บท 118: Chapter 118 ⥤ Another Captain’s Meeting
The White Bone Hell squeezed out injuries and filtered away blood and Reiatsu, while the Blood Pond Hell replenished both, bringing the body to peak condition.
After just two hours of soaking, his Reiatsu had increased noticeably — from Level 70 to Level 75 — elevating him to Rank 6 in the Spirit Class.
This achievement barely qualified him for the upper ranks of the Gotei 13.
In terms of actual combat ability, Akira estimated he now matched an 8th or 9th Seat officer.
Besides his inability to release his Zanpakutō, he had nearly reached the level of a standard Shinigami Captain.
Unfortunately, both the replica and original Hell Hot Springs could only boost Reiatsu once. To gain more power through soaking, he would need to find the original springs.
The healing effects, however, remained potent no matter how many times one bathed.
Following a thorough examination, Unohana confirmed his arm had healed completely and cleared him for discharge.
To evaluate his recovery, the three of them headed straight to the training grounds upon returning to the 4th Division.
There, Yoruichi gained a renewed appreciation for Unohana's ruthlessness.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
In the training grounds.
A heavy, viscous killing intent swept forward as black energy swirled through the space, transforming the training ground into what seemed like a battlefield strewn with corpses and blood.
In that moment of empty mind, pure instinct took over. As bamboo swords clashed, razor-sharp techniques met with devastating force, tearing through the air with groans of strain.
The murderous intensity matched the lingering heat from their hot spring soak.
Even the air currents seemed alive, flowing around the two intersecting figures in the training grounds.
From Yoruichi's perspective, their deadly exchanges appeared genuinely lethal — if not for their bamboo swords, she would have thought this was truly a fight to the death.
Though Akira's Zanjutsu had surpassed 99% of the Shinigami in Soul Society, he remained completely outmatched against Unohana, his former teacher.
His pride from defeating Ansai Tsunayashiro evaporated. Against a true master, an insurmountable gulf remained.
As the sword rhythm reached its peak, their earlier grace transformed into bone-chilling killing intent.
⤫ Shi no Ken-ryū: Kumo Wakatsu ⥤ Death Sword Style: Cloud Parting ⤬
Death approached!
⤫ Jigoku Kumo Wakatsu ⥤ Hellish Cloud Parting! ⤬
Like a crescent moon suspended in the heavens, watching silently over the earth, the cold aura spread until it engulfed everything in sight.
Their bamboo swords met with thunderous crashes, like shattered musical notes echoing across the training grounds.
⤫ Shi no Ken-ryū: Gyaku Nami ⥤ Death Sword Style: Reverse Wave ⤬
⤫ Jigoku Gyaku Nami ⥤ Hellish Reverse Wave ⤬
The two figures crossed paths, their swordsmanship radiant as ocean tides, transformed into pure, passionate emotion. Under the pouring moonlight, fierce grins spread across their faces!
The sword training continued all night.
Yoruichi watched from the sidelines throughout. When it ended, Unohana departed for her duties wearing a satisfied, gentle smile.
As for Akira, his legs trembled as Yoruichi supported him back to the cave, where she efficiently stripped him naked, kicked him in, and once again submerged him in the hot spring.
Among the splashing water, his wet head emerged, sighing with lingering fear as he let the hot spring work its healing effects.
"Too scary..." In the burning warmth, Akira shuddered.
Yoruichi crouched by the shore, propping her cheek with her right hand, thoughtfully watching the figure in the misty vapor, her mind in turmoil.
Just like a ball of yarn that had been played with by a cat.
She had known Akira was talented from their first meeting.
Being able to learn the Shihōin clan's secret Hakuda techniques during battle transcended mere talent — he was simply a monster.
Since then, she had considered recruiting him into the family through marriage.
The idea was sound, but execution proved difficult — whenever this topic came up, he would brush it off with "we'll talk about it later."
It was hard to imagine what was going on in that guy's head.
