The Strange Affair / Am I Proud of Cheating in Plain Sight?

The first person to provide information to Ukitake was none other than his best friend, Shunsui Kyōraku.

"Shunsui... how did you get here? Aren't you very busy right now?" Ukitake smiled wryly. Of course he knew why his good friend had come. Shunsui Kyōraku was now the Lieutenant of the 8th Division and had many missions to complete. He hadn't expected that Shunsui would still find time to come see him.

"I'm not here to help you cheat. I'm here to remind you that this mission is not simple. You must be very careful and not be careless." Shunsui Kyōraku's face was solemn. "Now I'll tell you the cause and effect of the disappearance of these villages."

Ukitake knew this was a very important situation and dared not be careless, so he quickly sat up straight.

"This story begins about two weeks ago..." Shunsui Kyōraku began to recount, his eyes narrowed.

Two weeks ago, in late summer, a Woodcutter went up the mountain to chop wood. He was so tired that he fell asleep in the forest. When he returned to the village, he found that although the village was still there, all the creatures in the village had disappeared.

There was still half-eaten food on the table, water boiling in the pot, and the blankets on the bed looking like they had been used, but there was no one in the village at all, as if everyone had vanished in an instant.

The Woodcutter was terrified and rushed to other villages that very night, only to find that the other villages were in the same state.

Terrified, he found the local Grim Reaper and reported the situation.

Chapter 180: Strange Things

Jūshirō Ukitake listened to his best friend recount this story, he felt a little nervous. Why did it sound like the ghost ship story his Teacher had told him before?

During their special training, Yamabuki Chidori would take the two boys to train in the deep mountains. Because it was too hot at night and they couldn't sleep, they often liked to tell all sorts of ghost stories.

Back then, those two guys were young. Even though they were ghosts themselves, they were so scared by these stories that they were afraid to go out to the toilet at night.

However, now that Ukitake has grown up, he vaguely guesses the truth of the matter.

"There must be an extremely powerful spirit around Yi, right? The Reiatsu is so strong that ordinary souls would vanish as soon as they get close. That must be the reason," Ukitake said.

To everyone's surprise, Shunsui Kyōraku shook his head slightly. "At first, everyone thought the same thing, believing that a powerful Hollow might be lurking in this area, and they dispatched a large squad of Shinigami. However, just three days ago, all of these Shinigami lost contact. The Second Division Captain, Shunshun Shidō, reported this matter to the Staff Department as quickly as possible, and we await Staff Department decision."

Jūshirō Ukitake frowned deeply.

It's understandable if a powerful Reiatsu could cause an ordinary person's soul to dissipate, but a Shinigami's soul is many times stronger than an ordinary person's. Even if Captain-level Reiatsu did nothing, it would be impossible for it to cause a Shinigami's soul to dissipate.

"At the time, the Staff Department sent a Lieutenant to investigate. They found that the Grim Reapers' clothes and knives were still there, but the people had vanished into thin air. The scene was extremely bizarre and strange, and it remains an unsolved mystery. That's why I warned you not to take it lightly. This matter is definitely not as simple as it seems," Shunsui Kyōraku said.

"Kyoraku, do you know who the Lieutenant who led the investigation is? I want to ask him about the details," Ukitake said.

"You don't need to go out. I'm the Lieutenant leading the investigation. Just ask me if you need anything," Shunsui Kyōraku said.

"Were there any signs of a struggle at the scene?" Ukitake asked the most important question.

If a powerful Hollow and a Shinigami were to fight, it would explain why the villagers and Shinigami would disappear.

"No. If there were any signs of a fight at the scene, there would definitely be blood, torn clothes, and a broken knife. But none of these things were found at the scene. The clothes were lying on the ground intact, and the knife blades were not torn or cracked. Judging from these clues, there was no fight at the time," Shunsui Kyōraku said.

"What about Reiatsu? If a Hollow appears, it will definitely leave behind a corresponding Reiatsu."

"No, that's strange. I didn't sense any Reiatsu there, not even the Reiatsu of a Shinigami," Shunsui Kyōraku said.

