Yamamoto's words immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Just moments ago," he announced gravely, "the Gotei 13 has already lost three lieutenants."
Upon hearing this, Kyōraku Shimo's expression shifted slightly in surprise.
So… Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends are really that capable?
It hasn't even been that long, and they've already taken down three lieutenants?
Yamamoto continued, his tone sharp as steel.
"At this point, it is no longer suitable to leave the mission to ordinary squad members.
All seated officers—including lieutenants—are now permitted to carry their Zanpakutō at all times within Seireitei."
"During combat, you are authorized to release them to their full extent."
He paused briefly, scanning the room.
"Relay this message to those who are not present. That is all—this meeting is adjourned."
---
As Shimo made his way back, he pondered the movement of Ichigo's group.
When they first invaded the Soul Society, he had seen them split into three groups descending from the sky.
From the pressure he sensed, Ichigo was alone—a fact confirmed later by Ikkaku Madarame himself.
Ishida Uryū and Inoue Orihime had paired up—the strongest and the weakest of the group in their current state.
At this stage, Ichigo still hadn't mastered his Bankai. Once Uryū activated his Quincy: Letzt Stil, predicting the outcome of their battles became difficult.
As for Chad… that big guy was probably wandering through the inner districts on his own right now.
"If I'm not mistaken," Shimo murmured, changing direction, "that one should show up near the Eight Division barracks."
A smirk tugged at his lips. "Let's just hope my foolish old man doesn't end up killing him by mistake."
...
As dawn crept across the Seireitei, spiritual pressures flared again in violent collision.
Some intruders had clearly been discovered—the battle reignited once more.
The squad members fought desperately to resist the Ryoka invasion, yet due to the gap in strength, they couldn't even slow their advance.
---
Eight Division Barracks
Kyōraku Shunsui lounged lazily by the tea table, straw hat covering his face.
Suddenly, he lifted the edge of his hat and blinked in mild surprise.
"Well, well… what's this? Why's that kid here in my division?"
Hearing this, Ise Nanao stopped writing and asked without looking up,
"A Ryoka?"
Shunsui chuckled and shook his head. "Nah… someone even more troublesome."
The words had barely left his mouth when the office door burst open.
"Just as I thought," said Shimo, his tone dripping with disdain. "Foolish old man—you really are slacking off."
At that, Shunsui simply lowered his hat again over his face.
"Ah, come on now. I didn't mean to slack, y'know? But when you've got a capable girl like Nanao here, it's only natural to let her handle the hard work, right? Capable people do more work—don't you agree, Nanao?"
Smack!
A towering stack of paperwork crashed down onto his face, erasing any semblance of captainly dignity.
"Ow!"
Shimo burst into laughter without an ounce of sympathy. "Serves you right. You always crumble under a bit of praise."
Shunsui peeled the papers off his face but still didn't bother to sit up.
"Hey, hey… I'm your elder, remember? Show some respect to your seniors once in a while. Stop calling me 'foolish old man' every other sentence."
Shimo shot him a cool glance.
"If you'd learn a bit from Captain Ukitake, I wouldn't have to."
At the mention of Ukitake, Shunsui paused thoughtfully—then shook his head.
"Learn from Jūshirō? No thanks. That guy works way too hard. I'd rather stay foolish, thank you."
If laziness were an art, Shunsui had perfected it.
Nanao continued writing without raising her head.
"So why are you here, Shimo?"
He turned toward the window, smiling faintly.
"Because of the big guy outside."
Shunsui opened his eyes. "A Ryoka, then?"
Shimo nodded. "Yeah. I met this bunch back in the Human World."
For Shunsui, that was enough explanation. He didn't pry further.
"Then I'll leave this one to you," he said, resting his head on his arm again.
He knew better than to ask too many questions. As an experienced captain, Shunsui understood when to look—and when to look away.
Shimo smiled slightly and stepped out.
---
On the Street Outside the 8th Division...
Chad walked calmly down the road.
He still couldn't control his spiritual pressure well, and could only sense danger through instinct.
Footsteps echoed ahead—steady, unhurried.
A chill surged through his chest, as though a giant hand had seized his heart.
He swallowed hard, eyes widening as the figure came into view.
"Kyōraku… Shimo?!"
He remembered the gentle yet intimidating lieutenant of the Fourth Division clearly—they had even shared a meal once at the Shiba household.
But now… he couldn't tell whose side Shimo stood on.
"Yo, Chad!" Shimo greeted cheerfully. "We meet again—what a coincidence!"
Chad, as always, was silent and cautious. "...Hello, Mr. Shimo."
"Sorry, Chad," Shimo said with his usual warm smile. "But your little journey in the Soul Society ends here."
