It proved that before Yhwach appeared, Quincy couldn't rise up at all.
Take the Kurosaki located in another city, for example; they couldn't even be called a clan.
A true family should consist of two to three complete generations of people and possess certain financial means.
However, the current Kurosaki obviously didn't meet these conditions.
They were left with only a couple, living a meager life.
Though not wealthy, their days were still barely manageable.
Until Yoruichi Shihouin's arrival, the situation changed.
Yoruichi also learned some things about the Wandenreich from them.
The general content was similar to what Ishida Ryūken had said, but there were some differences in the details.
The Kurosaki were once members of the Sternritter, and the information they possessed was far more extensive than that of the Ishida Clan.
For example, the so-called Wandenreich referred to shadows.
It was unclear where these shadows were, but it was obviously impossible for them to be in the Human World.
The convergence of information from several clans immediately made Yoruichi understand Yhwach's location.
She couldn't help but marvel at the astonishing courage of these Quincy, hiding within the Soul Society.
No wonder their tone was so arrogant.
Yoruichi immediately told Yoriichi Tsugikuni this information, and after the matters in the Human World were concluded, she returned to the Soul Society and informed Yamamoto Genryusai.
Upon learning this, Yamamoto Genryusai flew into a rage and immediately summoned the twelve Divisions, ordering them to meticulously search every part of the Soul Society.
Even if it took a hundred years, they must find those Quincy.
A centipede dies but never falls.
He had spared Yhwach back then because of Squad Zero's directive, and Squad Zero's directive came from the Soul King.
He couldn't defy the Soul King's command.
He had originally thought that by stripping Yhwach of his power, consciousness, and even his heartbeat, everything would be fine.
He hadn't expected that after so many years, he was still alive and plotting his resurgence.
Hiding in the Soul Society, what exactly did he intend to do? His goal was obvious.
They must not succeed!
After giving the order, Yamamoto Genryusai immediately summoned Yoriichi Tsugikuni and instructed him to contact the Ishida Clan in the Human World at once, as their help might be needed to locate Yhwach if necessary.
As pure-blood Quincy, perhaps they had some connection to the Wandenreich?
No one could say for sure about such things, and there was also the Kurosaki.
However, due to their considerable strength, bringing them into the Soul Society could potentially cause unforeseen changes, so Yamamoto Genryusai pondered for a moment and then discarded that suggestion.
The Ishida Clan was sufficient.
As for whether they agreed or not... they had no right to refuse; this was a resolute order from Yamamoto Genryusai, made for the sake of the entire Soul Society.
However, in Yoriichi Tsugikuni's eyes, this matter could be slowed down a bit.
There was still some time before Yhwach's appearance; the Ishida Clan wasn't clear, but the Kurosaki were.
Several rhymes once circulated within the Wandenreich.
--The sealed Quincy King, took nine hundred years to regain his heartbeat, ninety years to regain his will, nine years to regain his power, and then nine days to conquer the world.
Excluding the final nine days, that leaves nine hundred and ninety-nine years...
To this day, it had been just over eight hundred years since Yhwach was sealed; in other words, the Shinigami still had over a hundred years to prepare.
Even if the Wandenreich's location couldn't be found within these hundred-plus years, it would be enough time for the Shinigami to deploy against Yhwach himself.
When Yoriichi appeared before Ishida Ryūken again, the latter had a look as if he had swallowed a fly.
Afterward, upon hearing Yoriichi's words, his expression grew even more displeased.
Unbelievable, as expected, nothing good ever comes of it.
Last time it was extracting information, a betrayal of the spirit; this time it's directly a betrayal of the body?
Do you think we Quincy have no dignity?
Facts proved that in the face of the entire world, individual dignity was utterly insignificant.
Ishida Ryūken didn't want to accept, but Ishida Soken didn't think so.
Hearing that his son had established a cooperative relationship with the Shinigami before him, he felt a sense of relief.
Their clan had long since had no connection with the Wandenreich.
Without a connection, how could it be called betrayal?
This was called allegiance.
...
"Cough, cough."
