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Chapter 331 B
🕑 Added 2025-04-27 15:00:13 +0000 UTCChapter 331
2-in-1 chapter: Very large chapter today to make up for some which was shorter!
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“I don’t think my memory’s messed up that badly… You’re my grandson-in-law, right? Not a manly concubine, right?”
“Wanna stick your ass up so I can check?”
Kaelith grinned, revealing a bloodthirsty smile.
Shihōin Chika was startled, his rear clenching instinctively.
After the nonsense settled down, he pulled out a smoking pipe from who-knows-where, lit it with a Kidō spell, and took a long, satisfying puff.
“Katori and Saitō—how did they respond?”
“Haven’t asked yet. I thought it’d be hard to bring up with them, so I came to talk with you first.”
“?”
Shihōin Chika took a deep breath.
His blood pressure spiked.
So it’s hard to talk to them, but with me, you just come straight out with it? No way. He had to warn his granddaughter—this man was dangerous, keep your distance!
He exhaled a long stream of smoke, then looked toward Kaelith.
“I choose death.”
“Is that… a game reference?”
“Huh?”
“Oh, nothing.”
Kaelith shook his head.
The line was too iconic. He instinctively thought Shihōin Chika was quoting some old LSP meme.
Shihōin Chika lazily added, “Don’t be fooled by my calm demeanor. Deep inside, I’m an emotional guy.”
“No, I didn’t get the ‘calm’ part at all.”
“You little bastard, I’m gonna make Yoruichi divorce you!”
“We aren’t even married yet!”
“Then I’ll kick you out of the Shihōin Clan and make you a wandering ghost!”
“Sorry, I’m already a noble.”
“Argh! You’re killing me here! Kaelith bullied a poor old man!”
After another round of noise, the two finally got back to the topic.
“When the chains of Hell were first cut, I was truly happy. The feeling of regaining freedom was incredible.”
“But soon after, I realized—I don’t belong in this era.”
“A thousand years have passed. Even the once-invincible General has aged into that state.”
“To be honest, knowing I don’t have long left… it kind of makes me happy. Forget about peers—even people from my son’s generation are mostly gone.”
“As an old ancestor still hanging around this world, what does that make me? People might think I’m like Unohana—old but trying to act young!”
Hearing that, Kaelith quietly averted his eyes from Shihōin Chika’s face, glancing behind him as if someone was approaching.
Though he knew Kaelith was probably bluffing, Shihōin Chika couldn’t help but turn around to check.
Confirming no one was there, he sighed in relief.
So wicked. Today’s youth… too wicked!
Kaelith frowned. “What if I had a way to make you young again? Truly young?”
At that, Shihōin Chika smiled.
“To live when you should already be dead is more humiliating than dying. Kid, you wouldn’t want Yoruichi’s grandfather to keep living like some shameful, clinging old man, would you?”
Seeing Shihōin Chika’s carefree smile, Kaelith said nothing more.
Once a warrior has made up their mind, there’s no need to argue. With the same question in mind, he went to find Saitō Furōfushi, who was training in Squad 11.
Saitō sat cross-legged on a tatami mat, arms folded, listening carefully.
Then she nodded.
“I see.”
“I did notice something was wrong with my memory. I thought it was Hell’s influence. Didn’t expect it to be this.”
“Oh, right—have you eaten lunch? I haven’t yet.”
Kaelith shook his head. “Neither have I.”
“Excellent. Let’s eat first, then we’ll talk!”
“Sounds great.”
The two went to the dining hall, grabbed their favorite dishes, and dug in.
After the meal, Saitō stretched with a satisfied expression. She grinned, leaning forward on the table, elbows resting.
“You, you’re really growing on me.”
“If this were my era, I’d have made you my vice-captain and taken you under my wing!”
Kaelith said nothing, just smiled.
If he’d been born a thousand years earlier, his system would’ve bound him to the prime-era Yamamoto Shigekuni. Forget Saitō Furōfushi—even all twelve other captains combined wouldn’t have laid a finger on him.
Seeing Kaelith’s smug look, Saitō grew annoyed.
She leaped over the table to strike him. But Kaelith moved even faster—he caught her mid-air, spun her overhead, and gently set her down.
