"Sashō Chōjirō! You're still young, but you've been running errands all over the place. Come collect your pay!" Yamamoto said.
Sashō Chōjirō hurried over, beaming. "Thank you, Captain Commander!"
I'm Swearing Off Gambling and Drugs for Good
"Yamabuki, look, I got paid! I'll buy Delia some sweets tonight. It's been ages since she had any! Oh, right—why didn't the Captain Commander call your name?" Sashō Chōjirō had to bring up the one thing Yamabuki Chidori didn't want to hear.
"Hmph. What do you know, kid? Out of sheer nobility of character, I asked the Captain Commander to save my name for last." Yamabuki Chidori was crawling out of his skin, but he couldn't let his junior see him getting anxious. That would be embarrassing!
"That's Yamabuki for you. I always thought you were terribly unreliable! I'm heading back." Sashō Chōjirō skipped away happily.
"Next, Delia. Although you're not an official member of the Gotei 13, you've cared for every injured member with all your heart. Your contribution hasn't gone unnoticed. Come collect your pay," the Captain Commander said.
Delia hadn't expected a share for herself. Delighted, she went up to collect it.
Yamabuki Chidori stared eagerly at the money pouches in front of the Captain Commander. Only one remained. It had to be his.
"Katoru Hatsunoya," the Captain Commander called. "You've only been with the Gotei 13 for a day, but we can't leave you out. This is yours."
When Katoru Hatsunoya wasn't cutting people down, she was a gentle, well-mannered young lady. She gave a slight bow in thanks.
That's it? That's it! What about me? Captain Commander, you forgot me!
Seeing that Yamamoto paid him no attention, Yamabuki Chidori followed him into his office with a cheeky grin. "Captain Commander, um, haven't you forgotten something? Where's my pay? You skipped me! I haven't got my wages yet!"
Yamamoto gave Yamabuki Chidori a look that was almost a smile. "How could I forget you? You're my best subordinate!"
With that, the Captain Commander took out a money pouch and handed it over. Yamabuki Chidori's face lit up, but the moment he took it, the weight felt wrong. There was no paper money in this era; the coins should have been cast from brass. Why was it so light?
Yamabuki Chidori hurriedly opened the pouch and found two IOUs inside. His face went green. Shit! How did I forget about that?
The last time he'd played mahjong, he'd lost an entire month's pay!
"Remember now?" Yamamoto asked.
Yamabuki Chidori managed a smile uglier than a grimace. "I remember!"
"And that's not all. You've only paid off what you owed me and Saitō. Shunshun Shidō said he'll collect his share next month. Half of next month's pay is gone too," Yamamoto said calmly.
Yamabuki Chidori nearly coughed up blood. What kind of nightmare is this? I swear to heaven, from this day on, gambling and drugs are my sworn enemies!
"Now that you remember, stop standing around and get back to work. I'm leaving the Genji Academy students to you!" Yamamoto returned to his seat and resumed drinking tea. Yamabuki Chidori said bitterly, "Captain Commander, could I get half a month's pay in advance? I can't live like this."
"I'm short on funds myself," Yamamoto said flatly. "Besides, the division feeds and houses you. You won't starve. What are you panicking for?"
With no other choice, Yamabuki Chidori trudged to Genji Academy, looking miserable. Why is heaven so unfair to me?
The students had all changed into matching uniforms. The boys wore pure-white robes, while the girls also wore red trousers.
Gen'en Kinra had put the students through hell. When they saw a new teacher had arrived, they were overjoyed and hoped he wouldn't be as merciless as Gen'en Kinra.
Yamabuki Chidori wore a face as cold as if someone owed him half a month's pay. He looked over the students and said, "Starting today, I'm your teacher. Unlike Gen'en Kinra, who focuses on theory, I focus on practice. I've invited official members of the Gotei 13 to train you and show you what a real battlefield is like. Come in!"
Four members of the Gotei 13 entered through the door. They were the best in swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, Flash Step, and Kidō, respectively.
"These people have been on the battlefield and fought Hollows. From now on, they'll teach you everything they know about combat. All right, get started!" Yamabuki Chidori said coldly.
When the students heard that these four were official members of the Gotei 13 who had even fought in real battles, they couldn't help but regard them with awe.
As for Yamabuki Chidori? Naturally, he found somewhere to catch up on sleep. If they won't pay me, I can at least slack off, can't I?
He slept soundly until someone gently tickled his nose with a blade of grass. Yamabuki Chidori finally woke. When he opened his eyes, Senbu was grinning at him.
"Senbu? Why are you at Genji Academy instead of training?" Yamabuki Chidori rolled over, intending to go back to sleep.
"Instructor, wake up! The sun's about to set. My sister said she has something important to tell you, but she wouldn't tell me what it was. She sent me to find you," Senbu said.
