Chapter Eleven

Destruction.

That was the form of death they ruled. In short, their existence was burdened with contradiction—they were slaves to their everlasting impulse for destruction, repeatedly causing destruction because they sought freedom. They were the ones who had once fought each other for the rank of “6.”

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.

Luppi Antenor.

Their personalities were entirely different on the surface, but in both a passion flowed in their foundations like magma. The Octava Espada had once said to Luppi, who had become the Sexta after Grimmjow had committed a blunder:

“The form of death that represents you is likely the same as Grimmjow’s. That is the precise reason why you were chosen to succeed him among Dordoni, Cirucci, and the other candidates.

“And don’t try to tell me you had no idea. The only way you can establish a connection with anything is through destruction. If the holes bored through us Hollows are what we lack, then you—or rather you both—can only use destruction as a means to fill that void.

“The reason why you hate Grimmjow from the bottom of your heart is simply because you hate others the same way you hate yourself.

“Actually, you are the legitimate Sexta, especially now. You should pity him.

“Well, if you accidentally kill Grimmjow, I will make good use of his corpse, so you should feel content in following your desires.

“Because as long as you carry that number, you are disposed toward an existence that causes destruction.”

≡

THE RUKONGAI

After Aizen’s departure from Hueco Mundo, the Espada numbers no longer held meaning, and what remained for them was the form of death called destruction.

“Ha hah! I won’t let anyone get in my way. I’ll tear you apart—eight against one!”

Swinging around his mangled tentacles and splattering his opponent’s blood, Luppi hit Grimmjow multiple times in succession. Grimmjow, who through his Resurrección had transformed into a beastlike form, continued to use both his clawed hands and the occasional Cero to evade the surging wave of attacks that consisted of strikes, slashes, and the odd Cero.

“Tsk… There’s no fun in killing a weakling who couldn’t even leave a scratch on me.”

“In that case, you can die bored.”

Luppi used his four inner tentacles in an attempt to pin Grimmjow from four directions. He used his four remaining tentacles to release Ceros blended with his blood. Grimmjow, whom he faced, purposefully went out in front of him and slipped past the tentacles.

“But, you know what, I’ve got a reason to kill you.”

Then, using his claws, he swiped away the Ceros that had been released from the remaining four tentacles and went right for Luppi’s chest.

“Ah!”

“I’ll crush anybody who underestimates me, no matter who they are!”

He tried to drive his sharply honed zanpaku-to claws into Luppi’s chest like he had in the past, but…

“Gotcha.”

Luppi smiled boldly and stepped forward, purposefully impaling his own abdomen with the claws.

“What?!”

“You’ll crush anybody who underestimates you, eh? Yeah, what a coincidence.”

Grimmjow had not only missed the vitals he had been aiming for but had been enclosed with Luppi in the eight tentacles like a carnivorous plant taking its prey.

“That’s what I intend to do too, Grimmjow.”

Wrapping his body around Grimmjow, he shot out Ceros all at once.

“Like I’d let that happen!”

At the same time, Grimmjow inhaled and let out an explosive roar interwoven with spiritual pressure, and from the armor that had opened up on his arm, he unleashed a Garra de la Pantera—lumps of spiritual pressure in the form of expelled claws.

Next, their attacks blended, and explosive flames and sprays of blood covered the vicinity.

“These guys are reckless. Seriously, fights between Hollows are pretty rough,” Ginjo, who had been watching the state of the fight, muttered to himself as wind from the explosion swept up a cloud of dust and impaired his vision. From beside him Tsukishima said, “I’d say you’re pretty reckless yourself.”

“Stop spouting nonsense. I’m always about safety first.”

“We’ll leave it at that then. More importantly, looks like they’re about to get here.”

“Yeah. Well then, guess there’s no telling what’s gonna happen under these circumstances.”

As Ginjo turned his eyes to the fight between the Arrancars, he was wary of the Soul Reaper who was heading toward them, as well as the other presence that seemed like it had intersected with that Soul Reaper.

“We should really start thinking about temporarily withdrawing soon. Even if we try disappearing into the chaos, we could end up goners in an instant if we try our luck and get hit.”

“Tsk… I thought I got you just now.”

After the cloud of dust dissipated, Luppi appeared from within it with a bloody, sarcastic smile, his tentacles even more torn up than earlier. Next, Grimmjow appeared, covered in cuts but not out of breath.

“That’s my line. You toughened up suddenly. It ends here.”

