Unlimited Souls Works Chapter 3: Confrontation (Patreon)

Beta read by Shigiya, FabledLife and GamerCrusher55

Posting polls in a bit

Next update is Hound.

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-Thirteen Court Guard Squad-

Twin doors parted without a sound, and the dim lantern light of the corridor followed. The stone floor turned to polished wood underfoot, footsteps softening the moment the transition happened. Pillars rose at even intervals down the length of the hall, marking the path toward the chamber waiting at the center of the estate.

The room stretched wide enough to make even a gathering of several officers she conducted look small. Intricate tapestries covered much of the walls, each depicting battles from different periods of Soul Society's history beneath the soft light filling the chamber. Along the perimeter stood several Soul Reapers, though none wore the familiar Shihakusho. Instead, they dressed in dark, form-fitting garments that covered everything from their bodies to their faces, leaving only narrow openings around their eyes. Every one of them kept their attention fixed on the lone woman occupying the center of the room. 

“Hah…”

Soifon knew perfectly well that their presence served more as ceremony than protection. Someone like Yoruichi Shihouin hardly needed guards. Her physical ability alone could overwhelm most opponents before they even had a chance to draw their swords, and her mastery of Hakuda combat made carrying a weapon almost unnecessary. 

She approached the center and immediately lowered herself onto her knees. Beside her, Kisuke remained standing, that damned man having forgotten the proper etiquette, until she made sure that a painful elbow buried itself into his side to remind him of that. “Ugh!” He flinched and looked at her with an annoyed expression, only to receive a murderous glare in return.

"Get on your knees!" 

"Alright, alright, no need to shout like that; was that really necessary? Right, right…"

“Pft-hahaha!” 

The man reluctantly followed her example, and Yoruichi could not help laughing at the sight. The urge to strangle this guy just kept rising day by day… Regardless, she observed her lady carefully, watching the amusement fade from her face when she turned her attention toward the two of them and Soifon had to admit that she had never felt this nervous in a long while.

"We have returned from our investigation."

"Well, that didn't last very long." A faint grin tugged at Yoruichi's lips before her expression turned serious. "So, any good news?"

Those words felt like a guillotine settling against her neck. She lowered her gaze, forcing herself to deliver the report despite the embarrassment burning inside her. "...Unfortunately, we could not properly identify the source of our investigation. We came up mostly empty-handed. Our best guess is perhaps a hollow that somehow went unnoticed and a passing Soul Reaper dealt with it."

“To add more,” Kisuke adjusted his collar before continuing with his own findings. "There was a large crater at the location, along with an unusual concentration of spiritual energy, but nothing there suggested anything particularly strange. Even though the hollow part makes sense, personally, I doubt it came from one. Even if one somehow appeared in that area, the border we established should have detected it. If it somehow slipped through and attempted to flee farther away, we would have detected and traced that movement as well. So, at least for now, we can cross a Hollow off the list. I believe further investigation is needed, though."

Soifon's fingers curled into tight fists against her thighs. Part of her irritation came from the man's casual tone while speaking in front of Yoruichi, but the greater source of her frustration lay with herself. The investigation had produced almost nothing, and she could not shake the feeling that they had overlooked something important. 'This isn't enough. There has to be something we missed.'

Their Captain studied her for several seconds before her eyes narrowed with amusement. "It's just... Soifon, you have something written all over your face. Come on, what do you want to say?"

"I-I… I feel like there's still something going on here. We didn't do enough research." She said in a whisper.

"Oh? Does that mean you think your partner didn't do enough?"

A sigh came from beside her; she ignored it and met Yoruichi's gaze. There was a way to fix all of this; she just had to prove it. "I want a second chance. I'll bring in more results on my own."

The captain lifted a hand and rubbed the side of her head. "You're asking for another solo mission, again. Don't misunderstand me, solo missions matter, and they're a good way to demonstrate what someone can accomplish alone — but your problem isn't proving your capabilities. Everyone already knows what you're capable of; I know it better than anyone. Your teamwork, on the other hand, remains abysmal compared to the rest of your skills."

Heat crept into the young woman's face as she lowered her head. 'She's right.' No matter how much she disliked admitting it, she could not continue pretending the problem did not exist. 

"I understand."

To her surprise, Yoruichi's expression softened. "But I'll give you this one chance."

“—!”

Soifon lifted her head again, fearing that what she heard would be false.

"You'll have as much time as you need to look into the matter further. If you still find nothing, then we'll leave it there and move on."

Yes… that sufficed! An opportunity, the only thing she needed had been granted!

Relief spread through her chest as she bowed her head. "Thank you for your consideration and for this opportunity, Lady Yoruichi."

With that, she rose and disappeared from the chamber, leaving the two alone, reappearing outside a moment later. The fresh air did little to settle her thoughts. 

…

'Maybe I was too hasty.' 

There remained a nagging concern that Yoruichi might have interpreted her request as an attempt to undermine Kisuke. That could not be further from the truth. Whatever relationship existed between the two childhood friends, Soifon had no intention of interfering with it. She simply believed that the detestable man had not given the investigation everything he had. The rumor surrounding his possible promotion to captain only made that feeling more irritating, especially since Yoruichi herself had apparently recommended him.

‘He is capable, I admit that. But has he even achieved a Bankai? Surely… no, he must have done it, or else no amount of recommendation would work. He is no special case for such an exception to be made.’

"You look quite sad." 

“Hm?”

A deep voice came from nearby and interrupted her train of thought. Soifon turned and immediately straightened before giving the large man a respectful bow. "Ah! It's good to see you, Lieutenant Marenoshin."

Her figure bowed briefly towards the massive Soul Reaper approaching while casually eating from a bag of nuts, which he extended toward her. "Do you want some?"

"No, but thank you for the offer."

"What a shame; they are a limited-edition variety. Oh well, so, what's gotten you so worked up?"

Was it necessary for her to share what happened? Perhaps, as a lieutenant, it would only be a matter of time for that information to reach his ears. No point in hiding anything, for it also risked him believing that she did not trust him. "It's matters relating to the investigation we've been conducting. Unfortunately, we came up empty-handed."

His expression shifted into understanding. "Oh, so you're worried that you disappointed the captain?"

A tired breath escaped her nose as she looked away. "...Yes. I can't hide anything from you, as usual."

“There, there,” the large man gave her shoulder a sympathetic pat. Strangely, she did not hate it. "You work yourself too hard, and you're too hard on yourself on top of that. Don't treat every action that doesn't produce results as a catastrophic failure. You followed her orders, conducted your investigation, and used all the abilities you had available. That's what the captain will value."

Easier to say that, but her duties required her to be both useful and without fail. 

"But I could have done more."

A shrug followed. "The captain isn't that narrow-minded like some of those old bones in Central Forty Six. Besides, it's not like she hasn't conducted an investigation of her own."

