Anime/Manga: Bankai Starting with Demon Slayer

At that moment, moonlight pierced through the clouds and shone directly on the Grim Reaper, illuminating his vision.

It was a petite woman, also dressed in a jet-black shihaka (a type of Japanese knight-errant), standing on a utility pole at the intersection.

A night breeze blew by, and the hem of the Shinigami uniform fluttered slightly, like a butterfly spreading its wings and dancing gracefully in the dark night.

"It's not time to give up yet."

Her voice was extremely soft and gentle, possessing a reassuring magic, yet subtly conveying a sense of detachment.

The moment she appeared, the Hollow that was hunting the Grim Reaper also noticed her presence.

Roar! !

It roared as it charged, as if it were going to tear the alley apart.

"Oh dear, what a naughty child."

Faced with this horrifying scene, the woman simply leaped lightly off the utility pole, dodging the feint attack.

With a slight movement, she gracefully descended.

puff-

The moment she landed, a burst of blood suddenly erupted from the body of the ethereal being behind her.

Immediately afterwards, a twisted wail came from beneath the hollow bone surface, and the enormous body suddenly stiffened.

The spiritual particles that make up its body begin to disintegrate violently, turning into black sand scattered by the wind and quickly dissipating in the cold night wind.

The whole process took only a few breaths; the injured team member didn't even notice when the woman drew her knife!

"Hah...hah..." He clutched his injured area, his breathing heavy.

The woman walked to the injured Grim Reaper and gracefully knelt down beside him.

"The injury is quite severe." Her voice was very soft, and her movements were swift and professional.

Her slender fingers swiftly tapped around Death's wound a few times, a soft, pale green light shimmering at her fingertips—

That's the Resurrection Path, a Kido technique specifically used for healing in the Soul Society.

A vibrant green light emanated from her fair, jade-like palm, quickly covering the grotesque wound on her arm.

At a speed visible to the naked eye, his body began to slowly heal, and the feeling of impending death was fading away.

The wounded Grim Reaper stared blankly at the woman's beautiful face, momentarily stunned.

The woman did not answer, but focused on repairing his soul meridians.

The moonlight shone on her profile and shimmered on the delicate butterfly hair clip in her hair.

After the treatment, the woman stood up and gently smoothed out the wrinkles on her death suit.

"Alright, your injury has stabilized for now. Remember to go to the Fourth Division for proper treatment when you get back."

"Be more careful next time, after all, life is a very fragile thing."

Death, enduring the pain and weakness, asked with gratitude and awe, "...Uh, thank you! You're...from the medical team?"

"Huh? Are you a newly graduated Grim Reaper? Don't you recognize me?"

The woman smiled, feigning surprise, but it was also to lighten the mood: "Nice to meet you. I'm Shinobu Kocho from the Fourth Division, and also the leader of the Fourteenth Upper-Level First Aid Team. If you get injured often in the future, we might meet again."

Ah! It's Shinobu Kocho! My brain is fried!

The little Grim Reaper suddenly realized that he had been completely stunned by the Hollow's attack; he hadn't even recognized such an obvious headdress!

He had heard of this name decades ago when he first entered the Shinigami Academy.

It is said that she is a genius girl from the Inugami district. Despite being a wandering spirit with no foundation, she completed the courses of the Shinigami Academy in a very short time and showed outstanding talent for returning to the Dao.

It's important to know that being able to learn Kido doesn't mean you can learn Kaido. This kind of talent is quite rare, so he joined the Fourth Division as the Sixth Seat immediately after graduation.

Although I have never met Shinobu Kocho, the team members who have received her treatment all say that she is a very beautiful and gentle woman.

I never expected to run into him here today, what a stroke of luck... Ouch, that hurts...

Shinobu Kocho handed the other person some topical medicine and asked earnestly, "What's going on here? Why are the Fuyuki City team members getting injured so often lately?"

"Captain Unohana asked me to come and see for myself, but unfortunately, I couldn't see anything."

