The Fourth Division Barracks are different from other divisions. There's no training dojo or facilities for members to relax and play. Instead, there are countless clean white beds. Stepping inside, you can feel your soul being cleansed and recover from your injuries more quickly. After all, the Fourth Division's main function is healing, which includes both physical and mental healing.
But Sōgo didn't think so. For some reason, every time he came to the Fourth Division, he could feel a faint sense of oppression, as if some dark and ferocious demon was hiding under the white beds and barracks.
"Oh my gosh~ Isn't this Sōgo? Did he come to the Fourth Division to visit someone who's sick?"
Just as Sōgo was peeking out from the corner of the stairwell, secretly observing, a gentle voice slowly sounded from behind him.
"Huh?" Sōgo shuddered slightly upon hearing the voice beside him and slowly turned around. "Hehe... isn't this Sister Hana? So you're in the Fourth Division?"
"Hmph hmph hmph..."
Standing behind Sōgo was a classic Japanese beauty with a subtle, luminous glow. Her two braided pigtails, cascading down her full chest, exuded a unique Eastern charm. Her features were delicately rendered, like an ink painting, embodying Eastern beauty. And her smile, full of love, evoked a feeling in anyone who saw her. "Ah, this is probably my mother." This woman was Retsu Unohana, the current Fourth Division Captain, a perfect captain who could wield a sword on the battlefield and provide healing off it.
But even with such a perfect captain, Sōgo found it somewhat difficult to deal with her. For some reason Sōgo always felt that beneath her perfect exterior, there seemed to be something that was the exact opposite of her pure and holy appearance.
"This is my squad, and if I, as the squad leader, am not here, wouldn't things be in serious trouble?"
Sister Hana greeted Sōgo with a gentle smile, her words as soft as a spring breeze.
"Hehehe... You're right, you're right. Actually, it's nothing serious for me. I'll come again next time~"
Sōgo waved lightly at Retsu Unohana, then prepared to slip out of the Fourth Division Barracks with the other Soul Reaper had finished visiting the sick.
However, before Sōgo could take a few more steps, he was grabbed by the back of fate by Sister Hana's fair hand.
" Sōgo-kun, what do you mean by leaving as soon as you see me? Do you think I'm too old Sister Hana? I heard you're quite familiar with Shutara ~"
Sister Hana grabbed Sōgo by the back of the neck with one hand and gently stroked his smiling cheek with the other, silently staring at the back of Sōgo's head with her slightly narrowed eyes.
"Forehead..."
For Sōgo reason, Sougo always felt like his entire body was being constantly torn apart by someone's Zanpakuto. In short, he would have this strange feeling every time he met Sister Hana, which was why he was unwilling to be around her.
" Lieutenant Aizen is in the third room on the second floor~"
Just as Sōgo was feeling Sister Hana's gaze, which seemed capable of unleashing a slash, Sister Hana spoke softly in her gentle voice.
"Um?!"
Sōgo paused slightly after hearing what Sister Hana said, then turned around.
Go quickly.
Retsu Unohana smiled slightly as she looked at Sōgo's surprised expression.
The private rooms on the second floor of the Fourth Division Barracks are usually reserved for vice-captains and Captain-level.
Inside the third room on this floor, a brown-haired man with bandages wrapped around his face sat on a clean white bed, gazing at the bright sunshine outside the window.
"Yo~"
Just as the man was quietly looking out the window, a white-haired man carrying a fruit basket for medical treatment walked in, accompanied by the jarring sound of the door being pushed open.
"Um?"
The brown-haired man sitting on the hospital bed slowly turned around and looked at the white-haired man, Sōgo Shihoin, as he heard the voice beside him.
"How pathetic... Aizen... He's like a piece of junk."
Sōgo took an apple from the fruit basket, placed it on the small cabinet next to the hospital bed, and then greeted Aizen in a friendly manner while eating the apple.
"Hahaha... I'm sorry to make you laugh. We were lured by the enemy into an area we shouldn't have entered, and ended up being ambushed."
Aizen smiled gently at Sōgo had come to visit him in the hospital.
How many times was he stabbed?
Sōgo ate his apple with gusto and asked casually.
"My right eye, left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg, heart, and lungs have all suffered some damage, and my stomach was completely pierced through. It's probably a the Miracle I'm still alive!"
Aizen a self-deprecating, soft laugh.
"It truly is a the Miracle. It seems that fate is still somewhat kind to a careless person like you."
Sōgo nodded slightly after hearing Aizen's words.
