No Cheat in Bleach ? Watch me help Aizen then.-Chapter 75: Who Are You Trying to Scare?

Above the great ocean, two figures descended from the sky.

One stood around two meters tall, wearing a brown beret and a checkered trench coat embroidered with the Pisces zodiac symbol on his chest. A long pipe dangled lazily from his lips, nestled between two dense arcs of black beard.

The other was barely half his height, sporting a small green clergyman's hat and a thick goat-like beard beneath his chin. His eyes squinted in a constant, amused gleam. He wore a bright emerald robe embroidered at the hem with a different zodiac symbol—Aries.

Higashi Shuuichi didn't recognize either of them.

But he didn't need to.

His instincts screamed one thing: Not allies.

"Who are you?"

The classic opener.

Shuuichi took a single step forward, placing himself in front of all the other Shinigami. At his side, Soifon didn't need instruction—her Shunpo flared, vanishing as she sped toward the wounded Dragon.

"Can't let that happen. Hado 31—Azure Flashburst!"

The pipe-smoking man smiled confidently. A pulse of blue smoke spiraled from his pipe, and then—a concentrated laser of brilliant cerulean exploded from his position.

But Shuuichi was ready.

"Bakudō #81—Fire Formation: Dankū!"

A burning sigil of eight flaming petals unfolded before him. The laser struck the barrier—and was devoured in its fire, erased completely.

"A probe, huh..."

The strength discrepancy was obvious. This wasn't an attack meant to kill. Just a test.

But Shuuichi didn't regret going all-out. Against unknown enemies, restraint was a mistake.

"Hmph..."

The pipe smoker smirked.

That's when Shuuichi noticed it—the goat-bearded man had vanished.

"Going for the Dragon, huh?"

He didn't even need to look. He knew.

Too bad for them, the one guarding the Dragon was not some ordinary Shinigami.

Utsusemi. Raikōken!

Soifon, having inherited everything from Yoruichi, avoided the sneak attack cleanly. She reappeared behind the goat-bearded man.

Her fist lashed out.

Unlike Yoruichi's Raikōken, which struck with thunderous force, Soifon's version was sharper, more surgical—each blow slicing, not smashing.

Shuuichi often joked in private that hers should be called "Fūōken" instead—Wind King Fist.

But the bearded man wasn't just some lackey.

From somewhere unseen, he produced a silver flute and blew a single piercing note.

"Hado No. 51—Argent Mirror Shield!"

A mirror-like surface, fluid as mercury, formed behind him. It shimmered, caught the light, and hardened—reflecting Soifon's form as she struck.

Crack!

Glass shattered.

But hidden beneath the crashing noise, a voice whispered—

"Shoot to kill..."

Shinsō flashed through the air, its silver tip gleaming.

"Well timed," the goat-bearded man murmured, eyes drifting down toward Gin Ichimaru, "but not enough. Hado No. 44—Luminous Prism Barrier!"

He blew into the flute again. A lattice of vibrant magical grids erupted beneath his feet.

Gin's spear strike struck true—but was deflected, leaving only a long, raised furrow across the barrier's surface.

All of this—less than ten seconds.

The surrounding Shinigami hadn't even fully processed the enemy's arrival. The first round had already ended.

And the interlopers clearly had the upper hand.

Because while Soifon and Gin were fending off attacks, the goat-bearded man had managed to seize the Dragon by the throat.

"Not bad, Eastern Branch," the pipe-smoker chuckled, "but this one's outside your jurisdiction. You've overstepped. Dragons? They're our business."

As his comrade returned with the Dragon in hand, Shuuichi blocked Soifon's attempt to pursue.

These two weren't Hollows. And judging by their coordinated techniques and insignia, they weren't just rogue souls either.

Their embroidered constellations... Just like the squad insignias worn by the Gotei 13.

This was more than a battlefield encounter—it was a diplomatic incident.

And as the highest-ranking Soul Society representative of the Eastern Branch currently present, Shuuichi had to handle it with tact.

Even if, under different circumstances, he'd have already gone for their throats.

"You Easterners couldn't even clean up one stray Dragon we lost, and your guys died in the process. That's not on us. That's on your own lack of skill."

The pipe-smoker's smirk widened as he scanned the crowd—and zeroed in on Shuuichi.

"I see you're the one in charge."

"That so?"

Shuuichi's smile was thin and sharp as a blade.

"Gin. Escort the Thirteenth Squad out of here."

He didn't even hide the order.

The pipe-smoker's face twitched. Then he chuckled darkly.

"Youngster, I get what you're thinking. Just don't say I didn't warn you. My name is Cap Holmes, Captain of the West Branch's Development Division."

"And my partner here is Trombo Takné, Vice-Captain of the Flute Division."

"Pick a fight with us, and you're gonna regret it."

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Shuuichi's grin grew colder.

"Cap Holmes, huh? You really strung together two very loaded names, didn't you..."

He drew his Zanpakutō.

Chains shattered.

Repressed reiatsu howled outward like a storm tide breaking through its dam.

"Soul Society—Eastern Branch, Fourth Division Vice-Captain, Higashi Shuuichi—present."