Chapter 290
2-in-1 chapter: Beffy chapters today!
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With fury in her heart, Senjumaru brandished her embroidery needle, swiftly reworking Kaelith’s clothing.
Each ti she finished altering a portion, Kaelith would abruptly tear it off in one of his unpredictable fits. In the blink of an eye, hardly any fabric remained on him, while Senjumaru was on the verge of a blood-pressure ltdown.
She stared at the last shred of cloth covering Kaelith’s lower half and paused in thought. Wait a mont… Hadn’t her original plan been to make him strip in front of everyone, leaving him humiliated?
At this point, wasn’t her goal already achieved?
Her gaze drifted upward—from his abs, to his chest, to that triumphant grin. He’d practically lost all his clothes, yet he still looked so pleased with himself. Did he have no sha whatsoever?
Senjumaru suddenly felt too weary to continue. This fight served no purpose anymore. Flipping her wrist, she enlarged her embroidery needle into a kunai-like weapon, slashing a wide arc. While Kaelith dodged, she pulled back and waved a hand.
“I’m done—I refuse to keep at this! I’m a lady and won’t fuss over a beastly brute!”
With that, she flickered down to the ground, where Kirio Hikifune greeted her with a laugh, patting the dust from her sleeves.
“Captain, that was an impressive showing! Being in the Royal Palace has heightened your strength yet again!”
Senjumaru gave a faint smile. “Kirio, from now on, we’re both in Squad Zero. There’s no need to call Captain. Just use my na from here on.”
“All right, Captain!”
“… …”
Staring at her forr subordinate’s smiling face, Senjumaru felt a headache brewing. Could this girl have caught “the Kaelith virus”?
While she was frowning, there ca the sound of clapping.
“Marvelous, marvelous! As expected of Yamamoto’s favored disciple—so young, yet already able to trade blows with Senjumaru, and such Shunpo skill! Who knows how far you’ll go given ti!”
Following the hearty praise, Kaelith glanced over. Two Shinigami had arrived at so point, and he only sensed them in the instant they spoke—his Soul domain picked up nothing prior. The one standing in front was a burly monk with bright eyes and folded arms, chin held high and proud. One look and Kaelith blurted:
“Buff Master Roshi?”
Bald head, ssy beard, and such a hulking figure… He’d look the part if he were carrying an iron turtle shell. Hearing Kaelith’s remark, the monk scratched his head.
“Roshi…who now? Not sure who that is, but you must’ve mistaken for sobody else, haha!”
He laughed robustly. Despite his oppressive aura, there was no hostility. If anything, he seed quite friendly toward them. Behind him stood a dark-skinned man with curled hair and sunglasses, wearing a captain’s haori refashioned into a jacket. Beyond doubt, these were the two individuals Yamamoto had warned Kaelith about:
The "God of the Sword,” Nimaiya Ōetsu.
And Squad Zero’s leader, Ichibē Hyōsube.
The burly monk strode forward, calling loudly:
“Welco, all of you, to the Royal Palace! Kirio Hikifune, your personal domain is ready—I’ll raise it for you now!”
He glanced at the four large floating platforms overhead, made a slight lifting motion, and they rearranged from their original positions into a tighter formation. Then, a new platform rose from below, taking its place among them so that five platforms were arranged like a star.
“Kirio, from now on, that’s your own personal ‘detached palace.’ If you need buildings added or removed, just let the ‘Divine Soldiers’ know, and they’ll handle it as quickly as possible. If you want residents, you can pick people from the district below. For them, living on a Squad Zero platform is a trendous honor! Also, if you co up with a na for your domain, just tell . I’ll handle the ‘naming’!”
Kaelith frowned slightly at the ntion of naming. Just then, a cheerful voice piped up beside him:
“What’s on your mind, little bro?” Before Kaelith could turn around, soone slid smoothly into view, arms swaying like a rapper’s. It was the dark-skinned man with sunglasses. He snapped his fingers in a quick beat:
“Six! Five! Four! Three!
Nimaiya Ōetsu!
I’m the Squad Zero’s top idol!
The forging king of Zanpakutō!
If you got troubles, just tell so!”
Kaelith stared for two seconds, then raised both hands:
“Seven! Six! Five! Four!
Kaelith Yurei!
I’m the most popular Shinigami across Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Human World!
If you can’t speak a word, co find —I’ll teach you how!”
Nimaiya: “…?”
He froze, montarily stunned by Kaelith’s freestyle coback. Standing off to one side, Senjumaru looked downright conflicted. It was her first ti seeing anyone steal Nimaiya’s spotlight in such a direct way. Part of her found it satisfying; part of her found it exasperating.
Recovering from the shock, Nimaiya cracked a grin. “Dude, you’re sothing else! All that skill you showed—did you learn it from Yamamoto? If you’ve got ti, co hang at my Phoenix Palace so we can chill—hm?”
Mid-sentence, he abruptly eyed the sword at Kaelith’s waist. He bent down to stare at it, then tilted his head as though listening. After a few monts, he stood back up, looking at Kaelith with a complicated expression.
“Bro, that Zanpakutō of yours… It’s got a real attitude.”
“You can hear it talking?” Kaelith asked curiously. From what he knew, Nimaiya’s authority over Zanpakutō was considerable, but the notion of him hearing a blade without manifested form was still surprising.
Nimaiya hesitated, then nodded. Kaelith’s eyes lit. “So what did it say?”
He recalled how so Shinigami hardly cared about their blades—like Yamamoto, who used Ryūjin Jakka to heat tea or roast sweet potatoes; or Aizen, who saw his Zanpakutō as limiting his power; or Kenpachi, who never bothered maintaining his at all, leaving it battered beyond recognition. Kaelith, by contrast, was different—he prided himself on cherishing his sword.
Any self-respecting Zanpakutō would surely be grateful, right?
Nimaiya opened his mouth as though about to speak, but after a beat, he shook his head. “It’s too vulgar to repeat.”
“?”
Kaelith stared blankly at him. Was this so kind of jealousy over his bond with his Zanpakutō? Pulling out the blade, Kaelith held it before him.
“Don’t worry, Rixiang Jimie—I won’t believe his lies. You and I are close as can be, practically one in body and soul. How could I ever doubt your loyalty?”
The Zanpakutō vibrated violently in his hand. Kaelith brightened—there it was, a sure response. His blade cared for him!
While they talked, Hyōsube also finished explaining various important details about life in the Royal Palace to Kirio, then turned to Kaelith and Shinji.
“Kaelith, Shinji, I appreciate you for escorting Kirio. Since you rarely co to the Royal Palace, why not stay a couple of days, look around, enjoy yourselves? It’ll also give the Divine Soldiers ti to fine-tune and repair the Tenchū-Ren.”
Shinji automatically glanced at Kaelith, only to see him agree without hesitation. Did this fool not know the aning of caution? They were in soone else’s domain, so a bit of prudence wouldn’t hurt…
After that, Nimaiya exchanged a few words with Kirio—this wasn’t their first ti eting, as Kirio had visited the Royal Palace decades ago when she was chosen for Squad Zero. A little small talk later, he returned to Kaelith.
“Bro, how about coming to see my Phoenix Palace? I swear, it’s the cooooolest place around. Once you see it, you’ll never forget it!”
“No thanks,” Kaelith replied flatly, waving him off. “A fancy na is still just a forge for making Zanpakutō, right? Not to brag, but I don’t do blacksmith shops. My gear gets updated by boss drops. Feel free to enjoy your Phoenix Palace yourself.”
Nimaiya gaped at him, astonished, while Kaelith just shot him a grin and turned to leave. But at that mont, several figures arrived in a flash-step. Kaelith paused in surprise: all of them were strikingly attractive won—one with fiery red hair and a tomboyish vibe, one with black dium-length hair and a gentle manner, one with golden curls and a hearty laugh…
In Kaelith’s stunned gaze, the newcors went straight to Nimaiya:
“Nimaiya-sama, hurry back! The forging furnace is about to blow—it’s your own defective materials at fault!”
“You idiot! You’ve been forging blades your whole life—how can you still make such basic mistakes?!”
Bombarded by complaints, Nimaiya raised both hands in surrender. “Hang on, hang on! I had good reason, all right? We’ve got a brand-new Squad Zero mber today, so of course I had to co say hi. It’s official business!”
At the ntion of official business, the girl with red hair relaxed a touch but still insisted, “Fine, fine, but now you’ve greeted them—so hurry back and fix your ss!”
Nimaiya sighed. He’d been hoping for more ti with Kaelith, soone so intriguing. Life in the Royal Palace could be dreadfully boring, since they had to remain here indefinitely. Senjumaru at least had her “Heavenly Garnts” for visiting the Soul Society; he didn’t. He shot a glance toward Kaelith, intending to say goodbye, but the young man had already vanished.
Then a hand clapped down on his shoulder:
“Nimaiya, to tell the truth, I’d been dying to visit Chicken Palace even before coming here. It’d be rude to refuse your invitation now.”
“Huh?” Nimaiya blinked. “It’s ‘Phoenix Palace,’ not ‘Chicken Palace.’ Also, you just said—”
“That was then. The past is the past; we living beings must always look forward,” Kaelith declared with a solemn face and sharpened jawline, as though he’d changed styles entirely.
Shinji sighed, baffled by how drastically Kaelith’s attitude flipped. A mont ago, he’d refused point-blank; now he was raring to go. The question of what went on in Kaelith’s mind was best left unanswered.
Kaelith eyed the ladies by Nimaiya’s side. “By the way, who are they?”
Finally back in his elent, Nimaiya let out a boisterous laugh and gestured at the group. “They’re all Zanpakutō I created, of course!”
He pointed to the red-haired girl. “She’s ra, a fire-based Zanpakutō. She can spit flas thousands of degrees hot—not as strong as your teacher’s, but still pretty formidable. It’s incredibly useful during forging.”
Then he moved on to the golden-haired woman. “That’s Hasuka. Once she touches the ground, no force can move her—not even I can budge her. She’s like an unshakable mountain, perfect for holding a Zanpakutō still while I refine the blade.”
One by one, Nimaiya introduced the others. Kaelith stood there wide-eyed, saying nothing for a long while. Just as Nimaiya wondered if he’d fallen asleep, Kaelith spun around with a burning look:
“All those Zanpakutō of yours can stay manifested indefinitely?”
“Uh, sure. I’m the ‘God of the Sword,’ after all,” Nimaiya replied, baffled by Kaelith’s intensity.
Kaelith took a step closer. “Can you freely decide how they look once they’re in a physical form?”
“…Complete control is impossible since every blade has its own distinct style and abilities. But from length to sharpness to forging techniques, I can guess the general outco.”
Before he could finish, Kaelith abruptly crouched and clutched his leg.
“Nimaiya! I’ve drifted through half my life with no useful skills. If you’ll take under your wing, I’m willing to devote myself to forging, shedding blood and sweat for the Phoenix Palace! Let’s expand it and usher in a golden era!”
Nimaiya stared at him in shock. Was this guy really Yamamoto’s disciple? Did he have the wrong person?
Nearby, Ichibē chuckled, clearly entertained. Shinji wore an expression of despair, as if seeking a way to prove he had no association with this insane man.
Eventually, Squad Zero dispersed, each returning to their own realm. Kaelith and Shinji were assigned to stay at Tenjirō Kirinji’s domain. After dinner, Tenjirō led them to a misty hot spring. Draped only in a towel, Tenjirō grinned oddly:
“Fellas, this is my custom spring, able to revive the near-dead and even cleanse the healthy. Go ahead and see if it leaves a strong impression!”
At the final remark, he failed to hide his mischievous grin. Shinji eyed the baths skeptically—two pools, one red, one white. Obviously fishy. He was about to fake illness and slip away when Kaelith casually yanked off his towel and marched in.
Idiot! Shinji was horrified and chased after him. Kaelith let out a carefree laugh and cannonballed right into the white pool, like an excited child seeing the ocean for the first ti.
Tenjirō’s grin widened. He’d pegged Kaelith as a reckless sort from his dayti scuffle with Senjumaru, and it looked like he was dead on. The White Bone Hell was not sothing to enter lightly. It drew out one’s blood and spiritual energy along with any injuries, while the Blood Pond Hell afterward restored them.
Normally, either pool would kill a person if used incorrectly. Though Tenjirō wouldn’t truly kill him, hearing Kaelith scream might be pretty entertaining.
But what happened next left Tenjirō gaping. Once in the White Bone Pool, Kaelith simply dropped his defenses, letting the water seep into his pores. At once, dark spiritual energy poured out of his body in large streams.
Tenjirō realized with a shock that Kaelith had all sorts of internal damage—bone fractures, heavy burns, lacerations, old injuries from countless battles. It hadn’t even been a hundred years since he graduated from the academy.
What had he done to accumulate that level of trauma?
Caught up in his thoughts, Tenjirō watched half of Kaelith’s blood and spirit energy flow out. Alard, he was about to call out for Kaelith to leave the water, but Kaelith calmly erged on his own, heading straight for the Red Pool. Sliding in with a sigh, he let the restorative liquid surge into his pores, replacing what he’d lost. Then, without warning, he hopped back into the White Pool for another round.
Tenjirō blinked. Wait, how was this man so familiar with the correct usage of Hell Hot Springs? Finally, Tenjirō couldn’t contain his curiosity. He eased in beside Kaelith and asked,
“Kid, have you heard of my Hell Hot Springs before?”
Kaelith half-opened his eyes. “Of course I have. Not only that, I built a simplified version of it in the Soul Society. The effect isn’t as potent as Kirinden's, but it’s workable.”
Tenjirō’s eyes widened. … wha? “Where’d you learn about Hell Hot Springs?! It’s my unique invention, and across the Soul Society, only the Shihōin—”
He stopped abruptly. Shihōin? He rembered how Kaelith’s Shunpo had a few Shihōin flourishes. “Kid, what’s your connection to the Shihōin clan?”
Kaelith mulled it over. “Nothing specifically formal, at least for now. But Yoruichi and I often share the sa bed, so we’re quite close.”
Tenjirō nearly spat. Indeed, that was close. Eyeing Kaelith, he asked, “So you’re from an upper noble house?”
“Nope, a lower one.”
“Lower? That can’t be… Wait, I see—you plan to marry into their family?”
“Thought about it, but gave up.”
“Gave up? You reached that point and still gave up? Aren’t you afraid the Shihōin clan will kill you?”
Tenjirō looked alard—did this punk just toy with Yoruichi’s affections and then back out? The Five Great Noble Houses weren’t pushovers. Kaelith just looked baffled.
“Kill ? Why would they? The Shihōin clan has always treated well.”
Since the betrayal of Senzo Tsunayashiro, the Shihōin elders had abruptly changed their tune toward Kaelith. Any who used to fuss that their clan head spent too much ti with him had gone silent.
Tenjirō scratched his head. None of this made sense. Maybe he should personally visit the Soul Society one day to see what was going on…
A sudden shout of pain interrupted his thoughts. “Gaaah!” He glanced over to see Shinji leaping from the Red Pool, face burning red, half his body sloughing off. Tenjirō roared with laughter. Even if Kaelith was immune, at least he’d snagged Shinji.
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