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Chapter 343 B
🕑 Added 2025-05-10 15:00:11 +0000 UTCChapter 343
2-in-1 chapter:
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“Damn it, that bastard Sōsuke dares to look down on me!”
“One day, I’ll show him what it means when the river shifts banks every thirty years!”
Kaelith walked down the street, spouting lines that only those wearing a protagonist’s halo had the right to say.
Senna followed beside him, eyeing him curiously.
“You’re that strong, so why do you listen to that glasses guy?”
“Because I’m letting him win. Letting him. You get it?”
Kaelith tilted his head up, using sheer presence to add weight to his words.
Senna tilted her head, unconvinced.
Seeing her expression, Kaelith frowned.
“Hey, you little brat, how about showing some gratitude to your lifesaver?”
“If I hadn’t been so generous and allowed you to stay by my side, Sōsuke would’ve already pumped you full of sedatives and thrown you into a tank!”
And he wasn’t just bluffing.
Sōsuke had taken a strong interest in Senna.
A materialized product of soul fragments—A Memory Rosary, a Shinenju.
Even for Sōsuke, this was the first time seeing one in person.
Right now, his main priority was to deal with Ryūdōji Gonryū and the resistance in Kyōgoku.
( Note: Valley of Screams is also called Kyōgoku. Will be sticking with only Kyōgoku from now on.)
So he sought out Kaelith.
“Kaelith, the Shinenju is an extremely rare phenomenon. I need to fully devote myself to researching what it is — but if I do that, I won’t be able to keep watch over her.
“You take her with you. After all, there’s no one stronger in the World of the Living than you.”
Hearing this, Kaelith pulled a face of disgust.
“Nope. I was just about to visit Bambi—cough—I mean, I was going to have some deep exchanges with the Quincy.”
He wasn’t some pure-hearted boy like Ichigo. Someone like Senna, a fundamentalist-style JK girl, had long since dropped off his XP list.
Now if she had some other traits, like being a blonde MILF with beautiful twin daughters or a Yuki-onna tenant renting in his apartment... maybe he’d reconsider.
Sōsuke wasn’t surprised by Kaelith’s refusal.
Expressionless, he said calmly:
“If you won’t, I’ll just have to store her in a stasis pod.”
“Better that than letting her escape.”
“……”
Kaelith scratched his head.
If it were Kuchiki Kōga being tanked, he wouldn’t hesitate for a second.
But... Senna was, after all, just a little girl born a few days ago.
Her personality was formed from a fusion of countless soul fragments. Even her memories were borrowed.
She hadn’t even had time to enjoy the world before becoming a lab sample. That was way too cruel.
Hmm? Thinking about it that way… maybe it was a new XP?
Scratch that thought.
After a moment’s hesitation, he sighed.
“Fine, fine. I’ll take her.”
Sōsuke smiled, satisfied.
He didn’t linger long with Kaelith.
During the previous battle, he had left one survivor. From the interrogation, he’d gained a rough understanding of the group’s situation.
According to the captive, their original plan was to wait several more decades before acting. But a soul fragment that drifted from Soul Society had accidentally landed in Kyōgoku.
After decoding its fractured memories, they were surprised to learn Soul Society was currently in chaos.
Hell Gates were opening across the realm, unleashing all kinds of powerful beings who rampaged about. Though the Shinigami always managed to respond and suppress the threats quickly, the sustained pressure was massive.
Realizing this, Ryūdōji Gonryū decided to launch their plan ahead of schedule. They never expected that what seemed like a perfect plan would fall apart in front of Kaelith like a child’s prank.
It didn’t even get off the ground.
Other than Yamamoto, how could there still be someone this overwhelmingly powerful in the world?
Kaelith, for his part, was curious about the Ryūdōji family. What exactly had they done to offend all five noble families at once?
He found a place with good reception and called Soul Society.
“This is Kaelith Yurei. Get me the Kuchiki household.”
