Kirinji Tenjirō had no idea that his actions had just caused what little expectation Ling Qing had for the Zero Squad to completely bottom out, dropping to a level of zero.
In the future, Hikifune Kirio would complain to Ling Qing more than once that when she was in the 12th Division, he had shown her considerable respect. Why was it that after she was promoted to the supposedly higher-ranking Zero Squad, his respect had vanished?
To this, Ling Qing could only offer a bitter laugh. The fault isn't with you, Captain Hikifune. It's with your predecessors who completely exhausted the Zero Squad's prestige!
Like an amusement park ride, one swing of the hammer sent Ling Qing flying. And it wasn't a simple up-and-down trajectory; Ling Qing could clearly feel a force pushing him forward, from Kirinji's Kirinden toward another giant, floating saucer.
Ling Qing highly suspected that the long-term residence in the vast but monotonous Soul King's Palace had warped the minds of the Zero Squad members. Otherwise, what kind of brain-dead person would think of this method of travel?
This was no longer a question of prestige; it was a display of a perverse sense of humor, a forced and pointless attempt at being interesting.
The skill of this launch was so refined that even the landing spot could be precisely controlled. They must have used this method to visit each other often, right?
Although Ling Qing could also use his powerful spiritual energy to fly and soar for short periods—and he strangely felt that flying in the Soul King's Palace was much easier than in the Soul Society—since he was already flying, there was no need to waste his own energy.
Objectively speaking, while the takeoff was ridiculous and undignified, once in the air, it was all the same.
The distance between the Zero Squad's detached palaces was vast, but some of the fundamental laws of the Soul King's Palace were different. At least with this method, Ling Qing could clearly see the other detached palace approaching him.
But even at this speed, it would still take some time. What caught Ling Qing's attention was something else.
It was the residence of the Soul King, the Reiōkyū's inner sanctum, floating in the center of the circle formed by the detached palaces, protected by the Zero Squad. The inner sanctum had a cocoon-like structure, with the entire building divided into four layers. It was impossible to see the inner structure from the outside, let alone the Soul King residing within.
But for some reason… as he flew past the Soul King's inner sanctum…
He didn't know if it was his imagination, but Ling Qing felt a gaze fall upon him. The gaze felt somewhat familiar, but he couldn't recall where he had encountered a similar one before.
Suddenly, Ling Qing's temple throbbed as if pierced by a needle. In a chaotic world, like the primordial chaos at the beginning of time, a pair of eyes with four irises appeared before him.
That is…
Before Ling Qing could recall more, he suddenly realized that a platform—much like the launching pad at Kirinji's place, but more like an aircraft landing pad minus the giant 'H'—was right in front of him. He was heading straight for it, or more accurately, about to crash into it!
One moment, the detached palace was a considerable distance away; the next, it was right before his eyes. The time in between felt as if someone had used King Crimson to erase it for him!
But now was not the time to focus on that. His spiritual flight, a last resort, was unleashed at the critical moment! Ling Qing hadn't yet reached the monstrous level of Shihōin Sōichirō or Kirinji Tenjirō. He was—at least for now—a character who cherished his image. He would never stoop to playing the fool, let alone suffer a clumsy landing and become a laughingstock!
If that happened, Ling Qing would be too embarrassed to go back and brag to people about visiting the Soul King's Palace or what the Zero Squad was like. If he made a fool of himself here, he'd be even more ashamed, and might even consider his visit a dark, regrettable memory.
As an organization that stood above the Gotei 13 and Central 46, shrouded in countless mysteries and legends, to leave such an impression on Ling Qing in such a short time was, in a way, quite powerful.
What Ling Qing didn't know was that on this landing pad of the detached palace called the Hōōden, a "grand" welcome awaited him.
From above, hidden in corners invisible to the eye, were countless people crammed together, like something out of a horror story, with innumerable shining eyes in the darkness, all waiting in anticipation.
"Ladies, look at that handsome guy about to land," a hushed voice whispered, but in the silence, it was audible to everyone.
Following this sentence, a series of small, eager whispers followed.
"I heard from that guy Tenjirō that his body, looks, and even his aura can only be described with one word—top-tier!"
The speaker's voice was male, but his words were filled with an indescribable charm and suggestion. As if unable to contain his excitement, even though he was whispering, a loud smack of the lips could be heard.
"NICE!! When he lands, everyone rush him! Don't let him get away! If we miss this chance, who knows when the next hottie will show up, family!"
"Oooohhh!"
At these words, a torrent of thirsty and expectant gazes turned to the sky, where the small black dot was growing larger.
"Heh heh." In the darkness, a shadowy figure leading the group grinned, his white teeth shining brightly. He also looked up, but his eyes were filled with the anticipation of watching a good show.
Everything he had said was true. The handsome guy about to land was top-tier in every way.
But he seemed to have forgotten to mention one crucial detail…
Kirinji Tenjirō had probably, maybe, possibly, accidentally forgotten to tell him how to land.
No matter how handsome a guy is, he won't look good landing face-first. He could already imagine all the girls rushing forward in a frenzy, only to stop halfway, their expectant faces turning to disgust as they retreated!
How beautiful! The dramatic effect would be maxed out! He, Nimaiya Ōetsu, would let everyone know one thing: no matter how handsome you are, you think you can stay handsome after coming to the Soul King's Palace? Dream on!
'Heh heh, you fickle little sisters, it's time you learned who the eternal hottie is! (＾Ｕ＾)ノ~ＹＯ!!'
Of course, he didn't say this out loud.
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