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South of Karakura Town, Onose River.
"Sister Kasyuu—"
Ukitake Hiro stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window on a high floor, his expression somewhat complex: "Is it really okay for us to stay here?"
Among the three who had privately escaped to the Human World, he was arguably the only one who had acted on a whim. The reason he came to the Human World was partly due to his excellent relationship with Nagano Kasyuu, and partly because… Squad Members of the Thirteenth Division often told him interesting stories about the Human World, making him extremely curious about it.
So, in a moment of impulse, he agreed to Sister Kasyuu's suggestion, but after arriving in the Human World, Ukitake Hiro regretted it.
Because their Ukitake family was different from the other two families, his impulsiveness could very likely bring trouble to his family.
Leaving aside the wealthy Nagano family, although the Ukitake family, like the Hachi Family, was a Low Level noble family, the Hachi Family's members throughout generations were all fixed members of the Onmitsukido; while the Ukitake family… neither had the immense wealth of the Nagano family nor the Hachi Family's status within the Onmitsukido.
It could be said that even among the Low Level nobles, the Ukitake family was at the bottom.
The entire family…
Their only pillar was the head of the Ukitake family, the current Captain of the Thirteenth Division, Jūshirō Ukitake, alone.
This has not changed from countless years ago until now.
As the head of the family, Lord Jūshirō not only supported his 5 younger brothers and 2 younger sisters, but also all other relatives from branch families; it could be said that the head supported the entire family. The reason they could still enjoy the status of Low Level nobles and live a wealthy life was all thanks to Lord Jūshirō.
And among the family members…
After so many years, whether in terms of combat ability or business, there was no talent to speak of.
It wasn't that they lacked ambition; every generation of family members wished to alleviate the pressure on the frail Lord Jūshirō, but often after a series of attempts, far from helping, they frequently brought even greater trouble to Lord Jūshirō…
Fortunately, Lord Jūshirō commanded extremely high prestige, both among the noble class and ordinary Squad Members, so the Gotei 13 and the nobles had always been quite considerate towards the Ukitake family members, and they lived quite comfortably.
Over time, the members of the Ukitake family gradually gave up struggling, no longer hoping to share Lord Jūshirō's burden, but merely tried their best not to become a burden to Lord Jūshirō!
But his private escape to the Human World this time could very likely bring trouble to Lord Jūshirō. Every time he thought of this, Ukitake Hiro was filled with regret over his impulsive action.
Clap clap clap—
His back was patted several times, making Ukitake Hiro wince in pain, followed by a hearty laugh from behind him.
"Hahaha, Hiro, we came to the Human World to relax, so relax."
Turning around, he saw a face that wasn't particularly beautiful, but looked comfortable from the bottom of one's heart: "I used to think you were suppressing yourself all day long. It's rare to come out, yet you still have a sullen face. I really don't understand what you're thinking about all day."
Nagano Kasyuu, the eldest daughter of the mid-level noble Nagano family.
Ukitake Hiro looked at Kasyuu's hearty smile, and a slight smile also appeared on his originally somewhat gloomy face. He and Kasyuu had been friends since childhood. Although they were the same age, Kasyuu had always taken care of him like an older sister.
A large part of the reason Ukitake Hiro acted on impulse was because this escape was Kasyuu's idea.
"Before coming, I really crammed a lot of knowledge about the Human World, you know."
Nagano Kasyuu chuckled: "Although the Onose River, where we are now, is close to Karakura Town, it doesn't fall under Karakura Town's jurisdiction. It's located between Karakura Town and Naruki City. Plus, with the spiritual tools I bought from the Technology Development Bureau, we will definitely not be found by the Seireitei!"
"And do you know? The Onose River hosts a fireworks festival every summer, attracting many visitors, and in autumn, there are extremely rare red dragonflies here. It's a famous tourist destination in the Human World! Next, I'll take you…"
Listening to Nagano Kasyuu's endless explanations, Ukitake Hiro's face showed a gentle smile.
At this moment, the entire world seemed to only contain him and Kasyuu. Of course…
That's assuming you ignore the jarring game sounds from the living room.
"Hey! Hane, can you turn down the game volume!!" Kasyuu called out in dissatisfaction.
