Chapter 338: Don't You Need My Help?
Carrying Akane Shizuku, Satoru went outside.
In the distance, Aizen stood quietly in midair.
The fist-blade burly man kept charging at him, but each time was easily repelled by Reiatsu.
Even a fool would understand by now.
The man before him was far beyond his level, an opponent he couldn't hope to match!
The burly man's expression turned grave.
He turned to look in Satoru's direction.
If the scholarly type was hard to deal with, he'd go after the other one!
As long as he could gain even a momentary advantage, he could seize the Jogyo and escape back to the Valley of Screams.
Thinking this, he grinned widely and transformed into a cannonball, charging toward Satoru.
In an instant, he appeared before Satoru, raising his thick arm to slash down with his fist blades!
Facing the charging brute, Satoru showed no particular expression, merely waving his hand casually.
Smack————BOOM!!!!
The fist-blade burly man flew sideways uncontrollably, crashing headfirst into a nearby abandoned building and sending clouds of dust billowing into the air.
Satoru shook his hand.
His opponent's strength would rank among the weaker vice-captains at best.
He wondered where this guy found the courage to take on both him and Aizen alone.
Just then, several figures appeared around them using Flash Steps.
Each wore clothing similar in style to the fist-blade burly man.
Satoru looked them over.
Most were about the same level as the fist-blade guy, hovering around vice-captain level.
Only one white-haired, weathered middle-aged man was decent, qualifying as a proper captain.
Well, by "proper captain," he meant a Shinigami with strength equivalent to eight to twenty-four Kensei.
Twenty-four to eighty Kensei would be strong captains.
Eighty cars or more signifies a top-tier captain.
At this moment, the white-haired man wore an extremely stern expression as he scrutinized Satoru and Aizen back and forth.
The scene from moments ago had profoundly shaken him.
The fist-blade wielder was already considered mid-tier in strength among his subordinates.
Yet facing that young man, he had been instantly defeated with a single blow!
However, upon noticing the Captain's Haori worn by Satoru, his expression cleared with sudden understanding.
So that's it... a captain of the Seireitei.
No wonder his skill level is notable.
Yet the other party probably never imagined that he, too, possessed captain-level strength?
Thinking this, the man curled up the corner of his mouth.
But just then, a woman standing behind Satoru suddenly revealed a shocked gaze.
She stared intently at Satoru's back for two seconds, as if doubting her own vision.
After confirming she hadn't mistaken what she saw, she exclaimed in astonishment:
"Yan... Yanlong-sama!!"
"This guy... this guy is the captain of the First Division!!"
"Nani?!"
Her words sent shockwaves through everyone present.
Including Satoru.
He quickly turned to look around.
"Where? Where's the old man?"
"Why don't I sense him at all?"
Aizen looked at him with confusion.
After a moment's thought, he seemed to understand something.
With a flash of movement, Aizen appeared behind Satoru.
He reached out, pulled off Satoru's Captain's Haori, and showed it to him with an exasperated expression.
Seeing the "one" on the haori, Satoru suddenly understood.
"Oh, so you were talking about me..."
Under everyone's gaze, he stuffed the First Division haori back into his Shadow Space and pulled out a new one from within.
After shaking it out twice and confirming the character on it was correct, Satoru put it on and turned around to show everyone.
"Sorry, I grabbed the wrong one earlier. This is mine."
"I am Satoru Mikami, Captain of the Eleventh Division of the Gotei 13!"
He expected these people to breathe a sigh of relief.
Instead, their expressions grew more serious.
One of them trembled as he spoke:
"Eleventh Division... isn't that Captain Unohana's division?"
"Did this guy defeat Unohana and inherit the Eleventh Division?"
Another shook his head.
"Not necessarily. Maybe Unohana just retired because she got too old."
"That's also possible..."
Hearing their dangerous remarks, Satoru coughed to interrupt them.
Some words were like the whispers of ancient gods.
Just hearing them could bring unpredictable danger.
Under everyone's gaze, he spoke:
"Just to be sure, let me confirm something."
"Your goal is to destroy the Living World and the Soul Society, correct?"
For a moment, the scene fell silent.
Faced with Satoru's question, no one dared to speak.
Finally, the white-haired man snorted with laughter.
"Though I don't know how you found out, given your considerable strength, I'll tell you."
