The path of Allen was blocked by the Captain of the 10th Division, Hitsugaya Toshiro.
Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro is a Shinigami with the appearance of a teenager, short in stature, with spiky white hair swept back and a small fringe on the left side, as well as large, light-colored eyes. He wears his standard Captain's haori, which he has not modified, along with a green sash around his shoulders. He uses a green fabric strap to secure his zanpakuto on his back, tied at each end.
The zanpakuto is the katana used by all Shinigami, born from a fragment of their souls, serving as both an extension of their power and a loyal companion.
He is young by Shinigami standards but is over thirty years old. He is considered a prodigy, as mentioned by more than one person, and to become captain of the Gotei 13 at that age is an incredible achievement.
His personality is quite strict and serious regarding rules; he is someone who does not want to be looked down upon despite being inexperienced in many areas.
Beside Hitsugaya was his lieutenant, Matsumoto Rangiku.
She is an attractive woman with light blue eyes, full lips, and long, wavy, blonde hair, almost orange, cascading down her back. Accentuating her beauty, there is a small black mole under her lip. However, Matsumoto's most unmistakable physical trait is her large bust, which has earned her many fans among the Shinigami within the Soul Society.
...
People began running in all directions; no one wanted to be near a fighting captain as it would lead to devastating consequences.
"Who are you? A retired captain? A deserter? Or perhaps a Ryoka? Answer before I lose my patience."
Hitsugaya tried to find out Artoria's identity.
"…"
Artoria stood impassive, awaiting Allen's decision to fight or withdraw. Allen didn't have Shinigami powers, so he would have to use his cursed technique or Chi, which was not ideal as it would alert the entire Gotei 13 and give unnecessary clues to their mysterious enemy. On the other hand, using Quincy's powers or even his Schrift (Sacred Letters) was even worse.
What was a Quincy, supposedly nearly extinct, doing in Rukongai?
The old man Yamamoto, the captain of the First Division and Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, was no joke, especially with both his arms still intact (he loses one in the story, weakening him).
Allen knew that if Yamamoto discovered a Quincy of such power, he wouldn't hesitate to come personally. After all, his personal enmity with Yhwach was legendary.
"Answer!" Captain Hitsugaya drew his zanpakuto.
Allen narrowed his eyes but then smirked slightly. Hitsugaya Toshiro was intelligent, but he was quite inexperienced in some areas, such as trusting his ability to sense reiatsu (spiritual pressure). Because of this, his attention was fully focused on Artoria, ignoring Allen and Makima, which allowed them to slip away. Of course, Hitsugaya couldn't be blamed for this; finding such a powerful intruder was already strange, and finding more was absurd.
'Artoria, give me a minute…'
'Understood…'
Artoria said nothing but summoned Excalibur. Hitsugaya clicked his tongue, frustrated at being unable to obtain any information before the fight.
Allen and Makima discreetly moved away as if they were merely spectators. But blue eyes followed Allen's every move.
Hitsugaya looked with irritation at Artoria, who remained silent and motionless. Was she waiting for him to attack?
Did she have no urgency? Was she not afraid that more captains would come?
Of course, even if there was such a powerful intruder, not all captains would rush to the scene. Generally, if one captain was already there, the others wouldn't interfere; after all, captains were the highest force in the Gotei 13, and if one couldn't handle the situation, were they even worthy of being a captain?
Hitsugaya vanished…
Shinigami have a movement technique called shunpo, which is a displacement technique rather than one of speed, so Hitsugaya reappeared behind Artoria, his sword descending. Hitsugaya, like most Shinigami, chose to kill or attack their enemies lethally.
Artoria didn't move; she merely raised her sword and blocked the attack, causing the wind to ripple in all directions along with the sound of the clash.
"What?!"
Hitsugaya's eyes widened; his opponent had stopped his attack with minimal effort. The captain of the Tenth Division used shunpo to distance himself, avoiding a counterattack that never came.
Hitsugaya noticed her opponent's lack of urgency and zero intention to fight, she was simply buying time for her companions to escape.
Hitsugaya Toshiro felt insulted; he was a captain, one of the Gotei 13 captains, and this mysterious woman didn't take him seriously.