Grimmjow clucked his tongue, but he was grinning as he started to pour his spiritual pressure into his claws to deal the finishing blow. However—

“Tsk… I thought I got you just now.”

“Huh?”

“Tsk… I thought I got you just now.”

“You off your rocker or something? What’re you saying?” Grimmjow asked dubiously, as Luppi repeated the same words over and over again. But…

“Huh?!”

He realized that the spiritual pressure he had been collecting in his claws had been reset, and then he knew for certain that something strange was happening.

“I thought I got you just now.”

“Thought I got you just now.”

“I thought  I” “Th ou ght” “ought” “ught” “…”

While listening to Luppi’s words repeat, he was overcome with the feeling of every nerve in his body going numb.

“Oh, sooo sorry. Did I forget to mention it? All of that blood I showered on you is chock-full of this super special poison,” Luppi said with a smile that was both coldhearted and innocent when Grimmjow suddenly collapsed onto his knees.

“I dunno how it works exactly, but apparently it’s a fearsome poison that causes your mind to repeat the past over and over again. And while that’s happening, your body is fully paralyzed.”

Luppi staggered, riddled with wounds himself, approaching Grimmjow one step at a time. He knew Mayuri Kurotsuchi had hidden that poison in their bodies. In fact, he had already demonstrated its results on Rangiku Matsumoto’s zombie when he had fought her. Though whether the poison would work on a Hollow had been a gamble, he’d felt confident that Mayuri Kurotsuchi would have considered that contingency and had purposefully fought in a way that would shower Grimmjow with his blood.

“Ah ha ha. This isn’t how I wanted things to go down…” Luppi ridiculed himself for being prepared to fight until his last as he looked down on Grimmjow. “But this is the first time I’ve felt alive in a while. I’m grateful, Grimmjow, even though I’m gonna kill you.”

Then Luppi filled each of his eight tentacles with spiritual pressure, preparing to release Gran Ray Ceros from each of their tips. However, something wildly unexpected occurred at that moment. Grimmjow, who he was sure had fallen prey to paralysis, slowly stood up.

“What…?”

“Tsk…looks like you’ve actually got you…Luppi!”

“Impossible! How?! How can you stand?! Even captain-class Soul Reapers were no match for that poison!”

≡

“Ah, so that Arrancar has some tolerance,” muttered Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who had been observing the events from afar with deep fascination.

“Tolerance? To the captain's poison?”

When Akon, who had stayed back at the Department of Research and Development, asked that through the communications device, Mayuri responded with an explanation of the situation that was interwoven with complaints about Luppi. “Really, what a thoughtless man. I need to establish a point in the past to go back to for the drug to demonstrate its absolute efficacy. Well, in any case there should have been a great many other types of paralysis drugs hidden in him as well.”

Mayuri was intrigued as he watched the spiritual pressure data on Grimmjow and muttered to himself, “It seems he has been subjected to some kind of peculiar poison that elongated his life. Just contemplating such a poison is truly tantalizing.”

≡

Grimmjow was once almost poisoned to death under the powers of a Quincy named Nakk le Vaar; he had become more resilient to poison after that experience, though he himself didn’t realize it. Usually Mayuri would have immediately made “adjustments” to nullify that resistance had the captain been by Luppi’s side. However, Luppi showering Grimmjow in poison hadn’t taken the Arrancar’s physical function away—he was even capable of standing on his own.

“Pretty sneaky thing you did there. Well, who cares? If somebody like you wants to kill me, take whatever shot you can.”

It wasn’t as though the poison hadn’t had any effect. Though he was probably in the worst possible physical shape, Grimmjow still had a ferocious smile on his face and a thirst to continue the battle.

“I’ll crush every piece of you—including that arrogant little face of yours.”

Though Luppi had been uneasy when his opponent had stood back up, he regained his composure once he saw that terrible look.

“Ahh, poison just really isn’t for me. Guess I’m no Szayelaporro.”

While rotating his eight shredded tentacles, he started to stockpile spiritual pressure as though in preparation to release another Gran Ray Cero.

“All right, Grimmjow, challenge accepted.”

Then a wicked smile, just like his opponent’s, appeared on Luppi’s face, and in an unusually rough tone he announced his murderous intentions. “With an enemy like you, I’ve definitely got to crush you head-on!”

It was a Gran Ray Cero octet.

Inferring that an extraordinary attack was likely on its way, Grimmjow once again tried to intercept it using a countermeasure.

The technique he used was a Desgarrón.

