Chapter 19: A Horror Story and the Next Dungeon Prep
The Gotei 13 wasn't exactly an organization full of scheming backstabbers… well, at least most of them weren't.
So this time, the selection went surprisingly fast.
"I'll take one of the offense roles."
Before Hiyori could open her mouth, Kensei clamped a hand over it and raised his own.
"I'll be the other attacker."
Lisa gave Mizuma a sidelong glance, her expression unreadable, and lifted her hand calmly.
"That leaves the researcher slot… I'll take that one."
Urahara raised his hand with his usual carefree grin, completing the four-person team.
Kyoraku nodded, satisfied. "Excellent, very proactive. Then the exploration squad is decided. You'll receive the official mission document shortly. Make sure to prepare properly—no one knows what kind of danger might be waiting."
With the formalities over, the atmosphere in the room immediately relaxed again.
Hiyori and Shinji crowded around Urahara, pestering him about something; Kensei finally released Hiyori, only for her to storm off after complaining about being left out of something "so fun."
Kyoraku and Ukitake began discussing the report they'd have to file, while Lisa lightly tapped Mizuma's shoulder, a trace of concern in her eyes.
To her, Mizuma was still the junior she'd personally brought up.
His growth had been remarkable these past years, yes—but his combat experience was still limited. And after "dying" just a few days ago, sending him right back out again felt risky.
"Mizuma, leave your main body at the division barracks," Lisa said seriously. "The captain will keep an eye on you."
"Got it. I'll make sure to find a nice comfortable position to lie down."
He answered smoothly, masking the awkwardness in his tone—almost well enough to keep her from noticing.
Meanwhile, at that very moment by a quiet riverbank in Rukongai, Mizuma's clone, wearing Ryugetsu's appearance, awkwardly chuckled to himself as he reeled in a line.
Sorry, Lisa... some things are better left unsaid.
Shortly after, Kyoraku and Ukitake dismissed the meeting, ordering the exploration team to assemble at the 79th Eastern District of Rukongai in one hour.
As everyone left—some returning to paperwork, others to gather gear—the room gradually emptied.
Mizuma and Lisa exited together toward the Eighth Division barracks. Before leaving, Mizuma let his gaze flick briefly toward an apparently "empty" corner of the room.
Let's tell a little ghost story, he thought dryly.
—Aizen Sōsuke had entered right after Kensei. From the very start of the meeting, he'd been there.
Listening. Watching.
And no one, except Mizuma, had noticed.
Of course, Mizuma himself had seen Kyōka Suigetsu's release once before.
But he wasn't Yhwach, who could brute-force destroy illusions by swallowing divinity.
So how did he avoid falling under its spell?
A simple, if rather cheeky, solution.
Since the condition for Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis was witnessing the Zanpakutō's release, Mizuma had used Ryugetsu to erase that moment entirely from his personal timeline.
Because the "memory of seeing" the release no longer existed in his history, the illusion had no anchor—no foundation on which to manipulate him.
The result: Mizuma was completely unaffected.
In fact, this necessity—to act like he was hypnotized whenever Aizen was around—had honed his acting skills to an absurd degree over the years.
You could even say Aizen had "sponsored" his development.
Once the meeting hall was empty, Aizen finally departed as well, looking quietly thoughtful.
---
One hour later — Rukongai, Eastern District 79.
The exploration squad assembled, ready to depart.
Kensei and Lisa—being the straightforward, battle-type Shinigami—looked much the same as usual.
But Urahara and Mizuma? Entirely different stories.
Urahara had a bulging backpack slung over his shoulders, practically a mobile death lab. Knowing his personality, that bag was probably stuffed with enough tools to dissect half of Hueco Mundo if necessary.
Mizuma, on the other hand, had a brightly patterned headband tied around his forehead.
He'd claimed it was a protective charm to boost confidence, but in reality, it was an old system-acquired item called The Sage's Crown—a magical artifact that amplified Kidō power and stored enough reiatsu to refill half his energy bar.
Aside from offering zero physical defense, it was perfect.
Their destination lay in a grassy clearing, where several members of the Tsunayashiro clan were already waiting.
The leader, a middle-aged man, stepped forward and bowed politely.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I am Tsunayashiro Yōki."
After a brief introduction, he wasted no time and led the team to a large, freshly dug pit.
Inside stood a smooth, obsidian-colored stone door. Faint white light flowed through strange carvings etched at its four corners.
"As you may know," Yōki explained, "the Soul King once created many pocket worlds in the seams between realms—such as the Dangai and the Garganta. This door, too, leads to one such interdimensional space. According to records uncovered by our family, it was once a dwelling of the Soul King himself."
Before he could finish, Urahara had already produced a strange camera-like device and begun clicking away, muttering excitedly to himself about "fascinating readings."
The man radiated the kind of energy that screamed 'scientist about to commit a war crime.'
No one dared interrupt him.
Yōki cleared his throat and continued, "Our ancestor once visited this place and described it as 'the Soul King's research chamber.' But beyond that, we know little. The rest is for you to discover."
Mizuma's eyes lingered on the stone door—though his real focus was on another figure nearby.
Aizen.
Already there before them, calmly studying the glowing inscriptions with an ancient book in hand, nodding occasionally with academic enthusiasm.
Ignore him, Mizuma told himself. As long as he doesn't suddenly decide to replace me, we're fine. I'm just here to do the job and leave. Nothing personal, Mr. Villain.
Still, to keep tabs on things, he had his clone nearby, hidden and observing.
If this mission went south, he'd be ready to pull a "mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
[TL: YAP time again!
Simply it meant he was ready to set a trap for someone, making them a "mantis" hunting a "cicada," but unaware that a more dangerous threat, the "oriole," was waiting to catch him. It describes a situation where a person is so focused on their immediate target that they miss a larger danger behind them, often implying the person setting the trap is about to become the one caught. Protag=Oriole. Meh..as experienced Daoist of the Dao of MTL u all must have understoo.]
"Did your ancestor leave any further notes?" Mizuma asked.
Yōki frowned apologetically. "I'm afraid not. We only learned of this place recently. There's very little documentation…"
"So we'll have to find out for ourselves." Mizuma sighed. "Then how do we enter?"
The man smiled faintly, placing his palm on the stone door.
"That will be explained shortly…"
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〔TL〕
Every 100 powerstones = 1 bonus ch.
Every 2 review after 100 ps = 1 bonus ch.
Welp new week.