"Ryoka, I see I need to treat you accordingly..."
Hitsugaya began to release more Reiatsu, (the pressure produced when Reiryoku was released). When a captain releases it, it feels like the sky itself is crushing you.
"..."
But she was unaffected, making Hitsugaya even more cautious.
"Don't underestimate me, Ryoka..." said the captain in a low voice; with the 10th Division captain's power, the sky was filled with storm clouds as Hitsugaya's gaze sharpened.
Artoria, who had been standing with her back turned, decided to turn to Hitsugaya and calmly faced him, yet she did not take the initiative to attack.
"Captain of the 10th Division, Hitsugaya Toshiro…" As a sign of seriousness, Hitsugaya decided to state his full name.
"…"
If Artoria were a knight, she would have introduced herself, but at that moment, she was Allen's doll. Her actions were dictated by her master's circumstances, and in this case, Allen sought discretion, so Artoria Pendragon did not introduce herself.
One of Hitsugaya's eyebrows twitched, but he didn't mind too much, as this was also a strategy to gather information.
Hitsugaya assumed an attack stance.
"Rule over the frozen heavens… Hyorinmaru!"
The sword released ice that took the form of a Chinese dragon, attacking Artoria as if it were alive, which it was, as zanpakuto are spiritual beings residing within Shinigami.
"…" Artoria raised her sword and faced the dragon.
Hitsugaya was surprised that the mysterious woman dared to confront his Shikai. This was not ordinary ice; it carried the strength of a captain's Reiatsu.
The shikai is the first evolution of a zanpakuto. There are different types of shikai, some change the zanpakuto's shape, while others activate special abilities with various effects. Some, like this case, are attack types, whether elemental or Reiryoku-based.
(Note: There are many different translations for Hitsugaya's Shikai, so I just chose one.)
The dragon opened its mouth and clashed with Artoria; the ice expanded instantly, creating an iceberg. The nearby houses were frozen by the cold spreading in all directions. Hitsugaya looked astonished at this, he did not believe that his opponent would allow herself to be hit (she did not).
"Don't lower your guard…"
Artoria appeared behind Hitsugaya, who opened his eyes and turned.
"Impossible! Dai Guren-!"
Artoria didn't give him a chance and attacked. She didn't release Excalibur but unleashed a large amount of mana mixed with her newly acquired spiritual energy, striking Hitsugaya.
"Ahhh!"
Hitsugaya couldn't resist and was sent flying, unable to stop the force of the attack.
Artoria remained silent, "At the last moment, he used his sword to intercept my attack and reduce the damage… he's talented…"
Artoria decided to catch up with Allen, but at that moment, it began to snow. Artoria paused as she felt Hitsugaya's pressure increase once more.
"Wait... Bankai"
...
In the Seireitei, the increase in Reiatsu was felt, and several captains stopped their activities. For a captain to be forced to use their Bankai was uncommon.
Despite what it may seem during the Bleach story, the reality is that usually, decades pass without any incidents requiring a captain's intervention. The fact that so many enemies and battles occur so frequently in Bleach is due to narrative reasons and the existence of Kurosaki Ichigo.
Hinamori, who was walking behind her captain, became worried. She was a childhood friend of Hitsugaya Toshiro, and although she knew that worrying about a captain was silly, she couldn't help but be concerned.
"Hinamori-kun, Captain Hitsugaya is a prodigy. Even now, he continues to surprise us. No matter the opponent, he won't fall easily…"
"Yes… you're right, Captain!" Hinamori felt relieved and smiled broadly.
The Fifth Division captain looked into the distance. 'It truly is a peculiar reiatsu… But is this Reiatsu?...'
...
(Moments before)
Allen left the district center with calmness; using any form of movement would raise suspicions, so he chose the least effective but most discreet method.
"Hello~"
Rangiku appeared beside Allen with a smile and her hand raised, not seeming to be pursuing anyone suspicious but greeting a friend she hadn't seen in a long time.
Matsumoto Rangiku is a very sociable and friendly woman with others, but don't be fooled—she is a very capable lieutenant who strives not to disappoint her comrades, even though she often complains about her constant work and lack of rest.
"Makima..." Allen murmured.
