Chapter 319: She Came from Hell
Swoosh, swoosh.
Torrential rain poured down, connecting heaven and earth.
Though it was daytime, thick dark clouds made the entire Seireitei feel as if night had already fallen.
Satoru sat comfortably on the veranda, taking a leisurely sip of tea.
"Ah... As expected of tea brewed by Suì-Fēng. The flavor is exceptional."
"You flatter me too much."
Suì-Feng stood nearby, bowing her head slightly.
Seeing his little maid being so formal, Satoru felt a wave of emotion.
Truly a child raised with servant education from a young age—she had that authentic vibe down perfectly.
Her serious and earnest personality, the occasional icy glint in her eyes... It was precisely because of Suì-Feng's completely natural, unaffected behavior that made private moments of mischief all the more thrilling.
He swirled the tea in his cup, much like a nobleman swirling red wine.
Suì-Feng chose to ignore Satoru's utterly improper behavior.
The scumbag lord only flaunted his noble title when it suited him; normally, he couldn't care less.
Since that was the case, why should she bother fretting over it?
Satoru took another sip of tea.
"On a day like this, it'd be perfect to sneak Ryūjin Jakka over. We could brew tea and warm ourselves by its flames—truly the perfect Zanpakutō!"
Suì-Feng: "..."
If others were to learn that the oldest and most powerful Zanpakutō in the Soul Society was being considered for such purposes by Satoru, she wondered what they would think.
Just as she was lost in thought, she suddenly felt Satoru's hand rest on her shoulder.
What strange thing was this scumbag lord planning to do now?
Suì-Feng sighed inwardly.
She was about to remind Satoru that they were still outside and he shouldn't do anything inappropriate.
But then, she realized Satoru had stepped in front of her, shielding her.
Only a second later did Suì-Feng notice, with shock, that a figure had appeared before them without her noticing!
Under the gloomy sky stood a beautiful woman.
She wore a black Shinigami Uniform, draped over with a white Captain's Haori.
A long braid hung down over her shoulder.
The woman smiled at her from behind a pair of round glasses.
Though her features were lovely, the moment Suì-Feng saw that smile, her entire body tensed up.
An indescribable terror seized every cell in her being!
Satoru slowly moved to stand in front of Suì-Feng, shielding her behind him.
Gazing at the female Shinigami standing there, his eyes held an appreciative glint.
"A youthful face with ample curves, gentle and graceful, wild yet elegant, sharp as a blade yet alluring as a flower."
"Such an exceptional woman—had I seen her before, I would never have forgotten."
"Madam, why not introduce yourself?"
"Allow me to go first. I am Shunsui Kyōraku, Captain of the Eighth Division of the Gotei 13. And you, madam?"
Under Satoru's gaze, the female Shinigami's face flushed.
"...Smooth-talking liar."
She took a deep breath and adopted a serious expression:
"My name is Katori Batsu'unsai, former Captain of the Eighth Division."
"As for you—your name is Satoru Mikami, not Shunsui Kyōraku."
Hearing this, Satoru nodded.
"I see. Now I understand."
"Powerful, never seen before, knows a bit about the Soul Society but not much."
"If I'm not mistaken, are you an escapee from Muken?"
Batsu'unsai shook her head.
"Unfortunately, you guessed wrong."
She looked at Satoru, complex emotions flashing in her eyes.
Then, she spoke:
"Have you truly found a way to purify dense Reishi, allowing Captains to avoid falling into hell after death?"
"Oh?"
Satoru raised an eyebrow.
So far, only three people knew about this matter: Aizen, Kisuke Urahara, and Ginrei Kuchiki.
He hadn't even mentioned it to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who couldn't help due to scheduling conflicts.
So how did the girl before him come to know about it?
Could it be that something had happened to that old man Ginrei?
Thinking this, Satoru Mikami reached out, his hand moving toward his sword hilt.
Suì-Fēng stood behind him, her brow furrowed tightly.
Katori Batsu'unsai... Why did this name sound so familiar?
She was certain she had heard this name somewhere before, but couldn't recall it at the moment.
Seeing Mikami's reaction, the youthful yet well-endowed Shinigami took a deep breath, visibly excited.
"You actually succeeded?"
"How was this achieved? If even those who have fallen into hell could..."
Before she could finish, she suddenly groaned, her face contorting in pain as she crouched down.
Seeing her genuine suffering rather than acting, Satoru initially moved to check on her.
But after taking just two steps, a sudden sense of foreboding flashed through his mind.
Satoru stopped in his tracks.
At the same time, the youthful girl raised her hand:
"No... don't come closer!"
