Squad Six Barracks.
The dazzling sunlight shone on the stone slabs, reflecting a stark white, while the gurgling stream mirrored the pitch-black shadows.
The wild grass and flowers in the courtyard exuded a natural, earthy fragrance.
Kuchiki Ginrei sat in a rocking chair beneath the eaves, sulking so much that he couldn't even bring himself to drink his tea.
Even now, he couldn't figure out what was so great about Naraku Sora. Not only had his son-in-law run off to join the boy, but even a good kid like Byakuya had been completely captivated, losing all sense of perspective.
*You are the future Captain of Squad Six, the pillar of the Kuchiki clan. How can you indulge in such childish games of make-believe?*
Despite his anger, there was nothing he could do.
No one knew his grandson's stubborn personality better than he did.
Persuasion was out of the question; he could only hope that one day Byakuya would figure it out on his own.
*As for demanding the boy back from Naraku Sora?*
That was even more impossible. Despite his advanced age, his physical condition meant his strength was only average, placing him squarely in the middle tier among the Captains.
If he were to actually confront that brute, he probably wouldn't even survive a single punch.
Thinking of this only made him angrier.
Just as Kuchiki Ginrei was pondering whether he should go to Squad One to file a formal complaint against a certain someone, a powerful fluctuation of Reiatsu suddenly erupted in the spacious courtyard.
It was unfamiliar, yet carried a trace of familiarity.
Without any hesitation, acting almost purely on instinct, Kuchiki Ginrei abruptly stood up from his rocking chair, his right hand subconsciously resting on the hilt of his Zanpakutō.
"I truly never expected that a brat like you would become the Captain of Squad Six."
"Hey, how is the Saitō family doing?"
Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw a familiar figure standing beneath the shade of a tree.
She wore a sleeveless Captain's haori with a red lining over a black Shishakushō. With her hair tied in purple twin-tails, she had the appearance of a young girl.
Resting her Zanpakutō on her shoulder, she adjusted the eyepatch on her face and flashed a wickedly sinister smile at Kuchiki Ginrei.
Although she was not bad-looking and had a petite frame that seemed unthreatening.
The moment Kuchiki Ginrei laid eyes on her, an indescribable terror welled up from the depths of his heart.
Despite the bright sunlight falling upon him, he felt no warmth whatsoever—only an absolute, freezing chill that slowly consumed his body.
"You shouldn't be here."
Kuchiki Ginrei took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down as he looked at the purple-haired girl with a stern expression.
His grip on his sword hilt tightened, his knuckles turning faintly white.
The purple-haired girl curled her lips into a disdainful sneer, showing absolutely no regard for him.
"Hah, do I need to report my whereabouts to you?"
"Answer my question first, or I'll drag you down to Hell with me right now!"
Kuchiki Ginrei narrowed his eyes. While maintaining his guard, he prepared to unleash his Reiatsu to alert the others in the barracks, ideally drawing the attention of the other Captains.
"Shortly after your death, the Saitō family, relying on Head Captain Yamamoto's leniency, provoked conflicts with other noble houses and ultimately fell into complete ruin."
"In today's Soul Society, the Saitō surname no longer exists."
Hearing this, the purple-haired girl paused for a moment before bursting into uproarious laughter, appearing utterly deranged.
"They really were a bunch of absolute trash."
Clearly, she held no lingering attachment to her former family.
"Let's make a bet."
The girl tilted her head, her single remaining eye locking fiercely onto Kuchiki Ginrei.
"Do you believe that in the time it takes for the other Captains to arrive, I can completely rip your head off?"
The moment her words fell, Kuchiki Ginrei was struck with horror. Acting on instinct, he unleashed all of his Reiatsu. A massive pillar of spiritual pressure shot into the sky, kicking up a fierce gale from the ground.
*Shing!!*
He drew his blade to intercept.
Materialized Reiatsu surged wildly, wrapping around the silver-white blade and gleaming with a dangerous light.