“?”
Saitō blinked in confusion, only realizing after a moment she’d just been treated like a child.
She drew her Zanpakutō and chased Kaelith out.
After several blocks, they stopped. The reason? Saitō discovered she couldn’t break through Kaelith’s defenses.
It was absurd.
She was a captain, yet her slash left only a faint white mark on him!
Had he trained a Hollow’s Hierro or something?
Grumbling internally, she found a place to sit down.
Kaelith looked at her. “You’re pretty laid-back, knowing your time is short yet still joking around with me.”
Saitō looked up with a strange smile.
“Kaelith, have you forgotten what my name is?”
“Saitō Furōfushi… wait, don’t tell me—do you actually have a way to live forever?”
Kaelith looked stunned.
He’d expected her to deny it—but instead, she nodded.
“That’s right.”
“?”
Under Kaelith’s gaze, Saitō drew her Zanpakutō.
Its tsuba was a six-pointed star, reminiscent of Hyōrinmaru.
“My Zanpakutō can steal time from those it kills. That time can be used in many ways.”
“For instance… slowing the world around me during battle so I have more time to react.”
“Or accelerating myself to move faster.”
“Or directly injecting that time into my own body—so I don’t age, don’t die.”
“That’s where my name comes from.”
Kaelith looked surprised.
“Your parents knew your Zanpakutō ability before you were born?”
“Idiot, of course not. I changed my name myself later!”
Saitō snapped back.
Clink!
She sheathed her blade.
“If I wanted to keep living, I could use my Zanpakutō’s power to do it. The reason you saw me in Hell was because, a thousand years ago, I made the decision—never to rely on that power to prolong my life.”
“As an executioner, I’ve long been prepared.”
“No regrets—whether I’m killing others or being killed.”
“If I had one complaint, it’d be that Yamamoto never told me I’d end up in that disgusting Hell, becoming one of those grotesque jailers.”
She crossed her arms and looked at Kaelith.
“Kaelith, do it.”
“Purify me with your reiryoku and send me to reincarnation.”
“This version of me—my current life—is already a corpse.”
“Whether I live on by relying on my Zanpakutō or vanish completely into Hell’s deepest sands, neither is a future I want. More than either of those, I’d rather throw it all away and welcome a new life.”
Bathed in the afternoon sun, Saitō stood beneath the shade of the trees. Golden light scattered across her proud smile, making her seem to shine.
Only now did Kaelith truly feel that the girl before him was a noble captain.
Not because of her birthright.
But because of the brilliance of her soul.
He didn’t even need to ask the question.
“I understand. If that’s your wish—I’ll make it happen.”
Saitō nodded, satisfied.
“Good. Decisive and clean. I’m starting to really like you. If we meet in the next life, I might consider making you my servant!”
“Pass on the servant thing… but maybe a personal maid?”
Kaelith chuckled.
Then Saitō seemed to recall something.
“Oh, wait—give me a second.”
With a flash step, she vanished into thin air.
Shortly after, she returned, slightly out of breath.
“Almost forgot—this thing, I left it behind when I died. Never thought it’d still be here.”
In her hand was a metal box.
“What’s this?”
Kaelith reached out to take it.
“I heard those Sternritter bastards are making a comeback. Just so happens, back in the day, my family specialized in researching Quincy. This contains the data my clan compiled back then. Take it. Use it to help wipe out those bow-wielding freaks!”
Kaelith blinked.
“It’s not… paper documents, is it?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“...I open this and the contents won’t instantly disintegrate into dust, right?”
“No idea. Wanna try?”
Hell no!
Kaelith quickly stored the box in his shadow space.
No jokes—something this important should be left to Aizen and Urahara to handle.
Seeing him put it away, Saitō nodded.
She walked under a large tree and slowly sat down.
“Phew, I’m tired.”
“Good thing… I can finally rest.”
She looked up at Kaelith.
“I’m ready. Go ahead.”
Kaelith nodded and stepped forward.
As he looked into her eyes, Saitō’s gaze seemed to drift far away.