"Was I favored by fate?... If I had tried to dissuade the captain (the captain of the Kōtotsu investigation team, who was also the former captain of the Tenth Division ) back then, perhaps he wouldn't have sacrificed himself. The captain... he was such a powerful person."
After hearing Sōgo's words, Aizen murmured softly, a hint of melancholy flashing across his face.
"Look at you, you're disgusting. Being driven to this desperate state by a few Quincy is laughable. Let's leave it at that! On the battlefield, it's not about who's right or wrong. Victory doesn't go to the stronger; it goes to the prepared. Just rest and recover in your hospital room. I'll take over from here."
Sōgo looked at Aizen, who was looking down, and threw the apple core he had left over at Aizen's head.
"Sou... Sōgo-kun, what do you mean by this?"
Aizen was hit squarely on the forehead by Sōgo's apple core. With his forehead now even more injured, he asked Sōgo a question.
"Need I say more? I will personally lead the team to meet those Quincy beat you so badly."
Sōgo gave Aizen a proud and arrogant smile, then turned and left without waiting for Aizen to say anything more.
"..."
"Hmph hmph hmph..."
Aizen watched Sōgo walk out of the ward, a slight smile playing on his lips.
" Sōgo-kun, you're right. The victor in a battle isn't necessarily the strongest. Victory often belongs to those who are well-prepared. And clearly, I'm the one who's best prepared right now."
As Aizen watched Sōgo leave, the glasses perched on his nose emitted an eerie glow, and for a moment the previously harmonious atmosphere seemed to become slightly somber.
Second Division Special Squad, Greening Squad.
"Today is our first time going out in a team, a small test to see how we're doing, using some small fry to assess our abilities."
Sōgo, dressed in Ichiki's jet-black Shihakusho, stood with his hands behind his back, addressing the group of people in front of him dressed in jet-black stealth Stealth Force.
"A mission?!"
After hearing Sōgo's words, all the team members in front of him were slightly taken aback.
So, does that mean we're going on a picnic?
Lilynette raised her hand with stars in her eyes, looking like a primary school student asking a question to the teacher before a field trip.
"That's one way to understand it, Lilynette."
When Sōgo saw Lilynette raise her hand, he very cooperatively addressed her as "classmate."
"That's great, Sōgo- sensei~"
Lilynette excitedly recounted that although she enjoyed delicious meals every day after arriving in Seireitei, she had lost some of her freedom. Now, she could finally go out and play!
"That's great, Lilynette!"
Tier Harribel stood behind Lilynette, genuinely happy for Lilynette.
"Hmm~"
Lilynette hugged Tier Harribel tightly, instantly creating a spectacular scene reminiscent of Jupiter colliding with Saturn.
"Mission assigned, mission assigned, mission assigned..."
Shaoling Fon kept muttering to herself. She was the type who was so excited before a spring outing that she couldn't sleep all night. At this moment, although she tried her best to calm herself down, she just couldn't do it.
"On a mission?"
"I wonder if there's anything I can stretch my muscles with, preferably a Vasto Lorde- level Menos Grande to spar with."
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi Zanpakuto over his shoulder, looking eager to try it out.
"Um?"
Lilynette, Tier Harribel, and Szayelaporro, who had just returned from Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's Kisuke Urahara and was adjusting equipment, all slashed at Kuruyashiki Kenpachi the side. What had he just said he wanted to practice with?
"..."
After listening to their conversation, Tsunayashiro Tokinada, who was holding a mop, didn't say much. He just quietly watched everyone without offering any of his own opinions.
"Ah... then let's all set off first thing tomorrow morning!"
Sōgo smiled slightly at everyone and gave the order.
night.
"I have a mission tomorrow! I really need to go to bed early!"
Shaoling Fon lay in bed with her eyes tightly closed, muttering to herself.
An hour has passed...
Two hours have passed...
Three hours have passed...
It's almost dawn...
"We're going on a mission tomorrow! What am I going to do? I can't sleep at all!"
Suddenly, Shaoling Fon had kept her eyes tightly closed, opened them and stared at the ceiling with her bloodshot eyes, letting out a hoarse shout.
On the other side.
"We're going on a spring outing tomorrow! Yay!!"
Lilynette was completely energized, partying in the barracks from night until dawn.
"This technology is still a bit imperfect..."
Szayelaporro, a near-JoJo-level life form who doesn't need to sleep anyway, spent the whole night doing research.
