During her month in the Thirteenth Division, Rukia Kuchiki experienced firsthand what warmth truly meant. Both the division captain, Kaien Shiba, and the vice-captain, Shiba Miyako, treated her like a younger sister. Shiba Miyako Rukia Kuchiki, the vice-captain of the Thirteenth Division, even personally taught Rukia Kuchiki the various tasks required of a professional Soul Reaper, while also helping Rukia train in Kidō and the Shikai of her Zanpakuto.
Under the careful tutelage of Shiba Miyako and the occasional guidance of Kaien Shiba, the inherently talented and ambitious Rukia Kuchiki made rapid progress in her strength within just one month. Not only did she learn up to number forty Kidō, but she also mastered the Shikai of her Zanpakuto. Even her Spiritual Pressure rose to a level close to that of a squad lieutenant. With a little effort and a few years of dedicated self-cultivation, becoming Lieutenant-level Soul Reaper would not be a problem.
" Rukia, I'm going to a meeting with your sister today, so I'm leaving the Thirteenth Division in your care."
Kaien Shiba gently patted Rukia Kuchiki's shoulder. At the moment when both he and Shiba Miyako had left the Gotei Thirteenth Division, the strongest person in the entire Thirteenth Division was... Rukia Kuchiki had only been in the division for a month.
"Don't worry, Captain Shiba. While you and Miyako are away, I will protect everything in the Thirteenth Division."
Rukia Kuchiki nodded slightly to Kaien Shiba, her gaze so resolute. She had begun to regard the Gotei Thirteenth Division as her own home, and all the members of the entire Thirteenth Division had become like family to her. Kaien and Miyako had even become Rukia Kuchiki's older brother and sister.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!"
" Rukia! I don't recall ever asking you to call me Captain Shiba... There must be a more suitable way to address me, right? Hmm?"
Upon hearing Rukia Kuchiki's address, Kaien Shiba frowned, his expression displeased. In a fit of anger, he ruffled Rukia's onion-shaped hair and said in a huff.
"Um... I mean... I understand. Please entrust everything about the Thirteenth Division to me, Kaien- nii."
Rukia broke free from Kaien Shiba's clutches and spoke with a blush on her face.
"Yes! That's more like it!"
Kaien Shiba was delighted by Rukia calling him "brother" and smiled contentedly.
"Time to go!"
Shiba Miyako, seeing Kaien Shiba's lecherous grin and sister-obsessed expression, helplessly covered his eyes with his hands. After sighing for five seconds, he angrily grabbed Kaien Shiba 'Kaien ear and dragged him out of the squad.
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts..."
"I understand, just let go!"
My ears are going to be ruined.
Kaien Shiba's ears were already bright red, and with a few tears in his eyes, he kept begging for mercy.
"Who told you to look at Rukia like that?"
Shiba Miyako spoke in a resentful tone.
"Who can Little Rukia is just so cute! She's so many times cuter than Kūkaku."
Kaien Shiba said helplessly that he finally found the feeling of being an older brother in Rukia Kuchiki. Back then, Kūkaku always disliked him, making him, the eldest brother, have no status in the family.
" Rukia, don't listen to his nonsense. I'm taking this idiot with me."
Shiba Miyako gave Rukia Kuchiki a few instructions, and then dragged Kaien Shiba away.
"Call..."
Rukia watched the two figures disappear into the distance, sighed helplessly, and then began her day's work.
First, he spent an hour reviewing all the captain's documents, and then led the squad members on patrol... Because Soul Society has been so safe lately, the Thirteenth Division has nothing to do except patrol.
Inside the Fifth Division Barracks, in the basement where no one except the division captain is allowed to enter, Sōsuke Aizen quietly watched the panting figure inside the transparent glass enclosure.
"I'm so hungry... I'm so hungry... Give me food! Food!"
The figure kept muttering to himself, and his appearance did bear some resemblance to Ikomikidomoe.
Go! Let me see your strength.
Aizen placed Menos Grande on the Hollow in the glass bottle before him, because although this Menos Grande was only at the Gillian level, it seemed to have unlocked its limiter, possessing the potential for unlimited evolution. This was an ability that even Aizen greatly envied. The reason he had been constantly plotting was to break through the limits of Soul Reaper, and the Menos Grande before him did not need to make any effort; it had already obtained a pass to a higher level, although... its evolution was far too slow.
"Today is another peaceful day."
Rukia Kuchiki wiped the sweat from her brow after finishing her patrol and headed towards her own Thirteenth Division. After the implementation of the probationary shift system for the entire Gotei 13, a large number of division members were recruited, resulting in an overabundance of Soul Reaper personnel. Furthermore, during peacetime, many division members were doing the same work repeatedly.
