The Fourth Division upholds compassion and will treat anyone seriously injured, whether they are Shinigami or an enemy.
The difference is that Shinigami enjoys the same private room treatment as on Earth.
The enemy is hiding in the Underground Relief Prison.
The space here is quite spacious, with two bunk beds. Sunlight doesn't reach the floor, and the tall, square windows are about three meters off the ground.
Kūkaku Shiba had tried moving the bed to the lower level to see if he could escape, but the iron bars on the window proved that this was not an option.
She wore handcuffs specifically designed to limit her Reiatsu, and her strength was no different from that of an ordinary Rukongai resident; she was unable to break through the iron fence.
"Sigh." She sighed heavily and leaned back on the lower bunk. Her chest hadn't hurt at all lately, probably because it had fully healed.
The day she leaves the Underground Relief Prison is not far off. Will she return to the fourth level of the Shin'ō Underground Great: The Jail? Or will she be imprisoned even lower down?
Can Shiraishi rescue her?
Last time, a criminal from the Muken disrupted the Seireitei's plans; there's no chance of another the Miracle this time. If we try again, we might just get ourselves into trouble.
Perhaps it's best not to come...
That's what she thought, but deep down she also hoped that the other person would come to save her and perform another the Miracle.
Having fought side by side several times, she inexplicably felt a sense of confidence that he might actually be able to keep his word.
Thinking this way, she felt that she was so desperate that she mistook the floating grass for a life-saving boat and blindly reached out to grab it.
"Ah, well, let's just leave it to fate."
Kūkaku Shiba hated thinking about those things, yet she couldn't help but imagine the scene of Shiraishi coming to her rescue. She slapped her face hard with both hands.
Footsteps broke in from outside; unlike the usual solitary sound, there were several people.
She immediately sat up and looked outside the cell. Isane Kotetsu led four Kidō Corps over.
The Kidō Corps were dressed in pristine white robes, with white headscarves and face coverings covering their heads, revealing only their cold, indifferent eyes.
They held instruments for restraining prisoners, resembling forks, with white straps hanging down.
"Prisoner Kūkaku Shiba, given that your injuries have healed, you will be moved to the fourth floor Howling Detention Center, to continue serving your sentence."
Isane Kotetsu lowered his eyes, announced the order from the Captain-Commander, and took out the key to open the door of the ambulance cell.
Four Kidō Corps filed in, and one of them took out a collar and put it around her neck. The collar had four holes, each for inserting a soft strap.
If the prisoner does not cooperate, the four Kidō Corps only need to infuse their Spiritual Power into the magical artifact, which will then be attached to the white soft strap and collar. The electric current and tightening will subdue any uncooperative person.
"Let's go." One of them said, leading the way with a restraining artifact in hand.
Kūkaku Shiba understood the power of this spiritual tool, so she obediently followed, passing through the deserted passage and turning up the stairs to the ground floor.
The air suddenly became hot.
She heard cicadas chirping, and sunlight streamed into the corridor through the window; summer wasn't over yet.
Kūkaku Shiba narrowed her eyes and stepped outside the General Infirmary. The sunlight was too dazzling, and it took her a while to see the scenery clearly.
The Sōkyoku Hill and the Senzaikyū in the distance still look magnificent, with countless towers standing on the ground, and sunlight flowing across the rooftops of many buildings like rivers of molten gold.
Four Kidō Corps impaled Kūkaku Shiba with the forks at the top of her spiritual tools. An invisible barrier opened, forcing her feet off the ground, and the scenery before her eyes changed rapidly.
Before she could adjust, four loud thuds echoed as four Kidō Corps fell onto the roof, their collars snapping open and handcuffs falling off.
"This..." Kūkaku Shiba stood frozen in place, looking up to see Reishi surging ahead, forming a tall, slender figure. "You're still in Seireitei?"
Sōya Azashiro stepped onto the roof ridge, his expression calm, and said, "I've been here all along. Your injuries seem fine. Let's go."
Kūkaku Shiba didn't move, her gaze filled with some doubt as she asked, "Why are you helping me?"
" Shiraishi and I are partners, and you are his friend. I have an obligation to help you escape from here so as not to have any unnecessary impact on him and thus disrupt our cooperation."
Sōya Azashiro calmly expressed his thoughts. He knew very well that Shiraishi was not someone he could suppress all useless emotions in order to annihilate the void.
That person has too much useless emotion, and by watching Kūkaku Shiba remain in the hands of the Shinigami, the plan may change.
It's better to eliminate them sooner rather than later.
Kūkaku Shiba smiled, never expecting to be rescued by that guy like this, and said, "Thank you."
"No need, follow me." Sōya Azashiro turned around and led the way.
He and Seireitei had become one; all the Shinigami and captains were under his surveillance. He knew exactly where people were and where no one was.
Even a dead end can be turned into a living alley.
Kūkaku Shiba followed behind the whole time, and heard a series of banging sounds coming from the sky above Seireitei, which must have been a sign that they had discovered her escape.
But still, not a single Shinigami appeared before her.
She wasn't running towards the Hakutōmon, but towards the towering Seireiheki.
"How do I get out of here?" Kūkaku Shiba was bewildered, looking up. There seemed to be no gap between the Seireiheki and the sky.
Sōya Azashiro said calmly, "Just go straight through here. Shiraishi is at his old spot in the West District Ten. You can find him there."
"Uh, I'll give it a try." Kūkaku Shiba looked at Seireiheki, gritted his teeth, and charged forward.
The imagined shock did not exist. It was as if she had passed through a thick layer of plastic wrap, pulled to its limit, and finally, with a "poof," she actually passed through the wall.
The grass spread out on the flat ground. She turned around and patted the Seireiheki; it was hard and stiff, not soft at all. Could Sōya Azashiro even do something like this?
Kūkaku Shiba increasingly felt that the guys staying in Muken were all incredibly talented.
They can easily do things that ordinary people think are impossible.
No wonder they fled; the Shinigami Reapers reacted so strongly.
She sighed inwardly, but didn't stop walking. She planned to go back to the Shiba Clan first to let Jinyin and Ganju know that she was safe.
As for where they lived, she could guess that it must be in a sparsely populated area of Junrinan.
The Shiba Clan often plays with fireworks, and the loud explosions are clearly inappropriate in crowded places.
She Shunpo strolled around Junrinan, avoiding crowded areas, and found the banner held high by two arms in the overgrown northwest.
And the Kūkaku Cannon disguised as a chimney behind the house.
Kūkaku Shiba Shunpo to reach the door and shouted, " Koganehiko, Shiroganehiko, Ganju, I'm back!"
Thump, thump, something seemed to have been knocked over. Then, two large and one small figures squeezed out from the stairs. " Kūkaku!" "Big sister!"
"Haha, stop crying, or I'll beat you up."
Kūkaku Shiba reassured the three with a smile, saying, "I can't stay here long. I'll change my clothes and leave. Koganehiko, Shiroganehiko, I'll leave the instruction of Ganju to you for now."
"Big sister, where are you going?"
" West District Ten, I have a promise to keep with Shiraishi."