"Looks like you really have become the Tsunayashiro clan's dog, Higashino Shuuichi. I misjudged you!"
Yoruichi Shihōin stared at Higashino Shuuichi and said coldly.
"Yoruichi-taichō, I'll refrain from commenting on that for now, but there's one thing I have to clarify—what position are you even standing in?
On Soul Society's side?
Doesn't look like it to me."
Higashino Shuuichi replied calmly.
To him, a day like this had been inevitable for a long time. Whether Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi Shihōin still held the same stance as in the original course of events or not—based on what Higashino Shuuichi had done in the past, and what he intended to achieve in the future—
There was no way he could truly be on the same path as Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi Shihōin. In fact, even the entire upper echelon of Soul Society might end up as his opponents.
It was just that, for now, Higashino Shuuichi still shared a common enemy with them—someone they all needed to face and resolve.
There are no eternal enemies—only friends of the moment.
So Yoruichi could say whatever she wanted.
Since Higashino Shuuichi had already judged that Urahara Kisuke's goal aligned with his, then between them, there would inevitably be a decisive outcome. At the very least, Higashino Shuuichi wasn't about to let a plan he'd painstakingly laid out for so long end in nothing.
"None of your business!"
Yoruichi refused to give this scheming Shinigami even the smallest opening.
She knew she was already at a disadvantage. The more she said, the more she'd expose—so better to say nothing at all.
Inside this new space, there were only two Shinigami now: her, and Higashino Shuuichi.
Yoruichi could guess it—Higashino Shuuichi had already gotten the answer he wanted from her earlier reactions, so now he intended to settle things here.
But wasn't he looking down on her a little too much?
How dare he think he could reliably swallow her whole with just himself?
Was it the fact he'd single-handedly taken down Baraggan that gave him this confidence?
Shunkō: Raijū Senkei (Thunder Beast Battle Form)!
Yoruichi activated her form without hesitation.
She despised Higashino Shuuichi's arrogance, but physically, she still gave him the respect he deserved.
No laughing, no games—she had to go all-out immediately, because Higashino Shuuichi would never give her the chance to "power up" later.
That was Higashino Shuuichi—Yoruichi knew him well.
A beast that, once it sank its teeth into an enemy and drew blood, would tear along the wound without giving them a single breath until they were ripped apart alive.
So the best way to deal with Higashino Shuuichi was simple:
Don't give him any opportunity.
Only… no matter how experienced Yoruichi was, she couldn't outpace Higashino Shuuichi's terrifying growth over the years.
Normally, once a Shinigami reached captain class, even taking one more step forward was extremely difficult.
In a dozen-plus years, raising one's reiatsu by even a tenth was already impressive as hell.
And as for other abilities—Zanpakutō powers, for many Shinigami, were basically set for life. Whatever their Bankai looked like when first mastered… was what it would look like forever.
That was part of Yoruichi's ingrained understanding as well.
Even though she'd revised her estimate of Higashino Shuuichi's true reiatsu upward several times because of his feats, in her mind, his reiatsu still shouldn't surpass hers.
After all, even Hirako Shinji and the others—who had also undergone Hollowfication—were extremely resistant to doing something Hollow-like, such as devouring their own kind to raise their reiatsu ceiling.
To use an imperfect analogy—this was like telling a normal person to eat deep-fried cockroaches. Even if they were crispy and delicious, most people still wouldn't do it.
So why would someone like Higashino Shuuichi—a captain-class "big shot"—choose to?
From the start, Yoruichi never once considered that Higashino Shuuichi would raise his reiatsu ceiling by consuming Baraggan.
But reality was:
Higashino Shuuichi not only did it—he even wanted to eat a few more, preferably tossing that Szayelaporro-whatever into the pot and stewing the whole thing.
So when Yoruichi saw Higashino Shuuichi calmly unfurl Bankai before her—revealing his true reiatsu—she actually stopped the thunder roaring at her fingertips.
