Chapter 78: Weird Unfolding
"Oh god, I can't even use Bankai!"
"So, which of you two will accompany me?"
"I'll go!" Matsumoto Rangiku eagerly volunteered, as long as she didn't have to deal with annoying paperwork, she didn't mind fighting.
"I..." Nanao Ise's gaze lowered, seeming hesitant to meet Tokikaze's eyes, showing a slight reluctance in her attitude.
"Well, then Nanao-chan is coming with me as well."
Tokikaze made the decision, "Practice what you've learned; your knowledge of Kido shouldn't be wasted. Remember, actual combat is the best teacher."
Nanao Ise initially wanted to refuse, but in the moment when she locked eyes with Tokikaze, she seemed to be electrified and stepped back, nodding slightly with flushed cheeks.
Matsumoto Rangiku crossed her arms, and her suspicious gaze constantly wandered between the two, like a protective lioness.
Something was not right, it was definitely not right!
Her keen sixth sense told her that things were far from being as simple as they seemed.
"Alright, time is of the essence, let's depart immediately."
Tokikaze stood up, casually took his Captain haori from the rack, and walked straight towards the Ninth Division's exit.
Nanao Ise also returned to normal, clenched her fists, and coughed lightly, following him with Shunpo.
Watching the two figures in the distance, Matsumoto Rangiku felt even more suspicious.
Her gaze was deep and mysterious, muttering to herself, "Perhaps, I should take the initiative first..."
...
District #71 North Rukongai.
The somewhat dirty and messy streets were silent, devoid of any signs of life.
Occasionally, the wind would blow, lifting layers of dust and carrying them towards the sky.
Tokikaze furrowed his brows, sensing the unusually low Reishi in the air.
"Does the North, South, East, and West Rukongai have different Reishi densities?"
Nanao Ise, as if forgetting the events of a few days ago, went back to her cool and knowledgeable demeanor, explaining seriously, "There may be some differences in details, but overall, they are relatively consistent. The significant differences in sparse Reishi density only occur in specific environments."
"For example, the Research and Development Institute, the research and development of drugs and human experimentation in the Fourth Division, certain hidden areas in the Noble District, and... The places where abnormal Hollows appear, Captain!"
Tokikaze pressed down his palm in a gesture, signaling her to be patient, "While the later districts are frequent locations for Hollow appearances, most of them are just weak Hollows, so it simply doesn't make sense if many Soul Reapers go missing, especially Seated Officers."
There were some unique Hollows out there, and they didn't rely solely on physical combat. They usually possessed special abilities.
For example, a Hollow named Grand Fisher could conceal itself, use a head-shaped mimicry bait to disguise itself as a human, and specifically hunt humans with high Reiatsu.
This was a typical abnormal Hollow.
They had higher potential, with a higher probability of evolving into either Gillian or Adjuchas.
"Let's keep going."
Tokikaze released his Reiatsu, perceiving the changes in the entire Rukongai District.
Apart from the residents hiding in the shadows, there was no sign of any abnormality.
Due to the large number of missing residents and Soul Reaper, the current Rukongai District was on edge, fearing that they would meet the same fate.
The situation was far more serious than imagined.
"This seems somewhat familiar."
Tokikaze used Shunpo, stabilizing at a constant speed, continuously delved deeper.
Three years ago, during the Hollowfication incident, the situation was exactly the same. Numerous residents in Rukongai disappeared mysteriously, leaving only their clothes behind.
The former Captain of Ninth Division Muguruma Kensei and his Vice-Captain Kuna Mashiro, along with several Seated Officers, went to investigate this incident.
Then, except for Kaname Tosen, the entire team was wiped out.
The only difference was that this time, there were traces to follow, with signs of battle at the scene.
Though the situation wasn't as dire as the last time, considering that something similar had happened before.
Yamamoto Genryusai, upon learning of the situation, immediately issued a Level 1 order, instructing Tokikaze to investigate while ensuring his own safety.
In addition, the Spiritual Wave Measurement Lab was closely monitoring the Reiatsu fluctuations in Rukongai. If any anomalies occurred, they would notify each Division immediately.
"Although I understand the reasoning behind it..." Tokikaze sighed, "But if it's just to be cautious, why not send two Captains instead?"
"Could it be because we've been drawing too much attention recently?"
As they continued to advance, they saw less people as the residents were in hiding.
Even the arrogant thugs were no exception.
At the end of North Rukongai was the Zaraki District.
