IDKjust
patreon
Chapter 327 B
🕑 Added 2025-04-23 15:05:02 +0000 UTCChapter 327
2-in-1 chapter:
----------------------
That's nineteen already.
With this luxurious lineup, if Yamamoto were in charge, he wouldn't just be satisfied; he'd probably be grinning from ear to ear.
Taking a deep breath, Kaelith gathered his strength, preparing to rescue another captain.
Suddenly, he paused and looked toward the sky.
Unbeknownst to him, the Gates of Hell had opened once again.
From the depths of that blood-red abyss, a shadow shot out at incredible speed.
Then another, and another...
Hundreds... thousands...
Countless dark shadows, like torrential rain, shot forth from Hell’s Gate toward Seireitei! Seeing the flood of figures, Batsu'unsai revealed a look of disbelief.
“Hell’s sinners?!”
Those countless figures were all sinners imprisoned in Hell for their grave misdeeds! She couldn't believe Hell would unleash these people.
The sinners fell like rain, immediately bursting into insane laughter and beginning to slaughter indiscriminately.
Seireitei’s defenses instantly became precarious under this sudden assault.
Chika Shihōin’s eyes widened as he shouted:
“Yoruichi! Run!”
“Are you kidding me? I’m not running anywhere!” Yoruichi shouted back. She scanned her surroundings, desperately seeking a way to stabilize the chaos.
At that moment, a flame appeared at the edge of her vision.
Yoruichi instinctively turned to look.
A brilliant flame burned brightly, like a candle piercing the darkness. Within the flames, Yamamoto drew out his Zanpakutō.
"All things in existence shall return to ashes."
"Ryūjin Jakka!"
Under the night sky, Yamamoto swung his Zanpakutō toward the heavens.
Blazing flames soared upward, forming a massive spear of fire that instantly engulfed dozens of Hell sinners. After devouring its prey, the flame spear didn't vanish. Instead, it twisted, turning into an enormous fiery dragon winding through the skies.
The fiery dragon opened its massive jaws, swinging sharp claws and shredding every sinner nearby, reducing them to ash!
Then, a second dragon emerged, followed by a third...
Seven fiery dragons burst forth from Yamamoto, illuminating the night sky in a dazzling, majestic display.
Whoosh!
Kaelith flashed beside Yamamoto.
“Too slow, Sensei. Took your sweet time to act. Putting on airs?”
“?”
Yamamoto shot him an angry glare.
“Fool! I was guarding against the most dangerous enemy. Do you think I'd act rashly?”
“Huh?”
Kaelith looked puzzled.
“The most dangerous enemy…? Stronger than you?”
“You imbecile! Do I have to spell it out for you?” Yamamoto snapped.
“I’m talking about Kuchiki Kōga!”
Kaelith: “...”
Yamamoto explained gravely, “Although I didn’t personally send him to Hell, he's been silent for decades since going to Hueco Mundo. It’s highly probable he’s already dead. If he suddenly appears now, using Muramasa’s ability to turn my Zanpakutō against me, Seireitei would fall immediately! Against Kuchiki Kōga, no risk can be tolerated... If it weren’t for you idiots taking so long, why would I, as the Captain-Commander, even need to step in personally?”
Seeing Yamamoto's irritated expression, Kaelith fell into thought.
Kuchiki Kōga…
That guy had been soaking in Sōsuke’s lab for decades; he must be pretty swollen by now, right?
Maybe someday he should bring some ginseng and wolfberries to put in Kōga’s jar—after soaking for decades, that nutrient solution might become very nourishing.
Seeing Kaelith spacing out, Yamamoto impatiently barked:
“Kid, what's with you now?”
“With your strength, how did you end up in such a sorry state? Were you ganged up on by the first-generation captains?”
Kaelith shook his head.
“No, it's just that breaking their Hell chains took a huge toll on me.”
“Oh, then that's good—”
“…”
Huh?
After a brief silence, Yamamoto suddenly whipped his head around, staring wide-eyed at Kaelith.
“Kid, what did you just say?!”
“It took a huge toll—”
“You broke those captain’s Hell chains?!”
“Didn’t you hear me clearly enough the first time? Is your hearing finally catching up to your old age?”
“You brat!!”
A pillar of flames immediately slammed Kaelith into the ground.
Yamamoto closed his eyes, sensing the battlefield.
Most battles had concluded.
The current captains and the first-generation captains had each claimed victories and suffered defeats.
Overall, the first-generation captains had the upper hand.
After all, they didn't need to worry about injuries or even death.
In a battle between equals, the fearless ones inevitably had the advantage. If not for the intelligence advantage provided by Yamamoto, the situation could have been far worse.
Despite their current advantage, the first-generation captains were regrouping. Most surviving first-generation captains were converging into one spot.
Among them, three individuals stood apart:
Batsu'unsai, Chika Shihōin, and Saitō Furōfushi.
