Chapter 334: The Shock

Boom—!

A massive tremor from the sky turned into terrifying sound waves that spread downward over the Seireitei.

In the noble district, the nobles, the Shinigami on guard duty, and everyone outside simultaneously looked up at the sky above the Seireitei.

"What is that?"

"Something is appearing above the Shakonmaku!"

"Is it a Hollow? Is it a Hollow attack?"

"No, but just looking at it fills me with a chilling fear."

"What on earth is that thing?!"

"Sound the alarm! Notify the captains! Full alert!"

The Shinigami guarding the Seireitei, seeing the appearance of the Gate of Hell from the streets or high places, shouted loudly in panic, their hearts trembling at the sight of the impending gate.

The mysterious aura from the Gate of Hell made them tremble.

Nearly eighty percent of the Shinigami had never encountered the presence of the Gate of Hell before. The mere appearance of this phenomenon filled them with dread.

Above the Shakonmaku, in the blue sky, the Gate of Hell emerged, forming a twisted portal that showed images of bones and hellish scenes imagined by living beings. It was like the sky of the Soul Society was being torn open like a plastic wrap, revealing the gate that emitted an eerie, ominous, and terrifying aura.

Two skeletal figures on the gate, seemingly alive yet motionless, flashed with a horrifying red light as they slowly opened the Gate of Hell.

In the Second Division, part of the Gotei 13, commonly known as the Stealth Force (Onmitsukido), a unit typically led by the Commander-in-Chief of the Stealth Force, specializes in high mobility, assassination techniques, and stealth skills, operating in the shadows. The division is controlled by the Shihōin family, with the current captain being Yoruichi Shihōin.

Yoruichi Shihōin, dressed lightly with much of her arms and long, strong legs exposed, her skin a deep bronze, was sitting sprawled on a tatami mat, half-asleep and yawning as she listened to the routine reports from her subordinates.

Suddenly.

The ominous aura from the Gate of Hell poured down like ancient ice into her very being, making the drowsy Yoruichi jump up like a startled cat, her hair standing on end, the sensation shooting from the top of her head down to her toes.

"What's going on?" Yoruichi, now fully awake, felt her skin prickling with a sense of danger, and in the next moment, she disappeared from her spot with a flash step.

Her subordinate, searching for their captain, found Yoruichi in the courtyard, looking up with an expression of disbelief.

"It's actually real!" Yoruichi's eyes reflected her shock.

About half a year ago, the Second Division had investigated the appearance of the Gate of Hell in the wastelands. It was said to have been caused by a child's shikai.

Yoruichi had been skeptical, and the Second Division couldn't uncover the reason for the gate's appearance in the wastelands, so the information was suppressed.

As for that child, the final decision was made by Captain-Commander Yamamoto to issue a gag order and send the child to the Shin'o Academy as a student.

And now…

"That direction… is the Shin'o Academy." Yoruichi's face tightened with urgency. She hadn't expected it to be true.

That child could trigger the appearance of the Gate of Hell in the Soul Society. How terrifying must their shikai be to make the Gate of Hell so eager to claim them?

What kind of shikai could do something like this?

The situation was too grave, and the unprecedented phenomenon left Yoruichi unable to foresee the consequences.

The Gate of Hell had appeared above the Seireitei.

Was it going to destroy the Seireitei?

"Full alert!" Yoruichi swiftly issued the command, flash-stepping into the air, heading towards the Twelfth Division to find Kisuke Urahara.

In the Thirteenth Division, within the serene Rainfall Hall.

Jūshirō Ukitake, lying on his sickbed, his handsome face framed by white hair that spilled across the bed, looked weak and sickly as he rested.

Suddenly, Ukitake's closed eyes snapped open, his pupils filled with shock.

A strange and ominous aura from the sky seeped through the roof and reached his side, making him aware of it.

It was a widespread, ominous aura descending from the heavens.

Ukitake clutched his abdomen, frowning in pain as he struggled to rise from the bed. Gently pushing away the two seated officers who tried to stop him, he coughed as he made his way outside, looking up, his pupils dilating in an instant.

"The Gate of Hell!"

Above the Shin'o Academy, he could vaguely sense the spiritual pressure of Shunsui Kyōraku, hidden and obscured by the aura of the Gate of Hell.

He and Shunsui were both students of Yamamoto, the first captains of their squads, and among the few in the Soul Society who wielded dual zanpakutō. They were close friends, deeply connected, and Ukitake was very familiar with Shunsui's spiritual pressure.

"Shunsui! Even you can't stop him?" Ukitake felt his friend's spiritual pressure fluctuating, seemingly trapped in a very unstable state.

Without hesitation, Ukitake's pale, handsome face showed a flash of resolute determination. He quickly grabbed a strip of cloth, tying his white hair into a ponytail, took up his zanpakutō, and despite his pale complexion, constant coughing, and occasional painful expressions, he stepped onto the reishi in the sky, heading towards Shunsui's location.

In the Ninth Division's open training grounds.

Kensei Muguruma, dressed in a short-sleeved uniform, his muscular arms exposed, was engaged in training when he suddenly froze, looking up at the ominous aura emanating from the Gate of Hell above the Seireitei's barrier.

"It seems what H'el said was true." Kensei's heart sank as he gazed in the direction of the Gate of Hell, feeling the unsettling aura with a serious expression.

He was one of the first to encounter H'el, Gin Ichimaru, and Rangiku Matsumoto. The destructive scenes from the battle in the wastelands were still vivid in his mind, clearly and deeply etched.

H'el had said that the Gate of Hell appeared due to his shikai, but Kensei hadn't fully believed him. In fact, all the captains who heard H'el's casual statement were skeptical.

After all, the Gate of Hell was not something that appeared lightly.

Could it really appear just because of a shikai?

They were doubtful.

But now, feeling the chilling aura of the Gate of Hell, Kensei's expression grew more severe.

He quickly removed his sweat-soaked training uniform, changed into his shihakushō, grabbed his zanpakutō, and as his captain's haori billowed behind him with each flash step, he headed towards the Shin'o Academy.

°°°

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