In a mysterious villa on the outskirts of Karakura Town, several enigmatic Bount sat together, their faces grim, the atmosphere heavy.
" Mabashi has been arrested."
After an unknown amount of time, Maki Ichinose spoke in his slightly hoarse voice.
"Hey! Ichinose! Did you, you damned bastard, snitch on me?!"
"After all... to put it bluntly, you're still on Soul Reaper's side, aren't you?!"
"You... you weren't even in our class, were you?!"
Upon hearing Maki Ichinose's words, Yoshi reacted like a powder keg that had been ignited, grabbing Maki Ichinose collar and roaring angrily.
"Calm down, Yoshi."
Maki Ichinose looked like a powder keg about to explode, Yoshi Masaki frowned and gently tried to persuade her.
"Calm down?! How can you expect me to calm down?"
"First, that idiot Yoshino Sōma got arrested, and now it's Mabashi's turn. Our revenge hasn't even begun, and we've already lost two members. How am I supposed to stay calm under these circumstances?!"
Wearing a purple robe, with long green hair, and pretty but slightly sharp-tongued features, Yoshi grabbed Maki Ichinose, shaking him and roaring.
"It is precisely because the enemy is so powerful that we unite to fight together. This is not a battle fought by one person alone; it is a struggle fought by all of us!"
Maki Ichinose grabbed Yoshi's hand and began to speak in a deep voice.
"That's so sweet of you..."
Maki Ichinose's eyes were sharp. She wasn't someone who could be easily fooled. She only wanted to see results, not some unseen pie in the sky. No matter how big or well Maki Ichinose drew up the pie, it was meaningless if she couldn't get it.
"Stop! Yoshi! This has nothing to do with Maki Ichinose."
"It was I who sent Mabashi to find Ichigo Kurosaki. I underestimated Ichigo Kurosaki's strength."
"I never imagined that Ichigo Kurosaki, whose power had only been awakened for less than a month, would be so powerful. Even Mabashi wasn't his match?!"
"However, this also proves that if Ichigo Kurosaki could be used by us, he would be a very strong fighting force."
Just as Yoshi was pressing Maki Ichinose, Kariya Jin, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. He first stopped Yoshi's actions and then explained his reasons for doing so.
" Ichigo Kurosaki?!"
The Bount listened to Kariya Jin's words in silence, lost in thought.
"If I can recruit Ichigo Kurosaki beforehand, could I oust Kariya Jin from his position as leader?!"
Among the group of Bount, an elderly man with gray hair narrowed his eyes slightly, pondering how to make himself the leader of the Bount.
"If I team Ichigo Kurosaki, will I have a chance to kill Kariya Jin and become the boss?!"
A man with brown hair and a brown mustache, looking like an English gentleman, stroked his flowing mustache and pondered how to kill Kariya Jin and make this great man, this most suitable person in the world to sit on the throne of the Bount, ascend to the top!
"Ha ha ha ha..."
The gentleman and the old man exchanged a smile. Their smiles were kind and united, filling the entire villa with a harmonious atmosphere.
"Well..."
Maki Ichinose looked at the gentlemanly middle-aged man and the old man with gray hair and a hint of ambition still in his eyes, and sighed helplessly.
Can an organization like this, one where everyone is either a traitor or someone trying to kill the leader and take power for themselves, really possibly overthrow Soul Society and avenge him?!
Maki Ichinose gradually fell into deep thought. A vague feeling suddenly arose in his heart. He had a premonition that they were doomed.
" Ugaki, use your abilities to find out where Mabashi and Yoshino Sōma are right now!!"
Are they dead or not?
"And who was it that captured them?!"
Sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, head tilted and head bobbing, Kariya Jin took in everyone's expressions. Through their micro-expressions, he already knew who was on his side, who remained neutral, who was ambitious, and who was rebellious.
"I'm happy to serve you."
Ugaki, a young man with an ordinary appearance and thick glasses, possesses puppet-like abilities that lean towards support roles, with his strongest ability being the ability to observe freely...
Therefore, Ugaki naturally became an intelligence agent for the Bount organization, specializing in observing the enemy, avoiding the enemy, and ultimately helping the organization defeat the enemy.
Let me take a look...
Where are you?!
Ugaki smiled slightly. He enjoyed the feeling of secretly observing others. He liked to observe others without restraint, while they were helpless and couldn't detect his feelings...
Of course, he didn't think he was spying on other people's lives; he was simply making social records and honing his skills.
Ugaki's eyes pierced through the obstacles and finally landed on Urahara Shop, where Mabashi and Yoshino Sōma were.
Ugaki saw Mabashi, who was tied up, looking at the food in front of him and vomiting, but couldn't eat a single bite.
Ugaki also saw that Yoshino Sōma, who had been completely subdued by Yoruichi Shihōin and was busy working, looked at the two of them with a smug smile.
"As expected, no one could detect my spying."
Once again, Ugaki proved his abilities with his actions, demonstrating that he was truly invincible.
