After separating from the others, Sado landed in the empty street with Orihime. He broke the fall by punching the ground with his armored right arm. Added with Orihime's shield, they had managed to survive the crash landing.
Orihime was fine, and she looked unharmed. She also wasn't too panicked, and Sado thought that she would be alright.
"Thank you for the protection." The orange haired girl thanked him. "Are you hurt, Sado-kun?"
Sado shook his head.
"I'm fine. Let's move. There are noises from over there."
"Right!"
They started running away from the commotion, finding a place to hide.
However, before they could get far away, Sado noticed three people blocking their way. They wore the same black kimono as the Shinigami they had met earlier, except that these three had a different attitude.
The way they walked, their posture and eyes told him that these people were experienced fighters.
"The intruders are here, two of them!"
One of the men shouted and pulled his sword out, followed by the others.
Sado narrowed his eyes. "Inoue. Stay behind me, I'll deal with them."
"B-but, they are Shinigami, I don't think that-"
"Don't worry, just do what I say." He told her, trying to reassure the nervous girl, "Just hide and don't move."
"O-Okay."
The girl moved to his back, her eyes glued to the ground. Sado noticed her nervousness, and he couldn't help but worry a bit.
'I will finish this fast.'
Taking a step toward the Shinigami group, his armored right arm began to burn, his spiritual power surged forward. Smoke rose from the red lining that ran around his wrist. His eyes narrowed in caution as the enemy group stepped forward, raising their swords.
Then, without warning, Sado punched the air, sending a shockwave that blew them away.
Boom!
A destruction echoed. Dust cloud rose from the crater he had created. Three Shinigami were blown away in an instant, crashing to the walls or the ground.
Some of them coughed up blood. They had broken bones and internal injuries, and some of them were unconscious. It was a devastating blow.
Seeing this, Orihime widened her eyes. She knew Sado was strong, but not that strong.
"Let's go, Inoue."
"O-Okay!" The girl nodded and followed Sado as he ran past the destruction.
She knew she had to earn her part.
***
In another part of Seireitei, a black cat walked through the roof and turned its head when it heard an explosion.
She was Yoruichi, and she had been trying to find anyone in the group for the last fifteen minutes. So far, she had yet to find anyone, and she had just heard the sound from the direction of 11th Division Barrack.
'There are clashes of Reiatsu everywhere. Earlier, I felt Shirou's reiatsu spiked slightly, but now it's gone again.'
Yoruichi's ears perked up as she listened for any sounds that could give her a clue. A second later, a familiar scream reached her ears. It was Ganju, screaming his lungs out.
"UWAAA! HELP ME, SIS! UWAAA!"
"Don't run you bastard!"
'That idiot!' She cursed in her mind. How could he be so loud and scream so much?
As much as she wanted to help, she had to be somewhere else. Showing up right now would only alert the enemy more.
"Sorry, Ganju. This is the price for not listening to me. Don't worry, you can beat him. Or die trying."
She turned away from him and left, ignoring the scream that resounded in her ears.
Yoruichi then leapt toward another rooftop and ran, trying to do something only she could.
***
"This place is so big." Shirou muttered as he sat on a tree branch. He had already found his destination and was currently observing from afar. His black outfit blended with the dark, making it harder for the Shinigami to find him.
The building that was his objective was a large and white building that looked out of place compared to other buildings. It had many layers with many windows and looked like a huge prison.
A bridge connected the building with the cliff, where a naginata stood tall, most probably more than 20 meters long. Ropes held the weapon in place, its blade faced a tall gate-like structure.
'That must be Soukyoku where Kuchiki-san is scheduled to be executed.'
Unexpectedly, the defense of the center of Seireitei was heavy, even heavier than the place he landed earlier. There were many patrols around and they moved in a way that showed they were very competent.
'I'll not risk going inside and getting captured.' He sighed, his mind racing as he thought of his plan.
It was hard. He couldn't just attack without a good strategy.
Creating a commotion and drawing attention to one point when the others would sneak inside was the first idea he had. But he didn't know where everyone was. It was a good plan if they could regroup, however the chance to meet was low.
Even Yoruichi was nowhere to be seen, so he could only wait for the chance and do something when he saw an opening.
'I can feel Ichigo's reiatsu spiking somewhere, along with another person. I hope he can win.'
Not even he had the luxury to help right now. If he was found by a Captain individual, the plan he had in mind would become impossible.
Shirou had learned what patience was. He was no longer the careless child that charged straight into an enemy, he was someone who would wait and strike when the enemy was open, just like a true Archer. He learned it from the most arrogant, snarky, and selfish person he knew.
Now he would watch and observe, waiting for his time to come. It was a gamble, and he would wait and prepare, so when the chance arrived he could use the maximum power.
'For that, I will need a lot of reiryoku. I used some when entering earlier. If possible I want to have my full power in case of full-blown combat.'
His Spiritual Power wasn't bottomless, so he would have to be careful.
"Alright. Let's start."
When they arrived at Seireitei, the sun had been longing in the horizon. Now it was completely gone and the night had arrived, and Shirou's eyes narrowed like a hawk.
Tonight, he wasn't going to sleep.
At that moment, a bright blue slash shot up into the sky. It was far from him, at least two or three kilometers away, and it looked like a crescent moon.
Shirou was awfully familiar with that. The corner of his lips raised slightly as he recognized that reiatsu. It belonged to his brother, Ichigo.
"So you can do it if you try, Ichigo." He said, feeling slightly proud of his brother.
That would definitely take some attention away from him, and it would be a great help.
Footsteps sounded behind him. They were from multiple people, most probably a patrol group. They hurriedly ran toward the direction where the slash came from.
Just as expected, they were like moths drawn by fire. When they saw that, they instantly ran to investigate.
Seeing that, Shirou nodded to himself and turned to the prison. His body blended with the shadow, and he disappeared from sight, using Hirenkyaku. It was his chance to do his work.
***
A tense atmosphere formed in the hall as an old man with long white beard, the Captain Commander of Gotei 13, stood at the end of the hall, in front of his chair, overlooking the rest of the Captain, as they lined up before him.
He had a serious look on his face, and everyone in the room was silent.
"As everyone has already heard, we are in the middle of a crisis right now." Yamamoto spoke slowly and clearly. "Ryoka infiltrated our city, they are a threat that should not be overlooked."
No one answered. All Captains and their lieutenants listened carefully. The old man spoke again.
"A few victims have appeared among 11th Division. Madarame Ikkaku 3rd Seat engaged one of them and got gravely injured. 4th Seat of the 7th division, Jirobo Ikkazaka was also found injured. Both are still alive and their condition is stable. The other victims are just grunts and their wounds are not serious." He explained.
He slammed the bottom of his staff to the floor, making a sound that echoed in the room.
"Everyone, the situation is dire. I am permitting all top officers to be armed with Zanpakutou and use full wartime power within the court." His eyes darted to each person in the room. "Gentlemen, let's declare war on these Ryoka."
Each Captain put on a serious expression while the Shinigami in charge of relaying information dashed out immediately, their task clear in their mind. The orders would soon reach all divisions in Gotei 13, and everyone would be on full alert.
Cloud gathered outside, blocking the light from the moon and the sky turned dark.
A storm was brewing.