Agreement

"An invitation to attend Sōjun Kuchiki's Squad Funeral?"

Ailin was somewhat surprised.

Soul Society was originally the world where the souls of humans from the Human World dwelled after death—a "world after death."

Rather than people, those in Soul Society were more accurately described as "souls."

However, due to the extraordinary energy known as spirit particles, souls capable of absorbing greater quantities of spirit particles and using them in various ways were called "Soul Reapers."

After ordinary souls in the Rukon District died, their souls would disperse into spirit particles.

Because Soul Reapers possessed spiritual pressure and absorbed spirit particles, their souls were far stronger than those of ordinary souls.

Thus, after Soul Reapers died, their bodies could remain as corpses for some time before eventually transforming into spirit particles and completely dispersing.

Once one's spiritual pressure reached a certain level, even after death, their corpse might not turn into spirit particles for centuries.

In Soul Society, people generally believed that once a soul turned into spirit particles, it would become a new, pure soul and be reincarnated in the Human World. If a corpse remained unable to turn into spirit particles after death, it meant that person would never be reincarnated.

Thus, so that fallen Soul Reapers could reincarnate more quickly, at some unknown point, a ritual known as the "Squad Funeral" began to circulate within the Seireitei.

A "Squad Funeral" was a ritual in which the corpses of fallen Soul Reapers were burned, allowing them to turn into spirit particles more quickly.

Soul Reapers believed that the faster the body transformed into spirit particles, the sooner one could be reincarnated in the Human World.

Though Ginrei Kuchiki was grief-stricken by his son's death, he did not wish to delay his child's reincarnation. He had therefore decided to hold a Squad Funeral for Sōjun Kuchiki tomorrow, the third day after his death.

At that time, the Kuchiki Clan would naturally invite relatives and friends to bid Sōjun Kuchiki farewell.

Ailin simply had not expected to be among those invited.

"Since Captain Kuchiki has invited me, refusing would be rather tactless."

"I'll go with Captain Yoruichi when the time comes."

Although Ailin and Ginrei Kuchiki had had an unpleasant exchange a few days ago over Haruko Kuchiki, now that Ginrei Kuchiki had extended goodwill toward him, Ailin would not put on airs.

"No..."

Hearing Ailin's answer, Haruko Kuchiki stared blankly for a moment before shaking her head, her hands and feet fidgeting awkwardly.

After a long while, Haruko Kuchiki finally gathered her courage. Her face flushing red, she said to Ailin, "Ailin, what my father meant was that he wanted you to receive the guests coming to pay their respects with me, as my friend."

In fact, Ginrei Kuchiki had told Haruko Kuchiki to invite Ailin to receive the guests with her as her fiancé.

Now that Ginrei Kuchiki had confirmed that Hibiki Hoshino was the murderer who had killed his son, Sōjun Kuchiki, no matter how highly he had once regarded Hibiki Hoshino or wanted him as a son-in-law, those hopes had all vanished like bubbles.

With Sōjun Kuchiki dead, the Kuchiki Clan's decline had already begun to show.

If the Kuchiki Clan did not want to follow in the Tsunayashiro Clan's footsteps, it had to quickly send the outside world a signal that the Kuchiki Clan remained strong.

Otherwise, those nobles would all eye the Kuchiki Clan like bloodthirsty sharks.

Once Ginrei Kuchiki passed away, it was easy to imagine the terrifying fate awaiting the Kuchiki Clan.

The battle between Ailin and Hibiki Hoshino that day had, in a roundabout way, made Ailin known.

If Ailin became the Kuchiki Clan's son-in-law, he could deter most of those harboring ill intentions.

Once Ailin completed his Bankai training, the Kuchiki Clan would have no worries for centuries to come.

However, Haruko Kuchiki was simply too shy. She did not dare tell Ailin directly that she wanted him to become her fiancé. At the same time, she feared that Ailin would refuse, so she only said that he would accompany her as a "friend."

"Receiving guests with you as a friend?"

Though Haruko Kuchiki had not said it outright, Ailin was no fool.

What kind of person could receive guests alongside Haruko Kuchiki?

Ailin raised an eyebrow and looked Haruko Kuchiki over from head to toe.

It had to be said that Haruko Kuchiki had inherited the Kuchiki Clan's fine genes. Though she was still somewhat immature, it was clear she had plenty of room to grow in the future.

Should he agree?

Ailin stroked his chin.

As the Squad Funeral for Sōjun Kuchiki, the eldest young master of the Kuchiki Clan, the foremost of the Four Great Noble Houses, nearly all of the Seireitei's upper-echelon figures would come to pay their respects.

That would certainly include the thirteen captains, including Captain-Commander Yamamoto.

If he could meet these powerful figures, Infinite Sword would surely gain many powerful weapons.

That could even include Captain-Commander Yamamoto's Zanpakuto, the oldest in Soul Society and the strongest fire-type Zanpakuto—Flowing Blade-like Fire.

As well as the strongest lightning-type Zanpakuto—Genryūmaru.

If he missed this opportunity, Ailin might only get to meet Captain-Commander Yamamoto more than a century later, when Aizen Sosuke's Hollowfication Experiment caused Soul Society to lose six captains.

Agree!

Only an idiot would refuse!

With that thought, Ailin finally smiled and nodded beneath Haruko Kuchiki's anxious gaze.

"Aren't we already friends? If receiving guests with you can help you, then I'd be more than happy to."

"Mm, then I'll see you tomorrow morning, Ailin."

Having received Ailin's agreement, Haruko Kuchiki patted her chest and let out a breath of relief. Then, smiling, she waved to Ailin before turning and taking small steps back toward the Kuchiki Clan estate.

She had to tell her father that Ailin had agreed to receive guests with her.

"Heh..."

Only after Haruko Kuchiki's figure vanished around the corner did Ailin withdraw his gaze.

"Perhaps having such a cute wife wouldn't be such a bad thing..."

"However..."

Thinking of the crises that would unfold in the Seireitei, Ailin ultimately shook his head and sighed.

If he could not even ensure his own survival in the Thousand-Year Blood War, then the more people he cared about, the greater his pain would be when the time came.

Thinking of the enemies he might face in the future—Aizen Sosuke, completely fused with the Hogyoku; Yhwach, progenitor of the Wandenreich Quincy, and the Quincy army under his command; Souken Ishida, the 8th Kenpachi...

Ailin even regarded Captain-Commander Yamamoto and those members of the Royal Guard as potential enemies in his imagination.

After all, no one knew what tomorrow might bring.

Only by becoming strong himself could he ensure that he could protect everything he cared about.

Casting these thoughts aside, Ailin headed toward the Second Division.

There was no point in thinking about such things now.

Seizing every opportunity to increase his strength was the most correct course of action.

Just think—if he had possessed his current strength that night, Ginrei Kuchiki would not have discovered him at all. Even if he had, what could Ginrei Kuchiki and Hibiki Hoshino have done by joining forces?

His abilities destined him to work quietly, then astonish everyone.

When the day came that he possessed invincible power, what would it matter even if he became an enemy of the entire world?