Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō
Chapter 396: A Key Player

Chapter 396: Chapter 396: A Key Player

With a rough sense of the power balance between both sides, Yamamoto felt a bit more at ease as his gaze swept across the room.

"The most urgent matter now is to determine how the original Captains escaped from Hell."

"If something really has gone wrong in Hell—if the Togabito have managed to break free—then the consequences for the entire world would be catastrophic."

His expression darkened. Bracing both hands on the table, Yamamoto slowly stood up, his voice deep and heavy.

Originally, this meeting had been convened to discuss the search operation for the Wandenreich.

But trouble never comes alone.

Before the Wandenreich situation could be resolved, an even greater crisis had surfaced.

A problem far more dangerous than the Wandenreich!

If there was anything in this world that could leave even the strongest Shinigami of the past thousand years at a loss... it was, without question, Hell.

Over the course of a million years, virtually every soul possessing Third-Class Spiritual Power or higher—that is, Captain-class Shinigami and Hollows—had been consigned to Hell.

Based on what he’d learned from the Yomi Clan, Yamamoto knew that the beings in Hell were immortal.

Even if killed, they would be resurrected within Hell, over and over, until their very will eroded into dust.

If the Yomi Clan’s claims were accurate, then even if most of those souls had already turned to sand, the number of remaining Captain-level beings could still be considerable.

After all, the Captains from a thousand years ago were still walking around—and Yamamoto himself had sent countless others into Hell over the centuries.

Going back even further, the total number would be staggering beyond comprehension.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling his recent fight with Chika Shihōin.

When had that cunning old comrade ever looked so blank and lifeless?

Rather than harboring hatred toward Yamamoto or the Soul Society, he’d seemed more like a puppet—his body manipulated by some unseen force.

And another thing...

If someone had escaped from Hell, and the Yomi Clan—who constantly monitored Hell—had known about it, shouldn’t they have come to report it immediately?

Why hadn’t there been any word from them? Why did he have to send someone to summon them?

Just then, a member of the Inner Court Troop rushed into the room.

"Reporting! Captain-Commander, a representative of the Yomi Clan is here. He’s waiting outside!"

Finally.

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow.

If the Yomi Clan hadn’t come voluntarily, he was prepared to pay them a visit himself—even if it meant offending one of the Five Great Noble Houses.

Before long, an elderly man entered the room, leaning on a cane.

It was Hoshi Yomi—the same elder Masatsuki Aozaki had met once before.

He was the one Masatsuki had discussed the matter of Kenpachi Kiganjō’s soul with.

With a solemn expression, the old man gave a respectful bow to everyone present.

After receiving their return greetings, he turned to Masatsuki Aozaki and, with grave seriousness, began asking for a full account of the situation.

After listening, Hoshi’s expression turned to shock.

"So that’s it... The Will of Hell has entered the Three Worlds. No wonder we couldn’t detect anything."

"What do you mean by that?" Kensei Muguruma asked instinctively.

Under everyone’s gaze, Yomi Hoshi cleared his throat and began to explain slowly.

"The Will of Hell is the warden of Hell—the embodiment of its rules."

"As you all know, Hell is a place that imprisons the damned."

"The Will of Hell exists to punish souls who committed heinous crimes in life."

"Its power is bound by a special set of laws. No matter how strong the Togabito are, they can’t resist it."

"It will ravage and kill them over and over, waiting for them to resurrect, only to kill them again."

"This endless cycle inflicts eternal suffering."

"It has no will of its own. It exists solely as a part of Hell."

"And since it appeared in the Soul Society but didn’t bring the First Generation Captains back..."

"That means—they’re not escapees. The Will of Hell allowed them to come here!"

"That’s also why we didn’t detect anything unusual."

"To be honest, we’ve never had any authority over Hell. All we’ve ever been able to do is observe it."

"And now, it simply doesn’t want to be observed anymore. So we see nothing—and there’s nothing we can do about it."

Kensei scratched his head, visibly confused. It was a lot to take in.

He didn’t fully understand, but seeing the others nodding, he just nodded along.

Hoshi didn’t mind and instead turned toward Masatsuki Aozaki.

"Captain Aozaki, if I’m not mistaken, you witnessed the Will of Hell merging with the First Generation Captains, correct?"

Masatsuki nodded.

"That’s right. The Reishi of the Will of Hell gathered on Chika Shihōin. The others were all clad in golden armor, and their eyes had turned gold."

Yomi Hoshi gave a solemn nod.

"Then it’s likely the First Generation Captains didn’t attack you of their own will. They were being controlled by Hell."

"However, Hell’s ability to act within the Three Worlds must be limited."

"Otherwise, instead of manipulating the Captains through the Will of Hell, it would’ve just flooded this world with endless fragments of itself."

Isshin Shiba stroked his chin thoughtfully, then asked,

"If the Will of Hell suppresses Togabito through rules, then maybe it’s not actually that strong?"

"Could it be that Hell doesn’t consider us a threat, so it hasn’t bothered sending more?"

Hoshi Yomi shook his head.

"According to what we’ve learned, attacks from Lieutenant-level Shinigami barely affect the Will of Hell."

"They may not be as powerful as Captains, but there’s no question—they’re a formidable force."

The Captains all looked visibly unsettled.

It was well known that Shinigami were glass cannons—high offense, low defense.

And the Will of Hell had defense beyond that of most Captain-level Shinigami.

Seeing the growing tension, Hoshi Yomi’s expression turned stern.

"If the First Generation Captains really were sent by the Will of Hell, then I urge all of you to be extremely cautious."

"The Will of Hell carries a special rule-based power: any soul it kills will fall into Hell and become a Togabito."

"I suspect that the Captains who have merged with it likely gained that same ability."

"The Gate of Hell is suppressed by Reiatsu."

"If too much Captain-class Reiatsu falls into Hell, it could severely disrupt the balance between Hell and the Three Worlds."

"And if that happens... when the Gate of Hell opens, it’ll be a catastrophe far worse than anything we’ve seen."

At those words, the Captains’ faces darkened.

We’re talking about the original Gotei 13.

Just look at how Retsu Unohana has gradually revealed her terrifying true strength over the years.

Those early Captains might be the kind who could slaughter modern Captains like dogs.

Just because Masatsuki Aozaki didn’t see them as a threat didn’t mean anyone else could afford to be so relaxed.

Even imagining an encounter with those monsters was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

"Especially the Captain-Commander, Captain Unohana, and Captain Aozaki. I’ve heard your Reiatsu has already surpassed the Captain-Commander’s."

"Your Reiatsu is far too powerful—even stronger than the combined total of all the other Captains. You must not fall."

"If any of you are taken, it could spell doom for the entire Three Worlds."

Hoshi spoke solemnly, his voice steady but firm.

Shunsui Kyōraku rubbed his chin in thought.

Indeed—just as Hoshi Yomi said, Masatsuki’s Reiatsu had already surpassed their Master’s.

How much stronger was unclear, but the gap was probably as vast as a dimension.

If Masatsuki were to fall into Hell, the world might truly be finished.

Somehow, that mischievous little junior apprentice had become someone whose mere existence now held the fate of the world in balance.

...

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