Encounter

Ailin's Zanpakuto was "Unlimited Blade Works."

Because it was an Inner World, and because Ailin himself knew this ability's true name and function, once his spiritual pressure reached the level needed to materialize the Inner World—that is, Captain-level spiritual pressure—he would be able to release his Bankai—Unlimited Blade Works.

That would be when Ailin could fully unleash his strength.

Granted, for certain special reasons within Soul Society, they did not permit two identical Zanpakuto to exist at the same time.

But Ailin's Bankai—Unlimited Blade Works—would use his inner world to erode reality, severing a new "space" from the real world. This "space" and Soul Society could be considered "two worlds."

When the time came, Ailin would only need to pull his enemies into his Inner World. In his own world, he would be able to use every Zanpakuto.

All Ailin needed to do was kill the enemies he pulled into the Inner World and ensure that information about his Bankai did not leak.

Previously, the only area Ailin could move around in was the Second Division.

Now that he knew the "little trick for leaving his post," Ailin's range of movement had expanded thousands of times over, covering nearly half the Seireitei.

"Then, Captains of the Gotei 13, let's have a pleasant encounter!"

A few breaths later, Ailin went from the quiet mountaintop to a bustling commercial street.

"The areas I can currently move around in include the Third Division, Fifth Division, Eighth Division, Tenth Division, and Thirteenth Division..."

"The Captain-level powerhouses in these divisions are Kyoraku Jushiro, Hirako Shinji, Aizen Sosuke, Shunsui Kyōraku, Isshin Shiba, and Jūshirō Ukitake."

"As for the others, running into them on the streets will depend on luck."

"But I remember that Shunsui Kyōraku, the Captain of the Eighth Division, has always liked drinking in taverns and red-light districts..."

"For now, I'll familiarize myself with the taverns and red-light districts in this part of the commercial district..."

As expected, Ailin did not encounter any Captain that day.

However, that did not mean he gained nothing else.

He acquired five more Seat Officer-level Zanpakuto.

As for the Zanpakuto of ordinary Shinigami, there were over a hundred more.

Forging these Zanpakuto raised Ailin's spiritual pressure a little further.

"Cheers!"

Inside the Moonlight Tavern, Ailin sat at the same table as a young woman with her hair tied into a high topknot and a face covered in garish makeup.

Besides a few snacks, the table was filled with all kinds of alcohol.

"Cheers!"

Clink.

The two glass cups collided, spilling some wine from the impact, but it did nothing to dampen the spirits of the two drinking companions.

"Gulp, gulp..."

"Hah..."

After investigating for some time, Ailin ultimately could not bring himself to visit the red-light district and chose to drink in taverns instead.

Unfortunately, perhaps Ailin's luck was poor. For several months, he had not seen a single Captain in this tavern.

Ailin had originally planned to switch to another tavern, but a young woman who had suddenly burst into this tavern a few days ago had forcibly made him remain here for another month.

How should he put it? The moment Ailin saw this young woman, he knew that if anything happened to her in this tavern, and it was later discovered that he had also been there yet done nothing, Ailin would most likely face serious trouble.

As the Vice-Captain of the Second Division, a great deal of intelligence passed through Ailin's hands every day in the Seireitei.

Although the young woman had tied her silky long hair into a high topknot and covered her face with messy makeup, Ailin had recognized her at first glance.

She was Haruko Kuchiki, the youngest daughter of Ginrei Kuchiki, the current head of the Kuchiki Clan!

Although he did not know why the little princess of the Kuchiki Clan had dressed like this and come to a tavern far from the Sixth Division, Ailin could not possibly let anything happen to her before his eyes.

So, before anyone else could, Ailin invited Haruko Kuchiki to share his table.

Afterward, Ailin could sense the restraint and unease in the young woman's heart as she entered a tavern for the first time.

Only after quite a while did she gradually calm down, and her curiosity gained the upper hand.

Still, she was rather thin-skinned. Aside from softly saying "Thank you" to Ailin, she merely lowered her head and sipped her drink.

Every day afterward, the young woman would take the initiative to sit at Ailin's table.

The two did not exchange much. They simply drank a little wine and ate a few snacks in tacit understanding.

Whenever the mood struck, they would occasionally clink glasses.

Over the course of a month, they exchanged no more than thirty-five sentences.

However, what made Ailin curious was that the young woman was unusually proactive today.

She had already clinked glasses with him three times.

"Starting tomorrow, I won't be coming anymore."

"Thank you for protecting me during this time."

As she was leaving, Haruko Kuchiki bowed to Ailin in thanks.

At that moment, despite the mismatch between her makeup and hairstyle, Haruko Kuchiki still displayed the upbringing of a great clan.

Judging solely by her movements and bearing, no one would have believed that someone like her would appear in a tavern.

After Haruko Kuchiki left, Ailin sighed, drained the wine in his cup, paid the bill, and followed after her.

For the past month, Ailin had secretly escorted Haruko Kuchiki home every night.

Along the way, at every corner, Haruko Kuchiki's appearance would change slightly.

The bun atop her head came loose, and her rebellious upturned hairstyle turned into smooth long hair that fell to her waist.

The exaggerated makeup on her face was quickly wiped away, restoring her elegant appearance.

Her gaudy clothes were discarded, revealing a pure white kimono beneath.

After only a few turns, an impulsive, rebellious young woman had become a gentle, refined woman like a Yamato nadeshiko, radiating powerful feminine charm.

The first time Ailin had escorted Haruko Kuchiki home, the transformation had nearly made his eyes pop out of their sockets.

Only after watching Haruko Kuchiki enter the gates of the Kuchiki Clan did Ailin prepare to return.

After all, the distance from the Sixth Division to the Second Division had already exceeded Ailin's safe range.

If he encountered an emergency summons at a time like this, his situation would become extremely dangerous.

However...

"Who's there?"

His hand resting on the Zanpakuto at his waist, Ailin coldly shouted toward the depths of the alley.

Ailin had never expected that, on the final night of escorting Haruko Kuchiki, he would actually encounter enemies.

What powerful malice!

"Tap, tap, tap, tap..."

Footsteps rang out. Ailin heard two sets of footsteps.

When the faces of the two men emerged from the darkness into the moonlight, Ailin's pupils abruptly contracted.

I'm finished!

He had actually run into these two people at a time like this.

One of them had white hair and a white beard. He appeared to be around the same age as Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and wore a white Captain's Haori.

The other wore a black Shinigami uniform, and the fury in his eyes seemed ready to burn Ailin to ashes.