"Dare to disrupt our experiment? Szayelaporro-sama will not let you go!"
—Those were Domilo's last words.
"Who is this Szayelaporro the Hollow mentioned?" Kūgo Ginjō asked.
"A Vasto Lorde-class Hollow—one of the most powerful in Hueco Mundo."
Masatsuki Aozaki absentmindedly stroked the jade storing the collected souls and replied casually, "This was a good haul, but it's about time for me to leave."
"You're leaving?!" Kūgo Ginjō's face lit up with visible relief. His composure was nowhere near that of the man he would become in the future.
"That's right." Masatsuki Aozaki narrowed his eyes slightly, his voice lowering. "You sound a little too happy about that."
Obviously! Who the hell would want to stick around a guy this dangerous?! Kūgo Ginjō thought to himself.
Scratching his head awkwardly, he quickly covered, "No, I'm just surprised you're leaving so soon."
Masatsuki Aozaki chuckled. "Oh? So you don't want me to go? Maybe I should stay, then?"
Kūgo Ginjō: "..."
Masatsuki Aozaki gazed down the shattered street. The already dilapidated wooden houses had completely collapsed, and as the morning sun began to rise over the city, the land was bathed in an orange glow.
He and Kūgo Ginjō had spent most of the night here. To ensure that no critical knowledge was leaked, Masatsuki Aozaki hadn't let Kūgo Ginjō assist in collecting the souls from the fallen Hollows, handling it all himself.
If not for the soul collection, dealing with these small fry wouldn't have taken nearly this long. Unfortunately, he lacked any efficient method for large-scale extraction.
Kūgo Ginjō, on the other hand, didn't seem to care. He mentioned that nighttime was his favorite time of day. He liked being alone in the dead of night—it gave him a sense of solitude, a reminder that he was still alive, that he was still human.
Masatsuki Aozaki casually asked if he wanted companions.
Kūgo Ginjō dismissed the idea, saying that companionship wasn't important. In this dangerous world, the only thing that mattered was power. If gaining a Shinigami's strength required sacrificing everything, then so be it.
Masatsuki Aozaki didn't comment, but he understood—this man who would one day be filled with ambition was, at this moment, just a lonely young man.
Those who are different from the rest tend to drift apart from others. For some, that's a tragedy.
When faced with the death of that priest, the man who claimed that power was everything had clearly been moved.
But because he lacked the strength to resist, he had chosen to accept and submit.
"Relax, I was just messing with you. There are more important people waiting for me in Soul Society—I don't have time to waste hanging around here." Masatsuki Aozaki's voice echoed through the ruins.
Kūgo Ginjō was lost in thought about the future when Masatsuki Aozaki suddenly clapped a hand on his shoulder, snapping him back to reality.
With the sun rising, a man like Masatsuki Aozaki—handsome and with a striking voice—would no doubt cause a commotion if he walked the streets. Girls would probably be willing to give up sleeping in just to catch a glimpse of him.
But Kūgo Ginjō only shuddered. After all, this was a man who could level entire streets with a single swing of his blade. If that slap had been even slightly harder… he'd probably be dust.
"What do you need me to do?"
The pressure on his shoulder made Kūgo Ginjō wince. Gritting his teeth, he asked, fully aware that he should offer to help Masatsuki Aozaki with whatever needed to be done.
Masatsuki Aozaki replied, "I placed a tracking Kidō on you. It's a technique I stole from the Shihōin Clan. No matter where you go, I'll always be able to find you. If you can break it, well, that'd be impressive… So, want to give it a try?"
"No... No need." Kūgo Ginjō forced a strained smile, feeling utterly helpless.
Of course, he didn't want to be under someone else's control, but considering Masatsuki Aozaki's terrifying strength, he figured it was best not to test his luck.
Masatsuki Aozaki continued, "Go ahead and do what the Tsunayashiro Clan assigned you. I'll check in on your progress from time to time."
"Why?" Kūgo Ginjō asked, momentarily stunned.
"That's not something you need to know," Masatsuki Aozaki replied casually. "I just hope to see some results the next time I come around."
Kūgo Ginjō flexed his left hand cautiously. A tingling sensation spread through it, but aside from that, nothing felt particularly strange.
When he caught sight of Masatsuki Aozaki's satisfied smile, he felt a wave of relief wash over him. If he had tried to remove the Kidō just now, this guy probably would have killed him on the spot without hesitation.
"Oh, right," Masatsuki Aozaki added. "I should probably give you a little warning—so you don't end up dying without knowing why."
"...What?" Kūgo Ginjō frowned.
"The Tsunayashiro Clan will definitely send more people after you," Masatsuki Aozaki said. "That man spent years on you, which means the Tsunayashiro Clan isn't willing to let you go so easily."
"Besides, since he came to the World of the Living for you, even if the Tsunayashiro Clan doesn't come looking for you, someone else will come looking for him."
Kūgo Ginjō felt his heartbeat quicken. "So what should I do?" he asked hurriedly.
"Just tell them he was killed by a Hollow," Masatsuki Aozaki said offhandedly.
"That guy was only at the level of a mid-ranked Seated Officer. Against a mindless Gillian, he might've had a chance to escape, but against an Adjuchas? No way."
"You don't need to go into too much detail. Just say he ran into a Hollow and describe its appearance to them."
"Those guys aren't all idiots. They should be able to figure out the Hollow's level on their own."
"If they believe you and still want you to work for them, then join them."
"And if they don't believe me?" Kūgo Ginjō asked.
"Then just blame everything on me," Masatsuki Aozaki said confidently. "You can't afford to go against the Tsunayashiro Clan, but I, Sephiroth, have no such concerns."
Easy for you to say. But do you dare tell me your real name?
Kūgo Ginjō kept that thought to himself but felt an odd sense of relief.
At the very least, this guy treated his subordinates like people—unlike the Tsunayashiro Clan, who exuded nothing but arrogance and disdain from the moment he interacted with them.
Masatsuki Aozaki hadn't even bothered using his ability to steal Shinigami powers as leverage over him.
Killing a Shinigami was a serious crime, but when the choice was between "dying now" and "dying later," was there even a decision to make?
Their relationship wasn't close enough for Kūgo Ginjō to trust Masatsuki Aozaki with his life.
Seeing the unease in his expression, Masatsuki Aozaki reassured him, "Don't worry too much. Before I leave, I'll give you a Jigokuchō (Hell Butterfly). It can transmit messages between Soul Society and the World of the Living. If anything happens, use it to contact me—I'll handle everything."
Kūgo Ginjō tensed, then hesitantly asked, "...You're not going to 'handle' me too, are you?"
"Come on," Masatsuki Aozaki smirked, patting him on the shoulder. "If I wanted to kill you, would I really wait until later?"
"...Fair point." Kūgo Ginjō nodded, feeling slightly reassured.
If this guy wanted him dead, he wouldn't waste time scheming—one slap would be enough to turn him into dust.
...Come to think of it, maybe being his subordinate wasn't the worst thing in the world.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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