In the mirror, a miniature fat lynx stared back with wide eyes and an open mouth, its large face filled with bewilderment.
Akira was completely perplexed.
The same Cat Transformation Technique that made Yoruichi's black cat look noble and handsome had turned him into something comically clumsy.
While he circled the mirror lost in thought, the black cat beside him vanished in a flash of white light, replaced by a dark-skinned girl with smooth, taut skin.
Upon seeing the fluffy lynx, she could barely contain her love for cats. The dense, thick fur was impossible to resist petting.
Taking advantage of his contemplative state, her mischievous hands appeared under his front legs and lifted him without warning.
"Ahhh—" Yoruichi's eyes lit up at the feel of his fur and texture.
Suddenly airborne, Akira's limbs trembled instinctively, his large face filled with terror, his expressions comically animated.
Before he could speak, Yoruichi turned him around and hugged him to her chest, her small hands stroking the areas with the softest fur.
His head ended up buried in a soft and bouncy location.
Both parties found their spiritual satisfaction, and the training ground fell silent.
Until...
"Yoruichi, if you don't let go soon, I might suffocate here." Came a muffled voice from her front.
Yoruichi held him by the waist, lifting Akira to eye level, and grinned.
"As expected of the Shin'ō Academy genius, you've mastered my secret technique so quickly."
He placed his paws on her front, feeling the softness under his paw pads as he stared at her.
"Though I've seen it many times, I still want to remind you — in the future, when transforming from cat to human, you should try to avoid other people..."
Although he had seen it many times before, this was the first time being this close.
Yoruichi grinned, "Should I take this as you being possessive?"
"Let's say that." Akira nodded.
Having seen and touched, if he didn't stake his claim now, what if she ran off in the future?
{T/N: Protect your treasure, my man!}
Remembering how Yoruichi had once transformed from cat to human without hesitation in front of someone powerful, he decided to give her this gentle warning.
With obvious reluctance, Yoruichi set down the fluffy lynx and began putting on her sleeveless Shihakushō.
As he caught glimpses of her smooth back and graceful legs, Akira cleared his throat and strategically positioned his fluffy tail, protecting his "thing" from being seen.
Sometimes, seeing things from a new angle could reveal unexpected beauty.
And reactions.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
The next day, East Rukongai.
A group moved swiftly across the barren plain, their footsteps light and purposeful.
At the front, a white captain's haori fluttered in the wind, marked with the character "三" (three). Its wearer, Takeda Chishi, was utterly unremarkable — the sort of person whose face would be forgotten in a crowd.
Though he possessed enough presence and energy to barely qualify for his position as 3rd Division Captain, there was little else noteworthy about him.
Beside him walked the deputy commander for this mission.
His haori billowed dramatically, emblazoned with the eye-catching slogan "It's Free, Might As Well Believe A Little" — a detail that drew constant glances from the Shinigami Officers behind them.
{T/N: In Japanese: 無料だから,ちょっと信じてみても良いかも (Muryō dakara, chotto shinjite mitemo ii kamo). I really don't know how this could be fit in the haori…}
The field operatives of the 3rd Division were well acquainted with the Sakahone Shrine's reputation.
The shrine's fame had first spread through the Shin'ō Academy.
After one of its members graduated and joined the 11th Division, promotional slogans and advertisements began appearing throughout Rukongai's front districts.
Thanks to the 11th Division's enthusiastic promotion, the shrine had attracted many devoted followers.
The officers wondered if the famous Sakahone Shrine truly lived up to its reputation.
What sort of mind, they wondered, could devise such outlandish promotional slogans? And was it wise to have this Lord Kisaragi as deputy commander?
A third figure at the front drew attention.
With light purple eyes and golden wavy hair styled with small braids at the ends, he radiated the aura of a medieval gentleman.
Or as Akira put it: like a goat letting out a sheep's fart — stylish yet flashy.
For this comment, the 3rd Division's 3rd Seat, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, nearly came to blows with him. If the other Officers hadn't held him back, he would have struck without hesitation.
Regarding strength, Rōjūrō was supremely confident. Having recently mastered Bankai, he considered himself second only to Captain Chishi in power.
This mission was his chance to shine.
As dusk fell, the group arrived at their destination — the 78th District.
Takeda surveyed the boundless wasteland, his eyes narrowing in contemplation.
This was where the reported soul disappearances had occurred.
Intelligence from the 2nd and 8th Divisions had detected the culprit's Reiatsu fluctuations and tracked their movements.
The perpetrator was concealed within a Bakudō barrier, masking their identity.
This detail pointed to an active Shinigami from the Gotei 13. A Rukongai vagrant would have no need for such concealment — after all, Rukongai housed countless unregistered vagrants, outnumbering even the Gotei 13's Shinigami.
These vagrants were known for their violent nature and fighting prowess. They were behind ninety percent of Rukongai's unrest.
With vagrants ruled out, the list of suspects had narrowed considerably.
After a quick assessment, Takeda faced the group and began issuing orders, deliberately ignoring Akira.
To him, this operation had one commander alone. The deputy commander was merely there to pad his resume and steal credit.
Genryūsai had gone to great lengths to secure a position within the Gotei 13 for his disciple.
If he could claim that Ansai Tsunayashiro was killed by a mere rookie, what wouldn't Genryūsai dare to do?
Thinking this, Takeda narrowed his eyes and spoke in a deep voice.
"The culprit's activity is centered in the 78th District. Based on my analysis, they're likely on this plain. For efficiency, Rōjūrō and Third Seat Kisaragi will each lead a squad. I'll lead the remaining men. Notify us through Kidō if you spot the enemy. Any questions?"