That's strange!

Without any fighting or Hollows, how did those villagers disappear? And how did the Grim Reapers who went to investigate disappear as well?

These things are completely illogical.

Could supernatural events really occur in a place like Soul Society?

This is absolutely outrageous!

"I retrieved some Shinigami Uniform and Zanpakuto back then, and they're in the 8th Division. If you'd like to see them, I can get them for you," Shunsui Kyōraku said.

Ukitake nodded and arrived at the 8th Division with Shunsui Kyōraku.

The first thing to investigate was the clothes of the missing team members. The clothes were very neat, as if the people had suddenly turned into thin air and disappeared, with their clothes neatly lying on the ground without anything missing.

Ukitake picked up the clothes and shook them gently, and accidentally a tear appeared in his Shinigami Uniform.

"Be careful! This is a very important mission," Kyoraku said.

But Ukitake immediately realized the blind spot. "How could I have torn the Shinigami Uniform so easily? Don't forget, the Shinigami Uniform was made by Shūtara Senjumaru, it's extremely tough, how could I have torn it with just a slight shake?"

unless...

Ukitake picked up another Shinigami Uniform and shook it lightly again; unsurprisingly, this uniform also tore.

This speaks volumes.

"Either these clothes were made with substandard materials, or... it's related to the disappearance of these Grim Reapers," Ukitake said.

Shunsui Kyōraku held the tattered Shinigami Uniform in his hands, lost in thought.

"I'm going to the scene now. Maybe I'll find some new clues. Could you take these clothes and ask Miss Shutara under what circumstances these Shinigami Uniform would become so fragile?" Ukitake said.

"No problem, leave this to me." Shunsui Kyōraku carefully collected the tattered Shinigami Uniform armor.

Jūshirō Ukitake grabbed his Zanpakuto and went straight to the place where the village population had disappeared. Coincidentally, the 2nd Division Lieutenant Hachisato, was also there investigating.

"Lieutenant Ukitake! You're here to participate in the trial mission, right?" Hachisato asked.

Jūshirō Ukitake scratched his head and chuckled, "Lieutenant Hachisato, have you made any discoveries?"

Hachisato Kite nodded solemnly. "Come with me."

Ukitake followed the Hachisato to the very center of a village. Did you notice anything different about the location of the village center compared to the outside?

Upon closer inspection, Ukitake suddenly realized why there were no buildings in the middle; it looked like a donut with the center hollowed out.

Ukitake hurriedly reached out to touch the ground. Usually, when building a house, a foundation is built first. Only after the foundation is laid can a tall building be erected. If there is no foundation here, it means that the village itself is empty. But here he found the foundation, which means that there were originally buildings on this empty land.

But for some unknown reason, these buildings vanished without a trace, leaving only deep foundations.

This situation worsens the further inland, until the edges of the village are almost unaffected by this strange phenomenon.

"What does this prove?" Ukitake began to ponder.

The people are gone, and the buildings are gone too.

Furthermore, the concept of UFOs didn't exist in this era, so it couldn't have been done by aliens. Besides, even if aliens did exist, could they even make contact with the Soul Society?

Ukitake walked outwards from the very center of the village, and in the area where the open space met the buildings, Ukitake discovered many dilapidated structures.

There was only half a house, only half a stone gate; in short, it was very strange, and all these things were incomplete.

"Could it be that a massive explosion occurred in the very center of the village! Destroying everything in an instant! But... why did the villagers on the outskirts of the village also disappear?" Ukitake was completely baffled.

Moreover, there were no broken walls or debris beneath these damaged buildings; the broken parts seemed to have vanished into thin air.

Chapter 181: Am I Proud to Openly Use Cheats?

This situation was so bizarre that even Jūshirō Ukitake had lived for over two hundred years, had never seen anything like it.

It's like blowing up a wall with a bomb. After half of the wall is blown apart, there will definitely be fallen cement, stones and other debris. But now, these debris have disappeared without a trace, as if they were eaten by a lifeless, gaping mouth.