"That's impossible… your reiatsu…"
At this level, in Yoruichi's memory, only a handful of people had ever possessed something like it. Many of them had already returned to Hell. Among those still active in Soul Society, there were only Kyōraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jūshirō, and Unohana Retsu.
Aside from Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—whom Higashino Shuuichi still couldn't "bump shoulders with" on reiatsu alone—Yoruichi felt there might not be any other Shinigami in Soul Society who exceeded Higashino Shuuichi purely in reiatsu now.
Even she herself—Urahara Kisuke included—couldn't say they unquestionably held him down by sheer spiritual pressure.
"Is this enough to shock you?" Higashino Shuuichi said with a smile. "Yoruichi-taichō, don't rush—this is just the appetizer~"
Yoruichi's expression immediately turned grave.
If anyone else said that, she'd assume bluffing.
But Higashino Shuuichi?
She knew it had to be true.
So she moved—bringing with her a sky full of lightning, her reiatsu surging in violent waves. Her fists became a storm of afterimages, wrapped in thunder as they crashed toward Higashino Shuuichi.
Yet before that overwhelming assault could even touch him, a sea of blood erupted out of nowhere and forcibly dragged everything down.
"Bankai, Shakkō Satsujin! Minazuki!"
At the same moment—
In Soul Society's Seireitei, Kotetsu Isane, Vice-Captain of the Fourth Division, hurriedly knocked and entered the Captain's quarters.
"Terrible news! Taichō—there's suddenly a massive surge of Gillian-class Hollow readings in the Human World, around Tokyo-dō in the island nation!"
Kotetsu Isane panted as she reported to Unohana Retsu, who sat composedly at a low table.
"Shouldn't matters in the Human World be handled by the Thirteenth Division?" Unohana Retsu said unhurriedly. "What does it have to do with us? Even if medical support is needed, sending a few seated officers should be enough, no?"
"That's because the thief who stole the reigai (spirit body) with a first-generation captain's power from Soul Society seems to be there too! And it's not just that, either—I heard from Kurotsuchi-taichō's report that another new first-generation captain may have appeared there, possibly the same kind of situation as that earlier first-generation captain reigai (spirit body).
And Kurotsuchi-taichō also found signs of Quincies there!
Anyway—things over there are just really complicated, ne~!"
There was so much information that Kotetsu Isane started stumbling over her own words.
"Quincies? Why 'signs'?" Unohana Retsu asked.
"Th-that… I don't know. Kurotsuchi-taichō just said those Quincies seem a bit different from the ones recorded in Soul Society's archives…"
Kotetsu Isane got completely stumped. She was just a lucky pick—noticed by Higashino Shuuichi, trained in the right direction, and then promoted at the perfect time when the previous Vice-Captain left cleanly. Questions with this kind of depth were truly beyond her.
Unohana Retsu didn't press her. She stood and looked off in a certain direction.
It felt like it had been a long time since she'd heard that term in Soul Society—though the last fight with Higashino Shuuichi didn't count.
Higashino Shuuichi often pulled out things that weren't exactly new… yet still managed to feel fresh.
And this time it was Quincies, and the Human World.
Unohana Retsu thought back—Higashino Shuuichi had just wanted to "borrow" her Bankai not long ago. Could it be that, among the many parties tangled up in that complicated Tokyo-dō situation… he was involved as well?
Mm. Given Higashino Shuuichi's trouble-magnet nature, it was very possible.
In that case, perhaps she could reluctantly go take a look.
Though she really wasn't that interested.
All of that was just a brief interruption inside Seireitei.
The real fight was still unfolding between Yoruichi Shihōin and Higashino Shuuichi.
"That's… Unohana-taichō's Bankai?!"
Yoruichi couldn't believe she was seeing Unohana Retsu's Bankai here—through Higashino Shuuichi—and it even felt pure, as if Unohana herself had cast it.
Nadegiri (Caressing Slash)!
Higashino Shuuichi answered with a strike that cleaved through the blood sea.
