Gosuke Shigure returned to the Eleventh Division and personally gathered the members of the squad. The moment he stepped into the familiar courtyard, many shinigami instinctively straightened their posture. Even though they had long been used to his presence as vice-captain before, now that he had officially become captain, there was still a subtle difference in atmosphere.
He did not waste time.
Standing at the front, he directly informed the members of the Eleventh Division about the mission assigned by Head-captain Yamamoto.
When the word "Quincy" was spoken, there was a slight pause in the air.
It was not fear.
It was not panic.
It was not even surprise in the conventional sense.
Rather, it was a moment of recognition.
After all, although hundreds of years had passed, the name "Quincy" was not unfamiliar. It had appeared in academy teachings, in records, and in stories passed down among older shinigami.
But even so, the Eleventh Division did not show any particular attitude.
No one questioned it.
No one hesitated.
No one asked why.
Compared to other divisions, the Eleventh Division understood something more directly, something more instinctively.
They were a combat division.
From the moment they chose, or were chosen, to join this division, their duty had already been decided.
That duty was simple.
Fight.
That was all.
As for who they fought, that was never their concern.
Whether the enemy was a hollow… or a quincy… or anything else, it did not matter.
They did not need to think about it.
They only needed to know one thing, that this was their mission.
And missions were meant to be carried out.
Shigure understood this very clearly.
He did not give any unnecessary speeches.
He did not try to justify the war.
He did not explain morality, nor did he speak about right or wrong.
Because for the Eleventh Division, such things were meaningless.
At the same time, he himself also understood another truth.
Whether the quincies were good or bad, whether their actions were justified or not, none of that mattered anymore.
Once Central 46 had made a decision…
Once the order had been issued…
Then as the captain of the Eleventh Division, he had only one role, that is to execute it.
After the brief explanation, preparations began immediately.
Several days passed.
During these days, the entire Eleventh Division was operating at high efficiency. Weapons were checked, personnel were selected, and formations were arranged.
At the same time, a large Senkaimon specifically prepared for combat deployment was constructed.
This was not an ordinary gate.
It was larger, more stable, and capable of allowing multiple shinigami to pass through in an organized manner. The structure itself carried faint spiritual fluctuations, indicating the level of preparation that had gone into this mission.
When everything was ready, Shigure stood before the gate.
Behind him stood a group of carefully selected elites from the Eleventh Division.
Although the mission was to annihilate the quincies, that did not mean sending everyone.
Some younger shinigami lacked real combat experience.
Some had never even faced enemies beyond basic hollows.
Sending such people into a battle against quincies was no different from sending them to their deaths.
Therefore, only the strongest, the most experienced, and the most battle-hardened members were chosen.
The rest remained in Soul Society.
Among the selected members, one figure stood out particularly clearly.
Zaraki.
Because the quincy incident had occurred so suddenly, his training under Unohana Retsu had been temporarily halted. Without hesitation, he joined this mission as a member of the Eleventh Division.
For him, there was no reluctance.
Only anticipation and excitement.
"Set off."
Shigure spoke calmly.
There was no need for further words.
One after another, the shinigami stepped forward and entered the Senkaimon.
Between Soul Society and the Human World lay the Dangai.
A chaotic, unstable space where time and direction could easily become distorted. Without proper guidance, even experienced shinigami could lose their way within it.
However, Soul Society had long prepared for this.
Hell Butterflies.
These ancient creatures fluttered ahead, releasing faint glimmers of light. Under their guidance, the path through the Dangai became clear and stable.
Shigure and the others followed.
The journey was smooth.
And soon, they emerged into the Human World.
At present, the era they had arrived in — was the Edo period.
This was a time defined by the dominance of the samurai class.
As Shigure stepped onto the streets, his gaze swept across the surroundings.
Wooden buildings lined both sides of the road.
Merchants moved cautiously.
Commoners kept their heads lowered.
And among them were samurai.
They walked with swords at their waists, their expressions arrogant, their posture proud. Wherever they passed, civilians instinctively moved aside, making way without daring to obstruct them.
Some of the Eleventh Division members observed this and could not help but comment.
"It's somewhat similar to Soul Society."
The comparison was not entirely wrong.
Hierarchy, authority, and power.
These things existed in both worlds.
Shigure glanced at the samurai and replied calmly,
"They carry swords, but they are not shinigami."
The others nodded.
The difference was obvious.
No matter how imposing these samurai appeared, they were still ordinary humans.
"Compared to them…"
Another shinigami spoke, his tone turning more serious.
"Our real enemy is the ones who use bows."
At the mention of this, everyone's attention shifted.
Quincy.
Although both shinigami and quincies claimed to eliminate hollows, but their methods were fundamentally different.
Shinigami purified hollows.
They returned souls to the natural cycle.
Even if a soul was broken, it could eventually reform and reincarnate.
But quincies, they destroyed it completely.
They reduced hollows into spirit particles, erasing them from existence.
If this continued, the total number of souls in the world would decrease, and the balance would collapse.
This explanation had already been given before the mission.
The shinigami of the Eleventh Division understood it.
Whether they agreed or not, was irrelevant.
They knew why they fought.
At the same time, they also knew their enemy.
Quincies used bows and arrows.
Their attacks formed from condensed spirit particles.
Their signature technique — The Heilig Pfeil.
Unlike shinigami, who relied on internal reiatsu, quincies drew power from the external environment.
One internal.
One external.
Two completely different systems.
Just as the group continued forward, a voice sounded from the side.
"Are you Captain Gosuke of the Eleventh Division?"
A young shinigami approached, his expression carrying a hint of nervousness.
"I am Kosuke Aoyama, Sixteenth Seat of the Thirteenth Division."
"I am stationed here in Edo."
He bowed slightly.
"Captain Ukitake has already informed me of your arrival through Hell Butterfly."
"I have prepared the accommodations."
Shigure nodded slightly.
"Understood."
There was no need for excessive formalities.
"It's time to get to work."
Although they had come to annihilate the quincies, they would not rush into battle blindly.
Establishing a foothold came first.
Under Aoyama's guidance, they moved through Edo.
Before long, they arrived at a residential district.
Through the methods of Soul Society, the human residents had already been placed into temporary sleep.
They had been relocated elsewhere.
The area was now empty, silent, and above all, safe.
"This place has been prepared in advance." Aoyama explained.
"It can serve as your temporary base."
Shigure looked around.
The houses were intact.
The layout was suitable.
There were no disturbances.
After a brief moment, he nodded.
From this moment onward, this place would become the Eleventh Division's base in the Human World.
And from here, their mission against the quincies would truly begin.
*****
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✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
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