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Chapter 282 B
🕑 Added 2025-03-09 16:00:18 +0000 UTCChapter 282
2-in-1 chapter:
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“How much is this?” Aizen asked.
Behind the counter, the elderly shopkeeper grinned.
“Vice-Captain Aizen, you’ve got a good eye. This is our newest model—there’s not another one like it in the entire Soul Society! Since you’re a regular, I’ll give you my lowest price: sixty thousand kan. What do you think?”
“Hm…” Aizen thought for a few seconds, then shook his head.
“I’ll pass for now.”
Even though he liked it, he already had several pairs of glasses. If he collected too many, it would stop being a simple hobby and become an obsessive habit. He disliked the feeling of being controlled by mere possessions.
Leaving the Sixth Division’s former vice-captain—now Gin Ginzaburō’s—optical shop, Aizen followed a familiar path and entered Squad Eleven. He didn’t have to search long before finding Kaelith.
Kaelith was shirtless, with the top of his Shihakushō tied casually at his waist, looking as if he was in the middle of something. Aizen didn’t find it strange: every time Kaelith sparred with the squad members, he’d get so carried away that he’d pull off some kind of dramatic strip-down. If anyone gathered all the discarded captain’s haori he’d tossed aside, it could probably make a massive sail.
“Kaelith,” Aizen called from a distance.
Hearing the familiar voice, Kaelith turned at once. Seeing it was Aizen, he broke into a grin.
“Sōsuke, you’re just in time! I’ve got a present for you…come take a look!”
He beckoned Aizen over and headed inside.
A gift? Aizen’s eyebrows went up. He couldn’t help thinking of that pair of glasses he’d just been eyeing in the shop. Surely it wasn’t that much of a coincidence…
Feeling a bit puzzled, he walked into the room. Kaelith peeked outside to make sure no one was watching, then shut the door. Under Aizen’s gaze, he snapped his fingers with a flourish.
In response, a swath of darkness spread out, and two people dropped out with a thump. Both were unconscious, clearly knocked out by something.
Seeing Kaelith proudly present new “test subjects,” Aizen’s mood lifted. If they were just ordinary fodder, Kaelith wouldn’t have been so pleased with himself, so at minimum these two had to be of seated-officer level. Kaelith always had a knack for turning up high-grade…
…Wait a second.
Studying the pair’s faces, Aizen’s brow furrowed. He stepped closer and righted their heads so he could see them clearly. The moment he recognized them, he drew a sharp breath.
“Takagawa Shennō and Sōya Azashiro?”
Realizing he hadn’t misread, he whirled around, staring incredulously at the smug grin on Kaelith’s face.
“These two…where did you catch them?”
He already suspected something, but even Kaelith, in all his recklessness, wouldn’t go this far—there had to be some explanation.
“I took them from Muken,” Kaelith replied with a grin. “True captain-class fighters are too rare. They’re all busy in one realm or another, making it almost impossible to nab one. But Muken is different. There are plenty of captain-level prisoners locked away in there, and nobody pays them any mind—perfect source material.”
Seeing the self-satisfied look on Kaelith’s face, Aizen felt his blood pressure spike.
“This is absolute madness! Muken is the most heavily guarded prison in the Seireitei. Even if you’re a noble or a captain, if you’re caught, there’s no escape from a death sentence!”
Kaelith only laughed. “Relax. I used my shadow space to slip in bit by bit, then phased up into reality.”
“…?” Aizen felt a headache coming on. He pressed his lips together and took a deep breath.
“The Central Great Underground Prison has existed since the dawn of the Soul Society. The reason Seireitei was established here is so the prison would always be within sight and under surveillance. Even now, there are countless mysteries about it—especially Muken. There’s a strict set of protocols for going inside: the route, the necessary precautions, and how to respond to danger. Every guard and anyone cleared to enter memorizes all of it the moment they’re assigned. Do you know why? Because anyone who thinks they can skip all that…ends up in real trouble!”
