12th Division, Kirio Hikifune's Laboratory.
"Captain, the data comparison is complete. We've compared a total of 1,268 records of the Gates of Hell appearing."
Kisuke Urahara handed the data report to Kirio Hikifune, rubbing his swollen, dark-circled eyes.
"Thank you for your hard work," Kirio Hikifune said, taking the report. She turned to Katori Sora and Retsu Unohana beside Kisuke. "I'm so sorry, we're short-staffed in the lab and had to ask you to help."
The concentration of Hell Reishi found at the Tsunayashiro estate was excessively high, so Kirio wanted to compare historical records to see if such a situation had ever occurred before.
However, the historical data was redundant, and verifying it in a short time was not easy. So, Kirio sought out helpers with a foundation in research.
Sora had agreed without hesitation. By helping out, he could get firsthand information immediately.
Just like a perpetrator who likes to watch the crime scene, he also wanted to see if Kirio Hikifune's lab could discover anything.
"This concerns Hell. No Shinigami can stand aside," Sora said with a light laugh. "Especially when it's a request from Ms. Kirio."
"I have a feeling that the Soul Society will have to deal with disasters brought by that 'Lord of Hell' in the future. It's good to prepare early..." said Retsu Unohana. "And I'm also very curious about what Hell is like."
"There has never been a case of such a high concentration of Hell Reishi in history..."
Kirio Hikifune read through the report.
"In the historical records, the highest concentration of Hell Reishi was when the Gates of Hell appeared five consecutive times in the same area on the same day. The concentration detected at the Tsunayashiro estate is significantly higher than that record."
Kisuke Urahara stroked his stubbled chin.
He had been too busy lately and had no time to groom himself.
"Have you compared the data from the Gyōkaku Kumoi incident?"
Kirio Hikifune asked.
"I've compared it on my end. The Hell Reishi concentration at the scene of the Gyōkaku Kumoi incident was slightly lower than this record, but still higher than the case of five consecutive appearances of the Gates of Hell."
Sora handed over a data report to supplement.
"This should be related to the appearance of a person from Hell. The spiritual body of a person from Hell is also composed of Reishi containing Hell's aura, right? I really want to go to Hell and catch one for research..."
Kisuke Urahara speculated that the spiritual bodies of Hell's denizens were made of Hell Reishi, and they would naturally leave Hell Reishi at the scene during a battle.
"There are high risks for Shinigami entering Hell. The longer you stay, the more disadvantageous it becomes. Long-term inhalation of Hell Reishi could even lead to being assimilated into a Hell creature."
Kirio Hikifune shook her head, disagreeing with the idea of rashly going to Hell without preparation and intelligence.
"If we compare it with the Gyōkaku Kumoi incident, there's another confusing point."
Kisuke Urahara stroked his chin. "It's easy to understand that the Reishi released by a person from Hell carries Hell's aura. But why is the concentration detected in the Tsunayashiro incident higher than in the Gyōkaku Kumoi incident? Could Tokinada Tsunayashiro's Reiatsu be stronger than Gyōkaku Kumoi's?"
Judging from the concentration of Hell Reishi left at the scene, Tokinada Tsunayashiro could have easily slaughtered the entire Tsunayashiro family, and it wasn't just due to 'Enrakyōten' enhancing his strength.
He himself should possess considerable power.
"I fought Tokinada Tsunayashiro in the Dangai. His strength was only at the lieutenant level, much weaker than Gyōkaku Kumoi," Sora frowned. "Did he undergo some kind of change after going to Hell? We need to re-evaluate Tokinada Tsunayashiro's strength..."
The 'Jigoku Rinju' was formed by a high concentration of Hell's aura. When shattered, it would erupt all at once. Sora couldn't control the amount released, otherwise, he wouldn't have used so much at once.
However, this wasn't a loophole. The Soul Society knew little about the Lord of Hell, so they could just attribute "Tokinada Tsunayashiro's" change to the Lord of Hell.
"In that case, perhaps..." Kirio Hikifune hesitated before guessing, "He received power from the 'Lord of Hell'."
If Tokinada Tsunayashiro obtained captain-level power from the Lord of Hell, combined with 'Enrakyōten' which could use the abilities of other Zanpakutō, his strength would be terrifyingly formidable.
"We need to guard against him returning to the Soul Society to cause trouble. Kisuke, optimize the Hollow Reishi Fluctuation Detector as soon as possible, and add a function to detect Hell Reishi fluctuations."
Kirio Hikifune felt it was necessary to prevent Tokinada Tsunayashiro or other people from Hell from returning to the Soul Society to cause chaos.
