Seireitei's Konoha Shinigami Office
Rukia was feeling restless.
Her duties included overseeing the guidance of souls and maintaining constant communication with Seireitei.
However, for some unknown reason, Seireitei had suddenly stopped responding.
On top of that, she had received an urgent message from the Empire—Hollows had appeared in various provinces, and the Shinigami were needed to purify them.
With Seireitei remaining unresponsive, Rukia checked her equipment multiple times, suspecting a malfunction.
Meanwhile, Konoha's ninja had come to urge her once again.
Left with no other choice, Rukia used the passageway within the Reincarnation Shrine to return to Soul Society and investigate.
However, upon her arrival, she was stunned by the scene before her.
What lay in front of her was nothing short of a battlefield—thick smoke filled the air, ruins and debris were scattered everywhere, and countless figures clashed in midair.
Above, monstrous creatures with wings soared through the sky.
She sensed several familiar reiatsu locked in combat.
From a distance, the roar of a dragon echoed.
Alarmed, Rukia hurriedly stopped a passing Shinigami to ask about the situation.
"What happened here?"
Having been stationed in Konoha all this time, she had no knowledge of what had transpired in Seireitei.
The Shinigami, noticing Rukia's uniform, asked, "Are you from the Thirteenth Division?"
Rukia nodded. "I'm Kuchiki Rukia of the Thirteenth Division, stationed in the Living World."
Hearing this, the Shinigami quickly explained the chaos that had erupted in Soul Society, warning her that unless she had more pressing matters, she should head straight to the frontlines to help fend off the invading creatures.
Creatures…
Rukia looked up at the monstrous birds soaring in the sky.
One of them quickly took notice of her, letting out a sharp screech before diving toward her position.
Startled, Rukia hurriedly prepared to cast a Kido spell in defense, but before she could act, a faster figure appeared, cutting the creature down mid-air and sending it crashing to the ground.
"Brother…"
Recognizing the person before her, Rukia felt a wave of relief.
Byakuya looked at her calmly and said, "Rukia, you've returned."
Unable to hold back her questions, Rukia asked, "What exactly is happening? What are these creatures?"
Byakuya remained silent for a moment before replying, "The cause is still unknown. These creatures appeared suddenly and launched an attack on Seireitei."
Through a message relayed by Kotetsu Isane, Vice-Captain of the Fourth Division, he had learned more details about the situation.
However, the claim that these monsters were once human had yet to be confirmed.
The creatures were numerous, and each one possessed a level of strength exceeding that of seated officers.
Among them, some even rivaled captains.
Not long ago, a blue dragon had appeared, taking on three captains at once by itself.
Byakuya then asked, "You were supposed to be on duty today. Why have you returned?"
Rukia explained, "I was stationed in Konoha, but I lost contact with Seireitei, so I came back to check. The Living World is experiencing an unusual increase in Hollow activity, and the Empire is urging us to purify them."
Byakuya frowned. "An unusual increase in Hollow activity?"
Rukia nodded. "Yes, their numbers have exceeded normal limits. Something must have happened."
Purifying Hollows and guiding souls were the fundamental duties of Shinigami.
When Seireitei signed the agreement with the Empire, they had promised to handle Hollow purifications in the Human World promptly.
It was only natural for the Empire to push them to fulfill their duty.
Byakuya wanted Rukia to report the situation to the Head Captain, but he was concerned about her going alone, so he personally accompanied her.
First Division Barracks
As the Head Captain, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni did not personally head to the front lines.
Instead, he remained at the rear, overseeing the situation.
The nobles of Seireitei had already been evacuated to safety, leaving the entirety of Seireitei as the main battlefield.
Some of these monstrous creatures originated from Rukongai, while others emerged from within Seireitei itself.
The estimated number of these creatures reached several thousand.
Meanwhile, the total number of active seated officers in the Gotei 13 was just over two hundred.
Yet, each of these creatures possessed strength on par with seated officers!
Who exactly was behind this calamity?
Finding out would have to wait until after the crisis was resolved.
Byakuya led Rukia into the Head Captain's chamber, where she relayed the situation in the Living World to Yamamoto.
The Head Captain furrowed his brows in silence.
He had no time to concern himself with matters of the Living World, but ignoring the issue entirely could jeopardize the relationship between Seireitei and the Empire.
As Yamamoto pondered this dilemma, a sudden flash of cold steel streaked through the air.
Clang!
A sharp, ringing clash of metal echoed as Byakuya's blade struck Yamamoto's neck without warning.
However, it was as if he had struck solid steel—his attack failed to harm the Head Captain in the slightest.
Yamamoto remained calm, his gaze fixed on Byakuya before him.
Rukia froze for a moment, then widened her eyes in shock. "Brother, you…"
At that moment, the Head Captain spoke. "So it really was you, Byakuya. The identities of the creatures that appeared within Seireitei have been confirmed. They all had one thing in common—they attended a banquet at the Kuchiki estate."
Byakuya said nothing, but his body suddenly began to change.
White fur sprouted across his skin as his form rapidly expanded.
Clatter!
His Zanpakuto fell to the ground.
Before Yamamoto and Rukia, a towering, three-to-four-meter-tall white-furred wolfhound now stood where Byakuya had been.
Rukia stared in utter disbelief. "Brother…"
Yamamoto furrowed his brows deeply.
Byakuya's appearance was now identical to that of the creatures outside, making him reconsider his earlier assumptions.
And this was Captain Kuchiki Byakuya!
Just then, a pitch-black rift in space suddenly tore open beside them.
At the same moment, Rukia collapsed unconscious where she stood.
From within the spatial rift, a figure emerged, causing Yamamoto's expression to tense.
It was none other than the Emperor of the Sun Empire in the Living World—Hyuga Makoto.
The Head Captain's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked, "Your Majesty, what brings you to the Soul Society?"
The timing of his arrival was far too suspicious.
Was he the mastermind behind all of this?
Makoto's expression remained indifferent as he replied, "Nothing much—just here to see you die."
Boom!
As soon as he finished speaking, an unimaginably terrifying aura erupted from Yamamoto, making it hard to breathe.
A powerful reiatsu swept outward in an instant.
But it lasted for only a fleeting moment.
Before Yamamoto could even make a move, countless spatial rifts tore open in all directions, rapidly closing in on his position, leaving him no room to retreat.
The power of time and space—this was a force beyond the limits of a Shinigami.
By the time Yamamoto came to his senses, he found himself in a strange realm.
There was no one around, nothing in sight—no direction, no sky or ground.
It was as if everything had ceased to exist, leaving only endless emptiness.
No boundaries, no exit—it was more like an inescapable prison.
Inside the First Division barracks.
After banishing Yamamoto into the time-space dimension, Makoto once again tore open a spatial portal.
Yakushi Kabuto stepped through, glancing around briefly before taking out a scroll.
With a puff of smoke, a corpse identical to Yamamoto appeared on the ground.
Before leaving, Makoto glanced at the white-furred wolfhound beside him.
In an instant, the beast went berserk, opening its massive jaws and viciously tearing into the "corpse" of Yamamoto on the ground, devouring it hungrily.
Earlier, the Head Captain's reiatsu eruption had drawn the attention of First Division's lieutenant, Sasakibe Chojiro.
As he stepped into the room, the first thing he saw was a massive white beast—clutching half of the Head Captain's body in its jaws...
............
When Rukia regained consciousness, she was shocked to find herself in a prison cell, with restrictions placed on her body.
Outside the cell stood a group of people—Kyoraku Shunsui, Tosen Kaname, Unohana Retsu, Soi Fon, as well as Sasakibe Chojiro, Ise Nanao, Hisagi Shuhei, and Omaeda Marechiyo.
All of their gazes were fixed on her, their expressions heavy and grim.
"Kuchiki Rukia," Kyoraku spoke.
"Captain Kyoraku..."
Rukia was confused, not understanding her current situation.
She desperately tried to recall what had happened before she lost consciousness.
"Do you remember what happened?" Kyoraku questioned her.
"..."
Rukia stood frozen, her eyes flickering as memories flooded back—her brother, Kuchiki Byakuya, had suddenly attacked the Head Captain.
"My bro... Where is Captain Kuchiki?" she asked.
"Answer the question!" Soi Fon snapped sternly.
"..."
Rukia lowered her head, overwhelmed by the situation, unsure if she should speak or remain silent.
Seeing her hesitation, Kyoraku, his voice calm yet pressing, said, "Rukia, tell us everything you know."
The dim lighting of the prison cast eerie shadows, making the usually carefree Captain Kyoraku appear rather intimidating.
Rukia swallowed hard and said, "I... I was stationed at the Konoha outpost. When we suddenly lost contact with the Seireitei, I returned to investigate the situation..."
"Captain Kuchiki took me to see the Head Captain. During our conversation, he suddenly attacked the Head Captain for some unknown reason. Then, he transformed into a white beast... and after that, I lost consciousness."
Silence.
The people standing outside the cell remained grim-faced.
