Fantasy Library, Ch 271-275

AN: Hi, just a little note that I changed the name of Kaiser's zanpakuto from Heavenly Crown King to Crown of Heavens

-----

Chapter 271: Urgent Action

Why would Kaiser know so much?

This was the first thought that surfaced in the minds of the Captains.

But the moment they recalled Kaiser's figure surrounded by countless Zanpakutō, the ease with which he suppressed Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto—the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years—and how even Sōsuke Aizen, who had manipulated everyone like pawns, could do nothing against him, failing to even block his retreat using Negación, they all suppressed their doubts.

No matter why Kaiser knew so much, or how he saw through Sōsuke Aizen’s schemes, he was currently an ally on the same side.

In that case, there was no need to pursue those matters too deeply. Otherwise, it would only cause division and negatively affect the future confrontation with Sōsuke Aizen.

More importantly, Kaiser was too powerful. Stronger than even Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the Captain Commander. None of them wanted to force him into becoming an enemy.

That would be far too terrifying. Completely unnecessary.

“If Aizen’s target is the Soul King, then he must be thinking of a way to reach the Soul King Palace, right?”

Shunsui Kyōraku was the first to speak, drawing everyone’s attention to this matter.

“Trying to reach the Soul King Palace is no easy task.”

Jūshirō Ukitake, seemingly reminded of something, wore a complicated expression in his eyes.

“To reach the Soul King Palace, one must first obtain the Ōken.”

Retsu Unohana stated this in a calm tone.

The Ōken refers to the key used to open the Soul King Palace.

There are seventy-two barriers between the Soul King Palace and Seireitei, which almost no one can force their way through.

Only by using the Ōken can one break through the countless barriers and reach the Soul King Palace.

In that case, for Sōsuke Aizen to reach the Soul King Palace, he must first obtain the Ōken.

“Then Aizen’s next move should be figuring out how to create the Ōken, right?”

Mayuri Kurotsuchi, seemingly interested in the topic, revealed the side of a mad scientist.

“So, what’s needed to create that so-called Ōken?”

Kenpachi Zaraki frowned and asked this question.

The one who answered was Byakuya Kuchiki.

“To create the Ōken, one needs a hundred thousand souls, as well as a Concentrated Spirit Zone with a one-spiritual ri,” Byakuya Kuchiki suddenly said. “This is a condition recorded in an ancient text passed down by the Kuchiki Clan.”

The Four Great Noble Clans were close retainers of the Soul King and had once assisted him. It's only natural they had records related to the Ōken needed to reach the Soul King Palace.

“It actually requires the use of a Concentrated Spirit Zone?”

Sajin Komamura’s face changed on the spot.

Concentrated Spirit Zone zones refer to spiritually significant areas or special locations in the Human World.

These spiritually significant places shift over time and are the most likely places in the Human World to attract spiritual phenomena and possess high levels of Reishi.

To create the Ōken, one must not only use the Concentrated Spirit Zone zone as the ritual site, but also require a full hundred thousand souls.

These hundred thousand souls, naturally, would serve as sacrifices for the ritual and as material for creating the Ōken.

If Sōsuke Aizen wants to create the Ōken, then what he needs to do next is to locate a Concentrated Spirit Zone in the Human World and gather one hundred thousand souls to use as sacrifices.

This is undoubtedly a great atrocity, and one that could very well disrupt the balance of the Three Worlds.

The very existence of a Concentrated Spirit Zone is closely tied to the order of the Human World. If anything goes wrong in such a place, the Human World may undergo upheaval, which would in turn affect the stability of the Soul Society.

And once the Soul Society becomes unstable, if Sōsuke Aizen attacks, it would make things much easier for him.

At that point, even if the Gotei 13 wanted to stop Sōsuke Aizen from heading to the Soul King Palace, it would become much more difficult.

This was a plan that killed two birds with one stone!

“Concentrated Spirit Zone…”

Not knowing what she recalled, Suì-Fēng began muttering to herself.

“What is it, Captain Suì-Fēng?”

Shunsui Kyōraku keenly picked up on this and immediately asked.

Suì-Fēng glanced at him, hesitated a moment, then voiced what she had just thought of.

“Those Ryoka all came from a city called Karakura Town, which seems to be the current Concentrated Spirit Zone.”

At these words, everyone fell silent.

“Looks like Aizen doesn’t even need to gather a hundred thousand souls,” Kaiser said indifferently. “The Concentrated Spirit Zone he needs is already a city full of living people.”

“One hundred thousand souls—he can just gather them on the spot.”

This was simply a natural advantage.

However, for the Gotei 13, this was an enormous piece of bad news.

Moreover, Kaiser knew that Suì-Fēng hadn’t told the others one more thing.

That is, besides being the residence of Ichigo Kurosaki and others, Karakura Town was also the long-time base in the Human World for Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin.

Even those Captains and Lieutenants involved in the Hollowfication experiment over a hundred years ago were now hiding in Karakura Town.

Even more, the long-missing Isshin Shiba had also concealed himself there.

Over twenty years ago, Isshin Shiba was ambushed by Sōsuke Aizen in the Human World. By a twist of fate, he was saved, and also lost his Shinigami powers, later changing his name to Isshin Kurosaki and fathering Ichigo Kurosaki—the protagonist of the original story—in Karakura Town.

One could say that Karakura Town had already become a very special place, and it would only become more so from here.

“Bang!”

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto heavily struck his wooden staff and declared with an unquestionable tone:

“Aizen must not be allowed to succeed!”

This was no longer just about betraying the Gotei 13, scheming against various important individuals, and participating in forbidden experiments. It was now a matter of threatening the balance of the Three Worlds, the Soul Society, and even the Soul King himself in the Soul King Palace.

If Sōsuke Aizen succeeded, it would be a disaster for the Three Worlds.

“The operation to eliminate Sōsuke Aizen must commence immediately!”

