novelnext Chapter 121 The Grim Reaper of Naruki City
Chapter 121 The Grim Reaper of Naruki City
Chapter 121 The Grim Reaper of Naruki City
Naruki City... Did I not enter Soul Society?
It questioned the Zanpakuto in its hand, but received no response.
Asuka drew her weapon, her gaze turning serious.
It was in a sorry state again, with dark red rust covering the entire blade.
Not only has it lost its original sharpness, but even the blade has become jagged, making it look like a piece of scrap metal that has been abandoned in the wilderness for decades.
This made Asuka feel as if she had returned to a few years ago, to that snowy night when she had just awakened and was waiting to die in a dilapidated temple at the foot of Hayama.
Loneliness, helplessness, and confusion about the unknown.
Was the problem caused by crossing the boundary, or is there something wrong with me...?
"Tolerate....
'
The bird suddenly realized something, and its pupils, which had been dizzy and confused, suddenly contracted.
He turned his head and looked around for that patch of pure white.
"Shinobu! Where are you?"
Only his echo reverberated through the empty streets.
Apart from the endless stream of steel boxes and cold, impersonal skyscrapers, he saw nothing else.
Damn it, didn't I throw her towards the exit? Didn't she come to the real world?!
In the turbulent currents of that broken boundary, Shinobu Kocho's already fragile spirit was unable to withstand any impact.
If she ultimately fails to escape, if she falls into the rift between the barriers, if she...
The bird dared not think any further.
He began running through the streets, searching everywhere for Shinobu Kocho.
The weather was terrible today; dark clouds hung over the empty streets, making it feel like a downpour was about to begin. There were hardly any pedestrians on the road.
However, he should be in a spirit state now, so ordinary humans cannot see him, and even if someone is there, there is no need to worry about being discovered.
Although that person said that excessive spiritual pressure would affect souls in the mortal world, he couldn't care less.
This isn't another world; the spiritual energy cycle is managed by someone else. Finding Shinobu Kocho is a priority.
However, soon after he turned a street corner, he bumped into a dark figure.
The immense force of the impact made him truly feel the collision.
"Ouch!"
The dark figure opposite cried out in surprise, staggered back a few steps, and fell to the ground.
Asuka also took a half step back, staring blankly at her shoulder, then at the person opposite her.
The heavy feeling of the impact and the slight vibrations were definitely not an illusion.
Have I regained my physical body? How is that possible?
He wanted to apologize or ask for directions, but after seeing who the other person was, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
The person standing in front of him was not the passerby he had expected.
It was a man wearing a black, wide-sleeved kimono.
He knew the style of that outfit all too well—it was a death knight's uniform.
The man had a knife tucked into his waistband; he looked like an ordinary soldier.
"Hiss... Where did this wandering spirit come from? How dare it bump into me!" The Grim Reaper, who had been bumped, complained while rubbing his shoulder.
He stood up, ready to explode in anger, but the moment he saw the bird, the anger in his eyes vanished.
A sense of relief, like surviving a disaster, quickly crept onto his face.
"Ah! You...you're a member of the support team? That's great, we've finally waited for you!"
At this moment, Asuka, though not a Shinigami, was indeed wearing a Shinigami uniform, not to mention the Zanpakuto hanging at her waist.
Coupled with the chilling killing intent that Asuka had accumulated from years of fighting, even after arriving in another world, it still lingered between his brows, making him no ordinary soldier.
"Support troops?" Asuka frowned.
To be honest, although he uses the power of the Grim Reaper, he doesn't like the Grim Reaper.
Whether it was those high and mighty guys in Rukongai or Aizen Sosuke's cunning and treacherous face, they all filled him with disgust for this identity.
But now, he is all alone.
The unfamiliar city, the missing companions, and the silent Zanpakuto all make him need some other help.
Even if the help comes from a group he dislikes the most.
If we could infiltrate among these Shinigami, figure out where we are, and even find a way to enter the Soul Society...
At the very least, we can help him find Shinobu Kocho.
"I am Asuka." Asuka turned her gaze, her voice dry and monotone: "What do you need me to do now?"
The Grim Reaper breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't look very old, and his face still had a bit of a childish look. At this moment, his forehead was covered in cold sweat.
"My name is Naoto, and I'm a member of the 10th Division." He wiped his sweat and said hurriedly, "We'll talk about the details on the way; everyone's meeting at the designated location!"
Asuka remained silent, following closely behind Naoto as they moved quickly.
"Where am I?" As the bird ran, it discreetly observed its surroundings.
"Naruki City, huh?" Naoto turned and glanced at him, a strange look in his eyes. "Asuka, weren't you sent from above? How come you don't even know the name of your district?"
"There was a slight problem with the boundary gate," Asuka replied coldly. "I was lost in the severance for a while before I got out, so I'm a bit disoriented."
"Huh? This is happening! No wonder your Zanpakuto..."
""
Naoto glanced at Asuka's waist and sensed something was off about the thief. He looked at Asuka with sympathy and said, "It seems you've encountered a treacherous situation. It's a miracle you survived! I've heard that even high-ranking officials have encountered such things before, and in the end, they didn't even have any spiritual energy left."
Asuka didn't continue on this topic; he needed more information.
"Tell me about the situation you've encountered, and I'll confirm the mission objective."
Mentioning this, Naoto's face turned extremely pale, even showing a hint of fear.
He lowered his voice, as if afraid something in the dark clouds would hear: "Naruki City was originally a relatively peaceful mid-sized city, usually only requiring one garrison Grim Reaper. But two months ago, the garrison member suddenly disappeared, and even the records of Soul Burials stopped!"
"The Soul Court believed it was just an accident, so they sent two team members to investigate. As a result... last month, the souls of these two people also completely disappeared in this area."
"Was he killed?" Asuka asked, puzzled.
"It's still unclear, which is why the 10th Division sent this small team of ours to conduct a thorough investigation."
"These past few days, we've noticed that the spiritual pressure fluctuations here are extremely chaotic, unlike ordinary Hollows causing trouble. It's more like something incredibly terrifying is lurking..."
"The captain is on his way. Right now, it's just the few of us holding out as the vanguard."
Naoto was panting heavily, his eyes scanning the shadows of the surrounding high-rise buildings with terror. This was still too frightening for a small squad member like him.
Is a Grim Reaper being killed? Asuka's eyes flickered.
This information was very important to him.
Although his goal is to seek revenge on Aizen, under the current circumstances, his first priority is to ensure his safety and find Shinobu Kocho.
If there is an entity capable of hunting down gods in this place, just how strong is it? Is there any possibility of a confrontation?
Also, will Shinobu Kocho, who is lost, encounter any danger?
Thinking of this, Fei Niao quickened her pace.
"Besides me, is there any other 'support' available?"
"There should still be some, after all, the distress signal was sent out quite a while ago."
With that, Naoto led Asuka to the city center, where a modern stadium stood.
Just before the downpour, the stadium was empty and deserted, and the huge stands looked particularly somber in the dim light.
"We're here, everyone's inside! With an expert like you joining us, everyone's morale should be much more stable."
With a light leap, he effortlessly jumped onto the stands and then flipped into the stadium.
When Asuka first saw this scene, he was somewhat surprised, as his thought process had not yet shifted from a human physical body to a spiritual mind.
He imitated Naoto, gathering spiritual energy at his feet and stomping down with force.
Sure enough, he jumped much farther than his body, which he had trained hard for two and a half years.
However, the moment Asuka stepped inside the stadium, she felt several wary gazes lock onto her.