{T/N: Don't try… I advise you… seriously!}
Now, his rate of progress could only be described as extraordinary and unprecedented.
Fresh from graduating the Shin'ō Academy, he had killed Ansai Tsunayashiro in direct combat and displayed astounding achievement in Zanjutsu.
He seemed like an all-around genius.
Thinking of this, her gaze grew complex.
Though with Akira's help she had gained the family Zanpakutō's acceptance, become head of the family, and risen to Captain of the 2nd Division, the gap in strength between herself and Unohana remained devastatingly vast.
Watching last night's sword training, she had tried to imagine herself in his position but realized with despair that she wouldn't last more than a few moves before being cut into pieces by that woman.
The difference was too great.
At this rate, she would soon be left far behind by Akira — his very shadow would fade from view.
Should she give up?
When this thought crossed her mind, Yoruichi shook her head vigorously.
Impossible, absolutely impossible!
The progress of her conquest was already at 99%, just one final step away — how could she possibly give up now?
If she couldn't match him now, she would put in ten times, a hundred times more effort until she closed that gap and surpassed him!
Training starts now!
After soaking in the hot spring, Akira had recovered from his exhaustion and sprung back to life. Full of confidence, he declared he could still fight Unohana for three hundred more rounds.
Just then, Yoruichi's voice came from the shore, "Akira, do you have time tonight?"
Akira: "?"
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
A new round of Captain Meetings was being held at night since the nobles' conflicts had finally concluded.
As with the previous meeting, the gravity of recent events required both Captains and Vice-Captains to attend, though with fewer participants overall.
Jūshirō Ukitake was absent due to his usual illness, with Sentarō Kotsubaki taking his place.
The 7th Division Captain, Okama Shinji, was also missing. His failed investments had led to his imprisonment in the Repentance Palace, where he was completely abandoned — the Tsunayashiro clan, barely able to protect themselves, could no longer shield him.
Following the Central 46's ruling, Okama was stripped of his Captain status, had his Reiryoku sealed, and was sentenced to 3,000 years in the Shugō Hell, the 3rd Level of the Central Great Underground Prison.
The news cast a melancholic shadow over many Captains.
Shunsui Kyōraku took it hardest, lamenting the loss of his drinking benefactor.
While his friend Jūshirō Ukitake was wealthy enough, his fragile health meant that a few bottles of sake could land him in emergency care.
Though Genryūsai's reaction remained uncertain, Captain Unohana Retsu — being the attending physician who despised patients ignoring medical advice — would surely show neither of them mercy.
Taking Okama's place at the meeting was a burly, eye-patched middle-aged man. His loose Shinigami uniform barely contained his robust physique, and with his hair tied in a small ponytail, his commanding presence somehow exceeded that of the former Captain Okama Shinji.
This was Jin'emon Kotsubaki, the 7th Division Vice-Captain, who bore a resemblance to Sentarō Kotsubaki, Ukitake's stand-in.
Though Kidō wasn't his strong suit, Jin'emon had earned his reputation as one of Soul Society's master swordsmen.
Akira recognized him from Unohana's mention during their sword training sessions, where she had praised his Zanjutsu skills.
Such recognition from the first Kenpachi spoke volumes about Jin'emon's swordsmanship.
When Jin'emon sensed Akira's gaze, he turned, his fierce presence immediately zeroing in on his observer. Yet upon recognizing Akira, he quietly withdrew his intimidating aura.
Akira scratched his head, puzzled by this reaction, but soon gave up trying to understand it and returned to observing the others.
At the previous Captain's Meeting, he'd been too preoccupied with exchanging glances with Yoruichi to notice the other Captains.
Now Yoruichi sat with her head down and eyes closed, deep in thought.
Without her to exchange glances with, he surveyed the crowd instead.
The 3rd Division Captain left little impression — average build, ordinary looks, the type who'd blend into any crowd. Clearly not someone who'd last more than two episodes.
Chishi Takeda.
