Chapter 409

2-in-1 chapter:  

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Upon reaching the second layer, they would be thrown into a conveyor belt-like chute, where, based on the concentration of sinful energy in each person, they would be swiftly sorted and sent to different workshops.

In these workshops, Hell’s various punishments were stored.

Flames, molten iron and copper, freezing cold…

Some were punishments that Hell had always contained; others were newly added by Kaelith.

Originally, sinners in Hell still had moments to catch their breath and could try to avoid the tortures.

But after Kaelith’s modifications, the condemned no longer had such luck.

Once sorted, they would enter workshops matching their classification and endure endless torment.

Among them, the truly unforgivable would, like Hell’s original prisoners, collapse into despair and disintegrate, becoming part of the desert at the lowest layer of Hell.

If they could genuinely repent amidst the tortures, they could reenter the cycle of reincarnation.

Of course, even upon reincarnation, the pain they suffered in Hell would remain branded deep within their souls.

In their next life, this suffering would occasionally resurface in dreams or thoughts, prompting them instinctively to avoid evil.

Kaelith felt a bit sentimental.

If Azashiro Sōya were to find out about this operation, he would probably immediately propose dragging the entire world’s population down for torment...

Watching the grand spectacle Kaelith had created, Aizen couldn’t help but shake his head slightly:

“This is what you called a ‘fine adjustment’?”

Kaelith scratched his head, grinning:

“At first, I really did intend just a small tweak.”

“But after finishing the first layer, it felt too perfect, and if the subsequent layers didn’t match, it would lack overall harmony.”

“So as I continued modifying, I kept thinking—since the first layer was done so well, the rest couldn’t be sloppy either…”

“And this is what it turned into.”

At these words, Aizen fell silent.

Though he didn’t approve of Kaelith’s excessive zeal, he fully understood and agreed with the process itself.

Sometimes, perfectionism takes hold—and it’s difficult to stop once it starts.

At that moment, the intent of Hell, which had been relentlessly pursuing Kaelith, gradually came to a halt.

Aizen looked downward.

All the Hell’s intent, stretching as far as the eye could see, lowered their blades.

Then, every single embodiment of Hell’s intent knelt down.

From all directions, Hell’s intent bowed before Kaelith.

Seeing this scene, Kaelith wore a smug expression.

He crossed his arms, standing straighter than before.

Under the gaze of all the embodiments of Hell’s intent, he raised his hand:

“My subjects! At my command—commence the Rumbling!!”

But all of Hell’s intent remained motionless, not responding in the slightest.

Kaelith flew into a rage:

“Traitors! All of you are traitors!”

“Drag them out and execute them!”

“No… wait—drag them out for execution at once!”

Aizen stepped beside him, speaking calmly:

“That’s enough. Don’t waste any more time.”

“It’s clear that Hell is offering reconciliation.”

“You’ve resolved Hell’s operational issues. Until new problems arise, Hell’s intent no longer needs to exist.”

“Now, you can go fulfill your promise.”

Hearing Aizen’s words, Kaelith felt a touch of emotion.

He nodded and stepped forward before the embodiments of Hell’s intent.

In the next instant, a massive shadow unfurled beneath his feet, spreading endlessly to cover the entire land.

All the embodiments of Hell’s intent standing upon that shadow gradually began to change form.

The towering presences of Hell’s intent vanished.

In their place appeared humanoid Shinigami.

All of them had once been mighty warriors renowned in Soul Society.

After death, their dense spirit particles prevented them from returning to the cycle, and they were cast into Hell as its wardens.

After countless ages, they finally regained their original forms.

Among them were some of the original captains of the Gotei 13 whom Kaelith recognized.

The restored warriors were initially bewildered.

But soon, as their minds cleared, the memories of what they had “personally witnessed” began surfacing.

Recalling Kaelith’s absurd and unbelievable actions, all the warriors looked at him with gratitude.

One after another, these Shinigami—once the most brilliant of their era—bowed to Kaelith in salute.

A figure suddenly approached Kaelith.