He can observe anyone with his ability, but no one else can detect him.
"Let me see who really defeated you..."
Ugaki continued to activate his ability. His gaze, following the activation of his ability, shifted from Mabashi and Yoshino Sōma, passed through countless walls, and finally landed on a man sitting in the living room of Kisuke Urahara's store, drinking cola in large gulps.
The man drinking cola had a tall, straight figure, short, silver-white hair, sculpted features, and... small round sunglasses that covered his eyes.
Wearing sunglasses in the bedroom means either you're pretentious or you're blind.
Ugaki glanced at the man's handsome face and curled his lip in disdain. He absolutely refused to admit that he was jealous of the man's looks.
" Sōgo, speaking of which... we're going back to Soul Society."
"If we're not in the Second Division for a long time, that girl Lilynette will explode."
"We can't possibly go back and find only ruins left, can we?!"
A petite woman was sitting in front of the man, and she was anxiously reminding him to pay attention to the time.
"What's the rush? Lilynette is a sensible girl. When she's wreaking havoc, she'll make sure to avoid her own activity room!"
The man was drinking cola and eating ice cream, completely at ease. Having stayed in the World of the Living for so long, he had become so content that he no longer wanted to return to the Soul Society, where there was nothing he wanted and the entire social system was still based on a feudal aristocracy.
" Sōgo, this is not our home."
The woman sighed. She was terrified that Sōgo wouldn't come back with her. If Sōgo decided to live in the World of the Living, it would have a huge impact on the entire World of the Living. Putting Sōgo in the World of the Living would be like putting an invincible dragon in a group of cute rabbits. Any random, unintentional action by the dragon could hurt the rabbits.
Saying goodbye to a place that doesn't belong to you and returning to a place that truly belongs to you is the best choice.
"Of course I understand what you're worried about. I just see this place as a vacation spot, and I'll always come back."
So you can rest assured!
The man gently patted the woman's head and spoke softly.
"Hmm~"
The woman blushed slightly, nodded gently, and nestled close to the man like a little bird.
"You two are such a scumbag! Anyone who's in a relationship should die!!!"
Looking at everything before him, Ugaki the Roar wildly, his heart filled with hysteria, venting the rising flames of jealousy within him. He was truly envious of the handsome man and beautiful woman before him; he, Ugaki, also wanted to have such a lovely girlfriend!!
"Um?!"
"Where did this lemon spirit come from?"
Just as the man and woman were sitting quietly together, enjoying their leisure time, the man suddenly stood up, as if he had noticed something, and began to look around.
"Um?"
"Could they have spotted me?"
Ugaki stared at the suspicious man, his body stiffening. He suspected the man might have discovered him, but he didn't have any concrete evidence to prove it; it was just a guess.
"A blind man... managed to spot me?"
I don't believe it.
Ugaki kept saying "I don't believe it" and "Old Luyu" repeatedly.
Ugaki firmly refused to believe that his unparalleled spying ability could be discovered by a man wearing sunglasses in the bedroom.
To be honest... can someone who wears sunglasses in their bedroom be a decent person? What decent person would wear sunglasses in their bedroom?
That guy wearing sunglasses... he's either blind or a pretentious show-off who's always trying to impress others, he's utterly despicable!
He Ugaki is a decent person. He hates blind people and pretentious people the most, and he hates people who are both blind and pretentious even more.
And... even if he gets discovered, so what?
You think you can even follow my line of sight and shoot back?! That's ridiculous...
I found it!
Just as Ugaki was watching the man angrily hurl insults, the man suddenly stood up, as if overcoming countless obstacles, and looked straight in Ugaki's direction.
"Um!!"
Kariya Jin, who had been silently contemplating with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, sensing an immense terror within him.
" Ugaki, stop! Don't use your abilities anymore."
Sweating profusely, and filled with terror, Kariya Jin's forehead was covered in sweat. The wind around him howled, cried, and trembled. The person Ugaki was peering at was a great being who was completely beyond their comprehension, an existence they could never contend with.
"Those who spy on others will have their eyes gouged out!"
However, Kariya Jin's warning came too late. Those sitting inside the villa seemed to faintly hear a mocking voice. The next second, Ugaki, clutching his bleeding eyes, collapsed to his knees...
"My eyes, my eyes!"
Ugaki covered his eyes with his hands, pleading desperately. Blood flowed from his eyes like two lines of bloody tears, streaming down his cheeks. At this moment, Ugaki felt as if he had gone blind, and he could see nothing... anymore.
"Eye?!"
My eyes!
"Is it really possible for someone... to shoot right into another person's line of sight!?"
"Is this reasonable?!"
Is this even reasonable?
Ugaki covered his eyes, crying out in despair. He couldn't understand how someone could launch an attack based on another person's gaze! This was too unscientific... no, it was too unscientific.
" Sōgo, what did you do!?"
Hōshō Ryo looked at Sougo, who suddenly stood up, stretched out two fingers, and poked at the Sōgo, and asked.
