Chapter 282 – 282 ⥤ The So-Called Rules

“Captain, Captain!”

A figure with short orange hair entered the room, proudly showing off someone to Akira.

“Look what I found!” Under his puzzled gaze, Rangiku lifted up a small figure from beside her, as if picking up a kitten by the scruff of its neck.

When Akira took a closer look, he couldn’t help but be amused.

White hair, turquoise eyes, stubborn face, arms crossed in front of him, with a cocky attitude — this was the genius boy who never lost a fight.

“Rangiku, where did you find him?” Akira approached her and reached out to pinch Tōshirō Hitsugaya’s cheeks.

The boy was defiant, trying to resist the torment.

But as a Soul who wasn’t even a Shinigami yet, how could he escape Akira’s evil hands? After struggling for a while, he could only give up helplessly, allowing these hateful adults to toy with him as they pleased.

“Picked him up in the Rukongai.” Rangiku showed off her luck, “I discovered a genius boy with extraordinary potential! I’m planning to send him to the Shin’ō Academy to become a proper Shinigami. Then recruit him into the 11th Division to inherit my work!”

She couldn’t hide her smile as she imagined the wonderful future ahead.

“You jerks, don’t just randomly decide other people’s lives!” Tōshirō finally burst out, seeing his future being planned by others.

Rangiku showed a surprised expression, “Would you rather continue your previous life, unconsciously releasing your power and hurting your loved ones?”

Tōshirō suddenly fell silent, worry crossing his face.

“After becoming a Shinigami, can I really control… um, Reiatsu?”

Rangiku grinned, “Of course! That’s a required course for Shinigami.”

After much internal struggle, to avoid harming his loved ones, Tōshirō could only agree, his expression dark.

Watching Rangiku tease the kid, Akira stroked his chin thoughtfully.

This little Tōshirō looked very small, even younger than he remembered. If that’s the case, the other SR cards must also be in the pool.

Rukia, Renji Abarai, Momo Hinamori, Izuru Kira, Shūhei Hisagi…

Oh no, his collecting habit was acting up!

Akira looked at him and suddenly asked, “Young man, do you know Momo Hinamori?”

Hearing this, Tōshirō immediately grew wary, “How do you know about Momo?”

Beside them, Rangiku laughed heartily, patting his shoulder quite forcefully as she explained:

“Actually, you should know our Captain. His name is Akira Kisaragi. Though that might sound unfamiliar, you’ve definitely heard his other title: The Sakahone Shrine’s Head Priest Kisaragi.”

Tōshirō’s eyes widened, his small eyes showing great shock.

If someone had mentioned Captain Kisaragi of the Gotei 13, he would have scoffed. But at the name Head Priest Kisaragi, Tōshirō snapped to attention.

The Sakahone Shrine’s influence had spread throughout Rukongai over the years, and nearly everyone knew its name and had benefited from its works.

Tōshirō’s grandmother was among them. When she had fallen gravely ill from caring for him years ago, the Sakahone Shrine had sent someone to heal her.

The shrine official’s words still echoed in Tōshirō’s memory.

“Whether gods exist, I cannot say. But if They were to walk among us, They would surely take the form that people aspire to. We call Him Head Priest Kisaragi.”

Tōshirō struggled to maintain his composure as his emerald eyes fixed intently on the bewildered Akira.

“Are you really Head Priest Kisaragi?”

Akira nodded.

Before he could explain, Tōshirō broke into a smile, “Please let me join you!”

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When Akira announced his plan to search Rukongai using off-duty members of the 11th Division, Kisuke gave him a peculiar look.

“Captain, do you know what we call this behavior of yours?” After hearing the reason, he sighed deeply, his expression full of exasperation.

“What?”

“Taking off your pants to fart.”

“?”

Seeing anger flash across Akira’s face, Kisuke quickly explained: “There’s a much simpler way. Just post a missing person notice at the Sakahone Shrine. Lord Mimihagi’s devoted followers will bring these people to you immediately.”

Akira looked doubtful.

Still, considering this workhorse’s wisdom — second only to his own — he decided to follow the advice.

Soon after, several missing person notices appeared on the stone pillars outside the Sakahone Shrine.

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“Gulp…”

A girl huddled in a dark corner, watching the street vendors and their wares with hungry eyes.

This was the 78th District of South Rukongai, Inuzuri (Hanging Dog).

Being so far from the center of Rukongai, conditions here were dire. Food and water were scarce, theft and robbery were common, and the standard of living was abysmal.

Years ago, a group calling themselves the 11th Division had appeared in Inuzuri. They brought supplies and established law enforcement, arresting troublemakers and thugs alike.

However, even so, they couldn’t change this district’s situation; it was only treating the symptoms, not the cause. Once the Shinigami of the 11th Division left, it quickly returned to its original state.

The girl hadn’t eaten for two days now, and because of her Reiryoku talent, water alone couldn’t sustain her vital signs — she needed food.

Taking advantage of the vendor’s inattention, she burst from her corner with amazing speed, kicked over the stall, and snatched a package before fleeing.

She was quite experienced at this. The package contained only a bit of food, and she knew the owner would care more about his collapsed stall than the stolen goods.

At this moment, the owner should have been cleaning up…

The girl glanced back and suddenly bristled like a startled cat.

The owner hadn’t bothered with his collapsed stall or even locked his storehouse. Instead, he was chasing her, his bloodshot eyes gleaming with greed.

The girl drew in a sharp breath and, without thinking, threw away the package, hoping to escape.

But it had no effect. The pursuer seemed determined to catch her, running with urgent strides.

Then something even more absurd happened. When others noticed the chase, they too joined in the pursuit, as if they shared some deep grudge against the girl.

