The Right Way to Find a Powerful Backer in Soul Society (1)

The atmosphere in the hospital room suddenly grew delicate.

Liu Ziyun sat on the hospital bed like a mouse under a cat's gaze, while that "cat"—Captain Retsu Unohana—studied him with interest, her eyes gentle enough to drown a person.

"There are usually two ways to come to Soul Society." Unohana's voice broke the silence. She walked lightly to the window and turned her back to Liu Ziyun, as though lecturing a student. "The first is to die without any lingering attachments and be naturally guided here by Soul Society. Like a fallen leaf returning to its roots, it happens in the natural course of things."

She turned her head slightly, the sunlight gilding the edge of her flawless profile. "The second is to have a powerful attachment that leaves you stranded in the World of the Living. After that, you either fall and become a Hollow, only to be purified by a Soul Reaper, or a Soul Reaper sends you to Soul Society through Konsō."

Liu Ziyun listened carefully, his mind racing. I see. So the normal process should be: death → Hei Bai Wuchang (not here) → Konsō → Soul Society. And I... skipped all the steps in between?

"However," Unohana said, turning around and looking Liu Ziyun straight in the eye, "someone like you, who doesn't know he's dead and appeared directly in Soul Society without receiving Konsō from a Soul Reaper..."

She paused, a meaningful smile curling her lips. "That really is rare."

Her smile was beautiful, as gentle as water. But Liu Ziyun felt a chill shoot from his tailbone straight to the top of his head—this wasn't an appreciative smile. It was the smile of a scientist who had found rare experimental material! The smile of a gourmet who had discovered an exotic ingredient! The smile of a collector who had stumbled upon a priceless treasure!

Holy crap, I'm a rare specimen?! Alarm bells rang in Liu Ziyun's head. That look is clearly saying, "This kid's interesting. He's worth dissecting for research"!

He shuddered involuntarily, and even his voice trembled a little. "Um... Captain Unohana, you're not thinking of experimenting on me, are you? I don't know how I got here, but you said it yourself: I might have received Konsō!"

He tried to put on his most innocent expression, hastily inventing a story. "Look, maybe this is what happened: I accidentally died in my sleep—have you heard of dying from sleep? You sleep so soundly that you miss a breath and, bam, you're gone—and a Soul Reaper just happened to be patrolling nearby. They saw me and casually sent me over with Konsō. Yes, that must be it! Soul Reapers have so much to do, they might have forgotten to register it!"

When he finished, he nodded vigorously, trying to make the story more convincing.

Unohana tilted her head slightly, the movement as graceful as a cat's. "I checked the recent Konsō records. Within a hundred li of the Seireitei, there hasn't been a single unregistered Konsō in the past three months."

"..." Liu Ziyun opened his mouth, then closed it again.

She checked?! Three months of records, too?! he roared inwardly. Do you have to be so thorough, lady?! I'm just a nobody. Is all that really necessary?!

"Then it must be..." He continued his desperate struggle. "I accidentally died while I was asleep, and since I didn't have any lingering attachments, Soul Society automatically guided me here! Yes, yes, that must be it! I'm pure of heart and have no attachments!"

Even he wanted to slap himself after saying that. Pure of heart? No attachments? Then what about the fifty gigs of study materials on his computer's D drive? What about his "improper thoughts" about Sister Hua?

Unohana said nothing. She merely watched him in silence, a teasing look on her face that said, "Go on, keep making things up. I'm listening." Her expression clearly said, Mm, that must be it. Well said. I don't believe a word, but I want to see what else you can come up with.

Cold sweat had already run from Liu Ziyun's forehead down to his neck.

I'm done for, I'm done for! She's clearly got her eye on me! he wailed inwardly. The great villain from a thousand years ago really lives up to her reputation. Once she gets interested, she won't stop until she's studied me inside and out!

Suddenly, inspiration struck him. Wait, that's not right! If she really wanted to study me, why didn't she just do it? Why is she still wasting words on me here?

Unless... she's waiting for something? Or is she testing something?

Or... maybe she doesn't actually want to slice me up and just thinks this is fun?

Liu Ziyun's little mind raced, and he finally decided to take a gamble.

He took a deep breath and put on what he thought was his most sincere expression. "Um... Captain Unohana, look at me. I don't know where I came from or where I'm going. I'm all alone, with no one to depend on... Could I stay here with you?"

He blinked, trying to make his eyes look watery. "I want to become a caring, responsible Soul Reaper like you! Save lives, heal the wounded, and protect the peace of Soul Society!"

Damn it, if I throw in my lot with you, surely you won't slice me up, right? he thought. You may have been a great villain a thousand years ago, but you've put down your sword now, haven't you? You're a gentle, sensible medical captain now, the head of the Fourth Division. You wouldn't do that kind of thing... probably?

His gaze involuntarily drifted to Unohana's beautiful long black hair, and he couldn't help muttering inwardly, Come to think of it, that big braid really makes me want to stroke it... It must feel so nice...

"Hmm..." Unohana mused, tapping her chin lightly with a finger, as though she really were giving it serious thought.

Liu Ziyun's heart leaped into his throat. There's hope! Looks like playing pitiful is working!

Just as he thought success was in sight and he was about to secure himself an incredibly powerful backer, Unohana spoke. Her voice was as gentle as ever, but her words plunged him into an icy abyss.

"No."

"Ordinary souls aren't allowed to stay in the Seireitei. Those are the rules."

Liu Ziyun's heart skipped a beat.

But Unohana wasn't finished. "However... you can stay if you want."

Liu Ziyun's eyes lit up again.

"Let me study how you came to Soul Society properly," Unohana said with a smile. Her smile was breathtakingly beautiful, but her words made his skin crawl. "Of course, to study you, I might need to cut a few things off you. After all, research on a living subject is more valuable than research on a corpse."

She tilted her head, as casually as if she were discussing what to have for dinner. "Where do you think I should start? A finger? An ear? Or a small section of intestine?"

Liu Ziyun: "..."

Isn't cutting someone to pieces at the drop of a hat a little too terrifying?!!! he screamed frantically inside. What kind of medical captain is this?! She's clearly a mad scientist!!!

But he tried to remain calm on the outside—even though his pale little face and trembling lips had already betrayed him.

"Th-then, could I become a Soul Reaper first?" he blurted out. "If I become a Soul Reaper, couldn't I stay in the Seireitei fair and square? Then you can study me however you... ah, no, you can guide me however you want!"

Survive first! he thought. As long as I can stay, there'll be a way eventually! It wasn't easy getting to the world of Soul Reapers; I have to get myself a Bankai before I die! No, wait, I can't die. I have to stay alive!

Unohana raised an eyebrow. "Of course. If you become a Soul Reaper, you can naturally stay in the Seireitei."

Liu Ziyun had just breathed a sigh of relief—

"Once Shin'ō Academy starts accepting students next year, you can become a Soul Reaper and stay after you successfully pass the entrance exam and graduate," Unohana added unhurriedly. "Until then, you'll need to leave the Seireitei first."

She looked at Liu Ziyun's little face, which had instantly fallen, and her smile deepened. "And you'll have to hope you don't starve to death during that year, or... get eaten by a Hollow."

As if she had suddenly remembered something, she let out a soft "Ah." "Oh, I forgot. You have quite a bit of Spiritual Power, kid. Hollows really like that. Like a firefly in the dark, so distinct, so outstanding..."

Liu Ziyun: "..."

Thanks so much for the reminder!!! he roared inwardly. Isn't that just telling me, "You're dead if you go out there"?!

His mind raced. What do I do? What do I do? I can't beat her, I can't run away, and playing pitiful doesn't work either...

Suddenly, he remembered a profound saying he had read in his previous life: a person without shame was invincible under heaven.

He'd take the gamble!

The next second, Liu Ziyun did something that left everyone present dumbfounded—

He leaped off the hospital bed, moving with a speed that hardly seemed possible for someone who had just "died" once. Then, faster than the eye could see, he lunged forward and clung tightly to Unohana's leg.

"Captain—!!!" He burst into tears, tears and snot streaming down his face in an instant. "Please take me in! I'll go study at Shin'ō Academy next year! Once I graduate, I'll come back and serve under you! In life, I'll be a member of the Fourth Division; in death, I'll be a ghost of the Fourth Division—!!!"

Unohana: "..."

Tazawa Kentarō: "..."

Kiyōnosuke Yamada, who had just opened the door and entered: "???"

"Look!" Liu Ziyun said through his tears, rubbing his face against Unohana's trousers as he spoke (she dodged). "There's barely any meat on me! If you want to do research, how about I shave off all my hair and give it to you to study?! I'll be sure to take good care of you from now on! I'll pay my respects to you every morning! Massage your legs at noon! Warm your bed at night! Captain—please have pity on this homeless child—!!!"