It was a tall, burly man with a straightforward, refreshing demeanor.

He wore a white haori similar to Kaelith’s.

“Yo, junior. We meet again.”

Squinting at the man before him, Kaelith recognized him:

Kuruyashiki Kenpachi—the Kenpachi three generations before him.

In the calamity caused by the first opening of Hell’s Gate, it was this man whom Hell had dispatched to Seireitei. The devastation he wrought with his insane Bankai had nearly destroyed Seireitei entirely.

If not for Aizen risking his life to help Kaelith deploy the “Kaelith’s Paradise” plan, the outcome would have been disastrous.

Kaelith grinned:

“That ‘again’—good choice of word.”

“Senior Kuruyashiki, when you descended upon Soul Society last time, was your consciousness intact?”

If this guy had descended consciously and dared to unleash that terrifying Bankai on Seireitei, Kaelith would absolutely have made him taste the reformed Hell workshops.

Seeing Kaelith’s expression, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi froze for a moment, then suddenly understood why he was asking.

He hurriedly waved his hands:

“Just a joke, a joke… I was a captain of Seireitei, after all. How could I have acted consciously?”

“When I said ‘we meet again,’ I meant I remembered seeing you break my Bankai in my memories!”

“Hmph…”

Kaelith eyed the man with suspicion.

But soon, he shook his head.

“Forget it. You’re about to reincarnate anyway—no point talking about this now.”

At these words, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi froze slightly.

Then he grinned:

“I see… that’s fine.”

“But before that, Captain Kaelith, I have one last humble request!”

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“Yo! Everyone, long time no see!”

In the Eleventh Division barracks, a crowd of burly men stood in the plaza, staring in shock at the figure walking beside their big brother.

Most of the younger Shinigami didn’t immediately recognize who it was.

But… every veteran with over two hundred years of service instantly knew the man’s identity.

The former Eleventh Division captain from three generations ago—Kuruyashiki Kenpachi!

Known as one of the strongest captains since the Gotei 13’s founding—even the Captain-Commander himself had praised his combat prowess!

But more infamous than his achievements nearly lost to time was what he did during the previous Hell crisis: the blow that nearly obliterated half of Seireitei.

Everyone who lived through that night suffered PTSD from Kuruyashiki’s Bankai, and even after all these years, some still had nightmares about it.

And now, this man was standing before them once again!

If Kaelith hadn’t been beside him, many probably would have fled in terror.

Seeing their expressions of fear, vigilance, and tension, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi awkwardly raised a hand to scratch his head.

Under their gaze, he took a deep breath.

Then, he suddenly bowed low.

“My deepest apologies! Everyone!”

“Because of me, the name of the Eleventh Division was tarnished!”

At those words, the squad members all looked surprised.

Kaelith stood silently at the side, watching the scene.

Yes—returning to the Eleventh Division to apologize in person.

That was Kuruyashiki Kenpachi’s request.

Originally, Kaelith had assumed this bastard wanted to challenge him.

But it turned out to be such a mundane request.

Hearing Kaelith’s comment, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi scoffed:

“The whole of Hell knows you’re already invincible in this world. Even I wouldn’t challenge an existence I couldn’t possibly face.”

Praising me as invincible? I like that.

But mocking me for having no brain? I don’t like that.

Right there on the spot, Kaelith applied a philosophical hexagon hold, forcing Kuruya Kenpachi to cry out in repentance.

At that moment, seeing Kuruyashiki bowed, the Eleventh Division members exchanged glances.

Then, they all broke into smiles.

Several older musclemen stepped forward.

“Captain Kuruyashiki, please raise your head!”

At those words, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi looked up at them.

Under his gaze, the musclemen flexed their fists, cracking their knuckles back and forth:

“Captain Kuruyashiki … surely you haven’t forgotten the rules of the Eleventh Division?”

“That’s right! Captain Kuruyashiki, in our Eleventh Division, an apology requires you to show—pffft!!”

After knocking out the unruly squad member with a single punch, the muscular Eleventh Seat smiled and pointed toward the nearby training grounds.

