Scheming

The Central 46 Chambers' meeting, thick with resentment and calculation, finally dispersed as the night deepened.

The forty Sages and judges left the underground assembly hall in silence, each harboring their own thoughts. It was a place that symbolized supreme authority, yet reeked of decay.

Among them, Tsukihito Tsunayashiro—the Sage who had once been suppressed by Liu Chuan's Kido and utterly humiliated—wore an expression so dark it seemed ready to drip water.

Beneath his wide sleeves, his hands were clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms.

He hadn't entered Central 46 through genuine ability or outstanding achievements, but merely because the blood of one of the Five Great Noble Clans, the Tsunayashiro Clan, flowed through his veins.

The family had happened to need one of its own within Central 46, allowing him to squeeze into the heart of Soul Society's power.

He was mediocre and narrow-minded, yet placed extreme importance on face and authority.

During the Twin Hyorinmaru incident, Liu Chuan's merciless actions had turned him into a laughingstock both inside and outside Central 46, stripping him of all dignity.

That humiliation gnawed at his heart like a venomous snake day and night, and his hatred for Liu Chuan had long seeped into his bones.

The complaints at the meeting and his colleagues' veiled support made the malice in his heart grow wildly like weeds.

Mere restrictions? A warning? No, that wasn't enough! He wanted to completely eliminate this thorn in his side, this man who had subjected him to such unbearable humiliation!

Upon returning to the Tsunayashiro Clan estate,

Tsukihito Tsunayashiro didn't head for the brightly lit main hall. Instead, he dismissed his attendants and passed alone through layer after layer of corridors and barriers, arriving at an extremely secret underground chamber deep within the estate.

The chamber was built from heavy Spirit-Insulating Stone. Its interior was dimly lit, with only a few everlasting lamps casting a faint green glow over ancient murals and talismans of unknown meaning on the walls.

The air carried a faint scent of old parchment, special herbs, and... a barely perceptible trace of blood.

This was where the Tsunayashiro Clan handled certain matters that couldn't be exposed to the light.

As the family's representative in Central 46, Tsukihito Tsunayashiro might have lacked ability, but he possessed considerable authority and knew of—and could access—some of these resources.

He walked to a heavy obsidian table at the center of the chamber, took out a black jade token engraved with the Tsunayashiro Clan crest, and pressed it into a recessed spot on the tabletop.

A faint mechanical sound rang out. The table slid apart, revealing a bottomless vertical shaft below that emitted a cold, icy chill.

Facing the shaft, he softly recited several obscure incantations at a particular rhythm, accompanied by fluctuations of Spiritual Pressure.

A moment later, four ghostlike figures silently leaped from the shaft and dropped to one knee before Tsukihito Tsunayashiro. They were clad entirely in black bodysuits, with only pairs of cold eyes exposed.

Their presence was restrained to the point of near nonexistence, yet a chilling murderous aura surrounded them—the aura of those long accustomed to slaughter and indifferent to life and death.

They were the Shadow Guards secretly trained by the Tsunayashiro Clan, true expendable agents.

"The target is Liu Chuan, a member of Zero Division. His current location is the Kido Corps headquarters." Tsukihito Tsunayashiro's voice echoed through the chamber, cold and cruel.

"Your mission isn't to kill him head-on. His strength is unknown, but anyone who can join Zero Division is no easy opponent. A direct assault carries too much risk and could easily leave traces."

He paused, a flash of cunning malice passing through his eyes.

"I want you to prepare that thing."

The Shadow Guard leader slightly raised his head. There was no emotion in his cold gaze as he answered hoarsely.

"Yes. The Binding Spirit Dust is ready. There is more than enough."

Binding Spirit Dust was a forbidden drug secretly developed by the Tsunayashiro Clan. It wasn't poison, but an extremely fine, colorless and odorless powder that could severely disrupt the flow of Spiritual Power.

Once a large amount was inhaled through the breath or absorbed through skin contact, even a captain-class Soul Reaper would suffer sluggish Spiritual Pressure circulation and severely limited abilities for a short time, their strength drastically reduced.

The Tsunayashiro Clan had spent enormous resources obtaining this "result" through certain inhumane experiments. It had always been strictly sealed away and rarely used.

Tsukihito Tsunayashiro nodded in satisfaction. With the Binding Spirit Dust, carefully arranged traps, and a surprise attack,

even if Liu Chuan was incredibly powerful, once he was caught off guard, his combat strength would surely plummet.

