Chapter 96 – 96 ⥤ The Rats in the Sewers

As evening fell, shadows crept across the land.

A furtive figure slipped into the 6th District and knocked on the door of the Shihōin manor.

“Lord Kisaragi?”

The guard Shinigami glanced at the sky, then at the young man’s urgent expression, and his face took on a peculiar look.

“Please wait a moment.”

Without further questions, the guard swiftly used Shunpo to report the visitor.

When he returned moments later, his expression had grown even more peculiar.

“Please follow me. The head of the family is in the study.”

The Shinigami led the way with careful steps, moving quietly as if to avoid disturbing the manor’s peace.

After passing through two quiet alleyways, Akira arrived at the study.

“Come, come!” Yoruichi lounged in loose sleepwear, her purple hair cascading over her shoulders.

She patted the seat beside her when Akira entered, beckoning him closer.

“I was about to look for you, but here you are! Ōmaeda has scheduled the sale of those fixed assets. Everything will be sold within half a month. Do you want to exchange it directly for cash, or do you have other plans?”

Akira was stunned — he hadn’t expected Marenoshin to work so efficiently. It had been less than two days, and everything was already arranged.

This meant he should start preparing his shrine expansion plan too. With luck, the Ise family would be reasonable.

“I came about something else.” He said, remembering his purpose.

Yoruichi blinked, studying him intently.

“Have you thought it through?”

Akira froze, confused, “Thought what through?”

“Marrying into the family, of course!” Yoruichi pointed at the family crest on the desk with a smile, “Thanks to you, I’m now the 22nd head of the Shihōin family. After the next Noble Assembly, it will be announced to all nobles, both great and small, as well as the Gotei 13. Now even marrying into the family wouldn’t be beneath you.”

Akira fell silent.

Great, another one after his body.

“We’ll discuss that matter later.” He quickly changed the subject, “I need your help with an investigation.”

Before Yoruichi could redirect the conversation, he quickly explained everything.

Different expertise for different tasks.

The Onmitsukidō specialized in Soul Society’s covert operations — executions, assassinations, infiltration, and intelligence gathering.

Though Yoruichi hadn’t fully assumed her position yet, her abilities were exceptional, with few peers who could match her skill.

It would be foolish not to utilize such a capable ally.

“Rebels, assassination, unknown entity…” She muttered thoughtfully, analyzing the situation, “I believe I’ve seen some files about this. One moment.”

As she spoke, she turned to search through the nearby bookshelf, bending down with deliberate grace.

Her elegant silhouette caught his attention. Her completely unguarded behavior showed just how much the supposedly lecherous priest had earned her trust.

Akira had a strong suspicion she was being deliberately provocative.

“Found it!” Yoruichi turned, placing a stack of files on the desk and beginning to examine them. “This is peculiar. From Ōmaeda’s analysis, the general sequence of events is clear, but the crucial element is missing.”

“The Twelfth Division’s Shinigami were investigating Hollow appearances in Soul Society, and the rebels assassinated them to keep them quiet. But what about the third party? What was their role in all this?”

“The scene evidence suggests they sided with the Twelfth Division, but their actual actions remain a mystery. It’s as if everything except the Reiatsu traces was erased by some power.”

Yoruichi proved invaluable in critical moments. With just a few observations, she had dissected the entire situation and its key elements.

Akira furrowed his brows, searching his memories for clues.

He wasn’t good with details; remembering the anime’s general plot from his past life was achievement enough. Besides, his current timeline preceded the original story by centuries, perhaps even longer.

And now due to various reasons, there had been major changes — even the big BOSS Aizen had gone to learn cooking, and apparently his culinary skills were quite good. At least at the level of a quasi-special grade chef.

At this point, trying to predict the plot using his memories was futile. Even if someone revealed the ending to him right now, he might not remember which part of the original story it connected to.

“Hey, don’t overthink it!” Yoruichi put away the files and patted the young man’s shoulder with a smile, “Let’s start by investigating the North Rukongai 54th District that Captain Unohana mentioned. We might find new clues there.”

Akira nodded, “That’s all we can do.”

⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬

North Rukongai, 54th District.

The conditions here fell somewhere between the 32nd District and Sakahone (figuratively speaking, not literally). While not particularly pleasant, the residents had managed to eke out a living.

Yet the streets were eerily empty, with few civilians in sight. Only animals could be seen scurrying between the houses.

“According to Captain Unohana’s information, the missing souls were from the West Section Three area of the 54th District. Their leader was a thug boss who terrorized the area — bullying men, harassing women, and controlling the food supply. He disappeared along with his seventy-nine subordinates.”

{T/N: I don’t know what West Section Three is, so I’ll leave it as is.}

Looking at the desolate scene before her, Yoruichi frowned.

Though they lacked enough Shinigami to properly govern the 54th District, it shouldn’t have been this abandoned. There was barely a soul walking upright in sight.

“Let’s investigate the surroundings first.”

Yoruichi and Akira looked at each other and nodded simultaneously.

The two split up, extending their Reikaku (Reiatsu sensing) in different directions.

Since this matter might involve rebels, they had chosen not to bring any other Shinigami division members on this investigation.

If a battle broke out, while they would be fine, their subordinates would likely get caught in the crossfire. Neither Akira nor Yoruichi excelled at protecting others during combat.

Soon, Yoruichi discovered something unusual.

“Akira, here.”

Akira used Shunpo to reach her side and looked where she pointed. The slightly muddy ground was covered in footprints.

Footprints of different sizes were jumbled together in a complex pattern. Yet studying the overall traces, they didn’t seem to have been left by a battle.

“It seems they were attracted by something and gathered together.” She analyzed, “Then they all went to an unknown location. The culprit seems to have anticipated Shinigami would investigate and deliberately obscured their final traces.”

“What should we do next?” Akira asked, turning to the clever girl beside him for guidance.

He excelled at combat but struggled with tracking — it simply wasn’t his strong suit.

Fortunately, intelligence gathering was Yoruichi’s specialty. Their complementary skills created a perfect balance.

The girl knelt down, her fingers tracing intricate patterns in the mud while forming mysterious hand signs. Traces of Reiatsu dispersed from her fingertips.

Soon enough, she discovered something.

“Heh heh, just as I expected! They thought they could erase all traces — not so simple!”

Akira watched with curiosity as she crouched on the ground, her slender fingers weaving patterns while she chanted:

“Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east, arrive with the wind and depart with the rain.”

⤫ Bakudō #58: Kakushitsuijaku ⥤ Footprint-Attentive Pursuing-Sparrows! ⤬

The traced patterns erupted in brilliant light, complex numerical symbols flickering within the radiance like coded messages.

When the numbers finally settled, Yoruichi’s face lit up with triumph as she turned back.

“Got it! North Rukongai, 57th District, Point West 348.”

“No time to waste.” Akira nodded, “Let’s go.”

The two vanished in a flash of Shunpo, racing toward the location revealed by Kakushitsuijaku.

⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬

North Rukongai, 57th District.

Within the sprawling mountain range stood a massive building embedded in the mountainside. Countless Kidō patterns intertwined in intricate designs, while a faintly visible barrier hung overhead, concealing all traces of existence.

Inside, dozens of black-clad figures had gathered. Though they all wore Shihakushō, their lack of division badges revealed their true nature.

Rebel forces.

“How many times must I tell you not to harm civilians!”

Atsushi Jinzan, his flesh-covered face twisted with rage, roared at his subordinates with an ear-splitting bellow.

“Our operation could be exposed because of some worthless rabble, and when that happens, the mission will fail and we’ll all have to commit seppuku! You useless, absolute fools!”

His angry shouts echoed through the vast chamber. The subordinates cowered in silence, afraid their leader would turn his rage upon them.

As the shouting subsided and Atsushi began to calm, someone carefully spoke up.

“Lord Jinzan, none of us have ventured out during this time. The disappearances in the 54th District have nothing to do with us.”

Atsushi was taken aback, not expecting such an explanation.

“Yes, Lord Jinzan, during your absence from Rukongai, we’ve strictly followed your previous orders. No one has left the base.”

