Chương 144: CHAPTER 160: Aristocrat District
Mansions, high-class restaurants, and exclusive establishments lined the roads leading into the eastern sixth ward — the aristocratic district. Inaccessible to the commoners without an invitation or formal authorization, this district was among the most protected places in the Soul Society.
Along one such prestigious road, a group of six figures made their way. At the forefront, two formidable Shinigami, embodying the ideal of stoic bodyguards, cleared the path. Following closely were Ginrei Kuchiki and his grandson Byakuya, dignified and composed, epitomizing aristocratic pride. Accompanying them were two aspiring Shinigami from Rukongai, and trailing the group silently was a cat with glistening black fur.
Byakuya maintained his usual serene façade, but a rare glimmer of agitation flickered in his eyes — a result of the silver-haired youth's interactions with his sister-in-law, who bore a strong resemblance to his wife.
"Rukia, your legs look shaky. Let me carry you."
"Rukia, you're about to fall."
"Hey, do you think I can't carry you?"
"Rukia, why aren't you saying anything?"
Each remark from Kazuya tinted Rukia's cheeks a deeper shade of red. Kazuya, relishing the moment, was inwardly grateful for the absence of Toshiro, Momo, and Renji. There was no one to interrupt his playful teasing of Rukia, allowing him to go all out.
Finally reaching her limit, Rukia swung her fists, hitting nothing but empty air. "Leave me alone!"
"But we're friends," Kazuya responded smoothly, effortlessly lifting her onto his shoulder. "A good friend shares in burdens, while a great one carries them. I consider myself a great friend."
Elevated to this new vantage point, Rukia found herself looking down at Byakuya rather than up, a refreshing reversal that made her reconsider her annoyance.
"Enjoying the view, huh?"
"Your voice," Rukia said, frowning slightly. "I know that for a fact you use it to seduce women."
"I don't need it to seduce women. My charm is enough to melt any heart."
Rukia ruffled his hair. "It sounds like pure bullcrap, but I don't feel like you're lying."
His unwavering confidence had a big effect on her judgment. It wasn't blind confidence — it stemmed from his close relationship with Tier and others.
"Because I'm telling the truth."
Rukia crossed her arms. "There's a girl who is deeply in love with you. What are the odds of you quitting your playboy life and getting into a serious relationship with her?"
"Like serious serious?"
"Yeah, serious serious. 'I might spend the rest of my life with her' type of serious."
He threw his head back and hit her belly. "Are you talking about Momo?"
The silence that followed his question was priceless. She clearly underestimated him, believing him to be ignorant of Momo's feelings.
He chuckled. "I know Momo is kind of obsessed with me."
She attempted to put him in a chokehold, trying to make him pass out. Of course, she failed miserably. Her efforts couldn't bear fruit against his superior physical resilience. "And yet, you did nothing?!"
"It was too late by the time I realized the change in her feelings," he said with a sigh. "An innocent, pure attraction blooming into twisted love — the unsung tragedy makes my heart ache. Yet I can't help but root for her success."
His words, shamelessly honest, left her momentarily speechless. "How can you say that when you're the man of her affection?!"
"If that's the case, then I'll graciously accept her love," he replied, nodding solemnly as though making a solemn vow. "Protecting one more maiden heart is feasible with my current abilities."
Rukia gritted her teeth. "Can't you just be content with Momo?"
"Nope. I have many women I love dearly. Look there, Rukia. Doesn't that place look elegant?"
Ahead of them was an extravagant estate with an expansive roof that towered over the surrounding structures. Unlike the typical architecture of the Soul Society, which more closely resembled Japan in the Heian era than the high rises of the current world of the living, this estate seemed like it was designed to look down at the other nobles' mansions. It was as if the owners of the estate asserted that they were the ruler of the neighborhood.
"It's over the top!"
"Yeah."
Kazuya anticipated the Kuchiki duo to enter this grand estate. Instead, they veered towards a manor directly opposite it. While the Kuchiki Manor was undoubtedly lavish, it paled in comparison to the grandeur of its neighbor.
He playfully tapped Byakuya's back with his sheathed Zanpakutō. "Byakuya."
Byakuya swiveled, his expression one of restrained irritation. "Do not touch me."
"It was my Zanpakutō. Why would I even want to touch another man? That's just gross."
Byakuya gave him a piercing, unblinking stare. "One day that mouth of yours will bite more than it can chew."
"True," Rukia chimed in, siding with Byakuya. "Just stay happy with one loving woman. Why do you gotta make it a complicated mess of relationships?"
He closed his eyes, pulling his lips in a slight smirk. "Fools mock the king's ambition, not knowing it's the seed of greatness. I was born in this world to be a king."
{Wrong. You were born to be a god.}
His dignified voice convinced Rukia that his ambition wasn't foolish and arrogant, and his real ambition was beyond his hedonism. Recalling Momo's words about him using those women to achieve his goal further solidified her impression.
"I give up," Rukia yielded to his sweet talk. "I tried my best. It's between you and Momo now."
He acknowledged her concession with a nod, then turned his attention back to Byakuya. "That estate we saw earlier — who owns it? Care to indulge the curiosity of the man who outdid you in Shunpo?"
"The head of the Five Great Noble Clans," Byakuya spoke coldly, disdain dripping in his voice. "Tsunayashiro Clan."
Kazuya's eyebrow arched in genuine surprise. "Who?"
The nobles usually came to boast to him about their clans, but no Tsunayashiro had done so. He didn't even know a clan named Tsunayashiro existed within the Soul Society.
Rukia gave his ear a quick pinch. "Didn't your Sensei teach you about the Five Great Noble Clans?"
"I nap during lectures."
Rukia couldn't help but let out a weary sigh. Without the presence of Momo and Renji, his playful approach to everything clashed with her typically serious demeanor. "Listen, the Tsunayashiro Clan is the most influential family. They are kind of crazy."
"How so?"
"They," Rukia trailed her voice intentionally. "They kill their weak members in the name of 'survival of the fittest.'"
"What an extreme motto."
"I heard that their clan Zanpakutō, Enrakyōten, is very powerful. It's also cursed. No one in the family uses it."
{The curse is nothing to us for we are a walking plague.}
'No, I am the storm that is approaching.'
{Hoooold up, Partner. Did you cut your hair short because you wanted to cosplay Vergil?}
'Ahem. Maybe?'
...
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