Clack, clack, clack! Clack, clack, clack!
At noon seven days later, in the Seireitei—previously peaceful—an urgent series of wooden clapper strikes suddenly rang out. Immediately afterward, the shouts of the Emergency Communications Unit reached the ears of every Shinigami:
"Attention: A distortion-mask reaction has been detected in the western outskirts. Areas Three through Eight are to enter lockdown immediately!"
"Repeat: A distortion-mask reaction has been detected in the western outskirts. Areas Three through Eight are to enter lockdown immediately!!"
The so-called "distortion-mask reaction" refers to the phenomenon produced when intruders pass through the Dangai by abnormal means. The Research and Development Institute uses these reactions to determine the intruders' whereabouts—
In the traditional understanding of the Seireitei, intruders are known as Ryoka. Regardless of whether they come with good or bad intentions, they are all deemed guilty of "disrupting the order of Soul Society" and are to be executed by all Shinigami without exception!!
"What?! A Ryoka has illegally invaded Soul Society?!"
Okikiba Genshirō, who was reviewing documents in the First Division barracks, was so startled that he dropped the red vermilion brush in his hand and exclaimed in shock.
"Calm down, Third Seat Okikiba."
Fūjin Taichi yawned as he sat up from the tatami, gazing at the golden sunlight in the courtyard as he said lazily:
"Compared to a 'Ryoka invasion,' what I care about more is this… If you don't finish approving those documents soon, Old Man Yama is going to start yelling!"
"..."
Okikiba Genshirō clicked his tongue inwardly and thought bitterly:
Damn it! Weren't these documents supposed to have been approved by you, the vice-captain, yesterday?! Why were they dragged out until now… and why am I the one taking the blame?
"Oh right—how's Keichirō doing?" Fūjin Taichi asked.
He was referring to Saitō Keichirō, who had been imprisoned in the Repentance Cell for covering up a crime and had already been there for over half a month.
"Seventh Seat Saitō was sentenced to six months of confinement in the Repentance Cell… He won't be getting out anytime soon."
Okikiba Genshirō picked up his brush again, circled something on the document in red, and stamped it with the vice-captain's seal.
"I see… Looks like he really can't help much as an 'older brother,' then."
Fūjin Taichi stood up, fastened his zanpakutō Kyūjūkyū to Ichi at his waist, and walked toward the exit.
"Vice-Captain, where are you going?"
"Outside."
"But… everything outside the barracks is 'outside'! I mean, where exactly are you going? I need to report it to Headquarters!"
"Tenth Division."
Fūjin Taichi paused slightly, then turned back to look at Okikiba Genshirō.
"If anyone actually cares about that kind of thing, just say I went to the Tenth Division… for a visit."
...
BOOM!
Above the West Gate of the Seireitei—Hakutōmon—a golden light suddenly appeared in the sky. Immediately afterward, five streaks of light shot out like arrows and smashed heavily into the ground!
"Ow, ow, ow… that hurts!"
Kurosaki Ichigo, clad in his black Shihakushō and silver armor, scrambled up from the dirt, rubbing his backside.
"…"
The tall and burly Chad (Sado Yasutora) said nothing. He simply helped Ishida Uryū to his feet and silently looked around at the rows of blue-brick, green-tiled residences of Rukongai.
"Good grief, I didn't expect it to be this messy... I've already had to use my spare cloak."
Ishida Uryū rummaged in his clothes and pulled out a short white cloak, putting it on himself.
Compared to the cloak… you should've brought a brain, Sasuke, Ichigo and Chad both thought silently.
"Is everyone okay? That's great!"
Inoue Orihime jumped up from the ground and clapped her hands happily.
"Great my foot!"
The black cat Yoruichi slammed her head into Orihime's face and shouted angrily:
"The Kōtotsu is the Dangai's cleaner! If spiritual bodies like us get swallowed by it, we'll never be reincarnated! Idiot!!"
"Ah… I'm sorry, I know I was wrong!"
Orihime covered her mouth and replied timidly.
"Hey, Yoruichi, don't be too hard on Inoue!"
Ichigo walked over and said,
"If it weren't for her Santen Kesshun, we wouldn't be standing here safe and sound right now!"
