Library Of Heaven's Path: Anime Art 4 Flash Step

Two figures wearing white robes over a set of black robes are standing in a dark room where the only light source is coming from a series of monitors. The monitors are displaying things like statistical data, 3-D rendered images, and live camera feeds and so on. One of these two people looked like an ordinary human, however the other figure….. not so much.

"Hey Hiyosu, would you stop grinding your d.a.m.n teeth! It's making it hard to concentrate."

"I can't help it... this job is just so boring."

The figure that spoke first was the one that looked like an ordinary human while the figure that responded looked like a pale green balloon that was inflated inside robes he was wearing.

"You think I don't find it boring too?! But what we're doing is still important none the less-"

"I know I know…. it is our duty as Shinigami to monitor the Soul Society, the Human Realm, and the flow of souls in between so that any problems that crop up can immediately be reported."

"If you know then stop grinding your d.a.m.n teeth already!" the ordinary looking human said, "d.a.m.n…. and I thought you Squad 12 guys were supposed to be intellectuals!"

"That's just our Captain Hikifune and a few others…. arghh… speaking of which I heard she captured a new type of Hollow…. Arghhhh I wish I was there to poke and prod it instead of being here."

"Hiyosu-"

"Yeah yeah…. I'll stop grinding my teeth already."

"No idiot…. look!" the ordinary looking human yelled.

The human was pointing to a section of monitoring devices where the data being displayed upon them suddenly started shifting in random extremes.

"A ma.s.sive amount of reishi particles are proceeding outwards from a central point in the hills outside of Rukongai!"

"The way they're spreading out... something is trying to break into the Soul Society!" Hiyosu declared as he examined the data even closer.

"A Hollow invasion?"

"No….. they take pre-established 'tunnels' to get here from Hueco Mundo….. this is more like something or someone trying to blast upon a new tunnel here through s.p.a.ce itself."

"s.h.i.t! I'll go alert the Captains!" the ordinary looking human yelled as he turned around seemingly intending to leave the room.

Then the data being displayed on all of the monitors suddenly returned to normal as if there as if there was no sign of this strange occurrence having happened in the first place.

"Phew….. seems like whatever was coming either failed or gave up." Hiyosu sighed as he showed off a rare look of exhaustion.

"Either way we should still report this to the cap-"

Alarms within this small chamber suddenly start blaring as an entirely different kind of data are displayed on the monitors before this ordinary person could take a step out of the room.

"Oh what the h.e.l.l now?!"

"Sensors are detecting... 2 releases of... Hollow Bait?"

"You mean those coin-shaped things used by Quincy? d.a.m.n it… I thought those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds were wiped out."

"There are still a few of them left, but you don't understand….. even if you were to activate one of those coin-shaped things in this room…. our sensors wouldn't detect it at all, but since it has it can only mean the bait used are much bigger than coins used in human currency."

"How big then d.a.m.n it?"

"In this case…. these two pieces of bait probably have the combined size of the average human skull." Hiyosu explained, "That means we're going to have a lot of visitors in a few minutes, so don't just stand there like an idiot...… go and alert the captains already!"

All of these events might have sounded like they have taken a long time to describe, but in actuality it occurred in under a few seconds. Meanwhile the man who had unwittingly started this "Hollow Invasion" is still running from them.

"I'm too exhausted…. I can barely exert any strength right now, and without any zhenqi to use the Heaven's Path Movement... I'm barely faster than any athletes back on Earth."

Zhang Xuan felt he'd be able to easily defeat one of these ant-shaped creatures based on the strength of the aura they're exuding, but he dared not to take the risk for two reasons. The first reason is that although these creatures to Zhang Xuan seem to possess the strength of a Tongxuan realm expert at minimum to Zizhun realm expert, but as this is another world where one emitting such an aura could in actuality have power equal to a Saint-realm expert back on the Master Teacher Continent given the difference in cultivation systems. Secondly, even if these things are truly as weak as they seem there are a lot of them for Zhang Xuan to deal with in his exhausted state thus ironically applying the saying "Even ants can bite an elephant to death if there are enough of them."

"d.a.m.n…. the distance between these strange demons and I is steadily decreasing." Zhang Xuan thought as he started running down a particularly large hill.

The reason for this was that the ma.s.sive size and weight of these ant-like creatures coupled with gravity allowed them to run down the hill at a much faster pace. It's obvious to Zhang Xuan that these creatures will catch up to him before he reaches the bottom of the hill.

"I am the 4-star Master Teacher Zhang Xuan charged with the duty of guiding and protecting humanity from those that seek to them harm. If humans exist in this world even if they're different from those of the Master Teacher Continent…. then that is enough to act!"

Perhaps Zhang Xuan only said these words to himself to ease his mind in the current situation, however if these were his true thoughts and if he was still on the Master Teacher Continent.... then perhaps this would have been enough for Zhang Xuan to receive the 4th acknowledgment from the heavens as a Celestial Master Teacher.

"Flaws!"

Zhang Xuan strongly hopes that these ant-shaped creatures are using some kind of movement technique as he calls upon the powers of the Library of Heaven's Path.

"No reaction…. that must mean these creatures aren't using any movement technique at all, and are just relying on the power of their physical bodies."

Zhang Xuan focuses his gaze at one of the ant creatures at the front of the pack as he pulls back his arm, and he struck the white mask-like face of this creature with his fist. With several million ding of force channeled through the use of the Heaven's Path Fist Art, a cylindrical hole is blown clean through the body of this creature.

"Good…. these creatures do indeed possess the level of strength I originally expected." Zhang Xuan thought, "I still have no intention of finishing them all off, but at least now I have confidence in being able to escape despite my current state."

The sudden easy death of one of their own stunned these ant creature, however Zhang Xuan suddenly sensed that at least a few dozen newcomers were about to arrive on the scene before he could take advantage of this opportunity.

"The Hollows are over here!"

"Hollows? Is that what these creatures are called?" Zhang Xuan thought.

Zhang Xuan turned around and saw those few dozen people wearing black robes as they run towards him or rather towards the Hollows behind him.

"Those are….. kimonos I believe... does that mean I'm back on Earth in j.a.pan? No…. given the Chinese-like culture of the Master Teacher Continent….. it's more likely this is a fantasy world with a j.a.panese-like culture."

The next thing Zhang Xuan notices is that each of these black robe wearing people are all carrying katanas or blades of similar nature at their side. Most carry what appear to be ma.s.s-produced blades while a few carry those of unique designs.

"s.h.i.t…. there's a civilian…. quickly… if someone can use shunpo and get him out of there!"

"I had better leave these things to them... until I know more about this world it's best I avoid standing out. For all I know I could end up being arrested or under investigation for having the power I do. To be low-key is best after all, and I refuse to have a reputation as a G.o.d of destruction in another world."

Unfortunately for Zhang Xuan, little did he know he'd still end being known as a G.o.d of destruction in this world. The only consolation he'd receive for this was that only a few people in this world would be able to connect his name to that t.i.tle.

"I swear….. I should have left the whole inter-division training exercise to Lil' Lisa… and just kept napping."

A shiver went up Zhang Xuan's spine while the hair on his skin stands on end for he had heard this voice come from right behind him. Even if he's currently in a state of exhaustion, his sensory ability is far superior compared to cultivators of the same level thanks to the Heaven's Path techniques and his knowledge of various professions. For someone to get behind without him noticing, it can only mean the other party completely outcla.s.ses him.

"Oh sorry… I didn't mean to scare you."

The person who snuck up on Zhang Xuan had light skin with wavy brown hair, high cheek-bones, with a pink flower-filled lady's kimono draped over the black robes that all of these other people seem to be wearing.

"Still…. this isn't exactly a good place for introductions soo…"

Zhang Xuan saw a blur around the area where this newcomer had his katana before seeing at least a dozen of these ant-like Hollows being cut in two.

"What impressive speed." Zhang Xuan thought.

Then this newcomer with a lady's kimono draped over him grabbed Zhang Xuan by the collar of his own robe before the latter saw the whole world blur around him.

"A movement technique… this person is clearly using one. I better take the chance to at least learn a little about this world... Flaws!" Zhang Xuan thought.

"Shunsui Kyōraku; Originates from the Kyōraku Family as the second son of the patriarch. Currently holds the position as Captain of the 8th Division of the Gotei 13….."

Zhang Xuan had skipped over the sections of the book about this person that the Library of Heaven's Path had created concerning personal history and opted for what he believed to be general knowledge for this world. Despite this, he only saw several unfamiliar terms with only a few of them being described with a paltry amount of details.

"Movement Technique: Shunpo (Flash Step)

Flaws;….. Any being with a physical body performing this technique would feel extreme strain that will likely result in permanent injury a.s.suming they could perform it at all."

There were of course several other flaws to this Shunsui Kyōraku's execution of this movement technique that the Library of Heaven's Path had pointed out, but this was the flaw that Zhang Xuan had focused on the most.

"Hmmm 'Any being with a physical body'? Does that only mean a soul-based being can perform this technique? That's impossible…. How could this person be a soul? I can clearly feel him grabbing my arm with my body's physical sense of touch."

Before Zhang Xuan could think any further down this line of thought, he could see that his blurry vision returned to normal as he had come to a complete stop.

"Captain Kyōraku!"

The person who had called out Zhang Xuan's rescuer was a young woman with black hair tied in a ponytail, and was wearing the same black robes that everyone else was. Other than the clear j.a.panese facial features, she reminds Zhang Xuan of the studious girls he saw in the library he worked in back on Earth.

"What's up Lil' Lisa? Did you come to join your captain for a drink?"

"That isn't the time for this captain. A squad from the 4th Division is on their way to alleviate any injuries our men takes, and a few squads from the 13th division are on our way to reinforce us."

"Good….. alright then… I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up if it gets too dangerous for our own men or if any of our reinforcements get here."

"Oh I see..... he must be one of those 'Brilliant but Lazy' types." Zhang Xuan thought.

This Captain Kyōraku immediately lies down on the gra.s.sy hill and places his arms behind his back as if intending to use them like an improvised pillow.

"Who are you?"

"Zhang Xuan…. I was just exploring some ruins and the next thing I knew I was standing in these gra.s.sy hills." Zhang Xuan said honestly since he doesn't know enough about this world to be able to come up with a convincing lie.

"Ah… it must have been an instant death for you, and you must have slipped through the cracks in the cycle of souls between here and the realm of the living since you didn't appear in the normal immigration area."

"I'm dead?!"

"Oh yeah…." Captain Kyōraku said as he turned to face Zhang Xuan without even bothering to get up off the gra.s.sy hill, "Talk about a bad way to learn about what you humans call the after-life, but welcome to the Soul Society."