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto listed this as the highest priority.

The problem was...

“How should we eliminate and stop Aizen?” Jūshirō Ukitake said gravely. “He’s neither in the Soul Society nor in the Human World right now—he’s in Hueco Mundo, right?”

As the name implies, this is the place where Hollows reside.

It lies in the space between the Human World and the Soul Society, the final realm of the Three Worlds beyond the Human World and Soul Society. Its environment differs greatly from the Soul Society, with no streets or buildings like in the Human World—only a barren white desert-like land with quartz-like withered trees scattered about. It is eternally night, and even the moon is in the opposite position from the Human World.

Due to its harsh environment and unique location, the Soul Society cannot monitor activities in Hueco Mundo. If a Shinigami enters, they will most likely lose contact and it will be very difficult for the Soul Society to rescue them.

“That’s exactly why Aizen chose to take refuge there, fleeing to Hueco Mundo, right?”

Sajin Komamura said this as he clenched his fists.

“No, I don’t think Aizen is using Hueco Mundo just as a retreat.” Shunsui Kyōraku recalled what happened that day and shook his head. “He was rescued by Menos Grande using a Negación, which means he has deep ties with the Menos Grande in Hueco Mundo.”

“Perhaps Hueco Mundo is Aizen’s actual base, and the Soul Society was merely the stage he used to carry out his goals.”

Hearing this, the Captains all grew serious.

“No wonder Aizen was able to stay hidden for so many years.”

“His Zanpakutō... While Kyōka Suigetsu’s ability to manipulate perception allowed him to hide his true face, the fact that he didn’t leave any trace or flaws likely owes much to using Hueco Mundo as his base.”

“So, most of the shady and risky things he did—were they all carried out in Hueco Mundo?”

“Clearly, that’s a logical guess. Otherwise, where else could he get so many Hollows to experiment on?”

“The experiment to Hollowfy Shinigami could be done in the Soul Society, but to Shinigamify Hollows—the reverse—could only be done in Hueco Mundo, right?”

“What a man... Aizen…”

The Captains began discussing heatedly. The more clearly they understood Sōsuke Aizen’s true nature, the more fearful and hateful they became of him.

“So, we’re going to attack Hueco Mundo next, right?”

Kenpachi Zaraki locked onto the key point, grinned, and revealed his fierce battle intent.

He didn’t care about all the subtleties—he just wanted a fight.

An assault on Hueco Mundo was without a doubt something that thrilled Kenpachi Zaraki and made his blood boil.

That place was the habitat of almost all Hollows. Regular Hollows were everywhere, and Menos Grande were abundant.

Gillian were as common as dogs, Adjuchas roamed everywhere, and even the terrifying Vasto Lorde—stronger than Captain-level Shinigami and capable of destroying the entire Soul Society with just ten of them—frequented the area.

Just thinking about this made Kenpachi Zaraki eager to charge into battle.

“Hueco Mundo…”

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s aged eyes gleamed as he said solemnly:

“Even if we must march to Hueco Mundo, we cannot deploy en masse.”

“The Soul Society and Human World still need to be guarded and protected. We cannot give Aizen any opportunity to exploit.”

“We must discuss the specific course of action here and now.”

“We must devise a concrete strategy as quickly as possible. Otherwise…”

Otherwise, each day of delay will hand Sōsuke Aizen that much more of an advantage.

Time is not on the side of the Gotei 13. It’s on Aizen’s.

Once he fuses with the Hōgyoku, ascends to an even higher realm, and fully prepares to create the Ōken, the Soul Society will be put in an extremely passive position.

Even Kaiser didn’t want to give Sōsuke Aizen too much preparation time.

There was no choice. That man’s intellect and cunning were simply too terrifying. The more time he had, the more terrifying his schemes could become.

At the very least, he would definitely target Kaiser.

If given too much time, Kaiser might very well fall into one of his traps and die.

And so, the Captains began intense discussions, and a course of action gradually began to take shape…

Chapter 272: Don’t Let Me Down

A single meeting lasted from morning until dusk, only ending after receiving permission from Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

Bathed in the glow of the setting sun, one Captain after another exited the Captain’s Meeting Room—some returned to their Division barracks, others headed to the General Relief Station to continue receiving treatment.

After all, they were still injured. Until those injuries were fully healed, no important operations could be launched.

Therefore, under the strict order of Retsu Unohana, the most heavily wounded Captains had no choice but to return to the General Relief Station for continued treatment—including Kenpachi Zaraki, whose excitement had caused his wounds to reopen and his entire body to start gushing blood.

As for Kaiser, among all the Captains—aside from Retsu Unohana and Mayuri Kurotsuchi—he was the only one without any injuries. However, he didn’t leave the Division 1 barracks immediately. Instead, he was retained by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

“Please enjoy.”

Inside the Captain Commander’s Office of Division 1, Chōjirō Sasakibe sat beside the low tea table, respectfully pouring tea for Kaiser and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto who sat opposite each other.

Looking at the properly seated Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto on the left, and Kaiser, who sat cross-legged directly on the floor in a casual manner, Chōjirō Sasakibe was briefly reminded of the scene from when Kaiser was about to assume the position of Division 3 Captain.

At that time, Kaiser had also sat like this—very casually—across from Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

Even though he had only just graduated from the Shin'ō Academy, having studied there for merely half a year, and even though his total age—before and after death—had yet to reach eighteen, this young man had shown no nervousness or formality whatsoever when facing the strongest and oldest Shinigami in the current Soul Society. His etiquette had been so lax that even Chōjirō Sasakibe had furrowed his brows back then.

Now, decades had passed.

This amount of time might be long for a human, but for a Shinigami, it wasn’t much. For some long-lived Captain-class Shinigami, it could even be considered short.

Chōjirō Sasakibe was precisely the kind of Shinigami who would think so.

Because he had been by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s side for a full two thousand years.