Just imagining Kaelith wandering into Muken with his shadow space made Aizen’s blood pressure climb again. He was going to have to find a way to punish him, or someday this fool would pull something truly catastrophic.
Realizing that Aizen was on the verge of losing it, Kaelith gave a quick cough. “Sōsuke, you should check on these two. I didn’t use too many sedatives, so there’s a risk they’ll wake up. Especially Azashiro—he can disintegrate himself and the things around him into spirit particles. If we’re not careful, he might escape.”
At those words, Aizen refocused. Captain-level samples were far too valuable to risk losing. He moved closer and began examining their condition.
Kaelith smirked. Piece of cake—Sōsuke’s attention successfully diverted!
Just then, someone appeared at the door with a flash of Shunpo—a member of the Onmitsukidō, kneeling on one knee.
“Captain Kaelith! The Captain-Commander has ordered you to proceed to the Central Great Underground Prison immediately!”
Aizen narrowed his eyes and looked over. Kaelith froze for a moment, then clapped his hands together.
“Argh! My crime’s been found out! I’m done for!”
He cast a pleading look at Aizen. “Sōsuke, if I really do get executed, look after my two sons. Split my estate between them!”
Aizen sighed. “You have sons?”
“My first is Sōjun, the second is Seinosuke!” Kaelith nodded earnestly, then remembered something else. “Right, and Kisuke… He respects me a lot. If he hears I’m dead, he’ll be overwhelmed by grief and try to follow me to the grave. Stop him, all right? Keep him so busy he doesn’t have time to dwell on it. Work him to the bone if you have to.”
Aizen thought, If you died, I’m pretty sure Kisuke Urahara would be the happiest man in the Seireitei.
“Oh, and don’t forget Sajin. Remember to feed him daily and give him dog chews regularly—it’s good for his teeth…”
Aizen nearly snorted in disbelief but managed to keep his composure. He waved Kaelith off. “Hold that thought.” Stepping outside, he closed the door behind him.
“Did the Captain-Commander say what this was about?” he asked the Onmitsukidō member.
“Vice-Captain Aizen, I’m afraid I don’t know. Captain-Commander Yamamoto just told us to find Captain Kaelith and Captain Kyōraku.”
Aizen nodded in thought. “All right, I’ll let him know. He’ll head out right away.”
“Thank you for your help!” The messenger bowed again, then vanished in a flash of Shunpo.
Aizen went back in. Kaelith was still in the middle of lamenting his presumably imminent demise. Aizen opened his mouth to explain, then decided otherwise. Two dangerous criminals had just vanished from Muken, and now the Captain-Commander was summoning Kaelith and Shunsui Kyōraku… Clearly, the old man suspected the Wandenreich, not Kaelith.
Aizen figured letting Kaelith fret a bit on the way might teach him a lesson.
“Captain-Commander Yamamoto is waiting for you in Muken. Go on.” Aizen kept his voice level, expression calm. “Don’t worry—if you die, I’ll make sure your grave is nice.”
“…?” Kaelith stared at him, shocked. Had Aizen gone off the deep end?
Feeling a bit out of sorts, Kaelith left for the prison. Before heading out, he swallowed a small pill. According to Aizen, if Kaelith died, that pill would erase every trace of his existence so Yamamoto couldn’t track him afterward. Not that Kaelith really cared—he downed it with no hesitation.
Watching him go, Aizen hesitated. Maybe he’d pushed too hard. Hopefully Kaelith wouldn’t scare himself to death before getting there.
…
“On a sunny day, the scenery’s fine, red’s so bright and green’s divine…”
“I jog along, carefree and proud—mountains far behind, but I’m not bowed!”
Kaelith hummed a little tune as he bounded across the rooftops. His worries about Yamamoto’s summons were gone. If Aizen truly thought there was any real danger, he wouldn’t have let him leave so easily.
As for that pill… Kaelith didn’t know exactly what it did, but his instincts told him it wasn’t anything harmful. You couldn’t just go by what Aizen said—you had to compare it with the actual situation. Studying Aizen was an art in itself.