Accepting Yamamoto’s invitation to join the Gotei 13…
Slaughtering her enemies in Seireitei, helping establish the power structure centered around the Gotei…
Carving through the Sternritter, staining the white streets of Seireitei with Quincy blood…
One memory after another surfaced in her mind.
Ah…
So that’s why.
It wasn’t arrogance that made her want to stop living.
It was because… those days were already gone.
Saitō Furōfushi smiled.
Her body dissolved into dark red reiryoku.
Kaelith raised his hand and gently pressed it over her form. Gradually, the reiryoku dispersed and turned into the faint blue spirit particles seen everywhere.
Within the sparkling light, Kaelith felt Saitō Furōfushi’s soul.
He smiled and gave a thumbs-up to the floating lights.
A faint hum seemed to echo in reply.
The lights drifted skyward and vanished.
Kaelith had seen this many times in Rukongai. That pink-haired girl’s soul… had reincarnated successfully.
He turned around.
Batsu'unsai Katori was slowly walking toward him. Noticing the lack of surprise on her face, Kaelith looked curious.
“You’re not going to ask why I killed her?”
Katori shook her head gently.
“No, Kaelith. That wasn’t killing.”
“For us, it was the best ending.”
Kaelith blinked.
“You already knew?”
Katori smiled and nodded.
“I died a bit later than the others. By the time I passed, the Gotei 13 had already developed a division-of-duty system.”
“I was the original captain of the 8th Division—responsible for Seireitei’s entire intelligence network.”
“I understood my condition about a week ago.”
“But… out of a little selfishness, I didn’t say anything. After all, I still had some time before my soul would fully disperse.”
“And before that, I wanted to experience all the things I never had.”
“Like seeing Seireitei during peacetime, handling ordinary tasks, going out with friends, having a picnic near a pretty stream… And… experiencing what it feels like to have a lover—together with Kaelith.”
“I had planned to stay a little longer, but it’s no use. My soul can’t hold out anymore.”
“Today… I forgot your favorite foods, didn’t I?”
“As a lover, I really failed.”
Hearing this, Kaelith finally understood.
No wonder Katori had avoided the topic of romance after the gates of Hell were sealed, only to grow more proactive recently.
No wonder she’d worked so hard to cook his favorite dishes.
He shook his head.
“It’s not you who failed as a lover—it’s me.”
“But apologizing isn’t really my thing.”
“You mentioned some things you wanted to do—got it. If there’s anything else, just say the word! Before the end comes, let me—Kaelith, lover of Batsu'unsai Katori—make all your wishes come true!”
Seeing Kaelith so fired up, glowing with energy, Batsu'unsai Katori froze for a second.
She adjusted her glasses, then smiled—the happiest she had been since her chains had been severed.
Guided by Kaelith, the two began a two-day journey through Soul Society.
Seireitei, Rukongai.
Bustling streets, quiet forests.
“You’re very lucky, Kaelith-san, to have such close friends,” she said with a gentle smile.
“Yeah,” Kaelith nodded.
Though he’d often been the one providing strategy, it was undeniable: without the spiritual pressure and abilities he’d synced from Sōsuke, he wouldn’t have come this far.
Especially in moments of crisis, just knowing there was a helpless Sōsuke nearby made him feel oddly reassured.
They’d grown together for years—mutually enabling, progressing side by side.
Batsu'unsai Katori rested her cheek in one hand, smiling as she looked at Kaelith.
Feigning nonchalance, she held a skewer of grilled meat to his lips.
“Kaelith-san, ah—”
“Hm? Thanks.”
Kaelith took a bite.
It was rich in flavor, juicy without being greasy, crispy but not burnt.
As expected of Ryūjin Jakka—he almost wanted to keep it around forever just for this.
Batsu'unsai silently celebrated.
Feed: successful!
She leaned closer, helping him with the food prep. Cooking together—just another part of the experience plan.
Ah… what else was left on that list?
She couldn’t quite recall.
Beside her, Kaelith had already stopped working. Watching the girl slowly close her eyes, he reached out a hand.
Just as he was about to place it on her head, she softly spoke:
“Kaelith-san.”
“I’m here.”
“If… in my next life, I get to meet you again…”
“Please… try pursuing me again…”
“Maybe… next time… I could…”
As she murmured, her body began to dissolve. Dark red reiryoku gathered and took form.
