"So what do you think we should do, Yachiru?"
Zaraki Kenpachi frowned down at Yachiru.
Although he phrased it as a question, he'd already accepted her reasoning.
As far as Kenpachi was concerned, matters involving the Eleventh Division should be handled within the Eleventh Division. He had no interest in allowing outsiders to interfere.
"Kenny! I heard the higher-ups are planning to send people from every division into the Human World to investigate those annoying Bounts."
Yachiru blinked her large eyes and grinned.
"So why don't we send someone too? They can investigate the Bounts and bring Maki back while they're there!"
The surrounding division members could only smile helplessly.
Vice-Captain Yachiru's thinking really was as innocent and straightforward as ever.
Ichinose Maki had voluntarily disappeared from Soul Society years ago. Why would he obediently come back just because someone asked him?
"Hmm."
To everyone's surprise, Kenpachi actually nodded.
"Yachiru's right. Sounds like a good idea."
The others exchanged looks.
As expected of Captain Zaraki, a man famous for solving nearly every problem with violence. His thought process truly operated on a different wavelength from normal people.
"Then you can do it, Baldy!"
Yachiru immediately pointed at Madarame Ikkaku.
Somehow, she'd chosen the one person in the room who particularly disliked Ichinose.
"No way!"
Ikkaku immediately jumped to his feet.
"And stop calling me Baldy!"
He had absolutely no interest in going to the Human World for a mission like this.
"Huh? Baldy doesn't want to go?"
Yachiru's cute face scrunched up in thought.
"What should we do, then…?"
Her big eyes wandered around the room as she searched for another suitable candidate.
Then her gaze landed on Ayasegawa Yumichika.
"Yumichika~"
Yachiru clasped her hands together and looked at him with sparkling eyes.
"Can you do it? Pleeeease?"
Yumichika didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he looked toward Kenpachi.
As the Eleventh Division's Fifth Seat, he had no objection to carrying out orders from his superiors, but this particular assignment had come from Yachiru rather than directly from his captain.
He still wanted Kenpachi's approval.
"Do what Yachiru said, Yumichika."
Kenpachi waved one hand casually.
Thinking through complicated matters had never been his strength. If someone else wanted to make the decision for him and take responsibility for it, even better.
"Since Captain Zaraki has approved it, I'll make sure the mission gets done properly."
Yumichika nodded.
"I'll need to return to the barracks and make a few preparations first."
The assignment had been unexpected, but since he'd accepted it, he intended to handle it properly.
Besides, from another perspective, this was hardly a bad opportunity.
A trip to the Human World could practically count as a vacation.
Perhaps he might even find something interesting while he was there.
The thought immediately improved his mood.
...
Human World
"How did you guys even end up here?"
After finally surviving the interrogation from Ichigo and the others, Uryū looked at them suspiciously.
He'd deliberately gone out of his way to keep what he was doing hidden from them.
So how had they still managed to find him?
"It was just a coincidence!"
Orihime explained.
"We came out to see if we could find any Bounts wandering around alone. After what happened last time, Kurosaki-kun was really angry about getting ambushed, so we decided to stop waiting around and start looking for them ourselves."
Whether Uryū believed that explanation was another matter entirely.
Then he remembered what Yoshino had said before leaving.
She'd mentioned there was something she absolutely needed to do.
Whatever it was, it almost certainly involved the Bounts.
If they followed her spiritual signature, they might be able to locate the others.
"I can find the other Bounts."
Uryū decided there was strength in numbers. Since everyone was already here, they might as well take the opportunity to deal with more of the enemy.
"Huh?"
Ichigo immediately looked doubtful.
"How would you know where they are?"
They'd spent the entire day searching without finding a single Bount.
Now Uryū suddenly claimed he could lead them straight to one?
That sounded like complete nonsense.
"I asked Urahara-san to make this."
Uryū pulled out the custom spiritual detector.
"It contains a sample of a Bount's spiritual pressure, so it can track matching signatures much more efficiently."
Just remembering how much the damned thing had cost made his heart ache again.
Ichigo and the others immediately gathered around.
Yoshino had only left a short while ago, so the detector could still pick up traces of her spiritual pressure.
A glowing point flashed across the screen.
The group followed it through Karakura Town and soon found themselves near an estate on the outskirts of the city.
...
The Bount Estate
"Kariya, I simply cannot agree with you."
Yoshino stood across from him, her expression resolute.
"Taking revenge against the Shinigami like this is wrong. Whatever happened afterward, the fact remains that the Shinigami were responsible for creating us."
"I still believe we should resolve this peacefully—"
"Hahahahaha!"
Kariya suddenly burst into laughter, as though Yoshino had just told the funniest joke in the world.
"Yoshino, Yoshino…"
His smile twisted with contempt.
"I can't believe you can still say something so childish."
"Peaceful coexistence with the Shinigami?"
"Don't make me laugh!"
"They slaughtered countless members of our kind. That debt of blood can never be erased. There can only be life or death between us. Reconciliation is impossible!"
"But even if we seek revenge against the Shinigami, why involve ordinary humans who have nothing to do with any of this?"
Yoshino refused to back down.
"They're powerless civilians. They've done nothing to us."
"Innocent?"
Kariya's expression became vicious.
"You actually use such a ridiculous word for humans?"
"As far as I'm concerned, there is no such thing as an innocent person in this world!"
"They deserve nothing more than to become food for the Bounts!"
Their argument echoed throughout the estate, filling the entire building with a suffocating tension.
Kariya's mind had long since been twisted by hatred.
He'd convinced himself that only extreme violence could secure a future for the Bounts. Anything his fellow Bounts said to the contrary was meaningless nonsense in his eyes.
"But—"
"Enough!"
Yoshino tried to continue, but Kariya cut her off roughly.
He was the leader of this organization.
How dare Yoshino challenge him?
How dare she question his decisions?
"Hmph."
Kariya turned toward a hooded man standing nearby.
"Take her away and keep her under guard."
"Yes, Lord Kariya."
The man stepped forward.
At first glance, his appearance seemed strangely out of place among the other Bounts gathered in the room.
Beneath his hooded jacket, he was wearing a shihakushō.
And the weapon at his side was unmistakably a Zanpakutō.
A Shinigami — the very kind of person the Bounts supposedly hated enough to exterminate — had somehow submitted himself to their command.
The sight could hardly have been more contradictory.