That demon Katoru Hatsunoya wants to see me? It can't be anything good, Yamabuki Chidori thought.
Still, they were on the same side now. Surely Katoru Hatsunoya wouldn't come after him with a sword again?
After dismissing the students, Yamabuki Chidori followed Senbu to the Katori Family home. Katoru Hatsunoya had already prepared dinner.
No one treats you to dinner for no reason.
She isn't still thinking about killing me to keep me quiet, is she?
"Let's talk while we eat. Senbu, go back to the Gotei 13 first," Katoru Hatsunoya told her younger sister.
Senbu looked between them curiously. What's so secret that they have to keep it from me?
Young girls were like cats: curious about everything. Senbu pretended to leave, then slipped beneath the window to eavesdrop. But how strong were the two people inside compared to her? Katoru Hatsunoya and Yamabuki Chidori noticed her the moment she returned. Both pretended otherwise.
"What you want to tell me is about Senbu, isn't it?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.
"Yes. I know Senbu's abilities better than anyone. She has no talent for combat, and I don't want her in a front-line fighting unit. Is there... a safer position in the Gotei 13?" Katoru Hatsunoya asked.
So that's what this is about.
Just like someone else in the future, she's completely devoted to her little sister.
Kuchiki Byakuya, I mean you.
"I understand how you feel, but what does Senbu think? Would she agree?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.
He had wanted to establish a unit dedicated to healing for some time, but he lacked the people. He also needed help with administrative work. With so few members, he could just about manage for now, but once the Gotei 13 expanded, he couldn't spend all his time handling internal affairs.
"I'll talk Senbu around. Don't worry," Katoru Hatsunoya said.
To the Human World
Yamabuki Chidori nodded. He had no objection.
Outside the door, Senbu's expression dimmed, but she didn't burst in. She knew she had no talent for combat. Rather than make her sister worry, she might as well do what she could.
Only when Senbu showed no sign of causing a scene did the two inside breathe a sigh of relief. They had been wondering how they would calm her down.
Since Senbu seemed all right, they could relax.
Just as they settled down to eat, someone knocked on the door.
Katoru Hatsunoya glanced toward it. The servants in her household knew the rules; they would never disturb their mistress during a meal.
Then who was it?
"Chief Strategist, it's me, Hachisato. The Captain Commander has an urgent order. Please assemble at the Gotei 13 immediately," Hachisato said. "Miss Katoru Hatsunoya, you need to come too."
Yamabuki Chidori and Katoru Hatsunoya were both taken aback. Something urgent required both of them? And the order came from the Captain Commander himself?
"That damn old man! He won't pay me, but he still keeps piling work on me!" Yamabuki Chidori grumbled. Even so, he got to his feet and hurried to the Gotei 13 with Katoru Hatsunoya.
When Yamabuki Chidori arrived, he was surprised to find every senior officer of the Gotei 13 already there. They had been waiting for him and Katoru Hatsunoya.
Yamamoto's expression was grave. Yamabuki Chidori knew something must have happened.
"Everyone's here. I'll tell you what happened," Yamamoto said gravely. "The Soul Reapers stationed in the Human World have suddenly lost contact with us. We've also detected that the numbers of Hollows and souls there are falling rapidly. This is serious. If left unchecked, it could upset the balance of the Three Realms. Central 46 sent someone to inform us just now and has asked the Gotei 13 to investigate."
Souls are disappearing?
Yamabuki Chidori immediately sat up straight.
A Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto purified souls; it didn't destroy them. No matter how many Hollows were slain, the total number of souls remained unchanged.
But there was one exception.
The Quincy.
The Quincy could erase souls and Hollows outright. In time, that would inevitably cause the balance of the Three Realms to collapse.
After watching Bleach, he had found that ability easy enough to understand. After all, the Quincy King Yhwach's ultimate goal was to collapse the Three Realms and return everything to Chaos. It made sense that his people would develop such an ability.
"Yamabuki, you look troubled. Has something occurred to you?" Yamamoto asked.
Yamabuki Chidori knew the broad outline of what lay ahead. At some point in the future, the Quincy King Yhwach would lead the Quincy in a massive assault on Soul Society. The two sides would fight a devastating war that would claim countless lives.
"What the Captain Commander described reminded me of a group of people. Have any of you heard of... the Quincy?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.
At the mention of the Quincy, the expressions of Shunshun Shidō and Tsunayashiro Fūka, both born into the Great Noble families, changed. Tsunayashiro Fūka's reaction was especially pronounced. The Tsunayashiro Clan controlled the Great Soul Library, which recorded all of Soul Society's history since its creation. Naturally, Tsunayashiro Fūka knew what the Quincy were.
The Soul King, whom the Five Noble Clans had stripped of his limbs, had originally been a Quincy.
