CHAPTER 174: First Act

Sometime earlier.

As twilight embraced Karakura Town, Rangiku found herself perched atop the towering power station, her gaze sweeping over the urban expanse. The city, awash in the glow of night lights, presented a sight of mundane beauty, a stark contrast to the ancientness of Seireitei. It wasn't just the scenery that captivated her; the fruity sake she sipped added an extra layer of sweetness to the moment.

Of course she didn't come here just to drink. She'd never slack off on her duty when her negligence could result in someone being hurt or worse. As the highest-ranking Shinigami in this operation, she had strategically selected this vantage point, ensuring a panoramic view of the area. 

That also meant her companion Vice-Captain, Nanao Ise, was present by her side. While Rangiku lounged with a sense of ease, Nanao stood upright, her sharp eyes drifting vigilantly.

"Loosen a bit, Nanao. Join me for a drink. This melon-flavored sake won't make you wasted. It's pretty easy on the body."

Nanao cast a sidelong glance at the bottle in Rangiku's grasp. "No. I never drink during my work time."

Rangiku saw her stern refusal coming from miles away. "No need to be so perfectly vigilant. The sixth years are also keeping watch. Well, if any Hollow shows up, I'll whoop their ass."

Rangiku seemed confident despite the seal that lowered their strength to twenty percent of her peak.

Nanao slowly turned to Rangiku. "I don't chase perfection for someone else. I do it for myself."

"Deep. Very deep. I'll drink one to that." Rangiku raised her cup in a toast before downing the sake in one smooth motion. "Ahhh… the perfect balance of sweetness and fruitiness."

Nanao's response was a gentle head shake. She remembered all too well the many Hollow encounters in Karakura Town. This very locale had witnessed the emergence of the most formidable Vasto Lorde ever documented by the 12th Squad. The inexperienced sixth-year students wouldn't stand a chance at detecting such a formidable Reiatsu.

"Woah, who is that?" Rangiku pointed in the distance, her eyes narrowing in curiosity. "Ohhh, it's Kazuya's kitty. She'll make for a better drinking companion than Nanao."

"..."

Rangiku poured another cup and jumped down, her smile broadening as she approached Toshiro and Renji. "I'm guessing he left with Momo."

Renji raised his brow. "You gave her permission. Why will they not go?"

"Awww, kitty." She ignored Renji and slowly neared the cat with inviting open arms and a friendly smile. "Come to me~. I'll be a better owner than Kazuya."

Yoruichi glared at her before she hopped on Toshiro's head. "Meow."

"Kitty?"

Toshiro smiled smugly. "Leave Yoruichi alone. She doesn't like women with big breasts."

Rangiku's brow twitched. "Why do you do that, Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi shook her head, denying any part in Toshiro's overt disdain for big breasts. Feeling an intense gaze, she glanced up, meeting Nanao's surprised gaze — Nanao recognized the name Yoruichi. Still, Yoruichi didn't feel an ounce of worry. Granting a human name to a pet was very natural both inside and outside of the Soul Society.

Nanao had nothing to relate a cat to Shinigami. Absolutely nothing.

"Ara, Toshiro-chan. You're the one of the few men to hate big breasts. Why do you do that, I wonder?" Rangiku narrowed her eyes, a smug smirk playing on her lips. "Did a girl with big boobs hurt you in the past? Did she say something like 'I can't love a man shorter than my titties!'?"

Renji turned to Toshiro and burst out laughing. "Holy… you killed my little friend."

Toshiro clicked his tongue. "Get lost, you perverted Vice-Captain."

Rangiku brushed back her hair and took a leisurely sip of her sake. "Whatever, kid. I don't need your validation of my charm."

As she turned, her cup slipped from her grasp, shattering on the ground. The group's attention simultaneously shifted upwards, drawn by an ominous tear in the moonlit sky. The rift opened as if the very fabric of dimensions were torn thread by thread, unveiling four figures.

A tall, muscular Arrancar with dark skin. The remnants of his Hollow mask were a row of bony spikes along the crest of his bald head, forming something similar to a Mohawk hairstyle. His golden eyes were perhaps the calmest of the group. "Shinigami who are worth nothing."

On his side was a blonde girl, her posture lacking the confidence of her peers. "Loly—"

Her words were cut short by a sharp slap from another woman, her hair black and styled into twin tails, bangs cascading over one side of her face. "Who the heck gave you permission to speak?"

"Hahaha," laughed the slim man standing furthest to the left. The white helmet covering his scruffy black hair resembled the skull of a saber-tooth cat. "Always a fun time with you two."

Even with their overly relaxed banter, no one from Shinigami dared to underestimate the four. How could they when the four Hollows' Reiatsu was on par or even stronger than Rangiku's peak?

Loly placed her hands on her hips and laughed haughtily. "For so long we, Hollows, have died at Shinigami's hands. Today, I, Loly Aivernne, will take a stand for Hueco Mundo." She pointed a finger down at them, smirking condescendingly. "Hear me, Shinigami. This is a declaration of war against your race. A war to annihilate the entire Soul Society for good."

…

Meanwhile in the hidden dimension.

Gin's eyelids lifted ever-so-slightly, revealing the striking blue of his eyes. The screens before him captured the stunned expressions of Renji, Toshiro, Nanao, and Rangiku from various angles. Though he knew the declaration of war to be a mere facade, a flicker of unease lingered in his heart.

Aizen had planned to spare one Shinigami to convey the information to the Soul Society. The chosen one's identity remained mysterious until now. It could be Renji, Toshiro, Nanao, anyone from the group of students… or Rangiku. The odds of Aizen choosing Rangiku out of fifty Shinigami present at the scene were two percent.

The uncertainty squeezed his heart, and he was helpless to do anything about it.

'Is it the day?'

"No, trust your instincts. Aizen won't kill her," His Zanpakutō Spirit assured him in a calm voice. "His ego rivals our thirst for revenge. He wouldn't extinguish her life without first subjecting you both to excruciating torment."

Gin shut his eyes close and revealed his signature smile. "It's getting boring here. When will they fight?"

Aizen chuckled. "Have a little patience, Gin. We aren't here to watch our colleagues die."

Patience was hardly a virtue Gin lacked, yet he nodded in concurrence. "Indeed, Captain Aizen. I became overly eager to assess the Espadas' combat potential against the Vice-Captains."

"They are nothing spectacular." Aizen shook his head. "Quite underwhelming for my vision. They are decent placeholders until we find better replacements."

Gin settled into a chair, a leg casually draped over the other. "Regrettably, we've yet to locate the wolf-masked individual and his allies."

"It's only a matter of time," Aizen whispered. "Only a matter of time."

...

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