When asked, the Shinigami shook his head in confusion: "I don't know either. I was also assigned to this area this month along with other team members... I always feel that there's something wrong with the spiritual pressure here. Hollows are particularly active here."

After a moment of contemplation, Shinobu Kocho looked up at the cold moon over Fuyuki City and shrugged helplessly: "Then let the higher-ups investigate... Anyway, thank you for your hard work, and please be careful."

"You...you too!"

Under the watchful eyes of her teammates, she stretched out her fair finger and gently drew a line in the air in front of her.

A traditional Japanese-style sliding door opened in front of her.

This is the portal to Soul Society.

"Take care of yourself."

She glanced one last time at her teammates who were recovering on the ground, left two words, and turned away without hesitation.

The black figure gracefully disappeared into the deep doorway.

In the blink of an eye, it's another world.

Chapter 133 The Flower of the Fourth Division

The light from the portal gradually dimmed in the designated return area behind the Fourth Division barracks.

The space returned to calm, leaving only faint ripples of spiritual energy.

Shinobu landed lightly, her fingertips brushing against the butterfly hair ornament in her hair.

Soul Society.

The final destination for souls in the world.

When she first arrived here, Shinobu Kocho could hardly believe her brain, thinking it was all a dream.

But when she actually saw the Rukongai that Asuka had described, and saw those black-clad Shinigami, she had no choice but to accept the fact.

However, in this fact, there are no birds.

She couldn't find the black-haired boy, and after asking countless people, she still couldn't get an answer.

Apart from what Asuka had casually mentioned to her—that she was born in the 78th Dog District—she knew nothing about Asuka's world.

Even though she later became the Grim Reaper with all her might in order to have more power to search for wandering souls.

But this man was like a dream she had only ever seen; he had vanished without a trace.

More than seventy years have passed, and time has slowly smoothed away her tears and sobs. She has also grown accustomed to life here...

"Six Butterfly Seats!"

"Squad leader, you're back!"

As the squad leader of the 14th Senior Medical Team of the Fourth Division, her responsibilities followed her every move upon her return.

When the team members coming and going in the team dormitory saw her, they all stopped in their tracks and respectfully bowed and greeted her.

Some of her admirers, like Xiao Kui and Xiao Qing, would constantly pester her with questions.

This gave her some rare, warm memories of the past during her long life.

She responded to each team member with a gentle smile, but her steps never faltered as she walked steadily toward the depths of the team barracks, preparing to report the situation in Fuyuki City to Captain Unohana Retsu.

Just as I turned a corner, a slightly hurried, cautious voice sounded behind me:

"Butterfly, Class Monitor! You...you just got back too?"

Shinobu stopped at the sound and saw her vice class leader, Hanatarou Yamada, jogging up to her.

He was panting heavily, his forehead was covered in a thin layer of sweat, and he had a huge medicine box, about half the height of a person, on his back.

As the seventh seat in the team, Hanataro's serious and responsible attitude, as well as his solid skills on the return route, have earned him the trust of everyone.

However, his personality is still not much different from when he first joined the team, always carrying a timid and humble feeling.

"Good day, Vice Squad Leader Yamada." Kocho smiled as she looked at Hanatarou. "Yes, I just returned from the human world. Judging from your appearance, you also just finished a mission?"

Hanatarou nodded hurriedly, bowing slightly as usual: "Yes...yes! I went to the 37th ward of Rukongai! I dealt with the aftermath of a small-scale virtual attack. Several Rukongs were seriously injured, but they have stabilized."

"Oh dear, don't be so nervous. I'm not Captain Yamamoto," Shinobu Kocho chuckled.

She gestured for Hanatarou to walk with her, and the two walked side by side in the quiet, bright corridor of the Fourth Division barracks.

Hanatarou Yamada scratched his head sheepishly: "Class President Butterfly went to Fuyuki City? I heard the situation there... isn't very stable?"

"Yes, we just happened to run into a team member who was quite badly injured. Recently, there have been unusually frequent virtual activities in Fuyuki City, and the spiritual pressure environment seems to be somewhat chaotic. If this continues, trouble is bound to break out sooner or later."

