With the death of the three Sternritter members, the remaining Quincy soldiers fell into total chaos.
"Run! Even the elders... "
The Quincies who tried to flee hadn't even taken a few steps before they were sliced in half by a dark blue sword energy.
Takamiya Yūji, who had spent a lot of physical strength due to being surrounded, had now partially recovered his spiritual pressure and led the remnants of the 10th Division in a counterattack.
"Leave no one alive."
The handsome Captain of the 10th Division issued the order in a cold voice, but his gaze was full of complex emotions as he looked at Arata.
"Arata-kun... what did you just do..."
Arata merely thought it, and the mask on his face naturally withdrew like a receding tide.
He flicked the blood off his sword and said calmly, "Captain Takamiya, don't worry about it. It's just a little trick."
Takamiya Yūji wanted to say something, but in the end, he simply stared at him deeply.
"In any case, thank you for your timely help. The 10th Division will remember this favor."
The next battle, of course, held no uncertainty, it was completely one-sided.
The Quincy troops, having lost their commander and powerful vanguard force, were utterly wiped out by the pursuit of two Shinigami at captain-level strength, and the defense line of the North Fifth District was finally saved.
By the time the last Quincy fell, the morning sun had fully risen, and the morning mist had dispersed, as if signaling the Shinigami's ultimate victory.
Arata stood on the battlefield covered in corpses and quietly calculated the duration of his transformation.
"Almost an hour… truly a useful power."
He felt the balance between the two forces, Shinigami and Hollow within his body, and his control over Hollowification was becoming more natural.
Moreover, this battle not only perfectly confirmed the combat effectiveness after entering the Hollow state, but also brought some unexpected results.
[The fate of Takamiya Yūji has been significantly changed by your actions. You have gained 911 destiny points.]
[Detected that the host has killed three members of the Sternritter, significantly altering the situation on the local battlefield. A new destiny mission has been activated.]
[Destined Mission: Hell's Star Destroyer (Not Accepted)]
[Type: Branch]
[Mission Target: Members of the Sternritter]
[Quest Requirements: In the upcoming war, assist the Shinigami in killing members of the Sternritter from the Wandenreich.]
[Completion Deadline: before the end of the war]
[Task Reward: 400 Destiny Points/person]
Arata looked at the mission info on the panel, couldn't help but smile, and accepted the mission.
He was sleepy, and someone practically shoved a pillow under his head, he had been wondering how to collect 9999 destiny points for the enchanter, and the system directly handed him a battlefield mission.
Looks like in the next battle, he would need to be even more proactive. Not only should he seek out enemies himself, but he must also carefully observe battlefield trends and maximize his gains.
Arata looked at the place where Maine and the other two had fallen, and his eyes lit up.
Sternritter, your end is near!
"Arata-jun!" The voice of Takamiya Yūji interrupted his thoughts. "We must return to the Soul Society. The bodies of these Quincies must also be sent to the research institute for analysis."
"Don't we need to worry about the defense line here?" Arata asked in surprise.
"Of course not. The people from the 9th Division will come to relieve us. I just informed Captain Kumon via Hell Butterfly. We can withdraw as soon as he arrives."
"I also already notified Captain Shikatori for you, so don't worry."
Arata nodded and was just about to move when he suddenly noticed something strange.
He sharply turned his head toward the ruins at the edge of the battlefield, sensing a faint flicker in his spiritual pressure perception.
"What's wrong?" Takamiya Yūji looked confused in the same direction.
"Nothing." Arata withdrew his gaze, but the suspicion in his heart did not fade.
In that instant, he had clearly sensed a very familiar spiritual pressure.
At the same time, in the shadow of the ruins.
A slender figure in a black hood, hidden in a pile of rubble, gently pressed down on her rapidly rising and falling chest, and the pupils beneath her hood shrank sharply.
"So close! He almost discovered me. Luckily, I had the stealth robe His Majesty gave me."
"The power of the Hollow… unexpectedly appeared in a Shinigami's body."
Quincy scout captain, Celia Blaze, spoke with barely concealed shock, and the recording board in her hand was already covered in cracks.
"I must inform His Majesty immediately. This Shinigami is too dangerous!"
The woman crushed the star cross badge in her hand, and in the blink of an eye, her body silently vanished into the shadows.
Only a few drops of clear sweat on the ground, caused by her nerves, proved that someone had just stood there.
————
The speed of reinforcements between battlefields was even faster than Arata had imagined. In less than ten minutes, Kumon Jingozaemon and the members of the 9th Squad arrived at the North Fifth District Defense Line.
The burly captain of the 9th Division carried his Zanpakutō over his shoulder, and his thick beard was still stained with traces of undried alcohol. It was obvious that the Hell Butterfly and emergency order had dragged him straight from a wine jar.
"Takamiya, you're still not dead?" Kumon Jingozaemon laughed and patted Takamiya Yūji so hard on the shoulder that he staggered.
"Thanks to you." Takamiya Yūji smiled wryly and adjusted his disheveled hat. "The defense line is now in your hands. The bodies of these Quincies must be sent back to the research institute as soon as possible for analysis."
Kumon Jingozaemon's gaze swept over the bodies of the three Sternritter on the ground, and the eyes behind his small round glasses narrowed slightly.
"Well done! This is the first time we've directly taken down any of those Ritter."
"Takamiya, since when did you get so strong? Did you use Sadness again?"
"Senior Kumon, of course it wasn't me." Takamiya Yūji quickly interrupted, stepped aside, and made way for Arata standing behind him. "It's all thanks to Arata-jun."
Kumon Jingozaemon gave Arata a good look from head to toe, remembered this was the newcomer who had just joined the Soul Society yesterday, and suddenly grinned widely, showing off his white teeth.
"Interesting! Come visit the 9th Squad sometime for a drink, it's on me!"
Arata nodded politely, but internally he remarked on the difference in personality between the current captain of the 9th Division and the later Tōsen Kaname.
After handing over the defense, Arata and Takamiya Yūji headed back to Seireitei with a sealed box containing the corpse.
Along the way, Takamiya Yūji remained silent until they passed through Baidao Gate, and then suddenly spoke.
"Arata-jun, regarding the power you used earlier..."
Arata's heart tightened, but his face remained calm.
"Captain Takamiya, are you concerned that such a power might harm the Soul Society?"
"No, we captains don't have time for that kind of nonsense." Takamiya Yūji shook his head, and a complex gleam flashed beneath his hat.
"I just want to warn you, it's best not to flaunt that ability in front of Master Genryūsai. That old man doesn't like powers that don't appear… righteous..."
Arata nodded thoughtfully.
It seems that Captain Yamamoto's aversion to Hollowification and Fullbring a thousand years later wasn't baseless. That discrimination and prejudice were deeply rooted even in the first generation of the Gotei 13.
The two of them passed several patrol lines and streets and eventually arrived at a white building next to the 12th Squad barracks.
Unlike the futuristic style of the later Technology Development Bureau, the research institute before them looked more like an ancient medical clinic, with a wooden sign reading "Spirit Research Institute" hanging above the door.
Takamiya Yūji stepped forward and knocked on the heavy wooden door.
"Excuse me, is Director Shudara Shion here?"