章 84: Ginrei Kuchiki's Doubts

"Full Control Arms- Alcization -"

Boom!

In her fury, Alice directly released her Zanpakutō. Golden light shone from her blade, giving off a dazzling radiance.

In the next moment, with Alice's skyrocketing spiritual pressure, the six pillars of light around her were directly shattered.

At the same time, Alice's sword transformed into countless golden cross-shaped Osmanthus blades, forming a golden Osmanthus shield before Haruko Kuchiki.

Boom!

The raging flames of Hadō #34 Kongōbaku collided with the Osmanthus blades, causing a deafening explosion that woke the villagers of Sakura Garden Village.

The villagers looked towards the direction of the explosion, and upon seeing it was near Master Ailin's residence, they exchanged glances. Some instructed the women to bring the children home to hide while the men grabbed their farming tools like hoes and shovels and slowly made their way towards Master Ailin's home.

Unlike the children, the older villagers had lived through the cruelty of war. Every harvest season, they would be ruthlessly plundered by warring factions and bandits.

It was only after Master Ailin appeared and drove back one faction after another that they finally had peace to recuperate and enjoy peaceful days.

Furthermore, Master Ailin had personally taught their children superior swordsmanship, allowing the children to have the power to resist even if bandit armies came.

They knew it wasn't that they lived in a peaceful world, but because Master Ailin existed that they could live in this peaceful village.

Now it seemed something had happened at Master Ailin's place. They had to go take a look, if only to show their concern. Although with Master Ailin's dilemma, they probably couldn't help much. But what if...

"No good... If this continues, I'll die!"

When Alice released her Zanpakutō, Morikawa knew that if he didn't flee now, he really wouldn't make it.

Ignoring whether his attack had injured Miss Haruko or not, Morikawa turned and used Shunpo to swiftly escape.

"Don't even think about running!"

Under Alice's control, the explosion from Hadō #34 Kongōbaku didn't injure Haruko Kuchiki at all. However, Morikawa crossing over her to attack her mistress infuriated Alice to the extreme.

"Bankai - Memory Release: Golden Sword Osmanthus!"

The sky was filled with Osmanthus blades as they swept across the land. Faced with Alice's attack that would soon engulf him, despair filled Morikawa's eyes.

"Wait, Alice..." Just as Alice was about to kill Morikawa, Haruko Kuchiki's voice sounded out.

"Ah..."

The Osmanthus blades swirling in the air wrapped around Morikawa, leaving numerous cuts on him before tossing him before Haruko Kuchiki.

"Humph, thank Mistress for her mercy just now. If not for Mistress's benevolence, you would have died earlier!"

Walking to Haruko's side, Alice stood between her and Morikawa, preventing him from attacking her mistress again.

The countless Osmanthus blades turned back into golden spiritrons, reverting to a golden straight sword in Alice's hand. She sheathed it at her waist.

Haruko walked forward a few steps and lowered her head to face Morikawa. "Morikawa, I don't know what considerations my father had when he wanted you to bring me that message...

But in this matter, my father lost his mind. Ailin-kun is first my husband before he's the Kuchiki family's son-in-law. Likewise, I'm first Ailin's wife before the Kuchiki family's young miss.

Ailin-kun has already given up enough for me. For the rest of my life, I only wish to peacefully accompany him. If Ailin becomes sad because of me again, that would be dereliction of my duties as his wife. Furthermore, did my father never consider that without me, would Ailin still want to remain the Kuchiki family's son-in-law?

If anything happened to me, Ailin-kun might even want to completely annihilate the Kuchiki family that caused my death, right?"

"This is..." Morikawa was stunned into silence after hearing Haruko Kuchiki's words.

She was right. If Master found out Miss Haruko was forced to commit suicide by Lord Ginrei, would Master still work for the Kuchiki family?

"You should leave, Morikawa. Help me pass a message to my father too. Tell him that unfilial daughter Haruko is unable to fulfill the responsibilities a Kuchiki child should have. From today forth, Haruko is merely Ailin's wife and no longer a part of the Kuchiki family. I hope father takes care. When he passes on, I won't be there to send him off."

"Yes, Miss Haruko."

Struggling to his feet, Morikawa respectfully bowed to Haruko Kuchiki before swiftly taking his leave.

***

At sunset, a white light flashed in an empty street as wooden doors parted to both sides, revealing a white dimensional gateway.

Whoosh!

Ailin's figure burst out from the Senkaimon. Without any hesitation, he immediately activated Bakudō #58 Kakushitsuijaku.

Vast spiritual pressure spread outwards with Ailin at the center. In that instant, all Shinigami, Quincy, Fullbringers, and Hollows within a 20km radius instantly sensed Ailin's abyssal, hellish spiritual pressure.

Fortunately, after detecting Haruko's spiritual pressure, Ailin reined in his spiritual pressure as he rushed towards Sakura Garden Village.

In the next few days, almost no Hollows would encroach within a 30km radius. The 13 Court Guard Squads members stationed in the living world would enjoy a period of leisure.

Whoosh!

Landing outside the dojo gates, although the villagers had already cleaned up most traces of the earlier fight, Ailin could still perceive the basic strength of those involved from the lingering spiritrons in the air. It was good he left those two Zanpakutō to protect Haruko before entering Soul Society.

The Kuchiki family...

"I'm home."

"Welcome home, Ailin."

Pushing open the dojo gates, seeing Haruko with her hands folded over her belly, smiling as she welcomed him, Ailin stepped forward and wrapped her in his embrace.

"Did I scare you?"

"Mm, I've been keeping Alice and Fanatio with me like you told me, Ailin."

"Mm."

Haruko gently patted Ailin's back, soothing his emotions. "Sorry for scaring you."

"It's fine now."

"It won't happen again."

"I've already made things clear with them. From now on, I'm just Ailin-kun's wife. No longer the Kuchiki family's young miss."

"Thank you, Haruko."

"It's I who should be thanking you."

That day, Ailin and Haruko's affection for each other deepened greatly. Especially after Ailin grasped the Golden Osmanthus Sword and heard Haruko's words to Morikawa, he couldn't help but smile.

As expected, in this world, meeting someone whose soul and values resonated so completely with his own was truly blissful.

***

"I see. So Ailin also possesses the ability to manifest his Zanpakutō and even left two Bankai-capable Zanpakutō to protect Haruko..."

Soul Society, Seireitei, Kuchiki Family residence.

After hearing Morikawa's account, Ginrei Kuchiki let out a sigh. As expected, when one nears the end of their time, they lose their mind.

If Ailin hadn't made preparations at Haruko's side this time, the Kuchiki family might have already faced his wrath!

Fortunately, things hadn't developed to the worst possible outcome.

After dismissing Morikawa, Ginrei looked at Byakuya kneeling before him. Currently, Byakuya's face had practically lost all expression.

Upon knowing his grandfather had sent a retainer to force his aunt to commit suicide in the living world, Byakuya seemed to have lost all emotion before Ginrei Kuchiki as he transformed into the cold, aloof handsome man from Ailin's memories.

Even so, traces of alarm flashed through Byakuya's eyes now.

Able to manifest his Zanpakutō?

Byakuya remembered the thousands of Zanpakutō in his uncle's Bankai six years ago.

If all of those could be manifested, just his uncle alone could probably upend the entire Soul King Palace with his strength!

No wonder other than when his aunt seemed to face danger causing his uncle's anxious rage, Byakuya always felt his uncle regarded everything very calmly.

Indeed. With such "invincible" power, his uncle alone was equal to the Soul King Palace's forces. They almost turned this strongest individual against the Kuchiki family.

"Byakuya, do you blame your grandfather?"

"No. Everything grandfather did was for the Kuchiki family's sake."

"Sigh..."

Hearing Byakuya's reply, Ginrei let out a sigh. He knew with the loss of his daughter and son-in-law, he had also lost his last kin.

The current Byakuya only saw him as the Kuchiki family head, not his "grandmother" anymore.

"Byakuya, although your aunt and uncle have stated they no longer have ties with the Kuchiki family... I hope that after I pass on, you can make the entire Kuchiki family remember that you, Byakuya Kuchiki, still have an aunt and uncle... Even if they return one day to annihilate the Kuchikis, you cannot strip them of the Kuchiki name! Because that debt is what I owe them, what the Kuchiki family owes them..."

Seeing Byakuya's expression twitch before he slowly nodded, Ginrei felt endless bitterness in his heart.

After Byakuya left, Ginrei walked alone to the window, raising his head to gaze at the pinnacle of Soul Society.

"Soul King, was it your will influencing me to do this...?"

The more Ginrei pondered, the more he felt something was wrong with himself for thinking of "forcing Haruko to die just to keep Ailin in the Kuchiki family".

This line of thought contradicted his initial intentions in the first place. Rather than keeping Ailin, it was like forcing him out of the Kuchiki family.