Including Mr. Tsukishima, and including... me!
For some reason, at this moment, Shishigawara actually felt a bit excited and even happy. This kind of acknowledgment from an enemy was unexpectedly pleasant.
Moreover, that girl was so cute and pretty! And she was so strong, carrying him with one hand without even panting, making his face burn and turn red.
Of course, this could also be because blood was rushing to his head from being carried? Shishigawara had no time to think about this anymore. His mind was a mess right now. While letting his imagination run wild, he silently screamed in his heart, hoping that Mr. Tsukishima inside the villa could hear him and know that a dangerous guy had arrived.
...
"Over a week ago, a violent clash of Reiatsu suddenly occurred in neighboring Karakura Town." In the study, the pale-skinned man from earlier was unhurriedly recounting the events that had taken place in the adjacent city.
If Shishigawara were present, he would realize that this was the Mr. Tsukishima he was so devoted to. However, the contents of what the other party was saying right now were somewhat distant from him.
"Of course, this anomaly didn't just start a week ago; Karakura Town has been restless since even earlier. There should have been a large-scale Hollow invasion, culminating in two consecutive violent clashes. Unsurprisingly, it involved Shinigami and Hollows."
"Isn't it perfectly normal for Shinigami to deal with Hollows?" Riruka scoffed dismissively. "You called us all here to discuss something this trivial?!"
Ginjō, however, smiled nonchalantly. "You don't understand that bunch, Riruka."
"Huh?"
"You have to understand, under normal circumstances, Hollows invade the World of the Living to feed. The more souls gathered in a place, the easier it is to be invaded."
Ginjō offered a gentle reminder. Seeing Riruka still looking confused, he continued to explain, "Compared to ordinary humans, Shinigami are much purer and more powerful spiritual bodies. Wouldn't their appearance in the World of the Living attract even more Hollows?"
"The answer is yes. Therefore, although Shinigami dispatch personnel to be stationed in the World of the Living, the numbers are small. This is partly due to the limited number of Shinigami, but more importantly, it's to avoid turning the World of the Living into a permanent battlefield. That is the primary reason."
At this point, Ginjō seemed to think of something amusing. He lowered his head and chuckled helplessly, "Having a single Shinigami stationed over a vast area to provide backup and exterminate invading Hollows... rather than calling it a garrison, it's more accurate to describe it as putting out fires."
"The advantage of doing this is balance, and the disadvantage is also balance. The number of Hollows coming to the World of the Living won't increase too much, but it won't decrease either. Hollows can't harm too many people, but they will inevitably harm some."
"How about it? You never thought that Shinigami and Hollows, who fight to the death the moment they meet, would have this kind of... tacit understanding? A sort of cooperation behind the scenes, right?"
No one besides Tsukishima wanted to answer this question. He leaned against the edge of the desk, staring at Ginjō with a faint smile. "It's enough that you thought of it."
The rest of the group finally seemed to have their interest piqued. Even Riruka, despite her somewhat sour expression, showed no further intention of interrupting Ginjō.
"Exactly. With the Shinigami's method of handling things, it's very rare for a large number of Hollows to invade a single city simultaneously, let alone generate combat shockwaves that even you all could feel."
"But 'rarely' doesn't mean 'never'," Tsukishima chimed in to add. Ginjō nodded. "Indeed, such situations do occur. Let's assume for the moment that the first instance was an accidental anomaly. Whoever resolved that disturbance must have been a highly skilled Shinigami sent as reinforcements."
"After that, there are two possibilities for the movements of these reinforcements: one is returning to the Soul Society, and the other is staying in the World of the Living to investigate. The problem is, whether they leave or stay, they must try their best to avoid triggering more Hollow invasions due to their lingering presence..."
"Hold on a second!" Ginjō's words were suddenly interrupted by a blonde, blue-eyed boy. "You just said Shinigami attract more Hollows, so is there a workaround for that?"
"It can be achieved by using a special vessel called a Gigai," Ginjō confirmed, then immediately shifted his tone. "Unfortunately, this also reduces the Shinigami's sphere of influence in the World of the Living. Like I said, their numbers are also a reason why they leave the World of the Living to its own devices to a certain extent."
*'In video game terms, it's like crouching to avoid detection, but it makes you walk slower.'*
The boy muttered silently in his heart and said no more, gesturing with his hand for Ginjō to continue.
"Therefore, the reason for Hollows launching two attacks in just a single day is unlikely to be the Shinigami. Thinking it over, it can only mean that Karakura Town has something they want. Or rather... someone!"
"Moreover, a timeframe of one day is also somewhat suspicious for Hollows. For those brainless monsters to not invade continuously... I'm afraid there's an unknown secret behind that as well."
"Karakura Town hasn't been completely destroyed, which proves the Shinigami didn't lose the last battle. And such a severe attack will inevitably make the Shinigami more vigilant. The Hollows haven't rushed to launch a third attack either, as if they know that going there without amassing enough power would be an exercise in futility. The Shinigami and Hollows might be in a standoff centered around Karakura Town. Both sides are preparing for a war!"
Ginjō grew more and more excited as he spoke, his voice unconsciously rising. "Everyone, our opportunity for revenge might be approaching!"
That power, unable to keep up with the march of time, was about to take a step forward once again...
That boring, repetitive game was finally about to begin a new chapter...
Those boots, stained with misfortune, what kind of filthy blood would they be dyed in next...
Everyone had their own different thoughts, but the emotions these thoughts ultimately converged into were similar to Ginjō's. They were all itching to try their hand at this still-unknown opportunity.
Tsukishima, standing to the side, appeared the calmest, but it was as if he could see through everyone's thoughts, translating these expectations into the most practical question: "What do we do next, Ginjō?"
"The truth!" Ginjō stood up abruptly, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the room. "What exactly is in Karakura Town? Is it related to the Hollows' abnormal movements? Who are the Shinigami currently stationed in Karakura Town? We need to figure out these questions first."
"Let me go catch a little Shinigami, and we should find out."
Before Tsukishima could finish speaking, Ginjō raised a hand to interrupt him. "Small fry might not know, and we need to be cautious when making a move against Shinigami, especially right now."
"Then?"
"We start with the ordinary humans in Karakura Town. Shinigami can alter the memories of ordinary people, but the true past cannot be changed." After saying this earnestly to Tsukishima, Ginjō immediately turned his head and instructed the blonde, blue-eyed boy, "You go over there with Tsukishima. There are some places that will probably require your ability to investigate, Yukio."
"OK~"
"But you must act with caution. The Shinigami who came might be an arrogant bunch, but they aren't necessarily idiots," Ginjō warned solemnly. "If there's an emergency and you need to make contact, still rely on the phone. Now, let's establish a new code word..."
Perhaps they wouldn't succeed this time, but as long as there was an opportunity, they had to try their hardest. Ginjō didn't know how far they could carefully tread, but taking even a single step forward was valuable.
However, sometimes setbacks arrive just that suddenly—so suddenly that before you can even take a step, the road ahead is ruthlessly blocked off.
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