"This is the Gate of Hell!"
Listening to Shisui's explanation, Sengoku looked forward.
The sinner chosen by Guernica was shot dead, and a massive gate decorated with skeletons suddenly materialized.
Feeling the invisible pressure, Sengoku pushed up his glasses, a searching look appearing on his face.
"The Master entered Hell because he wanted to establish a connection with it..."
"But after signing the contract, what can be done with it?"
He was not entirely ignorant of the rumors surrounding Hell.
Even within the Soul Society, Hell was something that was not easily spoken of.
When the Gate of Hell opens, it pulls guilty souls inside to face punishment.
Furthermore, there was a Great Noble Family in the Soul Society specifically dedicated to handling matters related to Hell.
What exactly was Ren's objective, to go so far as to risk entering Hell himself?
Shisui shook his head, his expression showing a hint of agitation.
"The Master must have his reasons for doing this; we have no right to interfere."
At the thought of Ren entering Hell, Shisui paused, his brow furrowing deeply.
"The Master mentioned before that he wanted to leave a trump card for the war."
'I wonder what kind of trump card it is... and what kind of war?'
The war with the Quincies had ended, and although the results were not ideal, it was ultimately their victory.
Those remaining Quincies were now just rats in a gutter, unable to cause much damage.
Unless Yhwach was resurrected, there might be a counterattack from the Quincies.
But that would be a matter for a hundred years from now!
They had nearly a hundred years to deal with those Quincy remnants and nip them in the bud; Ren had no need to be so urgent.
That left only one other possible war.
Sengoku's expression was thoughtful.
"Is it about the battle with the Soul Society?"
With the Seireitei currently under their surveillance, the Shinigami would not be their match.
As things stood, only one person could pose a threat to them.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni!
"Or... those guardians of the Soul King Palace?"
Sengoku looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the barrier of this shadow space to see the palace standing in the heavens.
Shisui could not help but feel increasingly worried.
"But regardless, for the Master to enter Hell is too dangerous. Who knows what threats lie within!"
Hell was far too mysterious.
Even for the Shinigami of the Seireitei, essential information was scarce.
Sengoku withdrew his gaze and looked back at the Gate of Hell that had appeared once more.
Compared to Shisui, his expression was much calmer.
"There is no need to worry. The Master is powerful; even Hell cannot harm him."
"Besides, he has signed a contract with us. With our lives tied to his, he will never come to harm!"
Just then, as the Gate of Hell appeared once more to take away a sinner's soul, Guernica approached with a troubled look.
"Master Shisui, only one sinner remains."
Shisui turned to look, seeing over ten corpses already piled on the open ground.
One last person stood before the pile of bodies, controlled by members of the Stealth Force.
Sengoku was surprised.
"That's it?"
"You only prepared this many sinners?"
Guernica bowed his head, his tone full of trepidation.
"I am very sorry. Time was short, and these were the only ones we could capture as a matter of urgency."
Shisui barked at Guernica, "Continue sending people to the living world to catch more!"
He looked at the last remaining person, his gaze darkening as he gritted his teeth. "As for this one... kill him."
"Try one more time!"
Hearing this, Guernica did not hesitate, raising his gun and pulling the trigger.
Bang!
The gunshot rang out, and the man fell into a pool of blood.
The Gate of Hell rumbled into existence, and after sucking in the sinner's soul, it slammed shut and vanished.
A short time passed, yet Ren's figure still did not appear.
Seeing this, even though Shisui had expected it, he still felt a sense of urgency since Ren had yet to emerge.
Sengoku pinched the bridge of his nose. "If it's sinners you need, I'll have people pick through the prisoners to see if we can find some useful ones!"
Guernica also hurried to promise, "Some of our people remained in the human world. Considering the urgency, this group was just the first batch. There are more currently being transported here."
Shisui nodded, his expression softening slightly.
"Go quickly. I will wait here for you."
Just as Sengoku and the other were turning to leave, a familiar roar suddenly sounded from behind them.
They stopped in their tracks and quickly turned around.
On the empty ground, the Gate of Hell had appeared once more.
And this time, it was not opened by a sinner.
Shisui's eyes widened, and a look of joy appeared on his face.
"Could it be... the Master succeeded!"
Sengoku stared intently at the slowly opening Gate of Hell and added calmly, "It seems so."
Boom!
The gate seemed to be struck violently from the inside, producing a muffled sound.
The heavy doors could not withstand the impact, and the chains binding them were instantly snapped by the immense force.
The two doors swung open to their limit, revealing the crimson light within as miasma drifted out freely.
In the red light of the doorway, a tall figure was stepping out.
His steps were steady, and as he walked out, the figure gradually became clear.
The joy on Shisui's face could no longer be suppressed as he cried out excitedly.
"Master! It is wonderful that you are safe!"
The newcomer was indeed Ren.
Stepping out of the Gate of Hell and onto the solid ground, Ren's expression relaxed somewhat.
He looked forward, seeing Shisui and the others clearly, and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.
"Shisui, sorry to keep you waiting."
After he walked out, a massive arm slowly reached out from within the Gate of Hell.
The skin was pale and the finger bones distinct; the large hand spread its fingers and reached toward Ren.
Seeing this, the expression on Shisui's face changed abruptly as he shouted, "Master, be careful!"
Ren, however, did not panic at all. He simply turned his head slightly and watched the growing palm.
"I know you're reluctant to let me go, but there's no other way..."
He waved his hand, and countless blades flew out, creating sharp whistling sounds in the air.
That arm was immediately reduced to scattered flesh mixed with white bone fragments.
After the arm was cut down, there was still movement within Hell, and several more arms reached out from the gate to grab Ren.
Ren sighed.
