Gotei 13.
Within one minute of Tsugikuni Yoriichi slaying the Adjuchas, an urgent message, carried by a Hell Butterfly, reached Yamamoto Genryusai's ears.
Yamamoto Genryusai sat shirtless on a zafu.
His gaze swept over the Hell Butterfly perched on his finger.
His eyes narrowed slightly the moment his thoughts fell upon him.
The nearby window was half-open, and his pale beard swayed gently in the wind.
He stroked his beard, his voice low: "Adjuchas..."
He stood up.
Without turning back, he spoke into the air: "Chojiro!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe appeared behind him in a flash, kneeling halfway, his tone respectful: "I'm here!"
"Hmm..." Yamamoto Genryusai turned his head slightly, donned the haori hanging nearby, took a step forward, and commanded:
"Deliver my orders."
"Assemble the Twelfth Division and have them bring their machinery to West Rukongai District 1. If necessary, they may open a Black Cavity leading to Hueco Mundo."
"The appearance of Adjuchas-class Hollows near Seireitei is an omen; something unknown must have occurred within Hueco Mundo."
"If it threatens the safety of Soul Society, eliminate it immediately!"
"At the same time, assemble the Eleventh Division, appoint Gosuke Kenpachi as the Captain-Commander for this operation, and have him lead troops into Hueco Mundo to clear all obstacles!"
"Remember, this mission is of great importance; you must not take it lightly!"
...
As his voice faded, a heavy atmosphere permeated the air.
Chōjirō Sasakibe subtly raised his eyes, feeling a slight confusion.
However, considering it was the Captain-Commander's order, no matter how sudden, it surely held a deeper meaning...
He could only suppress the doubt in his heart and silently bowed his head: "Yes."
"Your subordinate accepts the command!"
...
...
"What?!"
"You want me to lead troops to attack Hueco Mundo?!"
At the Eleventh Division, a booming voice echoed from within the barracks, its substantial sound waves making the heads of the surrounding Shinigami spin.
Gojoshibe Kenpachi, a fat man ten feet tall, with eyes like brass bells, a waist like a giant cauldronistened to the order from the Gotei 13.
The expression on his face quickly plummeted.
What a joke!
He loudly bellowed:
"Did that old Yamamoto... cough, no, did Captain-Commander say that?"
Hueco Mundo? What kind of place is that? It's the forbidden land of the Shinigami!
Hundreds of years ago, when Hueco Mundo invaded Seireitei, Kenpachi Kuruyashiki once led an attack.
Although the results were significant, half of the Adjuchas in Hueco Mundo were gone, leading to an unusually peaceful Human World and Rukongai for a time.
But the casualties were real.
All Shinigami except Kenpachi Kuruyashiki were wiped out; none survived.
And now, another time...
Gojoshibe Kenpachi didn't believe he had Kenpachi Kuruyashiki's strength or luck to escape from the encirclement of Menos Grande.
After all, his Kenpachi position was merely inherited.
"This is precisely the Captain-Commander's order."
A messenger Shinigami from the Seireitei said this to Gojo Shibue Kenpachi.
He slightly raised his head, his eyes beneath the hood as cold as ice, his tone flat yet undeniable:
"Act immediately, without delay, or you will be charged with intentionally disturbing the peace of the Human World... and disobeying orders."
...
Gojoshibe Kenpachi felt lost.
It's over!
He had been hoping that with nothing going on in Soul Society recently, he could work peacefully until retirement.
He never expected to be stabbed by a few Hollows!
...
On the other side, several Shinigami from the Twelfth Division headed straight for West Rukongai with their machinery.
They didn't have much aversion to the Captain-Commander's order.
After all, opening a passage wasn't dangerous for them.
In their world, travelling to Hueco Mundo was a common task because their research required various organisms.
It was also because they understood Hollows that they knew the reason the Captain-Commander issued such an order.
Ultimately, it came down to the mechanism of Hollow appearance.
In the Human World and Soul Society, there exist some unstable spaces.
These spaces connect to Hueco Mundo, and some Hollows can emerge from them.
The closer to Seireitei, the more stable the space.
The probability of Hollows appearing is smaller, but not zero.
And now... an Adjuchas has popped out...
To say there's no problem with this, let alone Yamamoto Genryusai, even an ordinary squad member wouldn't believe it.
That's why this mission was issued.
Furthermore, eliminating these unstable, potentially casualty-causing factors is precisely the duty of a Shinigami.
Of course, some people were indifferent to this mission.
Along the way, the current Vice-Captain of the Twelfth Division, Hiyori Sarugaki, couldn't help but spit.
She carried a large sword on her back and a machine in one hand; these two massive items seemed out of place with her petite figure.
As she ran, her dazzling golden hair, tied in two pigtails, shone exceptionally bright in the sunlight.
With some freckles on her face, she pouted, her tone annoyed: "Why me?! My rare holiday is gone for no reason."
"Damn Hollows, damn Tenth Division."
"Why are they all so troublesome?"
Beside her, another Shinigami carrying a machine quietly said: "Vice-Captain, mind your words; this is the Captain-Commander's order."
"I know, but what does that have to do with me? I'm on vacation today, don't you know?!"
Hiyori Sarugaki's words showed no respect for Yamamoto Genryusai.
It wasn't just her; most high-ranking Shinigami feared Yamamoto Genryusai far less than their Captains.
After all, the sky is high and the emperor is far; it's just talk.
Could the person being talked about hear it from hundreds of miles away?
Regarding this, the Shinigami had nothing to say.
Hiyori Sarugaki, having lost an outlet for her emotions, became even more depressed.
Before long, everyone arrived at West Rukongai District 1.
At this moment, at the Tsugikuni estate, boom!
A towering column of reishi shot straight into the sky, immediately attracting the attention of the Twelfth Division members.
Hiyori Sarugaki looked sideways.
The reishi diffused in the air made her slightly breathless.
After a pause, she asked in a puzzled tone: "Who is that?"
"Is it the Captain of the Tenth Division?"
"What did the mission details say again?"
A Shinigami had just put down his machinery.
The suffocating sensation quickly dissipated as the light pillar vanished.
Clutching his chest, he took a scroll from his sleeve, opened it, glanced at it, and said:
"Reporting, Vice-Captain, we are to assist the Tenth Division in detecting whether there are spatial rifts nearby."
"At the same time, we are to open a Black Cavity leading to Hueco Mundo afterwards, allowing the Eleventh Division to enter."
"That person over there shouldn't be the Captain of the Tenth Division. My instrument tells me that's our client."
"Do you remember the weapon we researched earlier that specifically purifies reishi?"
"To detect areas with potential Hollows and threats, we specifically installed a batch of transmitters inside."
"Although it was eventually discontinued due to poor sales, judging by the reishi number..."
"The one who bought or used it is most likely the Vice-Captain of the Tenth Division."
....
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