Squad One, meeting room.
After confirming that Naraku Sora was unharmed and had even brought back a "souvenir" specifically from Hell, Yamamoto immediately convened a Captains' meeting to discuss this sudden incident.
The dignified old man sat at the head of the room, his eyes half-closed and his hands resting on his cane, allowing a heavy atmosphere to permeate the space.
The other captains stood in two rows, all completely silent, their eyes fixed on the petite figure standing in the center of the room.
Purple twin-tails, a black eyepatch, a rebellious expression, and a twisted, maddening Reiatsu.
She looked completely out of place in her surroundings.
Just moments ago, Kuchiki Ginrei had recounted the previous events in detail.
Upon hearing his report, some of the newly appointed captains widened their eyes in disbelief.
"A first-generation captain of the Gotei 13 actually returned from Hell?"
"The Konso Festival we've been maintaining all this time was actually meant to send our deceased comrades into Hell?!"
"Head Captain..."
Hearing their discussions, Saitō Furōfushi, who was bound and sealed by golden chains, let out a disdainful sneer.
"You're all grown adults, yet you're still so naive."
"Hey, Old Man Yama, I didn't expect you to have such an indecisive side, deliberately hiding the truth of the Konso Festival."
"When you recruited us back then, you were incredibly ruthless."
"It's been nearly a thousand years, and you've only grown softer..."
*Thwack!*
A heavy karate chop landed squarely on Saitō's head, forcefully knocking the words right back down her throat.
"Bastard, if you dare hit my head again, I'll hack you to death!"
Saitō was furious, her small face flushing red as her petite body struggled madly under the Bakudō seal, but no matter what she did, she could not break free from the restraints.
This was a Bakudō that Naraku Sora had specially prepared for her, and it was highly practical.
Let alone a mere female brat, even if it were cast on Aizen, it could restrain him for a second or two.
The only downside was its casting delay, making it easy to dodge.
Yamamoto cast a complicated look at Saitō. The current development of events had severely exceeded his expectations.
He never expected that Hell, which had been stable for so many years, would undergo such a drastic change.
"Saitō, tell us. Why did you return to the Seireitei?"
After the two had caused a ruckus for a while, a deep voice echoed from the head of the room.
Saitō Furōfushi looked toward the source of the voice, meeting those slightly opened eyes just as a flash of fiery golden-red flickered within them.
A suffocating fear began to breed in the depths of her heart.
Even though the man before her was now old and withered, the moment their eyes met, Saitō subconsciously recalled the battles they had fought together in the past.
If the first-generation captains were considered the most wicked of people, then the old man sitting at the head of the room was the very incarnation of pure evil.
How could anyone suppress a group of villains into total submission without a tremendous amount of sheer willpower?
Relying on strength alone would never be enough to easily subjugate a bunch of eccentric, unruly individuals.
However, upon remembering that she was already dead, Saitō's courage immediately swelled. She curled her lips and said disdainfully,
"Ask that fine disciple of yours."
"Brat, tell your beloved teacher exactly what you've done."
As soon as she said this, everyone's gaze instantly converged on a certain someone.
Naraku Sora frowned in thought for a few seconds before realization dawned on him.
"Could it be about converting third-class Reishi?"
"What Reishi conversion?!"
Yamamoto opened his eyes wide, staring intently at his disciple, having guessed something truly terrifying.
"Explain yourself clearly."
Naraku Sora grinned, smiling smugly.
"Naturally, it's about forcefully converting the third-class Reishi that was supposed to fall into Hell, allowing it to enter the Soul Society's Reishi cycle instead."
"This is the result of my painstaking research using my world-shattering intellect. It's a magnificent feat that not even that Spirit King guy could accomplish."
Back when he used a certain sinner for an experiment, the Gates of Hell had merely popped up, violently sucked in a bunch of air, and then dissipated on their own.
He thought the matter was closed, never expecting that Hell would take this long to finally react.
Talk about a ridiculously long reflex arc.
Even though he had already guessed it, hearing Naraku Sora admit it with his own ears still inevitably brought a look of shock to Yamamoto's eyes.
Long before becoming Head Captain, he had known the ironclad rule that 'third-class Reishi can never return to the earth of the Soul Society under any circumstances.'
And the history of the Konso Festival was far older than the Gotei 13 itself.
It was only after the founding of the Gotei 13 that this responsibility fell personally to him as the Head Captain.
For a thousand years, there had never been any mishaps.
Time and time again, he had personally sent the comrades and subordinates he had fought alongside straight into Hell. Yamamoto had endured this cruel task countless times.
From the original first-generation captains to the newly appointed successors that followed.
Although he had repeatedly asked the Mikado family, one of the Five Noble Families responsible for guarding the Gates of Hell, if there was any way to end this endless torment.
The answer he received every time was a resounding no.
For the sake of the balance between the three realms and Hell, Yamamoto could only silently carry out his duty.
Yet now, there was a glimmer of hope for salvation.
He would no longer have to endure that pain, no longer have to repeatedly send his comrades and subordinates to Hell to suffer unimaginable torment.
"Then I have one more question."
Yamamoto took a deep breath and redirected his gaze to the fierce-looking Saitō.
"Did you return from Hell to seek salvation from Naraku Sora?"
Hearing this, Saitō sneered. "Lord Genryūsai, it seems you've been Head Captain for so long that you've gone senile."