Seeing his anger fade, others quickly joined in, their explanations overlapping.

The room descended into chaos.

“Enough!” Irritation flashed in Atsushi’s eyes, “Let’s end this here. If the soul disappearances have nothing to do with you, then there’s no need to worry—”

Before he could finish, voices drifted in from outside.

The Kidō barrier covering the building not only concealed their presence but also amplified external sounds, allowing those inside to prepare responses in advance.

This was the Jinzan family’s secret Kidō barrier.

The room fell silent as everyone held their breath, straining to distinguish the sounds from outside.

A young woman’s voice came first, “This should be the place.”

“Are you sure?” The responding voice seemed familiar, though Atsushi couldn’t quite place it.

“Yes, my Kakushitsuijaku has never failed. And judging from the mountain’s traces, there’s something discordant in the northwest corner, probably due to the Kidō barrier’s camouflage.”

Hearing this, even the dullest rebels realized they had been discovered.

As tension filled the room, Atsushi sneered, “No need to panic — those outside are clearly just a reconnaissance team. By the time they return to report, we’ll be long gone.”

BANG!

Before he could finish speaking, a deafening impact struck the barrier. The amplified sound echoed through the base, making the rebels grimace in pain.

Before Atsushi could react, a thunderous boom shattered the barrier, destroying the building’s roof completely.

Bright sunlight poured through the hole, dispelling the darkness within.

“Found you, sewer rats!”

The rebels looked up to see a young man standing on the broken edge, letting out a hearty laugh.

“One, two, three, four… sixteen of them. Yoruichi, keep watch on the side, don’t let any of them escape.”

Before she could respond, Akira dove down like a meteor, plunging straight into the base.

Atsushi reacted first, a fierce grin spreading across his face as he drew his sword and attacked. His powerful spiritual pressure filled the base, making it difficult for anyone to breathe.

“Crush him, Oni Kanabō!”

His Zanpakutō transformed in a flash of light into a weapon resembling a spiked club.

“Bring it on!”

The fierce attack made Akira’s eyes light up. His fighting spirit soared as his right hand clenched, producing a piercing screech. His vibrating muscles sounded like plucked strings as shock waves burst forth.

⤫ Genshiki-ryū: Hōsha ⥤ Origin Style: Discharge! ⤬

After Genryūsai’s correction, he had mastered the technique completely. His already perfect Hakuda now unleashed unprecedented destructive power.

BOOM!!

An indescribably terrifying force traveled through Atsushi’s Zanpakutō and into his entire body.

Before the rebels’ horrified eyes, their formerly feared Lord Jinzan flew through the air in a perfect arc, embedding himself in the wall!

One hit, instant kill!

Giving the rebels no chance to react, Akira charged in like a tiger among sheep, demonstrating the Origin Style’s raw ferocity.

The sounds of impacts echoed throughout the base.

In moments, more than ten rebels — each with power matching elite Shinigami — lay in a defeated heap.

The rebel base: annihilated.

⤫⤬⤫

I put on my party hat and grab a noisemaker.

TL: Yo Mimihagi, let’s summon our buddy MC for the New Year countdown!

Mimihagi: ( •_ )

Akira appears spinning through the air like a human disco ball!

Akira: Why do you keep summoning me like this?!

TL: Come on, it’s almost New Year! Don’t you want to celebrate?

Akira: dusts himself off I was in the middle of training my Shunpo…

TL: Training can wait! Do you know what time it is?

Akira: Let me guess… cod cakes day again?

TL: No, you walking calendar disaster – it’s New Year’s Eve! Time to make resolutions!

Akira: Resolution? Easy. Become the strongest Shinigami and maybe get Unohana to…

TL: Yeah yeah, we know your dreams. Mimihagi, start the countdown!

Mimihagi: ( •_ ) waves tentacle like a clock hand

Akira: Wait, is this another one of those Earth celebrations—

TL: 3… 2… 1… HAPPY NEW YEAR!

System notification pops up

〈 Special New Year check-in complete: Obtained Genryūsai’s party poppers! 〉

Akira: … At least it wasn’t another sweet potato.

/mrblackwing

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep