Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero.

"We are here because of Vice Captain Haiyan. According to the latest intelligence, that Hollow—Metastacia, who murdered Vice Captain Haiyan's wife—has appeared in the nearby area."

Upon learning the news, Deputy Captain Haiyan, driven by a thirst for revenge, had already taken the lead and gone to track them down.

We received the message and rushed here immediately to meet up with Deputy Captain Haiyan and provide him with support.

Metastacia? The Hollow who murdered Shiba Kaien's wife? A thought flashed through Yanagawa's mind.

He recalled the expressions on Shiba Kukaku and Ganju's faces when they mentioned their older brother at the Shiba residence, and he also remembered some rumors about Shiba Kaien—the genius vice-captain of the 13th Division and the current head of the Shiba family.

It turns out it was for revenge.

“I see.” Yanagawa understood. He glanced at the Heavenly Pillar Carriage behind him that needed to be dealt with, then at Rukia, who looked worried, and at Ukitake Jushiro, who, though calm, had a hint of seriousness in his expression.

After a moment's thought, he said, "In that case, I'll travel with you two. It just so happens that I also need to speak with Vice Captain Haiyan."

He pointed to the Heavenly Pillar Carriage behind him, "The recovery of this thing will probably require the help of the Shiba family. I'll go and discuss it with them on the way."

Upon hearing this, Jushiro Ukitake's pale yet handsome face revealed a gentle smile. He coughed lightly twice before speaking slowly:

"It would be most welcome if Lord Liuchuan were to accompany us."

"Captain Ukitake, you flatter me," Yanagawa said. He noticed that Ukitake Jushiro's breathing was unsteady and he was coughing incessantly, so he couldn't help but ask:

"Captain Ukitake, your body..."

"It's an old problem, nothing serious."

Jushiro Ukitake waved his hand, his smile still gentle, but the hint of sickly melancholy between his brows lingered.

He seemed unwilling to discuss his illness further and changed the subject.

"Let's not delay, let's set off now. Haiyan... he's probably already engaged with that 'illusion'."

Without further delay, the three of them, guided by Rukia's familiarity with Kaien's spiritual pressure and the directions indicated by the intelligence, quickly headed deeper into the forest.

Liu Chuan temporarily put the matter of the Heavenly Pillar Carriage aside, since the coordinates had already been noted, and it wouldn't be too late to deal with it later.

During the journey, in order to ease the somewhat heavy atmosphere, or perhaps because they were still surprised to see Yanagawa, their former "classmate," there.

Rukia initiated a conversation with Yanagawa, and the topic naturally revolved around the person they were rushing to support—Shiba Kaien.

“Brother Haiyan… he’s really amazing.” Rukia’s voice was filled with undisguised admiration and respect.

"He is a true genius. Back in the True Central Spiritual Arts Academy, he completed the entire course that originally required six years in just one year and graduated with the best grades."

After joining the 13th Division, he started as the third seat and, in just five years, rose to become the vice-captain thanks to his undeniable strength and prestige.

She paused, her tone softening further, tinged with a hint of heartache:

"Due to health reasons, Captain Fuzhu often needs to rest, and the affairs of the team, big and small, are basically handled entirely by Vice Captain Haiyan."

He not only managed the team affairs perfectly, but also took great care of the team members, especially me…”

Rukia's voice lowered, as if she was recalling many details of how she had been taken care of, and her face flushed slightly.

"He is like a reliable and gentle older brother, giving me a lot of guidance and help in both work and life. Everyone in the team respects and likes him."

Liuchuan listened quietly, and from Rukia's narration, he could clearly feel her deep trust and admiration for Shiba Kaien.

It wasn't just the respect a subordinate showed to their superior; it was also mixed with complex emotions similar to those towards family or idols.

It seems that this Vice-Captain Haiyan holds a very special position in the 13th Division and in Rukia's heart.

Jushiro Ukitake listened quietly without interrupting, but a deep worry and helplessness were also revealed in his gentle eyes.

His occasional, barely suppressed coughs sounded particularly clear in the quiet forest.

Liu Chuan nodded, indicating his understanding. The hatred for someone who killed his wife was irreconcilable.

Given Shiba Kaien's loyal, righteous, and highly responsible personality, it's not surprising that he would be so obsessed with revenge.

However, in Soul Society, when Shinigami lose their composure due to hatred, it often means greater danger.

The three of them said no more, quickened their pace, and sped off into the depths of the forest toward the direction from which the unusual spiritual pressure was faintly emanating.

Chapter 41 The Battle of Revenge

The battlefield was located in a leveled forest clearing deep in the woods, surrounded by scorched earth and broken trees, clearly indicating that a fierce battle had taken place there.

In the arena, two figures faced off.

On one side is Shiba Kaien, the current head of the Shiba family and vice-captain of the 13th Division. He has a signature short black hair, a handsome face, but his eyes are burning with cold anger and a determination for revenge.

His shihaka uniform was slightly damaged, but he stood tall and held his zanpakuto tightly in his hand, the blade reflecting a chilling light.

His aura surged, carrying a texture that seemed to contain hidden waves.

On the other side is the Void Metastasia.

Its appearance is bizarre, with the main body being an irregularly twisted white bone mask. Beneath the mask are countless writhing tentacles that extend outwards and dance wildly in the air.

It exudes a greedy, malicious spiritual pressure, which contrasts sharply with Shiba Kaien's rage.

Several deep knife marks were already visible on its body, and several tentacles had been severed at the root, with foul-smelling slime flowing from the cuts, clearly indicating that it had suffered a loss in the previous exchange.

