"Whoa~"
Hearing the alarm, three figures who appeared to be women acted without hesitation, using Hirenkyaku to step into the air and land on the rooftop.
The leader had an antennae-like cowlick on her head, making her look a bit cute.
The other two were genuine girls: one a short-haired blonde loli, and the other a big-waisted pink-haired woman with a childish face and a mature heart.
This alarm, after countless reminders from Haschwalth, had already become annoying to all the Sternritter.
Although it had never rung once in the past few years, it had never been forgotten.
Its sudden ringing now meant only one thing—
The Shinigami had arrived!
As soon as they reached the rooftop, they saw two figures emerge from the shadows.
Walking in front was a tall, slender man with silver hair.
His height of 1.85 meters, combined with his white haori, gave him a considerable presence.
Behind him followed a petite girl with long, flowing hair.
Through his perception of Reiatsu, Ichimaru Gin immediately turned his gaze towards them.
The moment he saw the appearance of the three, he paused slightly.
Then, he curved his lips into a cunning smile:
"How interesting… We've actually encountered the people the General is looking for first."
Rukia's expression remained calm, but a hint of apprehension quietly surfaced in her eyes.
She had identified the identities of these three after observing them for a moment.
She had initially been somewhat incredulous, but after witnessing it firsthand, her female intuition told her—
The "girl" with the cockroach-like hair, who was the leader of the trio, was indeed biologically a man.
She knew "beauties" like Yumichika Ayasegawa, but at least he didn't act overly feminine in his demeanor, whereas this "girl" was completely different.
Rukia gently shook her head, having to admit that she was still too young and had been short-sighted in the past.
"Giselle Gewelle, Schrift Z, Zombie."
"Liltotto Lamperd, Schrift G, Gluttony."
"Meninas McAllon, Schrift P, Power."
"It's you three, isn't it?"
As she spoke, she gently drew the Zanpakuto from her waist.
She softly uttered:
"Dance, Sode no Shirayuki."
In an instant, the originally ordinary katana's blade, guard, and hilt all turned pure white, with several snow-white ribbons extending from the end, fluttering in the wind.
This was Sode no Shirayuki's Shikai state, beautiful and deadly.
When Aozaki first saw her, he called her the most beautiful Zanpakuto in Soul Society.
Sode no Shirayuki couldn't help but cover her face and chuckle softly at his praise.
She, too, had received praise from her brother.
However, this was not the time to reminisce about pleasant memories.
They still had many things to face, and more beautiful memories awaited them to create.
Rukia's gaze became exceptionally sharp; she held Sode no Shirayuki, pointed it at the enemy, and shouted loudly:
"Surrender now!"
Upon hearing these words, Liltotto's expression turned extremely unpleasant.
She coldly asked:
"How do you know about us? Did… you do something to Candice and Bambietta?"
They had been captured by the Shinigami for many years, and no one knew what torment they had endured.
If they had leaked information because of it, it would be understandable.
Although none of the three particularly liked Bambietta, their relationship with Candice was quite good.
If something had happened to the latter, they wouldn't mind helping her get revenge.
Taking advantage of the moment she spoke, Giselle had already rushed out.
His speed was extremely fast; in the blink of an eye, he vanished from everyone's sight.
It wasn't because he was anxious about his sisters' well-being.
His ability uses the blood within his body as a medium to turn enemies into zombies.
Therefore, close-quarters combat is best for it to be most effective.
However, just as he leaped, a cold light suddenly cut through the night, striking through the air.
"Shoot him dead, Shinsō!"
Ichimaru Gin uttered his release command, instantly transforming into a piercer.
Giselle was still a long way from the ground, but he had already been impaled through the abdomen by an extended blade and pinned in mid-air.
Under Ichimaru Gin's gaze, he opened his mouth and violently spat out a large mouthful of blood!
Those splashing drops of blood, however, could not reach Ichimaru Gin and Rukia.
Rukia looked at the Zanpakuto in Ichimaru Gin's hand, a hint of emotion on her face.
Before setting out for battle, Aozaki had assessed their understanding of Quincy abilities.
If she were truly stained by this blood, she might have to use Bankai.
Her Bankai, Hakka no Togame, could not only freeze the surrounding environment but also freeze all molecular motion within a physical body.
As for the other two Quincies, Liltotto could enlarge her mouth to devour enemies, and Meninas possessed immense strength; both could be considered close-combat types.
It could be said that they were naturally countered by her and Ichimaru Gin's abilities.
"How is this possible… What a joke? My speed, I couldn't even dodge that one strike?"
Giselle's eyes widened, an expression of disbelief on his face, as he muttered to himself.
He had already anticipated the possibility of the enemy knowing the specific ways his abilities were used.
However, what he hadn't expected was that his speed couldn't evade that one strike!
He had originally thought that with his Captain-class Reiatsu and the ability of Hirenkyaku to move through the air in the Reishi world, he could easily handle the current situation.
So, when he saw that silver-haired Shinigami, he unhesitatingly chose to charge, wanting to quickly eliminate him.
But reality dealt him a heavy blow.
He actually failed to dodge that attack!
Last time in the Shadow Realm, this silver-haired Shinigami had not displayed such formidable strength.
How could his strength have increased so dramatically in just over twenty years?
Liltotto and Meninas also narrowed their eyes in surprise.
For long-lived beings like them, twenty years was not a very long time.
This silver-haired man's strength indeed exceeded their expectations.
Especially when they saw the white haori with a "Nine" printed on it, their brows furrowed even more deeply.
If they could choose, they would rather spar with the original owner of that position.
The threat posed by this man in front of them was completely different from the unremarkable Ninth Division Captain mentioned in their intelligence.
"Vice-Captain Muguruma… Your opponents aren't them."
Ichimaru Gin seemed to have read their thoughts.
After Kensei Muguruma and Aikawa Rabu recovered, they immediately returned to the Gotei 13.
These two guys didn't like working behind the scenes.
As soon as Kensei Muguruma returned, he challenged Ichimaru Gin, wanting to reclaim his Captain position, mimicking the succession system of the Eleventh Division Captain.
As a result, he was defeated in front of many Squad members and is now serving as the Vice-Captain of the Ninth Division.
If things went as expected, he should be leading Squad members elsewhere, clearing out weaker enemies right now.
Although Kensei Muguruma wasn't considered particularly strong among high-level combatants, his speed and efficiency in clearing out weak enemies were superb.