Rukia and her Thirteenth Division members were rather idle. They briefly encountered a patrol, circled the designated route (which they were already tired of walking around on), and then returned to their barracks.
"What a relaxing day!!"
"Yeah yeah!"
"Shall we take a shower, change clothes, and then go for a drink?"
"OK?"
"I wonder Rukia is coming?"
" Rukia definitely can't come. She's the sister of Byakuya Kuchiki, the captain of the Sixth Division. How could she possibly drink with lowly people like us?"
The team members followed behind Rukia Kuchiki, chatting casually.
"That's enough!"
Rukia seemed to have long been used to these people's teasing. She knew that they said these things about her entirely because of her arrogant brother who never paid attention to others.
Perhaps it was Kaien Shiba harbored some unchangeable prejudice against Byakuya Kuchiki, always calling him a "tsundere brat," that the entire Thirteenth Division's members had a problem with Byakuya Byakuya. Perhaps this is a case of "like father, like son"?
"Hahaha..."
The soldiers burst into laughter at Rukia Kuchiki's annoyed expression, as if provoking Rukia was something extremely funny.
"Speaking of which, don't you guys think the Thirteenth Division is a little too quiet today?"
After everyone walked into the gate of the Thirteenth Division's barracks, chatting and laughing, they suddenly realized that apart from a few people's voices, no one else could be heard in the entire barracks. This was obviously not right. According to the usual behavior of those scoundrels, they would have already come out and started fawning over Rukia, the scion of one of the Five Great Noble Clans who was willing to interact with them, the commoners.
"Clatter!"
Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, the door that the Thirteenth Division had been holding suddenly closed, and the next second a sinister Spiritual Pressure filled the entire barracks.
"This Spiritual Pressure? Are you kidding me? Is it an illusion?"
The team members were terrified by the ominous Spiritual Pressure in the air; they hadn't encountered a Hollow in ages.
The sudden encounter with the Void, especially in the barracks, startled everyone, but they immediately relaxed.
"Hahahaha... It's been so long since we've encountered a Hollow. Instead of waiting for us to go looking for them, these Hollows have delivered themselves to our doorstep. Let's see who can kill the Hollow in the barracks first."
One of the team members burst into laughter, lightening the somewhat somber atmosphere.
"Alright! Let's have a competition!"
As they spoke, the five team members instantly ran towards the closed gates of the main hall.
"Wait... wait!"
The moment she felt that Spiritual Pressure, Rukia Kuchiki, who had been trembling ever since, cried out in her almost hoarse voice, but it was too late.
"Ah!!!"
The instant the five soldiers disappeared into the dimly lit, indistinct Five Fingers Hall, a piercing scream tore through the sky, assaulting the eardrums of the entire squad. It was then that they realized that fighting the Void would result in death...
"Are you... are you kidding me?"
I don't want to die!
"Captain! Captain, where are you?"
"Help me! Help me!"
Most of the squad members threw down their Zanpakuto and knelt on the ground, powerless to face Menos Grande immense pressure emanating from the Hollow in the room.
"Calm down, all of you!"
Just as fear filled the hearts of the Soul Reaper squads, and they dared not look directly at the dark house, Rukia Kuchiki, who had only graduated from the Shin'ō Academy a few years ago, stepped forward. She gripped her Zanpakuto, her eyes filled with unprecedented determination.
"You two go check if you can get out through the main gate. The rest of you try to contact the outside world. I'm going to rescue them."
Rukia's wrists trembled uncontrollably. She was terrified, terrified beyond measure, more terrified than anyone else. But she was a member of the Kuchiki Clan, the strongest person present, and most importantly... she had promised Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako that she would protect the Thirteenth Division while they were away.
Rukia!
After hearing Rukia's words, the team members felt incredibly guilty. They were ashamed of their own weakness, their incompetence, and their deep-seated fear of Hollows. They were truly far inferior to the small, thin girl in front of them.
"Don't worry! Don't let my appearance fool you, I'm very strong. Leave it to me, there won't be any problems."
Rukia Zanpakuto and calmly walked step by step toward the dark gate.
As Rukia pressed closer, the dark and chilling Spiritual Pressure grew stronger and stronger. By the time Rukia stood before the gate, she felt as if she were in a cold ice cellar. The terrifying Spiritual Pressure from that unknown entity brought Rukia excruciating pain.
"Gulp."
Rukia swallowed hard, ignoring the beads of sweat on her forehead caused by primal fear, and stepped into the dark cave.
