Nanao showed Serafall to all sorts of places within the Seireitei and even showed her a bit of what's outside of its walls.
Naturally, with Nanao herself going around leading an unknown face, people became curious about Serafall. The answer she gave them, however, was Serafall is a new member of the 1st Division that has great potential and was about to be promoted to the 3rd seat.
It was already afternoon and the duo was almost done with their tour. Right now, they are resting in a cafe that's mostly visited by female Shinigamis, "How was it?"
"Want my honest opinion?"
Nanao nodded.
"I'd rather stay in the Human World. While there are some efforts to create places like this, this is still just a giant military compound and its function is to nourish and strengthen the military. Not to mention, it seems that this place is also stuck in time and only with recent efforts have you allowed Human World technology to circulate."
"I agree on the first point but I totally disagree on the latter half." Nanao immediately replied, "While it'll be really convenient to incorporate Human World's technology into the Soul Society, the two worlds still operate with differing rules and it's not as easy to make something equivalent from the Human World. Our 12th Division is always working hard to achieve technological advances."
Serafall stared at her for a while and could see that she was genuinely upset. She then smiled and said, "Is that so? Then I apologize. I spoke my mind without knowing what was actually going on."
Seeing her actually back down easily, Nanao also lowered her head, "I'm also sorry for going off like that."
"Don't be. It's your every right to correct my wrong impression of your organization." Serafall then looked to her left, feeling a massive aura trying to hide fast approaching their direction, "Speaking of which, I have an appointment with the 12th Division. Should we go there now?"
"Ah, that's right. We should go now. Although they are pretty much open 24 hours a day, we should go when most of them are working."
Nanao stood up and was about to pay their tab when Serafall suddenly said, "But it looks like we'll have to postpone that."
"Hmm?" Nanao slightly tilted her head in confusion and noticed that Serafall wasn't actually looking at her but someone or something behind her. Nanao was about to turn around when she felt the very familiar Reiatsu suddenly flaring up behind her and she became akin to a creaking unoiled machine. Slowly turning around, she was able to confirm who was behind her and much to her horror, his chipped sword was already resting on his shoulder, "C-Captain Zaraki... What are you doing here?"
Nanao's effort of avoiding him at all costs went down the drain as she could already imagine what he was going to say next, 'He'll probably ignore me and directly ask Sitri-san if she's the woman in the rumors.'
"Are you the woman in the rumors?"
Nanao wanted to praise herself, but that was obviously not the time for it, "Captain Zaraki, the Captain Commander already asked you not to cause any trouble!"
The towering Kenpachi Zaraki finally gave a cursory glance to Nanao and said, "When was I causing trouble? I'm just asking if she's the woman in the rumors."
"That's a very rude thing to say, don't you think?" Serafall opened her mouth.
"Do you think I care?"
Serafall stared at him for a few seconds before nodding to herself, "You couldn't care less. I don't know who this woman in the rumors is, but I'm certainly a new face here. Does that answer your curiosity?"
"Not quite." A large grin suddenly crept up to Kenpachi's face and the horrified Nanao became terrified, "W-wait! Captain Zaraki!"
But it's already too late for Nanao to do anything. Though it's unknown if there's anything she could have done anything to prevent it in the first place.
Kenpachi suddenly disappeared and reappeared behind the 'unsuspecting' Serafall and swung his sword horizontally.
A strange blue circle blocked the path of his sword and momentarily stopped his motion. However, Kenpachi just added a bit of strength to his arm to cleave this circle in half and reach Serafall. To his surprise, Kenpachi's sword also went through his target without much resistance, 'Is that it?'
At that moment, Kenpachi felt a threat to his side and immediately raised his arm to block the leg that was flying toward him. However, he severely underestimated the strength behind that leg and was instantly sent flying out of the cafe, crashing into multiple walls and sending dust everywhere.
Serafall landed on her feet and turned to the speechless Nanao who was staring at her cleaved ice dummy, "Please find someone who can stop that guy."
"B-but I can't leave you behind!"
"Can you stop him then?" Serafall snapped her fingers and a large Magic Circle appeared on top of where Kenpachi landed. A second later, a giant ice spike emerged from it and Serafall dropped it on him. But before it could even land, the giant ice spike was cleaved in half and the shockwave that resulted from Kenpachi swinging his sword cleared all the surrounding dust, revealing his figure that was virtually unscathed.
Nanao was shocked at what was happening, but it's true that she can't do anything to stop them. Gritting her teeth, she turned around and said before using her Flash Step, "Please be safe."
"So she thinks I'm going to lose?" Serafall chuckled and turned her attention back to Kenpachi. Thanks to his reputation, the moment the people around saw him with his sword drawn, everyone have already run away so the area instantly became deserted, making a large space for them to duke it out, "Though if what I read about him is true, then I'm a very bad match up against him." Nevertheless, if it's just surviving, Serafall can easily do it.
While Serafall was thinking of ways to keep him at bay, Kenpachi started cracking his neck and said, "So you really are a strange woman. Someone told me you're very strong. Let me see it."
"I'm not really in the mood though?"
Kenpachi's grin grew larger as he suddenly dashed forward while shouting, "Then I'll create the mood for you!"
But he had to immediately stop and raise his arm on top of his head. The next instant, Serafall's leg came crashing down against him, sinking his feet into the pavement.
At his reaction, Serafall could only smile wryly, "You obviously can't properly feel my presence but here you are, reacting to everything I throw at you."
Kenpachi pushed her back against her by swinging his arm, "So you're going to do this whenever I lose sight of you?"
Editors:
28th00: The classic Xianxia restaurant brawl. It’s the 2nd one in like 20 chapters even!
Goyya: I’m ashamed. There isn’t really anywhere good to sit down for an extended amount of time.