“Eh?” Soifon turned toward him, surprise immediately replacing her frustration. "She has?"

Marenoshin grinned from ear to ear. "Yep. She's been looking into this matter herself. For all we know, she hasn't found anything either."

Without even realizing it, her fists clenched at that piece of news. "Doesn't this mean that she thought we wouldn't be able to conduct our duties and did it herself?" The implication stung her pride. If Yoruichi had decided that the investigation required her personal attention, then perhaps the captain believed her subordinates were incapable of handling it properly.

“Hahahaha!” The large man only laughed, brushing aside the concern with an easy wave of his hand. "Once again, you're thinking too deeply about this matter, Soifon! Our lady just got bored and used it as an excuse to head outside and laze around. I recognize that behavior immediately. My own son does it regularly."

That explanation did little to convince her. Yoruichi might have an easy-going personality, but she still took her responsibilities seriously. "I've heard some stories about your son. It really must be hard raising someone like that. Sorry, I didn't mean any offense."

"Hahahaha! None taken." His laughter returned as he looked over the clouds with a forlorn face. "Maybe one day, when my son finally gets his ass off the couch, or I have to drag him out of the house and get him a position here, you can whip him into shape for me. Can you? I'd like to enjoy my retirement without worrying about his future."

The offer caught her by surprise, but she extended her hand all the same. Once their hands met, the agreement felt almost official. "Of course I will. You have already helped me so many times in the past. I'll gladly return the favor and turn your son into a proper member of this Squad whether he likes it or not.”

“Ha!” A broad smile spread across his face, showcasing some of his golden teeth. "Now that's what I like to hear! I can finally see through my retirement plans without worry. I'll leave him in your capable hands."

As Soifon prepared to return to the area where the anomaly had appeared, the other man stopped her with one final suggestion. "If you're really taking this investigation seriously and want to dig deeper, I'd advise you to check out Squad 8."

"Squad 8?" Curiosity immediately replaced her earlier thoughts.

"Yes. I got word that Lieutenant Lisa is investigating this matter too. She might have gathered more information, and perhaps she knows something about what happened in that area before all this commotion started. It wouldn't hurt to compare notes." He rubbed his chin before adding, "The captain is heading over there this evening to meet with their captain and discuss some private matters. You could join us and get an opportunity to speak with Lisa."

The more she considered it, the more practical the suggestion sounded. Soifon bowed toward him. "Thank you. I'll make sure to repay you in the future."

"Don't sweat it. Just make sure you keep that earlier promise about straightening out my son. I can only hope a miracle happens, and he eventually manages to reach Lieutenant, but that's still highly unlikely."

"Heh, who knows? Miracles do tend to happen."

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(Present)

She needed to thank the man again. 

The moment they arrived at the compound, Soifon immediately began searching for Lisa. Captain Yoruichi and Captain Kyoraku had been occupied with their own conversation when a commotion erupted nearby. The disturbance brought her straight to the scene, where an unfamiliar man had attacked the Lieutenant. Several throwing stars flashed from her hand with an audible hiss, forcing the intruder to leap aside. Landing beside Lisa, the Lieutenant gave her a quick nod of thanks before turning her attention toward the newcomer.

"Who is he?"

Before she could receive an answer, the stranger extended his left hand, and a black sword materialized within his grasp. Her eyes narrowed at the sight. The weapon bore none of the characteristics she associated with a Zanpakuto, and that alone raised the threat level considerably. Whatever the earlier anomaly involved, it could wait. An intruder had infiltrated the Court Guard Squads, attacked one of their officers, while carrying a weapon of unknown origin. That matter could easily reach the Captain-Commander if left unchecked.

Her sword came up, pointing directly at the man. "Whoever you are, this is your last chance. Surrender, or your life will be forsaken!"

Even while speaking, her mind mapped the surrounding area. 'The library is beside us. The main path leads toward the barracks, but that's a dead end. The only viable escape route is the western path, which leads toward the western gate which is the closest. I need to cover that area first in case he tries to run.'

A glance toward the bespectacled Soul Reaper revealed a moment of hesitation. “Um… should we attack him together?” 

‘Is she seriously asking that!?’ From the look she got, that was the case. 'Tch, that kind of hesitation wouldn't be accepted in Squad 2.'

There was no reason to give the intruder another opportunity. “Ha!” She launched herself forward, closing the distance in an instant and swung her sword repeatedly.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

Three attacks were thrown and each strike met resistance. Blocked, deflected, and blocked again. Surprising, sure, but she relentlessly followed with more. The unfamiliar swordsman continued turning aside every attack without giving her an opening.

'He has good swordsmanship. His skills aren't low.'

That realization brought the faintest smirk to her face. The challenge suited her far better than an opponent who simply collapsed under the first exchange. ‘No! Focus!’ Her next strike came from the right, forcing his sword to intercept it exactly where she wanted. The moment their blades locked, his guard opened.

“—!”

Now!

Soifon's free hand shot forward.

Thud!

Her fist drove toward his stomach. 

“Hn,” but the intruder caught the blow with his palm at the last possible moment. That defense only confirmed what she had already anticipated — thankfully, the punch had never been her real attack. Using the blocked fist as the opening, her body twisted through the air, momentum carrying her leg toward his head. ‘You fool, even amongst the Onmitsukidō, aside from the lady herself, no one bests me in Hakuda!’

From the beginning, the punch had existed only to trap his attention long enough for the kick.

“What the!?” Yet the opponent reacted quickly. His body twisted aside and leaned backward just enough for her leg to pass harmlessly over his head. 

‘So not just exceptional speed but also above-average flexibility. Still too early to get much of a reading on his fighting style; he does not look like someone from our side.’ The realization sent several possibilities through her mind as she continued pressing the attack. 'He's also probably not from the Eleventh Division. Not aggressive enough and those blockheads focus on using the sword more than hand-to-hand. That eliminates several other squads whose styles are more rigid.' 

Swish!

Her blade swept forward again, followed by another strike from her free hand, then an elbow and a knee aimed at different parts of his body. Steel flashed between them as her sword clashed against his black blade, while every opening she created led into another attack. Each kick targeted a vital point, each punch had enough force to break bone or throw off his balance, yet the intruder slipped through everything. “Just… stay… still!” 

A thrust passed beside his shoulder. ‘Got him!’ Yet her joy only lasted so long, as a slash met the edge of her weapon, and the following spinning kick sailed past his head as he ducked beneath it.  

Clang! 

Thud!

Clank! 

The courtyard filled with the sounds of their exchange, metal striking metal between the impacts of blocked punches and kicks. The more they fought, the more one point became further apparent.

‘This is definitely not Hakuda, nor is it the same sword style taught at the academy.’

Another kick came next, a feint at first before her leg snapped toward his ribs for the actual strike, but this time the man moved before she could complete the attack. His figure seemed to blur for an instant. 