But that information could never be shared. It was one of the Five Noble Clans' deepest secrets. Everyone in Soul Society revered the Soul King and believed he had created this world.
Only the leaders of the Five Noble Clans knew the rest. The Soul King truly was great. He possessed supreme power, could see the past and future, had parted Chaos and formed the Three Realms so that Soul Reapers, humans, and Hollows could each live in their own world. Of course such a being deserved reverence.
Yet the Five Noble Clans had cut off the Soul King's limbs to make Soul Society easier to control. Fearing his revenge, the Tsunayashiro Clan had continued to dissect him, steadily weakening his power.
"What are the Quincy?" Saitō Fubōfu asked on everyone's behalf.
"I've heard they're a group from the west. They possess the power to destroy souls completely. So when the Captain Commander brought this up... they were the first people I thought of," Yamabuki Chidori said.
There was too little information about the Blood War a thousand years ago: only a few scattered remarks and fragments. There was no record at all of how it had begun or unfolded.
Thud! Yamamoto drove the end of his sword's scabbard hard against the floor. "Quiet. The Gotei 13 exists to maintain the balance of the Three Realms. We must deal with this. Yamabuki Chidori, you'll lead a team and find out what's going on."
"Understood." Yamabuki Chidori dropped his flippant attitude. He knew this matter was far too important to take lightly.
"Katoru Hatsunoya, Gen'en Kinra, you're coming with me to the Human World," Yamabuki Chidori said.
Neither of them was especially stable, but they could fight. If the Quincy really were behind this, a fierce battle might await them. The ordinary members weren't ready for combat yet; if a fight broke out, they might only become a burden.
With two Captains and an elite lieutenant, they should, in theory, be able to make it back safely from anywhere.
"Captain Commander, how do we get to the Human World?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.
"Through a Soul Gate, of course," the Captain Commander said flatly.
They already have Soul Gates in this era?
After a moment's thought, Yamabuki Chidori smacked his forehead. Soul Reapers had guided human souls into Soul Society since ancient times. It was essential to maintaining the balance of the Three Realms. Of course Soul Society had a way for them to travel between worlds.
Besides, Soul Society had existed for a million years—far longer than human history. A few pieces of astonishing technology were only to be expected.
"In that case, let's leave now," Yamabuki Chidori said.
Yamabuki Chidori had assumed opening a Soul Gate would be difficult. To his surprise, they were commonplace among the nobility. Any noble family with a little money had its own designated Soul Gate.
Hadn't they brought that mahjong set back from the Human World?
Shunshun Shidō offered the use of his family's Soul Gate.
The Soul Gate looked like an old-fashioned Japanese sliding door. When its panels opened, there was nothing but darkness between them.
"This thing doesn't look... very reliable." Yamabuki Chidori leaned in to peer through.
Yamamoto kicked him in the backside. Stop dawdling and go!
Grinning, Yamabuki Chidori ran forward. It grew darker as he went, and soon he reached the Soul Corridor.
It was the gap between Soul Society and the Human World.
"Oh, right. I heard that in the Soul Corridor, you sometimes run into the Kuryū, which clears out all kinds of debris. That thing exists beyond the laws governing Soul Reapers, so even the strongest Reiatsu can't destroy it. Have either of you ever seen one?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.
Then he noticed his two teammates staring at him as though he were an idiot.
Don't jinx us!
Slaughter
"You don't have to look so serious. I was only saying. A Soul Gate stabilizes the passage between the two worlds. Unless you're spectacularly unlucky, you'll never run into the Kuryū," Yamabuki Chidori explained to his teammates.
Then he noticed they had both moved well away from him.
"What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I have bad luck?" Yamabuki Chidori demanded.
"I hear someone lost a month and a half's pay at mahjong. I wouldn't dare trust my luck to a person like that," Katoru Hatsunoya said in the gentlest voice, delivering the most painful blow.
Fortunately, their luck held that day. They didn't encounter the Kuryū and reached the Human World without incident.
"So this is the Human World a thousand years ago? Why is it so desolate?" Yamabuki Chidori frowned at the scene before him. It was spring, when farmers should have been working their fields, but the land lay abandoned. Weeds half a person's height had sprung up across the farmland.
The sky was dark, and an ominous light filtered down from above.
In the middle of the fields stood a small straw shelter that had long since been abandoned. The whole place felt bleak.
"Hey, is the Human World really this desolate?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.
"It's my first time here too." Gen'en Kinra had already sensed that something was wrong. He gripped his sword tightly, ready to draw it at the first sign of trouble.
The three explored cautiously. Suddenly, something caught Yamabuki Chidori's foot. He looked down and found a skeleton.
"If there are fields, there must be a village nearby. Let's split up and look," Katoru Hatsunoya said.
Before you continue