Somewhere else.
After leaving with Natsuki.
The woman's incessant voice rang in Azashiro Kenpachi's ear once more.
"How compassionate of you. You showed no mercy to those ordinary Rukongai Commoners, killing them and turning them into experimental subjects in an attempt to transform them into weapons. Yet when it came to your own subordinate, you suddenly felt pity."
"So this is Azashiro Kenpachi?"
"Talk about a double standard!"
The woman's taunts poured from her lips. She seemed like a real chatterbox, speaking to Azashiro Kenpachi while peppering her words with all sorts of exaggerated exclamations and occasionally letting out a strange laugh.
An ordinary person might have put up with it once or twice, but they certainly couldn't have endured it for long.
But Azashiro Kenpachi was clearly no ordinary person. He had long since grown used to her remarks. If he ignored her mocking tone and odd laughter, he could actually understand what she was getting at.
For example, on the surface, she was mocking him for showing pity. In truth, she was curious about why he hadn't simply killed Natsuki.
After a moment of silence,
Azashiro Kenpachi gave her an answer. "His value is greater than that of those Commoners."
"Oh, oh, oh... Is that so? So, in your eyes, everyone has a different value?" The woman was thrilled to finally get a response from Azashiro and couldn't help asking another question.
"Yes."
This time, Azashiro Kenpachi answered without hesitation or silence.
"Hollows threaten the entire world. Soul Reapers exist to fight them, and every additional Soul Reaper can eliminate many more Hollow threats. I hate Hollows; I have no grudge against Soul Reapers."
"He once served in the Expeditionary Force to Hueco Mundo and killed many Hollows. If I let him live, he'll kill even more. For that alone, I could never kill him."
"As for targeting Commoners? It's because they're utterly worthless. They can't put up any resistance against Hollows, either. As my experimental subjects, receiving power from me is the only value they have."
"What a cold-blooded thing to say!" the woman remarked.
Then she asked Azashiro Kenpachi, "Since you say you have no grudge against Soul Reapers, why did you kill that man Kuruyashiki?"
"He was a Kenpachi. Surely he'd have been worth more alive, wouldn't he?"
A complicated emotion crept into Azashiro Kenpachi's voice. "You're right. If I'd let Kuruyashiki live, he would indeed have been more valuable. I regret killing him, but I needed the position of a Gotei 13 Captain. Becoming the captain of another Division would have been too much trouble and taken too long. The Kenpachi position was the easiest captaincy for me to obtain."
"By the way, now that you've spared that young man, aren't you afraid he'll expose what you've done and report you to Central 46?" the woman asked another question.
Azashiro Kenpachi still answered without hesitation. "If that's what he wants to do, let him."
When he decided to experiment on the Commoners of Rukongai, he never expected to keep it secret forever.
Even if Natsuki hadn't discovered what he was doing, the Gotei 13 had already noticed the recent disappearances of souls in Rukongai. It was only a matter of time before they traced them back to him.
But one thing had never changed:
His determination to wipe out every Hollow.
After tending to his injuries,
Natsuki returned to the 11th Division.
After defeating Natsuki, Azashiro Kenpachi hadn't returned to the Division. Natsuki had no idea where he'd gone.
The vice-captain, Gosu, was quite surprised to see Natsuki injured.
Natsuki didn't explain much, only saying, "That Hollow was a bit tricky." Seeing this, Gosu could only arrange for Natsuki to rest and recover. He even suggested that Natsuki visit the 4th Division, since it was the medical Division and treatment from its members would help him heal faster.
Natsuki didn't refuse Gosu's kindness.
And so, he began his leave.
At the same time, he went to the 4th Division.
Although Natsuki had been in the 11th Division for nearly a year and was now its Third Seat, making him one of the elite Soul Reapers in the entire Gotei 13, he hadn't had much contact with the other Divisions.
This was his first time at the 4th Division.
Perhaps because of Natsuki's status, an unexpected figure appeared before him after he arrived at the 4th Division for treatment.
"Captain Unohana!"
Natsuki had expected a Seated Officer from the 4th Division to treat him. He hadn't imagined that the person who came to see him would be the division's captain, Unohana Retsu.
From Gosu and the others, Natsuki knew that Unohana Retsu was a captain of venerable seniority.
But beyond being the 11th Division's Third Seat, Natsuki was also a transmigrator. Although the passage of time had made many plot details hazy, he still remembered the identities of certain important figures.
Unohana Retsu, for instance: aside from being the 4th Division Captain, beneath her compassionate appearance lay a former executioner whose hands had been stained with blood. She was the First Kenpachi, known as Unohana Yachiru.
The "Ya" in "Kenpachi" came from Yachiru.
"Natsuki, this is your first time at our 4th Division, isn't it?"
Unohana Retsu's black hair was tied into two braids, which hung in front of her rather than behind her. A faint smile played on her lips, making her look kind and benevolent.
"Yes," Natsuki replied frankly. "I ran into a rather tricky Hollow in Rukongai and was badly injured. I treated the wounds myself, but I thought it'd be best to come to the 4th Division. That way, I can recover faster and get back to fighting sooner."
Unohana Retsu gestured for Natsuki to lie on the bed. As she examined his wounds, she asked, "Do you enjoy fighting, Natsuki?"
"I wouldn't say I enjoy fighting."
"But I think that since I've become a Soul Reaper, there are some things I can't avoid."
"Like... fighting!"
Natsuki spoke calmly, as if describing something insignificant.
"I see."
Unohana Retsu's gaze flickered. She opened the front of Natsuki's clothes and examined his wounds. Then a gentle light appeared in her palm. Pale blue Reiatsu gathered there before transforming into another kind of energy. Under Unohana Retsu's control, it swiftly began mending Natsuki's injured body.
Soul Reapers and Hollows were beings made of Reishi.
Their bodies were composed of Reishi, and their physical strength depended on their own spiritual power. The stronger their spiritual power, the tougher their bodies; even when injured, they could recover quickly.
The treatment Unohana Retsu was using was a special Ghost Way developed specifically for beings made of Reishi.
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