"Let me first introduce myself briefly."
On the roof of Training Ground No. 1, three students in standard uniforms stood firmly before the academy gates, their expressions composed and solemn.
The one in the center had short black hair and the characters "six" and "nine" etched into his cheeks.
"I am a sixth-generation student—Hisagi Shuuhei."
Hisagi Shuuhei's voice was flat, emotionless, as he faced the crowd of underclassmen below.
"The short guy behind me is Kanizawa. The tall one is Qinglu."
To him, this was just another soul burial exercise—routine and procedural, nothing more than a walkthrough of the basics.
"Today, the three of us will be your guides."
The moment he finished speaking, murmurs erupted from the group.
Clearly, some recognized the name.
"Brother Moyu, are they famous?" Rukia asked curiously.
Moyu blinked and nodded slightly, reaffirming what he already knew. Then, turning to her, he replied:
"Hisagi Shuuhei. Just recently promoted to Sixth Generation. He's earned eligibility to join the Gotei 13."
"With his strength and current merits, it's only a matter of time before he becomes a seated officer—or even a vice-captain."
Moyu hadn't intentionally looked into him. He just happened to know the historical trajectory of the Gotei.
Shuuhei was definitely a standout among his peers.
While the two whispered, Kanizawa—the sharp-eyed girl—stepped forward and said:
"Form groups of three."
"The grouping was determined earlier by drawing lots in the classroom. Everyone should have a token with a symbol on it."
"Those with the same symbol form a group…"
Moyu glanced at his token, then at Rukia's.
"Looks like we didn't get matched."
Sure enough, two tall students from the same year walked up to him.
"Hello. Shimosugawa Ichiro," the first said with a nod.
"I am Liumu Guibu," said the second.
These two were clearly Moyu's teammates.
The spiritual pressure rolling off them made it obvious—they were no ordinary students.
There was no doubt about it: the Spiritual Arts Academy had stacked the deck.
As a member of the four noble houses—though at the tail end—Moyu was being discreetly assigned protection.
These two likely ranked among the best in both special classes.
Judging from their expressionless faces and rigid posture, Moyu even wondered if they were senior students in disguise.
After all, he hadn't exactly memorized every class roster…
Once everyone was grouped, Hisagi called out firmly:
"Has everyone brought their Hell Butterflies?"
"Prepare to move."
"Open the Senkaimon!"
Ahead, the World-Transmitting Gate began to creak open…
Night blanketed the city like a curtain of water, silent and vast.
A group of beings invisible to ordinary mortals stepped through the gate.
"A familiar scene," Moyu muttered.
Even with his background, the sight of a modern city always felt slightly surreal when compared to Seireitei.
"Let's stick together," Shimosugawa Ichiro said, his tone steady. "As long as we complete thirty soul burials, our first mission will be considered complete."
"I'm fine with that," added Liumu Guibu curtly.
Then they both turned to Moyu, who was absentmindedly chewing on a dog's tail grass.
"Don't look at me like that. You two decide. I'm the tail of the crane here."
Moyu adjusted the massive bundle strapped to his back, still dragging it around like luggage.
Rank and grades didn't matter.
The priority was ensuring survival—his and everyone else's.
The first portion of the mission passed smoothly.
Multiple soul burial ceremonies were completed without issue, boosting morale among the teams.
But the peace didn't last.
"Aaahhhh!!!"
A piercing scream echoed nearby, not far from Moyu's group.
Their hearts tensed at once.
"What was that…"
"Please don't let that be one of ours."
The three of them darted through several alleys before arriving at another sector.
The scene before them was pure carnage—hell made manifest.
Blood flowed in streams across the concrete, soaking the streets in crimson.
Bodies were mangled beyond recognition, limbs scattered across the pavement.
The faces of the dead were frozen in agony, twisted in terror.
"What… what happened here…" Liumu's voice cracked as his face turned as pale as the moonlight.
"Contact the other sixth-generation students. This is beyond anything we were briefed for!"
Ichiro remained calm, but his tone was grim. "This situation is clearly outside our ability to manage."
He retrieved a short-distance spirit communicator and attempted to reach Hisagi Shuuhei.
But before he could activate it—
"Heh. Found a few more bugs…"
A cold, cruel voice echoed behind them.
The next instant, Reiatsu—oppressive and overwhelming like the collapse of the sky—descended upon them.
In that moment, the two elite students from the Spiritual Arts Academy froze.
Their minds went blank.
Their bodies trembled uncontrollably.
Death had found them.