Grimmjow distilled spiritual pressure even denser than a Gran Ray Cero in the tips of both sets of claws, forming gigantic, piercing talons that towered over him to the left and right. Though no one could know which of them would be the more powerful, what was obvious was that the impact of either of their spiritual pressures would blow away everything around them.

“That’s going to give us a little trouble. We’re retreating.”

“What the hell is that?! Are they trying to drag us into this too?!”

Ginjo and Candice yelled simultaneously and started to gather their companions in order to get away from the two Arrancars, but—

That thing, which flew in as though taking their place, inserted itself between Grimmjow and Luppi, instantly upsetting the spiritual pressure in the vicinity.

“Wha?!”

“Huh?”

Luppi and Grimmjow’s concentration was broken by the shift in spiritual pressure, and they both stopped using their abilities.

“Who the hell are you?” Luppi asked, though he did not call off the spiritual pressure he had gathered in order to launch the Gran Ray Ceros. The mass of strange spiritual pressure that had leapt in began to speak.

“Ow, ouch, ouch! I just can’t get the hang of landings…”

Muttering to itself in a tone that was entirely unfit for the current circumstances, it directed a smile that held not a shred of ill will at Luppi and introduced itself. “Yes! My name is Hikone Ubuginu! I was told by Lord Tokinada to come here to meet him…umm… Mr. Grimmjow!”

When Hikone heedlessly spoke, confusion filled Luppi’s eyes as he looked at Grimmjow.

“Ahh, uh… Is this kid your reinforcement or something?”

“Hell no,” Grimmjow readily denied, then stared straight at Hikone. “Wait, I don’t remember telling you my name earlier. How do you know it?”

“Yes! Lord Tokinada told me! You’re number six in the Espada, right?!”

When Luppi heard that, his eyes narrowed faintly. Grimmjow, on the other hand, didn’t seem to care about Espadas or the Sexta anymore and reacted to something entirely different.

“Toki-nadah, huh? You mentioned him last time too, didn’t you? Is that the Soul Reaper boss or something?”

Next, they heard another voice coming from behind Grimmjow. “Wrong, you numbskull. Though he is up there. Kyoraku is always our head.”

“You’re…”

He was a blond Soul Reaper who wore a captain’s coat over a standard shihakusho. Though his hair and attire were different, Grimmjow immediately recognized him.

“That spiritual pressure. I remember it. You’re one of the guys who got in the way of my battle to the death with Kurosaki in the living world.”

“You’re mistaking me for someone else.”

“You screwing with me? Then who’re you supposed to be? The kid’s guardian or something?”

“I’m sure I already told you… ‘What’s it to you?’”

“You are definitely the ass from back then.”

Grimmjow, who had heard the same phrase several years ago, let his mouth contort fiendishly and clucked his tongue, then said with glee, “Hah! I’ve got people to slaughter coming at me one after another! If Kurosaki showed up, that’d top the whole thing off!”

But Hikone easily refuted Grimmjow’s suggestion. “Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki isn’t coming.”

“Hunh?”

Hikone brushed off the hostility of Grimmjow’s stare and continued casually, “After all, Mr. Ichigo Kurosaki should be busy in the living world! Apparently he is risking his life fighting for his sisters! Isn’t that amazing? It’s so honorable!”

Hearing that, the blond Soul Reaper said dubiously, “Hold up, hold up—just wait a sec, lad. How would you know something like that? What did you say was going on with Ichigo?”

However, before Hikone could reply Grimmjow went on the move. He pointed his left hand at the blond Soul Reaper and his right hand at Hikone and Luppi as he shot Ceros in both their directions.

“That was close! What was that?! I thought that Ferris wheel was supposed to be your enemy!”

As the Soul Reaper grumbled and narrowly evaded the attack, Grimmjow bared his fangs and sneered, “Quit your lame yapping. I’m gonna kill all of you no matter what happens. You got no problems with that, right?”

“Did you just call me a Ferris wheel?”

Luppi, who had instantly used his tentacles to defend against the Cero, glared at the Soul Reaper and Grimmjow but then noticed Hikone between them.

Huh?

This kid didn’t even try to dodge and he’s unscathed?

Luppi felt a foreboding chill run down his spine. It wasn’t just Luppi—Grimmjow, the blond Soul Reaper, and even the distantly spectating Quincies and Fullbringers all sensed a massive, overbearing power, as sweat oozed from their palms.

“Hey, what the hell is this kid even?” Grimmjow asked. The blond Soul Reaper shook his head and replied, “I wouldn’t tell you if I knew. To be honest, I want to know too.”