"Lieutenant Hachisato, you are very knowledgeable. Have you ever seen this situation before?" Ukitake asked humbly.

Hachisato's expression shifted slightly, a hint of embarrassment in her eyes, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Seeing the other person's expression, Ukitake knew there was something fishy going on, and said in an even more sincere tone, "This matter concerns the lives of so many people, please be sure to tell me the truth."

With no other choice, Hachisato could only reveal a little bit of the information she knew.

"That was two or three hundred years ago, when the Gotei 13 had just been established. Once, the three of us—me, the Vice-Captain Sasakibe, and the Chief Strategist— went on a mission to subjugate Hueco Mundo, only to be blocked by Baraggan, the King of Demand at the time! You might not know, but the Chief Strategist then wasn't nearly as powerful as he is now. In today's terms, he was at most Lieutenant-level. Even if the three of us joined forces, we wouldn't be a match for the King of Hueco Mundo." Hachisato's thoughts seemed to have drifted far away.

"So even Teacher grow step by step! What happened next? How did you escape? Did the Captain intervene? Or did you use some other method to escape?" Ukitake asked.

"No, I didn't escape..." Hachisato's expression of struggle grew more and more obvious. "I'm only telling you this, absolutely, absolutely not to anyone else. The Chief Strategist used a power that wasn't belonging to the Grim Reaper, and turned the tide of the battle in one fell swoop."

Ukitake felt a slight tremor in his heart. Power that didn't belong to a Shinigami?

Could the tragedies in these villages also have been caused by the power of death?

"The Chief Strategist used an ability called the Perfect Sanctification, the final form of Quincy. Once activated, this form devours the surrounding Reishi. I personally witnessed a huge crater being swallowed up in the Hueco Mundo desert. It was with this powerful force that the Chief Strategist turned the tide of battle and won," Hachisato said. "That scene... I feel it's somewhat similar to the scene right now!"

Devouring... Reishi?

This was a path that Jūshirō Ukitake had never imagined.

Shinigami cannot control Reishi at will; controlling Reishi is the ability of Quincy. Although the older generation knew that Yamabuki Chidori controlled multiple powers at the same time, the younger generation was completely unaware of this, so hearing about it suddenly was quite shocking.

"Do you suspect that the Teacher... No, no, no, that's absolutely impossible. The Teacher has no reason to do that." Ukitake's mind began to wander.

Hachisato pinched his middle finger with his thumb, breathed on it twice, and then flicked it hard on Ukitake's forehead.

"Ouch! Senior Hachisato?"

"How can you be so stupid? What I meant by saying that wasn't doubting the Chief Strategist! It meant I suspected... the Quincy were making a comeback!" Hachisato whispered.

When the Wandenreich invaded, Hachisato was the Second Division Captain.

Although that battle only lasted one day, its intensity was unprecedented. Yhwach's the Almighty, Yamabuki Chidori's Space-Time Control, and the Captain Commander's Zanka no Tachi —all these terrifying abilities were unleashed within a single day!

The place where the Zanka no Tachi is still a scorched wasteland, forever barren of vegetation.

Upon hearing this news, Ukitake's expression finally changed. He wasn't even born when that battle broke out, but he learned from his elders that it was a catastrophe for two nations.

In that battle, Yamabuki- Teacher and Captain Commander joined forces to kill Yhwach, the Emperor of the Wandenreich, thus establishing their positions.

From then on, their status in Soul Society was unshakeable.

"Could it be... that Yhwach didn't die back then? He's come back alive?" Ukitake a state of utter confusion and hurriedly returned to Seireitei to Yamabuki Chidori's office.

Yamabuki Chidori was drinking tea in her office when she saw Ukitake hurriedly walk in.

"Ukitake? The trial mission is completed so quickly? That's quite efficient!" Yamabuki Chidori looked at Ukitake with some surprise. He knew Ukitake was very smart, but he didn't expect him to complete the mission so quickly.

