"Is this the Soul Society?"
"Everything here, whether material or biological, is composed of wondrous Reishi. In other words, we can absorb everything around us without restraint to strengthen ourselves!"
"Without a doubt, we are invincible now."
Dressed in a suit, looking every bit the British gentleman, Bount greedily inhaled the air of Soul Society Soul Society. He could sense that even the air around him was composed of Reishi.
"We were born here!"
With her long hair and purple dress, Yoshi looked at her companion with great excitement. In this world made of Reishi, she felt like an omnipotent god. Here, her strength had more than doubled!
"Don't be careless. Even though Soul Society is full of Reishi, it doesn't mean we have the power to go toe-to-toe with Sōgo Shihoin. We should resolve this before Sōgo Shihoin can react."
Maki Ichinose shared his opinion with everyone. To be honest, he wasn't interested in destroying Soul Society at all. He only needed to destroy Kenpachi Zaraki. Killing Kenpachi Zaraki and avenging the person he admired was the most important thing to Maki Ichinose. For this, he was willing to pay any price, even if it meant betraying Soul Society and Bount, to make Kenpachi Zaraki Kenpachi Kiganjō, pay a bloody price.
"We are not human, we are not gods!"
"We are demons! Evil demons who have come for revenge!"
Kariya Jin stood at the front of the group, his hands in his pockets, his eyes unusually cold.
"..."
The rest of the group stood behind Kariya Jin, resembling cold-hearted and cruel demons.
At this moment, the evil spirits that survived in the cracks came to seek revenge!
Before the Seireitei, where Soul Reaper and nobles reside in Soul Society, stands a giant wielding a massive axe. This giant's name is Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, and he has guarded this place day and night for hundreds of years. During these hundreds of years, almost no one has been able to break into Soul Society through his gate. His reputation is a testament to his strength, proven through countless battles!
"Come out, you rats!"
The usually upright and stern- Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, who had been resting with his eyes slightly closed, suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in his tiger-like eyes. He sensed the presence of a rat in front of him.
"Hahaha... No wonder he's been a watchdog for those Soul Reaper for over a hundred years."
"It's quite sensitive indeed."
As a gentle breeze blew by, eight members of the Bount, led by Kariya Jin, appeared instantly before Jidanbō Ikkanzaka.
Who are you?!
Jidanbō Ikkanzaka looked at the group of Bount standing in front of him, beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead. He could sense that something was wrong with these people; it was a strange feeling, something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but it just felt odd.
Jidanbō Ikkanzaka always trusted his intuition. The reason he was able to guard this gate for hundreds of years without dying was not because he was so powerful, but because his sixth sense was accurate enough and his ability to avoid danger was first-rate.
"We are Soul Hunters ~"
Perhaps because they had arrived in Soul Society and felt the omnipresent Reishi, they had gained enough confidence in their own strength. Kariya Jin smiled and answered Jidanbō Ikkanzaka's question, confidently revealing their identities to Jidanbō Ikkanzaka.
" Soul Hunters?"
Upon hearing Kariya Jin's words, Jidanbō Ikkanzaka's expression instantly changed. If it were anyone else, they might not have reacted to the term "Soul Hunters," but he was different. As a veteran who had been stationed outside Seireitei for hundreds of years, his eyes and ears were all over the entire Seireitei. Whether it was the squad captains or other Soul Reaper, they would talk about things without any restraint when passing by the gate he guarded. This allowed him to know many secrets of Soul Society, including the matter of Soul Hunters... It was an incident that many Soul Reaper were unwilling to mention.
"So you've heard of us?"
Kariya Jin smiled as he looked at Jidanbō Ikkanzaka's ashen face, as was his usual self.
What are you here for?
Jidanbō Ikkanzaka gritted his teeth and asked.
"We want to go in and say something to you gentlemen of Soul Reaper."
So, please move aside.
With his hands in his pockets, Kariya Jin smiled at the consistently tense- Former God Jidanbō Ikkanzaka.
"I'm sorry... I can't comply!"
"If you really want to get in here, then step over my body!"
"As long as I live, as long as I breathe, you... will never get in here!"
Jidanbō Ikkanzaka brandished his great axe with an unusually resolute attitude.
To be honest, under normal circumstances, he would have turned a blind eye and let these ignorant fools go in and die without a care in the world. But not now. That man... that man is inside right now! If he doesn't stay here and defend this door behind him to the death, he will definitely be severely punished!
If Jidanbō Ikkanzaka had to choose between a heroic sacrifice and punishment, he would definitely choose the former, because there is a kind of punishment called "worse than death."
"Oh?! Interesting!"
"Then I'll deliberately go through this door while you're still alive."
"I don't just want you to watch us go in; I want you to personally open the door and escort us inside."
Kariya Jin looked arrogantly at the Jidanbō Ikkanzaka. Perhaps it was the sweet Reishi in the air that gave Kariya Jin the courage to be so arrogant.
You're dreaming!
