228 Chapter 194 - Thank You, Mavis.

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[Adam's POV]

The cool breeze of the Rukongai brushed against my face as I lay hidden in an abandoned hut, nestled amidst the rolling hills. The building where I had stayed, if it could even be called that, was more of a ramshackle assembly of wooden planks and rusty nails.

That being said, it had offered me a safe haven while I recovered.

The pain that had been radiating through every inch of my body had dulled considerably, now being nothing more than a minor throb.

However, the numb, empty spaces where my arm and foot used to be served as a stark reminder of the price I'd paid in my confrontation with Yamamoto. 

I couldn't regenerate those. I wasn't even sure anyone outside Orihime could.

Taking a deep breath, I opened my eyes, the makeshift bandages around my missing limbs came into view. Although the bleeding had stopped and the wounds sealed, the void they left behind was more than just physical. It was a gaping hole in my capabilities.

I would have to fight, in a crippled state.

Pushing aside the thoughts that were threatening to engulf me, I propped myself up against the rickety wooden wall of the hut. As much as I wanted my missing limbs back, I had a bigger fish to fry. 

Rukia's execution was set to take place tomorrow. 

If there was one thing I was certain of, it was that I couldn't just stand by and let that happen, especially after Aizen tried to recruit me, another way of saying he wanted to control me. I wasn't involved before, I mean, I was, I kind of like Rukia, she's a nice girl, but now, I was hyper involved, I would kick Aizen's ass.

But storming the Sokyoku Hill, especially in my current condition, seemed like a suicide mission.

I took a deep breath. I needed a plan, and fast. 

There was also the matter of the zanpakuto I'd lost during my capture. Without it, my combat capabilities were severely diminished. But tracking it down now was a detour I couldn't afford. 

Maybe I could rely more on my magic during this fight? The thought was both comforting and terrifying. I had never fought without Zanryuzuki before. 

My mind wandered back to Rukia, to our brief interactions, to her kindness, and to the clear injustice of her situation. 

I didn't know everything about the laws of Soul Society, the anime hadn't shown much, but executing someone for a seemingly necessary action felt unjust to the core. And the worst part was, I knew Aizen was the one orchestrating this, but the fact everyone else is going with it, was… sick. 

I sighed.

If I wanted to have a shot at this, I needed to first locate my blade. This wasn't the hard part, I could find her right now, if I wanted to, but that would alert anyone else of my current location. 

I suppose there was some relief in knowing she was okay, if they had done something to her, I would've felt it. No matter how far away we were, we were still connected, as one. 

Wait…

Didn't Mavis force me to put a summoning rune on Zanryuzuki's hilt in case this situation ever occurred? Fucking damn it… she did.

With a pang of irritation mixed with gratitude, I scolded myself for forgetting about the rune, and I mean, who could blame me, I was missing an arm, and a foot, and the damn rune had been set in place years before my fight with Acnologia. 

That being said, Mavis, with her foresight and unparalleled strategic mind, had probably predicted a situation like this. And while at that time, I had brushed it off as another one of her excessive precautionary measures, now it seemed she was once again several steps ahead.

Taking a deep breath, and smiling at the thought of her, I concentrated, picturing Zanryuzuki in my mind, recalling the intricate design of the summoning rune that Mavis had made me etch onto its hilt.

I murmured the summoning incantation under my breath, weaving the magic through my essence, and reaching out to that familiar energy of my zanpakuto.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then, a shimmering portal began to form in front of me, magic swirling and dancing as it coalesced into the shape of my blade. With a final flourish, Zanryuzuki appeared, hovering before me in all its glory.

"Love!" I rushed, grabbing her.

God, it felt good to have her back. Grasping her hilt firmly with my remaining hand, the weight of the blade felt reassuring.

The odds were still stacked heavily against me. But with Zanryuzuki by my side, I would tip the scales in my favor.

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[Third Person POV.]

[First Division.]

Within the vast, towering walls of the 1st Division's barracks, the air was thick with tension, and how could it not? The news of the Muken breach had already sent ripples of unease throughout the Gotei 13, and the Head Captain Yamamoto's raging fury to this was no secret.

Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe, trying to calm his captain, stood in the office chamber, looking over scrolls detailing recent events. He had always prided himself on his unwavering loyalty and efficiency, making him the perfect right-hand man for the oldest and most powerful Shinigami captain. 

However, today's news would test even his renowned composure, more so than they already had.

One of the division's seated officers, Roda, also known as Roda the Raven, entered the chamber hurriedly, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. He came to a stop, executing a sharp salute.

"Apologies for the disturbance, Lieutenant Sasakibe," Roda began, swallowing hard. His voice trembled slightly, betraying his anxiety. "There's... an issue with the blade."

Sasakibe's sharp gaze lifted, meeting Roda's. "What blade?"

"The one Captain Yamamoto ordered us to secure," Roda answered, hesitating slightly. "The foreign zanpakuto, the one named, Zanryuzuki."

Sasakibe's heart sank. "What happened?" he demanded, his calm demeanor beginning to crack.

Roda took a shaky breath. "It's gone, sir. We don't know how or when, but it vanished from the secure vault. We've double-checked every inch of the storage facility, but there's no sign of it."

Sasakibe's eyes narrowed. "That blade was under triple-sealed lock, guarded by some of our best. How can it just disappear?"

Roda shook his head. "We're unsure, sir. There's no sign of a breach or any evidence of an intruder. It's as if the blade just... vanished."

Sasakibe's mind raced. This was bad, really bad. If Yamamoto found out that not only had their prisoner escaped but his zanpakuto, which was taken to avoid an escalation if he escaped, was also missing, there would be hell to pay.

Gathering his composure, Sasakibe instructed, "Deploy additional squads to search the area. Speak to anyone who might have seen anything. And get me surveillance from the vicinity for the past 24 hours."

Roda nodded vigorously. "Understood, sir!"

"And Roda," Sasakibe added, his voice low and deadly serious, "This doesn't leave this room. I will inform Captain Yamamoto when I deem it necessary."

Roda gulped, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on him. "Yes, Lieutenant Sasakibe."

As Roda hurried off to execute his orders, Sasakibe stared at the empty space on his desk, a growing dread settling in his chest. This escapee, whoever he was, had just made things infinitely more complicated for the Gotei 13.