‘Fast!’

Soifon barely had enough time to cross her arms in front of herself before a powerful kick slammed into her abdomen. “Gurgh!” The impact drove the air from her lungs and launched her backward. 

Crash!

The sound of shattering echoed as her body crashed through the wooden wall of the library with a loud crack, sending splintered boards and loose scrolls scattering across the floor. “Cough! Cough! Hah… hah… h-hn!” Dust filled the opening as she pushed herself free of the wreckage, forcing her body upright while pain throbbed through her stomach.

'That was really fast!' The thought came immediately as she brushed debris from her robes. Then she noticed Lisa looking toward her with obvious concern, and irritation flared through the pain. "Don't look away from the enemy, idiot!"

The warning arrived just in time. The intruder practically flashed into existence beside Lisa, his hand already descending in a powerful chopping strike aimed at knocking her unconscious. 

Rather than meet the blow head-on, the Lieutenant twisted her body aside, contorting with surprising agility as the attack passed close enough to disturb her hair. Her katana came around immediately, forcing the man to bring his weapon up and block.

Clang!

The clash rang through the courtyard, giving her enough room to reset her footing before raising her blade into a guarded position.

"I am the Lieutenant of Squad 8. Don't underestimate my skills just because you caught me by surprise earlier." Her expression remained composed despite the sudden danger, and the way she held her sword made it clear that the earlier attack had not shaken her confidence.

Impressed despite herself, Soifon took a moment to observe the woman properly. This marked the first time she had actually seen Lisa fight, and the Lieutenant's ability proved far better than expected. Rather than continue standing around in clothing that restricted her movements, she silently removed her standard Soul Reaper robes and let them fall aside, revealing the tight, woven dark fabric underneath. That clothing belonged to the Stealth Force, designed specifically to allow greater freedom of movement. The robes had not stopped her from fighting, but every unnecessary restriction could become a weakness against someone this fast.

Lisa continued her assault while Soifon watched from several paces away. 

“She's very agile and fast to react.” Her impressions of Lisa had never been anything substantial; they never really spoke to one another and were in different divisions. She even heard that the latter had some involvement in an underground ring of illegal books being spread around the Seireitei. 

But clearly, that woman had the capabilities of what a lieutenant would need to earn that position. But just as before, the intruder avoided almost every strike with ease, slipping aside from the katana's edge or raising his own blade to intercept it. 

Yet something else soon became apparent. With every exchange, he gradually shifted toward the exits, moving farther from the barracks and closer to the route that would take him away from the area. His intention couldn't have been clearer. He wasn't trying to defeat them.

‘He wants to create an opening, escape, and leave before either of us can properly respond. He's waiting for Lisa to drop her guard.' Soifon's eyes narrowed as she tracked his movements. 'I can't waste any more time!'

"Sting them to death, Suzumebachi."

The weapon in her hand dissolved into a golden glow before reshaping itself around her right arm. A gauntlet formed over her hand, its surface gleaming as a sharp golden stinger extended from the front. The transformation completed in an instant, and she launched herself forward. The distance between them disappeared almost immediately, her arm thrusting toward the intruder with one purpose in mind: leave a mark.

He reacted before the stinger could reach him.

The man's hand snapped forward and locked around her wrist, stopping the attack with a grip that immediately shocked her. 'He caught me!?' The surprise barely had time to register before his leg drove into her stomach. 

Bam!

“Gah!” Soifon brought her free hand down and absorbed part of the impact, but the force still sent her sliding backward. Her feet dug into the ground, scraping against the earth as she fought to keep her balance. Then something moved through her peripheral vision. Lisa came flying toward her, her body limp for the moment.

“A—oof!” 

Rather than step aside and leave her to crash, Soifon caught the Lieutenant against herself. 

"Sorry, Lisa." She immediately tossed her toward the side before turning back toward the intruder and rushing after him again. Frustration filled every movement as she unleashed her hand-to-hand techniques, combining punches, elbows, knees, and kicks with repeated attempts to bring Suzumebachi into contact with him. Yet the moment her Shikai became part of the fight, his behavior had changed completely. Earlier, he had blocked and deflected her attacks whenever possible. Now he refused to make contact with her at all.

'He knows what my Shikai does.' The realization settled in as another punch passed through empty air. 'He's deliberately avoiding Suzumebachi. He's not even trying to block anymore.'

The man suddenly threw his black sword.

The move stunned the woman. 'He threw his sword?' Soifon barely had time to react before the weapon came within striking distance, but Lisa suddenly appeared beside her and knocked the flying blade away with her katana. The weapon changed course with a sharp clang, passing close enough to Soifon's face to leave a thin cut across her cheek before continuing past her.

'He really did throw his sword; now he's… huh?' The disbelief remained as she touched the small cut. 'Why would someone throw away his own weapon? More importantly, he knew exactly what I was trying to do.' Her gaze returned to the intruder. 'He knew the effects of my Shikai. The moment I activated it, his entire fighting style changed. He stopped blocking and deflecting and started avoiding every possible point of contact.'

A hand lifted.

Blue light gathered around it, forming another sword. Its shape closely resembled the weapon he had thrown, except its coloring appeared opposite to the black blade from earlier. The sight left both women momentarily stunned.

"Two Zanpakutos?" Lisa stared at the second weapon, her disbelief obvious.

"Who even is he? To be capable of wielding two Zanpakutos is abnormal?" Soifon's thoughts immediately began running through every individual she knew who fought with multiple weapons, but no name that matched his characteristics came to mind. These clearly weren't ordinary swords, either. Something about them remained fundamentally different from the weapons she had encountered before, and she had no intention of finding out what that difference meant by taking another hit.

While she considered her next move, a faint sound reached her from behind.

Something spun through the air.

Goosebumps spread across her skin. Instinct took over as she turned toward Lisa. "Move!" Her leg shot out, kicking the Lieutenant away while Soifon launched herself in the opposite direction. The black sword came flying back through the exact space where both women had stood moments earlier, cutting through the air before returning directly into the intruder's waiting hand. He caught it without breaking stride, now holding both swords.

No warning followed. Both weapons left his hands again almost immediately, the black blade aimed toward Lisa and the white one toward Soifon. Suzumebashi came up just in time to meet the incoming sword. 

Clang! 

“Hn!” 

The impact traveled through her entire arm, leaving it numb from the hand to the shoulder. Her eyes widened as she realized just how dangerous the weapon truly was. 'If that had struck me directly, it would've cut me in half.'

Lisa chose a different approach. Instead of meeting the black blade, she dodged around several large rocks scattered across the area, forcing the weapon to bury itself into one of them. The blade sank deep into the stone with enough force to leave it embedded.

Soifon looked back toward their opponent.

Nothing.

“—!”

