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Chapter 1 - 3rd Seat

Walking through the quiet corridors of the Fourth Division, Iemura Yasochika, the current Fourth Seat, headed toward his superior's designated room. The hallways always carried the same gentle smell, mixed with the calm air that seemed to wrap around that sector of the Seireitei.

His confidence in finding his superior easily came from the man's simple routine, which, besides diligently putting in his hours in the infirmaries, consisted of spending the rest of his time in his own space.

The only exception was for direct requests from Captain Unohana.

As he approached the private room of the Third Seat, similar to so many others within the division's barracks, Iemura noticed the discreet presence of a soft Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure) coming from inside. It was almost like a breeze, hard to notice if one was not paying attention.

"Ayano-sama. It's Fourth Seat Iemura."

An answer came right after, muffled by the door but clear enough.

"Iemura-san…? Is there an emergency?"

The voice sounded strangely young for the position it held, clashing with any expectations one might have for someone at the level of Third Seat.

Ayano Keiji, the current Third Seat of the Fourth Division, had a simple routine. This made him somewhat distant from the other divisions, since he turned down most invitations he received. So going after him always meant there was a serious reason.

Even if he himself was not exactly a serious person.

"Captain Unohana-sama is summoning Third Seat Ayano-sama to her office."

"… is that so?"

Iemura heard his colleague sigh on the other side, a sound almost resigned, but he did not comment. He knew when it was better to ignore it. After a faint rustle, the door slid open and Ayano Keiji appeared.

Despite his youthful look, almost like a teenager's, he stood 180 cm tall, and his physique was well-developed, clearly visible thanks to his Shihakushō (Death-Conquering Robe) open around the torso.

What drew the most attention, however, was the permanently messy light-orange hair and the eyes of the same color, which nevertheless seemed a bit idle.

Iemura was hundreds of years old, but he still lowered his head in deference to Keiji, who had been around for less than a decade since first appearing at the Shin'ō Academy (Spiritual Arts Academy).

Regardless of age, hierarchy was something fundamental in the Gotei 13. And Keiji had earned his position, as one of the greatest talents the Soul Society had seen in recent centuries, being compared to Captains Ichimaru Gin and Hitsugaya Tōshirō.

"Do you know what the Captain wants?"

"I do not have that information, Ayano-sama."

Iemura replied calmly, while also observing Keiji's somewhat relaxed state.

"I recommend that Ayano-sama tidy up his appearance before meeting Captain Unohana-sama. Or Lieutenant Kotetsu-sama might get… irritated again."

The memory made him hold back a laugh. It had not been long since Isane had chased Keiji throughout the Fourth Division's barracks with her Zanpakutō (Soul Slayer) in hand, after seeing him show up to a meeting in total disarray.

The episode was still being mentioned in the division's gossip.

"… right, we do not want that to happen again…"

Keiji commented with restrained exasperation on his face. Just like the Captain, the Lieutenant of the Fourth Division could be a bit… rough when she lost her patience.

"I will straighten up on the way. Thank you, Iemura-san~"

With light steps and an almost sing-song voice, Keiji left the room and went down the corridor. From frequent visits, Keiji had already memorized the path to Unohana's office. And even if he had not, Captain Unohana's extremely controlled reiatsu was unmistakable throughout the Seireitei.

While humming softly to himself, easing the slight confusion in his mind thanks to the unusual event that had happened a few moments earlier, Keiji reached Unohana's office.

And not only did the serene aura of the Fourth Division's Captain surround him, but also another, sharper energy, easily recognizable.

'Thank you, Iemura-san.'

Keiji thanked Iemura in his mind once again, after sensing Isane's reiatsu in the room.

"Captain Unohana, this is Third Seat Ayano Keiji. I was informed you summoned me."

He announced himself in a clear voice, waiting outside. It was a simple gesture of courtesy, even knowing that both the Captain and the Lieutenant had already noticed his presence.

Isane, especially, always got pretty irritated when Keiji showed up without announcing himself, as if it were an insolent habit. And as fun as it was to tease the innocent Lieutenant, right now Keiji had other things on his mind to worry about.

"You may come in, Keiji-kun."

Unohana's gentle, welcoming voice came from inside. With permission granted, he slid the door open and stepped in to find the Captain calmly having a cup of tea, while stacks of papers rested on the desk in almost impeccable order.

Behind her, Lieutenant Kotetsu Isane stood, with a serious expression that made it clear she was paying close attention to the newcomer.

Unohana Retsu, Captain of the Fourth Division. Her long black hair was parted into two sections down to her neck before joining into a single braid that fell with elegance over her chest. Her eyes were closed and her usual gentle smile was displayed for Keiji.

In contrast, Isane looked Keiji up and down, evaluating every detail of his posture and appearance. Only then, satisfied to see him at least minimally presentable, did she grant him a brief nod of approval.

"Oh~? Did something happen to Keiji-kun?"

Unohana asked, bringing the cup to her lips. Isane glanced at her for a moment, not having noticed anything different about Keiji, but still choosing to trust the Captain's always spot-on intuition.

"As sharp as always, Captain."

