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Chapter 333.2 B
🕑 Added 2025-04-30 15:05:02 +0000 UTCChapter 333.2
2-in-1 chapter:
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With the feeling of having “screwed Komamura,” Kaelith looked toward the large screen at the entrance of Yūtendō.
There, Ulquiorra was dressed in a suit, his gaze deep and calm, as if he were looking toward a distant homeland—or perhaps missing a girl in his heart.
Suddenly, this handsome man in a suit turned sharply and sat on the sofa.
The moment he picked up the controller, the ice-cold man raised the corner of his mouth in a smile.
On screen, various LSP4 game interfaces appeared one after another.
Next came a large promotional image of the LSP4 console. Ulquiorra adjusted his tie and, in a cool and charismatic voice, recited the ad slogan:
“A refreshing gaming platform, bringing you endless joy.”
Finally, Ulquiorra took off his suit jacket, sat at a desk drinking coffee, and the LSP4 sat on the table.
The scene looped back to the beginning and began playing again.
Kaelith: “…”
What the hell is this?
Didn’t he send Ulquiorra to the Human World to work in sales?
Why is a sales employee showing up front and center in an advertisement for a new console?
Kaelith was furious.
With Soifon in tow, he entered the office building and arrived at a special room.
If any regular Yūtendō employee saw this room, they would probably faint from shock.
Inside were rows of beds.
On top of them lay multiple “bodies.”
One of them belonged to their boss, Kaelith.
These were gigai that Kaelith had prepared for himself and other friends who frequently visited the Human World.
Gigai were like undergarments—if you had the means, it was much more comfortable to use one tailored to yourself.
Kaelith stepped in front of his gigai and dove straight into it, just like Finn plunging into Jake’s stretchy body.
The next second, the gigai abruptly came to life.
Sitting up, Kaelith moved his body slightly, then headed straight for the executive office area.
Watching Kaelith’s departing back, Soifon smiled lightly and shook her head before entering her own gigai and following after him.
……
……
Seeing Kaelith barge through the door, a young man with short silver hair was briefly stunned.
“Lord Kaelith?”
He stood up and set aside the document he had been reading.
“Ryūzen, you little punk—explain to me what’s going on with that billboard outside.”
The young man’s name was Ryūzen Ishida, son of Sōken Ishida and leader of the Quincy group in the Human World.
Under Sōken’s arrangement, he had started working at Yūtendō while still in college.
Thanks to his strong work ethic, serious personality, and handsome appearance, he quickly rose to the position of section chief.
One time, when Kaelith visited the Human World, he impulsively promoted Ryūzen to be the general manager’s secretary.
Upon hearing this, the current general manager graciously stepped down and handed the reins over to Ryūzen.
.....Incidentally, that general manager was Sōken Ishida.
“The billboard?”
Ryūzen frowned slightly, as if trying to grasp what Kaelith meant.
A few seconds later, realization dawned.
“You’re talking about the one you assigned to the Human World—to work as a member of the sales team?”
Under Kaelith’s gaze, Ryūzen began:
“At first, I did follow your instructions and had Mr. Ulquiorra work in the sales department.”
“I must say, your eye for talent is quite impressive—many tough negotiations were resolved smoothly once Mr. Ulquiorra stepped in.”
“He was particularly effective with female partners. Once we sent him in, there was almost nothing he couldn’t handle.”
“Soon after joining, he was promoted to team leader. It just so happened that LSP4 was launching and required an ad campaign.”
“At a casting meeting with the ad agency director, they saw Mr. Ulquiorra walking by and immediately insisted—he was the one.”
“And the results speak for themselves. After Ulquiorra became the face of the product, LSP4 made a major breakthrough in market expansion.”
“According to the marketing department’s surveys, many women who previously weren’t interested in gaming products became loyal LSP4 users after seeing the ad starring Mr. Ulquiorra.”
“Although he had never stepped into the entertainment industry and only filmed this one commercial, Mr. Ulquiorra already has a massive fan base in the Human World. Many people are even writing in, asking when he will officially debut…”
Listening to this explanation, Kaelith was enraged.