Darkness! The endless darkness Rukia completely disoriented, but Rukia calm. She used Kidō to conceal herself, then closed her eyes in this gloomy world...
A few seconds later, when Rukia her eyes again, the whole world lit up, instantly allowing Rukia to see the world before her clearly.
Uh~
After Rukia used the power of Kidō to see the world clearly, she was filled with fear and a strong sense of nausea.
Severed limbs and remains were carelessly scattered on the floor. Jet-black hair, like a carpet, replaced the original wooden floor, covering the entire main hall of the Thirteenth Division's barracks. It creaked whenever someone walked on it, and even oozed specks of crimson blood...
Countless Shihakusho, torn into strips stained with red, were intentionally hung throughout the room, obstructing Rukia Kuchiki's view and preventing her from seeing the scene in the distance... Some remnants, with debris from unknown locations, adorned the room, making it seem as if it had come alive, like the gaping maw of some creature, constantly devouring those who entered.
"Are they still alive? Should we just leave?"
Looking at the scene before her that resembled a scroll painting of Hell, Rukia's resolute heart wavered. She wasn't afraid of being laughed at; she really wanted to run away. She had always thought she was no longer afraid of death and had become a qualified Soul Reaper... But when she was truly facing death face to face, separated by an invisible wall, she found herself cowering. Her legs went weak, and she couldn't move at all.
"Hoo! Rukia, you're from the Kuchiki Clan, you're the strongest member of the Thirteenth Division right now. Don't let your brothers and sisters down. You can do it! You can definitely rescue everyone who entered this room, leaving no one alive."
Rukia knew she was deceiving herself. She knew that deep down she was terrified, but she would overcome her fear. She wanted to prove it to her sister in heaven, to her brother who had sacrificed so much for her, to Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako who treated her like family, and to herself!
"Bring it on!"
Rukia formed hand seals, and facing the stench and creaking floor, she chose to use the most direct method to deal with her opponent right from the start.
"Your Majesty! Masks of flesh and blood, all things, soaring wings, things bearing the name of humanity! Truth and temperance, the wall of unknowable dreams, stand solely upon it!..."
Rukia silently recited the incantation for the thirty-third Hadō, Sōkatsui. Although it wasn't the most powerful Hadō she knew, it was the one she was most proficient Hadō, and she was always ready to attack.
Because her sixth sense had already detected that danger was closing in and could appear at any moment.
Suddenly, a shadow slowly appeared behind Rukia.
Who is it?
Rukia an eyebrow, immediately turned around, her hands still in the Sōkatsui position.
"A person? Is it... Kizō?"
Rukia cautiously looked behind her. By the faint light of the Kidō, Rukia knew that what was in front of her was not the Hollow she had imagined, but a Soul Reaper dressed in Shihakusho. Moreover, Rukia happened to recognize this Soul Reaper, who was one of the members of the Thirteenth Division.
"Hungry..."
The Thirteenth Division member named Kizō faced Rukia, his head drooping, repeatedly muttering a single word.
"Hungry?"
" Kizō raised his head and spoke."
Rukia sensed something was wrong. She subtly distanced herself from the other person and spoke softly.
"I'm so hungry... Rukia! I'm so hungry!"
Upon hearing Rukia's voice, Kichizo, Kizō had been drooping his head, suddenly raised it. Then, he used both hands, one above the other, to pry open his mouth, widening it further and further... until his mouth was wide enough to swallow Rukia whole, before he stopped...
" Rukia, I'm so hungry... Rukia, I'm so hungry... Rukia, come keep me company! Rukia, where were you when I died? Where was the captain?"
Within that enormous mouth were countless human faces—the faces of the Thirteenth Division soldiers who had been ordered to remain behind, the soldiers killed by this Menos Grande. The faces of the five soldiers who had entered the room earlier were also among them. Blood and tears streamed from their eyes as they wept and pleaded with Rukia ...
"My comrades?! My family..."
Rukia gazed at those faces, two lines of tears slowly slid down her cheeks.
"Awoo~"
The next second, the enormous mouth swallowed Rukia whole, and then, just three seconds later, it returned to its normal size.
There are still people outside... I'm so hungry...
After swallowing Rukia whole, the Menos Grande wasn't satisfied. It looked outside the door at the Thirteenth Division soldiers who were pounding on the door but unable to escape due to some kind of barrier.
"Eat... eat everyone..."
Menos Grande laughed, and then his head exploded!
"Boom!"
" Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!"
Accompanied by a faint female voice, the main room of the Thirteenth Division barracks was instantly engulfed in flames.
(End of this chapter)