Fairy Tail: Shinigami

Chapter 227: Rukongai.

If you want to read ahead go to /cornbringer

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[Adam C. POV]

Hidden amongst the rundown buildings and busy streets of Rukongai, I found a quiet, inconspicuous spot to lay low for the moment. A tiny, dilapidated shack with creaky wooden floorboards and paper-thin walls, and broken windows – it wasn't much, but it was perfect for what I needed.

It provided shelter from prying eyes and a temporary refuge where I could catch my breath.

While the adrenaline of the escape was still pulsing through my veins, the physical toll of my recent adventure was catching up to me. I winced, glancing down at the burns and bruises marring my skin, not to mention the missing arm. Healing Kido was not my forte, and while I was sure I could at the very least deal with the burns, I was quite drained, basically what I really needed was time – a luxury I didn't have.

"Why does it hurt more now than before?" I muttered under my breath.

Using what little energy I had left, I began the healing process, focusing on the most severe injuries first. The spiritual energy swirled around me, warm and soothing. The process was slow, and while it didn't bring immediate relief, it did ease some of the pain.

At this rate, it would take me a day to deal with the superficial injuries, and by that I meant on a very superficial level.

That old man was a monster.

I don't think I could've won against him even if I had used my Bankai. Because if I had, the old man would've used his, so… at the end of the day, the most trained Bankai would've won.

I chuckled.

It's been a while since I've been forced to hide, hasn't it?

To think that I was forced to hide, in the slums of the soul society. The Rukongai. The vast, chaotic sprawl where countless souls wandered aimlessly, each seeking something they might never find.

I chuckled.

The memories of my escape from the Gotei 13 were a searing whirlwind in my mind, dominated by one figure: Captain Yamamoto. The sheer force of his power, the roaring flames, and that moment—when his blade cleaved through, taking my arm. I could still feel the phantom pain, a grim reminder of the cost of my recklessness.

That being said, I didn't regret a damn thing. I had the time of my life fighting the old man, who not only overpowered me, but outskilled me.

I had to admit, I missed this feeling. Being strong grows boring after a while, being the strongest that is.

I smiled.

It didn't matter, like before, I would grow stronger. Like always, I would overcome this, no matter what. And when that happened, I would have a rematch with the old man, just for fun.

But it would be long before that happened.

A year, or two, I reckoned.

That's how long it would take me to reach the level of power the old man has.

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[Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni. POV]

The Gotei 13's main hall was the epitome of tradition and order. Every detail, from the shimmering walls to the intricate designs on the floor, spoke of the centuries of history that had been witnessed within its confines. But today, that solemn atmosphere was interrupted by an undercurrent of tension, evident in the sharp glances and rigid postures of those present.

Standing at the head of the hall, I gripped the hilt of my zanpakuto, my patience wearing thin. The audacity! The Muken was designed to be impenetrable, a final resting place for those deemed too dangerous to roam free. Yet, our prisoner, that traitor, had managed to slip its confines, without a problem!

The shame of it burned hotter than the flames of my Ryūjin Jakka.

Before I could summon anyone for an explanation, the doors slid open, revealing Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi. His blue face was unreadable, but his eyes held that familiar gleam of morbid curiosity.

"Captain Kurotsuchi," I rumbled, my voice echoing through the hall, "Do you have information on the escape?"

Mayuri stepped forward with a slight smirk. "Indeed, Head Captain. While the exact details of his escape remain a mystery, my surveillance equipment within the Muken detected a peculiar energy just before he vanished."

He had installed surveillance within the Muken? Without authorization?!

I would address that later.

I narrowed my eyes. "Peculiar how?"

"It's unlike any spiritual pressure we've encountered," Mayuri explained, producing a small device. The screen displayed a pulsating, colorful energy pattern. "This energy doesn't conform to any reiatsu parameters we know of. It's... foreign."

I studied the reading, my mind racing. This energy, it seemed, was the key to his escape. But how? And more importantly, why had we not detected it earlier?

"Could this energy be linked to this place he called Fairy Tail?" I mused aloud. A strange name, for a band of traitors.

They would feel the wrath of the gotei 13 soon enough.

Mayuri tilted his head, pretending to consider. "Who knows."

He was hiding something, like always.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to contain my frustration and anger, in the old days I would've cut his head for losing, and for keeping information. "Our immediate concern is his recapture. Mobilize your division and find him. He mustn't be allowed to recover."

Mayuri's grin widened. "Of course, Head Captain. Though, if I may be so bold, capturing him alive would present a wonderful research opportunity."

Suppressing the urge to chastise him for his ever-present morbid tendencies, I simply nodded, I had offered the traitor an honorable death, he had rejected my mercy. "Have Komamura aid you on his capture."

With a final nod, Mayuri exited the hall, leaving me to ponder the implications of this newfound energy and the boy who bore it. Whatever secrets he held, the Gotei 13 would uncover them.

It was only a matter of time.

That being said, I couldn't shake the feeling that the answer to that would bring about a storm we were ill-prepared to face.