Yes, two thousand years ago, Chōjirō Sasakibe had already been following Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. His experience as a Shinigami even exceeded that of any current Captain.

In his eyes, a few decades was far too short—not even equal to a single year in human terms.

Yet it was in such a short span of time that someone stronger than the Captain Commander he had followed, respected, and revered all these years had emerged.

This young and powerful Shinigami once again sat cross-legged before Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, and Chōjirō Sasakibe could no longer even entertain the thought of “impropriety.”

Instead, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto himself behaved as if nothing unusual had happened, his demeanor completely unchanged.

“I plan to appoint Tōshirō Hitsugaya as the Captain of Division 10.”

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto opened with this statement, prompting Kaiser to raise an eyebrow.

“Lieutenant Hitsugaya indeed qualifies to become a Captain,” Kaiser acknowledged first, then said, “But this isn’t something you need to consult me about, is it?”

The methods for becoming a Captain had already been explained—there were only three.

And based on Tōshirō Hitsugaya’s strength, no matter which method he chose, he could successfully become a Captain.

As long as Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had no objections, the inauguration ceremony could even be scheduled for just a few days later.

Though Kaiser was the Captain of Division 3, he was only the Captain of Division 3—not the Captain Commander, and certainly not Tōshirō Hitsugaya’s superior. There was no reason to come consult him just because Tōshirō Hitsugaya was becoming a Captain, right?

While Kaiser was thinking this, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto calmly said:

“Though he is not your subordinate, he did grow under your guidance, so I want to know your stance.”

At this, Kaiser couldn’t help but chuckle.

“That’s too much. Though I’ve guided him before, it’s not enough to say he grew up under my guidance.”

Strictly speaking, Kaiser had only guided Tōshirō Hitsugaya twice.

The first time was when Hitsugaya was still enrolled in the Shin'ō Academy.

Back then, it was Momo Hinamori who pulled Kaiser along to watch Hitsugaya. When Kaiser saw him trying to master Shikai, he casually gave him some pointers.

The second time was when Hitsugaya lost to Gin Ichimaru and was trying to better control Hyōrinmaru’s power.

That time, Kaiser simply sparred with him, demonstrated the proper use of Hyōrinmaru, and gave him a direction afterward—suggesting he try communicating with Hyōrinmaru.

So, while Kaiser had indeed guided Hitsugaya, it was far from being a case of nurturing him.

Surely Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto knew this?

Or perhaps, he knew it full well but was hinting at something for another reason?

Like... discovering that Kaiser also possessed a Hyōrinmaru?

Kaiser couldn’t help but fall into thought.

“So you have no objection to Tōshirō Hitsugaya becoming the Captain of Division 10?”

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto lifted his eyes and asked.

“Of course.” Seeing that Genryūsai didn’t seem to have discovered anything, Kaiser nodded and said, “Though Lieutenant Hitsugaya is still young…”

At those words, Kaiser noticed that both Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and Chōjirō Sasakibe showed subtle expressions.

This made him twitch his lips slightly and cough.

“Let’s not talk about my age—just say whether or not he’s young.”

At this, although Genryūsai and Sasakibe still wore strange expressions, they both nodded.

Excluding Kaiser, the anomaly, Tōshirō Hitsugaya was indeed among the very young generation of Shinigami.

At just over a hundred years old, for Shinigami who often lived several centuries or even millennia, he was, like his appearance, undoubtedly still a child.

As long as one didn’t compare him to Kaiser, not only was Hitsugaya young compared to Captain-class Shinigami—even when compared to ordinary Shinigami, he was excessively young.

“Young as he may be, Lieutenant Hitsugaya’s strength is quite impressive. Compared to before, he’s also achieved deeper control over his Bankai.”

Recalling the scene where Hitsugaya attacked Sōsuke Aizen with his Bankai, Kaiser nodded to himself.

Though Hitsugaya had been swiftly defeated by Sōsuke Aizen, that was because Aizen was too strong—not because Hitsugaya was too weak.

At the very least, Kaiser had noticed that Hitsugaya’s control over Hyōrinmaru had risen to another level, and his use of Bankai had begun to mature.

Previously, if he used Bankai, Hitsugaya would definitely charge in with his sword. But now, he opened with an Ice/Snow-type attack.

To be honest, watching Hitsugaya using his Bankai just to rush in and slash people always made Kaiser lose composure a bit.

As the strongest Ice/Snow-type Zanpakutō, Hyōrinmaru’s ability was clear: manipulating weather and freezing moisture in the air.

From any angle, Hyōrinmaru was a ranged, spell-based weapon—but Hitsugaya had forced it into close-range white blade combat. It was like making the Giant of Light use a Happy-type form to break horns off.

Hitsugaya seemed to have slowly realized this too, and was gradually changing his combat style. That was a good thing.

“Though he’s still a little inexperienced, he’s definitely a genuine Captain-level Shinigami now. Letting him become a Captain earlier is a good move.”

By contrast, Renji Abarai didn’t quite measure up.

His Bankai was still incomplete, and his strength was insufficient. Without using Bankai, he was still at Lieutenant level. Unless something special happened, it was still too early for him to become a Captain.

Clearly, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto thought the same, since he hadn’t even mentioned Renji Abarai, despite him having achieved Bankai. Evidently, he still felt Renji wasn’t ready for the responsibilities of a Captain.

“In that case, before launching the operation against Sōsuke Aizen, let Tōshirō Hitsugaya officially take the position of Captain of Division 10.”

After finalizing this matter, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto finally looked at Kaiser with a solemn expression.

“When did you first suspect Aizen?”

So this was the real topic for today?

Kaiser thought so and didn’t hide anything.

“From the beginning.” Holding his hot tea, Kaiser took a sip and said, “Ever since I met him, I knew—this man was no ordinary person.”

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto immediately recalled the matter of Kaiser being able to partially see through the hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu, and suddenly realized something.