"Be careful... I..."
Before she could finish speaking, black chains suddenly emerged from her body, coiling tightly around her in full view of Satoru and Suì-Fēng.
The chains' constriction made her already prominent features appear even more pronounced.
Satoru couldn't look away—not because he wanted to stare, but because he needed to carefully observe for any potential traps there.
Batsu'unsai lifted her head.
Her gray eyes now emitted a golden glow.
A half-skull mask had somehow appeared on her face.
It somewhat resembled a Hollow's mask.
Yet, Satoru could detect no trace of Hollowfication from it.
The Reiatsu emanating from it was unlike anything he had ever encountered.
Bloody, distorted, filled with madness and destruction, yet somehow containing a semblance of order.
With trembling hands, Katori Batsu'unsai drew the Zanpakutō at her waist.
In an instant, she appeared before Satoru and swung her blade!
Boom!
Satoru partially drew his Zanpakutō to block the strike.
After the explosive impact, he was shocked to find himself high in the air.
Below, he could see the rain clouds torn open by a circular gap from his high-speed impact.
Further down, the Eleventh Division barracks were visible in the distance.
That single clash had instantly sent him flying kilometers into the sky!
Feeling the slight numbness in his arms, Satoru blinked.
"No way... this girl is pretty fierce."
Gripping Risō Jakumetsu, he grinned.
Interesting.
Though he didn't know who this Katori Batsu'unsai was, she could certainly fight.
Her level was probably not inferior to that cheap senior brother of his.
Perhaps even superior.
He was almost certain she must have escaped from Muken.
Where else in the Soul Society could such a powerful being come from besides Muken?
Blue flames flickered as Risō Jakumetsu transformed into dual blades, which Satoru gripped with outstretched arms.
"A mere Intelligence Division captain dares to swagger before the Eleventh Division?"
"Today I'll cut you down first, then deal with that cheap senior brother!!"
As he spoke, Satoru descended from the sky, raising both blades as if to split the entire earth below in half!
Without hesitation, Katori Batsu'unsai shot upward to meet him.
A flash of light shimmered in her hand as her Zanpakutō transformed into a long-handled naginata, slashing toward Satoru!
BOOM!!!!
A massive ring of white shockwaves exploded mid-air.
The violent Reiatsu scattered the rain clouds, instantly illuminating the gloomy sky with sunlight.
Gripping dual blades, Satoru revealed a ferocious grin as he engaged in an intense clash with the expressionless Katori Batsu'unsai. Dazzling sparks erupted from their clashing blades!
The terrifying collision of Reiatsu threw the entire Seireitei into chaos.
"What's happening?!"
"Enemy attack!! Enemy attack!!"
"Captain Mikami is fighting an unknown Shinigami!"
"All officers below Third Seat, stay away from the scene! The Reiatsu is too powerful!"
"Argh!!"
Swish!
Swish!
Several Captains stationed near the Eleventh Division arrived via Flash Step.
Gazing at the two figures in the sky and sensing the terrifying Reiatsu permeating the air, everyone wore expressions of astonishment.
"Who is that?!"
"Incredible Reiatsu!"
In the sky, Satoru swung his blades, exchanging blows with the female Shinigami's silhouette.
Each collision produced a terrifying shockwave of Reiatsu.
Weaker Captains, such as Kensei Muguruma, even felt a sense of suppression.
"Shunsui, let's help Satoru."
Jūshirō Ukitake urged anxiously.
But Shunsui Kyōraku did not respond.
Holding his straw hat, he frowned deeply, his eyes fixed intently on the figure in the sky.
She looks so familiar... Who is she? Why does she evoke such a strong sense of recognition?
A few seconds later, Shunsui suddenly realized something.
His eyes widened, and he took a sharp breath, feeling as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss.
"How is this possible?!"
"What's going on?!" Ukitake pressed urgently.
Shunsui looked at him in stunned disbelief:
"That's... Katori Batsu'unsai!"
"?!"
Ukitake's hand, which had been gripping Shunsui's collar, froze mid-motion, his eyes filled with incredulity.
In the sky, Satoru's excitement grew.
With a burst of Reiatsu, the upper half of his Shinigami Uniform and Captain's Haori shattered into fragments.
Then, he casually discarded his Zanpakutō and threw a punch at Katori Batsu'unsai!
Batsu'unsai crossed her long blade in front of her chest, blocking Satoru's strike.
Just as she prepared to counterattack, she suddenly turned her gaze into the distance.
From that direction, a surge of Reiatsu rolled toward them.