The Seireitei was equipped with Hollow Reishi Fluctuation Detectors. If a Hollow entered the Seireitei, the device would detect it.
She wanted the Reishi Fluctuation Detector to include the function of monitoring Hell Reishi.
"This thing can be easily interfered with by Sassengan stones, stealth cloaks, and the like, but it's better than nothing..." Kisuke Urahara lamented. "More work... I was hoping for a vacation. I worked overtime for the Academy to make the Reishi projection screen, and now I have to work overtime again!"
Kisuke Urahara's recent overtime was all related to Sora, which made Sora feel a bit guilty.
"If you're too busy, I can help," Sora said enthusiastically. "The finals of the Academy's Shinken Taiketsu have been postponed, so I have quite a bit of free time."
The news of the Tsunayashiro family's annihilation shook the entire Soul Society.
The Central 46 demanded a thorough investigation, and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads all had their own matters to attend to, so the finals of the Academy's Shinken Taiketsu were postponed for two weeks.
...
Half a month later, the postponed Academy Shinken Taiketsu was held as scheduled.
Even though half a month had passed, the audience's enthusiasm had not diminished in the slightest.
"The five great noble families have become four..."
Marenoshin Ōmaeda glanced at the former seats of the Tsunayashiro clan. There wasn't a single Tsunayashiro person there.
The Tsunayashiro clan had been wiped out.
"I was right there on the roof at the time..."
"After Tokinada Tsunayashiro got the sword, he didn't even spare his own clansmen..."
Jirō Obana was recounting his personal experience from half a month ago to the students next to him.
"You've been telling that story for half a month, aren't you tired of it yet!"
Marenoshin Ōmaeda retorted.
Having witnessed such a shocking crime scene, he too had a strong desire to talk about it in the first few days.
But as time went on, others got tired of hearing it, and he got tired of telling it.
"The students haven't heard it before..." Jirō Obana said, not yet finished. "I have to broaden their horizons!"
"By the way, among your academy students, who has higher odds?"
Jirō Obana turned to a student.
He wanted to borrow some money from Marenoshin Ōmaeda. He had to make a comeback today!
"Of course, it's Sajin Komamura!" the student said confidently. "You saw his last fight. He has a way to deal with fast opponents like Lisa Yadōmaru."
"Sōsuke Aizen's advantages are Shunpo and Kidō, which aren't a big threat to Sajin Komamura," another student nodded in agreement.
There were no members of the calligraphy club around Jirō Obana, so no one came out to refute their words.
Except for the members of the calligraphy club, most of the students believed that Sajin Komamura had a much better chance of winning.
"Is that so..." To confirm the information, Jirō Obana asked several students and got the same conclusion.
Jirō Obana dragged Marenoshin Ōmaeda away.
In the guest seats, the captains and lieutenants of the various squads had also come to watch.
After half a month of investigation, the various squads had basically found nothing. They couldn't find any effective clues, so the matter was gradually shelved.
"Lieutenant Kuchiki, have you been coping well during this time?"
Kyōraku Shunsui struck up a conversation with Sōjun Kuchiki before the match began.
"No problem. Father had me handle various squad affairs before, so I'm managing for now."
Sōjun Kuchiki said reservedly.
"You're carrying a heavy burden now, yet you're still so reserved!"
Kyōraku Shunsui smiled and patted Sōjun Kuchiki's shoulder.
"Thank you for your concern, Captain Kyōraku."
Sōjun Kuchiki's eye twitched. He was not good at dealing with Kyōraku Shunsui's type.
The only change during this period was that Ginrei Kuchiki announced his leave of absence.
The Tsunayashiro massacre happened in the noble district, which was under the jurisdiction of the 6th Division. Ginrei Kuchiki took responsibility for the oversight and resigned from his position as captain.
Now, the 6th Division was being led by Lieutenant Sōjun Kuchiki as the acting captain.
Therefore, Ginrei Kuchiki was not in the guest seats but in the seats of the Kuchiki family.
"Things have been happening one after another lately. The Onmitsukidō has detected an anomaly in Hueco Mundo."
Yoruichi Shihōin had just received a message today.
"Isn't the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force still stationed in the Forest of Menos? Did they encounter something they couldn't handle?"
Sora asked curiously.
"The Menos on the outskirts of the Forest of Menos have all been cleared out. The expeditionary force has actually been on a ceasefire and resting for several years," Yoruichi said. "But recently, the Onmitsukidō has discovered Menos from Las Noches appearing in the Forest of Menos."
Sora remembered that when he went to Hueco Mundo to collect materials a few years ago, he had run into Las Noches assembling a Hollow army.
