Chapter 78

After watching all of this.

Silence. An unspeakable hush fell over the room.

"Absolute nonsense!"

Bai Zai's gaze was icy, his fists clenched tight.

As a great noble, he naturally possessed a dignity and status that other captains could hardly match.

"It must be someone else, targeting the Kuchiki clan! Targeting Kuchiki Senya!"

His own brother.

Although he only knew how to enjoy life, a bit of a salted fish.

He was absolutely not a bad person! And he would absolutely never strike out against the innocent!

"Bai Zai, calm down."

Yamamoto's Heavy Strike, meanwhile, gave Kuchiki Senya's shoulder a light pat.

Beside him.

Tōsen Kaname spoke up flatly.

"A hundred years ago, Kuchiki Senya opened the Senya Pavilion in the Rukongai. The timing lines up almost exactly with the disappearance of the Shinigami from the Rukongai."

"And."

"Why was Captain Aizen fine before, but the moment Kuchiki Senya returned to the Seireitei, Captain Aizen was killed?"

Present.

Captains like Gin Ichimaru gave a slight nod, and Yamamoto's Heavy Strike narrowed his eyes as well.

Though it was hard to believe.

All of this was just too much of a coincidence.

Although Kuchiki Senya had already become the head of the Kuchiki house, captain of the Second Division—his status and position had already reached a height ordinary people could hardly reach.

But.

Human desire is endless.

What if…

Those things really were done by him?

As for Kenpachi Zaraki and Unohana Retsu, they shook their heads slightly.

"We must handle Kuchiki Senya carefully. As for this letter, it's also hard to tell if it's real or fake."

A person's fighting style can reveal their character.

How could a Kuchiki Senya with such overwhelming power, whose fighting style was clean, decisive, and utterly domineering, possibly do such underhanded things in the shadows?

Captains like Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō either kept their faces blank or wore a salted-fish look, offering no opinion of their own.

Then.

Yamamoto's Heavy Strike paused, pondering briefly.

"Whether the news is true or false has yet to be determined, but there is indeed something fishy about Kuchiki Senya."

"Tōsen, Izuru—the two of you, watch his recent movements."

Tōsen Kaname's suspicion of Kuchiki Senya was extremely firm.

And Izuru Kira, for his part, was blindly loyal to Yamamoto's Heavy Strike.

"Yes." Izuru Kira and Tōsen Kaname replied with grave faces.

"Remember."

"This is not surveillance, and Kuchiki Senya is not a criminal. Do not act rashly."

Yamamoto's Heavy Strike narrowed his eyes slightly.

The letter.

Cannot be fully trusted.

Nor can it be dismissed.

If it turned out to be an enemy in the shadows, or a plot by the Ryoka, and they struck at Kuchiki Senya and fought among themselves—

The greatest loss would be to the entire Soul Society.

"Understood."

Izuru Kira and Tōsen Kaname, with their Zanpakutō at their hips, left directly.

Bai Zai's expression eased a little, but still said in a solemn tone, "Kuchiki Senya can fully represent the will of the entire Kuchiki clan."

"We will stand at his side without reservation."

Kenpachi Zaraki, meanwhile, gave Bai Zai's shoulder a pat. "I also believe he wouldn't do something like that."

The other captains.

A shadow, meanwhile, settled over their faces.

Soul Society lately.

Had truly been far from peaceful.

Rukia's execution.

The Ryoka invasion.

Aizen's death.

And now, even Kuchiki Senya—the number-one prodigy of Soul Society—had been swept into this whirlpool!

……

At this moment.

GLOSSARY:

Kuchiki Byakuya, Kuchiki Senya, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, Soul Society, Tosen Kaname, Senya Pavilion, Rukongai, Shinigami, Seireitei, Captain Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, Kenpachi Zaraki, Unohana Retsu, Kuchiki Clan, Kuchiki House, Second Division, Izuru Kira, Zanpakuto, Kyoraku Shunsui, Ukitake Juushiro, Ryoka, Rukia

A sea of wine and a forest of meat.

Kuchiki Senya leaned against Hisana's lap, holding playing cards in his hand.

Before him stood a table, where a group of maids of peerless beauty and talent laughed without ceasing.

He was leisurely playing cards with the girls.

【Ding.】

【Soul Society is in turmoil, yet the Host plays cards and enjoys life in a sea of wine and a forest of meat.】

【Your Reiatsu has broken through to Level 77.】

Reiatsu at Level 77, huh.

The corner of Kuchiki Senya's mouth curled slightly upward.

Apart from Grandpa Yamamoto, the complete form of Zaraki Kenpachi, the late-game overpowered Ichigo, and Aizen who broke the Shinigami limit...

These peak combat powers from the original work.

Other Captain-level powers, or the Espada, even with Bankai or Resurrección, could not reach his height!

And.

This is merely his Reiatsu in its base state.

After Bankai, his Reiatsu will increase by dozens of times!

Not bad.

Kuchiki Senya lazily yawned and casually flung out two Jokers.

"My lord has won again..."

"My lord is so amazing~"

Enjoying fine wine and delicious food.

Lying in Hisana's embrace, with the sweet, high-pitched voices of the young ladies praising him in his ears...

Fighting to the death in Soul Society—what does that have to do with me? Is going out to fight better than lying here in bliss?

However.

Since returning to Soul Society, I haven't yet gone to see the Senya Pavilion.

Drinking and eating in a sea of wine and a forest of meat for so long will eventually grow tiresome.

Kuchiki Senya took a sip of wine. "Hisana, prepare to go to the Senya Pavilion."

The next moment.

A Hell Butterfly, entirely black and of graceful form, flew in through the window.

This is an extremely rare species, possessed only by the Central 46 Chambers and a few great noble families.

They can even shuttle between Soul Society and the World of the Living.