"Oh~ I thought the beautiful woman would be taken by you..."
"Don't kill her..."
Makima puckered her lips but didn't disobey. Allen continued walking and passed by Rangiku, who widened her eyes as she briefly saw his eyes.
'He's so young...'
Rangiku was surprised but didn't have time to pay more attention to Allen when she felt a huge chill. Her smile faded, and she drew her zanpakuto without hesitation, looking at Makima while sweating cold.
"It's a bit rude to ignore your opponent, miss..."
"Hehe, sorry, ..."
Matsumoto was confused; she felt an overwhelming sense of danger, but it had nothing to do with Reiatsu. It was something more instinctive, like facing a dangerous natural predator.
Since ancient times, in countless worlds, beings called demons have used souls as currency, possession, and food. Of course, it depends on the soul in question—an extremely powerful soul has little to fear from an ordinary demon. However, Rangiku wasn't facing any ordinary demon...
Makima's golden eyes glowed with an aura of desire to control and possess the soul in front of her, but she knew Allen would forbid it... which was a shame.
"You should be grateful for your beauty..."
Makima knew that her master was not that degenerate, but he wouldn't miss an opportunity to throw his reputation to the ground.
"Hun?!" Rangiku couldn't reply as a chain wrapped in a dark aura emerged from the ground. She used her sword to block the chain away, then used shunpo to create some distance. As soon as the chain collided with the zanpakuto, Rangiku felt as if her zanpakuto was warning her of the danger, of course, she didn't need any warning. She just had to see the sinister aura of the chain to know that she shouldn't let it touch her.
"Ara~" Makima pretended to be surprised that Rangiku escaped her attack, but she was only playing.
More chains appeared ready to grab Rangiku and she used her shunpo to escape.
"Tsk..." Rangiku had a nervous look; she couldn't let Makima catch her. She definitely couldn't allow it.
Makima moved her hands and multiple chains appeared everywhere like a spider's web.
"Damn..." Rangiku felt trapped. At that moment, she sensed her captain's Reiatsu as he used his Bankai.
"This is the power of a captain?" Makima looked with interest into the distance.
"Captain Hitsugaya... heh~" Rangiku couldn't look bad when her captain was fighting so hard.
'It's okay...' Rangiku was the lieutenant of the Tenth Division. She had been a Shinigami for a long time and didn't fear death, few Shinigami did. So she calmed her heart as much as she could.
Makima was surprised, "...You're amazing"
Although Makima's voice was very pleasant to the ear, it was still chilling to Rangiku.
"I see you're very strong... but I'm sorry, I can't lose!" Rangiku sharpened her gaze.
Rangiku's Reiatsu increased, "Growl, Haineko!"
Rangiku released her zanpakuto. Her sword turned to ash, scattering everywhere.
She used the hilt of her zanpakuto to guide the ash toward Makima.
"..." Makima's smile slowly turned cold, "But my master is a selfish bastard who would punish me if I lost...".
...
Allen had left the district and had arrived near the entrance to a forest, a sunlit meadow covered with green grass. Here, Hitsugaya's clouds were only visible in the distance.
He decided to open a portal to the human world. The girls could appear wherever he was, so he didn't need to worry.
"It seems inevitable to draw attention..." Allen looked at the distant winter storm cloud, "Doing this would make Artoria's existence obvious, but no one would know where she went, and without revealing anything else, it would be easy to show up here again in disguise."
The system was about to open the portal when Allen felt a cold gaze filled with murderous intent.
"...?!"
Allen turned to face his opponent, but she was still a long way off. The woman was walking on a dirt path leading to him. There was no one accompanying her.
"How is this possible?"
It was a person with so many deaths on her hands that she seemed like an evil spirit with her reiatsu stained with blood.
Allen felt an odd sensation, as if something was wrong in this world—something was very different from what should be happening.
"Unohana Retsu..."
Allen murmured a very familiar name to him, but something was different. The Unohana everyone knew, the Unohana Retsu that should exist in this world should be different from her.
Captain Unohana is a woman of placid beauty and maternal appearance, with dark blue eyes and long black hair, braided in a long strand falling over her chest rather than down her back (although when she wears swimsuits or sleepwear, her braid falls down her back). She has also been seen at night watching the moon with her hair loose.
