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Late at night, Seireitei, First Division.
Nobles dressed in ancient attire arrived at the Squad Barracks. Yamamoto, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, sat in his study, hands resting on his cane, gazing forward. Behind him hung a painting of a monster engulfing the world in flames.
Silence lingered for a long time, with almost everyone lowering their heads.
"Then, esteemed sirs of the Yomotsuki Family, it has been a century since we last met. May I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?" Yamamoto said faintly, "Has something happened in Hell?"
The atmosphere was as heavy as a mountain.
Hell is a world independent of the Three Realms: Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Human World.
Before heaven and earth were separated, Hell coexisted with the chaotic world.
At the beginning of the world, all Souls existed in a single chaotic world, including ordinary Souls, known as 'Pluses,' and those consumed by desire and fallen into evil spirits, known as 'Hollows.'
Suddenly, one day, Hollows began to devour other Souls, disrupting the balance of the entire world.
If left unchecked, all Souls would be consumed, forming a Hollow, and the world would fall into a stagnant state of no life, no death, no progress, and no retreat.
Thus, the Omnipotent and Omniscient natural deity, the Soul King, was born.
He used his power to eliminate Hollows and maintain the world's balance.
To allow the silent world to continue developing, he divided the world into three, which are now the Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Human World.
In such a world, the Human World is the homeland of Souls, composed of Kishi and Reishi.
Kishi is the source of Reishi, and Reishi is produced from Kishi but is independent of it.
Humans composed of Kishi, upon death, transform into a Reishi state, which is the so-called Spirit Body.
Ordinary Souls, 'Pluses,' are sent to the Soul Society, while fallen Souls become 'Hollows.'
Souls in the Soul Society are reincarnated into the Human World after death. Some Human World Souls are naturally formed, while others are their reincarnations.
Hollow Souls can be purified by a Shinigami's Zanpakuto. After purification, their Souls will go to either the Soul Society or Hell, depending on their sins committed in life.
But whether Pluses or Hollows, after their deaths, the spiritual bodies carrying their Souls will turn into Reishi or white sand, becoming part of the Reishi world and integrating into the natural cycle.
However, when a Soul's Spirit Body becomes strong enough, that Soul, upon death, cannot naturally decompose into Reishi and participate in the Reishi cycle.
The ultimate destination for these 'foreign objects' that cannot integrate into the cycle is Hell!
Hell is the most special link in the cycle, constantly absorbing Souls from the Three Realms according to its own rules, uncontrolled by anyone!
"Perhaps it's because the century-long war has caused too many Captain-class spiritual pressures to enter Hell."
An elder from the Yomotsuki Family said, "At first, there was nothing, but recently, when we observed Hell, we found that Hell's Will has become more active."
The other Yomotsuki Family members looked serious and nodded in agreement.
"So what do you intend to do?" Yamamoto asked with a frown.
He also realized the seriousness of the problem.
Countless powerful individuals have been sent there throughout history; if Hell has a problem, it would be troublesome.
Even a slight mishap could cause turmoil in the Three Realms, or even the destruction of the world.
"We don't need to worry about it for now, as long as the Reiatsu of the Three Realms can suppress the Hell Gate, Hell's Will cannot interfere with the Three Realms beyond its rules!"
The elder's black eyes were expressionless.
"Regarding your disciple, the boy named Aozaki Reiji, I would like to meet him."
"Meet him? Has he committed another mistake?"
Yamamoto stood up, leaning on his cane. He did not release Reiatsu, yet an extremely terrifying aura, like a massive mountain, weighed on everyone's hearts.
"I wonder if you could tell this old man what happened. If he has done something he shouldn't have, as his teacher, this old man will naturally discipline him properly!"
In the Soul Society, all matters related to Hell are forbidden to be interfered with, with one exception.
That is the Yomotsuki Family, currently sitting before Yamamoto, one of the Five Great Noble Houses that never participates in the internal conflicts of Seireitei and is responsible for managing Hell.
Wasn't Seireitei enough for him to cause trouble? How did this brat manage to cause trouble in Hell too?
"No, Captain-Commander, you misunderstand." The elder's expression was as calm as water. "It's just about the last Soul Burial Ritual; I have some questions I'd like to ask him, nothing urgent."
The other Yomotsuki Family members exchanged smiles.
It wasn't their first time seeing the Captain-Commander, but it was the first time they had seen him so flustered. It seemed this child was very important to him.
Yamamoto, however, did not smile. Instead, he bent down and sat back in his seat, secretly breathing a sigh of relief.
The other party was one of the Five Great Noble Houses, responsible for managing matters related to Hell in the Soul Society. If there were a conflict between them, it would be very troublesome to handle.
After all, this family's duty is very important and concerns the safety of the world!
… … … …
"They were just knocked out by Reiatsu. I've now reined in my Reiatsu, so they should wake up very soon."
Aozaki Reiji explained to Harribel, placing Loly and Menoly on the bed.
"These two little ones are too weak. If they could reach Fourth-Class spiritual power like Sung-Sun, they wouldn't have fainted immediately."
"I will take them to train in the future; they can still grow."
"After becoming Arrancar, we no longer devour our kind to train Reiatsu. With the Reiatsu training method you gave us, we should have hope of breaking through to Fourth-Class spiritual power," Harribel said.
"Don't blame yourself. Actually, it's also my fault. I was too careless and forgot to rein in my Reiatsu."
"…"
Harribel stared at him blankly.
Aozaki Reiji was stunned and asked, puzzled:
"What's wrong with you? Why are you looking at me like that? Did All-World play a trick on my face?"
Harribel came back to her senses, chuckled softly, shook her head slightly, and said with a sigh of relief:
"Nothing, I just realized you're still the same as before."
"What's so strange about that? I've always been me!"
The dormitory fell silent. A gentle breeze entered from the ground, swirling chaotically in the underground cave.
Aozaki Reiji, who was sitting by the bed, stood up and slowly walked out, with Harribel following behind him.
Looking at the beautiful quartz trees outside the house, they appeared deep and serene in the dim environment, and a comfortable night breeze gently blew over them.
What a beautiful place, but they would be leaving soon.
"Take care of yourself." Aozaki Reiji turned his head, his expression gentle.
"We will stay here and not go anywhere. There's a device here that blocks Reiatsu perception, so there will be no danger," Harribel whispered.
She thought that farewells were always common, and the best words were those that reassured the other party.
"If you encounter danger, notify me immediately. No matter where you are, I will appear by your side in a flash," Aozaki Reiji winked.
"We won't cause you any trouble… We will wait patiently for you to return to us…" Harribel sighed helplessly.
"You sighed?" Aozaki Reiji said.
"I was just adjusting my breathing."
"You don't want me to leave," Aozaki Reiji said suddenly.
Harribel was startled and nodded gently.
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