Last night, Rukia's words still echoed in Souga's mind. "Your body isn't normal. But I don't sense any malice." No malice—that single phrase kept catching on something inside Souga. It should have been a frightening thing to hear, yet somehow it made him feel a little lighter. The afternoon sun was pale, and gray-tinged clouds stretched across the sky. The three of them walked northward in silence. They passed through residential streets, the roads narrowing until the smell of rust drifted toward them. "[serious]This is the northern district of Karakura Town—the abandoned factory zone" Rukia spoke without turning around. The ruins of the abandoned factories were worse than Souga had imagined. Touei Heavy Industries Karakura Factory—the name of the building that once stood here was barely legible on a rusted sign. Concrete walls were cracked, exposed steel beams pointing toward the sky. Grass covered the ground, and somewhere metal sang in the wind. Souga looked around. That thi