On the living room sofa, a young man wearing a hooded top, holding a controller, and staring intently at the TV game screen, replied without lifting his head: "This is already the lowest volume. If it's any lower, it won't have that immersive feeling."
…
Ukitake Hiro looked at the young man with a strange expression.
This is probably what a Human World otaku is like, right?
Unlike him and Kasyuu, Hachiun Hane had barely left the house since arriving in the Human World, spending every day playing games.
He originally escaped to the Human World because he didn't want to join the Onmitsukido, but now… he has become so enamored with the Human World's manga and games that he absolutely refuses to return to the Soul Society.
Ukitake Hiro watched the two arguing, habitually stepping forward to mediate, and just then, the doorbell suddenly rang.
Ding-dong Ding-dong
The piercing doorbell made the three people in the room freeze in place.
"Did either of you order takeout?"
Hachiun Hane immediately said, "I didn't."
Ukitake Hiro also shook his head.
Seeing this, Nagano Kasyuu frowned, then went to the door and pressed the peephole display screen at the entrance.
Hm?
Looking at the image on the display screen, Nagano Kasyuu's eyes flashed with confusion: "A human?"
Standing outside the door was a tall, sturdy man with a slicked-back hairstyle and a silver cross necklace around his neck, appearing to be around thirty years old.
She didn't sense any Reiatsu, so he should just be an ordinary human.
As if he sensed her watching, the man smiled at the peephole. The moment Hachiun Hane saw that smile, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he instantly disappeared, reappearing next to Nagano Kasyuu.
As soon as he appeared, before Nagano Kasyuu could even react, he pulled Kasyuu and quickly retreated backward, moving away from the door.
Whoosh—
Almost the instant the two left the front of the door, a slender blade tip pierced through the security door, instantly slicing the door into pieces. If Hachiun Hane hadn't pulled Nagano Kasyuu away, she might have already been sliced into several pieces like that door.
"Ginjo, your acting is as terrible as ever. If you hadn't smiled, I would have already dealt with one of them."
"Tch."
Another voice came: "What does that have to do with my bad acting? It's clearly that kid in the hoodie who sensed your killing intent, Tsukishima."
"How could that be."
Accompanying the voices, two people slowly walked in.
One was the tall, burly man Nagano Kasyuu had just seen on the display screen; the other was a young man with shoulder-length short hair, black eyes, wearing a shirt and suspenders, holding a book in his left hand and a sword in his right.
The two looked like ordinary humans, but their faces both bore a gloomy and dangerous smile.
"Who are you?"
Ukitake Hiro stood in front of Kasyuu and Hachiun Hane, looking at the two with a wary expression.
"Ukitake, be careful, these two are very dangerous."
A cold sweat seeped from Hachiun Hane's forehead. Even though he was extremely reluctant to join the Onmitsukido, he had been receiving training from the Onmitsukido since he was old enough to understand, making him incredibly sensitive to killing intent. It was precisely because of this that he was able to pull Nagano Kasyuu away from the door at the first instant.
These two humans in front of him made him feel fear from the bottom of his heart; the terrifying pressure even made his fingers tremble.
"They are definitely not ordinary humans!!"
Even if he didn't say it, Ukitake Hiro could vaguely sense this. Although the two of them didn't reveal any Reiatsu fluctuations, the mere sight of the door being instantly sliced into pieces was far beyond what ordinary humans could achieve.
"Ukitake?"
The tall, burly man called Ginjo, showed a sinister grin: "What a nostalgic surname." As his words fell, the killing intent emanating from him became incredibly dense, making the temperature inside the apartment extremely cold.
The killing intent made both Ukitake Hiro and Nagano Kasyuu's faces turn pale. Unlike Hachiun Hane, who had received training from the Onmitsukido since childhood, they had never felt such terrifying killing intent before.
"Just a few noble young masters, don't waste time on them. Let's leave after absorbing their power." Tsukishima reminded him: "It'll be troublesome if the Soul Society notices."
"Don't worry, it's not the first time."
Ginjo reached out and pulled the cross necklace from his neck, making a sweeping motion with his hand. Accompanied by a flash of light, a massive two-handed sword appeared before the three of them. The sword's design was extremely peculiar: its hilt was longer than its guard, a red gem was embedded in the center of the crossguard, and the blade near the guard was hollowed out and adorned with golden brackets.
As the enormous two-handed sword appeared, Ginjo pulled a plate with a black skull and cross pattern from his pocket and embedded it into the two-handed sword, replacing the original red gem in the center of the crossguard with the skull.
Tsukishima, who was beside him, did not try to persuade him further.
Having always followed Ginjo, he understood better than anyone what the surname 'Ukitake' meant to Ginjo. Letting him vent was probably for the best.
Moreover, just as Ginjo said, over the years, their method of selecting targets had been very cautious. They only targeted Shinigami who secretly came to the Human World like the three of them, actively avoiding the Soul Society's surveillance. It was basically impossible for the Soul Society to detect them.
Even if they were discovered, by the time the Soul Society arrived, they would have already achieved their goal and left.
"Do you know who we are?!"
Nagano Kasyuu's pretty face showed some fear, but she still mustered her courage and said, "We are nobles of the Soul Society. If you make an enemy of us, you make an enemy of the entire Gotei 13."
Although she didn't know the identities of the two people in front of her, since they knew about the Soul Society, they must also know what nobles were. So, she immediately revealed her identity, hoping to make the two leave out of apprehension for their status.
"Hehe~ Hahahaha— Nobles?"
As if he had heard something extremely funny, Ginjo let out a strange laugh.
"I really like you noble nobles, because your Reiatsu is far more delicious than that of ordinary Shinigami!" As he spoke, Ginjo tapped the ground with one foot. Accompanied by a flash of green light, his entire person instantly vanished from his original spot.
The next second, he appeared above the three, holding the sword with both hands, and slashed down at them with heavy force.
What kind of movement method was this?
Hachiun Hane's pupils contracted. Even at the moment the opponent disappeared, he had already sensed danger, but the opponent's speed was simply too fast, so fast that he couldn't react at all. He could only watch as the giant sword rapidly expanded in his vision. Even before contact, he could vaguely feel the terrifying power emanating from it.
Just then, Ukitake Hiro, who had been muttering something with his head down, suddenly looked up and softly chanted, "...Sever the azure sky—Bakudo Number Thirty-Nine: Enkosen!"
As Reiatsu surged, a circular protective shield appeared in front of the three.
Bang!
The next second, a dull collision sound rang out, and the newly formed protective shield instantly shattered.
Just as Ginjo was about to continue his attack, Ukitake Hiro's voice sounded again: "Bakudo #21: Sekienton!"
Crimson smoke instantly filled the entire apartment. The living room's glass was directly shattered by the smoke, and for a moment, the sound of glass breaking 'pa pa pa' was endless.
"Oh my?"
Ginjo stood in place, somewhat surprised, a strange smile on his face: "Not bad, huh?"
He swung his greatsword, and the resulting force blew the crimson smoke out of the apartment's shattered windows, attracting the attention of pedestrians on the street.
Inside the apartment, Hachiun Hane and the other two had already vanished from their original spot. From a distance, their figures could vaguely be seen rapidly dashing towards Karakura Town from mid-air.
Tsukishima shook his head. If Ginjo wanted to, he could have instantly killed the three kids, but Ginjo clearly didn't want to end the battle immediately. Instead, he wanted to give the three a glimmer of hope, and then make them completely despair.
The reason he engaged in this cat-and-mouse behavior was entirely because of the young man with the surname 'Ukitake'.
However, he did not stop him.
Time was plentiful. Even if Ginjo wanted to torment that young man further, he had his own sense of proportion and understood that now was not the best time for a direct confrontation with the Soul Society.
Hachiun Hane and the other two were pale. Although it was only a momentary contact, the immense Reiatsu revealed by the tall, strong man during his attack had made the three realize the terrifying strength of their opponent, far beyond what the three of them could contend with.
If Ukitake Hiro hadn't had some proficiency in Kido, that single sword strike might have already incapacitated them.
"Kasyuu, you release your Reiatsu and try to attract the attention of the Shinigami dispatched to Karakura Town."
Holding Nagano Kasyuu with one arm, Hachiun Hane moved with Shunpo and said to the two, "Those two are not opponents we, without Zanpakuto, can contend with. Only by attracting the dispatched Shinigami do we have a chance to survive."
