Chapter 174: First Act

Chapter 174: First Act

Sometime earlier.

As twilight embraced Karakura Town, Rangiku found herself perched atop the towering power station, her gaze sweeping over the urban expanse. The city, awash in the glow of night lights, presented a sight of mundane beauty, a stark contrast to the ancientness of Seireitei. It wasn’t just the scenery that captivated her; the fruity sake she sipped added an extra layer of sweetness to the moment.

Of course she didn’t come here just to drink. She’d never slack off on her duty when her negligence could result in someone being hurt or worse. As the highest-ranking Shinigami in this operation, she had strategically selected this vantage point, ensuring a panoramic view of the area.

That also meant her companion Vice-Captain, Nanao Ise, was present by her side. While Rangiku lounged with a sense of ease, Nanao stood upright, her sharp eyes drifting vigilantly.

“Loosen a bit, Nanao. Join me for a drink. This melon-flavored sake won’t make you wasted. It’s pretty easy on the body.”

Nanao cast a sidelong glance at the bottle in Rangiku’s grasp. “No. I never drink during my work time.”

Rangiku saw her stern refusal coming from miles away. “No need to be so perfectly vigilant. The sixth years are also keeping watch. Well, if any Hollow shows up, I’ll whoop their ass.”

Rangiku seemed confident despite the seal that lowered their strength to twenty percent of her peak.

Nanao slowly turned to Rangiku. “I don’t chase perfection for someone else. I do it for myself.”

“Deep. Very deep. I’ll drink one to that.” Rangiku raised her cup in a toast before downing the sake in one smooth motion. “Ahhh... the perfect balance of sweetness and fruitiness.”

Nanao’s response was a gentle head shake. She remembered all too well the many Hollow encounters in Karakura Town. This very locale had witnessed the emergence of the most formidable Vasto Lorde ever documented by the 12th Squad. The inexperienced sixth-year students wouldn’t stand a chance at detecting such a formidable Reiatsu.

“Woah, who is that?” Rangiku pointed in the distance, her eyes narrowing in curiosity. “Ohhh, it’s Kazuya’s kitty. She’ll make for a better drinking companion than Nanao.”Điscover new chapters at novelhall.com

“...”

Rangiku poured another cup and jumped down, her smile broadening as she approached Toshiro and Renji. “I’m guessing he left with Momo.”

Renji raised his brow. “You gave her permission. Why will they not go?”

Even with their overly relaxed banter, no one from Shinigami dared to underestimate the four. How could they when the four Hollows’ Reiatsu was on par or even stronger than Rangiku’s peak?

Loly placed her hands on her hips and laughed haughtily. “For so long we, Hollows, have died at Shinigami’s hands. Today, I, Loly Aivernne, will take a stand for Hueco Mundo.” She pointed a finger down at them, smirking condescendingly. “Hear me, Shinigami. This is a declaration of war against your race. A war to annihilate the entire Soul Society for good.”

...

Meanwhile in the hidden dimension.

Gin’s eyelids lifted ever-so-slightly, revealing the striking blue of his eyes. The screens before him captured the stunned expressions of Renji, Toshiro, Nanao, and Rangiku from various angles. Though he knew the declaration of war to be a mere facade, a flicker of unease lingered in his heart.

Aizen had planned to spare one Shinigami to convey the information to the Soul Society. The chosen one’s identity remained mysterious until now. It could be Renji, Toshiro, Nanao, anyone from the group of students... or Rangiku. The odds of Aizen choosing Rangiku out of fifty Shinigami present at the scene were two percent.

The uncertainty squeezed his heart, and he was helpless to do anything about it.

‘Is it the day?’

“No, trust your instincts. Aizen won’t kill her,” His Zanpakutō Spirit assured him in a calm voice. “His ego rivals our thirst for revenge. He wouldn’t extinguish her life without first subjecting you both to excruciating torment.”

Gin shut his eyes close and revealed his signature smile. “It’s getting boring here. When will they fight?”

Aizen chuckled. “Have a little patience, Gin. We aren’t here to watch our colleagues die.”

Patience was hardly a virtue Gin lacked, yet he nodded in concurrence. “Indeed, Captain Aizen. I became overly eager to assess the Espadas’ combat potential against the Vice-Captains.”

“They are nothing spectacular.” Aizen shook his head. “Quite underwhelming for my vision. They are decent placeholders until we find better replacements.”

Gin settled into a chair, a leg casually draped over the other. “Regrettably, we’ve yet to locate the wolf-masked individual and his allies.”

“It’s only a matter of time,” Aizen whispered. “Only a matter of time.”