Her eyes swept across the courtyard, searching for any movement, but the intruder had disappeared. “Argh!” Then pain suddenly flashed across her neck. The world seemed to slow as her instincts screamed at her to react. Turning her head, she caught sight of the man beside her, one leg extended with his foot positioned behind her neck like a hook. Before she could properly respond, he used his leg as leverage and drove her down.

BAM!

Her body slammed into the ground hard enough to send pain through her entire frame. A gasp escaped her as she struggled to recover, one hand pressing against the earth while her vision cleared. By the time she forced herself upright, the courtyard ahead contained no sign of the intruder.

"Shit! He ran away!” 

Soifon realized she could not simply sit there and do nothing. Whatever else had happened during the fight, allowing that man to disappear without even trying to track him down would be unacceptable. The Lieutenant pushed herself back onto her feet and surveyed the courtyard. Damage covered the area despite how brief the battle had been, with broken stone scattered across the ground and several sections of the courtyard bearing the marks of their clash. Movement caught her attention from behind a large rock as Lisa emerged, walking with a slight limp.

"I'm fine, just a bit sore." The woman rolled one shoulder and tested her footing before giving a small shrug, apparently more annoyed by the inconvenience than concerned about the injury.

That reassurance barely registered. Soifon's attention remained fixed on the sword the bastard had left behind. The black sword still stood embedded in the rock, its dark surface contrasting against the pale stone around it. Something about the weapon bothered her. It did not resemble any Zanpakuto she recognized, yet she had seen enough strange releases to know better than to dismiss it simply because it looked unfamiliar.

Lisa followed her gaze and studied the weapon for a moment. "It really doesn't look like a standard Zanpakuto. Is it his Shikai?"

"I do not recognize this particular release." Soifon stepped closer, keeping her eyes on the sword. "I only know two individuals who are known to have two swords as their Shikai."

The other woman immediately understood the implication. She had seen one of those releases before and knew exactly which captain Soifon meant. "I saw it once. The curved design is kind of the same, but not really. This person's swords aren't linked together, either. It looked like he could summon one of them at a time."

A slight nod followed before the Lieutenant approached the weapon. Her fingers closed around its hilt, testing whether it would respond to her touch, but the instant she made contact, the entire sword broke apart into countless points of light. 

Fzzzt. The particles scattered upward before vanishing completely, leaving nothing behind except the empty rock.

"He… dismissed his weapon?" 

Lisa opened her mouth to respond, but footsteps suddenly echoed from several directions. More members of the barracks came rushing into the damaged courtyard, each already armed and looking around for whatever threat had caused the disturbance.

"Lieutenant Lisa! What happened here?" one of them called out as the group approached.

"You bastards, you sure took your time coming here." A tired exhale accompanied the complaint, though Lisa's attention had already shifted toward the newcomers.

Soifon did not wait for the explanation. 

This matter belonged to Lisa now, and every second spent standing around meant another second for that man to put more distance between them. There had to be something she could use to track him, some trace, spiritual residue, or mark left behind by his strange weapon. Whatever method she needed to employ, she would find it. She refused to let him slip through her fingers.

{Break}

"That was tricky." 

Emiya reached the edge of the area where the enormous doors of the west stood before him, his thoughts returning to the battle he had barely managed to escape. The earlier encounter had taught him something important about this place. Those people could perceive him even while he remained in spiritual form, which should have been obvious once he considered what kind of beings inhabited this world. If they could see him, then there had never been any reason to assume they were ordinary humans. Still, that revelation hardly bothered him as much as the weapon wielded by that woman.

"Suzumebachi... a dangerous weapon." The name lingered in his mind as he considered what he had witnessed. Being struck twice in the same location would apparently result in instant death, making it impossible to treat the weapon like an ordinary blade or projectile. Poison seemed like one possibility, though a curse could produce a similar effect. Of the two, he sincerely hoped it relied on poison. Curses tended to involve far more troublesome rules, and without knowing the exact nature of the ability, experimenting to determine whether its effects worked differently against a Servant would be reckless. He had no intention of volunteering for that particular test.

"I cannot even call it a Noble Phantasm." His expression relaxed as he looked toward the massive gate. "So the safest option is simple. Don't get hit."

Keeping his distance or defeating her quickly enough to create an opening would remain his best approach. Their fight had already created enough commotion to attract attention, and more Soul Reapers arriving with weapons possessing similar abilities could turn an escape into a serious problem. Emiya had confidence in his abilities, but even he could not ignore the danger of being surrounded by enemies capable of killing him through an unknown condition. One mistake might prove enough.

"No matter." A hand came to rest against the enormous gate, feeling the rough surface beneath his fingers. "Now, how the hell do I get out of here?"

His earlier escape had depended largely on luck. After returning to the area and observing the West Gate more carefully, however, he had noticed a pattern. Only selected groups of Soul Reapers appeared to pass through the entrance, with the enormous beings responsible for opening the doors doing so whenever one of those groups needed to leave or return. Their sheer size made them resemble giants, and Emiya still found it difficult to reconcile their appearance with the idea that they had once been human souls. Whatever the explanation, they clearly controlled access through the gate.

Still, when one was opening the gates for one group, he used that opportunity to sneak in.

His gaze traveled upward, settling on the barrier positioned above the enormous entrance. ‘This barrier is not made with a thaumaturgic base, so Rule Breaker wouldn't work.’ His fingers curled slightly as he considered the possibility. 'But even if it could break through, there's a good chance it would alert the entire compound. Most likely a variant version of a bounded field that acts both as an absolute barrier and an alarm? I can't be sure.'

A sigh escaped him as he continued examining the gate. At the end of the day, he was not Leonardo, and he certainly had no interest in turning this situation into a research project. Getting out safely mattered far more than understanding every strange power system he encountered.

“Hm?”

Emiya glanced over his shoulder when the sound of approaching footsteps reached his ears. Several people were coming in his direction, their voices growing clearer with every passing second. He immediately moved behind a large stone pillar and kept himself out of sight as a group of Soul Reapers entered the area. They were accompanied by the enormous Soul Reaper he had seen earlier, the same man who had opened the gate.

“I wish you great luck on your way out there, my friends.”

“Make sure to watch out for any enemies, Danzōmaru!”

The giant stepped toward the massive gate and slipped one hand underneath its lower edge. His fingers curled around the stone, and with a tremendous pull, he began lifting it. The enormous slab rose from the ground with a grinding sound, the force behind the movement causing the surrounding earth to tremble beneath Emiya’s feet. 

He watched from behind his cover, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the display of physical strength. That was not simply an exceptionally strong human. In terms of raw physical power, the giant was comparable to a Servant, perhaps even approaching the level of a higher-rank Servant in terms of strength, depending on how his other abilities were also measured. The Servant of the Bow had witnessed others capable of tossing aircraft aside as though they were toys, but those individuals were exceptional even among their own kind. Someone capable of casually lifting a gate of this size with one arm was certainly not an ordinary opponent.