Jidanbō Ikkanzaka could sense Kariya Jin's arrogant attitude and his disregard for him, his overbearing demeanor. He decided that no matter what happened, he must defend his dignity.
"Whether it's a dream or not, we'll find out soon enough, won't we?"
Kariya Jin extended his right hand toward the Jidanbō Ikkanzaka in front of him.
The next second, an endless, invisible breeze swirled around Kariya Jin's feet, transforming into countless ropes that bound Jidanbō Ikkanzaka's limbs and all the joints in his body that allowed him to move...
"Come! Open this door for me yourself!"
Kariya Jin laughed loudly, gently shaking his fingers.
The gentle breeze, like puppet strings, tugged at Jidanbō Ikkanzaka Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, turning him into a puppet in the hands of Kariya Jin.
What did you do to me?
The Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, his face flushed red, continued to struggle, to fight against the irresistible force, to resist the gentle breeze. He was the guardian of Soul Society, the guardian of Seireitei, not a puppet in someone else's hands.
"I only turned you into my puppet..."
Kariya Jin looked at the flushed, purplish-red face of the Jidanbō Ikkanzaka and smiled gently. He liked the sight of others being manipulated by him like puppets. This scene, which resembled an oil painting, was simply too beautiful for Kariya Jin.
"Hateful..."
With Jidanbō Ikkanzaka used all the strength in his body to fight back, but faced with the absolute difference in strength, all his resistance seemed weak and powerless. He could only watch helplessly as he walked step by step to the gate guarding the Seireitei, mustered all his strength, and pushed upwards with all his might.
"No... stop it now!"
"You have no idea what lies ahead of you..."
"Jidanbō Ikkanzaka cried out in panic. He felt utterly sorry for the pathetic bunch behind him who, having gained a little power, had become arrogant and self-important. These people had no idea what true power was, no understanding of what true strength really meant. And behind the door he was about to open lay true strength! Strength called despair!"
"Hahaha! Look, he looks like a dog!"
"What are you talking about? He's just a dog!"
Behind Kariya Jin, several members of the Bount mocked Ikkan Jidanbō Ikkanzaka Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, ridiculing him as nothing more than a watchdog.
"Of course I know what lies ahead of me."
"Of course I know what I'm about to face."
"I'm not the one who knows nothing and just keeps barking."
"You, willingly serving as a watchdog for Soul Reaper, are truly pitiful and disgusting..."
In Kariya Jin's eyes, Jidanbō Ikkanzaka was not a human being at all, but a dog, and an enemy's dog at that. He was so disgusting that he didn't even want to kill him, because he was afraid that Jidanbō Ikkanzaka's blood would taint his bright eyes.
"No!!!"
Finally, under Kariya Jin's cold gaze, amidst the mocking laughter of the Bount members, and with Jidanbō Ikkanzaka's despairing roar, the massive iron gate guarding the Seireitei, manipulated by Kariya Jin, was forcefully opened by Jidanbō Ikkanzaka.
"Slurp~ Slurp~"
When sunlight streamed into Seireitei through the open Seireitei, a silver-haired boy appeared before the group of Bount, sitting quietly on a sofa, eating noodles with gusto.
The boy was over 1.9 meters tall, wearing Captain's Haori and a black eye patch over his face. Although no one could see his eyes, he still gave everyone a pleasing feeling. In short, he was simply handsome.
"Quiet!"
A moment of stillness fell over the air.
Everyone watched the boy silently eating his noodles, standing still without daring to say a word. They watched as the boy finished all the noodles in his bowl.
Ah~ It's been so long since I've had ramen here~
After finishing his noodles, the boy took out a tissue and gently wiped his mouth before noticing that the door had been opened.
"Huh? Everyone's here?"
The boy looked at the bouncy boys who were quietly watching him from outside, as if they were playing a game of "Red Light Bount," and revealed a pure smile.
Hehe~
Kariya Jin looked at the boy with the pure smile and sneered. He must have opened the door wrong.
" Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, close down!"
Kariya Jin looked at Jidanbō Ikkanzaka, who was standing motionless beside the group, and gave the order.
"Okay~"
Jidanbō Ikkanzaka shrugged helplessly. He'd already said, you definitely don't want to see what's on the other side of the door...
Jidanbō Ikkanzaka no longer resisted Kariya Jin's control, allowing Kariya Jin to manipulate his body and close the door.
Wait a minute~
However, just as the door was about to close completely, a figure suddenly appeared beneath it. At the same time, the door, which was about to fall, stopped abruptly more than two meters from the ground, unable to advance any further.
Upon closer inspection, the reason the door couldn't fall was because a figure that suddenly appeared beneath it was holding a chopstick in its hand.
It's hard to imagine what kind of material the chopsticks were made of to stop that huge iron gate, or how much force it took to use a single chopstick to block the weight of the iron gate.
"I already said, wait a minute~"
The boy held chopsticks high above his head, bracing them against the iron gate, and smiled slightly at the group of Bount standing outside.
