Bab 52: Coercion

Who is Haruko Kuchiki?

She is the eldest daughter of the four great noble clans in Soul Society.

For thousands of years, since almost all Shinigamis in Soul Society lived in Seireitei, the people residing within Seireitei have been under the constant pressure of powerful Reiatsu. As such, ordinary souls simply cannot exist within Seireitei.

Furthermore, in order not to let the powerful Reiatsu of Shinigamis harm the residents of Rukongai, the exterior of Seireitei was constructed using "Saketsu" stones that can absorb Reiatsu to build the tall enclosing walls, and a giant barrier enveloping all of Seireitei called the Tōjūten was set up to prevent the diffusion of Reiatsu to Rukongai outside Seireitei.

Those born within Seireitei inherently possess Reiatsu, allowing them to safely survive under the tremendous pressure of powerful Reiatsu.

Naturally, Haruko Kuchiki would be no exception. Otherwise, she wouldn't have lived until now without any problems.

Right now, since Haruko Kuchiki is showing signs of soul disruption and collapse, there can only be one possibility:

After years of cohabitation with someone possessing powerful Reiatsu, the pressure has damaged her soul, causing her own soul to be unable to withstand the tremendous Reiatsu, thus weakening.

And this "powerful Reiatsu" must have surpassed a captain's level, otherwise it couldn't have caused the weakening of someone with Reiatsu like Haruko.

Who is Haruko Kuchiki closest to?

Ailin!

It was also after Haruko Kuchiki married Ailin that signs of her soul's disruption appeared. With that thought, just who possesses this "powerful Reiatsu" is self-evident.

Yoruichi Shihoin and Kisuke Urahara were shocked. If Ailin hadn't told Urahara about Haruko's condition while asking a favor of him, perhaps no one would have known Ailin had actually grown to such an extent!

Even with confidence in themselves, for Yoruichi and Urahara to reach a century captain's level would at least require another fifty years of cultivation.

"Soul disruption?"

Although Kisuke Urahara was curious why Ailin would ask him for help, his habitual wariness still made him press down the brim of his hat, "Oh my, Captain Ailin thinks too highly of me. I'm nothing more than a mere 3rd Seat. How could I possibly..."

However, Kisuke wasn't able to finish speaking. Because before he could complete that sentence, the two words uttered from Ailin's mouth forced him to swallow back the latter half of his words.

At the same time, Yoruichi Shihoin also pulled Kisuke Urahara away in that instant as she stared at Ailin with a solemn expression.

"Who exactly are you? How do you know about that?"

"Captain Yoruichi, 3rd Seat Urahara, don't bother with who I am. I only want to know right now if 3rd Seat Urahara can help resolve Haruko's issue of soul disruption. What you two want to do has nothing to do with me. I won't interfere with you guys. I only wish for Haruko to regain her health. As long as Urahara can resolve Haruko's issues, I'll owe you a favor."

Facing away from Yoruichi Shihoin and Kisuke Urahara, Ailin didn't react at all to their wariness. If not necessary, he didn't want to provoke Urahara.

Even when asking Urahara for help, it was only after Ailin had assisted Yoruichi first that he brought it up.

Unfortunately, Ailin had clearly overestimated how much his assistance this time was worth to Urahara, forcing Ailin to reveal Urahara's greatest secret at present.

"Captain Yoruichi, 3rd Seat Urahara, I will be staying in the living world with Captain Ukitake for the next period to annihilate Quincies in other locations. I hope that when I return to Soul Society next time, I'll get to hear some good news. Otherwise, I can only take matters into my own hands."

After saying this, Ailin walked straight into the village to tell Ukitake that he was willing to carry out the mission of annihilating Quincies together with him.

"How does he know about it?"

"Just who exactly is he and what is he trying to do?"

Watching Ailin's departing back, Kisuke Urahara's eyes narrowed slightly. Too little information and most of it doesn't match up either. What a troublesome fellow!

Ailin remained in the living world partly to reduce the pressure his Reiatsu placed on Haruko Ukitake, and also to give both sides a way out for himself, Yoruichi, and Urahara so their relationship wouldn't become too rigid.

He hoped Urahara would give him a satisfactory answer the next time Ailin returned to Soul Society.

Otherwise, he could only resort to coercing Urahara for the Hōgyoku's sake and for Haruko's sake.

***

Whoosh!

Under a roaring waterfall, a seven to eight year old boy gritted his teeth as he gathered the surrounding spirit particles onto his spirit bow, training his archery against the waterfall.

Each time he drew his bow, the spirit bow in his left hand would quiver unstably. Sometimes it would even directly collapse.

As the sun slid down from its peak, the young boy's entire body dripped with sweat while his breathing grew rather rushed.

The thumb and index finger of his right hand had also split open, dripping blood from between his fingers.

"Sigh..."

The boy let his head droop dispiritedly. The first step of a Quincy's cultivation was to be able to steadily materialize their spirit bow. Only with a steady spirit bow could they shoot powerful arrows. Unfortunately, even after three months of cultivation, he still hadn't mastered shooting five hundred arrows in one go. His spirit bow wasn't thoroughly stabilized either.

"Rest a bit if you're tired."

At this time, a voice sounded out. The boy turned to see a youth in white jinbaori sitting by the riverside. Two cooked fish on the campfire before the youth were already giving off an alluring aroma.

Gathering spirit particles underfoot, although the amount wasn't enough for the boy to truly tread on air, they served well enough as footholds atop the water's surface.

After the boy sat down, Ailin passed a grilled fish to him. "Training a bit past one's limits can indeed improve one's strength, but pushing way too far beyond one's limits is simply seeking death."

Half a year had passed since Ailin arrived in the living world. Although he claimed to be annihilating Quincies together with the 13th Division, Ailin was actually just wandering the living world alone.

Since the living world was still in the Warring States period, aside from the nicer environment, there was nothing else attracting Ailin at all.

Therefore, after a chance encounter with this village potentially housing Quincies at some waterfall a mountain away, Ailin simply constructed a bamboo hut below the waterfall and decided to annihilate this group of Quincies some day he felt like returning to submit his mission.

What Ailin didn't expect was that before he had even actively searched the village for Quincies, a young Quincy boy would frequently visit the waterfall near Ailin's dwelling to practice archery.