Nagano Kasyuu nodded and unhesitatingly released all of her Reiatsu.
Among the three, her status was the most noble, but she herself had no interest in becoming a Shinigami. Not to mention Kido, she hadn't even learned Shunpo. Moreover, due to the nature of her family, her upbringing from a young age focused on business, and she wasn't forced to learn combat techniques.
This also resulted in her having Reiatsu comparable to a Low Level Seated Officer, but not knowing how to use it.
Hachiun Hane and the other person needed to conserve their Reiatsu for emergencies. She was undoubtedly the most suitable person to attract the attention of the dispatched Shinigami by expending Reiatsu.
...Meanwhile, in Karakura Town, Minamikawasero.
"As expected, it's not there?"
Ishikawa Katori sighed slightly, withdrawing the Kido from his hand. Although he had anticipated it before coming, the first commission he received from the Golden Seal Association ended in failure, which would inevitably put him in a passive position in future collaborations.
However, without knowing the area where the three were located, with his current Reiatsu, he had no way to conduct a large-scale search.
After a moment of thought, Ishikawa Katori pulled out his Denreishinki from his pocket, found Ōmaeda in his contacts, and dialed him.
Although this search failed, he didn't plan to inform the client of the failed commission. Instead, he intended to return to the Soul Society first, and then come to the Human World to search again once those noble young masters were discovered by the Supervisory Team again.
"What? Is the commission complete?"
As soon as the call connected, Ōmaeda's lazy voice came through.
"No, the three of them have probably already left Karakura Town. I don't have the Thirteenth Division's contact information. Can you help me apply for the opening of a Senkaimon... Hmm?" Ishikawa Katori's words caught in his throat, and he suddenly looked up, gazing towards the south of Karakura Town.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing Ishikawa Katori's abnormality, Ōmaeda asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Found them."
"Really?"
Ōmaeda on the other end of the phone said, somewhat confused, "Didn't you say there were no signs of them?"
"There really weren't just now, but now..."
A strange glint flashed in Ishikawa Katori's eyes: "The Supervisory Team, who have been monitoring my surroundings, should have also discovered them."
As soon as Ishikawa Katori's words fell, Ōmaeda on the other end of the phone fell silent. After nearly half a minute, his voice came again: "Hmm, I've received the report from the Supervisory Team. Since their traces have been found, bring them back..."
Ishikawa Katori casually put the Denreishinki aside, drew a circle on the ground with one hand, and once again activated Grasping Foot Pursuit: Revised. After a while, a hint of doubt flashed across his expression. After pondering for a moment, he picked up the Denreishinki and said, "Vice Captain, help me lift the restriction!"
"Hmm?"
Ōmaeda was first puzzled, then seemed to understand something. Without asking too many questions, he asked in a serious voice, "Is someone chasing them? Are they very strong?"
"Yes."
"Try your best to save them. If you can't, hide first. Don't make contact rashly. I'll go find Captain Soi Fon to apply for the restriction Release!" With that, he directly hung up the call.
Ishikawa Katori looked at the Denreishinki in his hand, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
He had expected Ōmaeda to ask for details, but he didn't expect him to immediately understand what had happened.
"This guy is quite meticulous."
Ishikawa Katori put away the Denreishinki, lifted the inner shirt of his black work clothes, glanced at the pattern on his chest, then took down the long cloth bag from his back and held it in his hand.
As Shunpo operated beneath his feet, his entire person vanished from his original spot with extreme abruptness.
Although he didn't know the opponent's identity, based on the recent investigation, the Reiatsu on the opponent was extremely strange, giving a feeling of being strong and weak at times, making it impossible to accurately judge the opponent's strength.
Moreover, that Reiatsu was somewhat like a Shinigami, and somewhat like a Hollow... incomparably chaotic. If he had to choose the person whose aura was most similar to what he felt now from those Ishikawa Katori had seen before, it would be Genji, whom he had met in Rukongai!
But unlike Genji, the opponent also gave Ishikawa Katori a feeling similar to a Quincy, not in terms of Reiatsu, but as a human being, just like a Quincy.
This made Ishikawa Katori vaguely have some guesses about the opponent's identity.
Fullbringer!
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter