BLEACH: SURVIVAL SYSTEM

This sentence shattered Abarai Renji's anger and dignity.

"I… I lost?"

He stared blankly at his hands, still in disbelief.

The Sixth Division Shinigami stood in stunned silence, unable to find the right words. They had initially believed that Akira's overwhelming strength came solely from his Zanpakutō's extraordinary abilities. However, they never expected that his Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat) would be just as formidable.

"The celebration is over. Let's go."

Byakuya Kuchiki's calm but authoritative voice cut through the tense atmosphere, putting an end to what had turned into a farcical event.

As Akira turned and left without a word, the surrounding Shinigami instinctively stepped aside, clearing a path for him. No one dared to stand in his way.

That Night

Back in his quarters, Akira sat in his private residence within the Seireitei. Since being promoted to Third Seat, his status had risen considerably, earning him his own house—complete with a small courtyard.

As he settled in, anticipation flickered in his eyes.

"Start the lottery!"

A mechanical voice echoed in his mind as the system activated.

[Congratulations, Host! You have obtained: Bamboo Dragonfly!]

A small, familiar gadget materialized before him. For a moment, Akira was dumbfounded.

"Is this… a good reward or a bad one?"

While he was surprised that even items from Doraemon could appear, this particular reward felt rather underwhelming. After all, Shinigami could already move freely in the air, making the Bamboo Dragonfly practically useless.

"Strictly speaking, this is one of the most basic future gadgets—not exactly a high-tier reward."

Akira frowned, analyzing the situation. Could it be that his current level of danger wasn't high enough to trigger better rewards?

Thinking carefully, he realized that although he had drawn attention within the Seireitei—both admiration and hostility—he had yet to reach a level where someone would outright try to eliminate him.

Even the noble clans, despite their potential resentment, wouldn't act too openly. Any revenge they planned would likely be done in secrecy, preserving their honor.

"If my survival difficulty isn't high enough… how do I raise it?"

Causing chaos in the Soul Society was out of the question. He wasn't strong enough yet, and the Gotei 13 was an organized and highly efficient military force. If he made the wrong move, he could end up dead.

That left only one alternative—

"Hueco Mundo!"

His eyes lit up.

That was it! Hueco Mundo was the perfect place to increase his danger level.

"Although Hueco Mundo is filled with terrifying Menos Grande, most of them act alone rather than in organized groups. That means I can engage in battles without the risk of being completely overwhelmed."

"And right now, since the Hōgyoku is still inside Rukia's body, Aizen hasn't created a significant number of Arrancars yet. That makes it even less dangerous than it could be."

But just as quickly as his excitement rose, a new concern surfaced.

"…How do I even get to Hueco Mundo?"

The only way to enter was through a Garganta, something an ordinary Shinigami couldn't open. Asking Urahara Kisuke for help was an option, but far too suspicious. Besides, why would Urahara even agree?

As these concerns swirled in his mind, Akira eventually drifted off to sleep.

The Next Morning

Fate, it seemed, had its own way of answering his questions.

"Third Seat Shenchen, the Captain has summoned you. There's a mission for you."

The voice belonged to Gin Miyu, who had informed him the day before. If she had been somewhat nervous then, she was even more reserved now—especially after witnessing Akira's overwhelming defeat of Renji.

Akira remained indifferent. "Lead the way."

Upon arriving at the Sixth Division's hall, he noticed several other seated officers already gathered.

However, their expressions were peculiar. Some looked at him with regret, while others barely concealed their schadenfreude.

Something was definitely off.

"Akira, this is your first mission since being promoted to a high-ranking officer," Byakuya Kuchiki stated calmly. "The Department of Research and Development has detected unusual activity in Hueco Mundo. We require a high-level Shinigami to investigate."

Akira was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. He nearly laughed in disbelief but managed to restrain himself just in time, resulting in an odd expression.

To the other officers, however, his reaction seemed reasonable.

"Heh… no wonder the third seat of the division looks so strange. Isn't this mission just an outright death sentence?"

"Hueco Mundo is incredibly dangerous. Going in alone is practically suicide. And the Four Noble Clans aren't exactly easy to deal with either."

"Even if Captain Kuchiki doesn't want to act personally, the other three noble houses will definitely get involved. This can only end one way..."

Though their expressions varied, their thoughts were surprisingly aligned.

Given Byakuya Kuchiki's nature, it was unlikely that he would abuse his authority for petty revenge. This meant the other three noble families were likely responsible for orchestrating this. The Four Noble Clans, despite being separate entities, always worked to maintain their collective status and authority. If one of them was provoked, the others would never allow the offender to go unpunished.

Even as a third seat, Akira's rank made it difficult for the nobles to act against him openly within the Seireitei. Instead, they only needed to use external forces—perhaps even the Hollows themselves—to accomplish their goal.

"You have three days to complete the mission. After that, you may return to the Soul Society," Byakuya concluded, placing a mission token in front of Akira before turning and leaving.

The other Shinigami took this as their cue to exit as well, their gazes filled with silent pity. To them, Akira was already as good as dead.

Hueco Mundo was the stronghold of their enemies. Surviving even three hours there was perilous—three days was simply unthinkable.

"Senior… please be careful."

Only Gin Miyu hesitated. She bowed deeply to Akira before departing.

Akira stared at the mission token in his hand, quickly piecing together the situation.

Byakuya may not have personally initiated this scheme, but it was clear he had tacitly allowed the other noble houses to act. After all, it was his responsibility to issue this mission.

Even though Akira's Zanpakutō abilities were impressive, his potential was not worth disrupting the stability of the Four Noble Houses.

"Fine. This works in my favor… but I won't forget the intent behind this move," he thought coldly, casting a sharp glance in the direction Byakuya had gone.

With that, he turned and made his way toward the 12th Division and the Department of Research and Development.