"Yo! Captain Araki~ You finally decided to leave your Captain's Office?!"
Seeing Araki walking beside Katori Bakuunsai with a broad smile, Chōjirō Sasakibe forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart, doing his best to curl his lips into a smile as he greeted Araki.
At that moment, Sasakibe kept giving himself mental reminders: Hold back the anger. I absolutely have to hold back the anger!
"Hm?!"
Hearing this, Araki looked up. Upon seeing that it was Sasakibe, he directly chose to ignore him.
"Captain Katori, let's take a detour! There's some filthy thing here with disheveled clothes. I'm afraid it might soil your eyes!"
After saying that, Araki took Katori Bakuunsai's hand and headed down the road opposite the one Sasakibe had come from.
"Don't ignore me, Araki!!"
"We're beloved best friends!!"
Araki's garbage-like gaze deeply stung Sasakibe's heart. Gritting his teeth, he roared furiously at Araki.
"Bakudō #99: Kin!"
Hearing him, Araki turned around and glanced at Sasakibe, then casually sent a Bakudō back at him.
"Huh? You're using Bakudō #99 on me?! You're joking, right?"
Watching light flare from Araki's fingertips, Sasakibe's expression changed drastically. He seemed to want to say something, but before he could finish, countless leather straps came coiling toward him from every direction...
Before Sasakibe could resist, the bandages released by Bakudō #99 to restrain Spiritual Pressure had already wrapped around his body. By the time he realized it, Araki's Bakudō had nailed him to the wall of the 11th Division Barracks.
Alas, invincible Sasakibe—the Sasakibe who wielded one of the few Zanpakuto in Soul Society capable of controlling the weather in battle—had once again been nailed to a wall...
At that moment, trapped by Araki's Bakudō, Sasakibe had only one thing to say in his heart: A hundred years ago, you called me brother this and brother that! When we parted, we even called each other blood brothers! A hundred years later, you became Captain of the 11th Division, and the word brother has never again come from those thirty-seven-degree lips of yours! Not only that, whenever your brother asks for help, all you do is brush him off! And when you leave, you use Bakudō #99, the Bakudō specially meant for trapping Menos Grande, to trap your brother over some woman you've never even met! Alas, your brother is suffering!
Ahem...
"This way~"
After finishing all that, Araki led the misty-eyed Katori Bakuunsai toward the 11th Division Captain's Office.
What nonsense. Katori was the Captain of the 8th Division. How could she compare to some Vice-Captain of the 1st Division?!
Of course, Araki swore that he definitely wasn't treating Katori differently because her figure was too wicked~ Araki had always treated everyone equally!
Inside the 11th Division Captain's Office.
Araki and Katori sat on opposite sides of a long table, with freshly boiled tea set upon it.
"So then, Captain Katori, what brought you here to see me this time?!"
Araki looked at Katori Bakuunsai before him, who appeared pure and adorably dazed, her entire style completely unlike that of the other First Generation Gotei 13 captains, and asked.
"Actually, I didn't come to find you over anything particularly important..."
After hearing Araki's words, Katori Bakuunsai's face flushed with shy embarrassment.
"Uh..."
Araki froze at the sight before him.
The bashful Katori Bakuunsai before him was like a small, delectable apple—green, yet carrying a touch of ripeness. Even without tasting it, merely looking at it was enough to delight the heart and feast the eyes!
For a moment, suspicion rose in Araki's heart. Was this Katori Bakuunsai truly one of the Great Villains spoken of alongside the other captains of the First Generation Gotei 13?
At least, in Araki's eyes, Katori looked more like a "flower bud waiting to bloom"...
Well, more precisely, a pure high school girl who had bloomed a little too much~
"Actually, my visit today isn't for anything important either!"
The moment Katori spoke, she used one of the rare honorific forms within the 13th Division, which made Araki feel immensely pleased.
"Speak freely! So long as it's something I can do, I'll do my utmost..."
Smiling, Araki made Katori that promise.
After all, who wouldn't like a cute high school girl with a lovely face, a petite body, and "nuclear weapons"-level weapons of mass destruction?!
Especially with the glasses perched on Katori Bakuunsai's nose, adding a scholarly air to her, the smile on Araki's face grew even wider...
"Captain Araki, you really are as easy to talk to as Saito said! Since that's the case, then I won't stand on ceremony..."
"Actually, I came here because Saito told me that the thing 'down there' of yours doesn't seem to be useful anymore! What I mean is, since it's no longer of any use to you, why not cut it off and lend it to me for a few days of research! Once I've successfully figured it out, I'll return it to you..."
Seeing how agreeable Araki was, Katori Bakuunsai explained the purpose of her visit.
"Hehe, that isn't difficult for me at all!"
"Simple. I'll cut off the thing down there right now and let you study it for a few days... like hell I will!"
Hearing that, Araki laughed. He had been angered into laughter by Katori Bakuunsai's words.
Fine, from this moment onward, Araki withdrew every compliment he had just given Katori Bakuunsai...
As the saying went, one who kept company with vermilion turned red, while one who kept company with ink turned black. In a First Generation Gotei 13 where everyone was either a "mental patient," a "murderous maniac," or a "great villain," how could there possibly be one normal person who was dignified and reasonable on the outside?!
Araki had been careless! Katori Bakuunsai was fine when she kept her mouth shut, but the moment she spoke, the favorable impression Araki had formed plummeted to rock bottom...
At that moment, Araki saw through Katori's true nature: the "Silent Goddess" in the hearts of countless Gotei 13 members, the "Silent Bride" of their dreams!
"Can't I?"
"I'm only borrowing it for a few days. It's not like I won't return it..."
"Once I've finished studying it and thoroughly understood it, I'll return it to you! Besides, I heard that your Zanpakuto's healing ability is unrivaled in Soul Society! It can even perform the miracle of regenerating severed limbs. A severed limb of this level should be able to regenerate, right?!"
Hearing that, Katori Bakuunsai tilted her head at Araki with an adorably blank expression.
"Why don't you listen to what you just said? Does that sound like something a human would say?"
Araki's eye twitched.
"But I'm tired of what's in the books. I really need the help of a real object!"
Just as Araki's head began to ache, Katori Bakuunsai pulled out a thin "yellow" book with an extremely provocative cover.
"Ah..."
Araki fell silent as he looked at the book Katori had taken out...
So that was what this had all been about...
From Kyoraku Shunsui to Lisa, the source of the 8th Division captains' fondness for lewd novels was you!
"Let's not talk about whether you need a real object or not!"
"First, let's talk about who exactly told you that my 'big treasure' was no longer needed?!"
Araki looked at Katori Bakuunsai and asked.
In truth, Araki already had a name in mind. But before going out to punish the culprit, he still intended to confirm it with Katori, lest he "wrongfully kill an innocent person."
"Um..."
"If I tell you, will you lend it to me for my research?"
Katori attempted to bargain.
"As long as you tell me, I'll lend you one to complete your research..."
Araki said.
"Alright! Then I'll tell you one person, but you have to keep it secret! Saito Furofushi didn't want me to tell you. She was the one who told me..."
Hearing that, Katori immediately sold out Saito Furofushi without the slightest hesitation.
"Haha, Saito Furofushi, so it really was you..."
Araki immediately laughed. The moment he had heard the name Saito, he had guessed it was Saito Furofushi. There were many people surnamed Saito in the 13th Division, though, so he needed confirmation. Araki did not like killing innocents indiscriminately.
"What did Saito Furofushi tell you?"
After confirming the culprit, Araki continued questioning Katori.
"Saito told me that your 'treasure' was like a lizard's tail and could regenerate after being severed! That's why I came looking for you..."
Katori answered Araki's question reflexively, only realizing something halfway through.
Then, Katori looked at Araki curiously and asked, "Araki, how did you know that the person who told me this was Saito Furofushi?!"
"It was nothing. I guessed~"
Araki was left somewhat speechless as he looked at the adorably dazed Katori.
He truly could not tell whether Katori was genuinely airheaded, or whether she merely looked airheaded while actually being a black-bellied schemer!
"Anyway, you already know who told me about this, so you can't go back on your word~"
As Katori Bakuunsai spoke, a sharp naginata had somehow appeared in her hand...
Clearly, if Araki showed even the slightest unwillingness, Katori Bakuunsai intended to cut it off herself!