But expendable agents and drugs alone weren't enough. He needed a "culprit" who could reasonably make Liu Chuan "willingly" walk into the trap, while making any later investigation appear perfectly logical.

Tsukihito Tsunayashiro secretly made his way to a prison.

Behind one of its doors was a special "major criminal."

He stopped before the iron door and removed several seals. Accompanied by a screeching scrape, the heavy door slowly opened.

Inside was a narrow cell containing only a stone bed.

A disheveled man wearing heavy shackles on his hands and feet sat against the corner wall.

The man raised his head, revealing a face crisscrossed with scars. Yet even those scars couldn't conceal his brutality and madness. His eyes, in particular, resembled those of a wounded beast, filled with violence and an overwhelming desire for freedom.

This man had once been a notorious criminal in Soul Society, responsible for numerous horrifying massacres and acts of destruction. His Spiritual Pressure was formidable, and his fighting style was cruel and unpredictable.

"Executioner Scarface... do you want to get out?" Standing at the doorway, Tsukihito Tsunayashiro looked at the prisoner, his voice full of temptation.

Scarface abruptly raised his head. A terrifying gleam burst from his eyes, and his shackles clattered. "You... what did you say?"

"Help me accomplish one thing, and afterward, I'll give you your freedom. True freedom. You can leave Soul Society and go anywhere you wish."

Tsukihito Tsunayashiro spoke slowly, as though stating an established fact.

"Of course, you'll need to 'escape from prison' first. Then... I'll give you a location where you will 'happen' to encounter an important figure from Zero Division.

"You'll engage in a 'fierce' battle. You only need to... give it everything you've got and 'kill' him. Naturally, I'll create the most favorable conditions for you."

Scarface stared fixedly at Tsukihito Tsunayashiro. He wasn't an idiot and naturally understood that something was suspicious.

A member of Zero Division? What did that even mean? They wanted him to kill one? But... the temptation of freedom was simply too great.

Imprisoned in this sunless place, he had long since gone mad. His desire for freedom overwhelmed all reason.

"Why should I trust you?" Scarface asked hoarsely.

"Do you have a choice?" Tsukihito Tsunayashiro sneered. "Refuse, and you'll rot here forever. Cooperate, and at least you'll have a chance to regain your freedom. Besides..."

His tone softened. "Afterward, I'll arrange for you to leave Seireitei through a secret channel, perhaps even leave Soul Society entirely. My Tsunayashiro Clan has that much influence.

"You only need to play the role of a criminal who 'escaped from prison, sought revenge in a frenzy, happened upon a member of Zero Division, and brazenly killed him.' I'll clean up every trace."

Scarface remained silent for a long time. Madness and struggle clashed fiercely in his eyes, but in the end, his yearning for freedom crushed all his doubts.

He nodded heavily, his voice rasping like sandpaper. "Fine! I'll do it! But if you deceive me..."

"Rest assured. We... each get what we need."

Tsukihito Tsunayashiro revealed a sinister smile. Of course he wouldn't let Scarface go. How could a vicious criminal who knew so much be allowed to live?

Once it was done, the safest outcome would naturally be for "the culprit to be killed on the spot during his fierce battle with the Zero Division member." Only the dead could keep secrets forever.

The core of the plan was now clear: let Scarface "escape from prison," then have the Shadow Guards guide him to a prearranged ambush site filled with Binding Spirit Dust.

Once Liu Chuan stepped into the trap and inhaled or touched a large amount of Binding Spirit Dust, his Spiritual Power would be restrained and his combat strength greatly reduced.

Then the hidden Shadow Guards would launch a surprise assault in coordination with Scarface in his frenzied state... the chances of success would be extremely high.

Afterward, the scene would leave behind only the "perfect" conclusion: "Zero Division member Liu Chuan died in an unfortunate ambush while battling escaped major criminal Scarface in an attempt to stop him. The culprit was also slain."

Everything would appear perfectly reasonable. Even if the Soul King Palace investigated in fury, it would be difficult to find direct evidence pointing to the Tsunayashiro Clan.

At most, Seireitei would be blamed for lax security that allowed a major criminal to escape and led to the death of a Zero Division member.

"Liu Chuan... Zero Division's genius? Hmph. If anyone is to blame, blame yourself for being too conspicuous, for blocking my path, and for humiliating me!"

Tsukihito Tsunayashiro's eyes gleamed with venom and pleasure, as though he could already see Liu Chuan lying in a pool of blood while he himself regained his lost authority.

He turned and ordered the Shadow Guard leader behind him,

"Begin the operation..."

"Yes!" The Shadow Guard leader bowed and accepted the order.