章 77: The Attacker

"It must be the Tsunayashiro Family." These words were spoken by Ailin. Although it was a question, Ailin's tone was that of a statement.

"What?" Byakuya was stunned. "That can't be, Uncle. Wasn't the Tsunayashiro Family wiped out more than twenty years ago?"

"It was the Tsunayashiro Family." In the end, Ginrei Kuchiki affirmed Ailin's words.

"Byakuya, you were still young at that time. The Tsunayashiro Family was wiped out by the heir they had adopted. In other words, although the Tsunayashiro Family was wiped out, that heir who inherited the Tsunayashiro name is still alive!"

"This..."

In the Soul Society, a "name" equates to "power."

If someone inherited the "Tsunayashiro" surname, correspondingly, the position and power represented by the Tsunayashiro Family still existed.

Even if there was only one person left, the Tsunayashiro Family was still one of the Five Great Noble Families.

"Damn it!"

"Father-in-law, if it's the current head of the Tsunayashiro Family, he should recognize you, right? Why would he attack you?"

"Regarding this point, I have a few guesses in my heart."

After saying so much, Ginrei Kuchiki was also somewhat fatigued. After resting for a while, he slowly began speaking, "As the five great noble families who betrayed the Soul King together, we all believed that if the Soul King wanted to take revenge, we would calmly face it and let the Soul King punish us as we deserved.

Only the Tsunayashiro Family feared the Soul King yet coveted his power. Thus, during these more than two hundred million years, they devised ways to cut off the Soul King's legs, sever his arms, gouge out his eyes, and remove his internal organs, step by step weakening the Soul King's power.

On the other hand, it seems they have researched the Soul King's power to a certain extent and have begun to collect the Soul King's power scattered throughout the world, intending to absorb the Soul King's power for themselves...

It was also because of this that on the day the Tsunayashiro Family was wiped out, the Shihōin Family and our Kuchiki Family did not intervene. After all, in our view, the Tsunayashiro Family had already gone mad.

This time, the Tsunayashiro Family heir attacked me, possibly with the power of those 'Fullbringers' derived from the Soul King.

I suspect that the reason he wiped out all members of the Tsunayashiro Family within Seireitei was because he discovered the Soul King's power left in the living world and wanted to leave Seireitei quietly to secretly go to the living world and collect the Soul King's power. In the future, the Tsunayashiro Family may become a great scourge to Seireitei.

Byakuya, with your current strength, you may not be able to handle the turmoil the Tsunayashiro Family could stir up in the Soul Society in the future. Therefore, I plan to pass on the Kuchiki Family's generational mission to your uncle. I hope you can understand."

"Wait, wait, wait..." Ailin was somewhat confused. Ginrei Kuchiki had been speaking properly just now, but suddenly he wanted Ailin to take over as the head of the Kuchiki Family?

"Father-in-law, you should have confidence in Byakuya. When Byakuya was his current age, my strength wasn't even one-third of what Byakuya has now."

This was a fact. Ailin entered the Shinō Academy at ten years old, joined the Second Division at sixteen, and only began to take off after cultivating his Zanpakutō at forty-six.

Byakuya, on the other hand, was only in his thirties but already possessed the strength of a lieutenant-level Shinigami, which was indeed much stronger than Ailin at the same age.

"If possible, I do hope that Byakuya can bear the responsibility of the Kuchiki Family. But currently, Byakuya has not even completed cultivating his Bankai, and only you can uphold the honor of the Kuchiki Family."

"As for Haruko..." Upon mentioning his daughter, Ginrei Kuchiki fell silent.

Over the years, perhaps the best thing he had done was to find the best husband for his daughter.

The affection between Ailin and Haruko Kuchiki was so deep that even Ginrei Kuchiki envied it at times.

The more familiar he became with the two, the more he could see the depth of their feelings. It was only a pity that in the end, he had to personally separate his daughter and son-in-law.

"I believe Haruko will understand."

"Father-in-law, you're asking too much of me." Ailin shook his head and refused directly. "I cannot let Haruko stay alone in the living world. This time, if it weren't for your ambush and Haruko's worry for you, I would not have come to see you."

"Let me say something unpleasant – I only care about you because I care about Haruko. Initially, a major reason I agreed to marry Haruko was that I had feelings for her. So, as long as Haruko is in the living world for a single day, I will not return to the Soul Society."

"You..."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Stunned by Ailin's blunt response, Ginrei Kuchiki's eyes bulged, and his hand pointing at Ailin trembled as he coughed continuously. Only Byakuya stood there with his mouth open, not knowing what to say.

Take over and lead the Kuchiki Family himself?

But Grandfather was right – without even having completed Bankai cultivation, how could he bear the weight of the Kuchiki Family? And it would be too unfair to his aunt if his uncle took over as the head of the Kuchiki Family.

"Father-in-law, please don't get so agitated. Isn't it just a matter of Bankai? Looking at your current condition, you should still be able to hold on for three to five days. Here's what I suggest – you rest within this barrier for these three days, and leave Byakuya to me. Three days later, I'll return to you a head of the Kuchiki Family capable of using Bankai."

Seeing Ginrei Kuchiki becoming so agitated, Ailin hurriedly stepped forward to comfort him. He had spoken somewhat excessively just now, and he was afraid of angering Ginrei Kuchiki to the point of death. Otherwise, no matter Byakuya Kuchiki or Haruko Kuchiki, they might have objections against him.

"Huh?"

With Ailin's words, both Byakuya Kuchiki and Ginrei Kuchiki were stunned.

"Hey, Ailin, I didn't mishear, did you? You mean you can make Byakuya learn Bankai within three days?"

"Correct. If Byakuya's training in recent years hasn't slacked off, the chances are very high."

Six years ago, when Ailin left Seireitei, he had used his Bankai to put Byakuya through three months of intense, life-and-death training, allowing Byakuya to integrate the Shinigami's four combat techniques into his "instincts."

Over these six years, as long as Byakuya had diligently trained every day, his strength should have nearly reached the top tier just below the captain level.

Combined with the spiritual pressure amplification brought by his Shikai Zanpakutō, even if he encountered true captains, as long as the captains didn't use their Bankai, it would still be debatable whether they could defeat Byakuya.

"But what if Byakuya fails to complete his Bankai cultivation within three days?"

Ginrei Kuchiki seemed to regain his vitality, staring intently at Ailin and speaking word by word, "Ailin, I'll give you three days. Three days later, if Byakuya has not completed his Bankai cultivation, you must become the head of the Kuchiki Family and bear the responsibility."

"Alright, I accept!"

"If Byakuya has not cultivated his Bankai in three days, I will take over the responsibility of the Kuchiki Family until Byakuya completes his Bankai cultivation, and then pass the responsibility to him."

"My word is given!"

After making this agreement with Ginrei Kuchiki, Ailin pulled Byakuya Kuchiki away from Ginrei's bedroom and headed toward the Second Division.

To help Byakuya complete his Bankai cultivation before Ginrei Kuchiki's impending demise, they would need the assistance of Kisuke Urahara.

Only Kisuke Urahara's invention, the "Tenshintai," could help Byakuya achieve the materialization of his Zanpakutō spirit in advance.

As for whether Byakuya could complete his Bankai within three days, Ailin was not worried. After all, even if Byakuya failed to complete his Bankai cultivation this time, the Zanpakutō's rampage would only be a trivial matter that Ailin could easily suppress without harming Byakuya.

At that point, at most Ailin would spend another three months giving Byakuya a life-and-death special training.

He did not believe that after his training, Byakuya would still be unable to defeat Senbonzakura and achieve Bankai.

In other words, from the very beginning when Ailin made the bet with Ginrei Kuchiki, even if Ailin lost in the end, he would only temporarily serve as the head of the Kuchiki Family for three months before placing that burden on Byakuya.

You may win, but with my four Duel Kings and two Pair Kings, I will never lose!

***

"Cough, cough, cough..."

After Ailin and Byakuya left, Ginrei Kuchiki slowly lay down on the bed. Then, he stretched out his finger and lightly tapped the wall a few times.

"Tap, tap, tap."

"Lord Ginrei."

The person kneeling before Ginrei Kuchiki possessed considerable spiritual pressure, but he was not wearing a Shinigami's Shihakusho.

In other words, this person was not a Shinigami! In fact, although the Thirteen Court Guard Squads were the strongest defensive force within Seireitei, it did not mean that the other noble families had no private soldiers.

Just like the guards using Bakkōtō Blades employed by the Kasumiōji Family.

They possessed spiritual pressure and could defeat Hollows with their fists, but since they were not Shinigami, they did not have Zanpakutō. These were the private armed forces belonging solely to the noble families.

"Morikawa, you must immediately go to the living world through the Senkaimon and find our young lady. Three days later, I will send you a message. Based on the information, you will inform me that Ailin is to become the head of the Kuchiki Family."

"Yes, Lord Ginrei."

After hearing Ginrei Kuchiki's orders, the man instantly vanished from Ginrei's sickroom, leaving only the closed-eyed Ginrei Kuchiki suppressing the grief in his heart.

As the young lady of the Kuchiki Family, Ginrei Kuchiki knew that Haruko would understand why he would convey such a message to her.

If it weren't for the Tsunayashiro Family's sneak attack, Ginrei Kuchiki felt the Kuchiki Family could have waited a few more years to let Byakuya mature properly.

But since they had discovered that the Tsunayashiro Family had abandoned the Soul Society and continued to collect the Soul King's power in the living world, Ginrei Kuchiki believed the Kuchiki Family had to step up and fulfill their mission to prevent potential harm the current Tsunayashiro Family head might cause to the Soul Society.

Given a hundred years, Byakuya might suffice, but now, only Ailin could support the Kuchiki Family.

Ginrei Kuchiki knew that as long as Morikawa conveyed the message to Haruko, for the sake of the Kuchiki Family, she would know what to do.

"Haruko, this life, I have wronged you..."