Soon, Kuchiki Sōjun picked up.
“Kaelith?”
“Professor Sōjun, can you hand the phone to the old man? I have some questions.”
“Sure, hang on!”
After listening to Kaelith’s inquiry, Ginrei Kuchiki was surprised.
“The Ryūdōji clan… I didn’t expect to hear that name again after so many years.”
“Heh, boy, I don’t know where you got your version of the story, but since I was one of the people involved, I can give you the truth. The Ryūdōji didn’t offend the Five Great Noble Houses. Even if they wanted to, they didn’t have the means.”
“A thousand years ago, they were a powerful clan allied with the Tsunayashiro family—part of their core power base. At the time, the Tsunayashiro head was senile and had poor control over the subordinate families. Many began harboring ambitions.”
“The Ryūdōji were one such family.”
“Their head staged a rebellion, attempting to seize full control of the Tsunayashiro clan and become a new member of the Five Great Houses. But their plot was discovered early on by Tsunayashiro Senzo, the young heir at the time.”
“With his personality, you can guess what happened when he learned of the betrayal.”
“He immediately crushed the revolt and pushed for judgment via the Central 46. This was an internal Tsunayashiro matter, so the other noble families didn’t interfere.”
“Within ten days, the Ryūdōji were convicted and exiled to the Dangai. That’s the whole story.”
“I had just taken over the Kuchiki household at the time. All the reports from that period landed on my desk, so it’s unlikely there’s any error.”
Kaelith held the phone, deep in thought.
A clan said to rival the Five Great Houses…
And persecuted out of fear by those same nobles…
What a bunch of nonsense.
After thanking Ginrei, he hung up.
Looking at Senna beside him, he felt a bit sympathetic.
“You’ve had it rough. Just because of some weak-sauce clan, you had to self-destruct. But it’s fine now. With me, Kaelith Yurei, around, you can just be a happy JK.” (Note: JK means high school girl. JD means college girl)
Senna blinked at him.
What the heck is this guy talking about?
Whatever. That didn’t matter.
She took a deep breath and pursed her lips.
“Kaelith... Captain?”
“If what that Sōsuke guy said is true... then I’m not really a Shinigami. Why are you still protecting me?”
Kaelith waved her off.
“Don’t keep bringing up pointless questions like that.”
“What do you think I am?”
Senna tilted her head.
“Of course you’re a Shinigami. You’re a captain.”
Kaelith chuckled.
Under her gaze, he raised a hand and swept it across his face.
A white mask appeared, covering the top half.
“What about now?”
Sensing the sudden change in spiritual pressure, Senna’s eyes widened.
Impossible…
This is Hollow reiatsu?!
Kaelith’s a Hollow?
Before she could react, Kaelith dropped the mask and raised a hand, forming a glowing blue Quincy bow.
“And what’s this, then?”
Staring at the long blue bow, Senna’s pupils trembled.
A Quincy weapon!
She stammered, barely believing it.
“W-what are you...?”
“I am Saint Kaelith! A Shinigami in Soul Society, a Hollow in Hueco Mundo, and a Quincy in the World of the Living!”
Kaelith dismissed the bow, placed his hands on his hips, and laughed smugly.
The kind of pose that deserved a gold medal.
He looked at Senna.
“See? I possess three completely different types of power. If you ask what I am, it’s hard to give a perfect answer.”
“But frankly, I don’t care.”
“So what if I’m different? No matter what kind of power it is, once it’s mine, it becomes part of me.”
“How I use that power is up to my will, not some race or identity.”
“Now, let me ask you, Senna—what do you want to do with your power?”
Senna paused for several seconds.
Then she said quietly:
“I want... to do what I can. To help others. To see everyone smile. My memories might all be fake, but they’re the remnants of people who once lived.”
“It’s because I inherited all those memories that I was born into this world. If I don’t help others, I’d be letting their owners down!”
