章 50: Chapter 50
"Seventh Division under attack?!"
"Damn it, who dares commit such atrocities within the Seireitei?!"
"Hurry, to the Seventh Division for support!"
Shouting, a few patrolling Shinigami grabbed their lanterns and dashed toward the Seventh Division barracks.
But just as they rounded a corner, several masked figures emerged from the shadows—
*Schlick! Schlick! Schlick!*
The sound of blades piercing flesh echoed as the patrolling Shinigami cried out in agony and fell to the ground.
Similar scenes unfolded across various locations in the Seireitei.
In front of the Eighth Division barracks, a patrolling Shinigami widened his eyes in terror, staring at the blade about to pierce his chest.
Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky, clad in a pink flower-patterned haori and a wide-brimmed straw hat.
It was Kyōraku Shunsui, the Captain of the Eighth Division!
Facing the attackers, Kyōraku remained expressionless as he raised his Zanpakutō high.
Even in the darkness, the gleam of the blade was strikingly clear.
*Slash!*
With a single swing, blood erupted simultaneously from six or seven attackers, their bodies collapsing to the ground.
Glancing at the fallen assailants, he spoke calmly. "Round them up and detain them in the dojo. Guard them tightly."
"Yes, sir!"
A group of Shinigami who had rushed over responded in unison.
Kyōraku sheathed his blade and adjusted the brim of his hat with one hand.
He turned to the Shinigami who had been saved, now sitting paralyzed on the ground.
"You alright?"
The Shinigami snapped out of his daze and quickly nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes! Thank you so much, Captain Kyōraku!"
Kyōraku gave a slight nod.
At that moment, a tall girl with glasses and braided pigtails landed beside him.
"Captain, battles are breaking out in every district, centered around the Seventh Division barracks."
"In particular, the main roads leading to the Seventh Division have the largest number of attackers."
She frowned slightly as she continued, "So many of them… How did they sneak in without anyone noticing?"
Kyōraku remained silent.
His intuition told him that tonight's events weren't as simple as they seemed.
However, he couldn't come up with a reasonable explanation in such a short time.
And right now, rescuing the Seventh Division was more pressing than investigating the conspiracy behind it.
"Lil' Lisa, I'm counting on you to hold the fort. Don't let any bad guys get in."
With a smile and a light-hearted admonition, he vanished into the night.
---
At the Fifth Division barracks, a man with long golden hair sat on the rooftop, silently observing the direction of the Seventh Division.
Initially, he had intended to rush over and assist immediately.
But after a moment's thought, Hirako Shinji decided against it.
The Eighth Division was close to the Seventh Division barracks, and with Captain Kyōraku there, additional reinforcements should be sufficient.
Rather than rushing over like an idiot, it made more sense for him to stay and guard the Fifth Division, ensuring that any unexpected developments wouldn't leave the Seireitei vulnerable.
However, just then, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
Hirako raised an eyebrow in mild surprise.
It was a messenger from the Kōtōkan—elite communicators of the Seireitei's internal affairs.
Under his gaze, the messenger knelt on one knee. "A directive from the Central 46: Captain Hirako Shinji of the Fifth Division, you are to immediately lead your division to support the Seventh Division barracks."
Hirako couldn't hide his shock at the announcement.
The Fifth Division was so far from the Seventh Division—why did they specifically require him to go?
Instinctively, he asked, "What about the other division captains? Are they being sent too?"
"Apologies, I do not have that information."
With that, the messenger vanished as quickly as he had appeared.
"Tch… This is such a pain," Hirako muttered, scratching his head with an annoyed expression.
He couldn't fathom what the Central 46 was up to, but orders were orders.
The last person to openly defy a Central 46 directive was still rotting in the Muken.
"Oi! Someone, come with me. We're heading to the Seventh Division!"
---
On a rooftop, Kaelith Yurei watched as a group of patrolling Shinigami rushed toward the Seventh Division.
When several attackers suddenly emerged to ambush them, Kaelith drew the Asauchi at his waist.
In a flash, he appeared behind the assailants.
With a light flick of his blade, a trail of blood splattered across the ground in a straight line.
Behind him, the attackers collapsed like puppets whose strings had been severed.
Only then did the defending Shinigami regain their senses.
Seeing Kaelith, they instinctively drew their swords in alarm.
"Who are you?!"
Kaelith calmly pulled out his First Division badge from his pocket. "I'm under orders from Yamamoto-sensei."
Upon recognizing the badge's emblem, the Shinigami collectively exhaled in relief.
Their nerves eased, but as they got a good look at Kaelith, they couldn't help but feel puzzled.
This young Shinigami looked like he hadn't even graduated from Shin'ō Academy yet.
Although doubts lingered, no one dared voice them aloud.
After all, the way Kaelith had effortlessly dispatched the attackers had left a strong impression.
Kaelith spoke firmly, "Tell me your patrol routes for tonight—quickly."
"Not just yours. Any routes you know about, tell me everything."
Thanks to the First Division badge, the patrolling Shinigami didn't question him and promptly relayed everything they knew.
Kaelith narrowed his eyes, mentally mapping out the routes over a simulated layout of the Seireitei.
Gradually, he noticed a pattern.
If viewed with the Seventh Division's barracks as the focal point, the patrol routes seemed riddled with blind spots leading there.
These gaps would make it easy for attackers to infiltrate and position themselves near the barracks.
But… when he removed the Seventh Division from the equation and looked at the map as a whole, he noticed a second, equally vulnerable location.
The Second Division barracks.
Kaelith's expression darkened as he confirmed his suspicions.
Without wasting a moment, he launched himself from the rooftop. His body became a blur as he accelerated toward the Second Division barracks.
Under the moonlit sky, he pushed his speed to the limit, becoming little more than a fleeting shadow.
If Yamamoto were here to witness this, his feelings would be complicated.
On one hand, he'd be proud to see Kaelith's Shunpo reach such incredible speeds.
On the other, realizing that Kaelith had been holding back during training—where his speed had only been half as fast—might just raise the old man's blood pressure.
Thanks to his extraordinary speed and powerful Spirit Pressure, Kaelith reached the vicinity of the Second Division in less than half an hour.
The moment he arrived, his heart sank.
A massive Kidō barrier enveloped the entire Second Division barracks, suppressing almost all outward Spirit Pressure.
It didn't take a genius to realize something was seriously wrong inside.
As he breached the barrier, a tidal wave of chaotic, clashing Spirit Pressures surged toward him like a storm.
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