Chapter 350: Shiba Isshin, Emergency Deployment!
"Hmm?"
Rangiku, walking along the road, spotted a familiar figure.
A thin, small body with an onion-style haircut - it was her junior from the Eleventh Division, Mikami Rukia.
However, because her aura had changed quite significantly, she didn't recognize her at first glance.
Usually, the girl always looked quite worried.
Today, however, it was as if years of heavy burdens had suddenly been lifted, as if her entire being had been elevated.
Even her dark purple eyes seemed to shine brighter than usual.
"Rukia!!"
Rangiku raised her hand and waved toward the onion-haired girl.
"Ah, Third Seat Matsumoto!!"
Rukia turned around, showing a serious expression as she bowed to Rangiku.
Rangiku waved her hand while walking over.
"How many times have I told you, no need to be so formal with me. I'm not like that dead-serious Tōsen type, just call me Rangiku."
Reaching Rukia, Rangiku curiously bent down, reaching out to cup the girl's cheeks.
"Hmm... it's really not an illusion. These eyes are much more beautiful than usual."
"Little girl, did something happy happen?"
"Or did you find some life goal?"
Hearing this, Rukia showed a smile.
"Yes, Senior Rangiku."
"I have already found my reason for living."
"Oh? Tell me quickly!"
Rangiku's eyes lit up, her curiosity completely piqued.
What kind of experience could have changed Rukia so dramatically?
Could it be related to pink, pink maidenly feelings~?
The gossip heart leaps, the curious soul burns!
Under Rangiku's gaze, Rukia said seriously:
"From now on, I will always stay by the Captain's side."
"No matter what happens, no matter how many dangers and obstacles lie ahead, I won't feel the slightest fear."
"The Captain's goals are my goals."
"Wherever the Captain is, that is my home!"
Rangiku: "...?"
She blinked, frozen in place.
Good news: she guessed correctly - the reason for Rukia's sudden determination was indeed pink maidenly feelings.
Bad news: the object of those maidenly feelings was Satoru.
Damn it, does that guy Satoru have some kind of succubus constitution? How does he always attract ignorant young girls!
Under Rukia's puzzled gaze, Rangiku raised her hand and patted her shoulder.
"Rukia... this is truly a path of carnage. Are you really determined?"
Rukia nodded firmly: "Of course!"
The Captain said that as long as she stays by his side, he can continue to grow stronger, reaching higher and going further.
"In that case, even if I were to be crushed to pieces, I would never leave his side!"
Watching the burning determination in Rukia's eyes, Rangiku couldn't help but feel deeply moved.
What... an incredibly strong conviction.
No way, was she going to be outdone by a junior in her resolve to win Satoru over?
She lifted the corners of her mouth into a bright smile.
"Alright, in that case, I'll make my resolution too."
"On this path, I won't retreat even one step."
"Let's see who can make it to the end and claim the crown!"
Rukia looked somewhat puzzled.
"Senior Rangiku... can you really do it too?"
"?"
A vein bulged on Rangiku's forehead.
She reached out and pinched Rukia's cheeks, pulling them back and forth.
"Little girl, popping champagne halfway isn't a good habit. On this path, I'm your senior!"
"Mmm..."
Rukia seemed confused.
Did Senior Rangiku also possess the ability to make the captain stronger just by staying by his side?
Could it be that Senior Suì-Fēng, Vice-Captain Aizen, and the others all had such abilities?
Thinking about it this way, no wonder the captain was so strong - he really had many important people around him...
Rukia showed a smile.
Seeing the little girl still able to smile "proudly" while having her cheeks pinched, Rangiku's blood pressure rose.
This won't do, she needed to find a way to advance her conquest progress.
Satoru marrying someone else? Absolutely not!
...
...
Living World, Karakura Town.
Shiba Isshin stood before the full-length mirror, straightened his jacket, and combed his hair.
After preparing himself, he nodded in satisfaction, mounted his newly purchased motorcycle, left the Ishida residence, and headed toward Karakura High School.
A few months ago, he had moved into the Ishida household and met a girl named Kurosaki Masaki.
The girl was a distant relative of the Ishida family. Having lost her parents at a young age, she had no choice but to live with them.
Like Ishida Ryūken, Masaki was a pure-blooded Quincy with exceptional talent. Despite her youth, she had already demonstrated formidable combat prowess.
To be fair, among all the Quincies in the Living World, Masaki's strength undoubtedly ranked within the top five.