Kaelith flinched.
Oh no... she’s a walking Pixar protagonist!
He nodded.
“Very good!”
“To think like that proves you’re already a living, breathing person!”
“This world is vast and colorful. In the near future, Sōsuke and I will make it even more vibrant, more free!”
“And when that day comes, you’ll be able to do whatever you want.”
“So long as it doesn’t go against the honor of the world, you are free. Whether you’re a Memory Rosary or a vessel of fake memories... you are Senna.”
“Spread your arms and embrace this world, Senna!”
“HAHAHAHAHA!!”
With that, Kaelith burst out laughing.
Senna stared at him, surprised at first.
Then slowly, she smiled too.
The fear that had haunted her since birth vanished in that moment.
All that remained was peace.
……
"Call forth the Twilight—Mirokumaru!!!
In a mountain forest outside Karakura Town, Senna leapt high into the air, releasing her Zanpakutō.
Reiatsu surged from her body as she shouted and charged at Kaelith.
Gripping her four-ringed staff, she launched a flurry of thrusts from all angles, trying to pierce Kaelith’s defenses.
But Kaelith didn’t even swing his blade. He simply raised it occasionally, gently tapping her staff to deflect the attacks.
After several dozen exchanges, he swung sideways and struck her shoulder with the flat of his blade.
She flew through the air, crashing into a nearby hill.
Amid the rising dust, Senna staggered out, spitting dirt.
She looked at Kaelith, frustrated.
“You’re so strong... I can’t beat you.”
“Hahaha! Now you see how awesome I am? Jealous? Envious?”
“You'll never be as cool as me~
Scrub~!”
Kaelith grinned smugly.
Senna: “……”
Her blood pressure spiked.
After his moment of arrogance, Kaelith rubbed his chin.
To be honest, Senna was weak overall. Even in an average squad, she’d struggle to qualify for a seat officer position.
But her battlefield analysis ability was exceptional.
Even against far superior opponents, she could rapidly deduce the best counter-strategy.
Kaelith suspected it had to do with the soul fragments inside her.
A normal Shinigami had just one soul handling everything. Senna, however, had thousands of soul fragments working in parallel.
Individually, each might be weaker than a normal Shinigami’s soul.
But together—they could create miracles.
All she needed now was to increase her raw power. With enough Reiatsu and techniques, paired with that OP-level processing ability, she’d be a real powerhouse.
Thinking this, Kaelith smiled slyly.
“Young lady, do you want to get stronger?”
“...Of course I do.”
Seeing Kaelith’s eerie grin, Senna looked a bit wary.
Unlike most Shinigami, she had many modern human soul fragments inside her.
She’d seen those kinds of films—“Madam, your pizza is here...” and the look Kaelith had now definitely had that vibe.
Kaelith chuckled.
“Excellent.”
“Then once we wrap things up here, come back to Soul Society with me.”
“I’ll find you a great teacher...”
In his mind, the face of Kenpachi Zaraki—beastly and wild—flashed.
He just hoped Senna would survive to graduation.
Senna didn’t know what Kaelith was thinking, but it couldn’t be anything good. She was just about to protest when Kaelith suddenly froze and looked off into the distance.
She followed his gaze to the edge of a building, squinting and shading her eyes.
Down the distant street, two girls walked side by side, each holding an ice cream cone, happily chatting.
One wore glasses and had long braided hair with absolutely massive "assets".
To Senna, that kind of figure was just unfair.
The other had pink twin-tails.
Compared to the braid girl, her figure was much more modest… in fact, completely flat.
Senna nodded approvingly.
Now that’s a reasonable body type.
She turned back.
“You really are terrible—spotting cute girls from that far aw—huh?”
Senna suddenly paused.
Kaelith’s expression had changed.
His eyes showed nostalgia. Gratitude. And a tenderness she’d never seen from him before.
Comments
N
Must've reminded him of Batsu'unsai or something.