“Impossible. Absolutely impossible!”
“When I promoted LSP3, didn’t I also appear on screen myself? It didn’t have this kind of effect back then!”
“It must be that LSP4 is just a better product—that’s why it performed this well!”
Ryūzen was silent for two seconds.
Though still young, he was already highly experienced in business and could match seasoned veterans in company operations.
In something as important as ad campaigns, he of course knew the importance of data and comparison. The sales boost from Ulquiorra’s appearance as a brand ambassador was clearly evident.
Incidentally, Kaelith’s appearance in the LSP3 ad… Ryūzen still found it hard to process.
Though his boss wasn’t bad-looking and had a decent shot at pulling off a successful ad, the concept Kaelith went with was too abstract.
Wearing a weird yellow leopard-print outfit, sunglasses on, holding LSP2 in one hand and LSPP in the other, then smashing them together to “form” LSP3, all to a bizarre tune…
Just remembering it gave Ryūzen that same “screwed by Komamura” feeling again.
Seeing Ryūzen lost in thought, Kaelith’s anger boiled over.
With a wicked grin, an ominous aura spilling out, he leaned close to Ryūzen:
“Ryūzen, do you know Ulquiorra’s true identity?”
“True identity?”
Ryūzen looked confused.
Then, suddenly remembering something, he replied, “Lord Kaelith, I’m not a kid anymore. By this time next year, I’ll be graduating university.”
“Ridiculous. A brat barely in his twenties dares talk like that to a Shinigami?”
Kaelith waved his hand dismissively. “Let’s set that aside… back to the main point.”
“Ulquiorra is a human-shaped Hollow, an infiltrator among us!”
“He’s a powerful Menos Grande who’s broken through the mask of a Hollow—a weapon of destruction far beyond the limits of Hollows!”
Ryūzen looked slightly surprised.
“Oh?”
“?”
Kaelith blinked.
He’d prepared such a dramatic explanation of what Arrancar were, and this kid summed it all up in a single word?
Perhaps guessing what Kaelith was thinking, Ryūzen adjusted his glasses.
“My father once told me records of these kinds of Hollows, though he never saw one himself. I always thought they were just myths.”
“No wonder… I did occasionally sense something strange from Mr. Ulquiorra. I thought I was imagining it—but this explains everything.”
Seeing Ryūzen remain so calm, Kaelith was puzzled.
“Wait a second, why are you reacting so mildly?”
“He’s a Hollow—you’re a Quincy. Shouldn’t you be furious?! You should be firing him on the spot and pulling down all those ads! Replace them with ones starring me!”
“Oh, and to make reporting easier, credit all his past sales to me!”
Ryūzen looked at Kaelith.
“Why would I fire him?”
“?”
Kaelith stared, dumbfounded.
Ryūzen explained slowly, “Although Quincy and Hollows were once sworn enemies, my father has signed an agreement with the Soul Society—we no longer involve ourselves in that conflict.”
“If a random Hollow entered Karakura Town, I wouldn’t ignore it. But Mr. Ulquiorra was personally assigned by you, Lord Kaelith, so I trust he poses no threat.”
“???”
Seeing that Ryūzen wasn’t joking, Kaelith was completely thrown off.
He slammed the table.
“You brat! Where is your Quincy pride?!”
“Quincy and Hollows have been blood enemies for millions of years!”
“And with the Shinigami, we have even greater grudges from the war—have you forgotten all of that?!”
“If it weren’t for those damned Shinigami, we Quincy wouldn’t be living in such a suppressed state—we can’t even increase our population!”
Ryūzen: “….We?”
Watching Kaelith grow increasingly agitated, Ryūzen couldn’t even summon a retort.
He took off his glasses and rubbed his temples.
“Lord Kaelith, you are a Shinigami, not a Quincy—don’t get so worked up.”
“As for the war between Shinigami and Quincy… I’ve studied the issue carefully.”