He had assumed that Kaiser had only noticed Aizen’s problem after uncovering the hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu.

Little did he know, Kaiser had the advantage of foreknowledge—he already knew Aizen’s true face before even arriving in this world.

“This time, it was our misstep.” Genryūsai looked at Kaiser and said, “Though what you did may have been a bit extreme, it was all correct.”

“I wish to apologize for previously misunderstanding you.”

With those words, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto actually bowed his head and apologized to Kaiser.

“G-Genryūsai-sama...!?”

Chōjirō Sasakibe was instantly shocked.

Even Kaiser hadn’t expected Genryūsai to do that. After a moment of surprise, he finally said:

“You really didn’t have to do that.”

To this, Genryūsai simply shook his head.

“I’m already old. Sooner or later, this Soul Society must be entrusted to your generation—to be protected by you.” Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto said, “You are someone I hold in special regard. Everything you’ve shown in this incident far exceeded my expectations. I’m truly gratified.”

“Perhaps it’s time for me to step aside and make way for the younger generation.”

“I hope… you don’t let me down.”

Chapter 273: How Could I Possibly Disdain the Weak

The sky gradually darkened, letting night descend upon Seireitei, casting it into darkness.

This time, there were no Ryoka rampaging through Seireitei, nor were there Shinigami holding torches wandering everywhere searching for people. So tonight’s Seireitei was not bright. Even though some buildings gave off light from within, that light was not especially bright, making the stars in the night sky appear all the more brilliant.

Walking out from the Captain Commander’s office, Kaiser walked forward while hesitantly muttering to himself.

“What did the Captain Commander mean by those words?”

What did he mean by saying it’s time to make way for the younger generation?

What did he mean by saying don’t let him down?

“Could it be… he’s planning to retire?”

Kaiser had that sort of feeling.

“Well, speaking of age, the Captain Commander really should consider retiring.”

As the oldest living Shinigami in the current Soul Society, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had been active on the stage since over two thousand years ago. No matter how powerful and long-lived he was, now he already looked like an old man nearing the end of his life. He really should consider retirement.

The Gotei 13 was founded by him, and his tenure had been the longest. The other Captains and even Lieutenants of various Divisions had retired in batches—such as the former Captain of Division 6, and the former Lieutenant Chikane Iba. Their ages were far younger than Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, yet he, who was much older than them, had remained in office all this time. It truly seemed somewhat improper.

Yet Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had never shown any intention of retiring. On the contrary, he carried the momentum of being ready to fight for another thousand years for the Soul Society. No one had ever believed he would retire.

Even in the original story, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto never showed the slightest inclination to retire. It wasn’t until his death in battle that Shunsui Kyōraku succeeded him as Captain Commander. But now, he had suddenly expressed such thoughts—what could that mean?

“Could it be because of me?”

Kaiser began to wonder if it was because he had defeated Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto in an open battle that the old man had started to feel he was truly too old and should step down.

In fact, in that fight with Kaiser—if Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had just a bit more stamina, and if Kaiser hadn’t used abilities from Crown of Heavens or other exclusive weapons against him, the result might not have been so easily decided.

With the defense of Blade Array Matrix, Kaiser naturally wasn’t afraid of Ryūjin Jakka. No matter how long they fought, he was confident he wouldn’t lose. But to defeat a full-strength Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto without borrowing the power of other exclusive weapons would definitely require time and effort.

If Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had dared to go all out and use his Bankai, then with the power of Ryūjin Jakka’s Bankai, even Blade Array Matrix might have been broken.

So, Kaiser didn’t know what others thought, but he himself felt that Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, aside from a lack of stamina, was still at his peak in every other aspect. Even if he couldn’t do another thousand years, staying as Captain Commander for another two or three hundred years would still be a breeze.

“Forget it. This isn’t something I can control anyway.”

Thinking this, Kaiser shook his head and pushed the matter aside.

Whether or not Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto retired, whether or not he planned to step down, none of that had anything to do with him.

As long as the person who took over his position wasn’t an archrival who would hinder him, Kaiser didn’t care.

“It’s not like they’re going to push me into the Captain Commander seat, right?” Kaiser muttered. “I’m the youngest in the entire Gotei 13, the literal baby of the corps.”

Even that kid-looking Tōshirō Hitsugaya was older than him (in age). How could he possibly become Captain Commander and lead the entire Gotei 13?

Not to mention, his age alone was a hard flaw to overcome. It would be difficult to win people’s support.

Of course, if going by strength alone, Kaiser didn’t feel unqualified.

“Captain!”

While Kaiser was walking forward and letting his thoughts run wild, a familiar voice pulled him back.

“Momo.”

Kaiser came back to his senses and looked at Momo Hinamori, who was jogging toward him, and couldn’t help but smile.

“You’re finally out, Captain.” Momo Hinamori let out a sigh of relief and patted her chest. “I thought something had happened.”

“What could’ve happened?” Kaiser smiled and continued walking forward. “It was just a chat with the Captain Commander. What could’ve happened?”

“But you… were you waiting here the whole time?”

“I think I told you—if it takes too long, you can go back to the Division barracks first, right?”

When Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto summoned all the Captains to the meeting, not only did all the Captains attend, some even brought their Lieutenants.

Of course, there weren’t many who brought their Lieutenants. Only Kaiser, Retsu Unohana, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi brought theirs. The other Captains didn’t bring any.

There was no helping it. In the previous encounter with Sōsuke Aizen, the Vice-Captains of each Division had mostly been present. Whether they had participated directly or were caught in the crossfire, they had all been severely wounded.

Especially Renji Abarai—he was clearly just a Lieutenant, yet he joined the Captains in battle. As a result, he got completely wrecked and was the most heavily injured. If he hadn’t activated his Bankai and boosted his Reiatsu to endure a lot of the damage, he might have been killed on the spot.

