Death God: Starting from Refining Essence into Qi

The temporary aid station was set up in a half-collapsed warehouse of a merchant house inside the outer ring road. The thick stone walls could barely block stray arrows and the aftershocks of the explosion.

The ground was covered with tattered canvas, densely packed with wounded death grievances. Low groans of pain mingled with rapid breathing, and the air was thick with the stench of blood and disinfectant powder.

When Shikatori Hakunsai rushed in wielding his Obana Danjiro, the Fourth Division soldiers guarding the door were nearly blown back two steps by the gust of wind he created. Upon recognizing the Eighth Division Captain and the heavily injured Fifth Division Captain, the soldiers' expressions changed drastically. They quickly stepped aside to make way and turned to shout Captain Shijima's name into the room.

Shikato Hakunsai walked briskly to the open space at the far end of the storeroom, carefully laying Obana flat on the canvas. A few drops of blood were splattered on her glasses, and her usually calm eyes were now filled with panic. Her fingertips trembled slightly; she wanted to touch Obana's chest wound but was afraid of aggravating his injury, so she hesitated to touch it.

Danjiro Obana's consciousness was already fading. His shihaka suit on the left chest had been completely pierced by a spirit bullet, and the blue lining around the hole was soaked in blood, turning it brownish-red. With each breath, fine blood foam would spill from the corner of his mouth.

His face was ashen, his lips were bluish-purple, his chest heaved weakly and rapidly, and his once bright and sharp eyes were now half-closed, making it difficult for him to even focus.

"Captain Shijima! Over here!" Shikato Hakunsai looked up and saw the gray-haired man hurrying towards him. As if grasping at a straw, he called out urgently.

Shijima Chigiri crouched down, first reaching out to check Obana's carotid artery, then lifting his blood-stained shihaka uniform to glance at the wound, seemingly unconcerned about the warm blood on his fingertips. His expression remained unchanged, still showing that tired and haggard look, only a fleeting trace of melancholy crossed his eyes.

His Zanpakuto excels at piecing together broken spiritual tissues and repairing wounds on the body's surface. As long as the spiritual body has not completely disintegrated, it can piece together and glue it back together little by little with its ability, just like a carpenter repairing rotten wood.

The bullet pierced through Danjiro Obana's left chest and penetrated deep into his lung, causing penetrating damage to the internal organs, which was beyond the capabilities of Chigiri Shishima. Forcing a response would only seal the surface wound, allowing air to remain in the lungs, but it would not be able to repair the damage inside the lungs.

"It pierced his left lung." Shijima Chigiri withdrew her hand, her voice as soft as a breeze. "My abilities cannot heal his wound."

Shikatori Hakunsai's body stiffened abruptly. She had never imagined that even the captain of the Fourth Division would say such a thing.

Danjiro Obana seemed to hear their voices, and struggled to lift his eyelids. His lips moved, his breath frothing with blood, his voice barely audible: "Have the...members of the Fifth Division...all returned?"

"They've all been safely evacuated." Lu Qubaiyunzhai quickly bent down, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "The wounded are all receiving treatment. Don't speak yet, just rest."

Obana Danjiro seemed relieved, revealing a bright smile. His eyelids drooped again, his breathing still weak, but slightly more steady than before.

Shijima Chigiri stood up and said to the Fourth Division members who were recovering their spiritual power nearby, "Have Tenshiro and Ryoki stop their treatment and come over immediately to find someone else to take charge of the wounded they are treating."

-----------------

"Kirinji Vice-Captain, Yamada Third Seat, the captain has ordered you to suspend treatment and immediately go to the innermost part of the building to find him. Captain Obana is injured."

Upon hearing this, Kirinji Tenjiro and Yamada Ryoki quickly found someone to look after the injured man and set off immediately.

"You two take turns restoring your spiritual power." Shijima Chigiri's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable determination. "I know it's very difficult to influence a captain-level spirit, but no matter what, we must protect Captain Obana's life."

"Leave it to us. I'll treat the wound first and clean the area around it. Ryoki, you recover first, and you'll take over for me later," Kirinji Tenjiro said.

The newcomer had a thin face and a spiky hairstyle with hooked ends, seemingly possessing an aesthetic that was ahead of its time. He looked like a disheveled middle-aged man, shirtless and wearing barefoot sandals; it was a mystery why someone dressed like that could be a medical staff member of the Fourth Division.

Kirinji Tenjiro drew his Zanpakuto from his waist: "Amaterasu Ikkaku, Kinbika."

In an instant, it changed shape—a wooden hot spring spoon shaped like a paddle with the character "麒麟" (qilin) ​​on the end.

Kirinji Tenjiro manipulated the Kinbika, which emitted golden light, instantly making the cramped storeroom seem as if a golden sun had risen, dazzling everyone.

The golden light of Kinbika shone on the basin of water brought by the Fourth Division soldiers, and the water temperature gradually rose, turning into hot spring water with healing effects.

This is why Kirinji Tenjiro was selected for the Fourth Division.

Zanpakuto with healing abilities due to various special mechanisms are not uncommon. For example, there are needle-type Zanpakuto that can sew up a spirit's wounds like sewing clothes, or ice-type Zanpakuto that can constrict blood vessels, inhibit bleeding, and slow the deterioration of injuries through low temperatures. In comparison, Kinpiga's ability is not particularly unusual.

Kirinji Tenjiro used his Zanpakuto Kinbika to control the flow of water to cleanse Obana Danjiro's wounds. Then, he carefully manipulated a thin stream of water into the lung wound to clean out the blood and bullet fragments, slowly healing the wound.

"The captain's spirit is too exaggerated. The healing effect is too weak. That bullet is also not simple. Even though it shattered, it still entered the captain's body. The Quincy's attack power is ridiculously strong." Kirinji Tenjiro muttered to himself.

"You all need to do your best to prevent the injuries from worsening and heal them as much as possible. I've already sent people to the noble district to find the doctors at the Shinigami Medical Center. If they still insist on treating only nobles, we can bring them here soon," said Shijima Chigiri. "They don't understand the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' (meaning they are vulnerable to attack). They should have killed more nobles and institutions that served the nobles before. The Seireitei was breached entirely because of these people."

No one responded. After all, Shishima Chigiri possessed captain-level strength, and her abilities were useful to the Seireitei. Anyone else who dared to speak up would face consequences from the nobles later, who would bring up past grievances and cost them their heads.

"Alright, I'll go treat the other wounded," Shijima Chigiri said to Shikato Hakunsai. "He won't die anytime soon. Don't stand here; the front lines need you."

Shikato Hakunsai paused for a moment, then looked down at Obana's pale but somewhat calmer profile.

She took a deep breath, wiped the blood from her glasses, and gripped the hilt of her naginata tightly again. Her eyes behind the glasses regained their usual calm, now tinged with a coldness. She glanced at Obana one last time, then turned and strode quickly out of the storeroom, disappearing back into the smoke and fire of the battlefield.