High-Reishi Unit

The battle ended faster than expected.

The number of Steel-Skinned Hollows looked frightening, but once they truly clashed, Shuichi found them far less threatening than that Gillian.

Their defenses were indeed strong. Ordinary slashes left only white marks on their bone armor, while Kidō below Hado Thirty felt like little more than a tickle.

But that was for mid-level vice-captains or High-Ranking Seated Officers with Spiritual Might below Level Six. Every Steel-Skinned Hollow was a hard battle for them, requiring several people to coordinate and repeatedly restrain it before they could wear one down. For those with Spiritual Might below Level Ten, Steel-Skinned Hollows were nightmares.

To senior vice-captains and Captain-Class fighters with Spiritual Might above Level Five, these Steel-Skinned Hollows were merely oversized targets that took a few extra cuts to bring down.

The first Steel-Skinned Hollow to charge was struck head-on by Shuichi, his blade cleaving into the center of its chest armor. The stationed Soul Reapers surged forward behind him, Zanpakutō and Hado raining down on the wound at once. It was finished within a few breaths.

The remaining Steel-Skinned Hollows were scattered.

Shuichi's Shunpo flashed through the ruins. Every time he landed, a Steel-Skinned Hollow was cut open, and every crack was immediately followed by the attacks of the Soul Reapers.

The stationed Soul Reapers were not particularly coordinated. They came from different garrison points and had never undergone systematic joint training, but they had numbers, courage, and no intention of backing down.

Some restrained the enemy, some dealt damage, and some stepped in whenever a comrade was knocked back. Their formation was not elegant, but it was effective.

Shuichi took down four. The stationed Soul Reapers brought down three together. The last tried to flee, but a blade wave from Shuichi caught it from behind, piercing its bone armor. It collapsed at the edge of the ruins, where the pursuing Soul Reapers delivered the final blow.

At last, silence settled over the ruins of Kaimachi.

Shuichi stood in the middle of the ruins and sheathed his sword.

The garrisoned Soul Reapers also sheathed their blades and steadied their breathing.

Thirteen.

During the battle, many Soul Reapers had clearly seen the number on the back of Shuichi's haori.

Captain of the Thirteenth Division.

In the distance, the Quincy camp was still lit.

"The Hollows have all been dealt with," one Quincy said.

"They have. As long as they're dealt with," another replied.

They did not like Soul Reapers. The Quincy of Soul Society had long been at war with the Soul Reapers, and the Quincy in the World of the Living had heard some news as well.

They did not know what a Gillian or a Hollow Disaster was. They only knew that the scale of the Hollows this time was abnormally vast, and if they were not dealt with, many people would lose their lives.

The soldiers of the mortal army felt the tremors stop, and some cautiously poked their heads out from their shelters.

The sound of the wind suddenly changed.

It was Shunpo—extremely fast, extremely light, the kind with an exceptionally short path.

A figure landed a step in front of him.

Dressed in black.

A black mask covered the lower half of the figure's face, while a black headscarf wrapped around the forehead and hair, leaving only a pair of eyes exposed. The black bodysuit clung to the figure's frame, lacking the loose hems of standard Soul Reaper uniforms and any excess fabric. A short blade hung at the waist, its sheath black as well, without a single decoration.

The figure dropped to one knee before Shuichi.

The right knee touched the ground, the left leg bent, one hand clenched into a fist with the knuckles pressed against rubble and dirt, head lowered.

"Captain Shuichi."

The voice was muffled by the mask, but every word was clear.

"A Menos Grande would not appear in the World of the Living without cause. There must be a High-Reishi Unit attracting it."

The figure spoke at an unhurried pace, without the slightest pause, as if reciting words rehearsed countless times. "Judging by how long the Menos Grande lingered here, the High-Reishi Unit should still be present. Conduct your search with utmost caution."

The moment the final word left the figure's mouth, the figure moved cleanly and decisively, vanishing with Shunpo before fully rising.

Shuichi remained where he was, watching the direction in which the figure had disappeared.

Mask, headscarf, short blade, Onmitsukidō... Captain Shihōin seemed to have mentioned that the uniforms of the Second Division and those after it would be changed into this style.

It seemed the Onmitsukidō received information faster than anyone else.

Shuichi's brow furrowed slightly.

High-Reishi Unit.

Onmitsukidō.

The other Soul Reapers had naturally heard the order as well. "Captain!"

"Keep everyone alert."

"Do not leave combat status," Shuichi said.

The Soul Reapers immediately gathered their spiritual pressure again. No one complained, and they formed a loose defensive line around Shuichi.