Chad's pupils contracted. He instinctively raised his guard.
The air around Shimo shifted—his presence grew suffocating, like the depths of Hell itself.
Even standing before him, Chad felt as if he'd be swallowed whole.
"You don't even have the courage to swing, huh?" Shimo remarked softly.
On Chad's right arm, black and crimson patterns flared. The arm of the giant—his Right Arm of the Giant—awoke.
"So this is the power of your Fullbring?"
Shimo studied it with intrigue.
The power of Fullbringers wasn't random—it was deeply tied to the Soul King himself.
Children whose mothers had been attacked by Hollows during pregnancy were born with fragments of the Soul King's power, granting them the ability to manipulate souls.
"A remarkable amount of power," Shimo murmured.
Ichigo's friends were all extraordinary in their own right—yet among them, Chad seemed the most ordinary.
"I'm sorry, Shimo-san," Chad said solemnly, raising his arm. "But to protect my friends… I'll fight you if I must!"
Spiritual energy surged violently around his arm.
Shimo sighed. "Let's not do that, okay? If you break the Eight Division barracks, someone's going to scold me."
His smile faded. "Rest for a while."
The world trembled.
Chad's body froze, muscles seizing as Shimo's spiritual pressure crashed down like the sky itself.
The overwhelming weight forced him to his knees—then down into a crater he had made with his own collapse.
From above, Kyōraku Shunsui watched through the window.
"Oh my, what a terrifying pressure… Just how many secrets are you hiding, kid?"
Even Nanao looked pale with shock.
She suddenly realized—the boy she had watched grow up had far surpassed her long ago.
No, she thought, shaking her head. There's no way he could rival Captain Kyōraku… right?
Still, the idea lingered—and it frightened her.
Down below, Chad struggled desperately, veins bulging and breath shallow.
Shimo looked on, admiring his will.
"You've got spirit… but you've already hit your limit."
With a final pulse of pressure, Chad collapsed fully into unconsciousness.
Shimo glanced toward the distant rooftops. "He's all yours," he called to the two observers he'd sensed. Without another word, he vanished.
He had other scenes to attend to—after all, the real performance had only just begun.
...
There were two reasons Shimo had come here:
First, to ensure Shunsui didn't accidentally kill Chad with excessive force.
Second, to observe the Fullbring power up close.
Now that both goals were achieved, it was time to move on.
He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"If I remember right, there's supposed to be a scheduled meeting today… but Aizen's plans have already gone off-script. How's he going to spread chaos in the Seireitei now?"
After the Ryoka's intrusion, Aizen's every move had been aimed at deepening that chaos, making it easier to execute his plan—especially by manipulating Momo Hinamori as the emotional spark.
But with Hinamori imprisoned in the Nest of Maggots, Aizen would need a new approach.
Shimo's curiosity burned. He could hardly wait to see what Aizen would do next.
---
Meanwhile, in the Seventh Division
Tōsen Kaname's unexpected visit brought great joy to Komamura Sajin, who had long been worried about his old friend.
Though Tōsen's face was hidden behind his visor, Komamura's heightened senses could read his emotions clearly—and lately, they'd felt off.
"Tōsen," Komamura said warmly, removing his own mask. "It's been far too long since we've had a real conversation."
A faint trace of melancholy crossed Tōsen's face.
"Yes," he said softly. "A world unseen… is a world filled with hatred."
They spoke for hours, long into the night, before Tōsen finally took his leave, returning to the Ninth Division.
His lieutenant, Hisagi Shūhei, noticed his captain's late return but thought little of it—Tōsen had already told him where he'd be.
---
The Next Morning
At the scheduled division assembly, Hisagi arrived punctually and began taking roll—until he froze in horror.
"This… this can't be…"
Atop a tall watchtower, Tōsen Kaname hung lifelessly, his chest pierced clean through by a sword that pinned him to the wall.
Blood streamed down, soaking the white stone below.
"Captain!!!"
Hisagi's anguished cry echoed across the courtyard, drawing the other squad members in.
They stared in stunned terror—the air itself seemed to stop.
News spread swiftly.
When Komamura arrived and saw his dear friend's body hanging before him, he let out a roar of grief so raw it tore through the silence.
Behind his mask, the eyes of the wolf burned crimson.
"Captain Komamura," Hisagi said hoarsely, voice trembling with suppressed fury, "if I recall correctly… you spoke with Captain Tōsen late into the night, didn't you?"
Komamura turned his blood-red gaze on him. "Are you… accusing me?!"
The atmosphere froze instantly—so heavy it felt like the entire Seireitei held its breath.
The curtain had risen on the next act of chaos.
-----------------------------///
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