A single zanpaku-to reflected in their eyes. The sword that Hikone had unsheathed was an eerie hue, strangely white for a blade. It didn’t seem to glint so much as blot out the light itself with a white cast. Unlike Sodenoshirayuki, which was a full-bodied white from its hilt up, this blade contained a sinister black motif intermingling with the whiteness here and there that made the Soul Reapers and Quincies feel a rudimentary fear, while it made the Arrancars and Fullbringers feel a clear and fundamental sentimentality.

“This presence…it’s a Hollow’s, isn’t it?” Luppi asked his enemies without thinking, and Grimmjow replied in annoyance, “No doubt about it. This kid’s zanpaku-to is the same as our side. It even opened up a garganta.”

“Hikone, was it? What is that zanpaku-to?”

I’d prefer it to have been a trick of my eyes, but…

That zanpaku-to just ate a Cero, didn’t it?

Starting with Arazomeshigure, there were several zanpaku-to known to be able to absorb reishi attacks. However, he didn’t think this one was the same as those. Hirako’s spiritual senses felt that the sword itself had taken in the spiritual pressure like a living creature sipping water. Hikone smiled happily upon hearing Hirako’s question and innocently replied, “Right, I’ll introduce you too, Mr. Hirako! This is the zanpaku-to Lord Tokinada granted me!”

“He granted that thing to you?”

As Hirako pondered the many ways that sounded like a complete joke, a voice that bewildered him all the more came from the base of Hikone’s hands.

“How deplorable.”

“Hm?”

“How could a fellow Hollow’s spiritual pressure amount to this, even after breaking their masks?”

Those words were cast out by the zanpaku-to to Luppi and Grimmjow.

“What is Barragan doing? Has he been sealed away like me?”

Hirako had thought at first that Hikone’s voice had just changed, but he instantly discounted that possibility. That was because there was spiritual pressure mixed in with the voice that made the atmosphere itself quiver, and it had a pronounced Hollow nature to it.

“What the heck is that zanpaku-to?! Is it externalizing itself?!”

“Quiet, Soul Reaper. I am not a zanpaku-to. I am…I am…” the zanpaku-to that was about to speak its name paused, then its voice turned resentful and irritated. “Cursed…Soul Reapers…you did that to my name…”

“What was that? A sword cracking a joke to itself is just so creepy, it isn’t even funny.”

As Hirako was dubious on the sidelines, Grimmjow and Luppi each started shouting.

“What’re you complainin’ about?”

“Anyhow, we’ve gotta assume that you’re picking a fight with us based on what you just said, right?”

They turned their bloodthirstiness toward the zanpaku-to—or rather, to the thing that seemed Hollow-like—that had just sneered at them.

“Ah! Sorry! This little one recently developed the ability to speak, but it never has anything nice to say!” Hikone humbly apologized, but the child then blurted out something strange with a bright expression. “But I’ll be so pleased if you fight me with everything you’ve got, even if it’s out of anger!”

“Hngh?”

“This time I’ll break your spirits and force you to acknowledge that I’m the king! Please expect great things! I’ll give it everything I have!”

After so innocently provoking them, Hikone Ubuginu sonorously recited their own zanpaku-to’s—or rather, the zanpaku-to-like thing’s—release words.

“Mark their funeral, Ikomikidomoe.”

Spiritual pressure rose up like a tornado and turned into an eerie wall of intermingled light and shadow covering Hikone’s surroundings.

“Huh?!”

As the only one who had faced Hikone before, only Grimmjow noticed that strange atmosphere.

What’s going on here? That’s not the same as the bankai from before…

The bankai he had heard in Hueco Mundo had been the words “revolve around the stars.” Back when the kid had shown off the zanpaku-to’s ability, the sword had transformed into something that resembled a Hollow’s arm that seemed to act of its own accord as it mowed down the surrounding enemies. Though the ability had been simple, its atrocious power was unparalleled to the point that many Vasto Lorde-class Arrancars had been overcome after a few swipes and ended up withdrawing. However, the difference wasn’t only the words of the bankai.

The hell…? The density of this spiritual pressure is also on a different level than it was back then!

Several seconds passed as he had attempted to quell his doubt, and the tornado of reishi dispersed. What appeared from within the tornado that they had to look up at left everyone there at a loss for words.

“The hell is that?”

Even Ginjo and the others were able to clearly see it from their current distance. It would be hard to avoid noticing it.