Kyoraku spoke, "Rukia, you understand the consequences of deceiving us, don't you?"
Rukia gritted her teeth. "Everything I said is the truth!"
Another heavy silence followed.
Kyoraku was the first to turn and leave.
At this very moment, the chaos in the Soul Society had yet to subside.
The Head Captain, revered as the strongest Shinigami, was dead!
Killed by a captain who had turned into a monster?!
If this bizarre incident were to spread, who knew what kind of impact it would have?
Countless Shinigami were still fighting monsters on the front lines.
Kyoraku felt as if his head was about to explode, his mind in turmoil.
In his understanding, his teacher was supposed to be invincible.
Moreover, the monster that Byakuya had become had already been subdued by them—his strength was far from enough to kill the Head Captain.
Unohana slowly said, "Captain Kyoraku, this may be the greatest calamity the Soul Society has faced in a thousand years."
Kaname remained silent, his eyes dark.
Soi Fon asked, "What should we do next?"
All eyes turned to Kyoraku.
He gazed into the distance, then suddenly noticed something.
After a moment of contemplation, he spoke, "Request aid from the Empire in the Living World... This is not just a catastrophe for the Soul Society, but for the entire world. The Emperor of the Empire once worked to maintain global stability—I doubt he will stand by and do nothing."
After careful consideration, everyone agreed.
When the Head Captain was still alive, they had not felt that the situation was out of control.
But now, with his inexplicable death, they all realized just how dire things had become.
Kyoraku took a deep breath. "There's no time to waste. Every moment we delay means more casualties. I'll go request approval from Central 46. As for you all…"
His gaze swept over the three captains beside him.
Unohana stepped forward and volunteered, "I'll go."
Kyoraku nodded. "I'll leave it to you. The two of you, please continue protecting the Seireitei."
With their responsibilities assigned, Kyoraku immediately set off with Nanao toward Central 46.
After notifying the guards, they were granted entry without issue.
Surprisingly, once Kyoraku reported everything, the request for aid from the Empire was approved without any opposition—so smoothly that not a single person questioned it.
These rigid, stubborn bureaucrats suddenly seemed… unusually reasonable.
Moreover, Central 46 appointed Kyoraku Shunsui as Acting Head Captain, granting him full authority to handle the crisis.
Leaving the council chamber, Kyoraku felt a heavy weight on his heart.
Their current situation was far too passive—they didn't even know who their enemy was.
"Captain?" Nanao called softly from beside him.
Kyoraku narrowed his eyes. "I'm fine... Let's go. First, we need to deal with that dragon."
............
Konoha, Reincarnation Shrine.
Unohana Retsu arrived alone.
The area was guarded by both ninja and Shinigami stationed for duty.
Upon seeing her, the Shinigami on duty immediately bowed in respect.
"Captain Unohana, what brings you here?"
Passage through the Senkaimon usually required prior notice, and those on duty were well aware of scheduled travel.
Unohana glanced at the Shinigami before her.
The stationed Shinigami in the Living World were unaware of what was happening in Soul Society—otherwise, Rukia wouldn't have returned just because she lost contact with the Seireitei.
Turning to the ninja present, she spoke with a gentle yet polite tone.
"I am Unohana Retsu, Captain of the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13. May I trouble you to inform His Majesty? I have urgent matters to discuss with him."
The ninja, momentarily flustered by the elegant and composed woman before him, felt his face heat up and quickly responded, "Please wait a moment."
Half an hour later, inside the Imperial Palace.
Unohana now stood in a pavilion within the palace.
Apart from the Emperor of the Living World, she also saw someone she had met before—Samui, the Emperor's secretary—and a tall, stunning woman clad in a violet cheongsam.
This woman was about as tall as Kotetsu Isane...
That was Unohana's first impression of her.
The Emperor reclined casually on a sofa. "Captain Unohana, what brings you here?"
Before she could answer, he continued, "Actually, I have a question for you. Your Shinigami seem to be slacking—Hollows have been appearing all over my empire's provinces, yet none of you seem to be dealing with them."
Despite his words, Unohana remained poised and dignified. She bowed respectfully to the Emperor, her soft voice carrying a weight of solemnity.
"Your Majesty, the Soul Society is facing a great calamity. I humbly ask for your aid."
--------------
Exclusive access : All novel on paetron
Genshin impact Complete novel, Naruto birdcage Complete novel, Overlord Complete novel
From the apocalypse 100+ch, Fairy tail Destiny Complete novel, Genshin Impact Eerie Teyvat 300+ch
Join now : patreon*com/DeCakraWnloverz