"Yoriichi..."
Orihime held the unconscious Tatsuki, her voice still trembling a little.
"Who exactly were they? They looked so much like Hollows, so why did they have their own Zanpakuto?"
Yoriichi looked toward where the Garganta had already vanished in the distance.
"They're Arrancars."
"Arrancars?"
"Hollows that stripped away their masks through some means and gained the powers of Soul Reapers," Yoriichi explained calmly. "That's why he had a Zanpakuto, but their Zanpakuto are merely suppressors used to seal their true forms."
Orihime looked down at the severed arm on the ground, then at the unconscious people all over the street.
She recalled what those three had said earlier.
They seemed to have come specifically for her.
But she did not tell Yoriichi that.
Yoriichi had already blocked an attack for her and driven off all those dangerous enemies. If he learned that she was their real target, he would surely worry even more.
Orihime pressed her lips together.
She did not want to be a burden to everyone.
"Why did they attack ordinary people?" Orihime asked quietly.
"Because they don't care about life at all."
Yoriichi looked at the people lying on the ground, his gaze gradually turning cold.
"Those three were only testing Karakura Town's defenses."
"Testing?"
"Yes."
Yoriichi put Hekyō away, walked over to an unconscious passerby, and bent down to examine the state of their soul.
"They weren't fighting at full strength. The Arrancar with the black Zanpakuto chose to retreat immediately after realizing he couldn't defeat me. The other two were angry, but they didn't keep fighting either."
"If they really wanted to kill us, they probably wouldn't have left so quickly."
Orihime went pale as she listened.
"Then will they come back?"
"Yes."
Yoriichi looked up at the sky.
"And next time, there might be more than three."
As his words fell, a dark figure sped toward them from the end of the street.
Orihime instinctively held Tatsuki tighter.
But the figure did not attack, stopping in front of them instead.
"My, my, quite a commotion you've made."
Kisuke Urahara stood by the street with an open paper umbrella, smiling.
Behind him, Yoruichi wore a black bodysuit, her arms folded across her chest as her gaze swept over the shattered street.
"We sensed powerful Reiatsu here just now, so we came to take a look." Urahara raised his paper fan and tapped it lightly against his palm. "I didn't expect you to have taken care of it already, young Yoriichi."
"Mr. Urahara," Orihime said hurriedly. "Tatsuki and these people..."
"Don't worry, Miss Inoue."
Urahara walked over to an unconscious person, crouched down, and examined them for a moment.
"Their souls have returned to their bodies. They were just hit by powerful Reiatsu. They'll wake up after some rest."
Orihime breathed a sigh of relief.
She hurriedly activated Sōten Kisshun, enveloping Tatsuki in a soft glow.
"Sōten Kisshun, I reject."
Tatsuki's breathing gradually steadied, and some color returned to her face.
Yoruichi studied the marks left on the street, her gaze growing serious.
"The one who lost an arm-the Reiatsu on the wound was strange. Even from this far away, I can feel it burning."
"That was a wound left by Hekyō," Yoriichi said. "It has a highly destructive effect on Hollow souls."
"Three Arrancars, two with their arms cut off, and one of them nearly lost his head too."
Yoruichi glanced at him.
"And you call that testing?"
Yoriichi fell silent for a moment.
"They weren't fighting for their lives."
The corner of Yoruichi's mouth twitched.
"What a terrifying standard."
Urahara said nothing, merely looking up in the direction where the Garganta had disappeared.
"Has Aizen already begun creating Arrancars?"
"Most likely." Yoriichi nodded. "All three Arrancars who appeared this time were very powerful. They were at least as strong as captains, and the black-haired one's strength was already beyond ordinary Captain-level."
Urahara's smile slowly faded.
"If there are more than three Arrancars like that..."
"Then Karakura Town will suffer a devastating blow."
Yoriichi finished his thought.
"This time, they stayed together, so I was able to get there in time. But next time, if they split up and act simultaneously in different parts of the city, ordinary Soul Reapers won't be able to stop them."
Yoruichi turned around and looked at the dim streets in the distance.
"In other words, we need to set up defenses in advance."
"We also need to notify Soul Society," Yoriichi said.
Urahara looked at him.
"Do you need me to contact Soul Society?"
"Yes."
Yoriichi rested his hand on his sword hilt. His tone was calm, but left no room for discussion.
"In my name as Third Division Captain, ask Soul Society to send reinforcements."
Urahara's gaze shifted slightly.
"Captain-level reinforcements?"
"At least several captains."
Yoriichi looked at Urahara and continued, "We still don't know how many Arrancars Aizen has created, but the strength of those three was enough to make the problem clear. If they all possess the same level of power, the forces in the World of the Living alone won't be able to handle them."
"Besides, their objective most likely wasn't just to test us. There may be some deeper objective as well."
Orihime's fingers trembled slightly.
But Yoriichi did not look at her, merely continuing, "They'll seek out people with powerful spiritual energy, or attack ordinary people directly to create chaos."
Urahara was silent for a moment before his paper fan covered half his face again.
"I understand."
"But Soul Society may not agree immediately. This is the World of the Living, after all. The Gotei 13 won't readily mobilize on a large scale."
"Then tell them Aizen has already begun to act."
Yoriichi looked up at the night sky.
"This isn't a request. It's a warning."
Yoruichi chuckled.
"Kid, you're sounding more and more like a captain."
"I am a captain."
"..."
Urahara turned his head aside, his shoulders shaking slightly.
Yoruichi laughed out loud.
Orihime looked at the two of them, then at Yoriichi standing in front of her, worry surfacing in her eyes.
She knew the real danger had only just begun.
And those three Arrancars were after her.
But she did not dare say it.
She was afraid that once she said it, everyone would be put in even greater danger trying to protect her.
Orihime lowered her head, gripping her hairpins tightly with both hands.
Yoriichi and the shopkeeper Urahara were still quietly discussing reinforcements and defensive lines.
Yoruichi walked to the other side of the street to confirm that the unconscious people's lives were not in danger.
No one noticed the increasingly apparent worry on Orihime's face.
Before you continue