The stark white attire, standing in complete contrast to the signature black of the Shinigami, made it easy to view the newcomers as their natural opposites.
Such an assumption wasn't entirely wrong. They had indeed fought a long and bitter war against the Shinigami. However, that was in the distant past. Now, they were allies rather than enemies—at least when it came to dealing with Hollows, both sides stood united. These individuals were Quincies, humans originating from the living world who made it their life's mission to eradicate Hollows.
Over the past few years, Kōe had run into his fair share of Quincies. He was actually on pretty good terms with a few of them, such as the young man leading the group who had just spoken to him—Knott Vohtz.
Kōe knew Vohtz hadn't been in Soul Society for long, which naturally meant he had only recently passed away. According to Vohtz himself, he was only in his twenties when he died, though Kōe had always remained highly skeptical of that claim.
The man was half a head taller than Kōe and built like a brick wall. His sheer bulk made the crisp white Quincy uniform look less dashing and more downright comical on him. With his dark skin, buzz cut, and ruggedly capable demeanor—not to mention the three deep wrinkles etched into his forehead—Kōe was convinced the guy had to be at least forty when he kicked the bucket!
"Long time no see, Vohtz. When was the last time we ran into each other?" Kōe tapped his forehead in thought before casually guessing, "A few months ago?"
"What do you mean, a few months? It's been almost two years!" Vohtz held up two fingers with a look of utter exasperation. "Seriously, how long has it been since you last left this place?"
"It's been a while, I suppose. But what are you doing out here?"
Vohtz was about to answer, but upon spotting Tsukikage and his five subordinates approaching, he swallowed his words. Instead, he began sizing Kōe up with a rather strange look in his eyes.
"You bastard, Uesawa! Didn't you say you'd never let me off the hook if you saw me again? Come on, let's see what you've got!"
"Let go of me! Didn't you say you never wanted to see my face again? Am I that ugly?!"
Reunited against all odds, Yamagata and Uesawa quickly tackled each other, rolling around in the dirt. Though they were shouting insults, everyone present understood that this was simply their way of expressing the sheer joy of surviving and seeing each other alive.
Kōe, however, was in no mood to pay attention to their antics. He had already noticed Vohtz's bizarre behavior. Being stared down so intensely by a burly man was sending a distinct chill down his spine.
"What's with that look? I'll have you know, I'm a very proper and traditional man!"
"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm just feeling a bit relieved." Seeing Kōe's blank expression, Vohtz quickly elaborated, "It's just genuinely nice to see that your relationship with your comrades has finally thawed..."
"Hold it right there!"
Despite Vohtz's fierce and intimidating appearance, anyone who actually spent time with him knew he was a massive softie. If Kōe didn't cut him off now, the guy would probably ramble on about the magic of friendship for half an hour straight.
"Then what are you doing out here?" Vohtz asked, pointing past Kōe toward Tsukikage and the others. "And what about them?"
"I was just passing by. It's not as deep as you think."
Kōe's explanation was incredibly dismissive, but upon seeing the awkward, fidgety posture of Tsukikage and his squad, Vohtz realized Kōe was telling the truth. His relationship with his fellow Shinigami hadn't thawed in the slightest.
But just because things were frosty now didn't mean they had to stay that way. Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to clear the air? Vohtz immediately formulated a plan.
"That was a pretty fierce battle just now! You must have taken quite a beating!" Vohtz patted Kōe heavily on the shoulder, though his face was turned squarely toward Tsukikage's group, winking conspicuously as he spoke. "Unfortunately, we don't have a medic with us, so you'll just have to tough it out for a bit!"
Tsukikage was a veteran Shinigami who had lived for hundreds of years; there was no way he'd miss a hint that obvious.
"Hurry up and tend to their injuries!" Tsukikage ordered the Squad 4 medic beside him, deliberately raising his voice so it would carry. "Go take care of Kōe first."
The stage was perfectly set. Although Tsukikage hadn't offered a formal apology, the olive branch hidden in his words was plain for all to see.
