https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1088-Yecheng-Another-Mission-to-the-World-of-the-Living-/13463638/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-1090-Karakura-Town-a-Place-of-Turmoil/13463643/
Chapter 1089: A Battle That Will Claim Many Lives
Chapter 1089: A Battle That Will Claim Many Lives
After Shinji Hirako left, Yecheng pulled his head out of Rangiku's face wash and first glared at her, then revealed a pained expression.
When he heard the situation Shinji described, Yecheng knew that the Thousand-Year Blood War arc of the Shinigami was finally upon him...
Compared to other Shinigami arcs, this was the one Yecheng least wanted and liked the least.
In the face of the Vandenreich and Yhwach's assault, the Gotei 13 would suffer its greatest casualties in a thousand years.
Although Gin Ichimaru, with his cool demeanor, never caused any reduction in the Gotei 13's core combat strength, in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, the strongest captain in two thousand years would die, as would Kiyone Kotetsu, who had always been so kind. Even Byakuya Kuchiki, who had always taken good care of Yecheng, would also die...
The death of a captain in the Gotei 13, which had existed for a thousand years, was already a major event. In this incident, nearly half of the captains would die.
Most of the captains would die due to the plot's demands, making way for the younger generation, symbolizing the Gotei 13's rebirth.
When Yecheng watched the anime as an outsider, he felt regret when beloved characters died, but he also believed it was the trend of the times.
But now... it's the damn trend of the times!
To him now, Kiyone, Byakuya, and the others were all living, breathing people.
How could Yecheng let these mentors, who had cared for him for so long, die in this chaos as they did in the original plot?
The Thousand-Year Blood War arc was so grim that Yecheng hadn't watched it in its entirety back then.
However, he knew that the main battles would take place in Soul Society.
So, when the Central 46 Chambers ordered him to investigate the real world, Yecheng was not particularly enthusiastic about it.
After all, the Vandenreich was right in the shadow of the Seireitei. If something happened while he was in the real world, he wouldn't be able to change anything.
Yecheng wanted to inform the Central 46 Chambers of what he knew, but he couldn't explain it.
He couldn't disobey the Central 46 Chambers' orders, and if he ignored the situation in the real world, problems would still arise.
"Are you hiding something? Or is this mission more troublesome than it seems?"
Rangiku had known Yecheng for over a hundred years. In the entire Soul Society, no one understood him better than she did.
If it were any other time, a mission that allowed him to travel to the real world at the expense of the Gotei 13 would have made Yecheng overjoyed.
After all, compared to the Soul Society, where entertainment was scarce and every day was just drinking, the real world offered far more fun.
Yet this time, despite the opportunity to enjoy the real world, Yecheng's face showed no joy, only worry and concern. Rangiku knew this mission was not as simple as it seemed.
It made sense, given Yecheng's strength, which rivaled that of Aizen, and the fact that the Central 46 Chambers allowed him to bring additional combat strength, indicating that this investigation was far from easy.
"Are you still dawdling? Didn't you receive the Central 46 Chambers' order?
A large number of Hollows have disappeared from the real world, which is a major incident. If the situation continues to escalate, the balance between Soul Society and the real world will be disrupted and collapse."
Yecheng was still thinking about how to refuse the Central 46 Chambers' order to go to the real world when a figure, using highly skilled Shunpo, suddenly appeared at the Fifth Division barracks and urged Yecheng to act quickly.
The person who arrived was none other than Soifon, the captain of the Second Division, who had been ordered by the Head Captain to act alongside Yecheng.
As the leader of the Onmitsukidō, investigating unusual occurrences was one of the Second Division’s responsibilities. However, this time, due to the possibility of involvement from the Quincy from a thousand years ago, the Head Captain had decided, out of caution, to have Yecheng and Soifon work together.
"The Head Captain’s intention is for us to form a small team of no more than five people. So, in addition to the two of us, we can assign three more people from the Gotei 13 to provide combat support."
Soifon’s words made Yecheng realize that the current situation in the Human World couldn’t be ignored. If the balance between Soul Society and the Human World were to be disrupted, it wouldn’t be a matter that could be resolved by a few deaths.
In Soul Society, he would secretly leave behind his shadow clone, although the clone, lacking a Zanpakutō, would be significantly weaker than his true self. However, with Yecheng’s current strength, even without a Zanpakutō, taking on Yhwach and his Schattenritter shouldn’t be too much of a problem.
Moreover, Ichigo Kurosaki was the chosen one of this world. Bringing him back to Soul Society first and letting him face off against Yhwach might change the course of events.
"It’s just an investigation mission. Aren’t the two of us, both captains, enough? The other captains of the Gotei 13 have their own duties and tasks. As for the lieutenants… if we encounter a dangerous opponent, the others would just be a hindrance, wouldn’t they?"
As Soifon spoke, she glanced at Rangiku and Momo Hinamori, who were standing nearby. Especially when she caught the strong scent of alcohol on Yecheng and Rangiku, her typically dutiful demeanor made her frown.
"The Head Captain previously stated that Yecheng would be in command of this investigation team. Captain Soifon doesn’t seem to have the authority to interfere with his decisions, does she? Who Yecheng wants to bring to the Human World is his own choice, isn’t it? Captain Soifon, don’t you think you’re overstepping your bounds a bit?"
Rangiku, who was a captain herself, didn’t want to argue with Soifon. She had long seen through Soifon’s tough exterior; despite her tough talk, she had developed a fondness for Yecheng after being saved by him multiple times.
But Soifon, being proud, had no right to imply that Rangiku would be a hindrance. Being a captain was no big deal! When it came to her relationship with Yecheng, no one in Soul Society could match her, except maybe that wealthy wife from the Kuchiki family. If others wanted to improve their standing with Yecheng, they would need her, Rangiku, to help them.
If she, Rangiku, couldn’t figure out her own feelings for Yecheng, who else had the right to interfere?
In the end, after some back-and-forth, Yecheng and the others formed a five-person team. Besides Yecheng and Soifon, the team included Rangiku, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, and Love Aikawa.
Rangiku insisted on joining the mission the moment she heard they were going to the Human World, as she had several new outfits she hadn’t worn yet and was determined to take them along.
Yecheng originally wanted to bring his lieutenant, Momo Hinamori, but if both the captain and lieutenant were away, the Fifth Division would be left without a manager.
As for Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi and Love Aikawa, they were chosen because they were familiar with the Human World and possessed the combat strength of captains.
(End of Chapter)
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