Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

However, soon after, as he turned a street corner, he bumped into a dark figure.

The immense force still made him truly feel the impact.

"Ouch!"

The dark figure opposite cried out in surprise, staggered back a few steps, and fell to the ground.

Asuka also took a half step back, staring blankly at her shoulder, then at the person opposite her.

The heaviness of the impact and the slight vibrations were definitely not an illusion.

Could it be that I've regained my physical body? How is that possible?

He wanted to apologize or ask for directions, but after recognizing the other person, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

The person standing in front of him was not the passerby he had expected.

He was a man wearing a black, wide-sleeved kimono.

He knew the style of that outfit all too well—it was a death knight's uniform.

The man had a knife tucked into his waistband; he looked like an ordinary soldier.

"Hiss... Where did this wandering spirit come from? How dare it even bump into me!" The Grim Reaper, who was bumped into, rubbed his shoulder and complained.

He stood up, ready to explode in anger, but the moment he saw the bird, the anger in his eyes vanished.

A feeling of joy, like surviving a disaster, quickly crept onto his face.

"Ah! You...you're a member of the support unit? That's great, we've finally waited for you!"

At this moment, Asuka, though not a Shinigami, was indeed wearing a Shinigami uniform, not to mention the Zanpakuto hanging at her waist.

Coupled with the chilling murderous aura that Asuka had accumulated from years of fighting, even after arriving in another world, it still lingered in his eyes, making him no ordinary soldier.

"Support troops?" Asuka frowned.

To be honest, although he uses the power of the Grim Reaper, he doesn't like the Grim Reaper.

Whether it was the arrogant guys in Rukongai or Aizen Sousuke's cunning and sinister face, they all filled him with disgust for this identity.

But now, he is all alone.

An unfamiliar city, missing companions, and a silent Zanpakuto all make him need some other help.

Even if the help comes from a group he dislikes the most.

If we could infiltrate among these Shinigami, figure out where we are, and even find a way to enter the Soul Society...

At the very least, we can help him find Shinobu Kocho.

"I am Asuka." Asuka turned her gaze, her voice dry and monotone: "What do you need me to do now?"

The Grim Reaper breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't look very old, and his face still had a bit of a childish look. At this moment, his forehead was covered in cold sweat.

"My name is Naoto, and I'm a member of the 10th Division." He wiped his sweat and said hurriedly, "We'll talk about the details on the way; everyone's meeting at the designated location!"

Asuka remained silent, following closely behind Naoto as they moved swiftly.

"Where is this?" As the bird ran, it silently observed its surroundings.

“Naruki City.” Naoto turned around and glanced at him, a strange look in his eyes. “Asuka, weren’t you sent from above? How come you don’t even know the name of your territory?”

“There was a problem with the gate.” Asuka replied coldly, “I was lost in the broken realm for a while before I came out, so I’m a bit confused.”

"Huh? This actually happened! No wonder your Zanpakuto..."

Naoto glanced at Asuka's waist and sensed something was amiss with Mujina's actions, a look of sympathy on his face.

"It seems you encountered a calamity. It's a miracle you survived! I've heard that some high-ranking officials encountered such a thing before, and in the end, they didn't even have any spiritual energy left."

Asuka didn't continue on this topic; he needed more information.

"Tell me about the situation you encountered, and I'll confirm the mission objective."

Mentioning this made Naoto's face turn extremely pale, even showing a hint of fear.

He lowered his voice, as if afraid of being heard by something in the dark clouds: "Naruki City was originally a relatively peaceful mid-sized city, usually only requiring one garrison to guard it. But two months ago, the garrison member here suddenly disappeared, and even the records of soul burials were interrupted!"

"Seireitei believed it was just an accident, so they sent two team members to investigate. As a result... last month, the souls of these two people also completely disappeared in this area."

"Was he killed?" Asuka asked, puzzled.

"It's still unclear, which is why the 10th Division sent our small team to conduct a thorough investigation."

"These past few days, we've noticed that the spiritual pressure fluctuations here are extremely chaotic, unlike ordinary void disturbances. It's more like something incredibly terrifying is lurking..."

"The captain is on his way. Right now, it's just a few of us holding out as the vanguard."

Naoto was panting heavily, his eyes scanning the shadows of the surrounding tall buildings with fear. This was still too terrifying for a small squad member like him.

Is Death being killed? Asuka's eyes flickered.

This information was very important to him.

Although his goal is to seek revenge on Aizen, under the current circumstances, his first priority is to ensure his safety and find Shinobu Kocho.

If there is a being in this place capable of hunting death, just how strong is that being? Is there any possibility of a confrontation?

Also, will Shinobu Kocho, who is lost, encounter any danger?

Thinking of this, the bird quickened its pace.

"Besides me, is there any other 'support' available?"

"There should still be some, after all, the distress signal was sent out quite some time ago."

As he spoke, Naoto led Asuka to the city center, where a modern stadium stood.

Just before a downpour, the stadium was empty and deserted, and the huge stands looked particularly somber in the dim light.

"We've arrived, everyone's inside! With an expert like you joining us, everyone's mood should be much more stable."

With a light leap, he effortlessly jumped onto the stands and then flipped into the stadium.

