Bleach: Azashiro

***Akihiko Azashiro*** 

Finding my beloved was not difficult. She was just three hundred meters from the site of my battle with the Adjuchas. Apparently, I had worried in vain; everything was fine with her. She rushed from one Gillian to another, killing the lower Hollows along the way. 

Perhaps I should get down to business too. I used Shunpo, appeared behind an unlucky Gillian, and with a single blow, the head of the huge Menos fell to the ground. The headless body did not stand for long; falling forward, it crushed a couple of Hollows. 

After a series of similar killings, I became bored. They couldn't offer me any resistance. All I had to do was move from one Hollow to another and take their lives. Quite a monotonous activity. Shunpo, strike, death, repeat. Mortal boredom. 

If there weren't so many ordinary Shinigami here, I could have dispersed and killed them faster, but I had to limit myself to simple blows. 

*Boom* 

One hundred and fifty meters to my right, there was a strong explosion, and a lot of dust rose. I sensed that Chika-san was there. It even became a little interesting to see who he was fighting. 

While I was distracted, one of the Hollows threw a Shinigami at me and rushed after them, intending to use the live body as a shield. With a flick of my blade, I cut the screaming Shinigami in half, intending to finish off the Hollow with the same strike. But it didn't work out; the Hollow managed to evade. 

-*Rrr*.- this six-legged monstrosity growled. 

Oh, it's already four-legged. It was missing two legs on the left side, apparently unable to escape without injuries. Although, I'm generally surprised it was able to evade. It's different from the usual lower Hollows. As a rule, they simply rush at the enemy, but no tricks are expected from them. 

-*Mmm*.- A moan was heard slightly to the right. 

I turned my head and saw the upper half of the Shinigami I had cut. His intestines lay nearby, and everything around was covered in his blood. His eyes stared straight at me, filled with rage, hatred, fear, and reluctance. His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but only wheezing and groans came out. 

We looked at each other for a couple more seconds. His withering gaze, wishing me hundreds of years in hell, and mine, cold and indifferent. 

At some point during our eye contact, a Hollow attacked me. I noticed sparks of anticipation appearing in the eyes of the Shinigami looking at me. He would clearly have been pleased with my death, but I had to disappoint him. 

-*Sho*.- 

Without turning to face the Hollow, I released a burst of Reiryoku from the index finger of my left hand and sent it flying. Following it, black lightning shot from the same finger, striking the center of its mask and finishing it off. 

Throughout the entire action, my eyes continuously followed the emotions of the dying man, which shifted rapidly. Anticipation, disappointment, rage, fear. 

It was quite interesting to watch. Was I worried? No, not at all. Did I feel guilty? Not again. It was his own fault for ending up in such a situation. He was too weak. This is the fate of the weak in this world: to die lying in the middle of hundreds of others and curse the world for its injustice. Many of those who died today had families, but they chose this path themselves. We all chose this road full of danger. 

-*Tsk*, I stained my clothes with blood. - I said, dissatisfied. 

***Azashiro Manor*** 

While the battle raged outside the walls of Seireitei, a group of five Shinigami approached the estate of the Azashiro family. They were led by a rather remarkable Shinigami. He stood a head taller than everyone else, had a bald head, and no lips. His frightening appearance forced civilians running past to avoid the group. 

-"Remember, we're not killing anyone. That's not why we came here." - Entetsu Kumoi reminded his companions once again. 

-"Maybe we should take the opportunity? All the strong Shinigami are fighting Hollows now. This opportunity doesn't come often, don't you think?" - Tomakazu Nakamura suggested, not for the first time. 

He had his own thoughts. He wanted revenge on Azashiro. It seemed to him that everything was falling apart because of them. Starting with the capture of his brother and ending with the attack by a secret operations squad. These events happened too quickly and consistently. 

-"Don't let your emotions get the better of you, Tomakazu-san. We're not ready to openly confront noble families yet," - Katsu Kobayashi said with concern. 

-"And what are we doing now? What's the difference? They'll come after us anyway." - Tomakazu didn't back down. 

-"If we kill any member of the Azashiro family or their vassals, it won't matter. They'll hunt us down for revenge, and they won't stop until they find us." - Katsu explained patiently. 