Ikkaku and Yumichika were running towards the source of the explosions that suddenly rocked the Seireitei when the day was just about to end. When they heard that their Captain was fighting someone from the escaping Shinigamis, Ikkaku, and Yumichika dropped what they were doing and hurriedly rushed toward the site.
On their way there, they could see towering ice sprouting from the ground, and before they could reach the spot where they were fighting, a wall of ice taller than the walls of Seireitei emerged and encircled the sound of the clash, and Kenpachi's maniacal laughter.
"Just what's going on here!?" Ikkaku asked himself while also inspecting the wall of ice that's blocking their way.
Yumichika didn't immediately say something and approached the wall of ice because it's strangely not cold at all. But when he touched it, he instantly became terrified and hurriedly jumped back.
Seeing his strange reaction, Ikkaku shouted, "What's wrong!?"
Yumichika looked at his hand which was covered in frost and said, "Don't carelessly touch the wall without any protection. Anyone weaker will be instantly frozen."
Without any hesitation pulled his sleeve and started drawing markings on his arm, "I'll send out a warning. Black and white net! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crown strings, footprints, distant thunders, mountain peaks, valleys, night shadows, cloud sea, cyan line! Fill up the circle and zoom to the edges of the sky! Bakudo no. 77 Tentei Kuura (Soaring Net of Heavens)!"
While Yumichika was in the middle of it, another person arrived with a Flash Step, "What's happening here?"
Ikkaku turned to him, "Captain Kuchiki! Captain Zaraki is fighting someone but we can't get past this strange wall of ice that appeared out of nowhere."
Byakuka also silently walked towards the wall and by now, he'd already heard the message Yumichika sent to everyone in the vicinity so he touched the wall to test it himself. And as Yumichika had said, the moment his fingers touched the ice wall that was not emitting any coldness, frost started gathering around his hand and arm, threatening to freeze him.
Byakuya lifted his hand and used his Reiatsu to force out the horrifying coldness that was trying to invade his flesh, 'What is this ability? I don't feel any Reiatsu from it.'
Byakuka contemplated if he should break the wall using Kidou, but it was obvious that this wall was containing the battle that was happening inside, and breaking this might spill out the destruction to a larger area of Seireitei.
But while he was hesitating, two more people arrived and one of which was someone who first escaped the vicinity, Nanao. In front of her is a Shinigami with grey eyes and long wavy brown hair and is wearing a Sugegasa straw hat and a pink, flowered lady's kimono, which he drapes across his shoulders and over his captain's uniform.
"Captain Commander!" Ikkaku and Yumichika saluted.
Byakuya, on the other hand, immediately asked him upon his arrival, "Is this about our guest?"
Kyouraku tipped his hat backward and nodded, "Sadly, it seems our dear Zaraki found her after hearing a strange rumor from somewhere."
"I have a feeling I know where he heard this strange rumor."
""""!?"""" Four of the five Shinigamis immediately put their hands on their Zanpakuto when they heard another unfamiliar voice. Because they didn't know when she arrived, all of them were quite surprised. Thankfully, they didn't attack when they saw her raising her hands and there was no hostility in her demeanor.
"Serafall-san! You're safe!" Nanao was glad to see her, but also confused as everyone could still hear Kenpachi's cackling and his sword whipping around, "Then who is he fighting right now?"
Without explaining herself first, two Magic Circles appeared beside Serafall and ice started emerging from it before forming into a statue and soon became identical to Serafall herself. The two ice clones then flew towards the wall and went through it as if it was water and disappeared, "He won't stop so I've just been keeping him busy."
Serafall then turned to the people beside Nanao and introduced herself, "Nice to meet you, everyone. I'm Sitri Serafall. I presume you guys will be able to stop him?"
Aside from Ikkaku who was present on the night of Hell's attack, it was the first time Yumichika, Byakuya, and Kyouraku met her.
Kyouraku stepped forward and introduced himself, "Nice to meet you too, Sitri Serafall. I'm Shunsui Kyouraku, the current Captain Commander and Nanao-chan's direct superior. I'm not sure how you're fooling his senses, but you could leave him to us."
"Great~ His intuition is really scary so I'm also not sure how long I can keep him occupied in there."
Kyouraku thought that this problem is about to end, 'Any longer and the Central 46 will butt in. Thank goodness Zaraki has a bit of a reputation.'
However, the atmosphere around Serafall instantly changed and made everyone near her shiver for some unknown reason, "But I don't really like how he just attacked me out of nowhere. I can at least get back at him for that, right?"
"W-what are you..."
Since she was not really asking for permission, Serafall proceeded to release her Demonic Power and a giant Magic Circle that encompasses the entire 'arena' that she made, "Raikou (Lightning)!"
As dark clouds manifested on top of the 'arena', a massive discharge of lightning struck down the whole area and temporarily blinded everyone looking at it and deafened those who were near it.
When their disrupted senses returned, the wall of ice had already disappeared, revealing a large crater. In the middle of it is Kenpachi standing on his two feet and extremely tattered with various burns on his body. Even then, a wide grin is still present on his face. He turned in Serafall's direction and said, "Ah... That's amazing. I didn't see that coming at all. I'd hate it if we're just going to end it here."
Serafall returned his grin with a fearless smile, "But we're going to end it here. As I've said, I'm not really in the mood for a contest of strength."
"That's really a shame..." Kenpachi was about to jump at her again but Kyouraku didn't allow that, "Zaraki, that's enough. Save your energy for more obvious enemies. You'd have fun with them too."
Editors:
28th00: I wonder how good the insurance rates are for the poor Seireitei? It tends to get wholesale demolished every other week sometimes.
Goyya: I doubt it. R&D Division destroyed the insurance market by restoring everything within a few hours.