Abarai Renji drew his Zanpakuto and descended from the sky, fiercely slashing towards Rukia.
Bang!
The ground was cleaved open with a trench, but Rukia stood rooted to the spot, completely unresponsive.
"Renji...?"
"Also, brother!"
Only then did Rukia belatedly react.
"..."
Byakuya said nothing, merely looking at her with a cold expression.
"Tch! To be this slow, Rukia, don't tell me you've actually started thinking of yourself as a human?"
Renji stared at her with a look of disappointment.
"No, I..."
Rukia subconsciously wanted to retort, but the experiences of the past few days involuntarily came back to her mind.
She had entered Sobu High School as a transfer student and made friends like Rikka, Megumi, and Yui.
And Tenya...
Although he had a very arrogant attitude, she had to admit that when she was powerless against the Hollows, he was the one who had stepped in and saved her.
This, this...
This is simply outrageous!
To think that now, she is actually hoping he will appear again and save her...
Rukia felt immense shame at her inner thoughts.
This scene was seen by Renji, and his face instantly darkened further.
"Rukia! That human expression you have right now is truly annoying!"
"Enough! Talking is useless!"
"Let's talk like Shinigami!"
Renji raised his Zanpakuto high again, his figure flashed on the spot, instantly appearing directly in front of Rukia.
"Bakudo #8: Seki!"
Rukia shielded herself with her hands, simultaneously making a shield of Reiatsu.
But like paper, it was cut through by Renji's Zanpakuto, and the immense force sent Rukia flying.
"With such weak Reiatsu, are you still the Shinigami Rukia I know?"
Renji was about to continue his attack when suddenly a stone flew towards his face.
Bang!
"Who is it?"
Renji swung his sword and shattered the incoming stone, then looked over and saw a young girl wearing an eye patch standing at the street corner not far away.
"Rikka?!"
Rukia was instantly greatly alarmed.
"As expected...!"
"Rukia, the one standing in front of you is also a Shinigami, right!"
Rikka pointed straight ahead with certainty.
"What?!"
"To actually be able to see my existence!"
"And she knows about Shinigami?"
Renji was equally greatly surprised.
However, what he didn't know was that Rikka couldn't see him at all. She had merely witnessed Rukia struggling against "thin air."
Seeing her friend in danger, Rikka immediately picked up a stone and threw it, and something did indeed shatter the stone.
"Rukia! Don't you know that revealing a Shinigami's identity to humans is a serious crime?" Renji questioned Rukia loudly with a serious face.
"I..."
Rukia was speechless for a moment.
Rikka's eyes moved, and she quickly understood that Rukia was talking to an unseen Shinigami.
A sudden idea struck her, and she said pretentiously, "I am the Evil King's True Eye User! Shinigami, this is not a place for you to act so presumptuously!!"
"Evil King's True Eye User?"
Renji was startled at first upon hearing this, the title sounded a bit intimidating.
He subconsciously focused his mind, attempting to sense the her Reiatsu.
Hiss~
How can he not feel her Reiatsu at all?
Could it be that her Reiatsu completely surpasses his by an entire realm!?
Renji's expression became extremely serious.
"..."
Byakuya, who was nearby, also slightly furrowed his brow, his gaze carrying a hint of doubt as he carefully examined the seemingly frail, but in reality also very weak, human girl before him.
Her Reiatsu was very low, just like that of an ordinary human.
But the problem was, humans with such weak Reiatsu shouldn't be able to see them, the Shinigami.
Could it be that she is hiding her strength, deliberately pretending to be weak?
"Huh?"
Seeing this, Rukia couldn't help but have a bewildered look on her face.
What is going on here?
A Shinigami is actually being intimidated by a human girl?
Since he couldn't figure out Rikka's background, Renji was somewhat hesitant and asked tentatively, "Hey! Who exactly are you?"
"This is a matter of the Soul Society, I advise you to mind your own business!"
Renji held his Zanpakuto tightly with both hands, looking as if he were facing a formidable enemy.
Facing Renji's questioning, Rikka naturally couldn't hear him, but from Rukia's eyes, she could roughly guess that the other party was speaking.
"Foolish Shinigami, you are not worthy to know my true name!"
Rikka pressed one hand to her forehead, pretending to be profound as she stared ahead.
"You...!"
Seeing Rikka act so arrogant made Renji even more hesitant to act rashly.
He looked towards Byakuya and asked in a low voice, "Captain Kuchiki! This person is strange, should we first apply to the Soul Society to lift the restrictions?"
According to the rules of the Soul Society, Vice-Captains and Captain-rank Shinigami are sealed when entering the Human World, suppressing their strength to avoid causing too much impact in the Human World.
"..."
Byakuya observed Rikka carefully for a moment with a scrutinizing gaze.
A moment later, he seemed to have thought of a certain possibility.
On his stern face, a rare hint of strangeness and a trace of veiled embarrassment appeared.
"Captain Kuchiki?"
Renji's eyes widened, and he became even more terrified in his heart.
Captain Kuchiki, who is always aloof, is actually showing such a moved expression.
Could it be that the opponent's strength has reached Captain level?
"Evil King's True Eye User... is actually this terrifying?" Renji's face was filled with horror.
Renji, this idiot....
What on earth is he thinking?
Rukia looked speechless, and then couldn't help but start worrying about Rikka.
Because she knew very well that Byakuya was not someone easy to fool.
As expected, after careful and repeated probing, Byakuya finally determined Rikka's background.
"Idiot!"
"The one in front of you is just an ordinary human!"
The stronger a person is, the more cautious their personality tends to be.
Byakuya was momentarily careless... No, it should be said he was momentarily cautious, and he was actually almost bluffed by Rikka.
As a member of one of the five great noble families of the Soul Society, this was a disgrace.
"What?"
"Ordinary human?"
"That's impossible..."
Renji expressed disbelief.
Whoosh!
With Shunpo, Renji placed his sword against Rikka's neck.
"Stop! Renji!" Rukia exclaimed in surprise.
"There's killing intent...!"
"I've already seen through your movements, Shinigami!"
Rikka subconsciously turned around and made a defensive move.
"This person can't see me at all!"
Looking at Rikka, who had her back to him and was struggling alone against thin air, Renji's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Thinking about how he had once regarded the other party as the "terrifying Evil King's True Eye User," he was so embarrassed he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
"You brat, how dare you trick me!"
"I must teach you a lesson!!"
Although he wouldn't kill her with a single strike, giving her a good beating with his fists and feet was unavoidable.
"No, Renji!"
"Rikka is my friend!"
Rukia used her body to shield Rikka.
***
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