As soon as the words were spoken, the thirty-six Venerables entered the room one after another.
The office was spacious, featuring a long conference table surrounded by chairs, with many of the empty seats near the front left specifically for them. The Venerables walked in and took their places without hesitation. Their expressions remained calm; unlike everyone else, they showed neither fear nor excessive respect toward King Chengdui.
These individuals had followed him since the very first world they conquered. They were the founding pillars of the kingdom. Not only were they immensely powerful, but they also possessed the status and qualifications to stand beside the King as trusted companions.
As they entered, the Captain-class experts seated toward the back of the room immediately became more reserved, their eyes filled with both respect and fear. Meanwhile, the Soul Society Shinigami who had surrendered, including Aizen and Tōsen Kaname, carefully observed the newcomers.
"What a terrifying world..." Aizen murmured inwardly, his expression growing serious.
He could sense astonishingly powerful auras from every one of the Venerables. None of them were weaker than anyone present, and some were even stronger. What made it even more frightening was that these people hadn't yet undergone the transformation into Shinigami. Based on previous examples, once they acquired Shinigami bodies, their strength would increase dramatically again.
The mere thought of it was chilling. Aizen couldn't even imagine how powerful they would become in the end.
As his contact with King Chengdui had deepened, his perspective had constantly shifted. At first, he had been wary of the King's strength and scheming. Then he had been surprised by his true identity. Later, he had been shocked by the sheer scale and power of the world behind him. And now, seeing the thirty-six Venerables in person had shaken him once again.
The more he learned, the more cautious he became. At the same time, his curiosity about that vast world only grew stronger.
"What kind of world could give birth to a kingdom like this?" Whether it was Qin Yi's incredible subordinates or King Chengdui's terrifying military power, both made Aizen realize just how fascinating the worlds beyond his own truly were.
He had never been someone content to stay where he was. He loved exploring the unknown and expanding his horizons. A faint glimmer flashed behind his glasses. He carefully concealed his thoughts, maintaining his usual gentle smile to look completely harmless.
He had also deliberately kept a low profile, choosing one of the seats near the very back so that he wouldn't attract anyone's attention.
Tōsen Kaname, on the other hand... That fool had actually seated himself near the front.
"A blind man really is a blind man. He doesn't know how to read the room. Does he seriously think being Captain-class is enough to earn him a prime seat under King Chengdui?" Aizen glanced sideways at Tōsen, who sat upright with a stern expression, and sneered inwardly.
Sure enough, the moment the thirty-six Venerables finished taking their seats...
"Who's this blind man? How dare he sit next to me?" one of the Venerables asked coldly, not even bothering to look at Tōsen Kaname.
King Chengdui's eyes flickered as he looked toward Tōsen with an amused expression, though he said nothing.
"I am Tōsen Kaname, a Captain of the Soul Society. I've recently pledged my loyalty to His Majesty," Tōsen replied calmly, trying to maintain the dignity of his rank.
"A Soul Society Captain? Just surrendered?" The Venerable raised an eyebrow, still not sparing Tōsen a glance. Instead, he rested both arms on the table, lowered his head onto them to find a comfortable position, and closed his eyes. "When I sleep... I really hate having people nearby. So you... disappear."
Tōsen's entire body stiffened, his expression changing dramatically. "You...!"
But when he focused on the Venerable, he discovered that the man who had just spoken those murderous words had already yawned and fallen asleep.
"What was that supposed to mean? Just trying to scare me?" Tōsen sneered.
At the head of the table, King Chengdui shook his head. The way he looked at Tōsen Kaname was the same way one looked at a dead man.
The other thirty-five Venerables all wore different expressions, but none of them said a word. Each simply minded their own business. As for the commanders seated at the back, not a single one looked surprised.
Aizen quietly took it all in. His eyes narrowed, and his heart grew heavy. He had a feeling something major was about to happen.
Sure enough, only two breaths later, Tōsen Kaname, who had been sitting upright with a sneer on his face, suddenly pitched forward.
'Bang!'
His head slammed heavily onto the table.
"...?!"
Then, loud snoring echoed through the room. Tōsen Kaname had fallen asleep.
Aizen's heart shook. Almost instinctively, he clenched his fist. The next moment, he turned to look at Tōsen, and what he saw made his pupils contract.
Tōsen's body was dissolving into wisps of smoke. The drifting smoke slowly floated through the air before being inhaled through the nose of the sleeping Venerable lying on the table.
"He... disappeared?!" Aizen was genuinely shocked.
He couldn't even begin to understand what kind of power this was. 'Was it an illusion? Or some completely different ability?' He had never encountered anything like it before.
But one thing was certain: this Venerable was unimaginably terrifying. He had merely gone to sleep, and a Captain-class expert like Tōsen Kaname had silently vanished.
"Don't keep staring at me." The sleeping Venerable suddenly opened one eye and looked directly at Aizen with a strange smile. "Foreigner... there aren't many people in the Nie Kingdom who would dare show such disrespect to a Venerable."
Aizen's entire body stiffened. He immediately lowered his head. "My apologies. It won't happen again, Lord Venerable."
He promptly looked down at the tabletop, showing no intention whatsoever of provoking the man.
The sleeping Venerable looked at him with mild surprise but said nothing more.
Instead, King Chengdui spoke. "Captain Aizen... seeing someone as humble and low-key as you puts me in a difficult position. If we weren't allies, I'd really like to see where your true limits lie."
Aizen's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly. Still wearing his gentle smile, he replied, "Your Majesty flatters me. I'm nothing more than an ordinary Captain. I don't have any 'limits' worth talking about."
"Heh," King Chengdui chuckled softly. He gave Aizen a long, meaningful look before dropping the subject.
The thirty-six Venerables, however, all turned their sharp gazes toward Aizen. The King's words had made one thing perfectly clear: this harmless-looking man with black hair and glasses was actually the most dangerous beast in the room. Otherwise, their King would never have spoken to an outsider that way.
"My King," at that moment, one of the Venerables spoke solemnly. "That person has arrived."
Even through his calm tone, Aizen could hear a hint of fear. His curiosity immediately grew. 'The Nie Kingdom has someone even stronger?'
"He's here?" Even King Chengdui's body tensed, his expression turning complicated. There was anticipation, caution, and an intense desire to conquer. "Where is he?"
Before he had even finished speaking, the office door opened.
A man carrying a sword walked inside. Carefree, unrestrained, and free, his very presence instantly filled the entire room.
"I'm here," his voice was calm. "You... the one who sealed me. Do you know that the road to destruction is much shorter than you imagine? You want to make me the sword in your hand. All you're doing is speeding up your own ruin."
King Chengdui's pupils shrank violently. The moment that figure entered his sight, every hair on his body stood on end as memories he wished he could forget came flooding back.
(End of Chapter)
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