However, it was precisely this angelic smile of the boy that, in the eyes of the Bount, seemed like a devil, making them feel terrified.
"Don't give me that look. After all, I'm not some kind of monster; I won't really kill you."
Although the boy's eyes were blindfolded, he seemed to be able to see everyone's expressions. He took in their terrified looks, nodded with satisfaction, and chuckled.
Why are you here?
"I remember last night... you should still be in the World of the Living, right?"
Kariya Jin knew that, as the leader of everyone, he had to stand at the forefront. He mustered his courage, stood opposite the boy, and asked.
Shh~ Keep your voice down, the Little Fon is still sleeping.
After hearing Kariya Jin's words, the boy held up his finger, blew on it, and gestured for silence. Then, he made a light swirl in the air, and the next second, a rift leading directly to the World of the Living appeared before everyone's eyes. On the other side of that rift, which had torn through space, was a petite girl, completely wrapped in a blanket, sleeping soundly with a blissful expression...
"Do you understand?"
"Young man... "Sōgo Shihoin waved his hand lightly, and in the blink of an eye, the opening that led directly to the World of the Living vanished completely, as if it were a phantom that did not exist, like a dream, making it impossible to tell whether it was real or not.
"Monster."
The members of the Bount, Sōgo Shihoin had defied all common sense and could directly connect two worlds, softly utter two words...
Generally, they Sōgo Shihoin, who can easily do things they can't, a monster!
"You've come to kill us, just like those damned Soul Reaper."
Kariya Jin opened his arms wide, looking completely unguarded, and stood in front of Sōgo Shihoin.
"Fine! Come on! Just like those who drew their swords against us before, kill us!"
Kariya Jin seemed to have gone mad; he gave up resisting and started yelling at Sōgo Shihoin.
"We'll die here, but so what!"
"At least we fought back; it's just that this world is unfair!"
"It's just a shame we're not Soul Reaper, and you just happen not to Bount!"
Kariya Jin looked disdainful. He had long seen through life and death, and he no longer wanted to live. He had known all along that Bount's destiny was to die.
Why are you shouting so loudly?
"It's not like I can't hear..."
"Besides, didn't I already say I wasn't here to kill anyone?"
Didn't your mother teach you the meaning of these words?
Sōgo Shihoin picked at his ear. He'd already said he wasn't there to kill anyone, so why was the other person shouting so loudly? Did they think reasoning was just a contest of who could yell the loudest? It was truly laughable...
" Soul Reaper, a liar's reaper, we will no longer believe you, gentlemen..."
My fellow countrymen!
"Let us join forces, defeat Sōgo Shihoin, and break the shackles of our destiny!"
Kariya Jin raised his arm high; he was going to fight, he was going to confront injustice!
"Now that you mention it, it makes me feel like I'm the bad guy~"
"Then I'll do what bad guys do!"
Sōgo Shihoin listened to Kariya Jin's words, somewhat speechless. It was as if he were some kind of evil villain! Seriously? He was a law-abiding citizen! Forget it...
"If you just don't like your own abilities, then tell me!"
Sōgo Shihoin drew his Sayafushi from his waist and silently aimed it at the crowd.
"Throughout the three thousand realms, none can be without me!"
"Of all things in the universe, none shall I not slay!"
" Shikai Unfolds! Sayafushi - Boundless!"
As Sōgo Shihoin Sōgo Shihoin to himself, a strange wave instantly spread outwards from him, enveloping all the Bount.
"Oh no!"
The moment Kariya Jin was enveloped by that wave, his expression changed instantly, but it was too late.
The next second, the entire world around Kariya Jin changed. All the flowers and plants in Soul Society disappeared, and what appeared around him were swords, countless swords, broken swords, sharp swords, rusty swords, and without exception... all of them were Zanpakuto!
However, none of them were intact; they were all losers. Hanging above all the Zanpakuto, like the Sword of Damocles, dominating the entire world, was the Zanpakuto called Sayafushi, which Sōgo Shihoin had drawn from its sheath at his waist. It was also the only victor!
What happened?
The group of Bount stared at their surroundings, stunned, panicked, and terrified.
" Sayafushi is not the full name of this Zanpakuto. It usually only exists in a Half-Shikai state. What you are seeing now is the true Shikai of this Zanpakuto."
Just as everyone was confused, a voice descended from the sky and entered their ears, causing them to look up. There, high in the sky, beside the invincible Zanpakuto, a throne floated silently, and sitting on the throne was the only master of the Sayafushi, the invincible Sōgo Shihoin!
"Please do not panic, everyone! Do not be afraid!"
"In this world, I am the only god."
"I will cut away your troubles, cut away your confusion, cut away everything you hate."
Before anyone could react, Bount, who was high above and seemed like a god, issued a divine decree to the group of Sōgo Shihoin below him!
This chapter continues with another 5,000 words~
(End of this chapter)