Surrounded on all sides, she managed to knock down two people before a large net fell from above, trapping her completely.

Similar scenes occurred throughout Rukongai.

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‘With Kisuke the strategist on my side, how could our great plans fail?’ Akira looked at the familiar faces brought in by the Rukongai residents and smiled, ‘Indeed, the mass line approach was the right way to go. This should drain the pool completely.’

Looking at the completely unserious man, Rukia and the others felt an inexplicable unease, not knowing what fate awaited them.

After all, the guy before them certainly didn’t look like a good person!

“Kids, open your eyes wide and watch carefully!” Akira spread his arms like a brainwashing cult leader, “Cherish these pleasant times. Because what awaits you next is… Hell!”

Hearing this, everyone showed varying degrees of shock and fear, except for Tōshirō who just twisted his mouth.

This Lord Head Priest certainly had a flair for dramatic rhetoric.

Before coming here, he had already heard from Rangiku that Akira planned to send them all to the Shin’ō Academy for proper Shinigami training.

Could the Academy truly be considered hell?

{T/N: For every student, school is hell. For every graduate with five jobs on their back and three kids to raise, that place was paradise…}

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“Mr. Ishida, these are reagents developed by the science team.” Aizen took out a vial and placed it before Sōken, “Its main function targets Quincy souls, forcibly separating a soul fragment during the Auswählen to be released into the Reishi cycle. This way, although the Gemischt Quincy will die, they’ll still have a chance to reach Soul Society.”

Looking at the blue liquid in the test tube, Sōken’s expression grew grave.

After a moment of silence, he looked at Aizen with utmost seriousness and bowed deeply.

“Mr. Aizen, thank you! Thank you for everything you’ve done for them.”

Aizen watched the scene with perfect composure, showing no emotion as he said quietly, “If you want to thank someone, thank Akira. If it weren’t for him, I might not have taken this path.”

A puzzled expression crossed Sōken’s face.

But before he could ask, Aizen continued, “There’s one more thing. The reagent has side effects, but they only affect Yhwach. While it won’t harm the Quincy, I thought it best to mention this beforehand. Also, if you need assistance, I can provide some Arrancar.”

Hearing this, Sōken bowed deeply again, “Please, Mr. Aizen!”

Aizen extended his finger and lightly traced the empty air before him, causing space to split open and reveal deep darkness.

Sōken’s eyes widened in shock.

“Well then, let’s go. Let’s handle this quickly — I have other work to attend to.”

With that, he walked straight into the Garganta.

Not daring to delay, Sōken hastily followed the figure ahead.

They hadn’t walked long in the Dangai when brilliant light suddenly emanated from the distance, followed by deafening thunderous roars.

Seeing this, Sōken’s expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly said, “Mr. Aizen, we should leave quickly. Mere Reiatsu can’t affect the Kōtotsu, but if we touch it, the consequences will be severe.”

However, Aizen stood motionless, as if deaf to the warning. The brilliant light shone upon him, his glasses reflecting a faint glow — like he was basking in the morning sun.

In the next moment, an unimaginably terrible Reiatsu descended, causing Sōken to instantly suffocate where he stood.

Though Aizen wasn’t targeting him, Sōken was deeply shocked by the heaven-crushing Reiatsu. Even more terrifying was how it continued to rise without limit until it suddenly vanished completely.

Sōken couldn’t comprehend what had happened. He could no longer sense the Reiatsu at all. If Aizen hadn’t still been standing beside him, he might have dismissed his earlier sensations as mere illusion.

Materialized distortion lines appeared ahead, as if drawn by an invisible hand. Heavy pressure enveloped the Dangai, and the passage ahead groaned under the strain.

Then, before Sōken’s incredulous gaze, the Kōtotsu — symbol of the Dangai’s rules — burst open from the middle. Countless fragments of dust and debris scattered like black rain through the spacious passage.

“As for rules…” Aizen turned back calmly, his pupils flashing with blue-purple light, “They are prepared for those who cannot survive without following the law. Mr. Ishida, shall we go?”

Sōken suppressed his shock, took several deep breaths, and finally managed a vigorous nod, forcing a smile onto his face.

This Mr. Aizen, though close friends with Lord Kisaragi, seemed his polar opposite in personality.

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In the palace of Silbern in the Wandenreich.

Yhwach sat upon his throne, hands gripping the armrests, as countless streams of blue light poured into his body from all directions.

The Auswählen had begun.

The King of the Quincy was collecting his loans, reclaiming all the power, life, and souls he had given to the Gemischt Quincy.

As the light poured in, Yhwach’s already terrifying presence grew even stronger. Meanwhile, in the World of the Living, the Gemischt Quincy fell one after another under Sōken’s sorrowful gaze, their lives extinguished completely.

Witnessing this scene, the other Echt Quincy’s original respect for Yhwach vanished entirely.

Was it really necessary to be loyal to an emperor who could take their lives at any moment?

At this moment, a figure emerged from the crowd and stepped forward, offering a slight nod in greeting:

“Everyone.” Nelliel’s clear voice resonated through the estate, “Yhwach’s atrocities lie before your eyes. Against such overwhelming power, you stand helpless — mere pawns to be sacrificed at his whim. The Quincy have been reduced to cattle in their pens, stripped of all dignity.”

Hearing these harsh yet truthful words, the crowd’s faces darkened with anger as they glared at the figure before them.

But before they could protest, Nelliel’s tone shifted:

“But someone can change your fate! Please, grant me a moment of your time. I wish to introduce you to our great God-King of Hueco Mundo and your savior… Lord Akira Kisaragi!”

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Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep