Chapter 388: I Won't Drop the Ball
For a long time, the Seireitei had always been a symbol of tranquility and solemnity.
Here, rules reigned supreme, and people moved like machines, following the same routines day after day.
Because of this, Shinigami often had little sense of time.
One day passed like this, one year passed like this.
Ten years, a hundred years—it was all pretty much the same.
Although after Satoru's usurpation... ahem, temporary governance, the Seireitei saw many new operations, those were all in the political realm.
Aside from the nobles who were hopping mad, most Shinigami didn't pay much attention.
But recently, one incident suddenly caught the Shinigami's interest.
Captain Shiba's son, at just twelve years old, had successively defeated two captains—Ichimaru Gin and Kuchiki Byakuya!
And that wasn't all—rumor had it that after the battles, this Ichigo Kurosaki had taken Byakuya back with him and done who-knows-what.
In any case, according to hearsay, when Captain Kuchiki left the Sixth Division, he appeared utterly exhausted, staggering as he walked.
It was quite terrifying.
Regardless of what happened to Captain Kuchiki, Ichigo Kurosaki's reputation was now firmly established.
At first, many had doubts—how could such a young Shinigami be so powerful?
Until someone provided an explanation—
Ichigo Kurosaki was Captain Mikami's disciple.
Hearing this, the previously skeptical Shinigami suddenly understood.
That explains it... that explains it!
Captain Shiba's son, Captain Mikami's disciple, plus easily defeating two captains.
With these three buffs stacked, Ichigo not only avoided special scrutiny for his Living World origins in the Seireitei but actually gained quite a few fans.
That year, many new recruits chose to join the Eleventh Division because of Ichigo Kurosaki.
Tōshirō: "?"
Looking at the report in his hand, he couldn't help but sprout question marks.
Leaving aside the fact that Kurosaki Ichigo holds no official position in the Gotei 13, even if we were to forcibly assign him one, shouldn't it be with our Sixth Division?
What are these foolish students thinking, joining the Eleventh Division?!
Baffled, he went to investigate at the Shin'ō Academy admissions office.
After his investigation, with a feeling of utter exasperation, he saw Matsumoto Rangiku sitting at the admissions desk, wearing sunglasses with a large parasol overhead.
Beside her stood several placards introducing various senior members of the Eleventh Division.
The portraits of Satoru, Ichigo, and others were prominently displayed.
"Matsumoto, Third Seat!!!"
Tōshirō was furious.
Rangiku was startled at first but quickly regained her composure.
She stood up:
"Hmph, what brings the Fourth Seat of the noble division, Hitsugaya, here?"
Tōshirō angrily pointed at the nearby placard:
"How did the son of our Sixth Division captain become part of your Eleventh Division's recruitment materials?"
Rangiku crossed her arms, accentuating her impressive figure:
"And why can't the disciple of our Eleventh Division captain be used for recruitment?"
With a smirk, she added:
"If you're dissatisfied, Fourth Seat Hitsugaya, you can always have your captain come settle this."
Tōshirō's vision darkened.
If not for that fool of a captain happily staying in the Living World without a care, why would he have to deal with all this?
In his rage, a sudden thought occurred to him.
Maybe he should stage a coup and rebel.
If he could take down the captain, he would become the new captain himself.
Then, the Sixth Division would surely be completely revitalized!
The more he thought about it, the more feasible it seemed.
Under Rangiku's somewhat puzzled gaze, Tōshirō turned away with a grave expression.
He needed to carefully plan how to overthrow the captain.
The captain used fire-based techniques, while he used ice-based ones. Theoretically, neither had a clear advantage over the other.
The outcome would depend entirely on their individual skills!
Captain... just wait. When I become captain, I'll definitely issue orders to strictly punish all slackers!!
In his heart, Tōshirō began crafting his sinister, evil plan...
...
In a space of utter darkness and silence, Yhwach lay quietly upon a stone bed.
Around him, numerous spheres of light orbited ceaselessly.
From time to time, clusters of these light spheres would suddenly dart forward as if summoned, merging into Yhwach's body.
Sometimes, a dozen would fuse at once.
Other times, dozens would merge simultaneously.
These light spheres were all the powers he had stripped from Quincies in the Living World three years prior.
This energy would become the nourishment aiding his recovery.