"I'm just punishing those who like to peep into other people's lives; it's no big deal."
Sōgo picked up a wet tissue from the table, wiped his two fingers repeatedly, and smiled slightly.
Meanwhile, in the secluded villa, a group of Soul Hunters watched in silence as Ugaki lay on the ground, convulsing, clutching his eyes in agony.
"Strong, an unreasonable kind of strength."
Kariya Jin recalled the power of the afterimage he had sensed, and felt a lingering fear in his heart. To be honest, he was afraid; that abnormal power filled Kariya Jin with dread.
If the Soul Hunters fight within the established rules of the world, then the afterimage he just saw gave him the feeling that it was the rule-maker!
That was... an overwhelming power from a completely different dimension!
Who did this to you?
Maki Ichinose knelt on one knee beside Ugaki and asked softly.
"General... understanding..."
Ugaki recalled the woman's address to the man, speaking haltingly.
" Sōgo?!"
"Is it that invincible Sōgo Shihoin?"
"He's actually in the World of the Living now?!"
Upon hearing Ugaki's words Maki Ichinose's expression changed drastically, his pupils dilated, and then his expression became one of sudden realization. If it was the invincible Sōgo Shihoin, then everything made sense. After all, that man was a terrifying being who could not be judged by ordinary standards...
Maki Ichinose still remembered that it was that invincible Sōgo Shihoin, right in front of him, Zanpakuto the Kenpachi Kiganjō, the man he admired most, the most manly man in his heart, the very symbol of manhood, and then stabbed him in the back...
He stuffed the entire Zanpakuto inside... Kenpachi Kiganjō... leaving only the hilt outside.
Even now, Maki Ichinose recalls that terrifying scene, he still feels a chill run down his spine. It was the first time in his life that he felt a sense of awe; he was genuinely in awe of the horrific sight before him, a sight that caused his sanity to plummet.
"Can we really win against an enemy like this?!"
Yoshi's body trembled slightly as she looked at Ugaki lying on the ground, no longer able to see any of the beautiful things in the world. A chill ran through her, and she was filled with doubt about herself and the entire Bount. She doubted... could they really defeat such an unreasonable, simply invincible being?!
"..."
Silence fell over the villa as soon as Yoshi finished speaking.
Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent. Just as Yoshi had said, could they really win?! Could they defeat such a terrifying being?!
Ugaki Ugaki glanced at the other person, and this is how he ended up. If it were them, how much better would their situation be?
"This battle..."
One of the Bount members was about to quit. He looked somewhat flustered, his mouth slightly open, as if he was about to voice the fear in his heart, which was also the fear in the hearts of everyone present.
"Ha ha ha ha..."
"We won this battle!"
However, just as he was about to say something, Kariya Jin suddenly laughed, interrupting the man.
"Have you gone mad, Kariya Jin?!"
"This battle... this battle we lost!"
A member of the Bount stared in shock at the laughing Kariya Jin, and shouted loudly.
"No! We haven't lost! And we absolutely won't lose!"
Kariya Jin looked confidently at everyone and declared his certainty of victory!
"You won't lose?!"
What will we rely on to win?
Some of the Bount members who didn't understand Kariya Jin looked at him as if he were crazy and asked him a Kariya Jin.
"We'll rely on Sōgo Shihoin..."
Kariya Jin leaped from his seat, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light.
"Relying on Sōgo Shihoin?!"
Everyone was stunned by Kariya Jin's words. Even Maki Ichinose, who regarded Kariya Jin as his new pillar of support, wondered if Kariya Jin had gone mad from excessive mental stress...
"That's right. With Sōgo Shihoin away from Soul Society, isn't now the perfect time for us to attack Soul Society?"
"If it were when Sōgo Shihoin was still in Soul Society, then we truly wouldn't have had any chance at all, but now... isn't this our chance!?"
"Gentlemen, war is imminent! The moment of revenge has finally arrived!"
A fierce glint flashed in Kariya Jin Sōgo Shihoin had left Soul Society Soul Society, wasn't this the perfect time for them to attack?!
As long as the invincible Sōgo Shihoin is not around, the Soul Society is far from being as invincible as people imagine. They will definitely be able to fulfill their long-cherished wish Soul Hunters and make those arrogant and prejudiced Soul Reaper in the Soul Society pay a bloody price.
"Let us repay this with an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and blood for blood!"
Kariya Jin raised his arm and shouted.
An eye for an eye! A tooth for a tooth! Blood for blood!
An eye for an eye! A tooth for a tooth! Blood for blood!
An eye for an eye! A tooth for a tooth! Blood for blood!
"..."
Led by Kariya Jin, the crowd shouted loudly, determined to fulfill their long-cherished wish: to make those merciless Soul Reaper pay a bloody price, to make the corrupt Central 46 Chambers pay a bloody price, to make Soul Society pay a bloody price, and to make all those who looked down on and persecuted them pay a bloody price!
This chapter has 5,000 words.
(End of this chapter)