"How could anyone who has fallen into Hell ever escape its grasp?"
"The moment I became a Sinner, I was no longer purely myself."
"The reason I returned to the Soul Society is because I was guided by the Will of Hell to find a Soul Reaper named Naraku Sora and kill him."
"To completely put an end to this so-called Reishi conversion method."
Yamamoto's expression instantly grew solemn.
He had originally thought the Wandenreich was the only threat to the Seireitei, but he never expected Hell to emerge as another.
He didn't know much about Hell.
But he was certain of one thing: over the million-year history of the separated three realms, the number of powerful individuals with third-class Spiritual Power who had fallen into Hell was by no means small.
If it were just Saitō Furōfushi alone, there would indeed be nothing to worry about.
But what if she was merely the vanguard?
If Saitō failed completely and the Will of Hell decided to throw caution to the wind and fully open the Gates of Hell, it would truly be the end of the world.
Yamamoto prided himself on being the strongest among the current Soul Reapers, yet even he couldn't guarantee his survival against a siege from countless captain-class Soul Reapers.
Could it be that he needed to request aid from the Zero Division?
Just as he was agonizing over this, Saitō sneered coldly.
"Genryūsai, stop thinking about those meaningless things. The only thing you can do right now is hand this silly boy next to me over to Hell."
"With the Soul Society's current strength, it's impossible to contend with Hell."
"Ever since we fell into Hell, we've been in an immortal and indestructible state. Although we endure unimaginable torture every day, we've also gained power far greater than before in exchange."
"That guy Ginrei should be considered above average among the captains, right?"
"Ask him. Is he any match for me?"
At these words, Kuchiki Ginrei, who had been standing to the side covered in bandages, lowered his head in shame.
The two of them were simply not on the same level.
He had been beaten almost the entire time, completely unable to fight back.
If Naraku Sora hadn't arrived in time, the Kuchiki family would be hosting a funeral banquet right now.
"Soul Reapers lack the means to kill us."
Although Saitō spoke coldly, her words subtly revealed an imperceptible trace of worry.
Even though she was already dead, she still didn't want to see her former friends end up with the same fate as her.
"Even if you temporarily repel the Sinners of Hell, they will just make a comeback after a while."
"Once or twice might not be a problem, but what if it's ten times, a hundred times, or even a thousand or ten thousand times?"
Yamamoto slowly closed his eyes.
Right now, he had two choices.
One was to hand Naraku Sora over to Hell and continue maintaining the status quo.
The other was to go to war with Hell, leading the Soul Reapers of the Soul Society toward utter annihilation.
The overwhelming disparity made it impossible for him to see even a sliver of hope for victory.
But giving up easily was not his style either.
Watching his disciple go to his death helplessly would be even more torturous than sending his former comrades and subordinates to Hell.
After hearing Saitō's words, the others in the meeting room also fell deep into thought, and a pessimistic atmosphere gradually began to spread.
But a few of them had made different preparations.
If Yamamoto made the wrong decision, they would immediately voice their opposition.
"Hey, brat, do you feel the despair now?"
Saitō turned her head, looking at the figure beside her, and mocked.
"Despair?"
Naraku Sora grinned. "Since when were you under the illusion that I would ever feel such an emotion?"
"If the Will of Hell were truly so powerful that it couldn't be opposed—like having the ability to alter reality with a word—then maybe I'd feel despair."
"But right now, the one who is truly helpless is *it*."
Saitō was stunned, her face full of confusion.
"You didn't think the method I researched was as simple as just converting third-class Reishi so it could enter the Soul Society's cycle, did you?"
Naraku Sora laughed triumphantly.
"Its true application is to pull the dead who have fallen into Hell right back into the three realms!"
As soon as he said this, everyone's eyes fell upon Naraku Sora.
Yamamoto even shot up from his seat, staring at his disciple with burning eyes, and said in a deep voice,
"Boy, is what you're saying true?"
"Words are useless. Let's just test it and find out."
Naraku Sora looked toward the mature-looking Captain of Squad Twelve beside him, Kirio Hikifune.
"Captain Hikifune, please give me a Gigai."
Kirio Hikifune froze for a moment, not expecting Naraku Sora to make such a request.
However, as a researcher, she did indeed carry a portable Gigai on her; it was her latest research achievement.
When paired with Artificial Soul technology, it was enough to revolutionize the way Soul Reapers operated in the World of the Living.
Holding the Gigai capsule, Naraku Sora led Saitō into the barracks' courtyard.
He casually activated the capsule. With a burst of white smoke, a complete Gigai stood in place.
He stood before the Gigai and flashed a grin at the female brat beside him. Saitō felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze, getting the distinct feeling that something bad was about to happen.
Under the watchful eyes of the captains, Naraku Sora clapped his hands together and muttered in a low voice,
"Impure World Reincarnation!"
Accompanied by a bloom of incandescent light, the Gigai seemed to come to life, constantly twisting and struggling.
Beside him, Saitō revealed an expression of astonishment. She could clearly sense an irresistible force wrestling for control against the Will of Hell.
Countless specks of ashen dust clung to the Gigai like sheets of paper.
Immediately after, something unbelievable happened.
Saitō Furōfushi, who was a Sinner of Hell, completely dissipated, and in her place stood a newly resurrected Gigai Saitō!