Only Want to Coast into Retirement in the Soul Society

"Sashō Chōjirō! You may be young, but you've been running around nonstop. Come collect your wages!" Yamamoto said.

Sashō Chōjirō ran over happily. "Thank you, Captain Commander!"

I Will Never Coexist with Gambling or Drugs

"Big Brother Yamabuki, look, I got paid! Tonight, I'll buy Hanako some sweets. She hasn't had any in ages! Oh, right, why didn't the Captain Commander call your name?" Sashō Chōjirō poked exactly where it hurt.

"Hmph, what would a child know? I'm simply showing noble character by specifically asking the Captain Commander to put my name last." Yamabuki Chidori felt as though cats were clawing at his heart, but he couldn't let his little brother see his anxiety. That would be beneath him!

"As expected of Big Brother Yamabuki. I always thought you were an extremely unreliable person! I'll head back first." Sashō Chōjirō skipped away cheerfully.

"Next, Hanako. Though you are not an official member of the Gotei 13, whenever a member is injured, you have always cared for them wholeheartedly. Your contributions are not small. Come collect your wages!" the Captain Commander said.

Hanako had not expected to receive a share as well. She happily went up to collect it.

Yamabuki Chidori stared eagerly at the money pouches in front of the Captain Commander. Only one remained now. It had to be his.

"Katoru Hatsunoya," the Captain Commander called. "Though you have only joined the Gotei 13 for a day, we cannot leave you out! This is yours."

When she was not chopping people apart, Katoru Hatsunoya was a very gentle and well-behaved young lady. She gave a slight bow in thanks.

That was it? That was it! What about me? Captain Commander, you forgot me!

Seeing that Yamamoto had paid him no attention at all, Yamabuki Chidori followed him into the office with a grin. "Captain Commander, um, did you forget something? Where are my wages? You left me out! I haven't received my pay yet!"

Yamamoto looked at Yamabuki Chidori with a smile that was not quite a smile. "How could I forget you? You are my finest subordinate!"

As he spoke, the Captain Commander took out a money pouch and handed it over. Yamabuki Chidori immediately beamed, but the moment it landed in his hand, he realized the weight was wrong. There were no paper bills in this era, and coins should have been cast from brass. Why was it so light?

Yamabuki Chidori hurriedly opened the pouch and found two IOUs inside. His face instantly turned green. Fuck! How had he forgotten about this?

The last time they played mahjong, he had directly gambled away a month's wages!

"Remember now?" Yamamoto asked.

Yamabuki Chidori forced out a smile uglier than crying. "I remember!"

"And that is not all! You only paid back my share and Saito's. Shunshun said he would collect his share next month. Half of your wages next month will be deducted as well!" Yamamoto said calmly.

Yamabuki Chidori nearly spat blood. What kind of nonsense was this? I swear to heaven, from today onward, gambling and drugs are my mortal enemies!

"Since you remember, stop lingering here. Why aren't you back at work already? The students at Genji Academy are in your hands!" Yamamoto returned to his seat and continued drinking tea.

Yamabuki Chidori said bitterly, "Captain Commander, could I take an advance on half a month's wages? I can't go on living like this."

Yamamoto replied flatly, "This old man has no surplus grain either! Besides, does the division not provide food and lodging? You won't starve to death, so what are you panicking for?"

With no other choice, Yamabuki Chidori arrived at Genji Academy with a miserable expression. Why was heaven so unfair to me?

The students had all changed into uniform clothing. The boys wore pure white robes, while the girls also had red trousers to go with theirs.

This group of students had been tortured half to death by Gen'en Kinra. Now that they saw a new instructor, they were overjoyed, hoping this teacher would not be as perverted as Gen'en Kinra.

Yamabuki Chidori wore a cold expression, as though someone owed him half a month's wages. Looking at the students, he said icily, "Starting today, I am your instructor. I am different from Gen'en Kinra. He values theoretical knowledge more, while I place greater emphasis on practical experience. I will invite official members of the Gotei 13 to instruct you and show you what a real battlefield is like. Come in!"

Four Gotei 13 members entered through the doorway. They were the four best in swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, Flash Step, and Kidō respectively.

"These people have all been on the battlefield and fought Hollows to the death. From now on, they will teach you all kinds of combat knowledge. All right, begin!" Yamabuki Chidori said coldly.

When the students heard that these people were official Gotei 13 members who had even participated in battles personally, they could not help but look upon them with respect.

As for Yamabuki Chidori? Naturally, he found a place to catch up on sleep! If they would not pay him, couldn't he slack off?

He slept soundly until someone gently poked his nose with a blade of grass. Only then did Yamabuki Chidori wake up. Opening his eyes, he saw Senbu grinning at him.

"Senbu? Why did you come to Genji Academy instead of training?" Yamabuki Chidori rolled over, intending to go back to sleep.

"Instructor, wake up quickly. The sun is already about to set. My sister said she had something very important to tell you, but she wouldn't tell me what it was. She sent me to find you," Senbu said.

