Of the invaders hurtling towards the Seireitei, Ichigo Kurosaki, Ganju Shiba, Uryu Ishida, and Orihime Inoue drew the most attention as their fiery descent became readily apparent to those below.
Yoruichi Shihōin, however, remained unscathed by the explosion's force. She used the chaos as cover, expertly maneuvering her way through the Seireitei, and vanishing from sight as she skillfully navigated the rooftops.
Meanwhile, in the First Division’s lieutenant's waiting room, Renji Abarai looked up sharply. Among the spiritual pressures of the invaders, he sensed one that was strangely familiar.
"Impossible!" he exclaimed, unable to mask the shock on his face.
"Just a week ago, I saw Captain Kuchiki destroy Ichigo Kurosaki's Saketsu and Hakusui. How can he still possess such potent spiritual pressure? Could another Shinigami have transferred their power to him? I have to see this for myself."
Without bothering to greet his fellow lieutenants, Renji rushed out of the waiting room towards the area where Ichigo Kurosaki had fallen.
"We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die! We're gonna die!"
Ichigo and Ganju plummeted through the air while yelling as they struggled to position themselves so the other would be their cushion upon impact. With their strength, death wasn't a concern, but the pain would be excruciating.
After a brief scuffle, Ichigo gained the upper hand and pulled Ganju beneath him.
"Damn it!" Ganju cursed under his breath.
If they had more time, he would have taught Ichigo a lesson, shown him who was boss. But with the ground rapidly approaching, Ganju abandoned that plan. Instead, he thrust out his right hand, formed a hand seal, and shouted, "Seppa!"
Ichigo and Ganju slammed into the ground; a thunderous crash that sent a wave of sand and dust soaring skyward. Sand? Yes, sand.
A crater, nearly eight meters wide, had formed where they had landed. It was filled with yellow sand.
A tuft of orange hair emerged from the sand. Ichigo spat out a mouthful of grit and frantically brushed the sand from his face. Then, he plunged his hand into the crater to pull Ganju free.
"Damn it, Ganju! What the hell did you do?!" Ichigo demanded, shaking Ganju by the collar.
At their previous velocity, they would have created a crater, but turning the ground to sand was beyond comprehension. Something must have happened before they hit the ground.
Poor Ganju, cushioned by the sand, emerged unscathed, but Ichigo’s shaking nearly knocked him unconscious. After a moment, he finally wriggled free and folded his arms across his chest and glared Ichigo down his nose.
“Hmph, you should be thanking me, Ichigo!” he declared. “If it wasn’t for me, Ganju Shiba, and my clan's secret technique, you wouldn't be standing here right now.”
“Yes, secret technique!” Ganju puffed out his chest. “It’s a technique unique to the Shiba Clan. Without Shiba blood, it's impossible to learn.”
The "Seppa" (Stone Wave) technique had been passed down through generations of the Shiba Clan. In the Soul Society, whether in the Seireitei or Hueco Mundo, everything was comprised of reishi. Even Kidō, the Shinigami’s spiritual arts, used incantations to manipulate the surrounding reishi, shaping it into attacks.
The Shiba Clan’s Seppa technique, however, could decompose anything made from reishi, turning it into sand. In theory, if one mastered Seppa, they could transform any attack directed at them into harmless sand. Sadly, no one in the Shiba Clan had achieved that level of mastery.
In contrast to the destructive Seppa, the Shiba Clan also possessed a technique for creating incredibly durable reishi barriers, a technique used in crafting their "Fireworks Cannon" projectiles.
If Seppa decomposed the Soul Society’s reishi, then these projectiles used reishi to form powerful defenses. The cannon, a treasured heirloom of the Shiba Clan, could even penetrate the Seireitei’s Shakonmaku barrier.
These two techniques were the foundation of the Shiba Clan’s strength, the reason they held the title of “Fireworks Cannon Master” and were recognized as one of the five great noble clans.
Ever since Kaien Shiba, the current head of the Shiba Clan, had become a Shinigami, the burden of inheriting and developing the Shiba Clan’s secret techniques had fallen on Kukaku and Ganju.
Seeing Ganju’s smug expression, Ichigo clicked his tongue and ignored him. He scanned the area, eventually focusing on the tallest structure within the Seireitei. That, he assumed, must be the Palace of Penitence that Yoruichi had mentioned. Shino was imprisoned there. He had come to rescue her.
Footsteps echoed from the alley. Ichigo and Ganju looked up to see a Shinigami with red hair and distinctive eyebrows approaching.
"Crap, that's a lieutenant!" Ganju exclaimed, instantly recognizing the insignia on the Shinigami’s left arm.
His brother, Kaien, was the lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division. Therefore, Ganju knew this man was equal in rank and strength to his brother. While arrogant, Ganju wasn't foolish. He knew the vast gap between his own abilities and Kaien’s. He didn't stand a chance against this lieutenant.
‘Sorry, Ichigo,’ he thought. ‘I’ll use you as a distraction while I escape. If you survive, I’ll get my brother to save you.’
These thoughts flashed through Ganju’s mind. Before Ichigo could react, he leaped out of the sand pit and charged towards the alley wall.
The walls, built from Sekkiseki, crumbled into perfectly round holes under Ganju’s assault.
Your support is the greatest encouragement for me!