When they reached this district, Tokikaze had already prepared himself regarding what he would see, but when he actually saw it, he couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.
On the dilapidated streets, dark bloodstains had congealed into clumps. The houses on both sides seemed to have been abandoned long ago.
Unlike the previous district, some people could be seen wandering here, each emitting a considerable Reiatsu.
One person even jumped on Tokikaze and Nanao Ise.
Blood-red eyes, splattering saliva, and a crazed expression. This person didn't seem normal at all.
With a sturdy and powerful physique, the person exuded a violent aura.
"Nanao, it's up to you." Tokikaze reminded, "Use the Kido I taught you before."
"Yes... I will!"
Nanao Ise seemed to recall the teaching process from that day, and a subtle blush appeared on her cheeks.
But soon, her gaze became determined, hands raised forward, and Reiatsu surged.
"Hado #4: Byakurai!"
An exploding lightning burst from her palms, a white line streaked across the air, and the smell of burnt air filled the surroundings due to the high temperature.
Boom!
Under Nanao Ise's precise control, the white lightning hit the charging person, and in an instant, the air was filled with the aroma of roasted flesh. The figure stiffened and fell to the ground, emitting black smoke.
An instant kill.
In terms of Kido, Nanao Ise was a genius. After receiving guidance from Tokikaze, she had improved further.
In this situation, someone who wasn't even at a Seated Officer-level, would die in an instant for sure. Otherwise, Tokikaze would really have to consider giving Nanao Ise some intense special training.
Recently, the special training supervised by Ikkaku Madarame had been quite effective.
Under his guidance, the Ninth Division members had made rapid progress, now capable of going one-on-one with the members of the Eleventh Division, albeit they mostly ended up losing.
After all, the Eleventh Division was a combat Division, and their overall combat strength far exceeded that of the other divisions, except for the First Division.
That alone was a big improvement in Tokikaze's opinion
"Are all the residents in Zaraki District this insane?"
Tokikaze took a few steps forward, reaching the charred corpse. He looked it up and down, "I've never seen someone so brave."
Nanao Ise, having calmed down from her slightly excited state, quickly walked to Tokikaze's side.
It was evident that Tokikaze's guidance was indeed effective, and the results were excellent.
Although the opponent wasn't strong, as the person who released Byakurai, Nanao Ise could clearly perceive the difference in its power after hearing Tokikaze's explanation.
The destructive power had increased by at least one-third.
In this situation, even Nanao Ise felt a bit hesitant.
Should she spend a few more days learning from the Captain?
Recalling the encounter that day, Nanao Ise subconsciously took a deep breath, temporarily suppressing this dangerous thought in her heart.
"The Reishi of this corpse is abnormal."
Nanao Ise crouched beside the corpse, hands covered in spiritual tools gloves, continuously examining the body in detail.
"His Reiatsu potential is extremely limited. In normal circumstances, it's impossible to contain such a high level of Reiatsu."
With just a brief examination, Nanao Ise discovered the anomaly in the corpse.
"It's like cramming ten liters of water into a one-liter container, even if the Reiatsu is compressed to the limit, it still defies common sense."
"His soul is on the brink of collapse, ready to explode at any moment..."
As she spoke, Nanao Ise's eyes suddenly widened, subconsciously looking at Tokikaze.
The body under her palm instantly turned crimson, the skin cracked layer by layer, revealing sinister fissures.
Before Nanao Ise could react, a large hand wrapped around her waist, and they disappeared dozens of meters away in an instant.
"Bakudo #39: Enkosen."
A calm voice sounded in her ears as Nanao Ise looked with surprise at the circular shield that appeared in front of her.
In the next moment…
Boom!
The corpse suddenly exploded. A blazing fire soared into the sky, and a powerful shockwave swept in all directions. The air was filled with suffocating high temperatures.
The dilapidated houses on both sides instantly collapsed, stirring up clouds of dust.
In terms of destructive power, the force of this explosion even exceeded a fully-chanted Hado #31.
If Tokikaze hadn't reacted in time, Nanao Ise would have received severe injuries from such an explosion.
"This whole situation is eerie from the beginning."
Even someone like Tokikaze, who was well aware of the plot developments, couldn't guess the mastermind behind this incident.
After all, based on the slightly inferior methods used, it was highly unlikely to be Aizen's doing.
Looking across the entire Soul Society, Tokikaze couldn't think of anyone who would do such a thing.
Could it be that guy, Mayuri Kurotsuchi?
Or was it related with the previous rebellion...?
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