-"And they won't hunt us if we don't kill anyone!?" - Tomakazu flared up. 

-"They will, but with far less force. It's one thing to kill an aristocrat in his home, and another to rob them." - Kumoi said in a knowing tone. - "Enough, we're here. Everyone, be careful. Keogh, you go first. Find the head of the Ito family." 

-"Yes, Kumoi-sama." - A young Shinigami bowed to him. 

-"Hide in the wind, Sarasara." - As soon as he straightened up, Keogh activated his Shikai. 

Taking a step, he seemed to disappear into thin air. 

Katsu and Tomakazu looked at each other in surprise. For them, Kumoi-san was revealing a new side. It turned out he had more than just personal strength. Not every lesser noble family had servants who could wield Shikai. Their thoughts were similar at that moment. They wondered how much more Kumoi-san was hiding from them. 

-"Found him." - After a few minutes of waiting, Keogh materialized in front of them. 

-"Excellent. Tell me what you found." - Kumoi said. 

-"Hanae Ito is near the main gate, by the pond. There are four Shinigami with him. About forty more are patrolling the grounds. I haven't seen any servants; they're likely hiding." - Keogh answered monotonously. 

-"The necklace is most likely with Hanae." - Katsu expressed his thoughts. 

-"I know." - Kumoi said calmly. - "There shouldn't be any Bankai users on the estate. You distract the others; I'll take care of Ito. We have less than a minute to do this. Don't kill anyone; just divert their attention." 

-"Understood." 

-"Yes." 

Katsu and Tomakazu responded in unison. The other two simply nodded, accepting the order. 

-"Let's go." 

A second later, the dark alley was empty. 

*** 

Five people were sitting inside the gazebo by the pond. Three middle-aged men, one young girl, and an old man. All of them, except the old man, were on edge. They constantly looked around, fidgeted with their clothes, and tapped their feet. They were deeply worried about their comrades, friends, and family members who had gone to fight the Hollows daring to attack Seireitei. 

The only calm one among them was Hanae Ito. And no wonder. His granddaughter was next to him, and his daughter and second granddaughter were hiding in the estate's safe room. Everyone he cared about was nearby or safe, so he had no reason to worry. 

Yasuko, on the other hand, was a different story. She was completely on edge. In the first minutes of the alarm, she had begged to be sent to Akihiko Azashiro. Only a direct order from Deichi-san had managed to cool her fervor. The old man shook his head at the thought. The young genius had sunk too deeply into the girl's heart. He couldn't say whether it was for better or worse. 

Their peaceful moment was interrupted by a ringing sound. Everyone jumped up from their seats, but that was all they managed to do. Ten chains burst from the ground and entangled everyone inside the small gazebo. 

-"What the!?" - Yasuko exclaimed in bewilderment. 

Their heads were the only parts of their bodies not bound by the chains. All five began to look around frantically, searching for the enemy. But there was no one in sight. 

-"Hmm, I thought it would be more difficult." - A heavy voice broke the silence. 

A large, bald man with gold teeth instead of lips emerged from the lake. None of those present recognized him. But that was to be expected. At least, Kumoi didn't expect to be recognized. Throughout Seireitei, the number of Shinigami who knew him could be counted on one hand. 

-"Who are you?" - Hanae asked seriously, glaring at him. 

-"That doesn't matter yet." - Kumoi said as he approached the old man. - "Well, finally." 

He tore the necklace from the neck of the shocked patriarch of the Ito clan and headed toward the exit. He didn't plan to stay any longer than necessary. 

-"Help, Zafukuki!!!" - A furious cry rang out behind Kumoi. 

A surge of Reiatsu and the feeling of his chains breaking made him stop. Turning around, he saw the girl tearing free from his chains. 

She had used all her strength to break free. Her eyes were filled with rage as she glared at the tall man who had dared to attack them. Without thinking, she rushed at him. 

-"Hmm, not bad." - Kumoi mocked her, slowly stepping aside and letting her pass him. 

As she landed, she tried to attack again, but the chains erupted from the ground once more, binding Yasuko's movements. 

One of the three characters on her Zanpakuto turned red. Sensing an increase in her own power, she tried to break the chains again. Alas, she failed. It was as if they had become many times stronger, refusing to let the girl escape. 

