[DING!]
[System Notification: Mission Cooldown Complete.]
[Generating High-Difficulty Special Mission...]
The holographic panel shimmered into existence before every member of the Multiverse Mission Group, the text glowing with an ominous crimson hue.
[Mission]: Defeat Soul Reaper Captain Kuchiki Byakuya & Rescue Kuchiki Rukia.
[Difficulty]: Hard (★★★★)
[Time Limit]: 1 Hour.
[Objective]: Kuchiki Rukia has been sentenced to execution for the crime of transferring her Soul Reaper powers to Kurosaki Ichigo. You must rescue her before the Sokyoku is unleashed.
[Warning]: The Soul Society is a dimension of extreme danger. This mission carries a genuine Risk of Death. If you die in the Soul Society, your existence ceases.
[Squad Size]: Max 5 Members.
[Rewards]: Full rewards for all participants.
[Failure Condition]: The death of Kuchiki Rukia results in immediate mission failure.
When the details fully rendered, the chat group fell into a suffocating silence.
Death Gods.
The name alone carried a weight that pressed down on their hearts. They had seen glimpses of Zanpakuto in the shop—weapons capable of altering weather or freezing time. They understood the terror of those powers.
But they didn't expect the very first mission into this world to be a 4-Star Nightmare.
Mona: "Wait... is the system glitching? A 4-Star difficulty right out of the gate? Am I reading this right?"
Xiangling: "This difficulty rating... it feels even higher than the raid on Big Mom! Are we ready for this?"
Against Big Mom, they had a plan. They had Haki. They understood her physical nature. But the Soul Society was an unknown variable. To fight "Gods" in their own domain? The psychological pressure was immense.
Su Han watched the panic ripple through the chat and sighed. He tapped his screen, his tone calm and authoritative.
Su Han: "Relax. You're letting the title scare you. If this was a month ago, I would have advised caution. But look at yourselves now. You've tempered your souls. You wield Haki. Have some confidence in your training."
Yae Miko: "He has a point. Perhaps it is time for the Guuji to step in? I will join this mission to ensure everyone's safety. Besides... I am quite curious to meet the 'experts' of another spiritual world."
Shenhe: "I believe the hesitation stems from the unknown. How does one fight a Death God? Do physical attacks even work?"
Ganyu: "I can volunteer. My arrows never miss, even against spirits. I want to help."
Hu Tao: "Hehe! Step aside, everyone! Did someone say 'Death' and 'Souls'? This mission is literally written for me! What 'Death Gods'? Pfft! They're just a bunch of ghosts playing with magic! Am I right, Su Han?"
In her attempt to bluster and boost morale, Hu Tao had inadvertently hit the nail on the head.
Su Han: "Hu Tao is correct. Don't let the name fool you. With the exception of a few Captains who are true monsters, the average Soul Reaper is just a high-level spirit with a sword. They bleed just like us."
Beidou: "Really? You aren't just saying that to make us feel better?"
Beidou had been hesitating. Her combat style was visceral—heavy claymores and brute force. Fighting intangible spirits seemed like a terrible matchup.
Lisa: "I suspect their power comes entirely from their swords—the Zanpakuto. It appears to be a manifestation of the soul, much like our Visions. If we treat them as Vision holders, they become less terrifying."
Su Han: "Exactly. Take the Hyorinmaru we saw in the shop. It controls ice. Powerful? Yes. But is it any different from a Cryo Vision pushed to its absolute limit? No. Your flames and lightning can match them."
Su Han: "Furthermore, not every Soul Reaper has achieved Bankai. Those without it are nothing to fear. Hu Tao, you're essential for this. Yae Miko, you as well. We need three more. If anyone in Mondstadt knows Holy Light magic, now is the time to speak up."
Holy Light was lethal to spiritual entities. It was the hard counter to the Soul Society.
Rosalyne (Signora): "Count me in. My Crimson Lotus Moth flames burn the soul just as easily as they burn flesh. In my domain of fire, death is equal."
Kaedehara Kazuha: "Are you sure, Lady Rosalyne? I recall Master Su Han mentioning that Soul Reapers are masters of 'Zanjutsu'—swordsmanship. They are not just mages; they are warrior spirits."
Rosalyne: "Let them come. In my blazing field, anyone who approaches turns to ash."
Su Han: "Ahem... let's dial back the bloodlust, Rosalyne. There is an old man in that world—Yamamoto—who we absolutely do not want to provoke yet. Try to avoid mass slaughter if possible."
