"Ugh, damn it!"

The fury in Soi Fon's eyes was practically bursting into flames.

Shimo's hands moved as if kneading dough, ruthlessly grinding something with exaggerated flair.

"Thanks for escorting me out, Captain Soi Fon," he said with a wide grin.

Lmao.

No way I'm sticking around at the Second Division barracks any longer!

He knew well enough when to make a tactical retreat.

Not only was this her territory, but with Soi Fon's identity alone, lingering too long near the Nest of Maggots might risk attracting the Punishment Unit.

Soi Fon's face flushed red, her eyes shimmering with uncontainable anger.

Just as she was about to explode, Shimo had already vanished into the distance with a burst of speed.

"That is... Shihoin stealth step?"

Gritting her teeth, Soi Fon growled, "The audacity to deny any relation to Lady Yoruichi... What a scoundrel!"

"Kyōraku Shimo… I won't forget this!"

The dangerous inmates of the Nest of Maggots stared blankly at Soi Fon, still replaying what they'd just witnessed.

Unbelievable.

The Captain of Second Division—Commander of the Punishment Unit and Commander of the Onmitsukido—had her face manhandled right in front of them!

Was this really the same man who once suppressed the entire Nest on his own?

Even Soi Fon, standing before him, had come out the worse for wear.

Terrifying.

Suddenly, Soi Fon turned back and shot a glare at the prisoners.

"If I so much as hear a single rumor…"

Under pressure, most of the inmates quickly chose silence.

Those who weren't cowed weren't stupid enough to challenge her at a time like this.

---

Shimo had memorized his route on the way in, so once he was sure Soi Fon wasn't pursuing him, he slowed down.

The Second Division's atmosphere was suffocating—just walking through it felt oppressive.

To the passing squad members, Shimo was clearly an outsider, yet none even spared him a glance.

"What a stifling environment."

He sighed. "No wonder Soi Fon has such a cold personality... Even the noble districts are more pleasant than this."

His first priority after leaving the Nest was reclaiming his Zanpakutō.

Having it in hand gave him a much-needed sense of security.

Without delay, Shimo headed straight for Eight Division's barracks.

Normally, Kyōraku Shunsui was more likely to be found there than at home.

The Eighth Division barracks were centrally located within the Seireitei, with a modest two-story building at the entrance.

Shunsui often lounged on the rooftop, casually observing the female Shinigami who walked the streets below.

Shimo had once strongly condemned this behavior.

But after Shunsui invited him to join in, he stopped complaining.

That sort of discipline was better left to Ise Nanao.

The gate guards already recognized him.

"Welcome back, Shimo-sama! The Captain is inside, attending to paperwork."

Shimo smiled and nodded, walking in without hesitation.

As for the "paperwork" excuse—only the uninformed would believe that.

Who else but Shimo knew what kind of man his foolish uncle really was?

If it was something Nanao could handle, Shunsui never got involved.

"Yo, Shimo!"

As soon as he stepped inside, Shunsui greeted him lazily.

"Didn't expect you back so soon. Old Man Yamamoto just finished talking to Soi Fon."

"Here—your Zanpakutō."

Shunsui removed it from his waist and handed it over.

It was clear he took his nephew's Zanpakutō very seriously.

"How's your decoy squad plan coming along?" Shimo asked, curious.

Shunsui let out a sigh.

"How do you think? Total failure."

"The modified souls we sent into Hueco Mundo were wiped out after just one day."

"That batch was the last of our reserves."

Shimo had his suspicions, but still couldn't hide his surprise.

"That fast?"

Shunsui sat up straight and downed the rest of his sake.

"Modified souls just aren't strong enough—they can only handle basic Hollows."

"If they team up, maybe they could take on a Gillian or an Adjuchas, but if the enemy is even slightly stronger... well, you can guess how that ends."

Shimo nodded in silence, digesting the information.

His experiences in Hueco Mundo made him certain—Aizen was behind it all.

As for Aizen's motives, Shimo had two guesses:

First, it was a test—an attempt to gauge Shimo's strength.

Aizen had noticed him as early as the Shin'ō Academy, particularly when he acquired his Asauchi.

The leaking time-based spiritual pressure had undoubtedly piqued Aizen's interest.

Since then, Aizen had repeatedly tested him. While these attempts failed, they only intensified Aizen's curiosity.

After Shimo joined the Gotei 13, Aizen backed off—at least on the surface.

But Shimo knew better. That man would never give up an opportunity.

So this recent "rescue mission" to Hueco Mundo likely had Aizen's fingerprints all over it.

It was even possible that the entire squad trapped in Hueco Mundo... was orchestrated by Aizen himself.

Second reason? Eliminate an uncontrollable variable.

Shimo, by nature, was unpredictable. His rapid growth had already brought him to the level where he could influence the chess board.

To someone like Aizen, removing such a piece might be the most efficient solution.

Whether Aizen had deeper intentions, Shimo couldn't say.

All he could do now was keep getting stronger.

Nnoitra's appearance had already given him a sense of urgency.

"What about the Captain-Commander—what's his stance on this?" Shimo probed cautiously.

Shunsui looked at him strangely.

"Once they confirmed you had no involvement, they immediately released you from the Nest of Maggots."

"As for the mole..."

He gazed at the ceiling, eyes wandering.

"That's not something you need to worry about."

Shunsui's evasiveness raised a red flag.

He clearly didn't want Shimo involved any further.

"Oh right—one more thing."

Shunsui refilled his cup, expression subtle.

"Rukia signed up for the soul burial internship. The supervisor is Gin Ichimaru."

Shimo's expression froze. This was unexpected.

"Rukia? In the internship?"

"With Gin overseeing it?!"

"Who else signed up?"

Shunsui scratched his curly hair, exasperated.

"Come on, now you're just making things difficult."

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even be paying attention to the Soul Burial Program."

Shimo gave up. He'd have to ask Rukia himself.

"I'm heading to the Shin'ō Academy."

He stood up to leave.

"One more thing—stay away from the Eleventh Division."

"Kenpachi Zaraki has been looking for you lately."

Shunsui's warning was firm.

Shimo sighed in frustration.

"Why is everything happening at once?"

---------------------///

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