"Since I promised you, I definitely won't go back on my word~"
"It's just that while I agreed to give you one, I never said I would give you mine~"
As Araki spoke, he directly activated the ability of his Ope Ope no Mi.
"ROOM!"
As the ability spread out, accompanied by a soft sound, Araki and Katori Bakuunsai vanished from the 11th Division Captain's Office. In their place stood two utterly ordinary bricks...
At the same time...
Katori and Araki had already arrived at the entrance to the 11th Division Barracks.
"Sasakibe, come out~"
With a wave of Araki's finger, Sasakibe, who had been restrained against the wall by Bakudō #99, appeared before the two of them.
"What happened?"
At that moment, Sasakibe still had no idea what awaited him next.
"Seeing that you're completely unharmed truly makes me so happy, Sasakibe!"
"Captain Katori, this is Chōjirō Sasakibe, Vice-Captain of the 1st Division. At the same time, he is my brother from different fathers and mothers!"
"Today, I'll make the decision and give his 'treasure' to you!"
Araki looked at the unharmed Sasakibe and flashed Katori a radiant smile.
Araki decided to give Sasakibe, who had been stuck at a bottleneck for so long without breaking through, a little shock between life and death! If he wanted to protect his most precious thing, then he should work hard and break through!
Araki believed Unohana's training of Sasakibe had been too gentle. After all, Sasakibe knew that no matter how severe his injuries were, Unohana would heal him!
But Katori was different! Katori would truly strike to kill~
"Alright~"
Katori looked at Chōjirō Sasakibe before her and lightly nodded her adorably blank head.
"As for me, I have something else to do!"
As Araki spoke, his body flickered, and he rushed toward the Gotei 13, 6th Division.
"Then next..."
Watching Araki leave, Katori raised the naginata in her hand at Chōjirō Sasakibe.
"Captain Katori, what are you doing?!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe's forehead was covered in sweat as he watched Katori draw her weapon.
Although Chōjirō Sasakibe still did not know what exactly had happened outside, seeing Katori draw her weapon filled his heart with a sense of foreboding!
"Of course, I'm borrowing your treasure!"
Katori stated those incomparably cruel words without expression.
"Captain Katori, are you joking?"
Hearing that, Sasakibe's expression turned strange.
Araki looked so upright and honest, yet what sort of "not suitable for children" nonsense had he been discussing with Captain Katori?!
That said, Sasakibe knew well that the Gotei 13 captains were all people who could not be judged by common sense. The instant he sensed danger, he quietly took half a step back, ready to flee at any time!
A few minutes later...
Araki arrived outside the Gotei 13, 6th Division Barracks with a blank expression. After successfully locking onto Saito Furofushi's Spiritual Pressure, he calmly drew the Zanpakuto at his waist.
Elsewhere...
"Gasp, huff! Gasp, huff!"
"Captain Katori wasn't joking at all. She was actually serious..."
Inside the 1st Division Barracks, Chōjirō Sasakibe, who had narrowly escaped death, hid within the barracks and gasped heavily!
Thankfully, he had trained under Unohana Retsu for a full two and a half months. Having wandered between life and death numerous times, while his other abilities had not improved much, his ability to flee for his life had grown tremendously!
"It's fine now that I'm back in the 1st Division!"
"Captain Katori probably won't kill her way in here..."
After returning to the 1st Division Barracks, Chōjirō Sasakibe wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
After all, the 1st Division Barracks was guarded by the Genryūsai-sama he respected!
Even captains from other divisions would never rashly set foot here without Captain-Commander Yamamoto's orders...
However, after that race between life and death with Katori Bakuunsai, Chōjirō Sasakibe seemed to feel that his Shunpo, which had long been stuck at a bottleneck, had loosened again...
Sure enough, great breakthroughs came between life and death! The saying was true!
Two chapters, seven thousand words! First, let's celebrate—the novel has reached one hundred thousand words! Next, the Yhwach Invasion Arc is expected to begin within two chapters~
Also, please send some votes my way~ In consideration of the seven thousand words I worked so hard to write, everyone, please give me a vote! Every vote from you readers will speed up Yhwach's arrival~
In any case, I'll work seriously and keep writing well~ And thank you all for your support~
Before you continue