Keiji smiled faintly. He was not very expressive, but Unohana had picked up on something in his mood. Even if it was just a hint of surprise or distraction, it was different from his usual monotony.

"Something unexpected happened, but nothing to worry about."

"Oh? I wonder what it could have been."

Unohana commented, but did not press the matter. She already knew well the way Keiji closed himself off when he did not want to stretch certain subjects, even when he was usually quite open in conversation.

"Shall we get to the important matter? Keiji-kun was summoned because a mission has been assigned to you."

"… a mission?"

Now, that was something that did not happen very often. The fact that she said it was assigned "to him" and not that Unohana had "chosen him" for the mission said that this order came from higher up.

A few similar situations had occurred in recent years.

'So… who took an interest in me this time?'

{Will we get some action?}

'I wonder about that.'

He answered mentally to the spirit of his zanpakutō, which seemed just as curious as he was.

"A mission assigned by Central 46. Keiji-kun has no choice but to accept it, I am afraid."

Unohana stated this calmly, but watched carefully the subtle change in Keiji's expression.

"… is that so?"

Just as she expected, there was a slight negative shift on Keiji's face upon hearing her words.

"The content is simple: verify the condition of the shinigami Kuchiki Rukia, who set out on a mission and has not yet returned."

"A search mission? Wouldn't that be the responsibility of the fifth division? Maybe even the thirteenth, since that is her division."

"That would be the case… but I believe the objective is another. Perhaps they want to test the talent of the young prodigy Ayano Keiji? To make sure you are not just relaxing within our humble division~"

Unohana's comment had a light tone, but it made clear the implicit criticism of how Central 46 treated her division.

After all, there were many who despised the Fourth Division as nothing more than a division for "cowards." Of course they would not have the courage to say something like that in front of Unohana or Keiji.

"I believe Keiji-kun will know how to show enough of his capabilities to… calm the superiors at Central 46."

"Looks like I will need to put in a bit of effort, then."

"I would appreciate it if you did."

"Understood~ And when should I start?"

"As soon as possible. Stop by the twelfth division so they can provide the mission location. If you need any extra preparation, our Isane-san can arrange it."

"Yes, then I will take my leave. Bye bye~"

He raised his hand in a quick, carefree gesture before pivoting on his heels and sprinting down the corridors, not giving the Lieutenant time to scold him. Isane's furious shout even started to echo through the room, but Keiji had already vanished from sight.

[——]

While he followed the Jigokuchō (Hell Butterfly) that would take him to Karakura Town, the place of the mission where Kuchiki Rukia had been sent, Keiji mentally accessed the "thing" that had caught his attention a little earlier.

It was something strange, different from any technique or ability he had ever seen in the Soul Society. Despite remembering only fragments of his own life before becoming a Shinigami, Keiji still recognized that "thing" as something similar to a system.

A feature that had no connection whatsoever with the normal rules of the Soul Society.

Able to be accessed only by thought, it manifested as a translucent screen, suspended in front of his eyes that seemed to be visible only to himself, which he confirmed by opening and closing the interface several times without anyone around noticing while he was in Captain Unohana's office.

– – –

"Dimensional Chat Group"

『Group Chat』

『Missions』

– – –

The options were simple and even self-explanatory, but it did not take long for Keiji to understand their usefulness better thanks to the messages exchanged by the more senior members of this "Dimensional Chat Group". A "chat" that connected people from different dimensions in a single group, for purposes still unknown.

Unlike the other member who joined at the same moment as Keiji, Zen'in Maki, it was not very hard for him to accept that something like this existed.

Dying, gaining superpowers, and fighting monsters called Hollows... his limit of "possible" or "impossible" had changed a long time ago.

With the Jigokuchō leading the way through the Senkaimon (Tunnel World Gate), Keiji opened the entire interface of the "Dimensional Chat Group".

– – –

[1/2]

『Group Chat』(17 New Messages)

[Members]: Grayfia Lucifuge; Boa Hancock; Aizawa Shota; Zen'in Maki; Ayano Keiji;

– – –

[2/2]

『Missions』

– – –

The first feature was 『Group Chat』. It allowed conversations with people from other dimensions in real time. Up to that moment, there were five active members: the veterans Grayfia Lucifuge, Boa Hancock, and Aizawa Shota, in addition to himself and Zen'in Maki, the newcomers.

The second was called 『Missions』. The older members explained that they could create missions to gain the help of the group members for different events in their worlds.

In theory, anyone in the group could accept and participate. Of course, everything came with cost and reward, with the system being responsible for that.

This was the one that most sparked Keiji's interest. The chance to step out of the daily routine and play around in other places, just for fun, sounded tempting as a way to escape the constant monotony of the Seireitei.

Seeing the jigokuchō indicate the arrival point, Keiji crossed the passage and reached Karakura Town, in the Human World. Dismissing the jigokuchō, Keiji closed the "Dimensional Chat Group"and expanded his spiritual sense.

He did not remember being familiar with Kuchiki Rukia's reiatsu, so he would head toward the direction of the strongest reiatsu signatures he found.

He stayed like that for a few moments, filtering the signatures that rose in the air, before finding a relatively powerful reiatsu.

"Found you~"

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