It had taken multiple reminders from Gosuke for Akira to remember that name.
While the 9th and 10th Division Captains were equally forgettable, their Vice-Captain stood out.
With his silver short hair and impressive muscular build, he commanded attention. His handsome features suggested he'd be the protagonist in any other story.
But this was the world of Shinigami, and he was Kensei Muguruma — destined to leave an indelible mark on Soul Society's history.
When Kensei noticed Akira's gaze, he met it directly, his presence even more commanding than Jin'emon's had been.
He looked much younger than Akira remembered from the anime.
He grinned — youth was excellent! Such spirit perfectly embodied what a Gotei 13 Shinigami should be.
Recalling Kensei's reputation for Hakuda expertise, Akira thought they could train together sometime. As the old man always said, one must draw from various sources in training.
Satisfied with this idea, Akira mentally added Kensei to his "People I Would Beat to Death for Training" list.
Good brother — he'd seek him out the next time Old Man Yama gave him a beating.
When everyone had assembled, Genryūsai's light cough filled the meeting room with his dignified presence, immediately silencing all conversation.
All eyes turned to the head seat.
Genryūsai looked around at everyone and spoke calmly.
"You all should understand what has transpired these past few days. Now, let's have the person involved share the specific details."
Hearing this, Akira rubbed his hands together eagerly — finally, it was his time to shine.
Seeing this, Genryūsai felt a sense of foreboding.
But before he could intervene, the enthusiastic youth had already launched into his account.
In his telling, Ansai Tsunayashiro was portrayed as the ultimate villain, while he emerged as justice incarnate, saving Soul Society from disaster. At the climactic moment, he had turned the tide and vanquished the Demon King with one charged punch!
The story flowed naturally, each event connecting seamlessly to the next. Though his narration was somewhat dramatic, it didn't skimp on crucial details and procedures.
When he described how her Artificial Soul technology had been utilized, 12th Division Captain Kirio Hikifune's expression grew intrigued.
She never would have imagined that this seemingly simple young man could insert a backdoor into such sophisticated technology and use it as the key to victory.
Indeed, appearances could be deceiving — it was quite a shame they hadn't recruited him to the 12th Division.
{T/N: And the inocent Aizen goes to the trash. Thank you very much, MC!}
While Hikifune focused on the technical aspects, the other Captains were more concerned with Akira's combat prowess.
He had dominated the battlefield at the Shihōin estate, then immediately taken control of the fight at the 1st Division barracks.
Setting aside his extraordinary stamina, the mere fact that he could directly challenge Ansai Tsunayashiro was remarkable. The Reiatsu he had released that day at the 1st Division rivaled that of other Captains.
Could this mean that this young man, still enthusiastically recounting his tale, was already on par with Captain-level fighters?
This thought left everyone with mixed feelings.
After Akira concluded his story, Genryūsai tapped his staff, the sound jolting everyone back to attention.
"The Tsunayashiro's crime of rebellion has been established. By joint ruling of the Central 46, all participants are stripped of their noble status and will be confined to the 2nd Level of the Central Great Underground Prison, Kokujō Hell, for 10,000 years. The position of 7th Division Captain is vacant and will temporarily be filled by Vice-Captain Jin'emon Kotsubaki."
Given Jin'emon's considerable seniority and proven strength, the Captain qualification test was deemed unnecessary.
The Central 46 showed little concern over this appointment. As long as their own positions remained secure, the identity of the new Captain mattered little to them.
After concluding the details of the Captain handover, Genryūsai's expression hardened, his deep voice resonating through the spacious meeting room.
"The soul disappearance incidents in the Rukongai have resumed, and the situation has grown more severe. Multiple Shinigami have vanished during their investigations."
He cast a meaningful glance at Akira.
Earlier, he had assigned this same mission to the young man, who had destroyed one rebel base but produced no further results. Genryūsai had assumed the matter resolved.
Yet while the Seireitei grappled with the Tsunayashiro incident, the disappearances had resumed, openly challenging the Gotei 13's authority.
