Three days later, in the Ryūkai District, the 80th District of the East Rukongai. Kōe had been to this place when he was investigating the Sternritter Fortress. To be honest, there wasn't much of a difference between here and the Zaraki District.
Even with the Kōki mask, finding a single person here was hardly easier than finding a needle in a haystack. But he still made some progress. On the second day, he found the site where Kuruyashiki Kenpachi and Azashiro Sōya had fought.
This wasn't just blind luck. Through the Kōki mask, Kōe noticed an area where the Reishi density was significantly higher than its surroundings. The slash marks on the ground and the earth clearly torn up by spiritual power—none of this looked like the work of a Hollow.
Of course, it could have been caused by the Shinigami stationed in the Ryūkai District. What truly confirmed it for Kōe was that Azashiro Sōya himself appeared and admitted it personally.
When Azashiro Sōya emerged from the ground like a liquid man and condensed into a human form right in front of him, Kōe was, quite frankly, startled.
The Azashiro Sōya standing before him was actually formed by condensing the Reishi from the surrounding earth and air. Kōe finally understood how Azashiro had attacked Central 46 back then—his spiritual power was practically alive.
Kōe's appearance here was beyond Azashiro's expectations, but it was also exactly what he wanted to see. Thus, the Reishi clone extended an invitation to Kōe. "I invited you back in the Seireitei, and you refused. I wonder if now, you might accept my invitation and come meet me."
"Of course. That's the whole reason I came here."
"That is for the best. Then follow me," Azashiro said. The Reishi clone instantly dissipated. Kōe watched as the Reishi flew into the body of a bird in the sky. The bird then swooped down and spoke in a shrill, parrot-like voice, "However, the journey is long. You had better keep up."
"I don't mind a long journey. I'm just afraid I'll drop dead along the way," Kōe muttered. But it seemed Azashiro heard him, as the bird turned its head and replied with a laugh, "A bird's life is very fragile. Don't get so nervous that you end up killing your guide."
...
On the night of the fifth day, the man and the bird arrived at the edge of a lake.
"Let us rest here for today," the bird said, alighting on a low branch by the lake and extending a wing to gesture for Kōe to sit and rest.
Over the past few days, Kōe's schedule had been incredibly regular—moving at sunrise and resting at sunset. But this was entirely forced upon him. If the tour guide wanted to pull over and rest, what else could he do?
"I never knew the West Rukongai was this massive. But at the pace you're setting, I could spend a year just walking around my own courtyard," Kōe complained, plopping down on a rock opposite the bird and propping up his head.
Over their three days of travel, let alone using Shunpo, Kōe hadn't even had the chance to jog. That wasn't even the worst part. Azashiro Sōya, possessing the bird, kept leading him in circles. Kōe had seen this exact same lake from a distance just yesterday.
"Take this chance to properly appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Soul Society while you are still alive. It is a rare opportunity, is it not?"
"Can I make a request? Could you change your voice? Listening to this bird squawk for so long is giving me a headache."
Azashiro readily agreed to this request. Without the bird opening its beak, Azashiro's own voice, clear as a wind chime, rang out. "It is normal to have a headache after going so many days without rest. Would you like to sleep peacefully tonight?"
"You haven't rested either, have you? How about you get a peaceful night's sleep tonight?" Kōe teased with a smile.
For the past three days, neither of them had closed their eyes. They were both in the same boat, so neither had the right to look down on the other.
"Very well. It seems we still cannot trust each other. Tonight will be another sleepless night." Azashiro spread the bird's wings and said helplessly, "But there is absolutely no need for this. If I wanted to make things difficult for you, I would have made my move long ago."
"And you don't need to be on guard against me either. If I didn't want to capture you, I would have made my move long ago too," Kōe said. He pointed his index finger at Azashiro and gestured a few times before continuing, "You don't actually think this tiny bit of Reishi can withstand my attacks, do you?"
"You really are an interesting person. Even more interesting than Kuruyashiki!" Azashiro said, sounding quite pleased. White Reishi surged from the bird's body, flowing onto the ground and condensing into a Reishi clone right in front of Kōe.
"Is the night too long? Are you looking for a fight to pass the time?"
"No, I just felt that conversing like this is more formal." Azashiro waved his hand and sat cross-legged on the ground, asking, "I asked Kuruyashiki this same question. Do you not find living an unchanging life in the Seireitei to be dull?"
"Uh... you probably don't know me very well. I've been alive for less than two hundred years..." Kōe awkwardly held up two fingers and continued, "And I haven't even spent twenty years in the Seireitei..."
"..."
"Furthermore! I spent a hundred and fifty years searching for the Sternritter Fortress, and I didn't even get two days of peace before you broke out of prison! You call this kind of life unchanging?! Heh." Kōe looked at Azashiro with a face full of disgust. "I'd love to have a couple days of peace. Oh, wait, no, I want to live a peaceful life forever. Do you think all this fighting and killing is thrilling?"
Azashiro hadn't expected this response from Kōe, but thinking about it carefully, it made perfect sense. This little guy in front of him hadn't even had the chance to enjoy a few days of stability yet.
"It seems I owe you an apology first. I was the one who disturbed your, hmm... beautiful aspirations?" Azashiro replied with a smile.
"If you really mean that, then come back to the Seireitei with me and tell everyone that I defeated you. That would show some actual sincerity."
"Hahaha, fair enough, but I cannot do that!" Azashiro laughed heartily, pointing at himself. "I currently bear the title of the eighth-generation Kenpachi, after all. If I were defeated by you so carelessly, Kuruyashiki would never be able to rest in peace."
"So you actually care about that? I thought from the day you colluded with the Quincy, you stopped caring about such things." Kōe paused, realizing something wasn't right, and corrected himself. "No, wait. You colluded with the Quincy for power, but I don't get it. You have the strength to defeat Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, so why bother cooperating with the Quincy? You don't actually think the Quincy can defeat the Shinigami, do you?"
"That? I never considered them partners. We merely shared the same temporary goals." The smile on Azashiro's face gradually faded. He turned to look at the surface of the nearby lake and spoke softly. "After all, there are some things I cannot handle personally while inside the Seireitei. I needed them to share some of the burden."
"Like hunting me down? What a pitiful bunch of tools."
"Tools? A fitting term." Azashiro turned his head back, his expression serious. "But they are not pitiful. At the very least, our dreams are the same. Only our methods differ."
"Therefore, they may be foolish, but they are also a group of endearing tools."
Power Stones, reviews, and comments— really helps a lot
Want to read ahead? Get access to 50+ extra chapters on my Patreon:
👉 patreon.com/Aragai_Sama