The sudden alarm made the atmosphere in Ugendo very tense.
No one spoke.
Kiyone Kotetsu's gaze swept between Shiraishi and Captain Ukitake, wondering to herself, "They both have long, silver-white hair, and they're both so handsome. Could they be brothers?"
That's not right. Captain Ukitake has never mentioned his family before.
And could this guy in front of me be the intruder they're talking about?
She frowned slightly; it seemed rather unwise to let the Central 46 Chambers find out that Captain Ukitake was with the intruders.
At that moment, a gentle voice broke the silence from outside the bamboo curtain, "We can't be discovered."
Kiyone Kotetsu turned around and saw the person who had lifted the bamboo curtain. Her face filled with astonishment, she exclaimed, " Nemu?!"
Nemu Kurotsuchi greeted him politely, "Long time no see, Kotetsu."
"Everyone says not to call me Kotetsu, just call me Kiyone!"
She instinctively yelled, then remembered Captain Ukitake was beside her, her face flushed red, and she said shyly, " Captain Ukitake, I don't usually speak so rudely."
Sentarō Kotsubaki retorted bluntly, "Stop pretending. Everyone knows your personality is no different from a man's."
"You bastard, how dare you slander me in front of Captain Ukitake!"
Unlike her older sister, Isane Kotetsu, she is petite but incredibly brave, fearing no one except her own captain.
Ignoring their bickering, Jūshirō Ukitake said gravely, "Things have become complicated. Whether they discover your whereabouts or someone else breaks into Seireitei, your attempt to break out of prison is impossible!"
Over the long course of history, this was not the first time the Seireitei had encountered attacks from external enemies, and the Central 46 Chambers had long since developed a detailed response plan.
As the Captain-Commander, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto would take appropriate levels of alert based on the strength of the intruders.
Jūshirō Ukitake was certain that the Riteitai was on its way with the highest level of martial law in hand.
Before this alarm sounded, Isshin Shiba to defect had already prompted Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto to declare a state of war within the palace.
It requires all high- Seated Officer, including adjutants, to carry their Zanpakuto at all times, and to be fully unleashed during battle.
The shackles that the Central 46 Chambers had placed on the Shinigami have been removed, and the Gotei 13 will be transformed into a highly efficient killing machine to deal with the crisis.
"If the Level 1 martial law order is issued, the underground council chamber where Central 46 Chambers is located will be completely sealed off, with a circular barrier covering it from top to bottom. You simply... cough cough."
Halfway through his sentence, Jūshirō Ukitake coughed again, coughing up a large amount of blood before feeling a brief moment of relief. He continued, "You simply cannot sneak in secretly; the noise of breaking the barrier will alert Master Genryūsai."
"Then, you will die."
Jūshirō Ukitake said this with absolute certainty.
No one knew better than him how terrifying Master Genryūsai was.
Even without Bankai, the power of Shikai is enough to dissipate the clouds, scorch the sky, and reduce everything in the world to ashes wherever the blade touches.
The most powerful and oldest Zanpakuto, Ryūjin Jakka, is terrifying, but the master who wields it Genryūsai, is even more terrifying.
If the two were combined, Jūshirō Ukitake couldn't imagine that there was anyone in this world who could defeat Genryūsai- sensei.
"That's really scary," Shiraishi said truthfully, expressing his true feelings.
The current situation is beyond his expectations. He originally planned to rescue Kūkaku quietly without alerting anyone.
The plan fell through after the alarm sounded.
The Seireitei teams became alert, and the roads leading to the Shin'ō Underground Great: The Jail were closed, leaving only the option of forcing their way in.
If that were done, by this time next year, the grass on his grave would be ten feet tall.
" Nemu, take me to First Division."
Despite the dire situation, Shiraishi remained unfazed. He chose to trust Nemu Kurotsuchi's assessment: the two had not been exposed; it was another group that had infiltrated Seireitei at the same time, triggering the alarm.
He didn't know who those people were, and he wasn't willing to make a wasted trip.
Jūshirō Ukitake immediately shouted, "Do you want to go and die?"
"Don't worry, I'm not that naive. I just want to see if there's a chance to save someone."
Shiraishi waved his hand; his new plan was to hide next to the First Division barracks and see if he could take advantage of the chaos.
If the opportunity arises, act immediately; if not, find another way.
Jūshirō Ukitake clearly misunderstood what he meant. His pupils dilated, and the figure in front of him overlapped with another figure. They looked so alike.
Kaien, if you were here, you wouldn't care about the decision of the Central 46 Chambers, or who the opponent is, and you would save Kūkaku without hesitation.
Remembering his deceased successor, Jūshirō Ukitake finally made up his mind and said, "Wait, the underground council chamber where the Central 46 Chambers is located is a secret place. Outsiders can't possibly know the details inside. Let me tell you the way from the council chamber to the Shin'ō Underground Great: The Jail, cough cough."
As he finished speaking, he coughed loudly again, splattering blood all over the blanket.
Seeing that he looked like he was about to die, Shiraishi couldn't help but say, "I think you'd better lie down quickly; you've coughed up almost half a basin of blood."
"Who do you think caused this?!" Kiyone Kotetsu roared.
Jūshirō Ukitake reached out to stop her from the Roar further, shaking his head and saying, "It's nothing, it's just an old problem."
The entrance to the underground council chamber is outside the First Division barracks, surrounded by a circular lake.
You broke through the barrier, but there are still thirteen layers of protective walls tightly sealed inside, strong enough to withstand a full-force attack from Captain-level.
With Master Genryūsai's Shunpo, he will arrive at the scene no later than the moment you break the barrier.
Jūshirō Ukitake paused for a moment, then continued, "After breaking through the thirteen layers of defenses, go down the long staircase to a large hall. The Shin'ō Underground Great: The Jail is on the right. As for the keys, each floor has members of the Kidō Corps responsible for their safekeeping."
The staircases between the floors are sealed off by a barrier, which must be broken by the floor's administrator. Forcibly breaking through will cause the lower floor to collapse, killing all the prisoners on that floor.
"This is really troublesome," Shiraishi said, his brows furrowed.
Jūshirō Ukitake nodded and said, "Since the day it was built, no prisoner has been able to escape from the Shin'ō Underground Great: The Jail, nor has anyone been able to break it out."
I enjoy challenges.
Shiraishi smiled, stood up, and said, "You should just lie down and recover."
"I'm sorry." Jūshirō Ukitake looked guilty. He really wanted to help, but his body was too weak. Let alone fighting, even using Shunpo would make him cough up blood and faint.
"It's alright, your intelligence is enough. Nemu, let's go."
Shiraishi didn't linger; he sensed someone rapidly approaching.
Nemu Kurotsuchi nodded, leaped away from Ugendo, and landed outside the Thirteenth Division's barracks. Without stopping, she ran along the road in her wooden clogs.
The Riteitai landed in Ugendo from the opposite direction. " Captain Ukitake, emergency order!"