The Soul Reapers began filing through the opening once it was high enough for them to pass. He waited until their attention had shifted toward the path ahead before tracing a long dark scarf-like item that began to take the form of a hat into existence. The appearance changed form once more till it rested around his neck with a strap, more practical for him before he surged forward. 

His body crossed the distance with enough speed that the Soul Reapers never noticed him passing between them thanks to Hades’ Cap. Slipping beyond the gate, he moved past Jidanbō without attracting his attention, and continued forward until the towering entrance was far behind him.

He did not stop there. Emiya continued through the surrounding forest, constantly checking his surroundings while putting more distance between himself and the 13 Court Guard Squads. Only when the enormous walls had become little more than a distant shape through the trees did he finally slow down. He found a secluded position deeper within the forest and glanced back toward the direction he had come from.

“Hah… This should be enough.”

Reaching beneath his clothing, he retrieved several books he had taken from the library. He looked over the covers, reading the titles such as History of the Soul Society and History of the Three Arms. They were not exactly the kind of material that would immediately reveal every secret hidden within this world, but they were still valuable sources of information, especially considering how little he knew about the Soul Society itself. As attention went to the contents of the first book, the man froze.

“—!”

“Is that all you took from the library? That's kind of boring. I thought there might be something important there. Why go through all that trouble for something so basic?”

He had sensed the presence only a fraction of a second before hearing her voice.

Steel gray eyes immediately looked upward.

A dark-skinned woman sat above him, her dark hair contrasting against the bright moon in the sky. Wearing a uniform similar to the one worn by the woman who wielded Suzumebashi he had encountered earlier, only this one had a white cloak draped over her as well. Unlike the latter, who was filled with murderous intent, this one was calmer, and the wide white grin on her face made it clear that she was enjoying his reaction.

“Hey. Nice to meet you.”

Friendlier, too, still Emiya gave her nothing in response.

“My name is Yoruichi. What's yours, stranger?”

His gaze remained fixed on her as his mind rapidly went over what had just happened. He had barely detected her presence despite the fact that she had apparently been nearby long enough to watch him leave the library. Was it some kind of formal presence-concealment technique? That seemed possible, but there was another explanation. Perhaps she had only arrived at the exact moment he sensed her.

On top of that, he had only dismissed Hades Cap of invisibility after arriving here… so she managed to keep track of him. Either through scent or other means, the Noble Phantasm was not that absolute in its ability to hide everything.

Yes, that had to be it.

There was no way she could have known he would choose this particular location. He had selected it at random after putting enough distance between himself and the 13 Court Guard Squads. Unless she had followed him from the beginning, there was no reason for her to know where he would stop.

Without giving her an answer, he calmly tucked the books back beneath his clothes. The woman's grin faltered into a pout.

“Heh, so you're going to keep quiet, huh? A bit boring.”

He still offered no response.

Instead, he took a deep breath, turned… and then sprinted as fast as he could. 

The forest immediately became a blur around him as Emiya accelerated to his maximum speed. Branches whipped past his shoulders while the wind rushed against his face, but he paid no attention to any of it. He simply kept moving, putting as much distance between himself and the woman as possible.

This was the same level of speed that had made the Soul Reaper with the glasses struggle to react when she had first encountered him. Emiya was not the fastest Servant in Chaldea, but speed had always been important to the Emiya Servants. Keeping enemies at a distance was part of how he fought, and there had been occasions when escaping a pursuer was just as important as defeating one.

Yet the footsteps behind him never disappeared.

“Wow, you're pretty fast. No wonder Soifon had trouble dealing with you.”

He could feel his eyes widen slightly, Yoruichi was running alongside him. The woman had caught up without any visible difficulty.

The realization immediately changed his assessment of the situation.

‘She's fast.’

There was no sign that she was struggling to maintain his pace. Her breathing remained normal, her expression relaxed, and that irritating grin had not disappeared.

‘…This is dangerous. Can't risk her following back to where Gin and Rangiku are, so best I don't even try to lose her within the Rukongai.’

He accelerated further.

Rather than continue in a straight line, the man began shifting and changing directions through the forest as he tried to lose her. He leapt between trees, twisted around obstacles, and suddenly veered off his original path. Kanshou materialized in his hand, and he swung it toward several trees as he passed.

The trunks and branches were cut through.

One after another, the trees crashed down behind him, creating obstacles across the path and throwing branches and debris into the air. Emiya used the destruction to make his movements harder to predict before accelerating again.

It made no difference every time.

“Hey, what's with cutting down all the trees?” Yoruichi called from above him. “That seems kind of a waste. We do have to clean up that mess as well, you know.”

Glancing upward, there she was, moving through the branches now, still keeping pace with him.

The obstacles had done nothing.

He pushed himself harder and continued deeper into the forest until the distant walls of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had almost disappeared completely behind the trees.

“Come on, I just want to talk.” Her voice came from above again. “See? I don't even have a sword on me. You can relax. I'm in no way dangerous.”

He almost scoffed, as if he would ever believe her. There was absolutely no reason to think that just the lack of any sword meant she wouldn't be any less dangerous.

If anything, this woman was currently the most dangerous Soul Reaper he had encountered. The fact that she could follow him while he was moving at his top speed told him more than enough. Whatever her position within the Soul Society was, she clearly possessed abilities far beyond those of the ordinary Soul Reapers he had encountered.

He began considering the information he had gathered.

‘Can she be one of those captains?’

He remembered the conversations he had overheard among the Soul Reapers earlier, particularly their complaints about the duties their captains had assigned them. He also remembered the woman with the glasses and the bandage around her arm. She had referred to herself as a Vice Captain, or Lieutenant, depending on the terminology used here.

That meant the woman with the stinger weapon and the woman with the glasses were probably both lieutenants.

Which left this woman,

A Captain?

Or perhaps another Lieutenant whose abilities simply happened to be focused heavily on speed? Not that it mattered; he had to lose her either way.

Emiya continued moving while considering his options. Running had accomplished nothing, and his evasive maneuvers had produced the same result. He could reveal more of his abilities and force an opening, but doing so would expose information he would rather keep hidden.

It was too risky to use those abilities unless absolutely necessary.

Besides, Yoruichi had repeatedly insisted that she only wanted to talk. She had not attacked him despite having several opportunities to do so.

That was something worth considering.

Soon, his eyes moved ahead when a clearing appeared in the distance. If he couldn't lose her, then he would try another method.

He broke through the last line of trees and entered the clearing before finally coming to a stop. The open area gave him room to maneuver without having to worry about the forest restricting his movements.

A moment later, Yoruichi landed nearby. She glanced up toward the moon before turning her attention back toward him. 