Ishida Soken lightly coughed twice, then faced Yoriichi Tsugikuni and said calmly, "This old man understands."
"Since that's the case, when do you think we should depart?"
"The Quincy rhyme... this old man vaguely heard some of it."
"It's just that the information passed down back then wasn't complete."
"It seems that besides us, there are other high-ranking Quincy in the Human World."
If this rhyme were true, it must be something only members of the Sternritter could have heard.
Because it represented Yhwach's revival.
If just any Quincy knew it, then when their clan was annihilated back then,
those Quincy who fell into the hands of the Shinigami would surely have revealed this information to save their lives.
The Shinigami's ignorance meant that none of those Quincy from back then knew.
No wonder the Kurosaki were so low-key.
But alas, no matter how low-key, it couldn't compare to the great power of these Shinigami.
Just by knowing that Yhwach wasn't in Hell, they deduced the existence of the Wandenreich.
Ishida Soken sighed inwardly, quietly awaiting Yoriichi Tsugikuni's reply.
Yoriichi responded, "There's no rush to depart."
"I'm just here to inform you and let you mentally prepare."
"Also, there's no need for all of you to come; one person will suffice. The specific details will be in a later notification."
"Understood."
Ishida Soken nodded lightly, "Then, in the days to come, we shall await your esteemed presence."
"Ryūken, see our guest out."
Ishida Ryūken was extremely unwilling, but his father's command could not be defied.
He could only walk to Yoriichi's side with a stern face, gesturing for Yoriichi to leave with him.
Once the two left the Ishida and reached the street,
Ishida Ryūken was about to bid farewell and turn away.
But before he could act, a sentence from Yoriichi Tsugikuni stopped him.
"Ryūken-kun, I heard your dream is to be a doctor?"
A doctor? A word he hadn't thought of in a long time.
Because he had suffered too many setbacks recently, he was focused on becoming stronger, and his medical skills had long been forgotten.
Now, hearing Yoriichi mention it, he frowned slightly and turned to ask, "Is there a problem?"
"Captain Yoriichi, you Shinigami wouldn't even interfere with these things, would you?"
"Of course not." Yoriichi Tsugikuni gently shook his head, "I just wanted to remind you that you really don't need to view us Shinigami this way."
"Being a doctor is not bad at all; my wife is also a doctor…"
"In short, keep up the good work. Life isn't just about those two words: 'getting stronger.'"
"Hmph."
Ishida Ryūken let out a soft snort. Not getting stronger? Easy for him to say. If I don't get stronger, how can I protect the Ishida?
Besides, isn't your strength gained through effort?
This Shinigami is really annoying.
He had many things he wanted to say, but at this moment, he could only say:
"So Captain Yoriichi's wife is also a doctor? Then perhaps another day I should properly consult her."
As he spoke, he recalled what happened that day.
That dark-skinned girl definitely wasn't Yoriichi's wife; she looked like a delinquent.
If she became a doctor, she'd at least receive countless complaints.
So it could only be the woman next to Yoriichi; she didn't look much older than himself, yet she was already married... she seemed easy to talk to.
But why were the Shinigami's actions so different from his demeanor?
Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover.
Ishida Ryūken sighed inwardly, outwardly agreeing to Yoriichi Tsugikuni's words, but his mind was elsewhere.
Medical skills... I'll re-study them. If I have the chance to enter the Soul Society in the future, I can ask these people what kind of person Yoriichi Tsugikuni truly is.
Although he knew in his heart, he still refused to believe.
Because how could Shinigami be kind?
They were clearly all executioners.
...
Soul Society.
As soon as Yoriichi returned, he saw Uta quietly waiting for him at the doorstep.
Rangiku had returned to the Spiritual Arts Academy because her vacation had ended.
Rukia, meanwhile, had accompanied Hinamori Momo to the Ninth Division, as learning a skill didn't mean one could use it proficiently.
Now, only Uta and Hisana remained at home.
However, Hisana's physical condition was poor; she had caught a cold after returning from the Human World and was currently recuperating.
Although Uta had learned Kaido and could heal some physical injuries, she was powerless against viruses.