The scene might have been familiar to Soul Reapers and Arrancars. This was because they had encountered Hollows that size in the past, such as the characteristically one-eyed Menos Grande gathering called Fura or the Espada Yammy Llargo, who after unleashing his anger, had become a nonstandard size. However, even taking that into account, considering the fact that it preserved the spiritual pressure density of a humanoid Vasto Lorde, it was obviously an abnormality. The thing, which seemed to overwhelm both their vision and spiritual pressure perceptions, stepped firmly onto the land of the Soul Society while inhaling the dregs of the tornado. It was larger than a common Menos Grande and was a creature with an ominous yet beautiful form, like an Adjuchas. Furthermore, they could see that the shihakusho-wearing child who had appeared just earlier was riding it.

“That’s not some ninja’s frog. That thing’s too dangerous to keep as a pet.”

Meanwhile, the Quincies were also bewildered at the sight of the giant monstrosity.

“Is that thing bigger than the bankai of that wolf guy Bambi did in?”

“More importantly, something’s bugging me…”

In response to Candice, who was gaping in shock, Meninas voiced a single response:

“Yeah, I know.”

Candice broke into a cold sweat as she completed Meninas’s thought. “Why does that Soul Reaper-looking kid riding on top of it have infusions of his spiritual pressure?”

≡

“Looks like the bait worked,” Mayuri Kurotsuchi muttered to himself, grinning broadly.

Then, operating the communications device equipment in his ear, he gave instructions to the distant NaNaNa Najahkoop. “It’s your time to shine. You may use one of your few redeeming qualities to strip their konpaku bare.”

“That was an unnecessary dig. Well, I’ll get it done. Was your target that weird kid and the monster all along, not the Fullbringers?”

“Analysis of the Fullbringers was naturally part of my goal. Originally, I was planning on analyzing those ‘odds and ends’ a little later. However, since baiting him was so easy, either something must have come up that made time of the essence, or he sent them knowing it was a trap.”

Mayuri narrowed his eyes and uttered the name of a certain man as a sneer formed on his face.

“If it is indeed the latter, you must have entirely underestimated me, Tokinada Tsunayashiro.”

≡

An undisclosed location in the Seireitei

The place was a certain establishment in a concealed underground area of the Seireitei that was exclusively used by nobles. This establishment was the gathering place of all direct data from the Visual Department—it was where every bit of the visual observation data of not only the Seireitei but also the entirety of the living world and, in recent years, parts of Hueco Mundo was gathered and stored. In a passageway that connected the establishment to the ground level, a man wagged his head vaguely at a collection of people who were blocking his way.

“The fun was just starting though. You’ve come to bother me at just the wrong time,” Tokinada said with a tone of heartfelt disappointment, though his eyes revealed an irrepressible smile of joy. “So? What in the world do you intend to do? I’m afraid I’m slow on the uptake about these things, and I’d like an explanation.”

The people in front of his eyes consisted of a petite Soul Reaper wearing a captain’s coat and a group clothed fully in black waiting behind her—they were the Secret Remote Squad’s first unit, the Punishment Force.

“Lord Tokinada Tsunayashiro, we have received word that someone is scheming to assassinate you. Until we eradicate the threat, we would like to take you into our custody.”

“Oh, I see. So we’ve come to this.” Tokinada shrugged with an unpleasant smile on his face. “Attacking from behind is Kyoraku’s way of doing things. It looks like he still hasn’t made any progress on laying the groundwork to unseat me as head of family. So, he figured out that I’m a step ahead of him, and he’s trying to buy himself some time.”

“Excuse me, but I do not understand what you mean to say, sir.”

“Shouldn’t you, though? Please stop your unskilled attempt at trying to fool me, ninth generation Fon. I can see right through your forced civility. I don’t think superficial respect suits the Secret Remote Squad.”

“How you jest.”

Though Tokinada provoked her, Soi Fon did not display any change of expression whatsoever. Intrigued, the man who was the chief of the Four Great Noble Clans continued to toy with the lesser noble from a family of assassins.

“Of your older brothers, two of them passed while running errands for the Tsunayashiro family, did they not? Well, now that things have come to this, one could say they died in vain, but at least they fulfilled their role as pawns.”

“I humbly accept your words of appreciation.” Smothering her heart, Soi Fon responded mechanically. Seeing that, Tokinada’s lips twisted, and he lit the fuse of what would be a bomb for her.

“I said the respectful facade was unnecessary, didn’t I? The only ones you truly respect are the Shihoin household—especially that runaway Yoruichi, who isn’t even the head of house anymore, isn’t that right?”