First time, unfamiliar. Second time… easier.
In Kaelith’s hands, the red reiryoku transformed into soft blue spirit particles.
They hovered briefly, then slowly faded into the air.
Kaelith leaned back and lay on the ground.
The human world was vast—finding someone reincarnated was nearly impossible. But for someone as brilliant as him?
Not a problem at all!
He stretched, closed his eyes, and slept peacefully.
At the Shihōin estate gate, Chika stood with arms crossed, deep in thought.
He said he’d help me reincarnate. Where the hell is he?
Blood pressure rising…
…
…
Sometime later, the three original captains who had appeared suddenly in Seireitei vanished just as quietly.
Captain Kaelith, beloved by many, had—mysteriously—been beaten senseless again by the Captain-Commander.
Some squad members protested Yamamoto’s violent behavior.
That night when Kaelith descended like a hero and saved half of Seireitei’s Shinigami, many had become his fans.
Even the Captain-Commander shouldn’t get away with unjust violence against their beloved Captain Kaelith!
Thus, they formed a secret organization:
*Kaelith Rights Protection Association*.
The association’s first act: write a letter demanding an end to Yamamoto’s brutality.
Yamamoto replied by noon that same day—with a solution. Anyone wanting to take Kaelith’s place in getting beaten could sign up at the 1st Division.
By lunchtime, the association quietly disbanded.
At first, Sōsuke was slightly concerned that Kaelith was just forcing himself to act cheerful. But after half a day of observation, he was convinced—this idiot was fine.
Worrying over such a fool… perhaps he was the bigger fool.
As he was preparing to return to his own work, Kaelith suddenly stopped him. With a puzzled look, Sōsuke watched as Kaelith opened his shadow space and pulled out a metal box.
After hearing the story behind the box, Sōsuke’s expression turned serious. Taking both Kaelith and the box, he returned to the Department of Technology.
There, he created an air-sealed workspace using spiritual pressure. Then, under his guidance, Kaelith slowly disassembled the spirit particles comprising the box.
Gradually, the documents inside were revealed.
To prevent damage to the paper, Sōsuke—gravely—focused harder than in battle, recording the contents page by page. After fully archiving the data, he resealed the original documents.
For many days after, Sōsuke didn’t leave the lab.
By the time Kaelith had nearly forgotten all about it, Sōsuke suddenly summoned him again. Walking into the lab, Sōsuke closed the door and smiled.
“Kaelith, this time… you really found something valuable.”
“And it’s something only you can use.”
Seeing Kaelith’s confusion, Sōsuke activated the large display screen. Displayed on it was a spiritual pressure circulation diagram.
“Among the Saitō clan’s research data, there was a unique technique. By combining fragments of the Soul King with specific spiritual pressure control methods, a Shinigami can simulate Quincy techniques.”
“For most Shinigami, replicating this is extremely difficult—too much effort for too little return.”
“But you’re different.”
“Your control over spirit particles far exceeds the norm. If anything, you’re close to grasping their fundamental nature.”
“And the most important thing… If I’m right, your otherworldly shadow may be able to replace the Soul King’s fragment as fuel.”
“If this theory proves true, Kaelith… you may become the first Shinigami in history capable of using Shinigami, Hollow, and Quincy powers simultaneously.”
“Do you understand what that means?”
Kaelith paused for a moment, then replied:
“It means… I can exploit energy conflict and cast Buddha's Wrath Lotus?”
“?”
Sōsuke frowned, sifting through his memory for any trace of that name.
No results—conclusion: Kaelith was spouting nonsense again. With the weight of a cultural wasteland upon him, Sōsuke took a deep breath.
“Based on my years of research and investigation into ancient texts, I can say this with confidence.”
“The Soul King’s body contains, at minimum, powers of Shinigami, Hollow, Quincy—and an as-yet-unknown fourth force.”
“And you—and I—are about to master three of them.”
“We are one step closer… to that existence.”
Comments
Striker
Ichi who?.....I'll see myself out xd
N
It's definitely a stretch trying to use Yingda's power as the fragment. 🤨 But sure, now Kaelith is the new chosen one, move over Ichigo.
