50th District of West Rukongai
This area is not far or close to Seireitei, just enough for Xun to wander here occasionally, just enough for the Soul Reaper patrol to pass by once or twice a month, and just enough for those who can't survive in Rukongai to pass by and go to farther, more desolate, and less controlled places.
Kurt Mainer stood on a field Tanabe. The wheat at his feet had grown to his knees.
He was wearing the white uniform of Quincy, without a cloak, and had the badge of Sternritter embroidered on his chest. He was tall and his fists were as big as two ordinary people.
Schrift Knuckle.
The Holy Soldierss behind them stood in a row. There were not many of them, just a dozen or so.
Their expressions are much more complicated than Kurt. Some are nervous, some are excited, and some are expressionless but their fingers are trembling slightly. This is not the first time they have come to World of the Living, and it is not the first time they have performed a mission, but this time is different. This time it is not an order from the regiment leader Jugram Haschwalth, nor an instruction from His Majesty.
This time it's Kurt Mainer's order
"What, is this place the same as before?" Kurt's voice was not loud.
He looked around, his eyes sweeping over the farmlands, distant houses, and canals with only trickles of water. Rukongai would always look like this, dilapidated and gray. Even the wind was lazy and couldn't blow anything. It just moved dust from here to there.
Among the Holy Soldiers behind him, a young man who looked to be in his early twenties took half a step forward. His lips moved and tightened again, as if he was hesitating whether to speak. Finally, his voice came out, very low, so low that only Kurt and a few people around him could hear. "Knight Minor, are we really going to attack Seireitei behind the captain's back?"
Kurt didn't turn around or speak, but he heard it and tilted his head slightly, like a beast that heard the movement of its prey.
That Holy Soldiers's body tensed up, and his body made a "danger" judgment before his brain.
Kurt turned his head and looked at him, his eyes not heavy, but very heavy, like a mountain placed on your shoulders. The mountain did not weigh him down, but you knew it was a mountain.
"I also have independent command authority, why not?"
Young Holy Soldiers opened his mouth, wanted to say something, and then swallowed it back. Kurt's eyes were still on his face without moving away. Holy Soldiers lowered his head.
"If the leader is weird..." His voice became softer and softer
Kurt glared at him. His gaze was like a knife, shooting out of his eye sockets and nailing that Holy Soldiers's face. If you dare to say another word, now, there is no need to wait for the leader to blame.
Young Holy Soldiers shut up, his Adam's apple rolled up and down once, he swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and swallowed all the words that he had not yet spoken.
Kurt withdrew his gaze and looked to the east again, where is Seireitei
"The leader won't know."
Kurt's voice was not loud, but every Holy Soldiers behind him heard it. "It won't matter if he knows. He is busy putting His Majesty to sleep and has no time to care about us."
He paused. "Besides, even if he knows, what can he do?"
No one answered. Kurt took his hand out of his pocket and clenched his fist, his finger joints making a clicking sound.
"Let's go." Kurt took the first step. The Holy Soldiers behind him followed him, their footsteps were noisy, and someone slipped on the gravel and quickly stabilized. The team moved towards the south, neither fast nor slow.
The farmland of 50th District of West Rukongai slowly faded away behind them, and they headed towards the town.
Tenth Division's old Soul Reaper is called Harada, seven seats
He has lived for many years, and has been Soul Reaper since before the Quincy invasion war. He has lived until now. It can even be said that he became Soul Reaper very early and witnessed the establishment of Seireitei.
There are wrinkles on his face, scars at the corners of his eyes, and his hair is shaved short, revealing a few old wounds on his scalp. His strength is unknown, but he has never raised his seat and has been sitting at seat seven for a long time.
Harada led three newcomers to patrol at the junction of 49th District of West Rukongai and the 50th District
This is the daily routine of Tenth Division and Rukongai patrolling, covering an area extending from the periphery of Seireitei to the edge of District 80. There are never enough manpower, so the old team members lead the new team members, teaching them as they go, passing from generation to generation.
The three newcomers all just graduated from the Spiritual Arts Academy. The youngest one looks younger than the grandson of Harada. He still has baby fat on his face. It is his first patrol mission. He is so excited that he has not stopped talking since he started.
"Senior Harada, is Rukongai really fake?"
"Senior Harada, have you seen Menos Grande?"
"Senior Harada, what should you do if you encounter a Hollow while patrolling?"
Harada answered with the same casual tone as usual.
He had seen too many newcomers like this. He had just come out of the Spiritual Arts Academy, and his mind was full of Zanjutsu, Kidō, and Bankai. He felt that patrolling was just walking around in the wilderness, and when he encountered a virtual one, he would draw a knife and slash, and then continue walking after slashing. He didn't know how to tell them that most of the time, real patrolling was just walking, walking, walking all day long, without encountering anything.
But today is different.
The wind at the edge of zone 50 is stronger than 49th District
Then he saw white
Harada's footsteps stopped. The three newcomers almost bumped into him and stopped sharply.
"Harada-senpai?"
"Shut up" Harada's voice is not loud, but his tone has changed. Usually his words to others are quite easy-going.
The white color is moving, from west to east, from the depths of the 50th District to the direction of 49th District, not one or two, but a team of more than a dozen people, wearing white uniforms
"Quincy"
Harada's hand holds the handle of the knife
More than ten years ago, Quincy emerged from the shadow, Seireitei was burning, Soul Reaper was falling, the left side of his face was grazed by a Reishi arrow, blood covered his eyes, but he did not fall.
"That's...Quincy?" the newcomer's voice came from behind
Harada No answer
Another newcomer's voice was younger and lighter, as if he was afraid of being heard by something. "Quincy? Who is that?"
Harada's mouth moved slightly
They don't know who Quincy is. They entered school after the war, graduated after the war, and maybe even their souls were born after the war.
To them, Quincy is a noun in textbooks, a "former enemy" occasionally mentioned by teachers in class, and an old report gathering dust in the archives. They have never seen the white uniforms, never seen the trajectory of Reishi arrows cutting through the night sky, and never seen Seireitei burning.
But Harada has seen it
"Enemy"
Harada said two words and then turned around and faced the three newcomers, "We will turn back immediately and report to the captain that 50th District of West Rukongai discovered the Quincy armed forces."
The three newcomers were stunned for a moment
Then Harada took three people Shunpo
Four black figures quickly disappeared in the wilderness