"My name is Yanlong, Ryudoji Yanlong!"
"A thousand years ago, the Ryudoji family was second only to the Five Noble Clans. Whether in terms of talented members or influence, we were no less than the Five Noble Clans."
"The only thing we lacked was the official title of 'Royal Family Direct Subordinates'."
"Fearing us, the Five Noble Clans launched brutal political struggles, branding us as rebels and forcibly framing us with countless crimes!"
"Finally, Central 46 sentenced our entire clan to be sent to the Dangai, to live or die by our own means!"
"In the Dangai, we struggled to survive, fighting desperately to live in that hellish world by any means necessary."
"During this process, countless clan members died, leaving only those present here today."
"With such hatred, only by completely destroying the Soul Society and Seireitei can I quell my rage!"
As he spoke, Yanlong swung his arm:
"Satoru, if it were you, wouldn't you do the same?"
Under his gaze, Satoru dug at his ear.
Then he shook his head:
"No."
Hearing this, Yanlong frowned.
Just as he was about to speak, Satoru continued:
"If it were me, I'd take my clan into Hueco Mundo, establish our own territory, and wait until we had sufficient power to strike back fiercely."
"Like this, guiding two worlds to collide and relying on natural forces for revenge is too boring. It doesn't match my aesthetics."
Hearing Satoru's words, everyone showed varied expressions.
Ryudoji Yanlong's face darkened.
"Sounds nice, but it's just the ramblings of an ignorant fool."
"The Gotei 13 has Yamamoto Shigekuni and so many who have mastered Bankai—how could a single clan possibly rival them?"
"As for Hueco Mundo, with Baraggan Louisenbairn, the King of Las Noches, holding the fort, how could it be so easily seized?"
"Your plan has no chance of succeeding."
"Making the Soul Society collide with the real world is the best way to exact revenge!"
Satoru crossed his arms and wagged his index finger.
"Wrong, wrong. Only the weak dwell on what's impossible."
"A true man turns the impossible into possible!"
"Never mind, there's no point discussing this with a low-tier boss like you."
"After I beat you down and make you choke on my hot dog, we can talk in detail!"
With a hearty laugh, Satoru charged toward Ryudoji Yanlong.
"Lord Yanlong!"
Several retainers rushed forward without hesitation, positioning themselves between Satoru and Ryudoji Yanlong.
A Shinigami gripping a large hammer with both hands raised it high, aiming to strike Satoru down.
But as he exerted force, he sensed something amiss.
Squelch!
Blood sprayed as his head soared into the air.
His hands, still clutching the hammers, went limp and dropped.
A man wielding a conical greatsword swung it at Satoru.
Satoru grinned and threw a punch with his free hand.
Under the man's disbelieving gaze, the blade struck Satoru's fist but failed to leave a scratch.
Instead, the sword shattered into fragments with a loud crack.
The shards flew like shrapnel, embedding themselves in his face and body.
Several pieces pierced his neck and shot into the distant sky.
The greatsword wielder plummeted downward.
A woman with wavy purple hair charged forward without hesitation.
Seeing her, Satoru showed a hint of pity.
Then, he flashed past her, continuing his advance.
The purple-haired woman turned in confusion, watching Satoru vanish into the distance, bewildered by his actions.
The next moment, a sudden chill pierced her chest.
Unbeknownst to her, a sword had already stabbed through her torso, its bloodied blade glinting coldly.
Aizen stood behind her, withdrawing Kyōka Suigetsu.
"What a troublesome fellow, making others clean up his mess."
Flicking the blood off Kyōka Suigetsu, he turned and followed Satoru.
Ryudoji Yanlong stood in the sky.
He stared wide-eyed as Satoru cut through all obstacles, steadily closing in.
His powerful retainers fell before Satoru like clay chickens and straw dogs, each dispatched with a single strike—utterly defenseless!
This is absurd...
He knew the Captains of the Seireitei.
Though strong, they could never defeat Vice-Captains so effortlessly, one slash each!
For a moment, he felt as if he'd been screwed over by Komamura.
Fueled by a mix of rage and fear, Yanlong roared and charged at Satoru.
He spread his hands and clenched the air.
Several white souls flew from his robes, coalescing into a long sword.
Channeling dense, brilliant Reiatsu, he gripped the sword with both hands and swung fiercely at Satoru!
