Soul Reaper, My Zanpakuto Is a Bit Trendy

Soon.

The entire Valley of Screams space was now reduced to just Haruto and Agata, along with the seemingly endless Sea of Blanks.

"Thanks for your hard work."

"No, it's me who needs your help."

Haruto's task is simple.

Sklaverei can absorb Reishi, Soul King Hakusui can absorb souls—either alone or together, they will not have any effect on "living" Blanks; however, relying on the Blanks' instinct to fuse with the Shinenju, Haruto can directly devour and fuse these memoryless spirits.

Them...

They will all become nourishment for the Soul King Hakusui.

As Agata slowly released the power of the Shinenju, the entire Valley of Screams began to undergo earth-shattering changes.

――――

The World of the Living.

Naruki City, the cross-district bridge.

"Whoosh!"

Kisuke Urahara is still keeping the World-Piercing Instrument running.

Beyond the space where the indistinct image of the Valley of Screams is reflected, figures are rapidly emerging from it.

"Congratulations."

Kisuke Urahara voice rang in everyone's ears.

"It seems this trip to the Valley of Screams went quite smoothly?"

"Boring~"

Mashiro Kuna's voice was the first to respond.

"Little Haruharu got all the interesting fights; we just showed up briefly."

She clearly wanted a stronger opponent.

"Lieutenant Kuna."

Kisuke Urahara pinched his frizzy bangs.

"That's contributing our strength to hundreds of millions of souls... isn't that the Soul Reaper's duty?"

"That's right."

Lisa continued Kisuke Urahara's words.

"The trouble at Ryudoji has been resolved; we've left the cleanup to Fourth Seat Haruto."

"... Understood."

Kisuke Urahara increasingly felt that he probably needed a hat, especially when there were Soul Reaper in operations outside of the Second Division.

"Oh, right."

Haruto said there was no need to leave the door open for him.

Lisa pointed to the World-Piercing Instrument next to her.

Valley of Screams disappears and the Dangai returns to normal, you can simply use the Kaijō open the door and return to the World of the Living. There's no need to maintain the facade of this space's operation.

"As for your Second Division's plans... I've collected all the Heavenly Bestowed Armaments from the Shihoin Clan. Remember to have Captain Yoruichi come to the Eighth Division to retrieve it later."

"Well?"

"Can't you just hand it over to us?"

Kisuke Urahara paused for a moment.

This was the first time he had shown surprise during the operation.

"The Eighth Division needs to register them and check their ownership, and lately Kyōraku has been squandering the team's funds rather quickly..."

"Fourth Seat Urahara, you understand what I mean."

"... yes."

As Kisuke Urahara answered, he glanced listlessly at Soi Fon.

The meaning couldn't be clearer:

Why didn't I take those things beforehand...? Even taking just one more item would have saved the Eighth Division a lot of money.

These are all sources of funding to support his research!

――――

Same place.

Naruki City, City Cemetery.

Just nine minutes after Lisa and the others returned to the World of the Living—

"Despair."

The familiar Senkaimon opened one by one.

Haruto's upper body was completely stripped of his tattered clothes, leaving him shirtless and half-naked. Add to that the fact that he Agata on his back... If anyone saw him like this, let alone in a cemetery, they'd probably call the police immediately.

But.

Haruto is in excellent condition.

Although the remaining Reiatsu was still pitifully small, its intensity was even higher than before the departure.

After absorbing and fusing the entire Valley of Screams, the Soul King Hakusui was activated to an unprecedented degree: the Reiatsu concentration that Haruto could compress reached the peak of the Third-Class Reii; his own strength also went from just entering the fourth level to directly reaching the limit of this stage.

If it weren't for the fact that Blanks's individual strength was truly too weak, this wave of gains would probably have been enough to send Haruto directly into the realm of Second-Class Spiritual Pressure.

This trip was truly fruitful.

However, Haruto did not show any signs of happiness.

The power of the Shinenju was completely exhausted, Agata memories that Haruto carried on his back... the Shinenju's remaining memories probably wouldn't last much longer.

"Despair."

"Despair."

Haruto walked slowly among the heavy tombstones, his gaze sweeping over every single inscription engraved on their surfaces.

"Did you find it?"

This wasn't the first Senkaimon Haruto had opened; Haruto had already searched the entire cemetery in and around Naruki City using similar methods.

This is the last place—

"..."

The forward momentum came to a halt.

"Found it."

"Faster than I expected."

"I'm quite efficient; I'll definitely complete what I promise as soon as possible."

Haruto lit a ray of light at her fingertips.

"... What does it say up there?"

Before he could continue, the quiet evening breeze blew away the little dust that was already on the surface of the tombstone.

"Agata Asuna."

"Tenshō Agata's wife... Your husband's looks a little newer, it's right next to your tombstone."

"Really? Looks like he couldn't stay with me after he left."

"Perhaps even in Soul Society?"

"... Oh, right."

"..."

The gentle evening breeze stopped.

Do you still remember my name?

"I can live a long time, and I can remember your name for a long time... Perhaps in Soul Society, I will even see souls similar to yours—"

Haruto's voice was full of gentleness and comfort.

For example... your child.

"... Will it?"

I think it's possible, after all, you like children so much.

"... If so, that would be great."

"..."

"Agata?"

".."

"... Ms. Kusaka?"

"."

When Haruto turned around, the weight of his soul had unknowingly become zero.

"..."

"Take care."

Haruto stood quietly in front of Agata Asuna's grave.

His words were by no means comforting.

Because right on the stone platform in front of "her" and Tenshō Agata's grave, there were two bouquets of flowers that had not yet withered with the autumn chill; and in the center of the bouquets was a name that Haruto had been searching for for some time:

Kūgo Ginjō.

Soul Reaper Soul Society, the founder and leader of "XCUTION".

As for the person who gave the other bouquet of flowers later...

Aura Michibane.

That's right.

The holder of that Soul King's Saketsu.

―Asuka Agata Asuna, maiden name...

Michibane.

She was the biological mother of Aura Michibane, who died from a feint attack during childbirth.

――――

Soul Society, the stronghold of the Kidō Corps.

"Captain-Commander!"

"I see it, no need to make a fuss."

Beyond the Kidō Cannon, which was already accumulating Reiatsu, the Valley of Screams was rapidly collapsing, its target far away.

No.

If it's just a collapse, Soul Society will still need to take some measures to deal with the spatial fragments that have fallen into the World of the Living or Soul Society.

The current situation seems more Valley of Screams being directly absorbed by some kind of force.

But...

Everyone present, including the Captain-Commander, chose to selectively ignore this point.

"Captain Hikifune."