In the Soul Society, All I Want Is to Coast into Retirement

"Don't move. Move again, and I'll pierce your throat," Gen'en Kinra said coldly.

Zendouji Yuuhin naturally refused to surrender without a fight. He hurriedly pulled out a healing pill from his robes and was about to toss it into his mouth when a bolt of white lightning struck his finger, knocking the pill away. Yamabuki Chidori withdrew his finger with a sinister grin. That assist had been perfect! How the hell am I so awesome?

Katoru Hatsunoya's blade was also pressed against Zendouji Yuuhin's throat.

"Still want to fight?" Katoru Hatsunoya asked coldly.

Zendouji Yuuhin hurriedly raised both hands. "No more fighting. No more."

Seeing that Zendouji Yuuhin had been caught, Yamabuki Chidori charged over aggressively and flicked him twice on the forehead. Let him see how formidable he was!

"Confess and be treated leniently; resist and be punished severely. Why did you capture all those souls?" Yamabuki Chidori demanded.

Zendouji Yuuhin snorted. You want me to talk just because you told me to? Wouldn't that make me look pathetic?

"Trying to act tough with me? Uncle, peel off his skin. Don't worry about him dying—I can keep him alive. If he still won't talk, I'll wait for his skin to grow back and peel it off again!"

This time, the vicious grin shifted from Zendouji Yuuhin's face to Yamabuki Chidori's.

"Wait! It's not like I said I wouldn't talk! Can't you give me a little time to organize my thoughts? Young people these days have no patience! Hmph. I captured these people for experiments. My experiments required things with high Reishi density. After researching it over and over, I found that human souls had the highest Reishi density, so I used their souls for my experiments," Zendouji Yuuhin said.

"Do you know that's a criminal act? In the long run, it'll disrupt the balance of the three realms. In the name of justice, I'll destroy you. By the way, did you kill the Soul Reaper stationed here too?" Yamabuki Chidori asked. "Think carefully before you answer. If you dare say one wrong word, I'll light you up like a human candle!"

"Really, no. You're the first group of Soul Reapers I've ever seen. Before I came to collect the souls in this village, the Soul Reaper here had already disappeared," Zendouji Yuuhin said.

"Why should we believe you?"

"Do I have any reason to lie to you? It wasn't those two who came to save you. By now, I'd have smashed you into minced meat," Zendouji Yuuhin said.

"You still won't admit it! Believe it or not, I'll beat you up!"

"So what if I won't admit it! If you've got guts, fight me one-on-one!"

Bang!

Bang!

In the end, each of them took a punch.

Zendouji Yuuhin was hit by Gen'en Kinra.

Yamabuki Chidori was hit by Katoru Hatsunoya.

"Anyway, we've caught the culprit behind the mass disappearance of souls. Let's head back and report in," Gen'en Kinra said.

Yamabuki Chidori looked at the desolate scene before him. Since the Soul Reaper who had suddenly lost contact hadn't been killed by Zendouji Yuuhin, where had he gone?

"Hey, kid. Come here. I'll send you to the Soul Society!" Yamabuki Chidori said, pointing at the little boy.

The boy looked utterly confused. Then he saw Yamabuki Chidori draw his Zanpakuto and directly tap the hilt against his head. The boy's soul immediately entered the Soul Society. As for which district he went to...

I hope you reincarnate in Gomukui District. As for why...

The flames of my jealousy are burning fiercely!

"You two escort him back to the Soul Society first. I'll search the surrounding area and see if I can find any clues," Yamabuki Chidori said.

"Can you handle it alone?" Katoru Hatsunoya asked. "I feel like you're either getting beaten up, or on your way to getting beaten up."

"What are you talking about? The only people I can't beat are the few of you, all right? Other than you Captains, who else could be my opponent?" Yamabuki Chidori said confidently.

"Since the commander says so, we'll head back first. Contact the Soul Society anytime if anything happens," Gen'en Kinra said calmly. Then he pointed his sword at Zendouji Yuuhin. "And don't try any tricks. You're carrying a serious charge now. Even if I kill you outright, no one could fault me for it!"

Zendouji Yuuhin snorted. His chubby cheeks were filled with unhappiness.

After Gen'en Kinra and Katoru Hatsunoya left, Yamabuki Chidori began searching for traces of the missing Soul Reaper. Normally, a Soul Reaper wouldn't stray too far from his assigned area. If there were no signs of him nearby, he had most likely been killed.

By then, the Soul Gate behind him had already closed. Yamabuki Chidori stretched his body. He hadn't expected that fighting that fat bastard would raise his Reiatsu so much.

He was now very close to Captain-class.

Of course, even among Captains, strength varied greatly.

Quincy

Take the Gotei 13 a thousand years later, for example.

The first tier was definitely Yamamoto and Aizen. Old Man Yamamoto was hailed as the strongest Soul Reaper in a thousand years, and his strength was beyond question.

Aizen possessed extraordinary talent. Even without fusing with the Hogyoku, his own Reiatsu was no weaker than the Captain Commander's.

The second tier was Retsu Unohana and Kenpachi Zaraki after releasing his power. Sister Unohana was an all-rounder: she could slash, heal, and excelled at Kido as well. But in terms of pure raw strength, Zaraki after his release was definitely stronger.

The third tier consisted of Shunsui Kyōraku and Gin Ichimaru.

Shunsui Kyōraku's Zanpakuto had the rare ability to impose rules. Even he himself could not violate those rules. His Bankai was even stranger, but Bankai came down to Reiatsu. If his Reiatsu was inferior to his enemy's, he could very well be killed in return.

Gin Ichimaru, meanwhile, was an exceptionally well-rounded fighter, with every attribute highly balanced. He could pin down Hollowfied Kurosaki Ichigo and beat him up, and the stunning strike after his Bankai nearly one-shotted Aizen. His odds of killing an opponent on their first encounter were extremely high.

The remaining Captains were not too far apart in strength, each possessing their own specialties.

Soi Fon excelled in agility, Jidanbō Ikkanzaka leaned toward power, Kaname Tōsen excelled at sneak attacks, Tōshirō Hitsugaya had not yet matured, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri had the weakest combat strength but the most tricks. Still, these people shared one common trait: they were generally stronger than Kensei Muguruma, and some might even be worth seven Kenseis.

Right, Kensei?

As for Yamabuki Chidori, his current Reiatsu was probably only worth four or five Kenseis. He really could fight Captain-class opponents, but he still couldn't beat them.

Yamabuki Chidori used Flash Step to rapidly dart around the area. He turned the entire village inside out and even visited the nearby villages, but unfortunately, he found no sign of that Soul Reaper.

"This is strange! How could he just disappear?" Yamabuki Chidori was full of question marks. Had he encountered danger?

Most Soul Reapers stationed in the Human World were not particularly strong. Forget Gillians or Adjuchas—even an ordinary Menos Grande would be enough to give them a serious headache.

After searching without results, Yamabuki Chidori prepared to notify the Soul Society to open a Soul Gate and bring him back.

The Soul Society's communication device was a black butterfly called a Hell Butterfly. Yamabuki Chidori could not understand how such a tiny butterfly could function like a walkie-talkie!

Just as he was about to contact the Soul Society, a beastly growl suddenly came from behind him.

Yamabuki Chidori raised a brow and instantly turned around.

A Menos Grande stood there, staring at him coldly.

"So that's it..." Yamabuki Chidori immediately reached a conclusion. Sure enough, the Soul Reaper stationed here had been eaten by this Menos Grande. Hollows attacked living beings with high spiritual power.

Ordinary human souls already possessed considerable spiritual power in the eyes of Hollows, while a Soul Reaper's spiritual power was countless times greater than that of an ordinary soul. Few Hollows could resist such temptation.

"So you ate my companion?" Yamabuki Chidori asked as he drew his blade.

Unfortunately, this Hollow had no intelligence at all. Seeing food, it split open its huge mouth, foul saliva dripping from its jaws. Then it kicked off with both legs and lunged forward at incredible speed.

But this little nobody was no longer anything to Yamabuki Chidori. He could settle it with one slash.

Just as he was about to draw his blade, kill the Hollow, and return to report, a blue light suddenly erupted in the distance. The light condensed into an arrow, which instantly pierced through the Menos Grande's skull. Its body twitched twice before completely dispersing.

Yamabuki Chidori's pupils trembled. Holy shit, that attack just now was... a Quincy.

He hurriedly looked in the direction from which the Reishi arrow had flown. A man in white robes stood there, looking Western, his face cold and arrogant. He held a Spirit Bow in his hand—the arrow from earlier had been fired by him.

Yamabuki Chidori took half a step back and gripped his blade tightly.

The white-robed man also examined Yamabuki Chidori coldly.

"Who are you?" the white-robed man asked in stiff Japanese.

"I'm just a passerby. I don't know anything. Bye!" Yamabuki Chidori had no idea whether the other side had only one person or a whole group. In any case, he should play it safe first.

As he spoke, he backed away. Once he returned, he would report this matter to the Captain Commander first.

But after only two steps, the white-robed man raised his Spirit Bow and aimed it at Yamabuki Chidori.

"That sword in your hand is a Soul Reaper's Zanpakuto, isn't it? And that butterfly following you should be a Hell Butterfly. You're a Soul Reaper!" The white-robed man's voice turned exceptionally cold.

Yamabuki Chidori stopped at once.

"How do you know about Zanpakuto?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

"We captured a man before. He carried the same type of blade," the white-robed man said.

So the missing guy had not been eaten by a Hollow—he had been captured by the Quincy.

"We got quite a bit of intelligence out of him. I heard you recently established some kind of organization, but it doesn't matter. Before long, you'll all be slaughtered," the white-robed man said, an arrogant and icy smile appearing on his face. He looked down on Yamabuki Chidori as if he were an insect. That lofty attitude was nauseating.

"State your name, Soul Reaper," the white-robed man said.

"Yamabuki Chidori. And you?"

"Martin Davis. Soul Reaper, I will become your god of death!" Martin sharply drew back his Spirit Bow. A pale blue Reishi arrow appeared on its string. This was the Quincy's most common weapon. Yamabuki Chidori gripped his sword with both hands and Flash Stepped forward.

Of course he had to close in against an archer!

Just when Yamabuki Chidori thought his slash was certain to land, a burst of Reishi suddenly erupted beneath Martin's feet. His body moved at high speed, actually slipping out of the Zanpakuto's attack range.

So fast! Is that the legendary Hirenkyaku? Yamabuki Chidori was secretly shocked. He turned and slashed again, not giving his opponent any chance to fire.

"Zipping around everywhere is so damn annoying!" Martin snapped his fingers. Two enormous Spirit Bows suddenly appeared in midair. They did not even need hands to draw them. Under the Quincy's control of Reishi, both Spirit Bows fired at once!

Reishi arrows became two pillars of blue light that crashed down!

Yamabuki Chidori retreated quickly. Martin watched him indifferently. "You're a little stronger than the Soul Reaper we captured before. You must be someone important in the Soul Society, right?"

"Someone important? What nonsense are you talking about? I'm only here on patrol, the weakest one around. There are hundreds of thousands with my level of strength in the Soul Society. Besides, your strength isn't much, is it? You're way weaker than I expected!" Yamabuki Chidori immediately maxed out the taunting.

Martin snorted. "What brazen boasting!"

Then three more Spirit Bows appeared in the air, forming a pentagram together with the previous two!

"Soul Reaper, let me show you the insurmountable gap between us!"

Extra Chapter, with more this afternoon

Damn, I Became a Quincy

Five Spirit Bows fired simultaneously in the shape of a pentagram. How the hell were those bows? They were clearly floating cannons!

Yamabuki Chidori used Flash Step to evade rapidly as the five Spirit Bows behind him unleashed a frenzied bombardment!

The combat styles of Quincy and Soul Reapers were completely different. Soul Reapers consumed their own Reiatsu, while Quincy controlled the Reishi in their surroundings.

The Reishi density of the environment directly affected a Quincy's combat ability.

"Soul Reaper, do you recognize this formation? It's too late for you to try getting close now! Stand there and don't move. Let me blast you into Momo!" Martin laughed wildly.

What Soul Reapers?

They were all completely worthless!

Yamabuki Chidori said nothing and kept searching for an opening. This Quincy's own Reiatsu was not high, perhaps not even half of his, but a Quincy's strength could not be judged from his Reiatsu alone!

Fortunately, the Quincy of this era had not yet developed monstrous abilities like Perfect Sanctification. If Martin could only fight him with bows and arrows, he would not be able to defeat him anytime soon.

"Running around like a rat! Soul Reaper, can't you just stand still? Rain of Light!" Martin fired an arrow into the sky. In the next second, it split into countless arrows of light that rained down, launching a large-scale attack.

Yamabuki Chidori pointed one hand at the sky. "Bakudo #81: Splitting Void!"

Although Martin's attack covered a wide area, the power of each individual arrow had been drastically weakened. They could not break through Bakudo #81.

"You've got little tricks like that? Use some more. Don't let me kill you so easily. I'll make sure you die convinced," Martin said as he flicked the dust from his clothes, grinning arrogantly.

Yamabuki Chidori put on a terrified expression and kept retreating. Martin raised his Spirit Bow and laughed as he fired an arrow, piercing straight through Yamabuki Chidori's body.

"Sigh! If all Soul Reapers are this strong, once we invade the Soul Society, we'll finish the battle in half a day at most." Martin casually adjusted his loose hair. Suddenly, a sharp blade attacked from behind him. Martin instantly became alert and hurriedly used Flying Crane Legs to evade, but it was already too late. The blade that had been aimed at his heart shifted and stabbed into his lower back. Even though it had not struck a vital point, Martin was still severely wounded!

"How is this possible... I clearly already..." Martin repeatedly used Hirenkyaku to evade and open the distance between himself and his enemy.

Yamabuki Chidori lightly flicked the blood from his blade. "I told you studying is useful. That Utsusemi move from the Shihōin Clan is really handy!"

He had learned it not long ago after pestering Shunshun Shidō relentlessly. It took its meaning from a cicada shedding its shell: the user moved rapidly, leaving an afterimage behind while leaving their clothes in place.

In the future, Yoruichi would use this move to toy with Byakuya many times.

"Despicable! You actually used such a method to sneak attack me!" Martin clutched his wound. It was on his lower back, and his internal organs had probably been injured. My kidney!

"On the battlefield, it's kill or be killed! And you're talking to me about being despicable? How naive can you be!" Yamabuki Chidori advanced step by step with his Zanpakuto in hand. "Use whatever other tricks you have. Don't let me kill you so easily!"

Martin felt immense pressure bearing down on him!

That bastard wasn't seriously fighting me at all. He was pretending to be weak and testing my abilities!

He was injured now and could not fight head-on. Retreating was the best option!

Martin took two steps back, then turned and sprinted away with Flying Crane Legs.

Suddenly, his vision blurred. Yamabuki Chidori was standing leisurely in front of him, waiting.