Near the Seiryū Gate, silence fell.
Every Shinigami watched Lin Xuan and the others outside the gate with taut nerves.
Gin's defeat had made one thing clear—these Ryōka were far stronger than anyone had assumed.
And so far, only the man with the crimson eyes had actually fought. The rest were still unknown quantities—but they didn't look easy to handle either.
No other captain-level fighters had arrived yet. Nobody dared to move rashly. The air grew heavy and oppressive.
Then one of the young men outside the gate turned his gaze toward them.
Everyone held their breath, bracing for battle.
They didn't know what would happen next. But as Shinigami, even facing a formidable enemy, they were ready to fight.
What surprised them was that the young man didn't attack at all. Instead, he grabbed Gin by the collar and tossed him through the Seireitei Gate.
Everyone stared.
In truth, part of why many had held back was fear that the intruders would use Gin's life as leverage.
Instead, they'd done the opposite—thrown Gin back inside.
Third Division Lieutenant Izuru Kira, who had just arrived, rushed over and carried Gin to safety.
After a careful check confirmed no life-threatening wounds, Izuru finally breathed easier and called the Fourth Division medical team to treat Gin.
Then he looked toward the figures outside the gate, ready to engage—only for someone to step in his way.
Izuru looked up sharply. It was Rangiku Matsumoto.
"Matsumoto, don't stop me. I need to help the captain!"
Rangiku grabbed his arm. "Have you lost your mind? If he beat Gin, he's captain-level at minimum.
What good would you do charging in?"
"Then what do we do?" Izuru asked, frowning.
Rangiku hesitated, expression grave. "We wait and see."
Just as she finished speaking, a white-haired youth carrying a Zanpakutō appeared—Tenth Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya.
Hitsugaya glanced at the unconscious Gin, then looked toward the gate outside and tightened his grip on Hyōrinmaru.
But before he could act, Lin Xuan spoke.
"In three days, I'll come to the Seireitei again. We'll settle this properly then."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted past Hitsugaya—and he smiled.
Then Lin Xuan and the others vanished into thin air.
Hitsugaya tried to pursue them, but couldn't track where they'd gone. His expression grew darker.
The Seiryū Gate slowly descended, sealing shut once more. The Shinigami nearby finally exhaled.
The walls surrounding the Seireitei were built from sekki-seki—spiritual energy-dampening stone that released waves to break down reiatsu, forming a spherical barrier that protected the Seireitei from every direction, above and below.
Hitsugaya frowned and turned to Rangiku and the others. "How's Gin?"
"The captain's unconscious, but he wasn't badly injured," Izuru replied.
Hitsugaya nodded. He was about to say more when a black Hell Butterfly fluttered over and landed on his finger.
His expression shifted slightly. "Captain-Commander Yamamoto has called an emergency meeting for all captains and lieutenants. This must be about the Ryōka incursion."
The group quickly left with Gin.
None of them noticed a figure standing on a nearby rooftop, watching everything unfold—yet not even Hitsugaya detected his presence.
It was Aizen.
He'd concealed himself with Kyōka Suigetsu. No one could see him.
Aizen looked toward the Seiryū Gate and murmured, "They actually defeated Gin Ichimaru. That went beyond my expectations."
Gin's loss had forced him to take Lin Xuan's group seriously.
Aizen still didn't know where they'd come from—only that they'd appeared from East Rukongai, meaning they likely had no connection to Kisuke Urahara.
After all, Urahara could only send people into the Soul Society through his territory in West Rukongai.
So where on earth had these people come from?
Aizen narrowed his eyes. He still hadn't figured out where Rukia Kuchiki had disappeared to for that entire month.
But what troubled him more was the look Lin Xuan had given him before leaving.
Had that man seen through Kyōka Suigetsu?
There were too many unanswered questions. Still, Aizen remained perfectly composed, smiling faintly.
"Things are getting more interesting. Some plans will have to be moved up."
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T/N:
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