Ishida placed the teacup beside his knee and leaned forward slightly. "The pure-blood Quincy families in the World of the Living do not want to take part in this war. At least, the Ishida Family will not."

"Not take part?"

Sakamoto spoke from the doorway. "You established a base in Karakura Town and trained the Reishi Armed Forces. You call that not taking part?"

Ishida glanced at Sakamoto but did not refute him.

"Karakura Town is my territory."

Ishida said, "I am its feudal lord, and I have a duty to protect the people here. Hollows appear here, so I need people to deal with them. The existence of the Reishi Armed Forces is to protect Karakura Town, not to come into conflict with Soul Reapers."

"But you are using Quincy powers." Shuichi finally spoke.

Ishida fell silent for a moment.

"I know about the Holy Arrow."

His voice lowered. "It completely destroys a Hollow's soul instead of allowing it to return to Soul Society. I know what that means."

"And you are still using it." Endo's voice came from the doorway, carrying a hint of coldness.

"I will avoid using it as much as possible."

Ishida's gaze swept over the three of them. "You saw what happened today. A Large Hollow appeared at the same time as the others, and my troops could not damage it. I had no choice but to use the Holy Arrow. But ordinarily, ordinary Reishi arrows are enough to deal with Ordinary Hollows."

Shuichi stared into Ishida's eyes.

Those eyes were calm. They did not evade his gaze, and there was no trace of guilt or tension in them.

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

Ishida shook his head. "I do not want you to believe me. I am only stating the facts. The Ishida Family is not taking part in this war. Karakura Town is my territory, and I will protect it. If you want to hunt down Quincies, go find those who want to fight. There is no one here whom you are looking for."

The water in the kettle continued to boil.

Shuichi remained silent for a long time.

Then he stood up.

"Sakamoto, Endo, let's go."

Ishida remained seated on the tatami. He merely gave a slight nod, as if seeing off his guests.

Shuichi left the tea room and walked along the corridor toward the courtyard exit.

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

"I don't believe him."

Shuichi said, "But Kujo has already gone back to report. We'll wait for Vice-Captain Sasakibe's instructions on how to handle this."

Endo glanced back toward the tea room. The paper door was already closed, and nothing inside could be seen.

"That Ishida..."

Endo said, "He did not look like he was lying."

"Looking unlike a liar does not mean he isn't one." Sakamoto's voice was cold.

Shuichi did not respond.

The three of them left the courtyard, crossed the street, and headed toward the Senkaimon.

Smoke from Karakura Town's cooking fires was still rising, and the vendors' cries continued to rise and fall.

It was as if nothing had happened.

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

Shuichi emerged from the curtain first, his feet touching Seireitei's soil. The familiar scent of Reishi in the air replaced the bustle of the World of the Living. Sakamoto and Endo followed close behind.

On the other side of the curtain, someone was about to step into the Senkaimon.

Kujo Shūi.

When she saw Shuichi and the other two emerge, she stopped and stepped aside. The two groups ran into each other right in front of the Senkaimon.

"Why are you here?" Endo asked.

"I was just about to look for you."

Kujo Shūi said, her gaze sweeping over the three of them. "I finished my report. Vice-Captain Sasakibe said to discuss the details after you returned. I wasn't sure what happened on your end, so I was going back to provide support."

"It's fine now," Shuichi said. "Come back to the division with us."

Kujo nodded without asking anything else. The four of them walked side by side toward First Division.

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

Okiba Genshirō was standing at the entrance, talking to Ukai. When he saw the four of them return, he gave a slight nod and did not stop them.

Chojiro Sasakibe was in the conference room.

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

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

The four of them sat across from the long table. Shuichi sat in the middle, Kujo on his right, and Sakamoto and Endo on his left.

"Kujo has already given me a general report."

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

Shuichi nodded and recounted everything that had happened.

From Ishida using the Holy Arrow to kill the Large Hollow, to his turning away and leaving, to the three of them following him into the tea room, and finally to everything Ishida had said—

The pure-blood Quincies did not want to participate in the war. The Ishida Family would not participate. As the feudal lord of Karakura Town, he had a duty to protect his territory and would avoid using the Holy Arrow as much as possible.

Shuichi spoke neither quickly nor slowly. His account was clear and orderly, without exaggeration or omission of any key details.

Sasakibe did not interrupt him once. He merely listened in silence.

When Shuichi finished, the conference room fell silent for a moment.

"That's all?" Sasakibe asked.

"That's all," Shuichi said.

Sasakibe picked up his pen and wrote a few words on the document before setting it down.

"Understood."

Shuichi froze for a moment. He had thought Sasakibe would ask more questions, analyze the situation, and give them instructions for their next step. But he did nothing of the sort.

"You've worked hard," Sasakibe said.

"Go get some rest."

Sakamoto glanced at Shuichi. Shuichi said nothing more and stood up.

The four of them bowed to Sasakibe and turned to leave the conference room.

After night fell, Karakura Town grew quiet.

The streets were empty, the shop shutters had been secured, and dim yellow light shone through the paper windows of the homes. The occasional bark of a dog drifted from far away before quickly vanishing into the night wind.