“…”

Soi Fon’s expression did not budge. However, Tokinada, who had sensed the faintest waver in her spiritual pressure, continued to throw words at her to salt the wound. “Oh, yes, that’s it! Maybe if I were the one to take Yoruichi as my bride, you would show me true respect as one of her own? We’re both part of the Four Great Noble Clans—don’t you think we’re a suitable match? The man who thoughtlessly killed his own wife and the woman who, incited by Kisuke Urahara, thoughtlessly betrayed the Soul Society. Indeed, don’t you think we really are a perfect match?”

Snap—the sound of something breaking rang out.

Soi Fon’s spiritual pressure started to waver, and the still expressionless Punishment Force behind her tried to hold Soi Fon back. In that moment, the voice of the person in question suddenly echoed through the passageway.

“Now now, you must not think much of me if you’d take me as a wife just to get on Soi Fon’s nerves.”

“Huh?”

When Soi Fon spun around, Yoruichi Shihoin was there, clothed in black.

“Ms. Yoruichi!”

“Oh, looks like you’ve overheard some embarrassing things.”

In response to Tokinada, who was clearly not embarrassed, Yoruichi declared, “Since I couldn’t possibly bear the unthinkable possibility you would actually propose to me, I’m just going to say it. If I were to be tied to you for life, I’d rather leave the Soul Society again and elope to Hueco Mundo.”

“Ms. Yoruichi! Please let me come with you for your honeymoo—I mean when you elope!”

Soi Fon said that with a serious expression, and Yoruichi almost closed her eyes as she sighed, “Soi Fon, your brain just stops working the moment I show up, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, ma’am! Thank you!”

“That wasn’t praise! Actually, the Punishment Force is pretty amazing, considering they’re waiting on standby with such straight faces. I suppose you really trained them well.”

“Yes, ma’am! Thank you!”

Exasperated with Soi Fon, who had made an about-face from mechanical silence to acting like a talking toy that parroted the same words over and over again, Yoruichi once again addressed Tokinada. “It seems that I’m being targeted by assassins as well. I was so frightened that I thought I’d enter into Soi Fon’s protection along with you. You wouldn’t mind, would you?”

Tokinada was silent for a while, then eventually put on a sarcastic smile and let escape a loud sigh.

“So Yoruichi Shihoin, who holds no zanpaku-to, and the ninth generation of the Fon family, who specializes in martial arts. I see, I see. It seems that you’ve heard of my zanpaku-to’s ability from Kyoraku, that chatterbox.”

“How rude. I’ve got my own zanpaku-to. It’s just that I’m much stronger at fighting in combat. That’s why soothing my sulking sword is part of my daily routine.”

Ms. Yoruichi comforts her zanpaku-to every day?

Imagining that, Soi Fon felt terrific jealousy for Yoruichi’s zanpaku-to, even as she remained vigilant around Tokinada and would not say such a thing out loud.

While Soi Fon skillfully compartmentalized her thoughts, the Punishment Force calmed their spiritual pressure like the surface of a body of water in order to protect Tokinada.

Tokinada lingered in thought for a few more moments, then smiled in a remarkably vulgar way as he accepted the request. “Why not? In that case, I will ask you to guard me. I was very uneasy being alone anyway.”

“You were uneasy?” Yoruichi asked.

“Yes. Lately I’m continually being attacked by assassins. And my guard Hikone is not here right now. On days like this, when I walk around without any guards in front of me—"

In the next moment an explosion echoed, and a gigantic hole ripped open in the ceiling.

“Huh?!”

A group of men and women whose faces were entirely covered by cloth appeared from the hole. They didn’t give even a passing glance around as they rushed to the place where Tokinada and the others were, gripping their zanpaku-to that had already achieved shikai.

Assassins?! Wait, was he serious?!

No, they must be Tsunayashiro’s people!

Though Soi Fon wasn’t sure which was true, in either case her only prerogative was to keep an eye on Tokinada and protect him. Determining that, Soi Fon’s expression instantly returned to normal, and she gave minimal instructions to the members of the Punishment Force under her command. “Get in formation and engage!”

“Oh, I’m so frightened. Assassins are so terrifying. I suppose I must also cross the boundaries of social status and fight alongside a lesser noble such as you.”

Sneering at Soi Fon, Tokinada smiled and reached a hand to the zanpaku-to at his hip.

“Offer, Kuten Kyokoku.”

Thus, near the center of the Seireitei, the curtains rose on a tragedy that the aristocracy had created. Perhaps it could be said that this was an overture to the further chaos that would ensue.