A man ought to put his career first.
So in the end, between going to see Kabuma Sayako and going to look for Yoruichi Shihōin, Higashino Shuuichi chose the latter.
In the first place, when he came to Kukaku Shiba's place, it was because he planned to ask about Yoruichi Shihōin's whereabouts.
After all, Yoruichi didn't have many close friends in Soul Society, and even fewer she could truly speak her mind to.
Kukaku just happened to be one of them.
Shuuichi figured that if Yoruichi had any intention of returning—or "defecting" back to Soul Society—then she would definitely go to Kukaku, or people like Shunsui Kyōraku, to sound them out first.
Turns out…
His guesses weren't something that could be one hundred percent correct every single time.
Yoruichi really had come to privately see Kukaku a few times, but every time it was only light conversation—she never revealed anything more to Kukaku.
Let alone where she might be staying now.
At this point, Shuuichi had two other options: go to Shunsui Kyōraku, or go to Jūshirō Ukitake.
Because those two were also people Yoruichi might seek help from.
But in the end, Shuuichi chose neither.
This return to Soul Society was secret.
If he could help it, he didn't even want to see Sōsuke Aizen.
"So that's why you came to me?"
Within the estate of the Kabuma clan—one of the Four Great Noble Houses—the current chief steward of the Kabuma family, Azashiro Sōya, watered the flowers and plants in the courtyard as he spoke to Higashino Shuuichi across from him.
"Like I had any choice. I don't want to go to Kyōraku or Ukitake, either."
Shuuichi also picked up a watering can and started watering the plants.
Then—
"Can you put down that watering can first?"
"Huh?"
"Huh what? I'm talking to you!
That patch over there—I literally just watered it. Can't you see?"
"Then water it again. What's the big deal?"
"Urozakuro, see him—"
"Okay, okay, I'll put it down!"
Like a student who'd just been chewed out by the discipline teacher, Higashino Shuuichi quietly shuffled off to the side.
Couldn't be helped—Azashiro Sōya's status wasn't the same anymore. He was the Kabuma clan's chief steward now. Even if Shuuichi didn't give Sōya face, he still had to give Sayako face.
Besides… he was the one asking for help.
Once Azashiro Sōya saw that Shuuichi was behaving, he continued.
"But even if you came to me, it's useless, isn't it?
Even if Yoruichi Shihōin seems like she's on bad terms with Kisuke Urahara now, there's still no sign of her coming back. At the very least, she should be living long-term in the World of the Living, not Soul Society."
Azashiro Sōya did keep an eye on Yoruichi, to an extent.
But just as he said, his ability only extended within Seireitei. Forget the World of the Living—even if Yoruichi hid herself somewhere in Rukongai, he still wouldn't be able to find her.
"Sure, but she'll come into Seireitei sooner or later, won't she?
Based on what I heard from Kukaku, over the past few years Yoruichi's been sneaking back into Seireitei on average once every three months. As long as she comes back into Seireitei, you'll know, right?"
Shuuichi spoke with full confidence.
The method he'd come up with was still the same:
Wait for the rabbit by the tree stump.
Instead of running around the streets with no leads, it was better to wait for Yoruichi to walk right into his net.
"…That actually does sound like a plan."
Azashiro Sōya analyzed it for a moment.
"Say it with confidence. You can add a 'good' in front of that."
Shuuichi reminded him.
And then—someone unexpected entered his field of view.
No. To be precise…
She lunged straight at him.
"Shuuichi!"
Just those two simple syllables contained who knew how much longing Kabuma Sayako had been holding back.
Shuuichi felt his clothes at his chest grow damp with tears as he hugged her back, his gaze shifting to Azashiro Sōya off to the side.
Sōya only shrugged, spreading his hands.
"I'm simply fulfilling the duties a steward should fulfill. My superior is Sayako-sama, not you."
Azashiro Sōya's explanation was upright and proper, but Shuuichi really wanted to say, Don't think I don't know what you are. Aren't you just the bodyguard I hired for Sayako and the others? Haven't you gotten a bit too into the role?!
