Kuruyashiki Kenpachi waved his hand at his squad members.
"You guys fight each other for a while," he said.
Then he walked toward Ashido. He was curious and took the novel. He casually flipped to the first page.
His eyes fell on the preface poem titled Blood Flower.
In that single moment—
"Boom!"
Kuruyashiki's spiritual sense felt like it was pulled into a vision.
An endless sea of blood rushed out from between the lines of text. It carried massive killing intent and a cold despair that chilled the bones. It swallowed him in an instant.
The crisp sound of a throat bone being crushed seemed to echo in his ears. A thick, unshakeable smell of blood stayed around his nose.
However, Kuruyashiki did not show even a hint of panic against this shocking mental impact.
Instead, he slowly pulled back the corners of his mouth. He showed a smile full of battle intent and interest.
"Heh... this is a bit interesting."
He sat down on the ground right there.
He ignored the loud shouting and the clashing of Spiritual Pressure all around him. He held the thin novel.
He turned the pages one by one with a focused look. It was as if he was immersed in another world.
After an unknown amount of time passed...
"Buzz!"
A huge, wild Spiritual Pressure exploded from Kuruyashiki's body without any warning. It was like a terrifying beast from ancient times.
The heavy pressure fell on the entire training ground like a physical object.
"Thud!" "Ugh!"
The squad members were trying their best to stay standing. But they had no way to resist this Captain-level Spiritual Pressure.
They went down like bowling pins—knocked flat in an instant. None of them could move a finger
"Captain Kuruyashiki..." Ashido had to speak to remind him.
"Huh? Oh!"
Kuruyashiki suddenly snapped back from the world of the book. He looked at his squad members lying all over the training ground.
He quickly pulled back his Spiritual Pressure. He rubbed the back of his head and gave a bright, apologetic smile.
"Sorry, sorry! I was too focused and lost control. Hahaha!"
He gave the novel back to Ashido and stood up. He patted the dust off his clothes and asked with a smile:
"The 'Meteor Street' written in this book actually means 'Rukongai', right?"
"Also, the description of the streets looks exactly like the Zaraki District. That means..."
Ashido nodded calmly. "That is likely correct. The author probably used Zaraki District as a model to create this story."
Sharp light flashed in Kuruyashiki's usually gentle eyes.
He grinned and let out a loud laugh.
"Hahaha! It just so happens that there is nothing big to do in the squad lately!"
"Ashido, get ready. We are going to the Zaraki District for a 'walk'!"
Ashido nodded again. His cold face showed no surprise at all.
If there really was a "Killer" like the one in the book hiding in Zaraki District, it fit the recruitment standards of the Eleventh Division.
It did not matter if the person was a killer or a demon. As long as they were strong enough, the Eleventh Division would take them!
...
The barracks of the Fourth Division.
The atmosphere here was very different from the battle-focused squads.
The Fourth Division was a medical unit, so the barracks were usually quiet.
In a simple Japanese-style room, several squad members had finished their work. They were enjoying a rare tea break.
The woman sitting at the head of the group looked calm and gentle.
She wore a white Captain's haori over her uniform. She sat upright, composed. She was Captain Unohana Yachiru.
Right now, she was arranging flowers.
Her fingers adjusted the angle of a camellia flower. Her eyes were focused and steady.
However, a steady clattering sound broke the quiet.
Unohana stopped and turned to her side.
Her Lieutenant, Seinosuke Yamada, was sitting next to her. He was holding a book. His face was pale. He was trembling and couldn't stop.
Unohana could tell he was frightened. That confused her.
This was the Fourth Division barracks. It was quiet, and far from the fighting in Hueco Mundo.
What was Seinosuke afraid of?
Her eyes went to the cover of the book in his hand—The Killer of Meteor Street.
The cover was dark and looked ominous.
Was he reading a horror novel? She didn't expect it to affect him this much.
Seinosuke's trembling didn't stop. If anything, it got worse.
Unohana put down the flower branch. She spoke in her usual calm voice.
"Seinosuke, stay calm."
The words helped Seinosuke steady himself.
He jolted. His body went stiff, then he let out a long breath.
Only then did he realize his back was damp with sweat.
He noticed the worried looks from his coworkers, and the calm but questioning look from his Captain.
Seinosuke felt embarrassed. He quickly held up the novel and tried to explain.
"S-sorry! I lost control! It is new work, The Killer of Meteor Street. The content is... too... too scary!"
Unohana's expression stayed gentle. She said softly:
"It is just a fictional story and characters written by a novelist. Why are you taking it so seriously?"
Seinosuke put the novel down quickly, still visibly shaken.
"But Captain... for some reason, I feel... I feel like this 'Killer' is real!"
"He feels real—like someone who could exist. He just stands there silently, surrounded by blood and bodies..."
"Just thinking about that image makes me shiver!"
"Oh, Lieutenant Seinosuke, if it is scary, then do not read it!"
"Yes, why don't you read Hell Girl to feel better? But it is a shame Shige sensei has not updated it. Sigh..."
The female squad members nearby tried to comfort him, though they also sounded a little frustrated.
Their conversation made Unohana curious.
It was unusual for the Lieutenant to react so strongly and insist the character felt real.
This book seemed unusual.