Haruki not only gained Motooru Tani's favor but also improved his rapport with Fujita Satoru and Tanaka Kōhei. Although their affection ratings hadn't reached 80, they were already in the 70s.
Situations like this were perfect for building goodwill.
Moments later, Gin Ichimaru returned. His ever-present smile remained as he said, "Unfortunately, I've scouted the surroundings, but I didn't find any trace of the Hollow."
Fujita sighed in disappointment. "If even Vice-Captain Ichimaru couldn't find anything, then we'll have to rely on Haruki for defense."
"Bad news!"
One of the Shinigami suddenly shouted, "Kawai's body has disappeared!"
"What?!" Tanaka Kōhei exclaimed. "The body vanished? Weren't you guarding it?!"
Haruki turned his attention to the scene, noticing that Kawai's corpse was indeed gone, leaving behind only an empty Shinigami uniform.
The sight immediately reminded everyone why they were here.
"Spiritual body disappearances?"
"Could that Hollow be the cause behind the soul disappearances?"
Tanaka quickly turned to Gin Ichimaru and asked, "Vice-Captain Ichimaru, should we continue forward or return to notify the Captain?"
Gin's tone remained unchanged. Turning toward the direction ahead, he replied, "Fujita, take a team back to report these events to the Seireitei."
"As for us, we'll proceed to meet up with the Ninth Division Shinigami."
"Yes!" Fujita nodded and immediately led a team back toward the Seireitei.
Haruki watched their retreating figures and took a deep breath.
Will this group make it back alive?
"Cancel the rest period. We're moving immediately to rendezvous with the Ninth Division," Gin ordered.
The group mobilized at Gin's command. Haruki exchanged glances with Motooru and Tanaka, seeing the worry reflected in their eyes.
In this situation, even if we meet the Ninth Division, will we be able to trust each other?
Though Haruki's unique ability allowed him to identify the Hollow's host, what if there was a mistake? What if the other side refused to believe him? Could the Ninth Division trust the word of the Fifth Division?
This is turning into a test of trust.
Haruki felt the storm brewing in his heart. He had begun to piece together Aizen's little "game."
So I like playing the good guy and making friends, huh? Fine. Let's see how you fare when you're isolated and distrusted by everyone.
If Metastacia could keep parasitizing Shinigami, it would inevitably lead to more deaths as Haruki identified hosts. Those killed might have friends and allies. How would they view Haruki?
Even worse, humans are emotional beings. If a host vehemently denied being parasitized, would anyone dare believe Haruki's claims enough to execute their comrade?
Thanks to the Gaming Prodigy ability, Haruki suddenly realized something he hadn't noticed before.
Why did Metastacia deliberately reveal itself in front of so many people?
Was it an unavoidable byproduct of its ability?
No. Haruki remembered that in the original story, Metastacia fully merged with its hosts. When the host died, so did it—there were no dramatic separations. If it could escape so easily, why would Rukia have been haunted by guilt for so many years?
This meant that if Haruki pointed out another parasitized Shinigami and they were killed without Metastacia manifesting, the blowback would fall squarely on him.
So that's the game you're playing, huh?
Haruki glanced at Gin Ichimaru. As expected, the ever-smiling Gin's expression remained unchanged. Haruki said nothing and continued following the group.
After hours of travel, Motooru suddenly stopped.
"The Ninth Division is about ten rei away," Motooru announced.
Motooru was the group's best sensory expert. His Zanpakutō required precise targeting, so his spiritual perception was among the strongest in the squad.
Ten rei wasn't far—roughly equivalent to crossing half of Karakura Town. However, the continuous march had left the Shinigami exhausted. Haruki was still in good condition, thanks to Gaming Prodigy, but most of the others were clearly fatigued.
"You can rest here," Gin said, stepping forward. "I'll handle contacting the Ninth Division."
He began chanting:
"Black and white net! Twenty-two bridges, sixty-six crowns, footsteps, distant thunder, sharp peaks, churning earth, lurking night, cloud seas, azure order, fill the heavens! Bakudō No. 77: Tenteikūra!"
Gin's Bakudō allowed long-distance communication, acting as a magical broadcast. In this era, Hell Butterflies were limited, and Reishō Denreishinki (spiritual communication devices) hadn't been invented yet. Thus, Tenteikūra was the go-to option.
Soon after, members of the Ninth Division arrived. Among them was none other than Shūhei Hisagi.
Haruki observed the Ninth Division members carefully. He immediately noticed something alarming: two of them were already parasitized by Metastacia. He could tell by the faint red glow surrounding their bodies and the soul ability "Parasite" displayed above them.
However, Haruki said nothing. Thanks to Gaming Prodigy, he had an almost intuitive understanding of the situation.
If he accused them now and they were killed without evidence of Metastacia manifesting, he would be the one left isolated and blamed.
Instead, he decided to watch them closely. If they made any suspicious moves, he would act decisively.
For now, just bide your time.
As the Ninth and Fifth Divisions exchanged pleasantries, Haruki glanced at Gin Ichimaru, only to find the man already looking at him.
Their eyes met briefly. Haruki smiled.
Gin returned the smile.
It was clear that both knew more than they were letting on.