“So you're finally done with this little game of cat and mouse?” Her grin returned as she folded her arms. “Well, you're pretty fast. I'm not saying that out of arrogance, but let's just say you're not going to have much luck trying to lose me. Also, that was a nice trick back there when you turned invisible. I almost lost you back there, and you seem to have plenty of interesting things hidden besides that. Mind showing off a few to me? I promise I won't bite.”

His lips twitched upwards; she definitely had a way with words. Still, he kept his expression composed as he studied her from across the clearing. ‘That gate’s opening… the more I think about it, the more suspicious the timing becomes.’

He narrowed his eyes as he studied her. Wasn't it said that Soul Reapers carried swords with them? Then why didn't she have one? Was she even a Soul Reaper in the first place? Her clothes certainly matched the uniform he had seen on the others, and her speed alone suggested that she was an exceptionally capable one. Perhaps there were Soul Reapers who did not rely on swords, or perhaps there was something about her that he simply did not understand yet. There were still far too many things he didn't know about this world to make assumptions with any confidence. For the moment, caution was the better choice, so he continued treating her as a Soul Reaper regardless of whether she actually was one.

The woman scratched the back of her head before stretching both arms above her, relaxing as she looked almost embarrassed by the situation. "I was a bit caught off guard by all the commotion. I got even more worried when I heard an intruder had managed to get inside without breaking the force field, but looking at things now, it seems my worries were for nothing. It's pretty clear that you aren't looking to cause trouble. You had opportunities to hurt Soifon and Lisa, but you didn't take them — thank you for that, by the way. Since you want to handle this peacefully, and I don't particularly feel like fighting either, why don't we just talk? I've got some good sake stashed nearby. We can go there, have a drink, and work this whole thing out."

Not a bad suggestion, had she been someone he trusted to keep her word, then perhaps he would have accepted. 

At least she seemed easy enough to talk to. There was something almost casual about the way she carried herself, as though they weren't standing in the middle of a situation that could turn into another fight at any moment. Nevertheless, he couldn't afford to trust that impression completely. It could all be an act meant to make him lower his guard, especially if the other Soul Reapers were using this opportunity to track him down. His own objective remained unchanged. Gin and Rangiku were waiting for him back at the small hut, and he needed to return there with the books before anything else happened.

“...”

He offered no response.

“I'm starting to wonder if you're perhaps mute. But you definitely mumbled something back there, so that's not the case.” The woman pulled a troubled expression, apparently not enjoying his lack of cooperation. "Come on. You don't have to make this difficult. How about this: hand over the books, and I'll even let you go. That's a pretty good deal, isn't it?"

Definitely.

Unfortunately for her, he wasn't convinced. Even if she genuinely intended to let him leave, he couldn't simply surrender the books when they were the reason he had gone through all this trouble in the first place.

"I may have mentioned that I don't have my swords with me," she continued, her casual tone remaining intact, "but that doesn't mean I'm completely helpless without them."

That confirmed what Emiya had already begun to suspect, she was buying time. Considering how far he had already traveled from the others, it would still take them some time to catch up, but there was no reason to make their job easier by remaining here and talking.

If she wanted to fight, she wasn't going to simply walk away because he refused to cooperate. He would have to deal with her the same way he had dealt with the others.

His posture shifted as he raised his weapon into a defensive position, making his intentions unmistakable.

The woman's expression changed when she saw it. She closed her eyes and released a resigned breath, as though she had genuinely hoped things would go another way. "All right, then. If that's how you want to do this."

Her body vanished, as her white cloak fluttered in the air without her.

“—!”

A sense of deja Vu creeped into the back of his mind; his body tensed automatically as his instincts immediately warned him of the attack. There was not even time to turn around before a fist came toward his head. He instinctively brought the flat of his sword up just in time, catching the blow before it could connect.

Pa!

The impact forced a sound loud enough to ring across the forest, the force behind the blow nearly pushing through to his face.

‘Using her bare hands, huh.’ She had appeared directly behind him, moving far faster than she had during their previous encounter. Even more surprising was the fact that she had managed to close the distance without giving him enough warning to properly prepare for it.

Her eyebrows rose when she saw that he had blocked the strike.

"Okay, so you're not just fast. Your reactions are pretty good too." Her gaze shifted toward the sword between them, curiosity replacing the surprise on her face. "That's an interesting sword you've got there."

She had attacked him with her hands, yet the force behind the blow had been enough to make him feel the impact through his weapon. Whatever her abilities were, she clearly didn't need a sword to be dangerous.

‘I can't fight here. She's surprisingly strong, and she might be buying time for the others to catch up. That's obvious now.’

She came at him again before he could make any further assessment.

One punch followed another, each attack arriving with enough speed that he had to remain completely focused on her movements. It wasn't simply the speed of her attacks that made her dangerous. Her reactions were just as fast. Every time he attempted to counter, she either slipped out of the sword's path or raised the metal guards covering her forearms to deflect the flat of the blade.

‘Those protections are not regular metal; they are infused with the same energy I sensed within the walls.’

She had already figured out that allowing the sharp edge to make contact was too dangerous.

Seeing that, he adjusted his movements accordingly, but even then, finding an opening proved somewhat difficult. Her footwork kept her just outside the most dangerous parts of his swings, while her own attacks constantly forced him to defend rather than giving him the opportunity to press forward.

Then she changed her approach.

Her leg swung around, and the back of her heel struck the rear of his sword with enough force to knock the blade downward. The weapon slammed into the ground, leaving Emiya momentarily exposed as she twisted her body and prepared to drive another kick into him.

He released the sword rather than attempting to recover it.

His body sprang upward just as her leg swept through the space where he had been standing.

Her attack missed by inches.

‘Her kicks are dangerous too. I can't take another risk.’

To avoid revealing more of his abilities, his hand went into his cloak where blue light gathered around Emiya's palm and began to take the shape of something that was not a sword. His fingers closed around a familiar object rarely ever used before; he immediately threw it toward her.

The object flew through the air.

"Shit! One of these!?" She reacted at once, bringing both arms up to protect herself. Her eyes briefly narrowed at the strange device approaching her, clearly unsure of what it was or what it could do.

However, her eyes grew wide in shock as she recognized what he’d thrown from the world of the living.

A grenade.

Jumping back, she tried to get out of the blast range before it tried to incinerate her. He knew perfectly well that with her speed, the woman wouldn’t fall to something like this, and she kept her eyes on him, preparing to pay him back for the lethal attack.

Sadly, that maneuver was exactly what he had been counting on, given that these people were more than a hundred years in the past.

‘Flashbangs weren’t invented till the seventies after all.’

The flashbang detonated, and a brilliant burst of light filled her vision.

"Ah!"

She recoiled, one hand moving toward her face as, rather than an explosion, a sudden brightness overwhelmed her senses. Emiya didn't waste the opening. Blue light formed beside him as he traced out another weapon, this time choosing a black key rather than a sword.