Asuka was somewhat surprised when he first saw this scene; his thought process had not yet shifted from human physical form to spiritual thought.

He imitated Naoto, gathering his spiritual energy under his feet and stomping hard.

Sure enough, he jumped much farther than his body, which he had trained hard for two and a half years.

However, the moment Asuka stepped inside the stadium, she felt several wary eyes lock onto her.

Chapter 121 The Anxious Tenth Division

On the edge of the empty green field, three figures were sitting together.

Without exception, they were all dressed in shihachi (death knight's robes), and their faces were filled with fatigue and anxiety.

"Naoto? How come you're back so soon? Didn't I tell you to stake out the intersection?" A burly, short-haired Grim Reaper stood up.

His gaze fell on the bird, and he was taken aback for a moment before his brows furrowed.

"And who are you?"

Asuka met the other's gaze expressionlessly.

"Birds."

Seeing that the bird was somewhat arrogant, the expressions on their faces also turned ugly.

The short-haired Grim Reaper who was leading the group was named Arai. He whispered a few words to Naoto and then looked puzzled.

"Hey, kid."

He stopped in front of the bird, looking at it suspiciously.

Asuka slowly met his gaze, which made Arai, who originally wanted to deflate his arrogance, suddenly jump in surprise, and the reprimand he had prepared got stuck in his throat.

What kind of eyes were those?

Arai is the temporary leader of this search team, and his strength can be roughly counted as around thirteen seats.

Under the current circumstances, his mental state is on the verge of collapse.

Since the deaths of his two colleagues, Hamabashi Kojiro and Yoshiyama Kaede, last month, he and several other members of the squad were sent here to investigate the situation, but they couldn't find a clue at all.

Left with no other choice, he could only ask the captain to intervene, while he waited for orders in place.

If any random Shinigami soldier walked in and could ignore his orders, it would only make him more irritable.

But when he and Asuka locked eyes, his agitation subsided.

The last time I saw that look was in Seireitei, when I saw the captain of the 11th Division.

It feels like if I say even a few more nonsense words, the other person will immediately...

Asuka probably realized that her gaze was a bit unfriendly, so she composed herself and looked at the other person again:

"Any instructions?"

"...Ah, I'm Arai from the 10th Division...Your name is Asuka, right? Which division are you from?"

He cleared his throat, trying to make himself as inexperienced as possible.

"...Fifth Division." Asuka didn't know the differences between these divisions, so she just randomly chose one.

"Oh! So you're from the rescue team... I never would have guessed that Wen Shu Zhi Long had such a brave member under his command..."

As if he had figured out Asuka's trump card, Arai relaxed a little.

That's true, if they were really the battle maniacs of the Eleventh Division, they would have started fighting just now...

The Dragon of Documents? Another incomprehensible term.

But Asuka still nodded, pretending to understand: "Yes, that's what the captain said too."

"I heard from Naoto that... you came from the Dankai?"

"Hmm... there's a problem with the portal."

The bird's voice was flat and cold, without any unnecessary embellishment.

Sometimes, this minimalist narration conveys a convincing calmness.

Arai crouched down in front of Asuka, staring intently into her eyes.

As a Shinigami who frequently travels between the human world and the Soul Society, he has never encountered any damage to the interdimensional gate...

Moreover, this man's spiritual pressure was extremely strange... unlike the pure and rhythmic flow of spiritual particles he usually encountered...

Is it the influence of the detention? Something feels off.

"You're incredibly lucky to have survived the pursuit of the Jutsu." Arai paused for a moment, his gaze softening slightly. "Now that you're in my territory, regardless of which squad you're from, you'll have to take my orders for the time being."

"As you know, Naruki City is unstable. Before the captain arrives, every single combatant is crucial."

Asuka wasn't concerned about the issue of command; he was more interested in something else.

"I need to find a woman's soul." Asuka interrupted Arai directly, a hint of urgency flashing in her eyes.

"Purple eyes, short black hair with purple ends, wearing a plain white kimono, can you help me?"

Arai was taken aback when he thought Asuka was going to say something, but it turned out she was looking for a woman.

He smiled wryly: "Brother Asuka, you probably haven't figured out the situation yet..."

"No matter who you find, if she doesn't have the ability to protect herself, she probably won't last a night in this city."

Asuka's pupils suddenly contracted, and her hand gripping the knife tightened sharply.

"What exactly happened?"

“Naruki City is currently experiencing an anomaly. Souls are disappearing too quickly, and even the Grim Reaper has become its target. It is very likely that a Great Hollow is at work.”

"The Great Void?"

What does it mean that emptiness is divided into large and small?

Arai nodded, his expression grave: "In short, my suggestion is that since you're here, you should come and act with us."

"I'll think of a solution for you after this is over, okay?"

He patted Asuka on the shoulder, turned around and gestured for Naoto to show him around the area, while he himself hesitantly returned to the crowd.

Asuka looked uncertainly at the other person's back, then turned to Naoto and asked, "If we want to find the wandering spirits, do we have any good ideas?"

"Ah? It seems you really need to go check on the Fourth Division, Mr. Asuka. Have you forgotten all about these things?"