Watching Yanlong's approach, Satoru nodded slightly.
Finally, someone marginally worthy.
Though fear and doubt stirred within him, Yanlong suppressed them with formidable will, showing no trace.
Truly a man who had struggled for a millennium in the Dangai.
At least in terms of courage, there was something commendable.
Satoru casually tossed his Zanpakutō aside and took a resounding step forward.
He extended one hand with an open palm while clenching the other into a fist, pulling it back to his waist.
Instantly, a terrifying aura erupted from him!
"Raaaaaah!!!"
Ryudoji Yanlong raised his greatsword and swung it down fiercely.
"I'm hungry too, raaaaaaah!!!"
Satoru roared as he unleashed his punch.
For a moment, the world seemed to fall silent.
The next second, a brilliant flash illuminated the sky.
Their Reiatsu collided, exploding into a magnificent sphere of spiritual pressure in the heavens.
Akane Shizuku stood atop a distant building, watching the scene in astonishment.
So strong...
That guy named Satoru—whether casually swinging his sword or throwing a punch—displayed power she couldn't even begin to fathom.
This final move, in particular, gave her the feeling of witnessing a god.
In her mind, among the fragmented memories of countless souls, no one had ever accomplished such a feat.
Not even the lofty captains could achieve this.
Perhaps he was right—maybe he truly was a god...
Under Akane Shizuku's gaze, the light in the sky faded.
Ryudoji Yanlong was sent flying backward, skipping through the air dozens of times like a stone across water before barely managing to steady himself.
His once neat and handsome clothes were now reduced to tattered rags.
Watching Satoru standing there without a speck of dust on him, Ryūdōji Yanlong's pupils trembled violently.
This guy isn't human...
He's a devil!
That punch just now clearly carried the shadow of Yamamoto Shigekuni.
Could it be that he is actually Yamamoto Shigekuni, just having changed his appearance?
Due to his extreme shock, all sorts of bizarre thoughts flooded his mind.
In any case, no matter who this guy really is, one thing is certain.
He is no match for this guy and must escape immediately!
As long as he returns to Jyakkou, returns to his own territory, there is still hope of victory!
As for the Thinking Pearl, he can find a way to retrieve it later.
Thinking this, Ryūdōji Yanlong didn't hesitate and immediately turned to rush toward Jyakkou.
Just as Satoru was about to give chase, Aizen suddenly appeared beside him and held him back.
"Satoru, wait."
"?"
Satoru looked at him in confusion.
"Just now, that guy called Ryūdōji used a special ability."
"I saw him turn unclaimed souls into weapons."
"Moreover, while escaping, he transformed some souls into his own flesh and blood to heal his wounds."
"His ability should be to alter the nature of unclaimed souls, turning them into whatever he needs."
"If that's really the case, following him into Jyakkou might be dangerous."
"In Jyakkou, every inch of land and air is composed of unclaimed souls."
"He could use the power of the entire small world to fight you, putting you at a disadvantage."
"If pushed to the brink, with his personality, he might even detonate the entire Jyakkou."
"With your current strength, even if Jyakkou were to explode, it probably wouldn't kill you... but you would be lost in the Dangai, and it would be very troublesome for me to retrieve you."
Hearing this, Satoru scratched his head.
"Then what should we do? Just let him go? The Soul Society and the Living World are about to collide at any moment."
"They won't."
Aizen shook his head and looked toward a rooftop not far away:
"The Thinking Pearl is in our hands. Jyakkou is now just a mindless 'lump of flesh.'"
"The one who needs to worry isn't us, but Ryūdōji Yanlong."
"Don't worry, leave the rest to me."
Aizen curled his lips into a confident smile.
"I'll make sure he understands the consequences of baring his fangs at someone he shouldn't have."
Satoru let out an "Oh."
He thought for a moment and asked, "Then what should I do?"
Hearing this, Aizen put away his smile and waved his hand:
"Find a place to have fun, sleep, eat... do whatever you want."
"Eh? You don't need my help?"
Satoru was somewhat surprised.
After all, in the field of scientific research, he was quite capable.
For Aizen to not use him would be such a waste!
Aizen sighed.
Then, he gave Satoru a warm smile.
"Go find somewhere to play, don't bother... ahem, don't waste your time on me. That would be the best help you can give."