Chapter 197
As Aizen tidied up the materials in the laboratory, he nodded thoughtfully. “I see… no wonder the Head Captain was so furious.”
After returning from the First Division, Kaelith went straight to Aizen and relayed the secrets he’d learned from Yamamoto—about the war over eight hundred years ago, about Yhwach, the progenitor of the Quincy, and the Sternritter.
Hearing one unfamiliar na after another, Aizen couldn’t help feeling a sense of awe. The Soul Society’s long history was indeed filled with endless waves of turmoil.
Back then, the strongest Quincy, Yhwach, had led his knights to invade the Soul Society. Captain-Commander Yamamoto had personally led the counterattack, and in their final showdown, Yamamoto had used his Bankai and put Yhwach reign to an end by the sword.
Who would have thought Yhwach hadn’t truly died? Instead, he’d built a new empire within the Seireitei’s shadows, reassembled his forces, and bided his ti.
The only good news was that although Yhwach still lived, he wasn’t fully revived yet. He’d left his subordinates a short rhy:
“900 years to regain his heartbeat,
90 years to regain his intellect,
9 years to regain his power,
and 9 days to reclaim the world.”
If these words were true, Yhwach wouldn’t awaken for at least another century. That was plenty of ti for the Soul Society to prepare.
The most crucial step was abandoning their reliance on the Sekkiseki barriers. Regardless of whether Yhwach awakened in a hundred years or a single year, the Soul Society needed to act fast, constructing new defensive asures inside Seireitei. Beyond that, they had to counter the Quincy’s ability to manipulate reishi. Once a Quincy activated Vollständig, they could forcibly control the spiritual particles around them. Everything in the Soul Society—every plant, every brick—was made of reishi. Without precautions, their defenses could be consud by the enemy like snacks.
Yamamoto had already consulted the Kidō Corps, instructing them to develop spells resistant to forced reishi manipulation. If the Quincy ca, these spells would protect the Soul Society’s key facilities from being directly destroyed.
All these preparations would require so explaining to Central 46 later on, but as long as they were done, it would greatly reduce casualties in the future war. Kaelith was quite satisfied with this outco.
Sprawled in a chair, legs dangling, he said, “Sōsuke, I’ve noticed the old man’s co to trust how reliable I am. He even let keep watch over Bambietta—the Quincy prisoner who’s so crucial. If that’s not trust in my abilities, I don’t know what is!”
“Is that so?” Aizen generated so heat in his hand, smoothing a protrusion on the wall, then turned to look at Kaelith. “Kaelith, I trust your abilities, too.”
“Oh?” Kaelith perked up imdiately. Getting Aizen to praise him wasn’t easy. “Tell more, which parts do you trust?”
Leaning forward, he looked at Aizen expectantly.
“I trust that you can separate materials fused into the wall down to individual spirit particles. Even I can’t do that.”
Kaelith tilted his head back proudly. “Of course, for that’s as easy as—”
Halfway through, he realized sothing and his voice trailed off, face going stiff.
Aizen said calmly, “But now that I think about it, last ti I asked you to separate those mixed Shinigami souls, your results were rough—no better than a standard Shinigami’s work. Kaelith, what’s going on there?”
Kaelith let out a forced laugh. “Sōsuke, I just rembered the Head Captain wants for sothing. We’ll talk next ti, next ti!”
With that, he jumped up and bolted.
Aizen folded his arms and shook his head helplessly. After helping tidy up Kaelith’s laboratory, he headed back toward the Fifth Division. Tonight, he planned to revisit the Great Spirit Library to check the records on Yhwach.
…
At the Shihōin estate’s secret training ground:
“Haah!” Yoruichi, her legs weighted down, unleashed a vicious spinning kick. Thunderous sparks danced around her legs, and the giant stone before her was smashed to pieces in one blow.
She flipped gracefully midair and landed with ease. Looking at the shattered stone, Yoruichi smiled. Two months ago, she would have needed a combo of moves to break such a large rock. Now she could crush it with a single kick—even wearing weights. She was sure Kaelith wouldn’t take this progress lightly.
Feeling good, she went to take a bath. Two maids helped her out of her training clothes, and after a refreshing wash, she changed into a fresh Shihakushō and headed toward the Second Division.
She wondered how the Quincy situation was going. With Soifon on it, the interrogation should be straightforward. Kaelith was so lucky to have soone as capable as Soifon around—truly a fortunate jerk.
Upon arriving at Kaelith’s Technical Bureau, she was told Kaelith wasn’t in. Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. It was almost dinner ti, and Kaelith usually never strayed far around alti. He always rushed toward the cafeteria line like a champion.
Thinking it over, she decided to check his private study. Sure enough, she sensed a familiar presence inside. Smiling, Yoruichi planned a little surprise. She glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then shrank into her feline form, padding toward Kaelith’s study.
At the window, just as she was about to slip inside, Yoruichi paused. Her cat ears twitched. In this form, she could hear things a normal human couldn’t. The sounds inside… were a bit strange.
Curious, Yoruichi poked a tiny hole through the paper window with her sharp claw and pressed her round cat-eye against it.
No lights were lit, and in the dimness, the scene Yoruichi glimpsed through her tiny vantage point seed all too suspicious. Inside, Kaelith lounged back in a chair, half-lidded eyes and head tilted back. Opposite him, Soifon crouched low, face twisted in disgust as she tugged and pulled at sothing near Kaelith’s waist.
“Scu... Kaelith-sama, please hurry! I’m exhausted!” she hissed.
The way Soifon hovered so close, the strained breathing, Kaelith’s half-smug groans—everything scread “inappropriate” to an outside observer. Yoruichi’s feline heart hamred. Had she accidentally stumbled on so secret lover’s tryst?
Kaelith’s voice sounded oddly defensive. “You misunderstand, Soifon. I’m sacrificing myself here for the sake of work. Do you think it’s easy for a handso young man like to deal with… oh, oh… all this Bambietta business without losing composure?”
“Scumbag,” Soifon spat flatly, quickening her efforts.
From Yoruichi’s angle, it looked dangerously scandalous. But then she squinted, catching a glimpse of cloth twisted awkwardly under the chair’s armrest. Wait—was Soifon just trying to free Kaelith’s sash? Maybe his uniform had gotten caught in sothing and he’d dragged her in here to fix it. The grunts, the complaints—they could all be about a stubborn knot, not sothing indecent.
Still rattled, Yoruichi shifted her weight. Her tail flicked involuntarily, and in that instant, Soifon’s head snapped up.
"Who’s there?!”
Kaelith reacted just as fast, triggering a small contraption that shot toward the window. Yoruichi flinched, darting back just in ti. She fled silently, her heart pounding as she put distance between herself and that bizarre misunderstanding.
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