She had a smile that never left her face and still looked very young despite being one of the oldest Shinigami.
A woman who valued the lives of all her allies and had vowed that as long as she stood no one would die on the battlefield, she was the loving mother you can trust with your life.
She is Unohana Retsu...
Allen finished processing information about Unohana Retsu and immediately knew something was wrong.
With slow steps filled with Reiatsu that distorted the ground she walked on, an aura of blood and death accompanied her as she advanced, with a heart devoid of mercy reflected in her bored and emotionless gaze. Her long hair was down and cascading like a waterfall without covering her chest, showing a slight cleavage that revealed that no scar had once marked her sin.
This made Allen squint his eyes, "She is Kempachi..."
...
There is a secret that has been hidden for a long time, both from the younger generations of Shinigami and the Gotei 13, and that is the true identity of Unohana, whom everyone thought was the kindest Shinigami of all.
It was her former identity, and the woman in front of Allen was not Unohana Retsu, but Unohana Yachiru, the true name of the woman who once held the title of Kempachi.
Among the divisions of Shinigami, one stands out for its peculiar method of succession. While other divisions promote a new captain when the previous one retires, dies, or is demoted, the Eleventh Division is different. The candidate must challenge the current captain to a death match, and the one who survives becomes the captain. This was invented by Unohana Yachiru in the hope of finding someone who could make her feel at least a little interest in fighting.
After all, she was so strong, even among captains, that she had lost the will to live.
This continued for hundreds and hundreds of years, with no one able to take the title of Kempachi from Unohana until a boy, a monster from one of the Eighty Rukongai districts, appeared. This monster impressed Unohana Yachiru and even left her with a scar on her chest.
From that moment, Unohana Yachiru decided to eventually leave the Eleventh Division and become the captain of the Fourth Division, which is responsible for medical support.
But...
...
'What's going on?'
Allen clenched his fists. This was the second time that an unpleasant feeling of something being wrong had appeared.
'Yhwach is dead. Now Unohana Yachiru is here, which means Zaraki Kempachi isn't the captain of the Eleventh Division...'
If Zaraki Kempachi isn't here and Unohana Yachiru is still Kempachi, this means that another of Bleach's most powerful characters was neutralized before the story even begins.
"...!" Allen began to feel the need to check on Urahara Kisuke, Kurosaki Ichigo, Aizen Sosuke, and above all, the situation in the Spirit Palace... but the last one wasn't realistic.
Unohana Yachiru reached Allen and stopped at a suitable distance for a duel. However, Allen didn't want to fight—not now.
"Ryoka, I see you have some very interesting companions..." She said with a cold smile; however, her eyes still held immense boredom.
Allen didn't know what happened to Zaraki Kempachi, but if she never met Unohana Yachiru it means she's dead bored to death.
"Excuse me, but isn't it rude to interrupt another captain?"
"I would normally wait for Hitsugaya boy to die, but I noticed no one was pursuing you, so I decided to approach..."
[Lie! That woman came directly for you, Allen!]
Allen sighed. He knew it was impossible to avoid facing Unohana. This woman only understood one thing: power.
However, Allen didn't want to reveal too much...
"Sorry, I can't give you a fight that satisfies you for now, so I'll end it quickly..."
Unohana Yachiru's eyes widened as a smile spread across her face.
"I knew it!" she exclaimed as she drew her sword, and the sky turned red from her overwhelming power.
'System...'
[Understood!]
"Auswählen!"
In an instant, Allen borrowed the power of all the Quincys, disguising that power as Reiatsu using fragments, and summoned Clown Crown. His innocence underwent a change when he arrived in this world, but Allen did not have time to pay attention.
The woman began to laugh like a madwoman, Allen felt pain in his heart as Unohana Mama did not exist in this world.
The system isolated this place in the hope that no one could feel or see Allen and Unohana's fight.
Allen and Unohana clashed their swords, causing the Soul Society to tremble.
===
A/N: I don't know if it's better for the plot if Unohana Yachiru becomes Unohana Retsu or stays as Yachiru 🍷🗿
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