Initially, Isshin merely felt sympathy for the girl's circumstances, so he often made time to play with her and chat.
But as time passed, he gradually began to find her truly adorable.
Despite being born into an unfortunate family, she carried not a trace of gloom.
She was like a beam of sunlight, piercing through this shadowy world.
Gradually, Isshin began to develop feelings for her that went beyond mere friendship.
Realizing this, Isshin felt somewhat hesitant.
It wasn't because of their differing identities.
Though Masaki was a Quincy, he himself wasn't exactly a conventional Shinigami either.
The position of Captain of the Sixth Division meant little to him.
He only held that post to look after the Shiba Clan and, incidentally, assist his elder brother Satoru and his mentor.
His hesitation stemmed from the fact that he could sense that Ishida Ryūken also secretly had feelings for Masaki, though he never showed it.
As a man of integrity, he felt somewhat ashamed to engage in such underhanded tactics.
But just as he was about to give up, an image of Aizen suddenly surfaced in his mind.
...That's right, his mentor had said that those who achieve great things do not bother with trivial matters.
Though this mindset contradicted the teachings of the Shiba Clan, his mentor was probably right.
Since when were clan teachings so inconvenient?!
After a lengthy half-hour of internal struggle, Isshin made up his mind and began pursuing Miss Masaki, who was still in high school.
First, he started with the small details.
He learned Masaki's hobbies and subtly made her accustomed to his presence.
Taking advantage of the girl's carefree nature, he stealthily changed his address for her from "Miss Kurosaki" to "Masaki."
During casual conversations, he told her interesting stories about the Soul Society, sparking her curiosity about the world of Shinigami...
All sorts of similar tricks were employed by Isshin without hesitation.
At first, he felt a bit guilty.
But when he thought of his ruthless, unscrupulous mentor, he felt relieved.
Compared to his mentor, he was nowhere near that level.
Elder brother Satoru was so foolish... ahem, such a good person, yet his mentor could manipulate him without a shred of guilt. Was it really a problem for him to use a few tactics on Masaki?
Of course not!
Hehehe!
Today's conquest plan was to pick Masaki up from high school.
As a normal, cheerful, and lively young girl, Masaki naturally had no shortage of close friends.
Surrounded by her girlfriends, the girl walked out of school, everyone chatting happily.
He would ride in on his sleek motorcycle, making a dazzling entrance. The girlfriends would surely gasp, cheer, and ask about his relationship with Masaki.
This was the bridgehead battle for advancing his own strategic plans!
Just as he was happily thinking this, a voice suddenly echoed in his ears:
[Isshin, avoid the area ahead.]
Hearing this voice, Shiba Isshin froze in surprise.
Master's voice?
What's happening?
He stopped his motorcycle.
"Master? What's wrong?"
[Ahead is my testing zone. I've dispatched a powerful Hollow to test its stealth capabilities.]
[Over there, there's a group of Quincy from the Living World - perfect test subjects.]
"What?!"
Upon hearing Aizen's words, Shiba Isshin's pupils contracted sharply.
"Master, Masaki's high school is right there!"
[Masaki?]
In the laboratory, Aizen slightly frowned, quickly searching through his memory for this name.
Kurosaki Masaki... A pure-blooded Quincy residing with the Ishida family.
According to his investigations, her perception abilities and combat skills were quite exceptional.
Seeing Shiba Isshin's anxious reaction, he seemed to understand something.
Aizen turned his head:
"Notify the experimental team to abort the mission and retrieve Hollow White."
"Yes!"
An Arrancar immediately began operating the control console without hesitation.
After about ten seconds, he turned back, sweat dripping from his forehead.
"R-report, Lord Aizen! The console cannot connect to Hollow White! It's refusing to accept signals!"
Hearing this, Aizen narrowed his eyes.
After thinking for two seconds, he spoke:
"Isshin, I'm transmitting Hollow White's Reiatsu signal to you now. Find Hollow White and either retrieve it or eliminate it."
"Be aware that Hollow White is a special experimental subject with powerful Reiatsu concealment abilities and combat strength not inferior to captain-level."
"You are permitted to use Bankai if necessary."
An experimental subject not inferior to captain-level... running rampant in Karakura Town?
Sweat broke out on Shiba Isshin's forehead.
This was a serious situation.
After receiving the Reiatsu signal transmitted by Aizen, he immediately abandoned his Gigai without hesitation and rushed toward Karakura High School in his Shinigami form.
After ending communication with Shiba Isshin, Aizen pressed another communication button.
Soon, the connection was established.
"Lord Aizen?"
"Ulquiorra, go to Karakura Town. Locate Shiba Isshin's Reiatsu and provide him support."
"Yes."
In a photography studio, Ulquiorra was wearing a suit while filming a commercial.
Suddenly, his body collapsed to the ground with a thud as his soul departed, rushing toward Karakura Town.
Just then, Aizen added:
"Operate covertly. Try not to be detected."
"If Isshin can handle it alone, don't reveal yourself."
"Yes."
Though he didn't understand why Aizen gave such instructions, Ulquiorra's greatest virtue was not questioning things he shouldn't ask about.
With a flap of his wings, he accelerated toward Shiba Isshin's location.
...
...
At Karakura High School, students were streaming out through the school gates.
Several girls walked together, chatting and laughing.
A girl in school uniform with orange short hair walked in the middle, smiling and nodding as she listened to her friends.
Suddenly, she seemed to sense something and looked up, gazing in a certain direction.
There stood a tall building.
A strange figure was crouching at someone's window, seemingly about to jump.
Masaki narrowed her eyes, looking more carefully.
When she clearly saw what was there, her pupils contracted sharply.
The figure crouching at the window wasn't human - it was a masked humanoid Hollow!
The Hollow's body was almost entirely covered in black, with only its mask being white.
Long silver hair flowed down its back.
At that moment, the Hollow held a man's soul in its hand, nibbling on it bite by bite as if enjoying an afternoon dessert.
Masaki recognized that soul.
He was a Quincy who had once visited the Ishida residence. He seemed to have gotten into an argument with Ryūken and was driven away by him.
To be able to kill that person, this Hollow's strength... was at least that of an Adjuchas.
Perhaps even stronger!
An intense sense of crisis surged within her.
So strong... I probably can't match it.
I need to quickly inform Mr. Sōgen and Ryūken!
Right, I must notify Isshin too!
Suppressing the urge to summon her Spirit Bow, Masaki took out her phone.
But the moment she flipped it open, she sensed something was wrong.
Sure enough, when she looked up, the Hollow crouched over twenty stories above had already turned its gaze toward her.
Noticing Masaki looking in its direction, the Hollow grinned, revealing an eerie smile.
It was then that Masaki suddenly noticed—the Hollow's chest, where its Hollow hole should have been, was filled with a strange white substance.
What... is this?
In her moment of distraction, the black Hollow suddenly moved.
It flashed forward and in an instant, was already right in front of her!
"Watch out!!"
Masaki didn't hesitate, immediately pressing several girls beside her to the ground.
Amid the girls' startled cries, she pushed off with both hands, executing two consecutive backflips to create distance from White.
The moment she landed steadily, she had already drawn her spiritual bow and fired an arrow!
Whoosh!
Facing the incoming spiritual arrow, White merely tilted its head slightly to evade.
Staring at the Quincy girl before it, it grinned.
"Excellent..."
"You're even more delicious than the previous one."
The classmates Masaki had pressed down scrambled to their feet, about to get angry when they suddenly felt a violent gust of wind.
Everyone gasped, reaching to hold down their skirts.
One of them suddenly screamed in pain.
Her arm, grazed by the fierce wind, had been torn open with several wounds!
Then, they watched in astonishment as Kurosaki Masaki leaped up, performing a double jump mid-air while constantly changing positions.
The spot where she had just been standing exploded as if hit by some kind of bomb, sending floor tiles flying everywhere!
Dodging the Cero fired by White, Masaki felt cold sweat trickling down her forehead.
So strong...
The opponent was just playing around, yet it had already pushed her to her limits.
If this continued, she would undoubtedly lose.
If it really came to it, she would have to resort to the worst possible method.
She took a deep breath, as if having made some firm resolution.
Just then, an angry roar suddenly erupted from the distance:
"Burn, Sode no Shirayuki!!"
"Getsuga—Tenshō!!!"
Both White and Masaki turned to look.
They saw a man clad in a white Captain's Haori, like an enraged beast, charging forward while swinging his flaming Zanpakutō!
A blazing crimson, boiling crescent-shaped Reiatsu shot fiercely toward White.
BOOM!!!
A fiery explosion expanded above Karakura High School!