"Huh?"
"Vice-Captain?"
Hiyori Sarugaki's voice suddenly rose an octave.
She gestured forward, her face full of disbelief:
"You mean that old woman who always calls herself 'this concubine'? Why would she buy our product?"
"…"
The Shinigami helplessly rubbed his forehead: "That was ages ago."
"The person you're talking about was transferred to the Gotei 13 weeks ago."
"The current Vice-Captain of the Tenth Division is a young male Shinigami."
"It's only been half a year since he graduated."
"Some of the young girls in the Division like him."
"After all, he's young, with unlimited potential."
"Too bad he seems to have no interest in it."
"How young?" Hiyori Sarugaki was full of questions.
Although she was shocked that he became a Vice-Captain half a year after graduating, looking back at the thousand-year history of the Reiatsu Academy, it wasn't unheard of for other Shinigami to achieve this.
As far as she knew, there were at least five such cases.
Of course, these were all nobles, but they weren't isolated incidents.
Why would so many people be interested?
Could it be that they were all infatuated?
Carrying these questions, Hiyori Sarugaki quickly got her answer.
However, the process made her quite annoyed.
Her gaze was like a torch, staring directly at the Shinigami in front of her.
That authoritative look made the other party feel a chill in his heart.
"Uh… please don't get angry when I tell you," the Shinigami stammered, nervously fidgeting with his fingers.
He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze flickering away:
"His age…",
"Probably, perhaps, only a fraction of yours…"
…
Thump!
Accompanying a dull thud, a red, slightly steaming lump swelled high.
After setting up the machine, Hiyori Sarugaki stomped towards the Tsugikuni mansion, fuming.
The Shinigami behind her was on the verge of tears.
"Didn't you say you wouldn't get angry?"
He rubbed his head, resigned to his bad luck.
He gently touched the large bump on his head, gasped, and quickly followed.
Not long after, he saw a man with two girls walk out of a damaged wooden door.
The man was dressed in a Shinigami uniform, his face showing a hint of seriousness.
Of the girls behind him, one had a sword in her hand.
Upon closer inspection, it was a Zanpakuto.
"A Zanpakuto?"
His gaze was slightly puzzled as he scanned Tsugikuni Yoriichi.
The sword on him was still there.
So… whose sword was this?
Before the Shinigami could ask, Hiyori Sarugaki had already stepped forward, raising her chin and saying discontentedly:
"Hey! Are you that Tenth Division Vice-Captain or whatever?"
"Do you know that because of you, my original vacation was ruined?"
"You have to take full responsibility, understand?"
Her voice was loud, causing Yoriichi to glance slightly.
Before his eyes was a girl who looked about ten years old, with a very fiery temper.
However, when his gaze swept over the armband on her arm and he learned her identity, Yoriichi, out of respect, nodded slightly:
"You are the Twelfth Division Vice-Captain?"
"You must be tired. It's a rare vacation, yet you still have to bring your team on a mission."
"What kind of talk is that?"
"Do you think I wanted to?"
Hiyori Sarugaki subconsciously raised an eyebrow.
She was about to retort but then realised that this was a compliment to herself…
Damn it, all the emotion she had built up was gone.
Taking a slight breath, Hiyori crossed her arms and let out a soft hum:
"Don't think that just because you greeted me first, I'll let you off."
"We'll remember this today and settle the score next year."
"Imaizumi, go, check the vicinity and see if there are any overlooked spatial rifts…",
"If there are, fix them immediately!"
She shouted behind her.
The Shinigami named Imaizumi immediately took action.
At this moment, Hiyori Sarugaki also keenly noticed that the two girls behind Tsugikuni Yoriichi seemed very afraid of her.
Their eyes shimmered with fear.
Step.
She tentatively took a small step forward.
At the same time, the two girls each took a step back.
As they retreated, they tightly clutched Tsugikuni Yoriichi's clothes.
"!"
This discovery made Hiyori Sarugaki frown deeply.
"Is something wrong?" Yoriichi protected his back with one hand and asked indifferently.
"If not, I'll be leaving first; I still have matters to attend to."
He quickly brushed past Hiyori with the two girls.
Hiyori didn't speak.
It wasn't until they were several meters away that she suddenly turned around:
"Wait, that little brat, where did you get the Zanpakuto in your hand?"
"Yes, I'm talking about you, the girl in white clothes without a braid."
Knowing she was referring to Rukia, Yoriichi slowly turned around: "It's Kaneda Takeshi, the Twelfth Seat of my Tenth Division's Zanpakuto. What about it?"
"You still dare to ask 'what about it'?" Hiyori retorted.
"If I remember correctly, wasn't he missing? How is his sword in your hand?"
"Regarding this matter, I have already reported it to the Gotei 13 via the Tenken.
Yoriichi's gaze was calm as he stared at his mansion: "He reappeared after being missing, suspected of having become a Hollow, and was about to attack my sister."
"So, I killed him."
"What?!" Hiyori Sarugaki's pupils suddenly constricted.
She wasn't sure if she was surprised by a Shinigami turning into a Hollow, or by a Shinigami dying at the hands of her own Vice-Captain.
These were all major issues; the former was difficult to judge for now.
But the latter, if not handled properly, could lead to imprisonment, as murdering a comrade was a grave crime.
At least a five-hundred-year sentence…
This…
Hiyori Sarugaki found it hard to believe.
Her lips parted slightly, just about to ask Yoriichi if he had concrete evidence.
The next second.
A bald, dignified old man slowly walked from the end of the street.
Behind the old man were several Shinigami.
Hiyori looked, and they were all famous Captains: Yoruichi Shihouin, Kuchiki Ginrei, etc…
A surging Reiatsu emanated from them, and the air seemed to turn into a viscous substance.
Hiyori Sarugaki suddenly found it difficult to breathe.
She instinctively bent over, unable to stand, one hand clutching her throat.
It was as if the oxygen she normally inhaled had now turned into deadly mud, pouring into her lungs.
She decisively held her breath, slowly loosened her hand, and the difficult expression on her face gradually faded.
Yoriichi had sensed Yamamoto Genryusai's Reiatsu the moment it appeared, so his condition was still relatively good.
The two girls behind him, however, were not.
They had already fainted directly.
Clang.
Rukia's Zanpakuto fell to the ground.
When he arrived in front of them, Yamamoto Genryusai slowly retracted his Reiatsu.
His gaze swept over the Zanpakuto on the ground.
His brows furrowed even more seriously.
Whoosh…
The haori on his back moved without the wind.
Thump!
He gripped his staff and let out a low growl: "Tsugikuni Yoriichi, is what you said true?"
"Kaneda Takeshi became a Hollow, and you killed him to protect civilians."
"If this old man discovers any deceit, this old man will show no mercy!"
"Now."
"This old man will give you one last chance."
"If you are willing to honestly tell the truth, in consideration of your voluntary confession, this old man might handle it leniently."
"But if you continue to be stubborn and conceal the truth of the matter…"
He slightly narrowed his eyes, and his words abruptly stopped there.
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy.
....
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