He didn't throw it.

The moment the weapon finished forming, his hand gripped it tightly and rushed forward Even with her vision impaired, she sensed him approaching. Her body reacted on instinct, and she swung toward the incoming attack.

Emiya adjusted his angle and swung it downwards.

The blade passed so close to her face that its edge barely grazed her nose before continuing down its path. Inadvertently tearing through a section of the fabric across the front of her chest before striking the ground beside her.

For a brief moment, the two were close enough for her to see his silhouette through the spots in her vision.

Then she smirked, most likely believing he had missed and intended to use this opportunity to counterattack, but it was already too late for her when she tried to do so.

Nothing happened.

“Eh?” Her expression immediately changed, her eyes blinking several times, adjusting to the light, as she discovered that her body would not respond. “Woah, I can't move? Weird.”

‘There, that should do it for now.’ He looked down at the black key he had driven into the ground. Its blade had pierced the shadow cast ahead of her by the moonlight cascading down from the spotless sky, pinning it directly to the earth.

He could see it clearly through the flashbang's light.

"Sorry."

He released his grip on the weapon and stepped away.

“O-Oi, you… what did you… no, wait, you aren't just going to walk away, right?”

Yes, he was going to do exactly that.

The woman's face twisted with disbelief and irritation as she tested her limbs again, only to find herself completely unable to move from the spot. Every slight tremble made the fabric around her upper body loosen ever so slightly. The position was particularly awkward, with her shadow firmly fixed beneath the black key and the moon providing him with the large target he had needed.

“Haha, li-listen, we may have gotten on the wrong foot. But please don't leave me in this state; maybe something more dignified? I'm not one to care about my image, but this feels a bit embarrassing.”

She continued to talk, but he didn't wait around to see how long it would take her to escape or for him to hear more of her plea and be swayed.

He turned and immediately ran. Behind him, her frustration finally boiled over.

"No, oh come on! Come back here, you bastard! Why did you have to stick me in this position!? Are you some kind of pervert? I'm sure you're not, so please just cancel this binding, will you?"

On one hand, he did genuinely feel awkward at the state she ended up in because of him. But then again, she was the one who insisted on following him and thus deserved the outcome. He didn't turn around.

“Hey! Hey! You! Come back! Oi, white hair! Weird sword guy! Come back!”

He had already anticipated that she would eventually recover, but the effect wouldn't last forever. Her shadow would shift as the moon moved, and once the position changed enough, the blade would no longer be able to hold her in place. He estimated that she would be free within a dozen minutes at most.

That was more than enough reason to put as much distance between them as possible.

He kept moving, making sure not to leave anything behind that could give her an easy trail to follow. The encounter had confirmed what he had already suspected. She was considerably more dangerous than she initially appeared, and if she caught up with him again, another confrontation would be far less forgiving.

For now, getting back to the hut and away from the pursuing Soul Reapers took priority.

.

.

.

(A few minutes later)

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the forest, growing louder as someone finally approached the clearing. It had taken Kisuke several minutes to catch up, although it had felt considerably longer from his perspective. By the time he arrived, he was gasping for air, sweat running down his face and soaking through his clothes. Tracking down a captain who had decided to take off after an unknown intruder in the middle of the night was hardly how he had expected to spend his evening.

“At least the plan worked.”

He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, feeling a little relieved that the small tracking Kidō he had placed on Yoruichi had done exactly what he intended. She knew about it, of course, but that did not mean Soifon needed to find out. The last thing he needed was another lecture about secretly placing tracking spells on his superiors.

“I’m really not made for this.”

The two of them had trained together throughout their childhood and early adult lives, and there had been a time when keeping up with her was hardly a problem. That hobby had now changed over the years. Yoruichi had continued refining her combat abilities while Kisuke's own attention had increasingly shifted toward research, experiments, and mountains of paperwork. He could still fight, certainly, but being dragged through a forest at night by someone who had spent years maintaining her physical edge had reminded him that he was considerably rustier than he liked to admit.

The faint trace of his Kidō finally grew stronger.

“She must be nearby.”

Following the signal, he pushed through the trees until the forest abruptly opened into a large clearing. He stepped out from beneath the branches, already preparing to call out to her.

“So, did you finally apprehend our mysterious night visito—ah?”

The rest of the sentence died in his throat.

He stared.

Yoruichi stood in the middle of the clearing with her arms spread apart and her back arched, her body locked into an absurdly unnatural position as though she were offering praise to the moon above. That alone would have been strange enough, but the peculiar sword planted in front of her made the entire sight even more ridiculous. The center of her uniform had also been split open, leaving a generous amount of cleavage exposed.

Kisuke slowly adjusted his collar.

“Umm... are you praying to the sword or the moon?” He looked from the weapon to his soon-to-be former captain, then back again, his expression becoming increasingly amused. “I have to admit, I never took you for a religious person. Perhaps you and that latest recruit from Squad Ten, Nanao, can spend some time praying together. I heard Captain Ukitake is also a religious fellow.”

“Hey, Kisuke! Stop messing around and help me here!” The frustration in Yoruichi's voice finally broke through his amusement. “It isn't easy being stuck in this position! Quickly, before my uniform fully opens!”

“Since when did you even care about that? You secretly walked around naked in the division more times than I can count.” He scratched the side of his head while looking over the situation. “Then again, I suppose this isn't particularly good for your image either. Imagine if someone else came across you like this.”

He started walking toward her without the slightest urgency, taking his time as he examined the clearing.

“So, our new guest managed to escape after all, didn't he? That's quite a surprise. I don't think I've ever heard of anyone getting away from you like this.”

“Urgh,” she made an ugly face filled with indignation. “Well, yeah, he caught me off guard. That doesn't mean he's faster than me.”

“The fact that he managed to escape is impressive by itself. Someone doesn't have to be faster than you to accomplish that. Being dangerous and being fast aren't exactly the same thing.”

He stopped beside the strange sword and began examining it from different angles. Rather than immediately touching it, he walked around the weapon in a slow circle, studying the way it had been positioned and how it interacted with the surrounding area.

“Are you stuck because of this?”

“Probably. Now destroy or remove it!”

Her demand was ignored as he continued his inspection.

“You haven't been cut by it, so I doubt there's any poison involved. But its positioning...”

His eyes shifted toward the ground.

He stepped away from the sword and looked upward at the moon before lowering his gaze again. The light cast Yoruichi's shadow across the ground, and the strange weapon appeared to be positioned directly through it.

“Wait a second. Perhaps...”

He reached down, grasped the sword, and pulled it from the earth.

“Ah!” Yoruichi immediately felt the strange force holding her disappear. Her arms dropped, and she released a long breath as she finally regained control of her body.

