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District 1, Golden Seal Association Headquarters.
"Grand Fisher appeared? Is it really Grand Fisher? How is my little Hato?"
As soon as Ishikawa entered the Golden Seal Association Headquarters, President Sugawa rushed to greet him, asking a series of questions. But before Ishikawa could think of how to answer, he hurriedly said:
"No, don't explain to me. Why are you still here? Hurry to the Human World! What are you dawdling for?!"
"…"
Ishikawa's mouth twitched slightly. I haven't even had a chance to say a word since I got here, so how did I end up being the one dawdling?
"I still need to apply for the restriction first…"
"Apply for what? No need to apply. Hurry up and go, Master Ishikawa!!"
President Sugawa dragged Ishikawa inside, running and saying, "Regarding the lifting of the restriction, I will have the Noble Assembly handle it. You must go to the Human World immediately."
President Sugawa, with his slightly bulky figure, ran surprisingly fast, which even surprised Ishikawa. After all, this person usually carried himself with a dignified air, doing everything unhurriedly, giving off a very composed feeling.
The Noble Assembly, as referred to by President Sugawa, is a subordinate organization of the Golden Seal Noble Council.
However, on the surface, the Noble Assembly and the Golden Seal Noble Council are two different organizations. Both operate under a president-and-councilor system and even have separate headquarters, both located in District 1, alongside the Golden Seal Noble Council.
The reason for such a complicated setup is to highlight the distinction between the Four Great Noble Clans and other noble clans, thereby emphasizing the nobility of the Four Great Noble Clans.
All matters related to the Four Great Noble Clans, whether household registration, marriage applications, or family affairs, are handled by the 'Golden Seal' Noble Council.
General noble clans, regardless of upper, middle, or lower ranks, are handled by the Noble Assembly.
Although both councils are presided over by President Sugawa alone.
Actually, normally, he should be referred to as the President of the Noble Assembly. After all, the Four Great Noble Clans are a minority, and his chances of appearing as the President of the Golden Seal Association are quite rare…
However, to emphasize his status, he always refers to himself as the President of the Golden Seal Association when dealing with outsiders.
Getting back to the main topic.
Thus, with Ishikawa having only spoken one sentence, he was forcibly pushed into the Senkaimon by President Sugawa.
"We meet again."
Looking at the Hell Butterfly that landed in his palm, Ishikawa greeted it.
To prevent Ishikawa from lacking a Hell Butterfly in emergencies, this Hell Butterfly was assigned to him by the Golden Seal Association. Although it couldn't be taken away, only he could use it.
As soon as he entered the Dangai, Ishikawa activated Shunpo and quickly headed towards the Human World.
—Grand Fisher!
He finally remembered why the codename had sounded familiar when he last heard Ōmaeda discussing related matters with his subordinates.
He hadn't paid much attention before, but when he saw the surveillance footage pulled up by Nagano Kasyuu, he remembered why the Hollow codenamed Grand Fisher felt familiar to him.
Ishikawa used Shunpo while pulling out his Denreishinki.
It contained data transmitted jointly by the Supervisory Team and the Technology Development Bureau.
Grand Fisher.
This was the codename given to it by the Technology Development Bureau.
It first appeared in the Human World 48 years ago. During these 48 years, Shinigami dispatched to the Human World were continuously devoured and repelled by it.
Its hunting method is to hide itself and use a mimetic lure growing from its head to disguise itself as a human, specifically preying on those who can see its mimetic lure.
It naturally possesses a technique to conceal its Reishi during Imitation, and coupled with its extremely cautious nature, it never lingers in battle, whether or not it successfully devours its prey, always escaping the Human World before reinforcements arrive.
Therefore, after 48 years, it still hasn't been killed; instead, it has devoured many Shinigami dispatched to the Human World.
For example, the first time Ishikawa heard this codename in Ōmaeda's office was because a Squad Member of the Thirteenth Division dispatched to Karakura Town was devoured by it.
However, it was precisely because of it that he connected with President Sugawa, thereby expanding the Everything Store's business to include the noble clans.
In a way, the Hollow codenamed Grand Fisher had actually helped Ishikawa a great deal.
And the reason Ishikawa remembered it was entirely because…
The mother of a certain future 'cheat' died at its hands.
Although, given the mother's circumstances, even without it, the final outcome wouldn't have been good.
Just then, a glimmer of light appeared at the end of the passage, and the turbid air filled with waste Reishi rushed towards him. Ishikawa immediately infused his Reishi into his clothes.
One had to admit…
Urahara Kisuke truly had profound insights in these various eccentric researches.
This set of clothes only required a faint infusion of Reishi to exhibit a state similar to Reishi-ization, allowing him to conceal his presence like a normal Shinigami.
After preparing himself, Ishikawa leaped out of the Senkaimon.
"This is…"
Ishikawa looked down at the Denreishinki in his hand and realized he was in Tsubakidai District of Karakura Town, and his exact location was a high school playground.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Unlike the clear skies of Soul Society, the Human World was currently experiencing a torrential downpour.
One after another, vibrant high school students walked out of the teaching building with umbrellas, complaining incessantly.
"When will this rain stop? It's been raining for three days straight."
"I hope it keeps raining like this. If the river between Karakura Main Town and South Karakura Town rises more, I won't have to go to school."
"You're dreaming, right? What does the river rising between South Karakura Town and Karakura Main Town have to do with the school district where Karakura First High is located?"
"Of course it does! Every day when I come to school, I have to go from South Karakura Town to Karakura Main Town station first, and then take the train to school."
"…"
Watching the high school students constantly walking past him, Ishikawa couldn't help but feel a surge of relief.
Although the clothes he was wearing could be seen by ordinary people, preventing news like 'pervert invades high school campus,' a person appearing out of nowhere would inevitably cause a commotion.
Moreover…
The Human World's internet has a memory. The occasional 0.01 experience points increasing already indicated that his photos were still online. If he accidentally got photographed again, his embarrassing social death experience from years ago could very likely be dug up once more.
After determining his location, Ishikawa didn't linger but quickly left Karakura First High and came to a sparsely populated area.
"Bakudo No. 58: Kakushitsuijaku: Modified!"
With a soft cry, Ishikawa's spiritual power surged around him, almost instantly enveloping the entire Karakura Town.
Unlike previous times, this time, urged by President Sugawa, Ishikawa did not accept the restriction, and naturally did not need to search area by area as before; with Ishikawa's unrestricted Reiatsu intensity, let alone Karakura Town, even Kagamino, 22KM away from Karakura Town, was within Ishikawa's detection range.
Invisible ripples spread in layers like waves, and a vast amount of information continuously streamed back.
As long as there was even a trace of Reishi fluctuation, Ishikawa could detect it immediately.
A few seconds later…
Ishikawa's eyes lit up. Found it!
…
And before Ishikawa arrived in the Human World, atop a tall building in Karakura Main Town.
A black-haired youth bit hard into his rice ball, as if the rice ball were his enemy, mumbling incoherently:
"Bastard… don't let me find out who you are. How dare you come to my jurisdiction to kill Hollows… Bastard, one or two is fine… but you didn't even leave me a single Giant Hollow. This is too much! Where did this bastard come from? Could it be from Naruki City, which the Tenth Division is responsible for?"
Utterly baffling.
Sugawa Hato now felt utterly baffled. Although Hollows frequently appeared in Karakura Town, most of them were just small fry Hollows. Large, massive Giant Hollows that had surpassed the initial stage were rare.
And for every Hollow purified by a Shinigami dispatched to the Human World, it would be recorded in their performance metrics. If he wanted to be promoted to Seated Officer in the future, his performance during Human World dispatches was extremely important, at least in the Thirteenth Division.
Furthermore, powerful Hollows came with additional rewards. Although Sugawa Hato didn't care about money, receiving additional rewards in itself was a testament to one's honor.
For this reason, Shinigami dispatched to the Human World were extremely displeased, even resentful, of other colleagues' cross-border actions.
Sugawa Hato was no exception. He had never intended to inherit the family business; his lifelong goal had always been to become Captain Ukitake's lieutenant. So, after coming to the Human World, he had always eagerly anticipated battling those Giant Hollows.
But…
For some unknown reason, whenever a Giant Hollow appeared, and he received the order to rush to the scene, the Hollow would mysteriously disappear.
Initially, Sugawa Hato thought the Hollow had returned to Hueco Mundo.
But after several consecutive times, he vaguely realized something was wrong, and each time, there were residual Hollow auras at the scene, indicating that Hollows had indeed appeared there before.
Someone came to his jurisdiction and stole his performance metrics!!
At first, he wasn't sure if this guess was correct, until…
One time, he was extremely close to a Giant Hollow that appeared, so he rushed to the scene immediately.
But just as he drew his Zanpakuto, preparing for a major battle, a lightning bolt suddenly came from the void.
Then…
The Hollow died!!
That bastard actually openly invaded the Thirteenth Division's jurisdiction and openly plundered his performance metrics right before his eyes.
The most, most, most infuriating thing for Sugawa Hato was…
Despite the other party being so blatant, he still couldn't figure out who the person was.
Sugawa Hato contacted the Technology Development Bureau several times about this, but they claimed complete ignorance, even saying that perhaps the Hollow got scared after seeing him and fled back to Hueco Mundo.
Nonsense!!
That Hollow was eliminated right under his nose; those guys at the Technology Development Bureau were clearly lying through their teeth.
If there's a next time…
Sugawa Hato stuffed the entire rice ball into his mouth, chewing angrily.
"I must get there before that bastard!!"
Normally, he would act in the Human World using a Gigai, but the experience of having his performance metrics stolen again this afternoon made Sugawa Hato abandon wearing his Gigai, ready to face battle at any moment.
After finishing the rice ball, he looked down at his hand.
In his hand was an instrument different from a Denreishinki; this was a new type of Reishi detection device he had asked someone to buy from the Technology Development Bureau today. Normally, as a Shinigami dispatched to the Human World, he wouldn't need such a thing, but after missing Hollows dozens of times, he had a suspicion…
Which was…
Those bastards at the Technology Development Bureau might have colluded with the person stealing his performance metrics and deliberately delayed the transmission speed of commands.
Otherwise, the other party couldn't always be one step ahead of him.
And that was indeed the case, but it wasn't the doing of the person stealing his performance metrics. Instead, Sugawa Hato's father had requested the Technology Development Bureau to only transmit information about Hollow appearances to Sugawa Hato's Denreishinki according to regulations after Ishikawa arrived in the Human World.
President Sugawa's original plan was actually for the Technology Development Bureau to stop transmitting information about Hollow appearances to Sugawa Hato altogether.
However, this request was rejected by the Technology Development Bureau because such an act violated the rules set by Central 46. In the end, they had to settle for delaying the command transmission, which resulted in Sugawa Hato always making a wasted trip.
Beep beep beep beep —
Just then, an alarm suddenly came from the new Reishi detection device in Sugawa Hato's hand.
As expected!
Sugawa Hato's gaze constantly shifted between the alarming Reishi detection device and the unmoving Denreishinki, a look of resentment on his face.
"You despicable bastards, when I get back, I'm definitely going to file a complaint against you with the Noble Assembly!"
Too shameless!
After cursing inwardly, Sugawa Hato stood up and headed in the direction from which the Hollow aura was emanating. Although it was only a momentary manifestation, its location was clearly recorded on the Reishi detection device.
After a rapid dash, a few minutes later, he had already arrived by the roadside near a riverbank.
"Am I late again?"
Sugawa Hato frowned. The location of the appearance was clearly here.
"Ah "
A startled cry came. Sugawa Hato turned his head and saw a mother walking by the roadside with a child wearing a raincoat.
The one who had just cried out was the small child in the raincoat.
"Oh dear ~ that truck is annoying."
The child's mother, holding an umbrella, squatted down, a gentle smile on her face.
"Ichigo, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I have a raincoat on, it's nothing."
The little boy named Ichigo said with a tender expression but serious words, "If I stand here, I can still protect Mom."
"…"
Sugawa Hato glanced at them, then withdrew his gaze and refocused on the Reishi detection device in his hand, hoping to find the Hollow that had been detected earlier.
The mother and son talked as they walked away.
But they hadn't gone far when the little child, seeing something, suddenly climbed over the roadside fence and quickly ran towards the riverbank.
"Ichigo—!"
His mother's anxious and terrified cry came. Sugawa Hato looked in the direction the little boy ran and saw a small girl in strange clothing standing by the riverbank.
Not human.
Is it a Whole?
The moment he saw that figure, Sugawa Hato made a judgment in his mind, but in the next second, his pupils constricted.
Because…
Just as the little boy climbed over the fence, a huge shadow suddenly materialized behind the little girl facing the riverbank, transforming from illusion to reality, as if appearing out of thin air from the void.
Beep beep beep beep beep
An urgent alarm sounded. Sugawa Hato's expression changed drastically. Without time to think, he activated Shunpo and rushed over directly.
"Shinigami?"
The little girl by the riverbank seemed to sense something. The huge figure behind her opened its eyes and looked at the Shinigami rushing towards it, a flicker of human-like hesitation in its eyes.
Although devouring Shinigami was more delicious than devouring high-Reishi humans, its nature was extremely cautious, otherwise it wouldn't have survived until today.
Should it give up?
Looking at the little boy about to run to its Imitation, and the Shinigami also rushing over, Grand Fisher hesitated for a moment, but ultimately instinct triumphed over caution, and it did not immediately open its Hollow cavity. Instead, it stretched out its four-fingered claw towards the direction the little boy was running from, preparing to devour this little boy first, and then the Shinigami.
It had a feeling that if it could devour them, it wouldn't need to come to the Human World for a while.
No time—!
Seeing this, Sugawa Hato, who was running from afar, frowned, because at his speed, it was already too late to save the child.
However…
An unexpected event occurred the moment that sharp claw struck towards the boy.
A figure suddenly lunged forward, tackling the boy down, supporting herself on the ground with her arms and knees, shielding the boy tightly beneath her like a shield.
The boy looked at his mother in front of him, a flicker of confusion in his eyes, but before he could say anything.
Buzz
A dull roar, accompanied by immense force, slammed down.
Bang—!
In an instant, it covered both the boy and his mother.
"Damn it!!"
Seeing this, Sugawa Hato couldn't help but curse.
Can that mother also see Hollows?
This act was simply too foolish. Originally, only that child would have died, but now both the mother and son would die at the hands of that Hollow.
However…
"Ahhhhhh ~"
A piercing scream suddenly came from the riverbank, and the one screaming was not the mother and son, but that Hollow… Of course, in Sugawa Hato's opinion, the mother and son, let alone screaming, might not even feel pain before dying after being hit by that claw.
What's going on?
Sugawa Hato paused, looking at the screaming Hollow.
And just as he looked…
The Hollow's striking hand suddenly disintegrated, turning into Reishi and dispersing in an instant. As the Hollow retreated, clutching its arm, a young man in black work clothes and long boots appeared in front of the unharmed mother and son on the ground.
The young man didn't look at the Hollow, but instead turned to look at the mother and son behind him, a strange look flashing in his eyes.
The little boy named Ichigo tilted his head, looking past his mother who was blocking him, at the young man, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Perhaps influenced by the young man's aura, he gradually saw clearly the huge monster in front of the young man, by the riverbank, clutching its arm and retreating into the water. He vaguely understood why his mother had tackled him down.
"Ichigo, are you okay?"
His mother's worried voice came, and Ichigo subconsciously shook his head.
Seeing this, his mother finally breathed a sigh of relief and looked gratefully at the young man behind her, but before she could say any words of thanks, the young man's voice suddenly came.
"Madam, you don't want your son to die, do you?"
Ishikawa said, withdrawing his gaze from the two, and while looking at the Hollow in the river, he directed his attention to the system interface in his mind.
After seeing the prompt on the system interface, Ishikawa's tone instantly became incredibly gentle:
"If you don't, then quickly take your child and leave here!"
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