Taking advantage of the gloomy sky Tsunayashiro Tokinada went to the underground conference room of the Central 46 Chambers, and it is unknown what he discussed with the head of the Tsunayashiro Clan spends all day in the Great Spirit Book Gallery monitoring the entire Soul Society.
Almost everyone in Sōgo's special squad, except for Sōgo and Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, didn't get a good night's sleep.
The next morning, everyone gathered in front of the Second Division barracks on time.
" Little Fon, you don't seem to have slept well last night. Are you really okay?"
Sōgo casually draped his arm over Shaoling Fon's shoulder, and noticing the dark circles under her eyes, he couldn't help but ask.
"Please don't mind me, Young Master Sōgo."
Shaoling Fon gently pinched the bridge of her small nose, then rubbed her temples to adjust her sensations.
"Are you sure it's okay?"
Sōgo looked at Shaoling Fon mental state was extremely poor, and asked again.
"Yeah, don't worry, Sōgo. I just had a little trouble sleeping last night."
Shaoling Fon Sōgo slightly to Sougo and began to speak.
"Well then... gentlemen, we shall depart."
Sōgo hearing Shaoling Fon's words, Sougo gently patted her head, then smiled at everyone, a sharp glint in his eyes.
"Oh~"
The crowd nodded slightly, their nods particularly weak.
In order to allow Sōgo and the others to pass through, the Kidō Corps are preparing a special Senkaimon.
"Have you heard? Ever since the last time the captain of the Tenth Division, along with the two vice-captains of the Tenth Division and Fifth Division, suffered a crushing defeat in the Dangai, it's said that the Gotei 13, at the strong recommendation of the Captain-Commander, will be sending out a new sniper squad this time. However, I heard that this squad only has seven people..."
Dozens of members of the Kidō Corps, having prepared the Senkaimon Senkaimon, were chatting idly in front of it.
Seven people?!
"Last time, several hundred people failed in their campaign, and this time they're only sending seven?"
"Could it be that the Gotei 13 has already given up on this expedition?"
Among the Kidō Corps, someone raised a question.
"I'm not sure, but it seems there are only seven people. I heard that even the captain of the Fifth Division volunteered to go to the Dangai, Quincy the Captain-Commander rejected it."
"Really? But I remember the Fifth Division's lieutenant was in the last raid and got badly beaten."
"That was more than just terrible! It was downright inhuman; it's a miracle they even came back alive."
Just as the members of the Kidō Corps were chatting idly, the air suddenly became thick and sticky.
"Null!!!"
The Kidō Corps were standing in two rows in Senkaimon, suddenly felt their bodies sink. It was as if countless needles were falling from the sky, making it hard for them to breathe, and they felt a stinging pain on their skin as if they were being pricked by needles.
"This is... Spiritual Pressure?"
Just as the group of Kidō Corps were feeling puzzled, seven figures slowly walked towards them from the end of the road. The seven of them walked together casually without any regard for queuing.
This terrifying Spiritual Pressure, capable of swallowing the heavens and earth, was created by the seven people gathered together, none of whom consciously restrained their Spiritual Pressure. Yes, the seven of them created such a terrifying flow of Spiritual Pressure simply because they did not restrain their Spiritual Pressure.
"..."
"All of them are Captain-level Soul Reaper..."
Standing at the end of the line, the Kidō Chief felt the Spiritual Pressure rain attacking his skin like needles. He raised an eyebrow slightly. Now he knew why Captain-Commander Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai had specifically asked him to build the Senkaimon. A normal Senkaimon really wouldn't be able to allow everyone in front of him to pass through.
However, Kidō Chief was even more curious about was where the Captain-Commander had come from to create a team whose members' Spiritual Pressure was all above the standard of Captain-level Soul Reaper.
"This is it, right?"
Sōgo looked at the Senkaimon in front of him and walked straight in without saying a word.
My head hurts so much...
Shaoling Fon followed closely behind.
"Let's go!! Picnic!!"
Following them were Lilynette, Tier Harribel, and Szayelaporro, who was carrying a large backpack—three Vasto Lorde- level Arrancar who should have Menos Grande in a life-or-death struggle with the Soul Reaper.
"I hope this will allow me to stretch my muscles a bit."
Next is Kuruyashiki Kenpachi has already been sentenced to death but has mastered the power of Hollowfication. If the Central 46 Chambers were to discover this, they would issue an execution order for his unauthorized research into the power of Hollowfication.
And then Tsunayashiro Tokinada always walks at the back with a smile, but is actually full of mischief...
To sum up the whole team in one go... they're all villains!
(End of this chapter)