That Katoru Hatsunoya, that demoness, wanted to see him? It was definitely nothing good, Yamabuki Chidori silently speculated.

Still, they were on the same side now. Katoru Hatsunoya probably would not hack him apart with her greatsword, right?

After dismissing the students, Yamabuki Chidori followed Senbu to the Katori Family residence. Katoru Hatsunoya had already prepared dinner.

Unsolicited kindness hid either treachery or theft.

Could this girl still be thinking about silencing him permanently?

"Let's talk while we eat. Senbu, go back to the Gotei 13 first," Katoru Hatsunoya told her younger sister.

Senbu looked at the two of them curiously. What was so mysterious that they had to keep it from her?

Girls were like cats; they were curious about everything. After pretending to leave, she circled around beneath the window to eavesdrop. But what level were the two people in the room at, and what level was she at? The moment Senbu returned, Katoru Hatsunoya and Yamabuki Chidori noticed her, though they both pretended not to.

"The matter you want to discuss with me should be related to Senbu, right?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

"Yes. I know Senbu's abilities all too well. She has no talent for combat, and I do not want her to remain in a frontline combat unit. Is there... any relatively safe position within the Gotei 13?" Katoru Hatsunoya asked.

So that was what this was about.

Just like a certain someone in the future, she was a sister complex.

Kuchiki Byakuya, I'm talking about you.

"I understand how you feel, but what does Senbu think? Is she willing?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

He had long wanted to establish a unit dedicated to healing, but he had lacked manpower. He also needed assistants to handle internal affairs. There were not many people yet, so he could barely manage, but once the Gotei 13 expanded in the future, he could not spend all his time dealing with administrative work.

"I will be responsible for persuading Senbu. Don't worry," Katoru Hatsunoya said.

Heading to the Human World

Yamabuki Chidori nodded, indicating that there was no problem.

Outside, Senbu's expression dimmed slightly, but she did not burst through the door. She knew she lacked talent for combat. Rather than make her sister worry, she might as well do something within her capabilities.

Seeing that Senbu outside did not react too strongly, the two people in the room finally breathed a sigh of relief. They had originally been thinking about how to soothe Senbu's emotions.

Since Senbu was fine, they were relieved.

Just as the two of them settled down to eat, there was suddenly a knock at the door.

Katoru Hatsunoya looked toward the entrance. Her family servants knew the rules and would never disturb their master while she was eating.

Then who was it?

"Chief Strategist, it's me, Hachisato. The Captain Commander has an urgent order to convey. Please report to the Gotei 13 immediately. Miss Katoru, you are also requested to depart at once," Hachisato said.

Yamabuki Chidori and Katoru Hatsunoya were both stunned. There was something urgent requiring them? And it was an order issued by the Captain Commander?

"That old bastard! He doesn't pay me, yet he gives me so much work!" Though unhappy, Yamabuki Chidori still got to his feet and hurried with Katoru Hatsunoya toward the Gotei 13.

When Yamabuki Chidori arrived, he was surprised to find that all the Gotei 13 higher-ups had gathered. They were waiting only for him and Katoru Hatsunoya.

Yamamoto's expression was extremely grave. Yamabuki Chidori knew something must have happened.

"Everyone is here! I will explain what has occurred." Yamamoto said solemnly, "The Soul Reapers stationed in the Human World have suddenly lost all direct contact with us. Furthermore, we have detected that Hollows and souls in the Human World are rapidly decreasing. This is a very serious matter. If left unchecked, it may affect the balance of the Three Realms. Central 46 just sent someone to inform us of this and hopes the Gotei 13 will intervene and investigate."

Souls were disappearing?

Yamabuki Chidori immediately sat up straighter.

Soul Reapers' Zanpakuto purified souls rather than destroying them, so no matter how many Hollows they killed, the total number of souls remained unchanged.

But there was one profession that was an exception.

Quincies.

Quincies could erase souls and Hollows completely. Given enough time, the balance of the Three Realms would inevitably collapse.

After watching Soul Reaper, this ability was not difficult to understand. After all, the Quincy King Yhwach's ultimate goal was to collapse the Three Realms and return everything to chaos. It was perfectly normal for such an ability to arise.

"Yamabuki, your expression is terrible. Did you think of something?" Yamamoto asked.

Yamabuki Chidori knew the broad outline of the story. At some point in the future, the Quincy King Yhwach would lead the Quincies in a massive assault on the Soul Society. The two sides would wage an earth-shattering battle, and countless lives would be lost!

"The Captain Commander's description reminded me of a group of people! I wonder whether you have heard of them... the Quincies?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

Shunshun Shidō and Tsunayashiro Fūka, who both came from great noble families, changed expressions at the same time upon hearing the term. Tsunayashiro Fūka in particular knew what Quincies were, as the Tsunayashiro Clan controlled the Great Spirit Library Corridor, which recorded all history since the Soul Society's birth.

The Soul King, whom the Five Noble Clans had carved into a limbless husk, had originally been a Quincy.