Naturally, such Lieutenants couldn’t attend the meeting. They were all recovering in the General Relief Station. Only Momo Hinamori, Isane Kotetsu, and Nemu Kurotsuchi had escaped unscathed and were able to accompany their Captains to Division 1.

Isane Kotetsu had been with Retsu Unohana at the time and hadn’t been on-site. Nemu, like the reclusive Mayuri Kurotsuchi, had stayed in Division 12’s barracks. Momo Hinamori had been present, but whether Sōsuke Aizen had done so intentionally or not, Momo Hinamori had barely been harmed.

Thinking back on what happened after breaking the Negacion that day, Kaiser had reason to suspect that Sōsuke Aizen had deliberately avoided touching Momo Hinamori in preparation for an emergency fallback.

Because, in the original story, Sōsuke Aizen had used Momo Hinamori more than once—causing Tōshirō Hitsugaya, under the hypnosis of Kyōka Suigetsu, to nearly kill Momo Hinamori, completely breaking his spirit and opening him to a devastating mental blow.

Thinking about that, Kaiser had every reason to suspect that Sōsuke Aizen intended to use the same method against him.

Unaware of what Kaiser was thinking, Momo Hinamori followed behind him, looking at the figure draped in the Haori marked with “3,” and softly said:

“I don’t want to wait for you in the barracks anymore.”

Hearing this, Kaiser’s steps paused slightly.

“Captain…” Momo Hinamori stopped as well and said faintly, “Why did you leave me alone in the barracks that day?”

“…Why else?” Kaiser continued walking and said as he walked, “I was going to confront Aizen—how could I possibly bring you with me?”

“Was it because you were afraid I’d hold you back?” Momo Hinamori hurried to catch up, her expression dimming. “I know Captain Aizen is a terrifying person. It’s normal not to want to bring a burden in that situation.”

“But I… I…”

Recalling how she had woken up in the barracks only to receive news that Kaiser had been declared a fugitive, surrounded by the Captains of the Gotei 13, and even Division 3 was under surveillance, Momo Hinamori felt an indescribable frustration.

If only she had been stronger…

“If only I were stronger, maybe I could’ve kept up with you and acted together,” Kaiser suddenly said, “Isn’t that what you were thinking?”

Momo Hinamori froze, as if she hadn’t expected her innermost thoughts to be exposed.

In that moment, Kaiser continued walking and spoke without looking back.

“Let me make it clear—no matter how strong you were, in that situation, I would never have brought you along.” Kaiser’s tone was calm as he spoke. “Kyōka Suigetsu’s ability is terrifying. Even I was affected by it. Let alone you.”

“Unless you could completely avoid Kyōka Suigetsu’s influence, only then would I consider bringing you.”

“Otherwise, the result of bringing you might be me striking Aizen—only to have my blade land on you. Or worse, you, trying to help me, might pierce my heart with your Zanpakutō, letting me die in your arms.”

“Is that what you want to see?”

Upon hearing that, Momo Hinamori shuddered violently. A chill ran up her spine.

Just imagining herself piercing Kaiser’s heart and causing him to die in her arms filled her with dread.

“Now do you understand?” Kaiser sighed and said, “So this has nothing to do with your strength. In order to avoid being toyed with by Aizen, and to prevent such a horrifying outcome, I had to go alone.”

“If you start pitying yourself over this, then I’ll really be disappointed in you, you know?”

Momo Hinamori immediately lowered her head in shame.

“I’m sorry, Captain. I thought it was because you disliked how weak I was…”

Momo Hinamori was ashamed of her own immaturity.

“If I looked down on people for their strength, I doubt anyone in the Gotei 13 would escape my disdain.” Kaiser said with a wry smile, “Besides, I climbed up from weakness myself—how could I possibly disdain the weak?”

“You, don’t overthink things, alright?”

Kaiser’s words dispelled the shame and self-doubt in Momo Hinamori’s heart.

“Yes, Captain.”

Momo Hinamori replied in a small voice, then smiled silently. She reached out and grasped the edge of Kaiser’s uniform, catching up to his pace.

Feeling the gentle tug from behind, Kaiser smiled silently too, and kept walking forward.

Within Seireitei, the darkness lingered—but it wasn’t cold. On the contrary, there was a faint sense of warmth.

Chapter 274: The Man Marked with a Number

In the time that followed, the Gotei 13 did not immediately launch a large-scale operation but instead focused on organizing the affairs within Seireitei.

The Central 46 had been completely wiped out. The forty sages and six adjudicators all needed to be reselected, but this was a matter for the Noble Clans—it had nothing to do with the Gotei 13. What the Gotei 13 needed to do was handle the various troubles caused by the vacancy of the Central 46, and at the same time carry out repairs within Seireitei.

Due to this catastrophe, many buildings in Seireitei had been damaged. The Sōkyoku Hill had completely collapsed, and not to mention that in order to break the Negacion, Kaiser had cleaved all of Seireitei into two halves—these all needed to be rebuilt.

Many areas had even turned into complete ruins. Even if they weren’t rebuilt, the ruins would at least have to be cleared away; otherwise, they would affect the environment and the operation of Seireitei.

Of course, these were all minor matters. Once the Captains and Lieutenants of each Division were discharged after recovering from their injuries, with their direct involvement, the work would surely progress smoothly. The real trouble was the rift cleaved by Kaiser—it was unfathomably deep, like an abyss, and the crack was so wide that it was nearly impossible to fill.

With no other choice, the Gotei 13 could only repair the outer walls of Seireitei, and as for the abyss that split Seireitei in two, they simply left it as it was, building bridges across the chasm to reconnect the divided Seireitei.

This made many Shinigami gain a deeper sense of Kaiser’s power, and private discussions about him became even more frequent. Some gossipmongers even revealed that he had defeated Captain Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, causing Kaiser’s reputation to grow to an unprecedented height during this period.