“Captain Kuruyashiki, in the Eleventh Division, there’s no need to apologize.”

“If there’s a problem, settle it with your fists!”

“Only the clash of fists and flesh can give birth to the truest emotions!”

At these words, the squad members cheered, the atmosphere becoming lively and boisterous.

Watching the squad members already in a celebratory mood, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi was momentarily at a loss.

Was this still the cold and ruthless Gotei 13 from his own time?

And… if they were going to settle things on the training grounds, shouldn’t it be with swords?

What was this nonsense about fists?

Though there were many things that made no sense, as he felt the passionate atmosphere in front of him, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi grinned and smiled.

“Alright! Then let me show you… the strength of a former Eleventh Division Captain!”

That day, from the Eleventh Division’s grounds, thunderous shouts echoed continuously.

Passing patrol squads smiled in relief as they heard the sounds.

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Sporting a black eye, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi strolled happily through the streets of Seireitei.

Seeing this guy looking so pleased despite clearly having been beaten up, Kaelith wore a thoughtful expression.

So this predecessor from generations past… actually had masochistic tendencies?

If that was the case, Kaelith could certainly satisfy him thoroughly.

No matter how tough the flesh, before Rixiang Jimie, all would be brought to justice!

Sensing Kaelith’s suspicious intentions, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi cleared his throat.

“To be able to apologize properly in front of everyone—it finally settled a burden in my heart.”

Kaelith chuckled slyly:

“To prevent you from losing control again and causing trouble, how about taking another beating now—pay your dues in advance?”

Kuruyashiki Kenpachi shook his head.

“No thanks, I’m not some weirdo who enjoys getting beaten. Better skip that.”

Then he grinned and looked at Kaelith.

“Besides… those guys didn’t forgive me just because they beat me up.”

Under Kaelith’s gaze, his expression grew serious.

“They forgave me because they trust you.”

“In their hearts, it’s because of your strong presence that they can hold onto that trust.”

“They know that even if another disaster were to occur, someone will stand up and save them from despair.”

“That’s… the real reason they forgave me.”

At those words, Kaelith tilted his head slightly.

Was he really so trustworthy?

Sōsuke was always saying Kaelith ranked at the very top of his list of unreliable people.

Ah… so that’s what this is—mouth says one thing, heart says another!

Even though he must feel that Kaelith is completely reliable and worthy of trust, he’s too embarrassed to say it, so he can only express it this way…

Hehehe, next time there’s a chance, Kaelith would definitely make Sōsuke say it aloud!

And also that supreme tsundere, Yamada Seinosuke!

Just imagining Yamada blushing, turning his head away, clearly unwilling but still having to say, “In all of Soul Society, the one I trust most is you, Kaelith!”—Kaelith nearly burst out laughing.

While Kaelith was feeling smug, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi suddenly asked:

“Captain Kaelith, do you know… where Captain Azashiro is?”

“Hm?”

Upon hearing that surname, it took Kaelith two seconds to realize who he was talking about.

He grinned:

“Who knows—maybe he’s dead.”

Kuruyashiki Kenpachi shook his head with a smile.

“If he had fallen into Hell, I would know.”

“If he had died but didn’t fall into Hell, then you would know, Captain Kaelith.”

“After all, in the whole Three Realms, you’re the only one who can purify reishi.”

That’s true.

This guy was sharp—he had figured it out.

Kaelith looked at Kuruyashiki Kenpachi.

“I heard that during your succession challenge back then, Azashiro Sōya used dishonorable methods to defeat you.”

“Are you looking for him now to take revenge?”

Kuruyashiki Kenpachi shook his head.

“Not at all. I just have some things I want to say to him.”

After staring at Kuruyashiki Kenpachi for a few seconds, Kaelith raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

As he did, a shadow spread out beneath his feet.

The two of them slowly began to sink downward together.

Kuruyashiki Kenpachi was at first surprised, but quickly calmed down, offering no resistance, and allowed himself to sink.

This ability—he had seen it “before.”

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