Cackling softly, Kaelith dropped down in front of the prison’s entrance. Shunsui Kyōraku seemed to have just arrived as well. He was frowning gravely, clearly expecting the worst.
When he saw Kaelith, Shunsui paused. He looked conflicted for a moment but said nothing, simply waving Kaelith over. The two followed the prison guards all the way to the deepest level.
“Kaelith,” Shunsui said quietly, “once we go in, space is going to get really unstable. Don’t wander off on your own—stay by my side.”
The guards had already warned them, but Shunsui knew how he and his little junior could be. He wanted to be sure Kaelith was actually paying attention.
Kaelith nodded. “Don’t worry, my good senior. I’ve already prepared myself to ditch you if things go south.”
“…?” Shunsui felt his blood pressure spike slightly.
They stepped into Muken and found Yamamoto standing in the darkness, his silent figure giving off an unshakable feeling of security—like as long as he was there, nothing could go wrong.
Seeing Yamamoto’s back, Kaelith remembered what Azashiro had said before:
What qualifications does he have to stand in the Captain-Commander’s position?
Kaelith found himself smiling. That towering presence was qualification enough.
“Old man Yama,” Shunsui began, “what happened?”
Yamamoto looked annoyed, ready to bark at Shunsui for his casual tone, but the moment he spotted Kaelith, he couldn’t hold it in.
“You fool! Why are you running around half-naked?!”
“Huh?” Kaelith glanced down. He was still shirtless, his Shihakushō tied at the waist, his captain’s haori nowhere to be seen.
“…” Apparently, he’d pulled it off earlier when he fought Azashiro Sōya and never bothered to put it back on. He’d done it so often he hadn’t even noticed this time. Now he was left wondering where exactly he’d dropped it.
Shunsui grinned wryly. “I’m used to it by now. Old man Yama, you often run around looking like that yourself.”
Yamamoto: “…”
Once everyone else was dismissed, Yamamoto explained what had happened. Shunsui frowned. It was just as he suspected. The Captain-Commander believed the Wandenreich had made a move down here, and that possibility gave Shunsui chills.
Kaelith, on the other hand, burst out in anger. “Those Quincy bastards… How dare they? Captain-Commander, the Wandenreich is basically spitting on your authority! Just say the word. I’m ready anytime!”
Yamamoto nodded. “You two, search for any traces of shadow-space activity. If you find evidence that a shadow portal was opened here, report the spatial fluctuations at once so we can try to track it. Of course, this is only an assumption. We can’t be certain the Quincy were responsible. If you find anything else valuable, inform me immediately!”
They acknowledged the orders and moved out. Kaelith summoned Yingda, spreading his shadow space as he searched through the endless darkness of Muken. It was like an RPG cave—he could only see a small area around him.
Before they started, Yamamoto had given Kaelith a special tool to guide him back to the entrance. To prevent any prisoners from escaping or attacking them, Yamamoto himself stood guard there. Even in that warped space, he could reach them in five seconds if necessary.
Kaelith poked around, peering here and prodding there. Along the way, he ran into a prisoner wrapped in layers of black bandages, leaving only one eye, one ear, and two nostrils visible. The prisoner gave Kaelith a puzzled look, as though sensing a familiar spiritual pressure… Could this be that same person who’d caused all the chaos earlier?
He paused, then decided it had to be a coincidence. Nobody would be crazy enough to tear up Muken and then stroll right back in. Closing his eye, the prisoner ignored him.
Kaelith, however, sidled closer. “Hey, buddy. Mind if I ask you something?”
The prisoner snorted. “Has the Seireitei really fallen so low? Sending a young fool like you in here…are they trying to get you killed?”
Kaelith just grinned. “Don’t worry. By the time you finally get out, I’ll still be around. I’ll probably outlive you, too.”
The prisoner’s eye twitched. “Tch…my blood pressure…”
Off in some unknown corner, a muffled lament about water and electricity bills being outrageous drifted by, followed by a sorrowful whimper.