Sensing this familiar Reiatsu, Satoru halted.
He looked over in surprise.
Why did the old man arrive so quickly this time?
Meanwhile, after confirming the owner of the Reiatsu, Katori Batsu'unsai began retreating rapidly.
A spatial rift opened behind her, from which dozens of chains emerged, binding her limbs.
Then, they yanked her violently into the rift.
Just before she was fully pulled in, a flicker of consciousness returned to her eyes.
Looking at Satoru, she spoke:
"Satoru Mikami, be careful... Hell is—"
Before she could finish, the spatial rift snapped shut.
A few seconds later, Yamamoto arrived via Flash Step.
The old man scanned the surroundings with a look of disbelief.
Finally, his gaze settled on Satoru:
"Where is she?!"
"She fled, scared off by you."
"..."
Yamamoto fell silent for two seconds.
Then, as if nothing had happened, he asked in a low voice:
"Boy, was the one you were fighting just now Katori Batsu'unsai?"
"That's the name she gave."
Satoru nodded.
"She also said she was the Captain of the Eighth Division."
Hearing this, Yamamoto's expression turned grave.
"Captain of the Eighth Division... Of course, she certainly was."
"But she was far more than just the Captain of the Eighth Division."
"Katori Batsu'unsai is someone I personally invited, who together with myself and eleven others established the organization known as the Gotei 13."
"That is to say, the first captain of the Eighth Division!"
Satoru was somewhat surprised.
During the decades of studying under Yamamoto, he had occasionally heard the old man mention it.
Many of the current captains in the Gotei 13 could only be considered barely adequate to make up the numbers.
The strongest group were the founding Captains.
Unfortunately, most of those Captains either died or disappeared, leaving only Yamamoto and Unohana remaining today.
He never expected to encounter one now.
Curious, he asked, "Has she been in Muken all these years?"
Hearing this, Yamamoto cracked open his eyes and looked at Satoru.
A complex gaze shone in his eyes.
"No."
"She died."
"I personally conducted the Soul Funeral Ceremony and sent her to Hell."
Satoru was stunned.
He suddenly recalled what Katori Batsu'unsai had just said.
Beware, Hell is—
So that was it.
No wonder she could infiltrate the Eleventh Division so silently.
No wonder the fluctuations of her Reiatsu felt completely unfamiliar.
No wonder her first question was about dense Reishi purification.
This founding Captain of the Eighth Division actually came from Hell!
...
...
First Division meeting room.
Yamamoto sat at the head, with Captains arranged in two rows.
Standing in the center, Satoru explained the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.
After hearing this, all the Captains widened their eyes, their worldviews visibly shaken.
"After Captain-level souls die, they can't return to the Three Realms due to abnormal Reishi?"
"The Soul Funeral Ceremony isn't just a traditional ritual, but actually sends unresolved Captain-level Reishi to Hell?!"
This explosive truth was difficult for most Captains to accept.
Everyone turned their eyes to Yamamoto.
Yamamoto remained silent for a few seconds.
Instead of answering their silent questions, he looked toward the disciple who never ceased to amaze him.
"Mikami Satoru, are you certain you've found a method to purify dense Reishi, allowing Shinigami of third-class Reiō or above to return to the Three Realms?"
Satoru snorted proudly.
"Absolutely, it's been experimentally verified! No issues at all!"
"After all, this is something I..."
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Katori Batsu'unsai's warning echoed in his ears once more.
"...this is a solution I achieved through tremendous effort, nearly exhausting my extraordinary intelligence."
Watching Satoru's triumphant expression, Yamamoto felt his blood pressure rise slightly.
But then, he couldn't help curling the corners of his mouth.
Truly his disciple, actually solving this ancient problem of the Soul Society.
From now on, he would no longer have to bear the heavy sin of cruelly sending his former comrades and subordinates to Hell one by one.
For Shinigami, entering Hell after death to obtain so-called "rebirth" was far from an ideal outcome.
Based on his understanding of Hell, this was undoubtedly a fate worse than death.
Every time he performed the Soul Funeral Ceremony, Yamamoto felt his soul being tormented.
Yet, to maintain the balance of the Three Realms, he had to repeatedly conduct this cruel ritual.
Now... was this burden finally going to be lifted?
Hearing their conversation, all the Captains understood.
Everything Satoru said was true.
Considering the fate they originally faced, everyone felt a chill down their spines.
But then, realizing this destiny had been changed, they grew excited again.
Compared to past Captains, they could be considered incredibly fortunate.
And the source of this fortune...
Including Shinji Hirako, everyone looked toward that man.