"Put the cat down, and let's have a proper fight!"
"Answer my question, where exactly is Rukia? Then I'll give the cat to you!"
Ichigo's voice? The sound was a bit faint, so Ishida wasn't entirely sure. Moving little by little along the eaves toward the direction the voice came from, he confirmed it really was Ichigo. And the thing on his head, was that Yoruichi?
No, it didn't seem to be. Although she looked a lot like Yoruichi, this cat was wearing a tiny outfit. She was clearly someone's pet, and those two people opposite Ichigo seemed to care a lot about her?
"Ichigo!"
"Ishida?"
*'Another one.'* Yumichika frowned slightly. This newcomer looked quite smart; rescuing Sayo had just become even more difficult.
*'However, isn't this also an opportunity?'*
Ikkaku suddenly attacked. He thrust the spear in his hands straight forward, his hands forcefully splitting apart. The spear shaft evenly divided into three sections. Hōzukimaru wasn't a spear, but a three-section staff.
Ishida retreated half a step just in time, barely dodging the sweeping spear tip. On the other side, Ichigo instinctively raised his arm to block, forcefully withstanding the strike of the staff.
This sudden attack seemed to be perfectly neutralized by the two, but Ikkaku's goal was never to subdue them both in one move. What he wanted was to separate them, then capture one of them to exchange for Sayo!
His left hand catching up to the missed spear tip, Ikkaku backhanded it and continued to press toward the newly arrived Ishida. Ishida's reaction wasn't slow either; a black-and-white spirit bow had appeared in his right hand at some point, and a white arrow shot straight at Ikkaku's chest.
It was fast. Ikkaku was knocked back by the arrow. His attack just now hadn't had a trace of hesitation, yet the opponent was able to react and strike first. It was truly not simple. Furthermore, the power of this arrow was not small; Hōzukimaru actually had several cracks knocked into it. This wasn't an opponent who could be dealt with quickly—both of them were like this.
"It seems you guys aren't really that afraid of this Chōzuka Kenpachi!" Ichigo yelled with a fierce expression. "Then there's no need to hold back. Maybe after we're done fighting, there'll still be half a cat left!"
"No, no, no!" Yumichika stepped out to play the peacemaker again. He had also just thought about taking Ishida hostage to threaten Ichigo, but unfortunately, Ikkaku's action failed, and the situation was now very grim.
"Oh, you wanted to save Sayo but failed? So you just got Sayo killed to avenge her? In that case, Shinigami don't need to care about the Rukongai anymore; fighting Hollows without any worries about the rear is also a good choice! So, you two should come teach at the Shin'ō Academy. After all, giving up is also a field of study!"
Ikkaku could vividly imagine how Kōe would mock them if they caused Sayo's death. And mocking was only one aspect; the man would definitely use 'how to become a qualified Shinigami' as an excuse to teach them a brutal lesson. As for how long that lesson would last, it would depend entirely on his mood.
This would be a devastating blow to both body and soul. Let alone Squad 11, in the future within the Gotei 13, the names Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika would become synonymous with trash. And starting from the Shin'ō Academy, it would continue generation after generation, ultimately going down in infamy forever...
"I can't possibly tell you where Kuchiki Rukia is. Of course, as the price for exchanging Sayo, you can leave once you put Sayo down. I guarantee that Yumichika and I won't stop you."
"Someone who just sneak-attacked us is actually saying things like 'guarantee' now..."
"Then what do you want!" Yumichika asked loudly, grabbing his hair, looking like he wasn't far from a mental breakdown.
"Tell us Rukia's location, or we'll release this cat after we leave and confirm it's safe." Ichigo pointed at himself and vowed, "I guarantee I won't hurt this cat, you can rest completely assured!"
Someone who bargains with a cat is worthy of saying 'guarantee'?! But before Ikkaku could retort, the cat on Ichigo's head jumped onto his arm, hurriedly shook her head, then stretched out a furry paw to point at herself, and tried her best to hold up two short toes, swinging them back and forth vertically.
What was she trying to express? Ichigo looked at the cat named Sayo. She seemed to have expressed a lot, but he couldn't quite understand...
"You mean we shouldn't agree to their terms?" Ishida asked uncertainly. Seeing Sayo nod, he continued, "You know where Rukia is, and you can take us to find her?!"
The cat nodded again, stretched her paw behind Ishida, then pointed at Ikkaku and Yumichika on the other side, raising her small head and proudly waving her paw.
"We leave right now, and they won't dare stop us?"
This communication between man and cat—no, rather, Ishida translating Sayo's gestures. With every sentence spoken, Ikkaku and Yumichika felt their hearts grow a fraction colder, until by the end, they were completely frozen.
Even the hostage was helping the kidnappers; being a rescue team was too hard! In the past, Kōe always said Sayo was a product of Squad 12's highest technology. They hadn't believed it, but they didn't expect it to be true. Captain Kurotsuchi really did help Kōe build a cat using the highest technology...
Should they say Squad 12 was too bored, or that Kōe was too amazing? Agonizing over this question was truly meaningless. Ikkaku and Yumichika silently exchanged a glance. They both knew they could leave now. The intruders could do whatever they wanted; out of sight, out of mind anyway.
"Wait!"
"What is it now!" Ikkaku turned back and said angrily. The cat was pointing the way, and they had let the intruders go, what more did he want?
"Is the Chōzuka Kenpachi that Ichigo just mentioned the owner of this cat?"
"That's right!"
"Then what exactly is his relationship with Kōe Shihouin? Also, what kind of person is he?" Ishida asked, even petting Sayo's head. As for whether this was a threat, that depended on how the two Shinigami opposite him viewed it.
"Chōzuka Kenpachi is Kōe Shihouin..." Before Ikkaku could finish his sentence, he patted Yumichika's shoulder. He really didn't want to talk anymore. Humiliated and mentally exhausted, if this continued, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist killing himself.
Yumichika caught his drift and continued from Ikkaku's words, "We don't know what kind of person he is either. To sum it up, he should be someone you just can't see through."
"The title of Kenpachi is only passed down to the strongest Shinigami in Kendō of each generation. He is very strong, but you also seem to never know exactly how strong he is. When he points his blade at you, it doesn't necessarily mean he wants to kill you. Similarly, when he is empty-handed and seems to be paying no attention to you, the next second he might appear right in front of you and take your life. Being unable to see through him isn't just about his strength; it's about every aspect. He can make any bizarre move, so don't use any logic you think is reasonable to speculate about him."
"Then is he the one who attacked us just now?" Ishida frowned, asking the question he cared about most.
"Perhaps. A technique we've never seen before was very likely created by him." Yumichika spread his hands, the corners of his mouth curving into a smile as he said, "So, it's best if you can avoid him. If this person doesn't want you to die, then you won't die no matter what. But if he wants you dead, your death will happen in the very next second."
"And right now, it seems he really wants you dead."