"Idiot—do you even understand how serious the situation was, Kurosaki Ichigo?!"
The black cat Yoruichi extended her tail and shouted at him:
"We were lucky the shield part hit the Kōtotsu. If the main body of the Rikka had been caught, we'd all be dead in the Dangai!"
"Oh, oh… then next time I see that Kōtotsu thing, I'll teach it a lesson!"
Ichigo said carelessly as he looked around at the surrounding streets, then exclaimed in surprise:
"So this is Soul Society, huh? It looks pretty similar to our world!"
"Mm… This place is commonly known as Rukongai."
Yoruichi's amber-colored eyes emitted a piercing light as she stared intently at the Seireitei in the distance, explaining in a low voice:
"It's where souls guided to Soul Society first live.
It lies on the outermost ring of the Seireitei, where the Shinigami reside—
The freest, poorest area of Soul Society, and also the place with the largest soul population."
"But… why isn't there a single person around?"
Ishida Uryū adjusted his glasses and asked in confusion.
"That's because—"
A very human-like heaviness suddenly appeared on Yoruichi's face as she spoke in a low, grave tone:
"Our commotion was too big. The Seireitei has already noticed us.
So the residents here should have already hidden in shelters… And also—come out, Shinigami! I can already feel your spiritual pressure!"
"As expected of 'Flash Goddess' Yoruichi… You noticed my presence this quickly."
Fūjin Taichi clapped his hands as he sighed in admiration, then walked out from behind a fruit stall at the street corner.
"You are…?"
The black cat Yoruichi fixed Fūjin Taichi with two deep, penetrating gazes. He was dressed in a black Shinigami uniform, his face covered by a white cat-shaped mask—clearly not wanting others to know his true appearance.
After all, in Soul Society, a Shinigami secretly assisting a Ryoka is a crime of the same severity… In other words, if the Ryoka were sentenced to death, the Shinigami would not escape execution either!
Therefore, before the "big villain" Aizen betrayed Soul Society, Fūjin Taichi had no intention of turning himself into a public target by helping the Ryoka Kurosaki Ichigo and being hunted down by the entire Seireitei!!
"Tch—starting a big fight the moment we arrive in Soul Society, huh?! Perfect… My Zangetsu has been starving for battle for a long time now!! Then come on—let's fight!!"
As he spoke, Kurosaki Ichigo drew the massive Zangetsu from his back. The jet-black blade was marked with a golden pattern that ran from the guard all the way to the tip—
"Wait, Ichigo!"
Ishida Uryū suddenly stepped in front of Kurosaki Ichigo to stop him.
"What is it, Ishida?!"
Ichigo hoisted Zangetsu onto his shoulder and said irritably,
"I don't need your help to cut down a guy like this!"
"Idiot—take a good look!"
Adjusting his glasses, Ishida Uryū stared straight at Fūjin Taichi and said in a low voice:
"That guy… that guy is the Shinigami who defeated you back in the living world—Fūjin Taichi!!"
"What?!"
Not only were Kurosaki Ichigo and the others shocked, even Fūjin Taichi broke out in a cold sweat at Ishida Uryū's words:
"I'm disguised like this and you still recognized me?!"
"Hmph!"
Ishida Uryū slowly walked up to Fūjin Taichi and said gravely:
"Your disguise is meaningless before these eyes of mine—"
"What?"
"Fūjin Taichi, your disguise is excellent! However… the wooden Vice-Captain's badge on your left arm gave you away at a glance!!"
"Uh… I see! In that case, as a reward—"
Fūjin Taichi scratched his head awkwardly, then pulled four Seireitei Entry Passes from his clothes and tossed them to Ishida Uryū.
"Welcome to the Seireitei!!"
"..."
The black cat Yoruichi was dumbfounded. She had never imagined that the first Shinigami they would encounter after breaking into Soul Society as Ryoka would be someone delivering entry permits instead!
"Don't look so surprised. Just think of me as Mu from the Aries temple"
Fūjin Taichi continued cheerfully,
Now, Ichigo, make sure you master Bankai and save Tsukiyomi!"
As he spoke, Fūjin Taichi casually drew a "cross" behind his back with one hand, then walked off on his own, disappearing from everyone's sight…