Chapter 155: Yoruichi's Inner Conflict
"Keep it short, just give me the summary."
Seeing that Yoruichi was about to launch into another two-chapter explanation, Satoru raised his hand to stop her.
Yoruichi shot him a glare.
"Gagaku Kairō is the Zanpakutō of Kenpachi Kuruyashiki, the captain of the 11th Division from two generations ago."
"Its Shikai ability is pretty ordinary, nothing special to mention—it just summons a bunch of monsters to help in fights."
"But... his Bankai is unprecedentedly terrifying."
When she mentioned Gagaku Kairō's Bankai, Yoruichi's expression turned grim.
"Gagaku Kairō's Bankai ability summons a massive mouth dozens of miles long that devours everything within its range, whether living or non-living."
"If he uses that move, the entire Seireitei... even the surrounding, most prosperous districts of Rukongai would completely vanish, becoming just a page in Soul Society's history!"
"Its only drawback is that after using this technique, the Zanpakutō cannot be released again for half a year—not even Shikai."
Hearing this, Satoru's eyes widened.
There's actually such a bizarre ability in the world?
A mouth dozens of kilometers long... Good grief, what kind of ancient god is that?
Compared to this thing, the Zanpakutō of the Soul Society captains are practically a pile of scrap metal!
What is the Tsunayashiro Clan thinking... With something like this, wouldn't they be invincible if they brought it out earlier? Why bother with political struggles?
For a moment, Satoru felt completely unsettled.
Seeing his expression, Yoruichi chuckled smugly.
"What's wrong? Is the invincible Lord Satoru scared?"
Satoru snorted. "With such a broken ability, who wouldn't be?"
Yoruichi laughed heartily. "True, if it were the genuine Gagaku Kairō, it would indeed be a terrifying weapon capable of taking on ten thousand enemies alone."
"However, the Tsunayashiro's Gagaku Kairō is an imitation created using Enrakyōten."
"Enrakyōten... while others may not know of this blade, as the head of the Shihōin Clan, I've long been aware of its reputation."
"Though its ability is unparalleled—capable of mimicking any Zanpakutō it has witnessed—the cost is the user's own lifespan."
"Tsunayashiro Senzaemon possesses immense power and an extended lifespan. If he were only imitating ordinary Zanpakutō, he could fight for seven days and nights without perishing."
"But... Gagaku Kairō is different."
"Should he dare to unleash Gagaku Kairō's Bankai, he would likely be drained dry in an instant, perishing together with the Seireitei!"
A look of realization dawned on Satoru's face.
So that's how it is... No wonder Senzaemon never flaunted this blade.
Turns out this sword consumes one's life force.
For a moment, Satoru felt he had gained new insights into life, the world, and the relationship between sacrifice and reward.
His understanding of life had been elevated.
He sighed with emotion:
"Suì-Fēng, a bit to the right."
"...Yes."
While enjoying Suì-Fēng's foot massage, he turned his gaze to Yoruichi.
"So what happened in the end? Since I'm still lying here, it means Tsunayashiro Senzaemon didn't use that Bankai, right?"
"Mm." Yoruichi nodded. "That old fox demanded to leave the Soul Society with his loyal clan members, threatening to destroy the Seireitei along with himself if refused."
"The captains present didn't dare make the decision, so they summoned Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
"In the end, Lord Genryūsai agreed to Tsunayashiro Senzaemon's demand. The latter took a group of people and left the Soul Society for Hueco Mundo..."
Hearing this, Satoru's eyes lit up.
Hueco Mundo?
What a great place, an excellent choice!
If Senzaemon had remained in the Soul Society and somehow preserved his noble status through some means, Satoru wouldn't have entertained any ideas.
Unexpectedly, the old man actually went to Hueco Mundo...
Although Hueco Mundo currently belongs to Baraggan, eventually it will belong to Aizen!
Enrakyōten will inevitably find its way into my pocket!
Though the side effects are somewhat frightening, given my youth, what does sacrificing a bit of lifespan matter?
Happiness comes first.
With his fantasy time over, Satoru looked at his own Zanpakutō.
Despite being a transmigrator, his Zanpakutō's ability was so mediocre. How wonderful would it be if his Zanpakutō were a side-effect-free Enrakyōten?
...Huh?
He turned his head, scanning the room.
Then he asked puzzledly, "Suì-Fēng, where's my sword?"
Suì-Fēng, focused on stepping on his back, was momentarily taken aback by his question.
She looked at Yoruichi.
Yoruichi shrugged. "No idea. I haven't seen you with a sword since we returned to the Soul Society."
Satoru: "?"
He closed his eyes, engaging in a mental storm as he retraced his memories.
After a short while, cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
Opening his eyes, he looked at Yoruichi awkwardly:
"...Yoruichi, I think... I might have left my sword in Hueco Mundo."
Yoruichi: "..."
Suì-Fēng: "?"
If there were a ranking for absurd behaviors in the Soul Society, Yoruichi felt that Satoru's current move would undoubtedly rank near the top.
...
...
With Tsunayashiro Senzaemon's exile, the rebel uprising came to a complete end.
Because the clan head and main members were exiled, the remaining members of the Tsunayashiro Clan unexpectedly managed to retain their noble status.
Currently, those left in the Tsunayashiro Clan were all weak and incompetent individuals who only wanted to live peacefully and muddle through.
Even if there were any who weren't weak, under such circumstances, they no longer possessed the ability to turn things around.
Initially, Satoru had assumed that after the Kuchiki Clan's victory, they would seize the opportunity to expand their influence and recruit more vassals.
Unexpectedly, the outcome was quite the opposite.
As the dust settled, Ginrei rejected the allegiance of many minor clans and didn't even reach out much when it came to dividing the spoils from the Tsunayashiro Clan's downfall.
The Kuchiki Clan, true to its name, fell silent once again.
Many ambitious nobles were dissatisfied with the Kuchiki Clan's actions, but Ginrei seemed utterly indifferent.
Meanwhile, the Shihōin Clan expanded their influence significantly.
Before the rebel war, the Shihōin Clan's scale was less than a third of the Kuchiki Clan's.
Now, it had already surpassed half of the Kuchiki Clan's.
As a beneficiary, Yoruichi was conflicted.
First, she disliked all this nonsense of scheming and fighting for power.
What made her even more uncomfortable was that many of the nobles rushing to pledge allegiance were doing so because of Satoru.
During this incident, Satoru's performance had deeply impressed these nobles.
As the Head Captain's disciple, he possessed outstanding strength and was bold and decisive in battle.
If he and Yoruichi were to unite, the Shihōin Clan would inevitably become a behemoth comparable to the Kuchiki Clan in a short time!
With the mindset that the earlier the investment, the better the returns, minor nobles began scrambling to board the Shihōin Clan's ship.
Yoruichi lazily leaned back in her chair.
What was that guy Satoru thinking?
Given his personality, he probably wouldn't agree to marry into her family.
Then... should she marry him?
The moment this thought crossed her mind, Yoruichi shuddered.
No, no, that's just too weird!
The mere thought of herself getting married made her burst out laughing...