Unfortunately, this wasn't the right occasion. Shuuichi wasn't stupid enough to say something like that in front of Kabuma Sayako.
"Why didn't you tell me in advance that you were back?"
Only after staying in his arms for a long while did Sayako finally lift her head and ask him.
"Because I should only be staying in Soul Society for a short time before leaving again. I didn't want to disturb you.
And I didn't want you worrying about me."
Shuuichi looked at her gently.
"…Are you going to Hell?"
Sayako knew that when Shuuichi went to the Soul King Palace, his goal was to fully master his complete Bankai, and at the same time try to break the shackles of being a Shinigami.
Now that Shuuichi had returned from the Soul King Palace, that meant he'd definitely achieved both goals.
So in Sayako's understanding, aside from Soul Society… there was only one place left worth Shuuichi taking such a risk.
"Not yet. Before I go to Hell, there are a lot of things I need to prepare—like going to the back side of Seireitei first."
Shuuichi explained.
Originally, he hadn't planned to tell Sayako about the Wandenreich, but Azashiro Sōya was way too loyal—
So he had no choice but to say it. Otherwise it would only make Sayako worry even more.
"The back side of Seireitei?"
Sayako still hadn't reacted much, but on the other side, Azashiro Sōya—who had been about to leave—immediately grew interested.
"You don't know? I thought you would. About the Quincy and the Wandenreich."
Seeing Sōya's reaction, Shuuichi was also surprised.
Logically speaking, it was understandable if ordinary Shinigami didn't know about the Wandenreich…
But you, Azashiro Sōya—you're practically fused with all of Seireitei, and you still can't sense the Wandenreich's existence? Isn't that a bit much?
And yet… Sōya really didn't know.
Or rather, he could have known, but because he'd never even thought in that direction, all his energy and attention had been elsewhere.
"Weren't the Quincy almost exterminated by us Shinigami a few hundred years ago?
I've heard there aren't many Quincy left in the World of the Living anymore.
So how is there an empire?"
As the head of a Great Noble House, Kabuma Sayako knew the famous history of Soul Society—even if the Kabuma clan's family rule was to not participate in Soul Society's governance.
"That's… a long story."
When it came to the Wandenreich, Shuuichi could talk for three days and three nights.
But if he only gave the rough outline, it was quick.
After hearing the truth from Shuuichi, Sayako and Azashiro Sōya wore completely different expressions.
Sayako looked extremely grim.
"So Shuuichi… you're going to the Wandenreich to eliminate the Quincy King called Yhwach in advance? Wouldn't that be incredibly dangerous?
Can't you tell the Gotei 13 and the other noble houses, and have everyone think of a solution together?"
"It won't work, Sayako. You don't understand what Yhwach represents.
Telling the others in Soul Society is useless."
Shuuichi shook his head.
If this world were simple—purely free to develop—then doing what Sayako said would, of course, be the best.
But it wasn't.
This world—at least up to now—had always had a person called the Soul King, behind the scenes, using his will as a driving force to manipulate everything.
Yhwach's birth was inevitable. Shuuichi had already realized that clearly after seeing, in the Soul King Palace, how Soul Society had been forcibly "corrected" over the years by the Soul King.
Even the question that Shuuichi could never figure out—why Aizen had delayed taking action against Yhwach for so long—now had an answer.
On the surface, it looked like Aizen simply craved an opponent like Yhwach.
But inside it… there was very likely also an unspoken hint from the Soul King to Aizen.
Otherwise, why was it that after all these years, Aizen always talked about making preparations against the Wandenreich where Yhwach hid…
Yet the moment Shuuichi left Soul Society and went to the Soul King Palace, Aizen's movements on that front completely came to a halt?
The Soul King's will was bound to be influencing everyone in this world, little by little.
Everyone except Shuuichi himself.
So Shuuichi needed to use his own method—forcefully intervene.
He would turn passive into active, leaving room for both Aizen and himself to counterattack.
He would make it so the Soul King had no bandwidth to care about anything else.
And the Wandenreich… was exactly such an existence.