The Shinigami answered in unison, "No!"
As 3rd Division Officers, they were well accustomed to Takeda's temperament. Akira had even less objection.
He had been forced into this situation, threatened by the old man. He had zero interest in solving cases.
The teams quickly split up, with two groups heading west and south to search, while Akira remained at the original location, waiting for signals.
The Officers exchanged glances but, as subordinates, kept their thoughts to themselves.
Finding people wasn't his strong suit. Though he had learned Yoruichi's Cat Transformation Technique, he didn't want to use it in public.
Avoiding public nudity was only one reason.
More importantly — what self-respecting person transforms into a Manul cat?
While Akira sulked alone, a squad member cautiously approached. The middle-aged man's weathered face wore a fawning smile.
"Lord Kisaragi..."
Akira raised an eyebrow, "What is it?"
The man smiled ingratiatingly, "I heard you're skilled at divination. I've been having some difficulties lately — could you do a reading for me?"
The priest's eyes lit up with interest, "Future, love, career, or fortune — which would you like to know about?"
"Future!" The middle-aged Shinigami replied eagerly.
Akira took out a fresh tortoise shell and began the divination with deliberate care.
The ritual incantations of the Sakahone Shrine echoed as faint red flames danced across the shell's surface.
Crackling sounds filled the air as cracks spread across the tortoise shell.
After studying the patterns, he interpreted them.
"Very good news — the reading shows promotion in your future. You'll soon become a Seated Officer."
Hearing this, the middle-aged Shinigami was overjoyed and thanked him profusely.
Seeing this, the others exchanged glances, their interest piqued.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
Meanwhile, on the southern plains...
Takeda's squad encountered a group of wandering rogues.
After a brief exchange of words, conflict erupted into a small-scale skirmish.
Takeda single-handedly dominated the battlefield. His materialized Reiatsu burst forth, unleashing wild winds that swiftly subdued the rogues.
"Has anything strange been happening in the 78th District lately?" He questioned the surviving rogues, "Like people of unknown identity, or—"
Before he could finish, the terrified rogue spilled everything, his words tumbling out like beans from a bamboo tube.
"Yes, yes! Recently, people have seen a glowing figure harvesting the lives of rogues. Every time it appears, several people vanish. Some say it's a divine messenger, others say it's a demon from hell—"
The rogue's expression suddenly turned terrified.
Following his gaze, Takeda noticed something unusual.
A hazy, distorted light appeared ahead, surrounded by a faint pressure as dangerous energy spread across the wasteland.
"This is..." Takeda narrowed his eyes, "Bakudō #26: Kyokkō. The culprit has appeared! Surround them, don't let them escape!"
The Shinigami dropped the rogues and quickly formed an encirclement. Over a dozen Reiatsu signatures intertwined, casting a deadly atmosphere over the wasteland.
Looking at the Shinigami before him, a hint of pity flashed in Aizen's eyes.
Sometimes, ignorance is bliss.
His blade fell, unleashing a flash of light through the crowd as blood sprayed brilliantly. The Shinigami at the front instantly collapsed, his chest stained deep red.
Seeing this, Takeda's heart leaped and his pupils contracted. The enemy was powerful — there was no room for carelessness.
Just as he prepared to join the battle, a calm voice spoke.
"If it weren't for Tsunayashiro's failure, you would have achieved your ambitions by now, wouldn't you?"
Hearing these words, Takeda's heart skipped a beat. He narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the figure of light.
"I don't know what you're talking about." He said gravely.
The calm voice continued, as if stating simple facts.
"Third Division Captain, Takeda Chishi, once led fourteen Shinigami Officers to assist with duties in the Twelfth Division's jurisdiction due to their staff shortage. It was then that you learned about the Twelfth Division's internal details and the Artificial Soul technology that Kirio Hikifune was developing. Shall I continue?"
Aizen watched him expressionlessly, recalling the intelligence he had gathered recently.
As he had discovered, Takeda Chishi, like Okama Shinji, had allied himself with the Tsunayashiro family. Since the night raid on the 12th Division, he had been investigating the incident.
Each of the 13 Divisions' barracks had its distinct characteristics, and the 12th Division was no exception. While the surface structure and routes weren't secret — even regular division members, let alone Captains, were familiar with them — Kirio's core research facility was protected by extremely complex defenses and security patrols.
Yet that night, no alarms had triggered until the intruders reached the Soul Extraction Chamber. Even the guard Shinigami hadn't noticed anything amiss.
Combined with Akira's intelligence and Ansai's admission that "the 13 Divisions aren't unified", Aizen was certain there were more moles in high positions.
Upon confirming Takeda's identity, he realized the corruption ran deeper than the nobles — the Gotei 13, Soul Society's supposed protectors, had been infiltrated through and through.
Thinking of a certain someone's complete lack of cunning, Aizen felt inexplicably weary.
Could someone so foolish truly survive until retirement in the Gotei 13?
Noticing the shocked and suspicious looks from his division members, Takeda's expression darkened as his Reiatsu erupted, making the ground tremble.
Massive fissures split open beneath the Officers' feet, swallowing them whole before they could react.
"Now that they know my secret, these people cannot be allowed to leave alive."
Takeda's voice carried an intense threat as he justified his actions, his expression twisting with murderous intent. A cold atmosphere instantly enveloped the surroundings.
"Now it's your turn!"
Before his words faded, he vanished, reappearing before Aizen.
Cold light flashed as his blade left its sheath, slashing downward with tremendous force!
⤫⤬⤫
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