Saitō’s spiritual pressure seemed to be at the Fourth Division’s battlefield medical area.
Batsu'unsai and Chika, meanwhile, were rapidly approaching this location.
Moments later, the two arrived one after the other via Shunpo.
“Yo, Captain-Commander! I'm here to join your side!”
Upon landing, Chika immediately smiled ingratiatingly at Yamamoto.
Yamamoto stared at his chest, astonishment written across his face. Seeing this, Kaelith mimicked Yamamoto, staring directly at Batsu'unsai’s chest.
Yamamoto approached Chika and reached out, touching his chest area. Confirming that the Hell chain was truly gone, Yamamoto sucked in a sharp breath.
This fool disciple of his had silently pulled off something huge.
In all the history of Soul Society he knew, nobody had ever managed to cut the chains of Hell.
He turned to Kaelith—
Only to see him still examining Batsu'unsai’s chest.
Batsu'unsai’s face turned crimson, unsure whether to stop him or flee.
That little bastard…
Barely suppressing the urge to slap Kaelith into the ground again, Yamamoto asked:
"Boy, can Rixiang Jimie's barrier-breaking ability really affect the Hell chains?"
"Yes, but only in Bankai form. Shikai alone isn't enough."
Kaelith nodded.
Hearing this, Yamamoto felt a surge of excitement.
But immediately, he furrowed his brow, asking, "Then why aren't you continuing to cut more chains?"
"Cut...? With what exactly?" Kaelith sighed, exasperated. "Once those captain's consciousness is controlled by Hell, they fight like maniacs whenever they see me. If I manage to subdue them, they just blow themselves up on the spot. There’s no chance at all to sever the chains."
After leaving Kenpachi Zaraki, Kaelith had tried saving other captains as well.
However, Hell seemed to have grasped his method of rescue. If a captain was on the verge of losing, they'd rather self-destruct immediately than allow Kaelith a chance to save them.
After trying repeatedly without success, Kaelith was not only unable to save anyone else but was also nearly exhausted to the point of collapse.
Understanding the situation clearly now, Yamamoto nodded.
"I see. Then I'll go with you!"
"Chōjirō! Have all divisions fend off those Hell sinners! I'll accompany this brat to rescue the others!"
Chōjirō Sasakibe nodded firmly, about to relay Yamamoto's orders.
But at that moment, everyone present sensed something and simultaneously looked up toward the sky.
There, a figure wearing a white captain’s haori was hurtling toward Seireitei.
Kaelith’s heart sank.
Upon seeing that figure, an inexplicable sense of dread rose inside him—more intense than any previous crisis he'd ever faced, even more terrifying than the time Mayuri's explosive puppets had ambushed him during his mission protecting Yoruichi against the rebel captains.
Instinctively, he glanced toward Yamamoto and noticed that the Captain-Commander’s expression had also twisted into something fearful.
"Kid, get out of here!!" Yamamoto roared, immediately soaring upward to intercept the incoming man.
"What the heck...? Who could possibly scare the Captain-Commander like that?" Chika Shihōin stared upward in shock at the descending figure.
"Kuruyashiki Kenpachi."
A voice spoke as a figure appeared instantly via Shunpo.
It was Unohana Retsu.
Having defeated Shijima Chigiri, she had rushed here immediately upon sensing Kaelith’s spiritual pressure.
Gazing at the figure in the sky, Unohana frowned slightly.
"We're too late."
"Kaelith, we must leave right now."
"What do you mean, Yachiru? Explain clearly!" Chika anxiously questioned.
Unohana glanced at Chika, instinctively gripping her sword’s hilt.
Then, noticing Chika wasn't controlled by Hell and didn't even have a chain on his chest, she revealed an expression of surprise identical to Yamamoto’s earlier reaction.
Though she desperately wanted to understand how this was possible, there was no time left to investigate.
"Kuruyashiki Kenpachi’s Bankai is absurdly powerful. Once fully released, more than half of Seireitei will turn to ashes!"
"Under Hell’s control, he’ll ignore injuries or death, forcibly activating Bankai even against the Captain-Commander’s attacks. We must retreat immediately."
As she spoke, she reached out to grab Kaelith and escape.
But when she reached, she found only empty space.
"!!"
Unohana reflexively raised her head to the sky.
There, Kaelith had already followed closely behind Yamamoto.
Seeing Kaelith follow, Yamamoto felt an intense headache coming on.
"You reckless brat! Didn’t I tell you clearly to run away?!"
Kaelith, expressionless, responded calmly, "I’ve been controlled by Hell. My body isn’t listening to me anymore."
"I'll slice apart your 'not listening'!"
Yamamoto felt his blood pressure rise sharply again.
However, amid his anger, he also felt pride.
Indeed, Kaelith was worthy of being his trusted disciple—faced with the crisis threatening Seireitei’s survival, he didn't hesitate in the slightest.
Gripping Ryūjin Jakka tightly, Yamamoto swung fiercely at the rapidly approaching Kuruyashiki Kenpachi.