The figure ahead flickered and vanished, instantly reappearing above Kuchiki Ginrei. Her blade, enveloped in tremendous Reiatsu, slashed downward without a word of warning.
The brilliant arcs of their blades clashed in midair, sending sparks flying and kicking up an astonishing wave of dust.
The moment their swords met, Kuchiki Ginrei's expression drastically changed as he felt an unprecedented Reiatsu.
It was bloody and twisted, brimming with absolute madness and tyranny, as if it sought to destroy everything in the world.
"Haha, Ginrei, long time no see! You've gotten weaker!"
The purple-haired girl wore a manic smile, unleashing her Reiatsu without any restraint. Her single eye glared fixedly at Kuchiki Ginrei across their locked blades.
"Now, please tell me, where is that brat named Naraku Sora?"
"I'm in a hurry, so I don't have much time to play with you."
Kuchiki Ginrei's expression remained grave and serious, showing no intention of backing down. His deep voice rang out amidst the clash of metal, carrying an unshakable resolve.
"I do not know any Naraku Sora."
"Hah, stubborn as always. If only your strength was as great as your stubbornness."
The moment she spoke, her berserk Reiatsu poured out wildly. Like a collapsing flash flood, it surged forward with overwhelming momentum, directly engulfing Kuchiki Ginrei.
At the same time, the force behind her blade abruptly skyrocketed as she brought her strike down.
*Boom!*
Accompanied by a deafening explosion, Kuchiki Ginrei was instantly sent flying backward.
His elderly body became a high-speed cannonball, crashing through walls and collapsing buildings in rapid succession. Countless waves of dust shot into the sky like skipping stones, causing a massive commotion within the barracks.
The terrifying clash of Reiatsu threw the entirety of Squad Six into chaos.
"What happened?!"
"Enemy invasion! Enemy invasion!"
"An unidentified Soul Reaper has broken into the barracks! Captain Kuchiki has been temporarily repelled, and the enemy's strength is terrifying!"
"Wait, the Captain is charging back in!"
"Hurry and notify Squad One—oh, wait, no, notify the Prison Warden of the Shino Prison!"
Some people were already trying to distance themselves from the battlefield to activate the emergency rescue function on their Denreishinki.
As the primary developer of the Denreishinki, Kurotsuchi Mayuri had naturally set up the central hub for receiving such information at the Shino Prison barracks.
This also meant that the officers of the Shino Prison were always able to rush to the scene of an incident at a moment's notice.
"Ginrei, you've grown old."
The purple-haired girl used Flash Step to appear amidst the ruins. She casually flicked away a collapsed wall with a backhand motion, her blade pointing downward and emitting a sharp gleam.
"Your will is no longer firm, and even your Zanpakutō has grown dull."
Facing her provocation, the disadvantaged Kuchiki Ginrei showed no signs of panic. He extended his bloodied left hand, his deep voice echoing through the rubble.
"[Hadō #73・Sōren Sōkatsui]."
Scorching explosive flames ignited the air, transforming into a dazzling streak of blue light that directly swallowed the petite figure ahead.
*Boom!!*
An explosion that shook the heavens rang out as extreme heat instantly boiled over.
The Kidō spell hit its mark with absolute precision, without the slightest deviation.
Yet, not a trace of joy could be seen on Kuchiki Ginrei's face. His brows furrowed tightly, squeezing his wrinkles into deep folds as he stared in astonishment at the billowing clouds of thick dust.
*She's been dead for so long, so why is she even stronger than when she was alive?*
The purple-haired girl slowly walked out from the waves of dust, appearing before Kuchiki Ginrei almost completely unscathed. There were a few scorch marks on her face, but no visible injuries.
"Your strength has waned, but your petty tricks have multiplied."
"Hiding under the rubble to secretly chant an incantation, only to unleash it all at once when I got close."
"You really outdid yourself, Ginrei."
Kuchiki Ginrei opened his mouth, wanting to say something to stall for time, but that face brimming with a wicked smile suddenly closed in, and her Zanpakutō slashed down without a word.
She was no longer willing to waste any more time on him.
Kuchiki Ginrei hastily moved to intercept. The moment their blades clashed, a suffocating, terrifying force poured out wildly, driving him straight into the ground like a hammered nail.
Just as the purple-haired girl was preparing to finish him off in one fell swoop, she suddenly looked toward the distant sky.
At the edge of her vision, a blazing red light streaked across the sky at high speed under the sunlight. The air itself ignited into roaring flames due to the intense friction.
Scorching Reiatsu plowed through the air like a meteor, trailing a long, brilliant tail of fire as it rapidly grew larger, larger, and larger in the sky!
*Boom!!*
A mushroom cloud woven from countless specks of dust and dirt erupted into the sky right in the middle of the Squad Six barracks!
The resulting gale directly blasted the petite figure away.
From within the smoke and dust, a figure slowly stepped out.
His almost tangible, searing Reiatsu swept away the nearby ash, leaving several scorch marks on the shattered ground.
"Any random stray cat or dog dares to come cause trouble in the Seireitei now? Don't you know this is my turf?"
Naraku Sora rolled his shoulders, loosening his tense body, producing a sound like a bowstring being pulled taut.
"Little brat, state your name so I know what to carve on your tombstone later."
Before the other party could speak, Kuchiki Ginrei called out from the ruins to warn him:
"Lord Naraku, please be careful! She is someone who has already died—Saitō Furōfushi!"
"She appeared this time specifically targeting you!"
Before his words even faded, the maddened Reiatsu had already rushed right in front of Naraku Sora. Her twisted smile radiated a killing intent that was almost palpable.
"You talk too much! I'll kill you!!"
Holding nothing back, her trembling body erupted with a pillar of Reiatsu that pierced the heavens, and a dense purple light instantly swallowed Naraku Sora.
The slender purple blade flickered eerily in the air, vanishing for a split second before reappearing right in front of Naraku Sora.
Just as the sharp gleam of the blade was about to sever his head, a large hand appeared out of nowhere and instantly caught it in its palm.
Saitō Furōfushi's eyes widened, her face filled with sheer astonishment.
"How is this possible..."
Although she hadn't released her Zanpakutō, with the enhancement of her Reiatsu, she could easily slice through the Zanpakutō of an ordinary Lieutenant.
Yet now, it was actually being held barehanded by her opponent?!
*Could it be that this guy's Zanpakutō is a self-enhancement type?*
Just as this thought crossed her mind, Naraku Sora narrowed his eyes slightly, a burning flicker of flame flashing through his pupils.
"You dare to zone out while fighting me?"
Utter ruthlessness surfaced on his face.
And then came an unmerciful, unrestrained, full-power strike!
Single Bone!
A hurricane erupted. Materialized Reiatsu twisted and surged around his fist, instantly extending for several kilometers and plowing a bottomless trench through the barracks.
*Crack!*
A crisp shattering sound echoed from Saitō Furōfushi's bones. Under the terrifying force, she was sent flying backward, streaking across the sky like a beam of light.
She crashed ruthlessly into the earth!
An earth-shattering wave of dust erupted once more. Like an earthquake, it swept through the entire barracks and continued to expand outward.
"Cough!"
Spitting out a mouthful of congested blood, Saitō Furōfushi revealed an expression of sheer disbelief.
That strike just now subconsciously reminded her of the battlefield against the Quincy a thousand years ago.
How similar was that burning figure rampaging through the Quincy ranks to the guy standing before her?!
Just as Naraku Sora was preparing to press his advantage, a dark red door suddenly appeared behind Saitō Furōfushi.
The door opened, and countless pitch-black chains shot out from within, binding her tightly.
"Lucky brat, I'll be back."
"Next time we meet, you'd better watch your back."
The petite figure was forcibly dragged into the door, leaving only her voice echoing over the ruins.