But that information could never be revealed. It was the Five Noble Clans' greatest secret. Everyone in the Soul Society revered the Soul King and believed that he had created this world.

Yet only the upper ranks of the Five Noble Clans knew that, while the Soul King was indeed great, possessing supreme power, able to see the past and future, divide chaos, and construct the Three Realms so that Soul Reapers, humans, and Hollows could live in their respective worlds, making him worthy of worship—

The Soul King had been carved into a limbless husk by members of the Five Noble Clans so they could better control the Soul Society. Fearing the Soul King's retaliation, the Tsunayashiro Clan had continuously dissected him, endlessly weakening his power.

"What are Quincies?" Saitō Fubōfu asked on everyone's behalf.

"They are said to be a group of people from the west who possess the power to completely destroy souls. So when the Captain Commander mentioned this matter... they were the first people I thought of," Yamabuki Chidori said.

There was too little information regarding that bloody battle from a thousand years ago. There were only scattered fragments and passing references, with no record at all of its cause or course.

Bang! Yamamoto viciously struck the ground with his sword sheath. "Silence. The Gotei 13's duty is to maintain the balance of the Three Realms. We must intervene in this matter. Yamabuki Chidori, you will lead the team and investigate this thoroughly."

"Understood." Yamabuki Chidori put away his frivolous attitude. He knew this matter was of utmost importance and could not be handled carelessly.

"Katoru Hatsunoya, Gen'en Kinra, the two of you are coming with me to the Human World," Yamabuki Chidori said.

Though the mental states of these two were somewhat unreliable, they could fight! If the culprit truly was a Quincy, there might be a fierce battle. Ordinary members could not yet form an effective fighting force, and if battle broke out, they might become a burden instead.

Two captains plus an elite vice-captain should, in theory, be able to retreat safely from anywhere.

"Captain Commander, how are we getting to the Human World?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

"Of course, through a Soul Gate," the Captain Commander replied flatly.

Soul Gates already existed in this era?

After thinking briefly, Yamabuki Chidori slapped his forehead. Soul Reapers had guided human souls into the Soul Society since ancient times. This was an important measure for preserving the Three Realms' balance, so naturally the Soul Society had a way for Soul Reapers to travel between worlds.

Moreover, the Soul Society had existed for over a million years! Its history was far longer than humanity's! It was perfectly normal for it to have developed some advanced technology.

"Then we will depart immediately," Yamabuki Chidori said.

Yamabuki Chidori had originally thought opening a Soul Gate would be difficult, but unexpectedly, these things were extremely common among nobles. Any noble family with a bit of money had its own designated Soul Gate.

Hadn't the mahjong tiles from before been brought back from the Human World?

Shunshun Shidō directly offered up his family's Soul Gate.

The so-called Soul Gate looked like an ancient Japanese sliding door. When its two sides were pulled open, the middle was pitch-black.

"This thing looks... kind of unreliable?" Yamabuki Chidori leaned in to peer inside.

Yamamoto kicked him in the ass. Stop dawdling and get moving!

Yamabuki Chidori ran forward with a grin. The farther he ran, the darker it became, and soon he reached the Soul Corridor.

This was the gap between the Soul Society and the Human World.

"By the way, I heard that sometimes in the Soul Corridor, you can encounter Kuryū, which cleans up all sorts of garbage. This thing exists beyond the laws governing Soul Reapers, and no matter how powerful one's Reiatsu is, it cannot be defeated. Have either of you encountered one?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

Then he discovered that his two teammates were looking at him as though he were an idiot.

What a jinx!

Massacre

"You do not need to be so serious. I was just saying it casually. Soul Gates reinforce the passage between the two worlds. Unless your luck is exceptionally bad, you will never encounter Kuryū," Yamabuki Chidori explained to his two teammates.

Only to find that both teammates had moved far away from him.

"What does that mean? Is my luck really that bad?" Yamabuki Chidori demanded.

"I heard someone lost a month and a half of wages playing mahjong. I wouldn't dare gamble on luck with someone like that." Katoru Hatsunoya spoke the most heart-piercing words in the gentlest tone.

Fortunately, their luck was fairly good today. They did not encounter Kuryū and arrived in the Human World without incident.

"This is the Human World from a thousand years ago? It is far too desolate, isn't it?" Yamabuki Chidori frowned at the sight before him. It was spring, when farmers should have been planting crops, yet the fields had been completely abandoned, with waist-high weeds growing throughout the farmland.

The sky was dim, with an ominous light filtering down from above.

In the middle of the farmland stood a small grass hut that had long been abandoned, presenting a desolate sight.

"Hey, is the Human World really this bleak?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

"This is my first time here too." Gen'en Kinra had already sensed that something was wrong with the atmosphere around them. He gripped his sword tightly, ready to draw it at the first sign of trouble.

The three of them explored carefully. Suddenly, Yamabuki Chidori felt something trip his foot. Looking down, he saw that it was a skeleton.

"There are cultivated fields here, which means there should be a village nearby. Let's split up and search," Katoru Hatsunoya said.