“Well, this is an interesting Shikai...” He examined the sword again. “No, that's not right. It isn't a Zanpakutō. If it were, he wouldn't have simply left it behind so carelessly. The feeling is also different.”

Before Yoruichi could respond, Kisuke drove the weapon back into the ground.

This time, he positioned it directly through her shadow.

Her entire body locked up again.

The glare she gave him could have killed a lesser man.

“Oi, Kisuke!”

“I'm just testing it.”

“Test it again and you'll be tasting my foot for the next month!" He tilted his head, a mischievous smile appearing beneath shadow of his hair. “Well, that sounded oddly suggestive.”

“Just take it out if you don't want me stomping your face with both feet!”

Alright, he messed with her enough. “Calm down. Someone seems rather angry about losing her target. Also, if you wanted to get out of that binding, why didn't you just transform into your cat form?”

“Ah.”

Just going off based on that reaction alone, it did not even cross her mind. Repressing the urge to tease her further, the man reached toward the sword again, still far more interested in the weapon than in the threat hanging over his head.

“I would never have expected some random nobody, an unknown person who managed to outsmart you, to affect you this much. But I suppose it makes sense. Even you have some pride after all.”

His fingers were just about to close around the hilt when the sword suddenly cracked.

“Hm?” Kisuke stopped.

The entire weapon broke apart before his eyes, dissolving into countless motes of light that scattered into the air before disappearing completely.

“What?”

The instant the sword vanished, Yoruichi was released.

“Finally!”

She jumped away from the spot, putting as much distance as possible between herself and the place where her shadow had been trapped. In the next instant, she disappeared from sight.

Kisuke barely had time to react before she reappeared beside him.

An arm hooked around his neck and yanked him downward while her other hand immediately began grinding her knuckles against the top of his head.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch! That hurts!”

“That’s what you get, you bastard!”

She continued rubbing his head with enough force to make him wince, refusing to let him escape from his punishment.

“You can't blame me! This is the first time I've ever encountered such an interesting weapon that isn't a Zanpakutō.”

He tried to pull himself free, though there was considerably less urgency in his struggle than there should have been. “And don't take your frustration over losing him out on me. That's very unprofessional!”

“It's equally unprofessional to ignore your captain's orders!”

“My soon-to-be former captain, you mean?” Even while being held in a headlock, the grin on his face remained. “Should I remind you who is about to become a captain soon as well?”

One of her eyes twitched.

“Why, you, little. You've gotten quite cocky.”

She finally loosened her hold enough for him to breathe properly, though she kept one hand firmly against the back of his head.

“Until that promotion actually happens, and assuming it even does, you're still under my authority.” A thought occurred to her, and the irritation in her expression slowly shifted into something much more mischievous and evil in his eyes. “Maybe I should tell Soifon what happened. I could use someone to listen to my problems. I'm sure she'd be very interested in hearing the unfortunate woes of her dear captain.”

Hearing that, his smile disappeared immediately.

“L-Let's not get hasty here.” He raised both hands in surrender. “I don't want to be assassinated in the middle of the night by that stinger of hers. Alright, alright, I'll apologize.”

Finally, she let go of him, allowing the man to straighten himself while one hand remained on the top of his head. He rubbed the sore spot with a slight grimace before glancing toward her.

"You know, if you keep doing that, I'll go bald one day. I'll definitely get a bald spot, and then I'll be forced to put on a cap every time."

His attention shifted toward the spot where the sword had disappeared, his expression becoming more thoughtful as he examined the damaged area.

"Did you get anything from him?"

With the atmosphere changing slightly as both stopped messing around, Yoruichi crossed her arms and shook her head. "Nothing. He was pretty tight-lipped. Didn't even return a greeting."

That earned a thoughtful hum from Kisuke as he stroked his chin. "The sword he used here was different from the one Soifon mentioned. Though he had two of them, and both resembled Chinese daos — can’t be a Shikai without a name release, and these two abilities are too different… so we can safely say that they aren't Zanpakuto. Or perhaps they are Zanpakuto capable of duplicating themselves. But considering the kind of books he stole, I doubt he's a Soul Reaper."

"Yeah, he didn't feel like a Soul Reaper." Her expression turned more serious as she recalled the encounter. "Nor did he feel like a human, for that matter. Something about him was just off."

“Well, a human wouldn't be able to fight like that unless… well, I doubt he is one of those.” His hand stopped against his chin. "Off how?"

"It's hard to explain. There was just something about him that made me feel like I shouldn't let my guard down. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was, but I didn't like the feeling."

An interesting description, especially from her, of all people. "Oh, that's unusual."

The observation clearly caught his attention, and he filed it away for future reference. For now, though, his thoughts returned to the weapons involved in the encounter, particularly the strange blades that did not seem to fit anything familiar in his memories. 

One idea did cross his mind, an idea that Yoruichi seemed to share as she glanced toward him. "Kisuke, do you think that man was a..."

"A Quincy?"

He finished the thought before she could. Seeing her nod, he didn't dismiss the possibility. It made some sense, although his own knowledge of ‘the Quincy’ remained limited. From what he knew, they traditionally used bows, and he had never personally dealt with one of them.

"It's possible."

"I thought there weren't any of them left."

"That's not possible." He lowered his hand from his chin as he considered the history behind ‘the Quincy’. "While the war did decimate their population, we didn't exactly cause the extinction of every single one of them. I'd bet there are still a couple of dozen families hidden across the world of the living. Descendants who carry the blood of the king and some variants of the Quincy power."

"Then how did one of them make their way here, of all places? Without being detected, no less?"

"We're basing all of this on the idea that we know this person is a Quincy," he pointed out. "When it could also be something else."

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "What then?"

“…I have nothing."

He rubbed his shoulder while thinking over everything they had encountered. Without having seen the mysterious man himself, there wasn't much more he could conclude.

"I can't say much since I didn't see him. But if I had to make a guess, the earlier commotions we were investigating might have been caused by him. The timing is too coincidental."

"Possibly." Yoruichi considered the possibility before giving a small nod. "I'll let you investigate this further."

She caught the faint smirk appearing on his face and immediately narrowed her eyes at him.

"Didn't you give the order to Soifon to do this?"

"You know what I meant." Rolling her eyes, she continued before he could make another comment. "Just don't tell her. I don't want her getting too ahead of herself. She's doing her best. Just continue on your side, and if you find something, don't rush in without telling me."

With that, she smacked her fist against her open palm. "I have some payback for that bastard the next time we meet."

Watching that declaration, Kisuke could only put on a helpless expression, already feeling genuinely sorry for the stranger who had managed to earn her attention in such a way.

‘Well, you pissed off someone you shouldn't have, stranger, but it doesn't feel like you're an enemy.’

His gaze drifted back toward the spot where the sword had stabbed, the strange encounter still leaving him with more questions than answers.

"Just who are you, and what are you?”