With her body slowed, with no lightning reinforcement, and even her shunpo no longer flowing smoothly, Yoruichi still relied on sheer physical excellence to evade that slash at the very limit.
But the thin bloody line on her right arm reminded her of that moment of terror.
And Higashino Shuuichi's slashes didn't stop.
Another Nadegiri (Caressing Slash)—then another!
Yoruichi had never imagined anyone could chain Nadegiri twice in succession—no, strictly speaking, this was already Higashino Shuuichi's third swing!
Her clothes tore away. Wounds spread across her body.
Whether her skin was exposed no longer mattered.
Right now, inside the blood sea, even standing upright felt difficult.
Only then did she realize—she'd always relied too heavily on Shunkō and shunpo.
Against ordinary Shinigami or even major villains, she was truly untouchable.
But once she faced a special ability like Minazuki, one that could half-seal her mobility and reinforcement… Yoruichi discovered that she might not even be as capable as an average captain.
(Muguruma Kensei: Yeah, yeah, exactly!)
Was this the end?
Yoruichi had never thought Higashino Shuuichi could become this powerful.
His growth rate surpassed any Shinigami she'd ever known.
Especially since she vaguely remembered that when Higashino Shuuichi first entered the Shin'ō Academy, his spiritual aptitude had only been rated Grade Four.
A level so middling it couldn't be more average.
And yet now—
"It's over, Yoruichi-taichō!"
As Higashino Shuuichi's icy voice rang out, Yoruichi dragged her shattered body forward and launched her final charge.
At the very least… if she died, she'd die with dignity. Right?
And yet, what Yoruichi didn't expect was—
Neither her attack, nor Higashino Shuuichi's, landed on the other.
Both had clearly been aimed at the other.
Even if she missed, that was understandable—her body had just been heavily damaged.
But Higashino Shuuichi?
How could he possibly make a mistake in his attack—
Yoruichi was thinking that when her head suddenly tilted. Her gaze turned hazy as she looked at Higashino Shuuichi in front of her.
He didn't feel like her enemy at all.
Who… was she fighting?
Across from her, Higashino Shuuichi also seemed to realize something was wrong. He immediately dispelled the blood sea, though he still maintained Bankai.
"Are you okay, Yoruichi-tai—tch. Uh… sorry. Looks like I messed up earlier and… kind of got rid of your clothes."
Halfway as he walked toward her, Higashino Shuuichi's face suddenly flushed. He "pretended" to avert his eyes—while repeatedly sliding them back to Yoruichi's toned physique.
Mm. Big. And round.
Thankfully, Yoruichi didn't sweat small details. She didn't care about that at all.
"Why were we fighting?" Yoruichi asked.
"No idea. If you ask me now, I can't remember either. I remember I was coming to deal with someone—but it definitely wasn't you."
Higashino Shuuichi shrugged.
Then he waved his hand, and the entire space vanished instantly, revealing its true form:
Tokyo-dō, in the Human World.
At this moment, Tokyo-dō was calm and peaceful, as if nothing had ever happened.
Luckily, because of the fight, Yoruichi had long since abandoned her reigai (spirit body). Ordinary people couldn't see her—otherwise, in her current state, she'd absolutely draw a crowd.
"…But I think I know what I'm supposed to do now. That guy Hirako Shinji actually wants to betray Soul Society—I'm going to bring him back!"
After receiving some message, Yoruichi sneered.
Higashino Shuuichi, however, said in surprise, "That can't be right. Hirako Shinji is a good guy, isn't he? I don't believe he'd do something like that!"
"Whether you believe it is your problem. I definitely don't believe it. I'm going to bring him back right now—once he's back, everything will be clear!"
With that, Yoruichi casually threw a set of clothes onto herself and used shunpo to leave immediately.
Higashino Shuuichi remained where he was, silently watching as Yoruichi Shihōin disappeared.
Everything… felt like it was exactly how it was supposed to be.
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