However, before Uryu Ishida and Orihime Inoue could run far, they found themselves cornered in a narrow alleyway.
As darkness descended, a figure in a white haori stood before them that made their hearts skip a beat.
They had been in the Seireitei for almost a day and had learned that the Shinigami wore two types of attire.
One was the black shihakushō. All Shinigami, including Ichigo, wore these uniforms. In addition to the shihakushō, some Shinigami wore a white haori over their uniforms. Even in the Seireitei, few were permitted to wear this white haori.
However, each Shinigami who wore it was a prominent figure in the Seireitei. They were the thirteen captains who stood at the apex of the Gotei 13. Now, the one blocking Uryu and Orihime's path was one such captain.
As the shadows deepened, Uryu saw the number on the back of the white haori.
Twelve!
The moment he saw that number, Uryu's expression darkened considerably. Twelve years ago, when Uryu was barely five years old, he had seen his grandfather besieged by monstrous creatures while walking to meet him.
Behind those creatures, several Shinigami in black shihakushō lay in wait. If a stronger Shinigami hadn't arrived, his grandfather would have been killed that day.
"It's him?"
Recognizing the man before him, Uryu focused his gaze on the man's right hand. He remembered that the Shinigami who arrived later had seemingly torn off the man's right arm.
However, to Uryu's surprise, the man wearing the Twelfth Division captain's haori had both arms intact?
Had he mistaken the man for someone else?
This thought had barely crossed Uryu's mind when he dismissed it.
Because the man had turned around.
While Mayuri Kurotsuchi's current head adornments differed slightly from those he had worn twelve years ago, anyone who had seen him once would recognize him instantly.
This was indeed Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the captain of the Twelfth Division.
"What good fortune. My research has reached a bottleneck. I was looking for something new to study. And now, I've found two perfect specimens."
Kurotsuchi's blatant scrutiny made Uryu and Orihime feel uncomfortable.
Uryu, fueled by the memory of Kurotsuchi's scheme against his grandfather, harbored a deep-seated animosity towards him.
His primary objective in entering the Soul Society, besides helping Ichigo, was to find two Shinigami.
The first was this captain, who had nearly killed his grandfather.
The second was the Shinigami who saved his grandfather.
Orihime's reaction was different.
Less than two weeks ago, she had still been an ordinary, timid girl. Kurotsuchi's gaze, treating her as a research subject, was far more terrifying than the Hollows who saw her as food.
Instinctively, Orihime hid behind Uryu, trying to avoid Kurotsuchi's gaze.
Uryu noticed her action. He drew his Ginrei Kojaku and gathered a spiritual arrow.
"Orihime, this guy is strong. It'll take me some time to defeat him. Sneak away through that alley and head towards the Palace of Penitence. I'll catch up once I'm done with him."
"Okay, Uryu. Be careful."
Orihime wanted to stay, but Kurotsuchi's scrutiny made her tremble. If she stayed, she would only be a burden to Uryu. It was better to leave.
Boom!
After Uryu launched his first arrow, Orihime immediately ran through the alley's corner and heading towards the Seireitei's tallest structure…
…
"Aaaaargh!"
On the third day of the Ryoka invasion, a scream shattered the Seireitei's calm. The Shinigami of the Gotei 13 had been scrambling to deal with the invaders.
Especially on the first day, all the Shinigami who encountered the Ryoka had been seriously injured.
However, while the injuries were severe, there had been no casualties. Judging by the nature of their wounds, they had guessed that these Ryoka weren't malicious.
This was the reason Shunsui Kyōraku and Nanao Ise had spared Yasutora Sado.
If Ichigo and his companions had caused significant casualties among the Seireitei's Shinigami, the captains wouldn't have shown such leniency.
After two days of fighting, two of the Ryoka had been captured and were currently recovering at the Fourth Division.
However, the Shinigami never imagined that the first casualty in this conflict would be him!
"You're kidding, right?"
"This… This is ridiculous!"
"Captain Aizen…"
"How… How could he be dead?"
Drawn by the scream, the Shinigami looked up and saw a body pinned to the spire by a Zanpakutō. They were all in Disbelief.
Following the trail of blood, their gaze landed on a man in a white captain's haori and black-rimmed glasses.
Sōsuke Aizen, the captain of the Fifth Division.
This man, admired by most low-ranking Shinigami in the Seireitei, had been killed and impaled on a spire.
"Who did this?"
"Was it the Ryoka?"
"It must be them!"
"I heard that only two of them have been captured. Three are still hiding in the Seireitei."
"Are they that strong? Strong enough to kill Captain Aizen?"
"Maybe. Ikkaku Madarame, the Fourth Seat of the Eleventh Division, was defeated by one of them."
The Shinigami speculated on the identity of Captain Aizen's killer. Judging by their tone, it seemed they would rush to avenge him if they knew who it was.
"Well, well… To think a mere handful of Ryoka could cause such chaos, even killing a captain… Does this mean Captain Aizen wasn't as strong as we thought?"
"Who's there?!"
When all the Shinigami were still grieving for the sacrifice of Captain Aizen, an extremely frivolous and contemptuous voice rang out, immediately angering everyone.