"Taimatsu!"
Boom!!!
Blinding, white-hot flames instantly engulfed half the sky.
Even from twenty or thirty kilometers away, the dazzling blaze was clearly visible.
From within that terrifying inferno, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi charged forward relentlessly. His entire body was covered with horrifying burns, flesh peeling back and fat sizzling audibly.
If someone stood close enough, they might even smell the sickly aroma of burning flesh.
Yet, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi showed no reaction to his gruesome injuries.
His eyes glowed with a chilling golden light. Completely under Hell’s control, he raised his Zanpakutō toward Seireitei—
Seeing this, Yamamoto’s expression changed dramatically.
"Bankai!"
"Zanka no Tachi!"
In that instant, Kaelith, following close behind Yamamoto, felt as if he'd been thrown into a boiling furnace of molten iron.
The scorching heat nearly caused him to lose consciousness immediately.
In Kaelith’s vision, Yamamoto was like a blazing sun. Even without using any special technique, he could incinerate everything around him.
Kaelith instinctively raised his arms to shield his face.
This was... the oldest and most powerful Zanpakutō in Soul Society.
At this moment, a sudden surge of pride filled Kaelith.
Under his gaze, Yamamoto roared and swung his sword.
The blade looked burnt black from its own overwhelming heat, its surface charred to ash. Yet Kaelith was certain—nothing could withstand the edge of this scorched blade!
Whoosh!
Yamamoto’s blade swept through the sky.
The descending Kuruyashiki Kenpachi was split cleanly into two halves instantly. Before the two halves could even begin to fall, they erupted into flames mid-air, immediately reduced to ashes.
Having eliminated Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, Yamamoto exhaled deeply.
But in the next instant, his face turned deathly pale.
Following Yamamoto’s gaze, Kaelith turned to look behind them.
On the ground of Seireitei, an enormous mouth, like some nightmarish illusion, was gradually forming.
"Sensei…?"
Feeling the intense threat emanating from that gigantic mouth, Kaelith looked at Yamamoto.
"Gagaku Kairou… Kuruyashiki Kenpachi’s Bankai has been activated!"
Yamamoto’s face became incredibly grim.
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi’s Bankai summoned a colossal mouth several kilometers in radius, devouring everything within its reach.
When Kuruyashiki first demonstrated this technique in the Dangai, Central 46 had been utterly terrified by its power.
Afterward, Central 46 strictly forbade him from ever using this ability within Seireitei under any circumstances.
The living Kuruyashiki Kenpachi had abided by this rule strictly, even dying at the hands of Azashiro Sōya without resorting to it.
But now, controlled by Hell, he had lost all restraint.
On the ground, hearing Unohana’s explanation, Chika Shihōin and Batsu'unsai were both left utterly dumbfounded.
Several kilometers in radius… meaning the mouth’s reach covered twenty or even thirty kilometers.
Half of Seireitei would be completely obliterated.
Captain-level Shinigami might manage to escape, but anyone below captain-level would almost certainly perish.
Chika clenched his teeth tightly, eyes wide in horror.
How could such a horrifying ability even exist?!
"Yachiru-senpai, cut it down!"
Batsu'unsai shouted urgently, "Captain-Commander Yamamoto, Captain Kaelith, along with us—we can destroy it together using our Bankai!"
"If we can destroy it, maybe we can stop its devastation!"
However, Unohana shook her head gravely.
"It's futile."
As the original Kenpachi, she had investigated Kuruyashiki Kenpachi’s power extensively.
The mouth summoned by Gaki Rekkō wasn't a physical mouth at all. It was a demon born purely from conceptual power. From the moment it appeared, nothing could stop it.
Destroying it now would be meaningless, like trying to cut water with a sword. Unohana extended her spiritual perception, quickly determining everyone’s positions.
Yoruichi Shihōin, Soifon, Kuchiki Sōjun, and the members of Kaelith’s unit…
Most of them could escape without assistance.
For those unable to escape, she would do everything possible to save them.
But the ordinary division members…
She had no choice but to apologize. She was only a captain, not the Soul King. She couldn’t possibly save everyone from the jaws of Gagaku Kairou.
In mid-air, Yamamoto tightly gripped his Zanpakutō, desperately considering options. But no matter what he considered, all outcomes seemed merely to lessen the damage, not stop it.
Seireitei faced catastrophic ruin, one that could cripple Soul Society for centuries. At that moment, Kaelith approached him calmly, pulling out his Zanpakutō.
"Hey old man, hold off your tears for now."
"Don’t forget, I’m still here."
Yamamoto looked at Kaelith with confusion.
Right now, even he was helpless—what could Kaelith possibly do?
Under Yamamoto’s doubtful gaze, Kaelith smiled slightly:
"Several years ago, I borrowed five Tenshintai from Kisuke, remember? But I only used four."
"So, the question is—what happened to the fifth?"