It was his reminder that prompted Yoruichi to dispatch Onmitsukidō Shinigami to Hueco Mundo to monitor Las Noches's movements.
"Could it be that Las Noches has set its sights on the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force?"
Kyōraku Shunsui frowned.
Las Noches was powerful. If Las Noches were to attack the expeditionary force, the Soul Society would have to send reinforcements.
"Looks like there's going to be another fight!"
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki's spirits were lifted, and he rubbed his palms together.
Although many things had happened in the Soul Society in recent years, he hadn't been able to get involved and had been idle for a long time.
"Doesn't the master of Las Noches worry about retaliation from the Shinigami!"
Kyōraku Shunsui couldn't understand the thought process of Hollows.
The Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force had always kept to themselves and not interfered with Las Noches. There was no need for conflict.
The expeditionary force's mission to clear the Menos in the Forest of Menos was an important one.
The Shinigami needed to periodically clear the Menos in the forest to maintain the balance of the three realms.
Hollows were different from ordinary souls.
The lifespan of an ordinary soul in the Soul Society was comparable to that of an ordinary human; they would also die of illness, starvation, or natural causes.
After a soul dies, it is reincarnated as a human in the World of the Living.
However, Hollows with Reiatsu had much longer lifespans than ordinary souls.
Over a long period of accumulation, this would lead to a situation where there were more Hollows than souls in the Soul Society.
Therefore, Shinigami needed to periodically go to Hueco Mundo to clear out Hollows and maintain the balance of the three realms.
"Las Noches is quite ambitious. They really need to be taught a lesson."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto frowned slightly.
The Shinigami had left Las Noches alone based on the idea that letting Las Noches maintain a basic order in Hueco Mundo would be beneficial to them.
Hollows could not be completely purified. A relatively stable order was more important than purifying Hollows.
Now that Las Noches was also causing trouble, they had to strike hard.
"Didn't we say that these outstanding contestants would be rewarded with the chance to apply for an early graduation assessment?" Kenpachi Kuruyashiki stroked his chin. "I think we can have them carry out their assessment mission in Hueco Mundo."
"These contestants all have the strength of a seated officer or higher. I think it's feasible," Kyōraku Shunsui nodded.
"Wouldn't it be too dangerous for them to go to Hueco Mundo at this time?" Jūshirō Ukitake hesitated. "There are Menos in Las Noches that even captains would find troublesome!"
Jūshirō Ukitake thought of Baraggan, the self-proclaimed king of Hueco Mundo. That Menos's abilities were terrifying; even a captain-level Shinigami might not be able to handle him.
"Then let their Professor Katori lead the team. Isn't he their homeroom professor? It's very suitable for him to be their supervising professor," Kyōraku Shunsui said. "If they encounter a Menos that is too powerful, they can just ask Professor Katori to step in!"
Kyōraku Shunsui had witnessed Katori Sora's shadow ability and had great confidence in his strength.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto considered for a moment:
"The strength of Las Noches should not be underestimated. We need to proceed with caution."
"Yoruichi Shihōin, you will lead the Onmitsukidō to investigate the movements of Las Noches."
"Kuru..."
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto!" Sōjun Kuchiki suddenly stood up and requested, "I am willing to lead the 6th Division into battle!"
A massacre had occurred in the noble district, causing the reputation of the 6th Division to plummet. Sōjun Kuchiki felt it was necessary to use military achievements to restore the division's prestige.
He had just taken over the heavy responsibility of the 6th Division from his father and was in great need of military achievements to prove himself.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto frowned, and after a moment of thought, said:
"Then Sōjun Kuchiki will lead the 6th Division to the Forest of Menos to reinforce the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force!"
"The academy assessment students and their supervising professor can follow the 6th Division on their mission."
He considered that Katori Sora also had captain-level strength, so it was not out of the question for the 6th Division to lead the charge.
Whether to send more reinforcements later would depend on how far Las Noches wanted to take the fight.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto did not want to annihilate Las Noches yet.
This time, they only needed to teach Las Noches a lesson, let them continue to maintain their rule in Hueco Mundo, and restrain the Menos from causing trouble in the World of the Living.
"Nothing for me to do?" Kenpachi Kuruyashiki opened his mouth. He still wanted to go to Hueco Mundo to experience the thrill of battle.
"If you always take on everything, how will the young ones grow!" Kyōraku Shunsui patted Kenpachi Kuruyashiki's shoulder. "We should give them some opportunities to grow!"
He very much hoped that Sōjun Kuchiki could grow up quickly.
With one less captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, he had more on his shoulders.
The more captains there were, the more comfortable his own captaincy would be!
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