"Captain Aizen, do you have a gate leading to the World of the Living here?"
"Not at the moment. Why? Has Suzuki-kun suddenly become interested in the World of the Living?"
The man was somewhat curious. Suzuki Makoto was a rather pure individual, pursuing powerful strength rather than enjoyment. Why would he suddenly want to go to the World of the Living?
"Last night, a gate leading to the World of the Living suddenly appeared inside the Seireitei. It lasted only for a fleeting moment, but I still captured that Reiatsu entering the Precipice World. What's interesting is that this Reiatsu was neither a Shinigami nor a Hollow."
Aizen's interest was also piqued. He naturally trusted Suzuki Makoto's keen senses. Since the other party was certain there was an issue with that Reiatsu, the only explanation was—
"To think a Quincy's Reiatsu would appear inside the Seireitei? And one heading to the World of the Living at that—this is indeed truly interesting... Can you roughly pinpoint their location in the World of the Living?"
"Of course. The other party's behavior was somewhat panicked, looking as if they were fleeing from something. That is why I want to go to the World of the Living as soon as possible. In case they go into hiding, they might become slightly difficult to find."
"Then let us go directly through the Garganta. I have been to the World of the Living before, so I know where to exit the Precipice World. After all, the construction of a Senkaimon requires establishing a two-way connection, so this will save time."
Suzuki Makoto was a bit surprised. Was Aizen actually interested as well?
"You should have experienced that war of annihilation against the Quincies in the World of the Living, right? You still have an interest in them?"
"Quincies are existences completely different from both Shinigami and Hollows. Even the Soul King was once referred to as the 'First Quincy in the World'. Without a doubt, compared to Shinigami and Hollows, Quincies are naturally existences closer to the essence of the Soul King. I suspect that the reason breaking the boundary between Hollows and Shinigami is currently so difficult and dangerous might be precisely because of the lack of Quincy Reiatsu."
Aizen revealed the problems he had discovered in his research in their entirety.
"The number of Quincies that can be found in the World of the Living nowadays is already very few. Even if they can be found, they are mostly small fry who have lost their heritage. Compared to a Quincy capable of opening an entrance to the Precipice World, or even traveling from the Seireitei to the World of the Living, those fellows are already not worth mentioning."
"Then let's set off. The sooner we find them, the sooner we can ask questions."
Suzuki Makoto and Aizen were both men of action. Donning black Reiatsu-concealing cloaks, they immediately set foot on the path to the World of the Living.
*
"Found it. It seems the other party didn't hide themselves very well. However, the location they chose is quite good; the natural Spiritual Power is very high."
"It appears to be a Jureichi. To think such an excellent Jureichi still exists in the World of the Living? This is my first time finding such a place."
Aizen noted this location down. To ascend to the Soul King Palace in the future, the construction of the Ouken was also a key link. This Jureichi was obviously sufficient to support that project.
However, Suzuki Makoto's interest in this place stemmed from other aspects. After all, with it being a Jureichi and Soken Ishida choosing to hide here, presumably, this must be the center of the universe—Karakura Town.
Soken Ishida's hiding spot had obviously been carefully selected. The nearby Spirit Veins were very active and could hide some ordinary fluctuations of Spiritual Power very well. Even if Reishi was used, it would not attract the notice of the local Shinigami. However, for Suzuki Makoto and Aizen, such petty tricks were meaningless.
Inside the house, the man watched his wife coaxing their child to sleep, revealing a weary yet satisfied smile.
He had finally escaped from that hellish demon cave. At last, his child would not have to grow up in such a terrifying place, only to become kindling and be thrown into those raging, burning barracks.
"Soken, hiding in the World of the Living... we really won't be found, right?"
The wife was obviously still extremely worried. After the child fell asleep, she sat beside her husband, her face still full of lingering fear.
"Rest assured. The World of the Living here in the Eastern Branch is different from the Western Branch. The Wandenreich has no superfluous stationed organizations here. They absolutely would not dare to risk being discovered by the Shinigami to send manpower on a large scale to search the World of the Living. We are safe here."
The man was comforting his wife. Just as he was about to say something more, a knocking sound suddenly came from the door.
Thump, thump, thump.
The complexions of the two people changed instantly, for neither of them had sensed anyone's Reiatsu at the door, yet the knocking continued incessantly.
"Soken—"
"Go hold the child! I'll stall them!"
"Mr. Quincy inside, we have not come to arrest you. We merely wish to obtain some precious intelligence from you. If possible, could we perhaps reach a consensus for peaceful cooperation?"
Soken Ishida fell into silence. He never expected that after escaping for merely one night, someone would already come knocking at his door. One must know that this was an escape plan he had been plotting since he got married; it shouldn't have been possible for the Wandenreich to locate him so quickly.
He took a deep breath, squeezed his wife's hand comfortingly, and stood up to open the door.
Standing outside the door were two gentle and refined men. One wore glasses and appeared to have a strong scholarly air, while the other carried a sword case on his back, looking like a young chivalrous swordsman.
Yet Soken Ishida's face instantly turned pale.
"It seems this Mr. Quincy is able to recognize us. This actually makes me somewhat more curious. To be able to hide in the Seireitei for so long, even mastering intelligence on the Gotei 13, and possessing the ability to open the great gate to the World of the Living and traverse the Precipice World—your power should not be sufficient to achieve this."
Just by seeing Soken Ishida's reaction, Sosuke Aizen immediately reached a conclusion that hit the nail on the head with precision.
"Can you invite us in first? I brought some powdered milk for the child."
The visiting gift Suzuki Makoto took out made Soken Ishida despair even more. He had already realized that this time, he could not escape no matter what. He could only stiffly step aside from the door.
The two walked into the room. Ishida's wife hugged her child tightly, her expression also carrying despair. Obviously, she was also able to recognize the two men.
"Although I don't know how you obtained your intelligence, I still want to ask: do you know who we are?"
"5th Division Captain, Sosuke Aizen. And 4th Division Lieutenant, Suzuki Makoto."
The man spoke the names of the two with a harsh, strained voice.
"Since that is the case, let us speak frankly. This unnamed Mr. Quincy, you should probably abandon any thoughts of resistance. However, I can also promise that if your intelligence satisfies me, I do not mind granting you asylum."
Aizen revealed a faint smile. Whenever he discovered a subject worth researching, he would always reveal such an expression.
____
New Story: Danmachi: But I am a God, time to make a family!
🔥 25% off something at the funeral parlor... care to take a look? 🔥
✅ Read up to 40 chapters in advance (all stories)!
✅ Access exclusive posts and updates first!
Let's achieve our community goals:
🎯 100 Powerstones = +1 extra chapter for everybody
🚀 140 MEMBERS = +5 additional chapters on ALL STORIES!
👻 P - Walnutchan