Under such circumstances, the title of the oldest Shinigami within the Gotei 13 still belonged to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, but the title of strongest Shinigami had silently shifted to Kaiser.

After hearing of this, many Captains realized that Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto might be deliberately fanning the flames behind the scenes, allowing the rumors to spread. This made all of them start speculating wildly.

As the central figure of all the talk, Kaiser also experienced significant changes in his surroundings.

First, he noticed that wherever he went, people looked at him with admiration and awe, and the respect shown to him had risen by at least two levels compared to before.

Second, the members of Division 3 walked outside with a newfound sense of pride and confidence, holding their heads high, feeling honored—no matter where they went, they were the center of attention.

Even students in the Shin'ō Academy began proclaiming that they wanted to join Division 3 after graduation. The Academy’s headmaster even replaced his statue with a larger, more luxurious one and had his deeds written into books to be used as teaching materials.

As for the Division 1 members, whenever they saw him, they showed a mix of resentment and awe—their expressions were extremely complicated.

In short, he became more eye-catching than before and more awe-inspiring than before.

Even the once-arrogant Noble Clans bowed their heads low upon seeing him, as if they wanted to bury their faces in the ground—even members of the Four Great Noble Clans behaved this way.

The Kidō Corps, after hearing he could cast Hadō #91 without an Incantation, sent people to approach him more than once, hoping he would come teach in the Corps. The Onmitsukidō no longer dared to wander around him or openly monitor him, knowing full well that his Shunpo exceeded even that of their Commander.

Like this, changes happened silently, and they happened quickly—so quickly that even Kaiser felt as though he was on the verge of dominating the entire Soul Society.

However, Kaiser did not change anything because of these developments. What he was before, he remained now.

He went to the General Relief Station to visit Renji Abarai, Izuru Kira, and others, and even went to check on Rukia. Unexpectedly, he found that Byakuya Kuchiki had also gone to visit Rukia. The two seemed to have had a long conversation, and afterward, their relationship visibly improved—as if only now did they truly become siblings.

“That ice-face must’ve told her the truth, right?”

Kaiser quickly figured out what had happened.

Byakuya Kuchiki had always hidden one thing: that Rukia was actually the younger sister of his deceased wife.

He had claimed he took Rukia as his adoptive sister because she resembled his late wife. But in truth, the reason he adopted her was because of his wife’s final wish.

When Rukia was young, due to the harshness of life, her sister had abandoned her. Only after marrying into the Kuchiki Clan did she begin searching for Rukia, but she died of illness before finding her. She entrusted that wish to her husband and asked him to fulfill it on her behalf.

So, when Byakuya Kuchiki discovered Rukia in the Shin'ō Academy—who looked nearly identical to his late wife—he immediately realized her identity and decided to adopt her.

Naturally, this stirred immense dissatisfaction within the Kuchiki Clan.

As the leader of the Four Great Noble Clans, the status of the Kuchiki Clan needed no elaboration. And as the most outstanding heir in the clan’s history, Byakuya Kuchiki had no reason to marry or adopt anyone from the Rukongai slums.

Yet for the sake of his wife and her abandoned sister, Byakuya Kuchiki defied the family rules twice—marrying Rukia’s sister and adopting Rukia. The repercussions of this were easy to imagine.

Therefore, Byakuya Kuchiki once swore to his grandfather that he would never again violate the rules, that he would become a proper head of the Kuchiki Clan and a model for all Shinigami—only then did he suppress the numerous objections and dissent.

This was why Byakuya Kuchiki did not plead for Rukia this time.

He no longer dared to break the rules or go against order. Even if it pained him, he had to follow the judgment of the Central 46 and allow Rukia to be sentenced to death.

Now that the truth was revealed—that everything had been orchestrated by Sōsuke Aizen—Rukia naturally had no reason to be executed. So Byakuya Kuchiki finally explained everything and told her the truth.

“You should’ve done that from the beginning.”

After leaving behind such a comment, Kaiser turned and walked away.

As for Rukia, Renji Abarai and Byakuya Kuchiki could concern themselves with her—he didn’t want to spoil the moment.

Later, he took some time to check on Ichigo Kurosaki and his friends, but he didn’t stay long, nor did he try to form a close relationship—after a few words of concern, he left.

He wasn’t close with Ichigo Kurosaki—they had merely fought once. He wasn’t particularly familiar with Ichigo’s father either, so there was no need to pretend otherwise.

Ichigo Kurosaki and his companions would soon leave the Soul Society and return to the World of the Living, which might trigger a new wave of unrest.

Kaiser had no interest in meddling with Ichigo’s affairs. He just wanted to wait until Sōsuke Aizen returned or until the Gotei 13 recovered enough to officially launch their assault on Hueco Mundo and Aizen.

Later on, Tōshirō Hitsugaya officially assumed the position of Captain of Division 10, and Rangiku Matsumoto resumed her role as Lieutenant, filling the vacancy left by Gin Ichimaru’s betrayal of the Soul Society and stabilizing the situation in Division 10.

As for Division 5 and Division 9, their Captain seats remained vacant.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had wanted to quickly fill those two posts so that the Gotei 13 could return to full strength to face Sōsuke Aizen, but without suitable candidates, there was nothing he could do.

Renji Abarai had achieved an incomplete Bankai, but his strength still fell short of true Captain level. The rest of the Shinigami were even less qualified to take on the role—unless someone deliberately hiding their strength stepped forward to expose themselves, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto would rather leave the seats empty than appoint the unworthy.

Thus, in the end, the Captain positions for Division 5 and Division 9 remained vacant. Even after Ichigo Kurosaki and the others returned to the World of the Living and some time had passed, no suitable candidates had been found.

Just as the Soul Society was busy with preparations, the situation finally changed…

……

World of the Living, Karakura Town.

This was a modern town—not too big, but not too small either. It couldn’t be called prosperous, as there weren’t skyscrapers everywhere, but it couldn’t be considered backward either. It was filled with residences and seemed livelier than the Soul Society.