Ishida stood on the roof of the courtyard house with his arms crossed, his gaze sweeping across the entire night sky.

He had sensed it.

That Reiatsu had appeared around dusk. It was not especially strong, but it was clear—unfamiliar, and powerful.

A Soul Reaper.

Ishida did not move or send anyone to investigate.

He merely stood on the roof and quietly sensed the location of that Reiatsu.

It was to the east, near the woods. It had not moved, as if deliberately remaining there.

Over the next few days, that Reiatsu continued to exist.

It was there during the day and at night, neither strong nor weak, neither near nor far. It maintained the same intensity and position, like a nail driven into the edge of Karakura Town.

Ishida did not seek out the Soul Reaper, and the Soul Reaper did not come looking for him.

But things changed whenever a Hollow appeared.

On the third night, a Garganta split open in western Karakura Town.

A fairly large Hollow poked its head through the rift. Its single eye glowed red behind its mask, and its claws gripped the edge of the void as it prepared to jump to the ground.

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

The Hollow's head was gone.

A slash swept across the Hollow from behind, moving so quickly that its mask had not even had time to shatter before its entire head was cleanly severed.

The Hollow's body stiffened for an instant before beginning to disintegrate. Reishi slowly rose toward the sky.

Ishida's hand stopped on the bowstring.

He did not see the Soul Reaper's shadow. He merely 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 thing happened repeatedly.

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

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

"Leave him alone."

Ishida said, "Have the troops continue their normal patrols. There is no need to assemble."

The captain hesitated before nodding and withdrawing.

Ishida stood in the courtyard and looked up at the sky to the east.

That Reiatsu was still there.

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

That Soul Reaper was not provoking him or spying on him.

It was as if he were guarding something.

There was a small hut in the woods east of Karakura Town, but its entire structure was made from materials condensed out of Reishi.

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

The hut was small. The entire room lay immediately beyond the entrance. Several wine jars were piled in a corner, a black Soul Reaper uniform hung on the wall, and a thin quilt was spread across the floor.

There was nothing else.

A disheveled Soul Reaper slumped in the very center of the hut, his back against the wall. One hand hung at his side while the other rocked a wine jug, the liquid inside sloshing softly and giving off a faint alcoholic scent.

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

The Zanpakutō at his waist lay carelessly beside his leg. A thin layer of dust had gathered on its scabbard, making it look as if he had not properly maintained it in a long time.

"Oh, dear, oh, dear."

He shook the wine jug, tipped back his head, and took a gulp. Then he smacked his lips. "Those Quincies really haven't come looking for trouble."

His name was Xu Jian Tou.

He was one of the early students of the Genji School. In terms of seniority, he could be considered one of the old hands among the active Soul Reapers.

In terms of Reiatsu, he could already match a Captain-Class Soul Reaper. But his Spiritual Might was only Fourth-Class.

Fourth-Class Spiritual Might.

In the Seireitei, that was a strange thing.

For a Soul Reaper with Captain-Class Reiatsu to have only Fourth-Class Spiritual Might meant he had plenty of Reiatsu, but it lacked density and purity. Put simply, he had a huge bucket, but the water inside wasn't concentrated enough.

Even so, his Reiatsu had reached Captain-Class.

He had gotten there through sheer effort, day after day. Like a mediocre piece of iron hammered for a hundred years, he might never become a famous blade, but the weight and hardness were there. Getting hit with it would still hurt.

Xu Jian Tou took it in stride.

He took another swig of wine and looked through the Reishi wall toward the forest. He could feel that familiar Reiatsu. Ishida, the Quincy, was still standing in the courtyard.

"He's got patience," Xu Jian Tou muttered.

He thought back to a few days earlier, when Captain-Commander Yamamoto had come to see him in person.

Xu Jian Tou had been dozing in his lounge. When Yamamoto pushed open the door, he nearly fell out of his chair. The Commander-in-Chief had come to see him personally. In over a hundred years as a Soul Reaper, that had never happened before.

"Xu Jian Tou." Yamamoto got straight to the point.

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

Xu Jian Tou stared at him for a while. "Commander-in-Chief, I still haven't learned Bankai. You should send someone stronger to a High-Reishi Zone."

"You're strong enough." Yamamoto's tone left no room for argument.

"You only need to hold that post, eliminate any Hollows that appear, and watch the Quincy's movements. Do not attack them or act on your own."

"How long do I stay?" he asked after a moment's hesitation.

"Until I call you back."

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

"All right."

He didn't ask why Yamamoto had chosen him, and he didn't try to refuse. The Commander-in-Chief had given an order, so he would carry it out. That was the first lesson the Genji School had taught him, and the most important thing he had learned in all his years with the First Division.

And so he had come.

In this little hut made of Reishi, he drank by day and drank by night. When a Hollow appeared, he went out and cut it down. The Quincy didn't come looking for him, and he didn't go looking for the Quincy. Life was simple, even a little dull.

But he knew Captain-Commander Yamamoto hadn't posted him here for a vacation.

Karakura Town was a High-Reishi Zone, one of the areas with the highest concentration of Reishi in the World of the Living. The Quincy had established a base here, and Soul Society needed eyes on it—someone who could see what was happening, hold the line, and avoid provoking a conflict.