Yoriichi's gaze fell upon the courtyard. He walked to Uta's side and asked softly,
"Is she feeling better? Or should I heal her with my Zanpakuto?"
While it might be overkill, it was better than her being bedridden all the time.
Karma was actually also a healing-type Zanpakuto.
The body is composed of reishi; as long as the damaged reishi are expelled and replaced with good reishi, the body can recover.
Uta's face was filled with worry as she said, "Is that alright?"
Yoriichi shook his head, "What could be the problem with that? Actually, a few days ago, when I asked Kisuke to customize the Gigai, I had him examine her."
"The reason Hisana developed reishi intolerance was entirely due to her soul being too weak while residing within her physical body."
"High concentrations of reishi would erode her soul through her physical body. While absorbing ambient reishi could alleviate this symptom, it was ultimately just a temporary solution."
"Recently, however, we found a permanent cure: she just needs to wear a reishi Gigai."
"With certain things installed inside the Gigai, it can nourish her soul."
"It's just a pity that she fell ill, and this matter was delayed, and then I was dispatched to the Human World and only just returned..."
"Let's resolve this as soon as possible. If everything goes smoothly, she might even be able to become a Shinigami."
Wearing a Gigai is like putting on a thick down jacket in the cold winter.
Without a down jacket, you feel cold because the cold air directly penetrates the body and reaches the nerves.
But if the body and nerves are protected, then no matter how cold the air is, it cannot penetrate the down jacket and affect her.
You should know that a Gigai covers the entire body and maintains a perfectly constant internal temperature, so it would be fine even if she went to the South Pole.
Uta heard Yoriichi's explanation and relaxed a little, "Is that so...? Then I'll trouble you."
"Her health has always been poor, and we've all been very worried. If she can recover her health, Rukia will surely be very happy too."
Yoriichi nodded gently, everything was unsaid.
Soon after, Hisana's body recovered its health.
Yoriichi handed her a set of Gigai he had obtained from Kisuke.
Once Hisana put on the Gigai, she suddenly felt that the surrounding reishi no longer had an oppressive force, which made her widen her eyes slightly.
At the same time, a surge of power rose from her limbs and bones, as if she could accomplish anything.
Yoriichi explained:
"Since this Gigai can completely block the reishi from eroding you, and considering that carrying a weapon around might be inconvenient, Kisuke transplanted those reishi absorption devices into your body."
"Using that reishi, you can perform any Shinigami ability, including Shunpo, Kido, and Hakuda."
"In a sense, they replace spiritual pressure."
"Of course, because it's absorption, it means it's limited, but even so, you can still exert the combat power of a normal Shinigami for a short period."
"Unlike the previous one-strike slash, this time the improvement is all-encompassing."
...
Hisana nodded thoughtfully.
So that's how it is.
No wonder Brother gave this to her.
Even an ordinary Rukongai resident, without any training, could possess the combat power of a Shinigami.
This item must be very expensive, she thought.
At least in her opinion, it was far more important than that weapon.
Thinking of this, Hisana softly said, "Thank you very, very much..."
"Don't thank me, we're family, aren't we?"
Yoriichi shook his head, interrupting her words that were about to spill out.
As early as when he met Hisana, he had been searching for a cure, but unfortunately, he had found nothing.
After all, reishi intolerance is a phenomenon similar to oxygen toxicity; to avoid being poisoned by oxygen, one must leave areas of high oxygen concentration.
However, such a place did not exist within the Seireitei.
That's why it had been delayed again and again.
Hisana's words were choked back, and her expression was somewhat complex.
Because she knew deep down that her current status was entirely dependent on Rukia's existence back then.
If it weren't for Rukia, she might still be struggling in the outer districts of Rukongai, unable to even guarantee food and warmth.
...She felt like she was a burden to him.
Sighing softly, Hisana said, "I understand. Although you, Brother, say we are family, even close siblings should settle accounts clearly..."
"Your kindness to us is something we must repay throughout our lives."
She bowed solemnly, "If you ever need anything in the future, we will go through fire and water for you, without hesitation."
That was too much; for a girl to say such words, it was a bit too masculine.
