"Target sighted!"
From the distant woods, sharp eyes quickly caught the anomaly in the sky. A swarm of shinigami in black Shihakushō fanned out, racing toward the Negación dome.
Leading them was a tall, elegant figure, a classical woman with narrow arching brows.
Makoto, stationed at the Negación's edge, noticed the commotion and peered into the distance.
After hours of waiting, the reinforcements had finally arrived.
"Hey! Over here!"
Unsure if his voice could pierce the barrier, he raised a hand high, waving toward the newcomers.
To his surprise, they didn't spare him a glance. Instead, they surged toward the still-fading Negación, their faces alight with fervor.
The poised woman at the forefront swung an arm back, barking orders, "Activate the equipment! Collect the Negación Reishi now, it's about to dissipate!"
"Yes, ma'am!!"
Her entourage, a pack of evident eccentrics, lit up at the prospect of rare Reishi phenomena, far more enthralled than they'd be by any beauty. They scrambled into action outside the dome.
Makoto stood mere feet away, watching them mutter and fuss over the Negación's material.
"Hey! You there!"
The woman wasn't just addressing her crew. Spotting Makoto inside, she raised her voice, issuing commands, "Measure the Hueco Mundo rift's Reishi fluctuation coefficient right now! What are you staring at? Don't tell me you can't even cast basic detection Kidō? Record it on a Reishi panel, I need it for my report!"
Makoto felt his face slacken, probably looking a touch foolish.
Detection Kidō? He didn't just lack the skill, he'd never even heard of it.
"Damn it!"
One glance at his blank stare, and Senjumaru Shutara pieced it together. She gnawed her thumbnail in frustration. "These brainless brawlers who only know how to swing a sword are always so useless…"
This was prime experimental material!
"Hey! Did she just call me a brainless?!" Makoto's eyes bulged.
In all his time in this world, he'd never encountered a woman bold enough to hurl such a Soul Society vulgarity in broad daylight.
[Who the fuck is this little bitch?!]
[Drop my pants and I'll show you my big banana!]
[Daddy's banana will be fiercer than any red-hot iron rod!]
[Let's go, baby!]
Even his rowdy Zanpakutō bristled, its childlike, tender voice rising in loud protest.
For once, Makoto found himself nodding in agreement.
Unbeknownst to him, that outburst drew the woman's attention.
"Hm?"
Senjumaru's gaze flicked to his blade, one slender brow arching. Her already narrow eyes squinted further. "A Zanpakutō that speaks independently, ignoring its wielder's input? Interesting."
Makoto froze.
"Wait... wait! You noticed?!"
"Hm?" Senjumaru shot him an odd look. "What's there to miss? That Reishi voice bypassed your body entirely, transmitting straight from the Zanpakuto to my head. Anyone with a functioning brain would catch it."
"Guh…"
For a moment, he slumped against the Negación, an unexpected warmth swelling in his chest.
In all his time since coming into this world, this was the first soul to recognize that his Zanpakutō's chatter had nothing to do with him.
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
In that instant, gratitude flooded Makoto's heart.
"Are you an idiot?"
Senjumaru's brow creased, her suspicion slipping out unguarded. What kind of normal person reacted this way to being called a little prick?
She shuffled back a few steps in her geta sandals.
Fools were a far more dangerous breed than any crude insult implied.
In mere moments, Senjumaru's research team completed their final sample collection.
At the center of the once-solid Negación curtain, a fist-sized breach emerged, a hard-won result after half an hour's relentless effort.
Once that breach appeared, the vast Negación stretching from earth to sky crumbled like a domino chain toppled by a single flaw. A colossal collapse unfurled from that tiny imperfection.
In mere seconds, it vanished into thin air.
Gone too were the rifts to Hueco Mundo torn across the sky.
"Phew…"
Senjumaru let out a small breath of relief.
The Shinigami, trapped within the Negación for hours, could finally step free of its confines.
Unohana tossed the Shutara Alert Device into Senjumaru's arms with a casual flick, her tone devoid of inflection. "The alert's compromised. The Seireitei tampered with the Reishi signal. Redo it."
Senjumaru clutched her forehead, her temper flaring. "Damn it! Redo it again? It was working just fine!"
Despite her grumbling, Unohana's icy stare bore down until Senjumaru relented, pocketing the device with a begrudging huff. "Fine, fine, I get it!"
Watching this unfold, Makoto keenly felt the sheer presence of this era's Unohana-mama.
Setting aside all else within the Genji School, she was a solid second-in-command.
While Senjumaru muttered curses and stomped her feet nearby, the moment passed unheeded.
Beyond the research team, the other Shinigami poured into the village, swiftly gathering the fallen villagers' bodies. Though lifeless, the lingering Reishi traces on them held valuable insights.
The rest scattered to the river and water jars, collecting samples.
But as they dispersed, Makoto felt a faint tug at his sleeve.
"Hm?"
He turned to find the bold girl from before trailing him timidly, her small frame radiating nervous tension.
Catching his gaze, she mustered a pitiful smile despite her fear. "S-Sir…"
No more 'Onii-chan' this time.
Her wide eyes darted between him and the Shinigami scouring the village. Though her rims reddened, she fought back tears, adopting an obedient air as she whispered, "My home… my grandpa, they're gone. Um… can I come with you?"
Makoto's heart softened.
Who could refuse a homeless girl?
The image of the old man igniting at his doorstep still burned vivid in his mind, how much worse for a child who'd lived her whole life in this village?
And didn't she show signs of spiritual potential?
He ruffled her hair gently, soothing her. "It should be fine. Kids like you are prized at the Genji School. Though… you're awfully young…"
He vaguely recalled the youngest there still looked like teens.
"I'll ask for you. Oh, by the way, what's your name?"
Clinging to his sleeve, she tilted her small face up, her voice a shy murmur. "Kirio. My name's Kirio Hikifune."
"Hm?"
…
At the Genji School.
"…The outcome is clear."
Having received the research team's report, Yamamoto sat within the dojo, his gaze steady on those around him, his voice calm. "This was yet another shameless ambush orchestrated by the Seireitei nobles. Beyond the seven shinigami who fell battling the Menos Grande, sixty-nine innocents perished in this incident. Time and again, these nobles prove themselves a festering swarm, cowed by might yet devoid of virtue. Only the blade can rouse them."
He turned, facing the assembly, his tone as still as an ancient well.
The dojo, seating dozens, remained hushed, silent enough to hear a pin drop.
"To that end, I've decided… we will purge all noble influence beyond District 30. Any objections?"
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