Each sphere symbolized the death of a hybrid Quincy from the Living World.
Over three years, he had absorbed thousands of these light spheres.
With each breath, dozens more flew into his body.
These spheres originated from Quincies in Japan's Living World, concentrated in areas like Karakura and Tokyo.
The Quincies from these regions were comparatively stronger than others, which was why Yhwach had preserved their powers until now.
As these spheres entered his body, he felt his power surge abruptly!
This unexpected boon surprised Yhwach.
He never imagined such potent individuals existed among the hybrid Quincies of the Living World.
It was almost a pity that such a powerful descendant had perished by his Auswählen.
Had they been brought to the Wandenreich, with minimal training, they could have become a worthy Sternritter.
But... no matter. They were already dead—no use dwelling on it.
Suddenly, Yhwach's eyes snapped open.
His previously calm, indifferent expression twisted into one of sheer ferocity!
"Ugh... Hungry! So hungry!!!"
Yhwach let out a terrifying roar.
The veins on his skin bulged violently, forming grotesque, distorted patterns.
Blood spurted from the swollen vessels, gushing from his facial orifices!
Yhwach raised a hand, clawing at the air in agony.
In that moment, every cell in his body screamed in torment.
Hearing the commotion, Haschwalth's figure instantly materialized in the room.
"Your Majesty?!"
The blond man exclaimed in shock at Yhwach's state.
"Poison... this Reiatsu is poisoned!"
Amid the excruciating pain, even Yhwach's thoughts grew disordered.
Poisoned Reiatsu?
Haschwalth was puzzled.
But after sensing the Reishi dissipating in the air, he understood instantly.
Hollow!
The Auswählen light spheres Yhwach had absorbed were tainted with Hollow Reiatsu!
How was that possible... Who could achieve such a thing?
If a Shinigami ingested some Hollow Reiatsu, they might suffer discomfort but could gradually expel it.
But... for a Quincy, Hollow Reiatsu was a terrifying toxin.
Even a trace amount could disrupt the body's Reishi flow, causing unbearable agony.
Given how much Yhwach had just absorbed, Haschwalth dreaded the consequences.
An ordinary Sternritter would have died instantly from absorbing that much Hollow Reiatsu!
Under Haschwalth's worried gaze, Yhwach roared and sat up.
"Satoru... it's Satoru Mikami!"
"Throughout the Three Realms, only he and I can wield the power of a Transcendent!"
"He used a special method to conceal the Hollow nature within this Reiatsu... Damn him!"
With that, Yhwach closed his eyes.
The blood vessels all over his body twisted and throbbed beneath his skin, yet he remained completely unaware, focusing intently on expelling the Hollow's Reiatsu from within.
Haschwalth stood by, unable to suppress a look of astonishment.
The name Satoru was deeply etched into his memory...
...
...
First Division, study.
Aizen sat at his desk, wearing glasses, his calm gaze penetrating the lenses as he reviewed the division affairs requiring his attention.
These tasks were not exclusively his responsibility.
He handled them personally partly to stay informed about all aspects of the Seireitei and partly to give his mind some relaxation.
Indeed, what Satoru found torturous enough to twist his soul—the division paperwork—was mere leisure and relaxation to him.
Suddenly, Satoru, who had been lying comfortably in a nearby rocking chair with a book over his face, abruptly sat up.
"Hahaha! It worked! He fell for it!"
Aizen set down his pen and looked over with mild confusion.
On the other side, Yamamoto, who had also been napping in another rocking chair with a book covering his face, removed it with a groggy, puzzled expression.
Under their gazes, Satoru grinned widely and recounted how Yhwach had absorbed the power of the Quincy from the Living World and how he had secretly tampered with it.
Aizen was already aware of these details; the explanation was mainly for Yamamoto's benefit.
Then, Satoru chuckled darkly:
"Just now, I sensed that Yhwach has absorbed every last bit of the 'gift' I prepared for him!"
"Now, his body is saturated with my power... It'll take him at least a few months to purge all of it. During that time, he'll be in excruciating pain, writhing between heaven and earth, wishing he were dead!"
Hearing this, Yamamoto showed a surprised expression.
Damn, this troublesome disciple of mine has secretly pulled off something like this again, he thought.
Imagining Yhwach screaming in agony, the old man couldn't help but curl his lips into a sinister, villainous smile.