Ukitake was panting heavily, coughing incessantly as soon as he opened his mouth, unable to utter a complete sentence. Yamabuki Chidori helped him catch his breath, Ukitake managed to say with difficulty, "No, I haven't completed the mission yet. I just have some questions for you, Teacher. According to the conditions of the trial mission, could you also provide me with some information?"

"Of course, what do you want to ask?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

Ukitake looked at his Teacher with a serious expression, then asked nervously, "Was it Teacher committed the cases of those vanished villages?"

At first, Yamabuki Chidori didn't understand Ukitake's meaning. After a moment's thought, she realized that Ukitake was asking if she was responsible for the disappearance of the villages in Rukongai.

"So... what do you think?" Yamabuki Chidori knew that Ukitake wasn't the kind of person who would joke around easily, so since he asked, he must have found some clues.

Just as Ukitake was about to speak, he continued coughing. His body was already very weak, and now he had caught a severe cold, making his cough even worse.

"Cough cough cough cough! I, cough cough cough!" Once Ukitake started coughing, it was hard for him to stop, Yamabuki Chidori could only help him catch his breath again.

Now, everyone is worried that if Yamabuki Chidori gets excited, he might just Ukitake over there.

"Actually, it can't really be considered evidence. According to the information revealed by Lieutenant Hachisato, the traces of the village's disappearance are very similar to the traces of absorbing Reishi. Moreover, there shouldn't be many people in Soul Society who can absorb Reishi, right? Teacher is one of them, isn't he?" Ukitake said while coughing.

"It's not that there aren't many, it's that I'm the only one. So, does that mean I'm the most suspicious?" Yamabuki Chidori pinched her chin, and for a moment she thought of the Quincy. Manipulating Reishi is the Quincy's specialty, but very few people can absorb Reishi on a large scale.

In the main Bleach series, the first person to demonstrate the ability to absorb Reishi was Uryu Ishida. When he first entered Soul Society and learned the true cause of his grandfather's death, he took off his Sanrei Glove, which greatly enhanced his abilities. He went from a lowly Quincy to a powerful figure comparable to Captain-level fighter, causing Kurotsuchi Mayuri to suffer a minor setback.

Later, during the Thousand-Year Blood War, when L Quilge Opie, the first Sternritter to appear, activated his Perfect Sanctification, he began to frantically devour Hueco Mundo Reishi, an ability that the Quincy called "Sankt Altar".

"You mean, the Quincy have made a comeback?" Yamabuki Chidori asked uncertainly.

"Very likely!"

Chapter 182: What a beautiful girl!

Quincy.

Just mentioning this name gives Yamabuki Chidori a headache.

After Yhwach's defeat, his Quincy followers hid in various places. Many of them believed that Yhwach would return and lead the Quincy to the top of the world. And at some point, a song appeared among the Quincy.

"The Quincy king will have nine hundred years to regain his heartbeat, ninety years to regain his consciousness, nine years to regain his power, nine days to conquer the world, and nine seconds to be killed by a giant blade!"

The last sentence was added by myself.

It can be seen that even though Yhwach's Sternritter fell apart during the great war, a large number of people still supported Yhwach.

Ukitake awaited Yamabuki Chidori's reply.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I don't have an answer on my face! I've entrusted this matter to you, so just go for it. The Quincy and Yhwach are both history now. If they reappear, let them become history again," Yamabuki Chidori said nonchalantly.

Because he knew that at this point in time, Yhwach could not be reborn.

It will be about seven hundred years before he is resurrected.

Yamabuki Chidori's Reiatsu can be increased infinitely. It only took her half a year to go from an ordinary soul to fighting Yhwach.

Even seven hundred years from now, I have no idea how terrifying I will be. Besides, seven hundred years from now, I won't be fighting alone.

Even if Ichibē Hyōsube Captain Commander Yamamoto's Ryūjin Jakka was released, and Hyosube Ichibei was instantly killed upon first meeting someone, we still had Aizen, we had Kurosaki Ichigo, and we still had the traitors in the Sternritter. Victory would surely be ours.