The Five Great Noble Families… the last one!
Hearing Shihoin Shun'gen's words, Kenma's pupils shrank slightly.
A storm raged in his heart, but he managed to keep his expression composed, not wanting to reveal too much emotion.
In the perception of the many Shinigami and souls in the Soul Society, there were only Four Great Noble Families at the apex.
Namely, the Ise, the Kuchiki, the Shiba, and Kenma's own Shihoin family.
But only a select few knew that, besides these four, there was another, most mysterious great noble family.
Even with Kenma's current status, he did not know much.
He only knew of the existence of such a family, but was completely ignorant of its details.
This last of the Five Great Noble Families usually never participated in any activities within the Soul Society.
It cared neither for the changes in the Three Worlds nor for the political situation of the Seireitei.
It did not even occupy a single seat in the Central 46.
It had no involvement even in the Council of Golden Seal Nobles, the highest authority in the Soul Society.
The only thing this great noble family paid attention to was Hell, and all matters related to it.
Yet such a mysterious family, one that never involved itself in worldly affairs, had suddenly appeared before Kenma, claiming to be here to congratulate him on his wedding.
Kenma asked himself if he was really that important.
As for the Shihoin family…
Seeing Shihoin Shun'gen's attitude at this moment, it was probably not as simple as just congratulating him on his marriage.
The thin man bowed to Kenma and spoke, "A pleasure to meet you for the first time, Lord Kenma."
"Please forgive my impertinence in coming uninvited."
"I am here to congratulate you and Lady Yoruichi on a happy and fulfilling marriage."
The man's gaze then turned to Shihoin Shun'gen at his side.
"And congratulations to you, Lord Shun'gen, for finding such a worthy son-in-law. The future of the Shihoin family is secure; it is truly a great blessing."
Ordinarily, Shun'gen would have beamed with joy upon hearing someone praise Kenma.
But at this moment, he remained unmoved, his face still taut and expressionless.
"You are too kind, my lord. My son-in-law still has many shortcomings and cannot afford to be arrogant or complacent."
Kenma sat down before the two of them. The flickering lamplight illuminated his face, yet cast a large shadow behind him.
"It is the good fortune of the Shihoin family and myself that you could come, my lord. I accept your auspicious words."
"Lord Kenma is indeed unshakable in the face of surprise, a man of great talent. I have not made this trip in vain."
The thin man's tone shifted.
"I have come this time not only to congratulate Lord Kenma, but also for another matter, for which I must ask for your assistance."
A trace of doubt appeared between Kenma's brows. "My strength is meager. I do not know what I can do for you, my lord."
"I must ask that Lord Kenma share a portion of his spiritual pressure to help us suppress Hell."
The man directly performed a deep bow to Kenma, his head touching the floor, his tone incomparably solemn.
"Hell?"
Kenma asked in confusion, though an idea was gradually forming in his mind.
The man did not get up, but remained in that posture as he said, "Lord Kenma has surely heard of the existence of the Gates of Hell."
"Those evil spirits who committed great sins in life and cannot be guided to the Soul Society or Hueco Mundo will fall into Hell to suffer."
"As a place that contains sinful souls, Hell is a one-way street. With the accumulation of millions of years, Hell becomes crowded, and its weight on the scale of the world increases."
"And those beings in Hell who are full of sin yet possess great power will, when Hell becomes congested or the Gates of Hell can no longer be sealed, return to the Three Worlds and cause great destruction."
"The mission of my clan is to be responsible for monitoring Hell and the every move of the Gates of Hell, to prevent such terrible things from happening."
"For this, great power is needed to suppress the Gates of Hell. Whenever a powerful being appears, we go to seek their help."
"Lord Kenma, we sincerely request that you lend us your strength!"
After listening, Kenma's mind raced with many thoughts, and he remained silent for a long time.
The thin man maintained his posture of prostration.
Shihoin Shun'gen, at his side, seemed not to have heard their conversation, showing no reaction, not even lifting an eyelid.
After a long silence, Kenma's voice sounded, containing an inexplicable meaning.
"Three questions."
"Please speak, Lord Kenma. Within the limits of my authority, I will tell you everything I know."
Kenma raised his right hand and extended his index finger.
"First question, why did you seek me out? Or rather, how did you find me?"
"I am merely a third seat. When it comes to the powerful individuals in the Soul Society, it should hardly be my turn."
The thin man said, "You jest, Lord Kenma. From a thousand years ago to this day, there have been few Shinigami praised by Captain-Commander Yamamoto as a 'pillar'."
Kenma nodded. That was a barely plausible reason.
As for whether they had been secretly monitoring him, that remained to be investigated…
Then, he extended his middle finger.
"Second question, two others were praised by the Captain-Commander along with me. Are they also among those you have sought help from?"
"To be more comprehensive, who are the powerful individuals helping you suppress the Gates of Hell?"
The man said, "In the Seireitei, there are Captain-Commander Yamamoto Shigekuni, Lord Unohana, Lord Kyōraku Shunsui, Lord Ukitake Jūshirō, Lord Azashiro Sōya, and many other powerful individuals."
"The other two who are known as the 'Three Great Talents' along with Lord Kenma are, naturally, among them."
"It was only after seeing the immense spiritual pressure of Lord Aizen Sousuke and Lord Kuchiki Kōga that I sought out Lord Kenma today."
As the man spoke, he slowly rose and took out an ancient scroll from his robes.
After untying the red string bound around the outside, he held it with both hands and presented it to Kenma.
"Lord Kenma, this is the contract scroll. The names of the people I just mentioned are all on it. Please inspect it."
Kenma took it and unrolled it. He could indeed see those names.
From this, it seemed this family had chosen him simply because of the 'Three Great Talents' moniker.
It wasn't that they were intentionally paying attention to him, which put Kenma much more at ease.
Suddenly, a rather conspicuous signature caught his eye, and his heart couldn't help but tremble.
'Yhwach!'
'His name is on here too?'
'If even Yhwach is on it, then…'
'What about the Royal Guard?'
"As far as I know, above the Gotei 13, there is a special unit, the Royal Guard, directly under the Soul King…"
"Lord Kenma, the power of the Royal Guard is naturally on this."
Hearing this, Kenma was stunned.
He hadn't seen the names of the Royal Guard on it.
Just as he was feeling puzzled, his eyes once again fell upon the black text on the scroll, and he instantly understood.
'I see.'
Kenma's gaze fell on the man who had once again bowed down, and he asked curiously, "Then how did you persuade Aizen to agree?"
"My apologies, Lord Kenma. That is a confidential matter between us and Lord Aizen, which I am not at liberty to disclose."
"What if I insist on knowing?"
"Then you would need to obtain Lord Aizen's permission, Lord Kenma."
Kenma nodded again. The other party's sense of confidentiality was indeed quite good.
Then he raised his thumb.
"Third question, if I refuse, what will be the consequences? And if I agree, what benefits will there be?"
"What disadvantages are there for me in sharing my spiritual pressure? Will it adversely affect my future strength and combat ability?"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]