However, considering she had lived in the outer districts of Rukongai, it was understandable for her to be resolute.
Yoriichi opened his mouth but hadn't spoken yet.
Uta spoke first:
"Those words are too formal."
"Yoriichi won't be happy."
"You just need to be safe and sound, after all, in a sense, you are our daughters too."
"Although Yoriichi took in Rukia, I believe he didn't expect Rukia to repay him when she grew up when he did those things."
"It's the same for you."
"There's no need to say such distant words."
Uta could understand Hisana's words.
After all, the concepts and circumstances in the outer districts of Soul Society were almost the same as during the Warring States period.
But understanding did not mean acceptance; adopting them was not about raising them as subordinates.
Perhaps it was because they hadn't spent much time together.
Hisana was different from Rukia; she was met by Yoriichi midway, and there was a natural barrier between them.
She believed that her current status and position were due to Rukia's influence.
To have a clear conscience, she wanted to repay Yoriichi.
But in reality, Yoriichi never cared about their thoughts; he just did what he wanted to do.
Hearing this, Hisana immediately fell silent.
Finally, she slowly exhaled and nodded, indicating she understood.
Of course, how much she truly took in remained unknown.
...
...
Soon.
"Shadows? Wandenreich?"
Kenpachi Azashiro appeared again.
Although his consciousness could spread throughout the entire Seireitei, he himself could not simultaneously hear everything happening within the Seireitei.
In the office, he looked at Yoriichi Tsugikuni and slowly spoke, "Have the Quincy who invaded Soul Society back then not all died out?"
If he hadn't recently noticed significant changes among the Shinigami, he might not have known about the existence of the Wandenreich.
Yhwach, huh...
Just as Kenpachi Azashiro fell into thought, Yoriichi nodded and said,
"More or less. According to information from some informed sources, it can be concluded that the Wandenreich, where Yhwach is hiding, is located within Soul Society."
"The reason I'm looking for you is also for this."
"Leaving aside outside the Seireitei for now, I hope you can thoroughly search every inch of the Seireitei, leaving no corner untouched, to prevent them from infiltrating from within."
"With your ability, you should be able to do it easily, right?"
Kenpachi Azashiro snapped out of his thoughts and said knowingly, "I can, but what will you do after you find them? Kill them?"
Yoriichi tapped the desk lightly with a pen, pondering, "Let's talk about what to do after we find them."
"But considering that no clues have been found for a thousand years, I don't think we can find them in a short time..."
"You have a point there."
Kenpachi Azashiro also fell into thought. Then, he raised his eyes, "Alright, who told me I'm also a Shinigami?"
"These Quincy are truly too ambitious, brazenly rooting themselves in Soul Society."
"Even without your request, I would investigate them one by one in the future."
"Then I'll trouble you."
Yoriichi nodded, his tone normal, "Let's start with the various Divisions first. I hope everything goes smoothly."
"Oh, right."
As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something, "What is that family's attitude towards those three captains?"
"Recently, due to their presence, the overall quality of students at Spiritual Arts Academy has increased by more than 1.5 times, and it is expected to be the class with the highest graduation rate in history."
"There shouldn't be any objections, right?"
"I was just about to mention that."
Kenpachi Azashiro shook his head imperceptibly, sighing softly,
"Although your Zanpakuto can summon the Hell Gate, they once believed you broke the rules."
"They are planning to find a few Hell's Intent to capture them."
"According to those people, the Hell's Intent are the true wardens of Hell; they are infinite and immortal, with their primary duty being to guard the Sinners."
"Once they find out, Captain Tsugikuni..."
Tap, tap, tap.
As he was speaking, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
Kenpachi Azashiro's expression changed slightly at the sound, and his body instantly dissipated into points of light.
Immediately after.
"Bang!"
The office door was suddenly pushed open.
Kuna Mashiro appeared outside the door, panting heavily. Leaning on the doorframe, she spoke breathlessly,
"No, this is bad, Captain Yoriichi! A bunch of monsters appeared at the Spiritual Arts Academy. They can't be killed no matter what, and it seems like they want to capture those teachers. Please go and see!"