-"Your lives will be the price for the necklace. Tell Keigo my words, old man. I don't want to fight Azashiro, but I will if I have to." - Kumoi said finally. 

-"Who are you?" - Hanae asked in a hoarse voice. 

-"Heh, just describe me to him. He'll understand." - With those words, he disappeared using Shunpo. 

As soon as the man vanished, the chains binding the four Shinigami slowly dissipated into thin air. 

Hanae Ito fell to his knees, looking at his hands with a troubled expression. He was filled with mixed feelings. On one hand, he was relieved that the source of his family's recent troubles was gone. On the other hand, he felt uneasy. The family heirloom was everything to his family. The Ito clan's only claim to fame was their expertise in processing medicinal herbs. He was scared—not for himself, but for his granddaughters and daughter. What would happen to them? Without the necklace, all their knowledge was useless. They couldn't do anything. 

-"Ahh!" - Yasuko screamed, still bound by the chains. 

The scream snapped the old man out of his thoughts, and he quickly rushed to help his granddaughter. 

***Wall, East Gate*** 

Two old men stood silently on the wall. Both had applied a special Kido to enhance their vision, watching the battle unfolding before them. The scene could make many shudder, but they were no strangers to such spectacles. Neither blood nor severed limbs fazed them. 

-"Hmm, interesting kid." - Kageroza said with interest. 

-"Who are you talking about?" - Satoda asked, pretending not to understand. 

-"Fuh, King of Souls, give me strength," - Kageroza muttered in exasperation. He knew perfectly well that his companion was trying to annoy him by asking stupid questions. Satoda loved playing the fool in his presence, getting under his skin. Unfortunately, he was good at it. 

-"Why are you muttering!?" - Satoda shouted slightly. 

-"Stop playing dumb. Now's not the time." - Kageroza said, shaking his head in disapproval. 

-"Fine." - Satoda replied calmly. - "But you're right." 

-"Who would doubt it." - Kageroza muttered under his breath. 

-"What's his name?" 

-"I think it's Akihiko Azashiro, yeah, something like that." 

-"Don't you think he's too cruel?" - Satoda asked pointedly. 

-"No, I don't think so." - Kageroza answered. 

As if on cue, the boy in question released two massive black waves of flame, killing a swarm of Hollows and Shinigami alike. The number of Shinigami casualties was high. 

-"Well, maybe a little." - Kageroza corrected himself. 

-"Ahahaha." 

As they continued to watch the boy, both felt a mix of admiration and concern. Akihiko Azashiro seemed strong, skilled, and capable as a Shinigami. He moved across the battlefield, leaving a trail of corpses in his wake—both Hollows and Shinigami. He didn't bother deflecting blows if Shinigami were in the way, as if their lives meant nothing to him. His skills were impressive, but the ease with which he took lives was unsettling. From what they saw, it was clear he didn't care about the Shinigami he killed accidentally—or even deliberately. 

They had seen Shinigami like him before. They even knew some of them. Alas, it was hard to call those encounters pleasant. Monsters, psychopaths, and maniacs thirsty for battle—there were many such individuals in the Soul Society. But only a few of them achieved true power. The boy before them seemed like the embryo of such a monster. They could already imagine what he would become in the future. Fortunately, they had plenty of examples. Just look at the Demon of the Sword. 

-"Maybe we should stop him?" - Satoda asked hesitantly. 

-"No, it's not worth it. He won't be a danger in the future," - Kageroza answered, adding quietly, - "At least not to Seireitei." 

-"I don't know about you, but I'll report him to the Council. We can't ignore him." - Satoda said seriously. 

-"Do as you see fit. And since you're going to them, relay my words as well." - Kageroza said, still watching the boy. - "There's no need to worry about him. He'll be an excellent shield for the Soul Society. Although, I'd rather report it myself." 

-"Heh, and they call me the optimist. Calling him a shield, huh." 

-"You don't understand. You only see him as a threat. You think killing brings him pleasure, and you fear he'll get a taste for it and never stop. But even from here, I can see how indifferent and bored he is out there." - Kageroza explained. 

-"And how did you figure that out? From his light footsteps?" - Satoda mocked. 

-"In his eyes, my friend. In his eyes."