The white light of the Settlement Space bent inward, folding like a curtain drawn across a window. Ethan exhaled once—heavy, grounding—and then the world snapped into a new shape.
Cold air.
Paper screens.
Reiatsu, faint but everywhere, like dust motes made of breath.
Soul Society.
He stood in the long wooden hall of Division 4's auxiliary wing, the place where medical trainees began their first—usually unglamorous—duties. The uniform across his shoulders was clean white, tied simply. No sword at his hip. The Panel had smoothed his reiatsu into a modest, quiet hum.
A perfect nobody.
A perfect place to start.
[Mission: Division Four Integration]
Objective: Assist Gotei 4 operations without drawing attention.
Restrictions: No high-signature abilities; maintain low profile.
Reward: Access to kido infrastructure and healing resources.
Ethan nodded once. "Figures."
Footsteps approached—soft, controlled, but confident.
Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu peered around the corner, hair slightly messy from morning duties. She blinked once as if surprised he was already standing.
"You must be… Ethan, correct? The new auxiliary trainee."
"Yes, Lieutenant."
She relaxed—just slightly. "Good. You're early. Unohana-taichō expects punctuality."
Ethan didn't say it, but the Panel had dropped him precisely fourteen minutes early to avoid suspicion and establish discipline. He followed Isane through the corridor, taking in everything: the organization of herbs on the shelves, the smell of antiseptic kido, the ongoing quiet.
Division 4 was the calm center of storm after storm.
A place where everyone worked, even if no one bragged about it.
Isane led him into a small ward where two unseated members were sorting medical boxes.
"This is your first assignment," she said. "Inventory, sterilization, and preparation for potential hollow surge casualties. Nothing complicated."
A hollow surge? Already?
As if reading his thought, she added, "Rukongai's outer districts have become… restless. We're increasing readiness."
Ethan nodded. "Understood."
He set to work.
Two minutes in, he discovered the supplies weren't properly categorized—the antiseptic balm stored with burn salve, bandages placed among spiritual toxin filters. He reorganized it quickly, efficiently, humming lightly to keep count.
Isane noticed.
"You've done inventory before?"
"Something like that."
"Good. Division 4 runs on small details. Save lives by saving time."
She walked away with the faint air of someone quietly impressed. Ethan didn't stop; he kept moving, hands precise, rhythm efficient. He wasn't using any Panel enhancements—just experience, instinct, and the mental clarity that came naturally after so many worlds.
By midday, the room looked entirely different.
When Isane returned, her brows lifted. "You work… fast."
"Just getting used to the place."
Before she could respond, a soft presence filled the doorway—so quiet it seemed unreal.
Captain Unohana.
Her smile was warm.
Her eyes were old and sharp enough to flay someone with a glance.
"I see our new assistant has already improved the wing," she said gently. "Excellent work, Ethan."
He bowed. "Thank you, Captain."
Unohana stepped closer, studying the reorganized shelves, then his posture, then his composure. Ethan felt the weight of her attention—not hostile, not suspicious… simply aware.
"You carry discipline well," she said. "Not many do."
"I try to be reliable," Ethan replied.
"And I value reliability above all in this division."
Unohana turned lightly, her braid shifting with the movement. "You'll accompany me on afternoon rounds. I want to see how you handle direct care."
Ethan bowed again. "Of course."
As she left, Isane whispered, "She doesn't take trainees on rounds until their third week."
"Is that good or bad?"
Isane blinked. "It's… both."
Before Ethan could ask more, a bell rang—a hollow cry pulsing through the barracks.
A messenger sprinted by.
"Hollow sighting in East Rukongai! Two wounded incoming!"
Isane straightened instantly. "Ethan, with me!"
He followed her to the emergency room where two shinigami were being lifted onto cots—one bleeding from a deep slash, the other unconscious with a spiritual burn across the chest.
Ethan's Panel pulsed softly in his mind:
[Sub-Objective Unlocked]
Assist Division 4 in emergency stabilization.
Reward: Minor kido proficiency boost (restricted).
He steadied his breath.
Isane hurried to the first patient. "We need pressure on that wound!"
Ethan stepped into place without hesitation, pressing sterile cloth with even force.
Another medic rushed over, but Ethan had already assessed the blood flow, cleaned the area, and aligned the cloth perfectly to maximize healing kido absorption.
The medic stared. "Uh— who taught you that?"
"No one," Ethan said. "Just seemed right."
Unohana arrived a breath later. She looked over the scene—her lieutenant chanting a healing spell, Ethan stabilizing the other patient with clean precision.
"Good," she murmured. "You're adapting quickly."
The spiritual burn victim convulsed suddenly.
Isane gasped. "Captain—!"
Ethan reacted first, holding the man's shoulders and shifting his angle to prevent choking. It was intuitive, a movement drawn from dozens of worlds and hundreds of crises.
Unohana watched him with unreadable eyes.
After a long minute, she placed a hand on Ethan's shoulder.
"You have steady hands," she said softly. "And a calm heart."
He didn't know what to say, so he simply nodded.
Unohana smiled. "Welcome to Division Four, Ethan. I believe you may be exactly what this place needs."
Ethan exhaled slowly.
The mission had begun.
Outside, the sky over Seireitei was bright and peaceful.
But Ethan knew—and Unohana suspected—that the peace wouldn't last.
The Bleach plot was beginning.
And he was already in the middle of it.