Chapter 147
The Hollows in the first twenty wards have basically been wiped out by Haruto in the past six months. Although Yoshiwara is relatively remote, some Hollows are quite perceptive and it's not impossible that they would sense danger and come over.
However, when ordinary spirits eat, they usually target those with higher spiritual power, so the more advanced Rukongai are attacked more frequently.
"Wrong."
"The atmosphere here is normal, and with Naa Ichihara's Vice-Captain-level, let alone a Hollow, even Giant Hollow wouldn't be a match for her."
What happened here?
"Whoosh."
Haruto kept his Shunpo low and headed towards the top floor of the store, where he still remembered the way.
――――
Rukongai).
Woodland in District 46, East.
This place is located in the northeast of Yoshiwara, at the intersection of four Rukongai).
Hidden deep in the dense forest are several wooden houses used as warehouses, and beneath their already considerable grounds lie several even more expansive underground spaces.
Here...
The entire Rukongai, whose movements were Shibari by ropes, was now piled up like cargo; it was only because most of them did not need food or water that the situation was even worse than the Niko trade.
"Grown ups."
In the topmost wooden cabin, a fawning old man, almost bent over to his knees, rubbed his cockroach-like hands together and asked with a forced smile:
"This batch of goods..."
Are you satisfied?
This is not merely an attitude towards those in power.
The forest environment was relatively cool, but the fact that my back was completely soaked with sweat was largely due to the fear of death.
"... improvise."
Directly opposite the old man were more than a dozen Soul Reaper dressed in Shihakushō —the thistle patterns on their shoulders, symbolizing the Twelfth Division, indicated that they made no attempt to conceal their identities.
The leader, the Soul Reaper, was rather petite.
His overly thin and slender physique, coupled with the snow-white makeup on his face, made it difficult to accurately determine his gender; he had two strange long horns on the top of his head—the same color as those of Hiyosu (later Hiyosu of the Twelfth Division), and much longer than Akon's.
"The quality isn't quite up to standard, but there are still over two thousand, which shows you've put a lot of effort into the quantity."
"Thank you, thank you for your kind words, sir!"
The old man's body, which had almost collapsed, finally straightened up a bit.
Unqualified?
The Grim Soul Reaper before him would undoubtedly add him to the ranks of experimental subjects.
"So."
The leader of the Soul Reapers rubbed his nails, which resembled those of the Empress Dowager.
When will the next shipment arrive? We are facing a significant shortage of experimental materials.
"Next, next batch?"
The cold sweat that had just subsided was suddenly poured out again.
"How?"
"Although I gave you a two-day grace period for this shipment, I didn't say that the delivery date for next week would also be postponed."
The only two different colors on Soul Reaper's face are probably his small eyebrows and lips: a deep blue that stands out starkly against his base color.
"One thousand five hundred exact numbers..."
When will you be ready?
The leader of the Soul Reapers didn't care about the old man's expression at all.
"..."
Sweating profusely.
Let alone 1,500, this batch was all secretly captured from the surrounding Rukongai. If the scale were any larger...
Even without this person lifting a finger, his head would be gone.
Just then:
There won't be a next batch.
As soon as the words of the Soul Reaper faded, a new voice suddenly appeared inside the room.
"Whoosh!"
The pure black dress, revealing the entire back, made the wearer look more like she was attending a World of the Living ball than a battle; the illusory butterflies fluttering around her eventually dissipated into the bun with her long hair tied back.
No one else but this person would dare to appear here dressed like this:
Naa Ichihara.
"Great, Great Magistrate!"
The old man's expression was extremely complex, revealing a mix of fear, worry, and surprise.
But.
"Clang."
As Naa Ichihara gently poked his head with the pipe, the gray and white ash drifted down—
It doesn't matter what kind of expression I make.
"Call!"
The old man was instantly ignited into a raging torch, quickly becoming a silent companion to the ashes on the ground.
Oh?
The leader of the Soul Reapers glanced behind him, and asked with considerable interest.
"Who is she?"
"Naa Ichihara... the local Yoshiwara District gang leader, and her deceased ally's superior."
The members of the Twelfth Division standing nearby hurriedly spoke up.
"The one who's been getting in your way?"
"... Yes."
The petite Soul Reaper turned her gaze back to Naa Ichihara.
"You're pretty decisive about killing your own people, aren't you?"
"... Just a traitor, not one of our own."
Naa Ichihara shook her pipe, and the red embers reignited at the end.
"Naa Ichihara?"
Soul Reaper asked, as if to confirm something again.
And who are you?
"Lieutenant of the Twelfth Division, Sakai Shukugo."
"Vice Captain?"
Naa Ichihara gathered some of her stray hairs at her temples.
"Wasn't the vice-captain of the Twelfth Division just arrested by the Central 46 Chambers?"
"I'm newly appointed."
Soul Reaper laughed as if nothing had happened.
"But I heard that the new vice-captain of the Twelfth Division is named Hiyori Sarugaki... Although she looks like a kid, she should still be on a mission in the World of the Living."
――――
Volume 1: Chapter 90, Illusion and Poison
"Oh?"
Sakai Shukugo touched his cheek with his palm, turned his head to face Naa Ichihara and said.
"Your intelligence-gathering skills are quite good."
"Even I just found out about this... Is one of your lovers among the high-ranking Gotei 13?"
Sakai Shukugo sneered and uttered a hurtful remark.
"That won't trouble you, Lord Soul Reaper."
Having seen all this Naa Ichihara remained completely unaffected by it.
"You're not wrong. These kinds of ridiculous things are naturally out of the question for a scientist like me."
"I can't believe it," said Sakai Shukugo, shrugging innocently.
"So what?"
"You self-proclaimed vice-captain of the Gotei 13... don't you owe me an explanation for what you've done?"
Naa Ichihara glanced around.
Although this layer wasn't completely bound, the numerous traces of life there and the undeniable atmosphere were enough for Naa Ichihara to know what was hidden there even without going underground.
"Explain?"
"When did the Soul Reaper need to give an explanation to the test subjects of Rukongai?"
Sakai Shukugo seemed to have heard a joke and sneered with great disdain.
"It seems that life in Rukongai has been too comfortable for you under the protection of the Soul Reaper, to the point that you've forgotten the existence you should be grateful for, even at the cost of your lives." Sakai Shukugo's tone was as exaggerated as an actor on stage. "Two thousand years ago, you were nothing more than firewood for the nobles to take at will."
His words also largely confirmed his noble status.
"You said it yourself, that was two thousand years ago."
Naa Ichihara retorted without any politeness.
"It seems Shigekuni Yamamoto hasn't killed enough nobles; there are still remnants like you in the Gotei 13."
"..."
The two sides remained deadlocked.
"... Do you know the price of provoking me?"
Sakai Shukugo's expression turned ugly.
"He's just a clown who presents himself as the vice-captain. If you're so capable, why don't you just say you're the captain?"
"Perhaps Kirio Hikifune will give you a chance to challenge her?"
Upon hearing this name, Sakai Shukugo's expression clearly turned ferocious:
"Kirio Hikifune!?"
"A hothead who only knows how to work in isolation, how can she be qualified to be called a scientist!"
Sakai Shukugo was clearly hit where it hurt.
"They even appointed Sarugaki as vice-captain. Such a person is completely unfit to lead the Twelve Divisions—"
But.
Before he could finish speaking, the person he was verbally attacking had vanished from his sight.
The next moment.
"Whoosh!"
The pipe became a knife handle.