At the same time, to loosen the Soul King's vigilance—and to let Aizen follow the Soul King's "script" and walk the path of becoming the king of Hueco Mundo—was also necessary.
That was the new blueprint Shuuichi had written for himself over all those years in the Soul King Palace.
Normally, after Shuuichi said that, the other person should at least ask why.
But Sayako didn't.
She only pressed her left cheek back against Shuuichi's chest again.
"Then… be careful, Shuuichi."
Her voice was small, weak—and yet filled with trust and concern.
Meanwhile, the other "audience member" present looked… excited.
"Quincy… Yhwach… Wandenreich…
If I remember right, they also hate Hollows just as much.
As humans, they have an irreconcilable conflict with Hollows.
Shuuichi—do you think we can use them to completely wipe out all the Hollows in Hueco Mundo?"
Azashiro Sōya said eagerly.
This was far more brilliant than his old plan—using the civilians of Rukongai to eliminate Hollows in Hueco Mundo!
"If you want the Three Realms to collapse, go ahead and try."
Still holding Sayako, Shuuichi shot Sōya a merciless look.
Seriously, bro, what era are we living in?
You're not the hundred-something-year-old kid you used to be.
After learning about the Soul King and the fundamental laws that keep the Three Realms running, how can you still have this kind of thought process?
Did the Soul King forget to give you a normally sized brain when he made you?
Unfortunately, Shuuichi's cold water couldn't quench Sōya's enthusiasm.
After working for so long in the Kabuma household alongside the people Shuuichi had left behind, Sōya had learned plenty of inside information—
And now he was already constructing a grand blueprint in his mind.
"The balance of the Three Realms—I know it. It's a big cycle, right.
But in reality, the cycle between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society is parallel and independent relative to the World of the Living.
Hueco Mundo doesn't need to be balanced against the World of the Living—neither does Soul Society.
Hueco Mundo and Soul Society only need to be balanced with each other!"
"What are you trying to say?"
Shuuichi frowned. Even Sayako in his arms quietly perked up her ears.
"Your disciple Yushima Ōko—after the Tsunayashiro clan was wiped out—didn't he completely take over the coordination work that the Tsunayashiro used to support with the Shin'ō Reijutsuin's chief representative, Yamada Seinosuke?
The project they're researching together right now is a Soul King substitute, but if we look at it from another angle—if they can even produce a Soul King substitute…
Then producing a batch of Hollows that completely obey us Shinigami and won't run around causing trouble—shouldn't that be totally doable?
And taking it a step further, you can have Yushima Ōko and the others stop making any Soul King substitute and instead make a Hollow King substitute—create an absolute king for Hueco Mundo's Hollows, artificially!
That might be hard for the current Hueco Mundo, but as long as we let those Quincy destroy the current Hueco Mundo, and we reshape a new Hueco Mundo… doing that definitely won't be difficult!
I can even have Urozakuro help…"
Azashiro Sōya got more excited the more he spoke, and the more Shuuichi listened, the more uncomfortable he felt.
What the hell—did this guy sneak a peek at the script?
Isn't what he's describing basically Aizen?
Isn't that exactly what Aizen is doing right now?
"Stop, stop, stop—Sōya, everything you're saying depends on Yushima Ōko and the others being able to research and create what you want in the first place! Whether they can even pull it off is a huge question!"
Shuuichi decided to put a stop to Sōya's fantasy.
Wouldn't it be better if his personally appointed chief steward just stayed by Sayako's side, protected Sayako properly, and let Shuuichi have no worries behind him?
Unfortunately, Sōya had completely let himself go.
In his heart, that youthful dream of his had reignited.
He wanted every Hollow to die.
He wanted Soul Society to have eternal peace for ten thousand generations!
"Shuuichi, when are you going?
Together?"
Azashiro Sōya cracked his knuckles.
"No!"
Shuuichi ground his teeth.
"Then I'll go myself!"
Azashiro Sōya was full of confidence.
"Then wait three months for me!"
Shuuichi gave up resisting.
"Deal!"
Azashiro Sōya was brimming with anticipation!
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