Rukia breathed a slight sigh of relief upon seeing Kaien and immediately wanted to rush forward to help.

However, the moment she took a step, Shiba Kaien's voice, almost pleading, came clearly:

"Captain Ukitake! Rukia! Please wait!"

His gaze first swept over Ukitake Jushiro, filled with absolute trust and a hint of apology, before finally settling firmly on Ukitake:

"Captain, please allow me... to deal with him alone. This is a grudge between me and this Hollow that must be settled!"

A complex emotion flashed across Jushiro Ukitake's pale face—a mixture of worry, understanding, and deep helplessness.

He looked at his deputy captain, whom he regarded as a son and his most capable assistant, and saw the unwavering determination in his eyes. He remained silent for a moment, and finally, he simply nodded slowly.

"it is good."

A single word encapsulates the captain's respect for his subordinates' choices, and also contains unspoken trust and a heavy responsibility.

Rukia was about to say something, but was stopped by a look from Ukitake.

She could only bite her lip, clench her fists, and nervously watch the scene unfold.

Yanagawa remained where he was, his gaze calmly fixed on Shiba Kaien.

This young head of the Shiba family possesses pure and powerful spiritual pressure, and his fighting style is sharp yet disciplined. His performance in suppressing the Hollow was indeed remarkable, living up to his reputation as a genius.

Yanagawa also became somewhat interested in observing his upcoming battle.

With Ukitake's permission, Shiba Kaien had no more worries.

He let out a low growl and moved like lightning, charging towards Metastacia once again!

The Zanpakuto in his hand transformed into streaks of light, each strike containing surging spiritual pressure and exquisite swordsmanship, forcing the Hollow to retreat repeatedly. Its tentacles danced wildly to block, but several were still severed, splattering foul-smelling liquid.

Shiba Kaien's offensive was like a raging torrent, relentless and completely overwhelming his opponent. His vengeful rage combined with his superb swordsmanship, showcasing astonishing combat power.

Finally, he seized a tiny opening in his opponent's defenses, and his left hand shot out like an iron clamp, grabbing the base of one of Metastacia's relatively thick main tentacles that was attacking him!

"Gotcha!" Shiba Kaien's eyes flashed with cold light as he raised his Zanpakuto high and shouted:

Let the water and sky reverse their course—

The Zanpakuto's release command is about to be uttered! A surge of spiritual pressure frantically gathers on the blade, causing it to ripple with azure blue light, and a terrifying power that seems capable of causing rivers to flow backward is brewing!

Ukitake and Rukia both showed a hint of anticipation in their eyes. As long as Tsubaki is released, Shiba Kaien's strength is enough to completely kill this Hollow!

However, at this very moment when the outcome was about to be decided—

"laugh……"

Metastasia, whose tentacles had been seized, had a "smile" twisted out on his distorted bone mask in a strangely human-like way.

At the same time, at the base of the tentacle that was tightly gripped by Shiba Kaien's left hand, countless tiny suckers carrying strange spiritual energy fluctuations suddenly opened and wriggled!

Shiba Kaien felt a strange numbness and emptiness in his left palm, and then, something surprising happened—

The Zanpakuto "Tsubaki," which was about to be unleashed in his right hand and was closely connected to his soul, suddenly... vanished into thin air!

It wasn't a break, nor was it slipped from my grasp; rather, it was as if it had never existed at all, completely losing all connection and connection with him!

"What?!" Shiba Kaien's pupils constricted, his mind going completely blank. His Zanpakuto... disappeared?! How could this be?!

It was this moment of distraction and shock that exposed his fatal flaw.

Metastacia's other long-awaited tentacle lashed out like a poisonous whip across his chest!

boom!

With a dull thud, Shiba Kaien was struck as if by a heavy blow. He was sent flying backward, crashing into a large tree before rolling to the ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

He struggled to get up, but felt his spiritual pressure become disordered, especially the backlash on the soul level caused by the forced severing of his connection with his Zanpakuto, which made him dizzy.

"Vice Captain Haiyan!" Rukia exclaimed, and was about to rush forward.

"Rukia, wait!"

Jushiro Ukitake reached out and stopped her.

The sickly captain was even paler now, but his eyes were unusually calm, even carrying a deep sorrow and understanding.

He looked at Shiba Kaien, who was struggling to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his eyes filled with disbelief and anger. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Rukia and Yanagawa's ears:

“If we act now, we can indeed save Haiyan and even help him kill that Void. But... doing so would completely shatter his last shred of dignity as a man.”

He paused, his gaze fixed on the stubborn figure in the center of the arena, and slowly said:

"There are two kinds of battles. One is the battle to protect life and safeguard what is important. The other is... the battle to defend dignity, uphold beliefs, and settle karmic debts."

Haiyan... he's doing the latter now. He chooses to face it alone, not only for revenge, but also for his deceased wife. If we intervene now, it would be tantamount to denying the path he's chosen, denying the meaning of his fight.

Rukia was stunned, looking at Captain Ukitake's serious and compassionate expression, and then at Vice-Captain Kaien, who was isolated and helpless in the field, yet still stood tall.

His clenched fist trembled slightly, but eventually he slowly loosened it, though the worry and anxiety in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

Yanagawa listened quietly to Ukitake's words. Dignity? Faith? Settling the score? He understood Ukitake's meaning and respected Shiba Kaien's choice.

However, Yanagawa does not entirely agree with this concept that places "dignity" above "life" and "victory".

In his view, the ultimate goal of the battle is to achieve the objective, eliminate the enemy, and protect oneself and one's comrades.

Methods, processes, and even so-called "dignity" can all temporarily take a back seat when faced with a life-or-death situation.