Unfortunately, the people living here were unaware that their town had already become the center of a massive storm.

In recent times, the Soul Society had been paying close attention to this town, even secretly stationing many powerful Shinigami here in case of any incoming chaos.

On this day, in a corner of Karakura Town, space was torn open.

A Garganta appeared, and several figures slowly stepped out from within.

“So this is Karakura Town?”

A man with a wildly arrogant demeanor and immeasurable pride was the first to speak.

He had spiky light blue hair and sky-blue eyes, several bangs hanging over his forehead, teal eye shadow markings on his face, a strong build, a jagged fragment of a Hollow mask on his right cheek, and a black hollow hole in his abdomen. On the lower right of his back, the number “6” was tattooed. His appearance was rather intimidating.

“Doesn’t look like much. Is this really the Concentrated Spirit Zone zone Lord Aizen chose?”

A large, dark-skinned man with black hair, four oddly shaped protrusions on his head, symmetrical red markings on both cheeks, and a jawbone-shaped mask on his chin grunted disdainfully. He had a black hollow hole in the center of his chest and the number “10” tattooed on his left shoulder.

“Begin the operation.”

A man with short black spiky hair and green eyes, pale skin, and distinctive green tear-like markings on his face spoke coldly. The number “4” was tattooed on his left chest, and the left half of his head wore a horned helmet-like mask. His body was slim and slight, but his presence was chilling.

Powerful Reiatsu surged around them—each one was Captain-class or beyond.

A new calamity emerged at this very moment.

Chapter 275: “Arrancar”

Soul Society, Seireitei.

Inside the Division 3 barracks, in the Captain’s office, a figure suddenly appeared before Kaiser.

“Captain Kaiser! Emergency dispatch order!”

The person knelt on one knee before Kaiser and delivered this line with an urgent tone.

“Messenger from the Fifth Sub-division of the Onmitsukidō, the Internal Affairs Division?”

Kaiser, seated at his desk and still holding a report, wasn’t surprised at all by this person’s arrival.

The other party moved swiftly and entered without a sound. Even Momo Hinamori outside the door hadn’t noticed his presence. His concealment skills were clearly impressive—one glance and it was obvious he was from the Onmitsukidō.

But with Kaiser’s Reiatsu sensing ability, he had already sensed the other’s Reiatsu the moment they approached.

“Speak. What happened?”

Kaiser set the report down and asked aloud.

The Internal Affairs Division of the Fifth Sub-division of the Onmitsukidō was the message delivery unit, responsible for communicating urgent situations to members of each Division. Their delivery speed surpassed even that of the Hell Butterflies.

His arrival could only mean one thing: something major had occurred.

“This is a report from the Shinigami Research and Development Institute.”

The messenger immediately relayed the situation.

“Fifteen minutes ago, the Radio Wave Measurement Research Division of the Institute detected abnormal Reiatsu activity in the World of the Living—specifically in Karakura Town.”

“At the same time, the Shinigami stationed there came into contact with the intruders and suffered large-scale casualties.”

“Upon verification, the enemies were confirmed to be individuals calling themselves ‘Arrancar,’ originating from Hueco Mundo. Their suspected objective is reconnaissance of the Concentrated Spirit Zone, Karakura Town—and possibly targeting the substitute Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki.”

Hearing this, Kaiser narrowed his eyes.

“So that guy Aizen is finally making his move?”

The Soul Society's side had fallen one step behind. Before they could launch their offensive against Hueco Mundo, they were preempted by the enemy’s operation against the Concentrated Spirit Zone.

Sōsuke Aizen—his ability to read the situation and seize the timing was indeed formidable, acting just before the Soul Society could initiate their large-scale mobilization.

Just yesterday, Retsu Unohana had informed all Divisions that in two days, all Captains and Lieutenants undergoing medical evaluation would make a full recovery.

Yet today, Sōsuke Aizen had begun his operation, one day ahead of the Soul Society. To call this a coincidence would be unconvincing.

“Captain!”

Momo Hinamori walked in from outside, her expression stern, with a Zanpakutō fastened at her waist.

After Tōshirō Hitsugaya officially assumed the position of Captain of Division 10, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto issued a directive allowing all Shinigami of every Division to carry their Zanpakutō and be on standby at all times.

Following behind Momo Hinamori, also wearing his Zanpakutō, was Chōjirō Sasakibe.

“Captain Kaiser,” Chōjirō Sasakibe said seriously, “The Captain Commander has issued orders: the Concentrated Spirit Zone must not be lost. He hopes Captain Kaiser can personally head to the World of the Living and resolve the matter.”

Kaiser nodded, equally unsurprised by the order.

With the Captains and Lieutenants still requiring one more day of hospitalization, the number of Captains who could freely deploy from the Gotei 13 was limited. Assigning this mission to him was perfectly natural.

Of course, Kaiser’s own strength was more than enough to reassure Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. With the Concentrated Spirit Zone being of utmost importance, the Captain Commander didn’t hesitate to deploy his trump card.

“Prepare the Senkaimon. I’ll depart immediately.”

Fully equipped, Kaiser walked directly toward the exit.

“Yes, sir!”

Chōjirō Sasakibe also promptly left.

“Captain! I…”

Momo Hinamori quickly followed Kaiser, her eyes showing a hint of expectation.

Kaiser naturally knew what Momo Hinamori meant.

“Want to come?” Kaiser thought for a moment, then finally nodded. “Then come along.”

Momo Hinamori immediately revealed a beaming smile.

“Yes!”

……

This was Kaiser’s second time passing through the Senkaimon to the World of the Living.

The last time was decades ago, when Kaiser was still a student at the Shin'ō Academy.

Back then, the Senkaimon used was temporary, in the form of a traditional Japanese sliding door.