Keqing: "I'll go. But... I need to borrow a weapon. Su Han, can I use Tenseiga? With that sword, I can cut spirits without touching them, and I can heal the team if things go wrong."
Su Han smiled. Smart choice. Tenseiga was the blade of the otherworld. In Keqing's hands, combined with her electro-speed, she would be a nightmare for any Vice-Captain.
Su Han: "Approved."
Ding. A Red Envelope was sent to Keqing containing the blade and a Soul Containment Vessel.
That made four. One spot left.
Yae Miko: "Mr. Zhongli? Would you care for a stroll? A world of souls seems right up your alley."
Miko knew exactly who he was. She wasn't going to let the Geo Archon slack off if things got dangerous.
Zhongli: "I have no interest in this mission. It feels... beneath the necessity of my intervention. This is an opportunity for the younger generation to temper themselves. If you fail, I will step in next time."
In other words: I'm retired. You kids have fun.
Beidou: "Then I'll take the last spot! If I complete this, I'll hit Rank 3! Besides... Nature Energy and Conqueror's Haki can hit spirits, right?"
Su Han: "Yes. Senjutsu utilizes natural energy, which affects all planes. And Haki is the manifestation of willpower—it is the ultimate weapon against the incorporeal."
Beidou: "Hah! Then it's settled. Time for the Crux Fleet's Captain to show these ghosts what a real pirate looks like!"
The squad was set.
Yae Miko (Spirit Specialist/Magic)Rosalyne (AOE Damage/Soul Fire)Keqing (Speed/Tenseiga Wielder)Hu Tao (Ghostbuster/Tank)Beidou (Tank/Haki User)
Su Han submitted the roster.
[Transferring Sequence Initiated...]
Five pillars of light erupted, tearing through the fabric of Teyvat. The chat group's livestream flickered to life. Those who stayed behind grabbed their snacks, eyes glued to the screen.
What did the World of Death look like?
World: Bleach (Soul Society)
Location: The Precipice overlooking Seireitei
The light faded, depositing the five women onto a high cliff. The wind here felt different—colder, thinner, laden with Reishi.
Below them lay a sprawling, circular metropolis protected by massive white walls: the Seireitei. Surrounding it was a chaotic sprawl of slums—the Rukongai.
Yae Miko smoothed her robes, her violet eyes scanning the horizon. She let out a cold, mocking laugh.
"As expected. The world of the dead is no different from the world of the living. Look at it—the clean, white walls for the nobility, and the squalid slums for the common souls. It is filled with the same grudges, the same class divides. How laughable."
Rosalyne's eyes narrowed as she looked at the white city. "Indeed. They execute a hero like Rukia for the 'crime' of saving a human family by transferring her powers? These so-called 'Gods' are nothing more than bureaucratic trash rotting in their ivory towers."
Hu Tao spun her Staff of Homa, the weapon humming with anticipation. "Well, ghosts are ghosts! But how do we find one specific girl in this huge place?"
"Simple," Beidou grinned, adjusting her eyepatch as she pointed toward the west. "My Haki is picking up a massive disturbance over there."
In the distance, near the White Road Gate, a spike of chaotic spiritual pressure flared. Dust clouds were rising.
"Someone is fighting. And they're fighting hard."
It was Kurosaki Ichigo. The invasion had begun.
Seireitei: West Gate (The White Road Gate)
Kurosaki Ichigo had just plummeted from the sky, his landing kicking up a storm of dust. But before he could get his bearings, a man blocked his path.
A bald man with lucky markings under his eyes, holding a spear and grinning like a maniac.
"Oi! You're the Ryoka, aren't you?"
The man, Madarame Ikkaku, laughed, the sound scraping like metal on bone. "Hahahaha! Lucky me! I can't believe I get to fight the intruder first! This must be fate!"
Ichigo frowned, his hand gripping the massive hilt of Zangetsu. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"
"Heh. It doesn't matter who I am. But I admire your guts, kid. Breaking into Seireitei alone?" Ikkaku's grin widened, revealing a predator's excitement. "Do you know who lives in there? Monsters. Every single Captain is a monster in human skin. You think you can save Rukia with just courage?"
SWOOSH.
Ikkaku vanished.
He reappeared instantly in front of Ichigo, the sheath of his spear coming down in a blur of violence.
"Courage won't save you from us!"
The war for the Soul Society had officially begun.