Under normal circumstances, even if Kōe kept his usual scowl, simply allowing himself to be treated would be a tacit acceptance of Tsukikage's goodwill. That alone would be enough to bury the hatchet between them. From there, with Tsukikage acting as a bridge, it would only be a matter of time before the other Shinigami stationed in the Zaraki District finally accepted Kōe.
Unfortunately, the one extending the olive branch was Vohtz, not Kōe, and this "normal circumstance" was entirely a product of Vohtz's own wishful thinking. In the very next moment, Kōe demonstrated exactly what it meant to have absolutely zero social awareness. Not only did he maintain his scowl, but he also unleashed his venomous tongue.
"Get lost, woman!"
Roughly shoving away the approaching Squad 4 medic, Kōe sneered at the stunned girl. "A piece of dead weight who needed to be carried just to run away is suddenly trying to prove she isn't completely useless? Give me a break! If you want to play doctor in peace, crawl back to the Seireitei!"
Kōe paid no further attention to the medic, who had lowered her head and clenched her fists in quiet humiliation. As for Tsukikage, Kōe had no intention of letting him off the hook either. In fact, this 'creative writer' was the most detestable of the bunch. Peace? They wanted peace now? As if he'd give them the satisfaction!
"You're front and center when it's time to watch the show, and you're the first to bark orders, but when the actual fighting starts, you're nowhere to be found. She's trying to prove she isn't useless, but what about you? What exactly are you trying to prove?" Kōe stroked his chin, feigning deep thought. "Trying to prove you were actually here? Well, congratulations, you succeeded. If you hadn't opened your mouth, I wouldn't have even noticed you! Squad 5's signature lip service is as strong as ever, I see!"
Kōe's scathing remarks weren't just a jab at Tsukikage's current inaction; they were a thinly veiled shot at how the man had exaggerated the reports seven years ago. Having lived for centuries, Tsukikage naturally caught the underlying accusation. His entire face turned a deep, mottled purple at a visible rate.
The atmosphere instantly plummeted below freezing. Even Uesawa and Yamagata stopped their roughhousing, not daring to utter a single word. Being dressed down so brutally in front of a group of Quincies was an absolute, humiliating loss of face!
In truth, the Quincies present were just as bewildered. Tearing into one's own comrades this viciously—especially in front of outsiders—wasn't exactly a common occurrence. Just how ruthless was this guy?
As for the instigator of this mess—well, Vohtz certainly didn't consider himself the instigator. He had acted entirely out of the goodness of his heart. He just hadn't expected that Kōe would not only refuse the olive branch, but would take a sledgehammer to it and smash it into kindling.
What a headache! Vohtz rubbed his temples furiously. This was absolutely nothing like the heartwarming reconciliation he had envisioned! He turned to look at Kōe, only to find Kōe glaring back at him with a dark, gloomy expression. The two locked eyes.
"Don't you dare start trashing me too! I'll hit you! I swear I will!" Vohtz quickly raised a fist in threat.
"Let's go. After stirring up all this trouble, aren't you going to compensate me?"
"I don't mind compensating you, but I wasn't trying to stir up trouble! I was genuinely trying to help!"
"Thanks for the 'help,' then!" Kōe rolled his eyes and snapped back. "I have zero interest in babysitting a bunch of toddlers and looking over my shoulder all day."
With that, Kōe pushed off his heels, leaping directly onto a nearby branch. He gave Vohtz a quick wave before vanishing into the dense canopy of the forest.
Vohtz let out a bitter sigh and offered a wry smile. Placing his right hand over his chest, he gave Tsukikage and the others a slight, apologetic bow. "You Shinigami have fought hard today. It still isn't entirely safe out here, so I suggest you fall back and recover. We will be taking our leave now."
By the time Tsukikage finally snapped out of his daze, Vohtz and his group were already gone. It was as if Kōe and the Quincies had never been there at all.
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