But then, as if recalling something, he frowned.
Aizen, too, showed no signs of joy, instead appearing deep in thought.
Seeing their reactions, Satoru immediately grew displeased.
"What's going on? No one's going to praise me? Aren't you happy to see your bro pull off such a slick move?"
Yamamoto: "?"
Bro, huh? Fine, just wait—I'll arrange ten times the training for this 'bro' later!
Aizen spoke slowly:
"Yhwach has begun absorbing the power he gained from Karakura Town."
"This indicates that his full revival is imminent."
"Our plans to counter the Quincy invasion need increased drill frequency and intensity."
"Satoru, you too—from today onward, no more reckless actions. Be prepared to respond to the Quincy's full-scale assault at any moment."
"Once the war begins, your presence will be pivotal to the course of the battle!"
Hearing Aizen's words, Satoru laughed heartily.
"Don't worry! I, Satoru Mikami, will never drop the ball at such a critical moment!"
...
...
Satoru had disappeared.
Upon hearing this report from his subordinate, Aizen snapped the pen in his hand in two with a sharp crack.
He took a deep breath, steadying his skyrocketing blood pressure.
Then, he stood and headed toward the laboratory.
Halfway there, he found two figures blocking his path.
Aizen halted and looked at them.
"Vice-Captain Aizen, good day."
Facing these two, Aizen came to a stop.
"Members of the Luzhinomiya family... what's wrong with Hell?"
Without waiting for an answer, he guessed:
"Is Satoru dealing with Hell's problems?"
One of the Shinigami showed a somewhat emotional expression.
He bowed slightly to Aizen:
"Yes, Vice-Captain Aizen."
"Lord Mikami is currently in Hell."
"Lord Mikami said... he intends to completely resolve the issues with Hell's will and the sinners."
Hearing this, Aizen's eye twitched.
Led by two members of the Luzhinomiya clan, he arrived at their territory.
Even from a distance, he could sense the restless aura of Hell emanating forth.
A massive Gate of Hell hovered in mid-air.
Numerous Shinigami from the Luzhinomiya clan, along with the Kidō Corps, surrounded the Gate of Hell, using special Kidō to maintain its existence.
Unlike the Tsunayashiro and some members of the Shihōin and Kuchiki clans, these people had no feelings whatsoever about the decline of the nobility or the establishment of the council.
When Satoru had them sign over most of their authority unrelated to Hell, the Luzhinomiya family showed no concern and handed everything over directly.
However, when Satoru proposed solving Hell's chronic issues, these normally indifferent individuals suddenly became excited.
Now, almost the entire Luzhinomiya clan had mobilized to serve as Satoru's support team.
Yet, even so, a minor problem arose after the ritual had been ongoing for two days.
Following Satoru's instructions, the Luzhinomiya family hurriedly summoned Aizen.
After learning the full story, Aizen left behind some instructions with the desire to strangle a certain someone.
If anything unexpected happened in the Seireitei while he was in Hell, they were to follow his commands and act according to plan.
Having done this, he had the Luzhinomiya family open the Gate of Hell and slipped inside.
The moment he entered Hell, Aizen raised his hand to shield his face.
A terrifying storm of Reiatsu swept over him with explosive force.
Lowering his arm, he narrowed his eyes and looked into the distance.
From a distance of several kilometers away, he could see a massive gathering of dark shadows clustered together.
With his visual acuity, he easily discerned that it was a large group of sinners, swarming toward the sky like carnivorous ants moving in unison, reminiscent of the Brothers in some tales.
In the sky, a figure stood there, swinging two long chains and letting out a hearty, booming laugh.
"Kekeke!! Come on! Watch as I blast every single one of you to pieces! To pieces!!"
Blue flames blazed along the chains.
Guided by the blades, the two chains formed enormous blue fire tornadoes, shredding every sinner that drew near into dust.
It appeared as though Satoru was a god of slaughter, effortlessly mowing down the ocean of sinners as if in a frenzied rampage.
However, Aizen understood clearly that this kind of rampant destruction was utterly meaningless.
Compared to the sheer scale of Hell, Satoru's output was as useless as a fart in the wind.
Nevertheless, since this guy had called him over, he must have thought of some plan.
Watching the figure darting about wildly, Aizen curled the corner of his mouth and flew over...