Genryūsai's patience had run out.
"Captain Takeda, this matter falls to you. Find the culprit — and do it quickly!"
⤫⤬⤫
T/N: If you want more chapters like this, check out my Patreon! Take a look at my other translations too, you might like them!
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บท 119: Chapter 119 ⥤ Let's Take Off Your Clothes First
{T/N: I decided to keep his name as Takeda. Chishi has very poor readability.}
This stood in stark contrast to someone else's earlier behavior.
The 3rd Division served as a vital support unit for the Soul Society, lending their personnel wherever needed.
When other Divisions found themselves short-staffed, they would request reinforcements from the 3rd Division.
For Takeda, investigation missions like this were routine, having handled countless similar cases.
With confidence, he declared he could solve the case within three days, noting that disappearing souls were a common occurrence.
Genryūsai's brow furrowed slightly as if recalling something. His eyes scanned the crowd before settling on one person.
"Eleventh Division, Third Seat Kisaragi."
Akira: "..."
He knew the old man wouldn't let this slide. The tone alone revealed what Genryūsai would say next.
"You will investigate together with Captain Chishi. When you find the culprit — dead or alive doesn't matter!"
Akira agreed without enthusiasm.
Investigation work paled in comparison to combat. Though if necessary, he wouldn't mind another undercover operation.
His previous undercover mission had revealed his natural talent for such work.
The meeting concluded with the Captains addressing security concerns in the 6th District.
Tsunayashiro's downfall had plunged the district into chaos. Despite Ginrei's strength and the capable support of his son-in-law Kōga Kuchiki, they were struggling to maintain order.
With no alternatives, he requested aid from the Gotei 13, temporarily transferring Officers and Seated Officers from other Divisions to bolster the 6th Division and help maintain security.
At minimum, they needed to prevent brazen assassinations in broad daylight.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
2nd Division, Training Hall.
In the spacious venue, young men and women trained intensely, their collisions echoing through the air as bursts of fierce wind cracked the solid ground.
Yoruichi breathed heavily, sweat trickling down her temples and dripping from her chin, darkening her sleeveless Shinigami uniform.
Though she acknowledged the vast gap between them, she faced her opponent with unwavering determination, refusing to yield.
After catching her breath, the dark-skinned girl's athletic figure exploded forward like a hunting cheetah, instantly closing the distance to her target.
Her slender fingers danced through the air like plucking guitar strings before clenching into a fist. As she stepped forward, the movement created a devastating sonic boom — waves of air erupted violently, howling like a hurricane.
Bang!
A thunderous crack split the air as fist met palm, creating visible rings that rippled outward like accelerated smoke rings.
Without pause, she unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks.
All hesitation vanished as Yoruichi channeled her full strength, combining Hakuda, Shunpo, and even Kidō.
With Akira's permission, she pushed beyond her limits, focusing entirely on the battle.
Yet to her amazement, he countered every technique perfectly.
His defenses appeared unstructured, almost crude, but remained impenetrable.
Then came an even more shocking revelation during their clash.
Akira's Reiatsu was significantly weaker than hers — in raw power, she should have overwhelmed him.
Despite this advantage, she remained completely outmatched, watching helplessly as he neutralized each attack.
Her masterful Hakuda techniques flowed one after another, her movements growing swifter and more ferocious like a rising tempest seeking to engulf him.
Like a breeze against a mountain, her attacks had no effect.
Akira had transformed dramatically since his academy days. Now terrifyingly powerful, he stood unmoved against her fiercest assaults.
Even without using secret techniques, Yoruichi's strength only matched Shiraki Shin'ichi's level.
Pressuring Akira proved impossible — his instincts alone were enough to suppress her completely.
Earlier at the hot springs, when Yoruichi had asked about his evening plans, he'd imagined practicing "wonderful positions" under moonlight.
Instead, she'd meant studying — specifically, Hakuda techniques.