She briefly recounted what happened, omitting the details of how she instantly killed the Hollow and healed the Grim Reaper.

This was just an ordinary thing for her.

"I see... You've worked hard!" Hanataro bowed slightly again and said sincerely.

The atmosphere between the two was relaxed and harmonious; Hanataro's humility and Shinobu's gentleness always complemented each other well.

They exchanged hushed conversations about the team's current situation and their experiences in treating injuries in Rukongai, and soon arrived outside the captain's office.

Hanataro consciously fell half a step behind.

Shinobu Kocho raised her hand and gently knocked three times on the heavy wooden door, which was carved with the 4th Division's emblem, the Gallantium.

"Please come in."

A gentle, soothing voice came from inside the door, and the two pushed it open and entered.

The captain's room was spacious and bright, filled with a faint fragrance of herbs.

Captain Retsu Unohana was sitting behind a huge desk piled high with documents and files.

She placed her hands on the table, looking at the two people who entered with her usual calm smile.

"Captain." Shinobu Kocho and Hanataro bowed simultaneously, their posture respectful.

“No need for formalities. Butterfly will have six seats, and Yamada will have seven.” Unohana Retsu nodded slightly, her deep eyes containing wisdom accumulated over a thousand years and an indescribable majesty.

"You all look travel-worn; have you successfully completed your mission?"

"Yes, Captain!" Hanatarou answered first, his voice slightly tense: "The wounded in Rukongai, West 37th Ward, have been properly treated and their condition has not worsened!"

Shinobu Kocho then reported, "Captain, last month I was ordered to Fuyuki City in the human world to assist in the treatment of those injured due to abnormal Hollow activity—"

"During the mission, we encountered several seriously injured patients. We have provided emergency treatment for their injuries and their lives are not in danger. We have advised them to return to the team for further treatment."

"Yes, it was handled very well." Retsu Unohana nodded. "Saving lives is the duty of our Fourth Division. You've all done a great job. I'll have the general medical center follow up on the injured members."

"Thank you, Captain." Shinobu Kocho and Hanatarou thanked them again.

Unohana Retsu changed the subject, her gentle gaze falling on Kocho Shinobu: "Is the situation in Fuyuki City serious? I remember that the virtual activity level in that area shouldn't require the intervention of high-ranking officials."

Shinobu Kocho's expression turned serious: "Yes, Captain. In the past two months, the number and aggressiveness of the Hollows in Fuyuki City have increased significantly, which is quite abnormal."

“During the treatment, I also encountered a Hollow with extremely strong aggression. Although I successfully eliminated it, I vaguely sensed that the spiritual pressure field there was becoming unstable. Perhaps the Captain-Commander needs to send someone to investigate in detail.”

Hanataro Yamada listened from the side, a thoughtful and admiring expression on his face.

Ah... Butterfly Squad Leader is really amazing! Not only can she heal the wounded, but she can also fight alone as a combat team member... I'm so envious.

As Unohana Retsu listened to Shinobu Kocho's report, her gentle smile remained unchanged, but a subtle glint seemed to flicker deep within her eyes.

“I see… I understand…” Unohana Retsu slowly leaned back in her chair, lost in deep thought.

Occasionally, a few birdsongs could be heard from outside the window.

The sunlight moved, illuminating the dust particles floating in the air.

After a long silence, Retsu Unohana finally spoke again: "I will report this to the Captain-Commander. Thank you for your hard work, Butterfly."

"If there are any further reports of abnormalities in Fuyuki City, or if you discover any new clues during the mission, be sure to notify me immediately."

"Yes, Captain!" Shinobu Kocho and Hanatarou responded in unison.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two respectfully left the captain's office.

The captain's room fell silent for a moment. The gentle smile on Retsu Unohana's face gradually faded, replaced by a deep contemplation.

She stood up, walked slowly to the huge window, and gazed at the meticulously manicured pines and cypresses in the courtyard.

But her gaze was clearly focused on something further away, as if piercing through the barracks and projecting onto the distant present world, the city called Fuyuki.