“While the Shinigami’s methods were overly forceful and the treaty unpleasant, the truth is, from the standpoint of spiritual balance across the Three Worlds, the Quincy are outdated.”
“If the Quincy were allowed to expand unchecked, the balance between the Human World and Soul Society would collapse, and both sides would be doomed.”
“Unless someone arises one day to resolve the collision of the Three Realms due to spiritual imbalance, this current arrangement is the best possible outcome for the Quincy.”
Putting his glasses back on, he resumed working on his documents.
Watching Ryūzen’s serious expression, Kaelith scratched his head.
This kid… didn’t seem much like his original personality in the source material.
Maybe he’d been influenced—softened by Kaelith’s own kindness?
Hmm. Another good deed done today.
Kaelith grinned smugly.
Then suddenly, he remembered.
“Wait a minute! We completely skipped over the most important part!”
“The commercial! My live-action commercial! We have to reshoot it! I’ve come up with an even more brain-melting idea!”
Ryūzen raised a hand to his forehead.
Even after all that effort, he still couldn’t change the subject?
……
……
Hirako Shinji slowly opened his eyes.
Through the haze, he felt like he was soaking in some kind of thick, sticky liquid.
Realizing this, he instinctively held his breath.
But then, to his surprise, he discovered—he could still breathe.
What the hell?
Through the pale green transparent fluid, he looked around.
He seemed to be locked inside a cylindrical glass tank. Outside, large monitors displayed various data and images, and several chairs sat around.
A few people in white lab coats moved about, occasionally taking notes.
Shinji was confused.
He tried to unleash his Reiryoku, hoping to blast his way out.
But as soon as it surged forth, several tubes attached to his body siphoned it away almost instantly.
The suction was so strong it even drained some of his internal energy.
Shinji’s face turned pale.
Sensing the disturbance, the researchers looked over.
One of them walked to a control panel and spoke into a microphone.
Moments later, a figure entered the room.
When Shinji saw who it was, his eyes widened.
“Aizen!!”
“You bastard—what did you do to me?!”
Aizen stepped forward, smiling playfully at Shinji.
He picked up a microphone.
“Captain Hirako, did you sleep well?”
“Bastard! Aizen, let me out! Do you even know what you’re doing?!”
“Of course I do.”
“I’m punishing a sneaky little thief who tried to spy on me.”
Shinji was momentarily speechless.
Aizen smiled.
“I must say, Captain Hirako, your face when I dispelled Kyōka Suigetsu was quite something.”
“Too bad I didn’t record it.”
Shinji clenched his teeth.
Damn you, Mayuri!
That bastard scientist swore Aizen wouldn’t detect him!
But now that he thought about it… Aizen hadn’t noticed him.
Kaelith had.
What the hell difference did that make?!
Shinji couldn’t help but feel like he’d just “been bent over by Komamura.”
He looked at the man in front of him.
“What do you plan to do with me?”
“Kill me?”
“If that’s the case, I suggest you hurry up. If I get out of here, I’ll pound your ass in place of your mother.”
He grinned, his voice laced with killing intent.
But Aizen wasn’t fazed at all.
Still smiling, he said:
“Captain Hirako, weren’t you always curious about what I was really up to?”
“Given your dangerously high curiosity, I’ve decided, as your former lieutenant, to help clear up those doubts.”
“Today’s agenda is simple: I’ll show you the result of years of hard work between Kaelith and me.”
As Shinji watched in confusion, Aizen pulled a nearby lever and pressed a few buttons.
Soon, with mechanical sounds, the glass tank and the rear wall separated.
A wheeled, several-meter-high metal rack came in. The tank was embedded into it.
This massive “trolley” pushed Shinji’s tank, following Aizen out of the lab.
Not long after, Aizen led him out of the building into a wide open area.
Seeing the scene before him, Shinji’s eyes widened.
Aizen turned around and smiled.
“Captain Hirako.”
“Welcome to Hueco Mundo.”
Comments
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Hmm, Shinji isn't the type to switch sides, and I doubt the author would just kill him off or remain as a test subject forever. So, what now...