Right after the Captains' Meeting, before he could voice his complaints to old man Genryūsai, Yoruichi had dragged him to the 2nd Division's training hall for intense sparring.
While he was lost in thought, she seized her chance. Using Shunpo, she flashed like lightning through the opening, launching high into the air. Her powerful thighs exploded with force as she dropped down like a battle axe.
Boom!!
The solid floor gained another massive crater.
Under Akira's counterattack, Yoruichi truly understood what it meant to be overwhelmed — like a mountain suddenly collapsing, an avalanche of stone and earth rushing forward to crush her final resistance.
⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬⤫⤬
Members of the Onmitsukidō's Keigun conducted daily training and cultivation between missions.
{T/N: It's important to mention that basically, not all members but the majority of those who are present or hold important positions in the Onmitsukidō are also Officers of the 2nd Division.}
Suì-Fēng was no exception.
After her "embarrassing" incident during the princess kidnapping, she had become acutely aware of her weakness and inability to protect Lady Yoruichi.
Determined to improve, she doubled her training efforts, working late into every night to become strong enough to protect her idol. Her dedication made her the 2nd Division's most diligent member.
This evening, while walking back to the militia dormitory, Suì-Fēng's keen senses detected unusual sounds carried on the wind.
Following these sounds, she found herself outside the training hall.
The hall was eerily quiet as she crept closer, pressing herself against the wall to listen.
"Let's take off your clothes first."
A man's voice drifted from inside, and Suì-Fēng's eyes narrowed with murderous intent.
"It's all your fault for using too much force, now we're wasting time again."
Her pupils contracted, her petite face twisted with disbelief.
That was Lady Yoruichi's voice?!
Though she could scarcely believe her ears, there was no denying it. Could Lady Yoruichi...
Horror dawned in the girl's eyes as terrible possibilities crossed her mind.
"Mmph—"
A muffled groan of pain escaped from the young woman inside.
Suì-Fēng's pupils shrank to pinpoints as she struggled to continue listening, her mind flooding with forbidden scenarios.
As a member of the Keigun, she was well-versed in "interrogation" techniques through training, even without personal experience.
The sounds from the training hall began to match certain scenarios she recalled from her training.
Suì-Fēng's cheeks flushed as uncertainty gripped her heart.
"Hey, be gentler!"
Yoruichi's voice rang out, shattering her last shred of hesitation.
The young woman sprang into action.
Bang!
The training hall door flew open as she burst in, ready to intervene — only to stop dead in her tracks.
The scene before her was far from what she had imagined.
Yoruichi stood with her back turned, sleeveless Shihakushō removed but undergarments intact. Her right arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, clearly broken.
Behind her, a familiar yet strange figure channeled Kaidō with both hands, attempting to reset the tanned girl's arm.
"Oh, Suì-Fēng?" Yoruichi said with surprise, "What brings you here? Perfect timing — come help, this guy's technique is awful. Help me set it back first."
Realizing her misunderstanding, Suì-Fēng's face burned red as she stammered wordlessly.
At Yoruichi's urging, she gathered her composure and stepped forward to help correct the broken bone with practiced movements.
Soon after, Yoruichi's arm healed completely under Akira's Kaidō.
Though untrained in advanced healing, his basic Kaidō proved remarkably effective thanks to his "Miraculous Healing" Trait.
After setting the bone, Suì-Fēng stood quietly to the side, head bowed, motionless.
Akira studied the familiar young woman with interest, noting her reddened ears.
Yoruichi donned her Shihakushō and tested her newly healed arm before turning to the embarrassed girl with curiosity.
"By the way, Suì-Fēng, why are you at the training hall so late instead of sleeping?"
The young woman kept her head down, words failing her.
She could hardly say she had discovered Lady Yoruichi being violated and burst into the training hall in outrage, could she?
If she said that, her career in the Keigun would be over.
"I-I had finished training and heard noises from the hall. Thinking an enemy had infiltrated, I rushed in urgently..."
Suì-Fēng thought quickly to provide an answer, but when she raised her head, she found Akira staring at her with a knowing, almost smirking expression.
In that moment, the young woman's face turned bright red.
Yoruichi nodded thoughtfully, seemingly accepting this explanation.
"Alright, go get some rest. You have a mission to carry out early tomorrow."
Suì-Fēng nodded and quickly fled from the training hall as if escaping disaster.
Watching the young woman leave, Akira turned to Yoruichi, who was lost in thought, and sighed helplessly.
"Yoruichi, does your Second Division have any Kidō or Secret Techniques suitable for investigation? You heard what was said at today's Captains' Meeting — old man Yamamoto won't let me off."
Clearly, he was better at cutting people down than solving cases.
Genryūsai's judgment was failing him, showing no ability to assess character. He would eventually be replaced.
"The most basic one is the Kakushitsuijaku. As for the others, they're all tracking techniques that require lots of practice time — you wouldn't be interested."
{T/N: Kakushitsuijaku is the Bakudō she used in the previous investigation.}
Yoruichi knew Akira very well, naturally understanding his personality and preferences.
"Hmm, let me think." After a moment's consideration, she suddenly spoke up, "I actually developed a Secret Technique before that can be used to disguise oneself for investigations. It might be useful."
As she finished speaking, to Akira's surprise, her sleeveless Shihakushō suddenly fell off and dropped to the ground, and a black short-haired cat emerged struggling from the pile of clothes.
"Ahem — almost got tangled in the clothes."
Noticing the surprise in his gaze, Yoruichi's tone carried a hint of pride, like a child showing off their grades to a parent.
"Even the Shihōin elders can't see through this technique. In cat form, your Reiatsu is suppressed to that of a normal cat, and combat ability is similarly reduced. Only the body's durability remains unchanged."
As she explained, Akira began to understand the principles of this technique.
Simply put, it involved applying a Bakudō barrier inside one's body to suppress Reiatsu while transforming physical form.
The principles were somewhat similar to inscribing Kidō patterns, except one enhanced while the other weakened.
Seeing his interest, Yoruichi explained the technique's details again, as if trying to spoon-feed him the information, worried he wouldn't understand.
However, Akira quickly grasped the key points.
Then, to her shock, a faint light emanated from his body as his Reiatsu rapidly diminished. Complex Kidō patterns appeared on his skin, continuously transforming his body.
Akira raised his right hand, watching as dense soft fur sprouted from the back of his hand and between his fingers, quickly becoming fluffy.
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes slightly, staring at that fluffy paw.
She had chosen to develop a cat transformation technique not only because cats were agile and perfect for the 2nd Division's stealth work, but mainly because she simply loved cats.
Though surprised by his learning speed, she found herself drawn to his transformed appearance.
For Akira, who had similar experience before, mastering this technique wasn't particularly difficult.
⤫ Bakudō #?: Nekoka ⥤ Cat Transformation Technique! ⤬
When he came to his senses, the world around him had changed dramatically — everything appeared massive.
Struggling out of his clothes, he realized he had quite a bit more fur than expected.
"What kind of cat am I supposed to be?" Akira examined his paw pads, his sharp claws extending and retracting, feeling unfamiliar.
Yoruichi released her Reiatsu, forming a mirror-like screen of light.
The two cats stared wide-eyed at the reflection, and Akira finally saw his current appearance clearly.
Gray-white fur, thick and long dense fluff with black spots scattered throughout, slightly short limbs giving him a broad appearance.
Most striking was his fierce yet somewhat dopey wide face.
Wait!
After observing for a moment, Akira's eyes widened as he suddenly realized what cat breed he had become.
"A Manul is considered a cat?!"
{T/N:… I'm laughing right now…}
⤫⤬⤫
T/N: If you want more chapters like this, check out my Patreon! Take a look at my other translations too, you might like them!
For just $1 you can access all the extra content, and descriptive images, costs only $2!
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