"What... is going on?!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya's pupils contracted as he instinctively exclaimed.
But Segawa Shigure's eyes sharpened, and without hesitation, he executed Shunpo, rushing directly towards his assigned patrol area.
Because the direction of the alarm... was precisely where the 5th Division's patrol area was located!
Seeing this, Hitsugaya naturally did not stand idly by and immediately followed with his own Shunpo.
However, when they arrived at the scene, both Shigure and Hitsugaya froze in shock.
What lay before them was a scene drenched in blood.
Six members of the 5th Division lay sprawled on the ground, their faces frozen in terror, their bodies motionless, and each bearing fatal wounds.
The one who had sounded the alarm was none other than Shion Fushimi, the 9th Seat of the 5th Division.
"Vice-Captain Segawa! We've been attacked!!" Shion shouted in panic.
All the division members present had already drawn their swords, their expressions filled with fear.
Some were frantically calling out to their fallen comrades nearby.
"Kashima!! Sanyūtei!! Shōta!"
"Yūya! Jun! Shinnosuke!!"
A total of six team members lay in pools of dark red blood.
Their eyes had lost their light, and their bodies were already beginning to fade.
This was the precursor to complete death.
Even Kaido would be of no use now.
"Damn it!! Who... Who did this?!!"
The team members shouted in grief and anger, their swords raised as they scanned their surroundings. Shigure quickly calmed his mind, focusing intently to sense any spiritual pressure.
Moments later, both he and Hitsugaya came to the same conclusion.
Aside from themselves, there was no other spiritual pressure present here.
Shigure, his expression grave, approached the trembling Shion Fushimi and asked, "What exactly happened?"
Shion, shaking slightly, replied, "We were just patrolling here... when suddenly, a massive air blade... came straight at us... Most of us managed to dodge, but Kashima and the others... they..."
At this point, Shion's voice faltered, whether out of sorrow or fear, and she could no longer continue.
But hearing this, Shigure's heart skipped a beat. He had a rough idea of what might have happened.
Before long, waves of spiritual pressure began rapidly approaching the scene.
Without a doubt, other divisions had been alerted by the alarm and were heading this way.
The arriving teams included Renji Abarai from the 6th Division, Shūhei Hisagi from the 9th Division, Rangiku Matsumoto from the 10th Division, and Ikkaku Madarame from the 11th Division.
Each team was led by their respective vice-captains, except for the 11th Division.
After all, the 11th Division's Vice-Captain, Yachiru Kusajishi, rarely performed her duties, leaving most responsibilities to 3rd Seat Ikkaku Madarame.
Upon arrival, the first thing they noticed was Tōshirō Hitsugaya, wearing his white captain's haori. Startled, they quickly bowed in respect.
Rangiku Matsumoto, however, exclaimed loudly, "Ah, Captain! I was wondering why you left the barracks so early this morning—so it was to find Vice-Captain Segawa?!"
"Rangiku, now's not the time for your antics!"Hitsugaya retorted irritably.
"Uh... Yes, sir!"Rangiku immediately straightened up, realizing that an incident involving the murder of division members within Seireitei was no trivial matter.
Renji Abarai asked, "Was it... caused by a spiritual particle disturbance?"
As soon as he said this, Ikkaku Madarame sneered, "Renji, are you an idiot?"
"Huh?!"Renji looked puzzled.
"Would a disturbance in spiritual particles cause such a powerful attack? If that were the case, the bodies should remain intact for a while. But these fallen members... their bodies are already starting to dissolve into spiritual particles. This means the attack they suffered far exceeded the limits of their souls' endurance..."
Ikkaku chuckled lightly. "In other words, this was... a premeditated attack!"
His words sent a wave of shock through the surrounding team members.
At this moment, Shūhei Hisagi spoke up, "Ikkaku, your conclusion is too hasty. If it were an attack, there would surely be traces of spiritual pressure. Yet, after arriving here, I haven't detected any signs of an enemy's spiritual pressure."
Shūhei's words prompted Rangiku Matsumoto to nod slightly. "I agree with Vice-Captain Hisagi's assessment."
However, differing opinions were ultimately of no use.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya walked coldly towards the bodies, frowning as he observed them. After a moment, he shook his head. "Indeed, there are no traces of other spiritual pressures. However... to claim this was caused by a spiritual particle disturbance seems a bit far-fetched."
Everything in the Soul Society was composed of spiritual particles. Occasionally, disturbances in their flow could cause turbulence, leading to minor explosions or air blades.
But never before had there been a disturbance capable of simultaneously killing six team members.
Shigure also gazed at the bloodstains on the ground, his eyes flickering with a subtle light.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
Read up to (20+ ) advanced chapters on Patre\on
Visit us here: patreon.com/DarkGolds
Happy reading, everyone!