"Arata, what do you think about this?" Old Yamamoto said slowly, his aged eyes fixed on Arata.
Do I have any idea?
Arata felt a bit torn. He couldn't just tell them everything about the Bakkōtō swords. That would be too shocking.
After a long contemplation, he murmured: "Since this incident happened in the 80th district of Rukongai, the Onmitsukidō and other divisions should strengthen patrols around the 80th district."
"This piece of metal couldn't have appeared out of nowhere. Someone must have deliberately placed it in that alley. If we catch that person, we can get to the root of the problem."
Arata said this, but things weren't as simple as they sounded.
Strengthening patrols and waiting for an opportunity – that's the simplest and most direct method.
But it's also the method with the lowest efficiency.
After all, as long as that creature is a normal person, they'll definitely realize they've been exposed as soon as they see a sudden surge of Shinigami wandering around that district.
"Reinforced patrols are indeed the safest option." Soi Fong nodded slightly, her brows unconsciously furrowing. "But the 80th district is too large. Even if we deployed the entire Onmitsukidō, we might still fail to cover all blind spots."
Captain Yamamoto lightly struck the ground with his staff, and the dull wooden sound echoed especially muffled within the barrier.
"Tonight I'll convene a Captain's Meeting and inform all captains about this matter."
"Each division will allocate 30% of its forces to assist the Punishment Force in patrolling, with a focus on the two blocks bordering the 80th district and the surrounding areas."
Arata suddenly stepped half a pace forward, and the sunlight stretched his tall figure even more. "Captain, I have something else to say…"
He pointed at the intricate, artistic lines on the broken metal fragment: "This level of metalwork is far beyond the capability of ordinary Rukongai residents. I suspect…"
"That this is the work of a noble!"
———
Arata didn't stay long in the First Division. After old Yamamoto assigned him a secret task, he was the first to leave the site.
As for the content of the mission, it was very straightforward – infiltrate Noble Street and investigate nobles who have shown unusual behavior.
At the same time, the system refreshed a new side mission.
[Destiny Mission: Secret Investigator]
[Type: Branch]
[Quest Target: Soul Society Nobles]
[Mission Requirements: Infiltrate Noble Street, investigate the aristocrats who have recently behaved abnormally, and find evidence related to the Bakkōtō sword incident]
[Completion time limit: two months]
[Task Reward: 200–600 Fate Points will be awarded based on the investigation results]
Two months is more than enough time to complete the task, and he hadn't even officially accepted the mission yet.
Arata didn't take it too seriously. Since he already knew the direction of the plot, he could complete this side mission relatively easily.
Moreover, his inventory held the perfect item for infiltration – a Hollow mask.
As long as he wore it, no one would be too surprised even if he appeared before everyone disguised as the head of the Tsunayashiro family.
In the following days, Arata and Rangiku returned to their usual daily routine.
Since Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy was still on winter break, they had only used seven days of the total one month for their trip.
During the remaining twenty days, Rangiku worked in the Tenth Division during the day, while Arata trained on his own, and sometimes dropped by the Fourth Division to "learn" from Unohana Retsu.
At night, the two of them would lie together in their warm bed, cuddling and caressing, enjoying happiness.
And during that time, something happened that quite surprised him.
One afternoon, while Arata had gone to the Fourth Division to seek advice from Unohana Retsu, the system's fate assessment suddenly activated.
[Unohana Retsu's fate has been greatly deviated by your actions, and you have gained 1001 points of fate.]
A fate value of 1001 points once again broke the record among the rewards for destiny judgment.
Later, Arata analyzed the situation in detail and finally found the key that likely triggered the judgment.
After they both gave in to their passions that day, he had unknowingly uttered a heartfelt line:
"If possible, I hope Sensei won't die so easily. Even if she dies, it should be in my arms."
Then the destiny judgment activated.
Thinking back now, even though he had had many interactions with Unohana Retsu, the system had never reacted before. Perhaps because Arata hadn't been sincere enough until then…
———
Morning in Seireitei was still cold, and tiny icicles still hung from the cherry tree in front of Shinō Spiritual Arts Institute.
Arata stood at the school gate, the white breath he exhaled clearly visible in the air. He reached to wipe a snowflake from his forehead and looked over the students returning to school one by one.
The icy crystals on Tōshirō's white hair sparkled in the sunlight, Kusaka brushed the snow off his shoulder, and the laughter of the two young men pierced through the cold wind.
Good, a beautiful bond – what a pity.
Unfortunately, Tōshirō loves Momoko.
"Professor Saito!" Tōshirō was the first to notice his presence and quickly ran over, pulled off his straw hat, and bowed formally.
The young man's body under the shihakushō was much straighter than before the break, and his uniform fell along his sides in a steady line.
Arata noticed that the joints of the fingers on the hand holding his sword were covered in thin calluses – obviously, he hadn't slacked off in training during the break.
Kusaka suddenly pulled out an oil-soaked paper bag from behind his back: "Professor Saito! This is a scallion pancake, a specialty of the 38th Western District of Rukongai! Tōshirō and I made a special detour to get it!"
The warm aroma seeped through the greasy paper. When Arata took it, he touched the frostbite on Kusaka's hand, causing the boy to immediately hide his hand in his sleeve.
Arata pretended not to notice, instead gathering spiritual pressure in his palm to warm the pancake, then broke it into three pieces. "Your first class doesn't start this early, let's eat together before heading in."
The three of them sat under the eaves, nibbling on scallion pancakes. Tōshirō suddenly lowered his voice: "Professor, I heard things haven't been very peaceful in Rukongai lately?"
A spark of curiosity flickered in his emerald eyes. "A few nights ago, there was a strong spiritual pressure in the 80th district."
Arata paused briefly in his chewing.
As for the recent events, old Yamamoto had explicitly ordered a news blackout – even regular Seireitei officials knew almost nothing.
He calmly swallowed his bite. "Did you two go to the 80th district during the break?"
"We only passed by," Kusaka quickly explained. "The owner of the confectionery shop we worked at in the 38th Western District suddenly moved out. He said something happened to his cousin in the 80th district…"
His voice grew quieter. "Then, when we were returning, we saw the Punishment Force had set up a checkpoint."
Arata suppressed the thoughts that surged through him. It seemed that the two of them hadn't gotten involved in anything dangerous for now.
He deliberately kept a relaxed tone as he changed the subject: "By the way, how's your preparation for the semester-opening exam? Mr. Aizen specifically reminded me to check your Kidō homework."
———
In Dōjō No. 1, more than thirty students stood in neat rows.
Arata stood in front of the wooden platform, and on the board behind him were written correction notes for homework during the break.
Tōshirō and Kusaka stood in the front row, and Arata immediately noticed one empty spot in the formation.
"Where is Asuka-san?" he asked, pointing to the empty spot.
"Saito-sensei, he left the school," a girl from the back row reported, raising her hand.
"I heard something unexpected happened at home…"
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