But this time, Kaiser used a grand mountain-gate style Senkaimon, with two towering square wooden pillars standing at the entrance. It was immensely imposing.

This was the largest and most formal Senkaimon in Soul Society. It was typically used when Shinigami were dispatched to perform missions in the World of the Living. Only under special circumstances would temporary Senkaimon be used—like when Kaiser participated in training during his time at the Shin'ō Academy.

Normally, Noble Clans had their own exclusive Senkaimon, but those were facilities under special privilege. The Senkaimon most frequently used by Shinigami was this tall structure—even Ichigo Kurosaki and the others used it when returning to the World of the Living.

Kaiser and Momo Hinamori arrived together and passed through the Senkaimon immediately.

“Zheng!”

As they passed through, a burst of spiritual light fell upon them, forming a golden calendula-shaped seal at their collarbones.

At the moment the seal was formed, both Kaiser and Momo Hinamori felt a tremendous restriction imposed on their Reiatsu.

“So this is the Reiatsu Limiter Seal?”

Kaiser looked at the calendula-shaped mark on his collarbone.

As the name implies, the Reiatsu Limiter Seal was a seal that suppressed spiritual pressure.

Because the Reiatsu of Captain and Lieutenant-class Shinigami was far too overwhelming, with vast disparity compared to ordinary beings, they were generally forbidden from releasing their full Reiatsu in the World of the Living.

When the gap in Reiatsu was too large, spirit bodies could collapse outright. For ordinary people, a Captain or Lieutenant’s Reiatsu was a life-threatening catastrophe.

Therefore, whenever a Captain or Lieutenant of the Gotei 13 had to go to the World of the Living on a mission, the Senkaimon would automatically apply a Limiter Seal marked with their Division's insignia, drastically suppressing their Reiatsu.

The limitation was extreme—up to 80%.

In other words, while operating in the World of the Living, a Captain or Lieutenant could only use one-fifth of their normal power.

This seal was extremely powerful. Even Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto himself could not break it.

Kaiser tested it and confirmed that he too couldn’t forcibly break the Reiatsu Limiter Seal.

However, if he used Divine Dividing’s ability, he could weaken and eventually shatter the limiter.

He could also use Ser-Veresta—its power was enough to burn away the limiter and render it invalid.

Furthermore, if he activated the Balance Breaker of True Longinus and unleashed its sacred power, that should also erase the limiter.

In short, while the Reiatsu Limiter Seal did affect Kaiser, it wasn’t by much.

“How are you feeling? Can you manage?”

While running through the Dangai, Kaiser asked Momo Hinamori beside him.

“It’s manageable. Although I can only use one-fifth of my Reiatsu, I should still be able to handle enemies at Seated Officer level.”

Momo Hinamori followed closely behind Kaiser and responded truthfully.

“That’s not enough.”

Kaiser shook his head.

He knew what an Arrancar was, and he knew how powerful one had to be to become an Arrancar.

With Momo Hinamori’s strength, she could handle an ordinary Arrancar—as long as she could fight at full power.

Only being able to use one-fifth of her strength—that really would impact her capabilities.

“Send a message to Soul Society using a Hell Butterfly.” Kaiser made a prompt decision. “I can manage. In a densely populated place like Karakura Town, it’s true that I shouldn’t release my full Reiatsu. But if you can’t fight at full strength, the consequences will be worse than the damage to the World of the Living.”

“Have them prepare authorization for limiter release. If the situation demands it, break the seal.”

After all, the limiter was imposed by Soul Society. As long as they gave permission, it could be removed at any time.

“Understood.”

Momo Hinamori didn’t try to act tough. She summoned a Hell Butterfly and transmitted the message to Soul Society.

She didn’t want to be a burden to Kaiser.

So she refused to allow herself to be in a situation where she couldn’t fight at full strength.

……

World of the Living, Karakura Town.

As the doors of the Senkaimon opened silently in mid-air, Kaiser and Momo Hinamori leapt out together.

The moment they arrived in Karakura Town, even Momo Hinamori’s expression changed as she suddenly turned her head and looked in a certain direction.

“What strong Reiatsu!”

Reiatsu far too powerful to exist in the World of the Living—several such auras were present in the direction she was staring.

“That’s… Ichigo Kurosaki’s Reiatsu?”

Kaiser naturally sensed the Reiatsu as well—and identified one of them as Ichigo Kurosaki’s.

Without hesitation, Kaiser activated Shunpo and vanished from where he stood.

“Shup!” “Shup!” “Shup!”...

With just a few flickers of movement, Kaiser crossed a distance measured in kilometers and arrived at the scene.

When he arrived, he immediately saw Ichigo Kurosaki.

“Huff… huff…”

Ichigo Kurosaki gripped his sword with both hands, seemingly in pain, as he faced off against a burly man.

He had already activated his Bankai, and his entire Reiatsu had turned black, swirling like a storm across the ground.

However, for some reason, Ichigo Kurosaki’s Reiatsu was erratic and unstable. This made him both pained and unable to use his full strength, allowing the burly man to suppress him completely.

“What’s wrong? Weren’t you acting all arrogant just a moment ago?”

The burly man attacked Ichigo Kurosaki while laughing wildly.

“So that’s the legendary Bankai? I thought it’d be something impressive! What a disappointment!”

Amidst his laughter, the burly man smashed his fists against Ichigo Kurosaki’s sword, the impact like a meteor strike, sending Ichigo Kurosaki flying.

“Boom!”

Ichigo Kurosaki crashed into a building and shattered it on the spot.

“This isn’t looking good…”

Kaiser narrowed his eyes, but didn’t go down to support Ichigo Kurosaki.

Because, before him, another person appeared.

“Another one looking to die?”

With hands in his pockets and a wild, arrogant expression, the man grinned wickedly at Kaiser.

“Tell me, Shinigami.”

The man spoke.

“How do you want to die?”

(End of Chapter)