"I still have things to do on this side, so just stay put for now!"
"Once I'm finished, I'll come back to accompany you!"
Ren's words seemed to have an effect, as the several arms suddenly froze.
After a few seconds of silence, the arms slowly retreated.
The Gate of Hell rumbled and closed, vanishing into thin air.
The invisible pressure in the area dissipated, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Shisui stepped forward, his face full of concern. "Master, just now..."
Ren rubbed his chin and explained, "You can think of it as a certain will of Hell."
"I haven't quite figured out the specifics, but it seems Hell quite likes me."
Sengoku and Guernica also walked over, their faces showing astonishment.
"The will of Hell... Does that mean Hell possesses some form of thought?"
"Is it because the Master signed a contract with Hell?"
Ren pinched the bridge of his nose, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.
"How should I put it... your way of saying it isn't wrong."
He turned his head and looked at the place where the Gate of Hell had appeared, his eyes somewhat dazed.
"I didn't go deep into Hell just now; I only established a connection with it at the topmost layer."
After Ren signed the contract with Hell, he felt a grand will in the darkness.
That will was not like a human's, possessing many emotions and capable of complex thought.
Instead, it was more like an operating program that maintained Hell's existence—mechanical, cold, pure, and direct.
It was like a simple neural reflex.
Without joy or anger, and without consciousness, it was merely an instinct.
After discovering Ren's existence, the will of Hell did not resist; instead, it accepted him completely.
It even intended to keep Ren in Hell permanently to serve as its thinking organ, performing higher-level cognitive computations.
It was somewhat similar to the various fairies in the Type-Moon world who served as the planet's organs—like the Duke of Heat Dissipation...
And now, Ren was serving as the brain of Hell.
But the will of Hell was too vast, and Ren did not dare risk it.
He had a faint feeling that if he truly agreed to the will of Hell, his entire existence would likely be assimilated by it.
By then, whether he would still be himself was another story.
"So I didn't dare go deeper. After shaking off Hell's persistence, I ran out."
"However, I had to make quite a few deals and sign a promissory note before I could leave."
With that, he reached out and pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing the skin beneath.
Shisui looked at Ren's chest, and his pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinholes.
"T-This is?"
He had seen Ren's body while soaking in the hot springs.
Originally, Ren had floral tattoos that occupied nearly half of his chest.
But now those tattoos had completely disappeared, replaced by a golden skull.
It was like a brand, deeply engraved over his heart.
Ren said calmly, "This is the mark Hell placed on me after I signed the contract."
"A deal... a mark?"
Sengoku's brow furrowed deeply, and his face instantly darkened.
He asked nervously, "Is there any harm in this for the Master? And what do you mean by a deal?"
Ren shook his head. "There is no harm, it's just an outward manifestation of the contract."
"Hell has recognized me and wants me to become its physical manager and the executor of its will. Likewise, I have the highest authority within Hell's system and can use a certain degree of Hell's power in the outside world."
"As for the promissory note, it was just a compromise made to come out this time."
Seeing that the others still looked worried, Ren's expression was easygoing as he reassured them, "Don't worry, it's nothing major. If anything, this trip to Hell was quite rewarding for me."
Shisui said urgently, "But Master, you said it was a promissory note. Even if the rewards are great now, it must be paid back eventually!"
"In the future, Hell will surely pull the Master down. What will we do then?"
Ren gave a slight smile, his expression carrying a hint of mockery.
"Shisui, I personally tend to keep my word, but this time I have no such intention!"
"There is no rule saying that things borrowed must be returned!"
This time, Ren intended to be a deadbeat.
Under normal circumstances, it would be fine, but the deal Hell offered was far too valuable.
By way of comparison, his existence to Hell was like the Soul King to the Three Realms.
The weight was too heavy, and there was no way Ren could ever pay it back without selling himself to clear the debt.
In that case, Ren simply wouldn't pay.
Shisui wanted to say more, but Sengoku patted his shoulder.
"Shisui, the Master has always been prudent and has his own considerations. Let's not worry too much."
Shisui also knew he could not sway Ren's decision.
Furthermore, since the matter had already occurred, saying more would be useless.
Despite his many lingering worries, Shisui could only accept it.
He looked at the skull on Ren's chest and suddenly thought of something.
"Master, what should we do about this design? It's fine normally since clothes can cover it, but Lady Yoruichi will surely find out."
"That's easy."
With a thought from Ren, the design on his chest sank into his skin.
From the outside, not a single trace could be seen.
"This mark is embedded into my spiritual body. While it cannot be removed, it can be hidden."
"This way, it won't be an issue."
He pulled his clothes back up, his gaze sweeping over the others before landing on Sengoku.
"Sengoku, why are you here? Are you not outside maintaining order?"
"I received news from Zephyr and came to find the Master. I need the Master's opinion on a certain matter."
Sengoku pushed up his glasses.
Guernica had sent people to cordon off this area, which naturally required his permission so the soldiers would stay away while on patrol, so he was aware of the situation.
But at the thought of what he was about to say, his voice grew significantly heavier.
"Master, please dismiss the others."
Seeing how serious Sengoku was, Ren waved his hand.
Seeing this, Guernica hurried away with his subordinates.
On the empty ground, only the three of them—Ren, Shisui, and Sengoku—remained.
Sengoku opened his mouth and said through gritted teeth, "It's about those Quincy prisoners..."
"After several days of contact, we found that these prisoners are all harbor deep hatred and are constantly thinking of revenge."
"In just these few days, several rebellions have broken out. Fortunately, the soldiers suppressed them in time, so no major damage was caused."
"Master, I can now state with certainty that these Quincies can never be used by us!"
Ren nodded slightly, his foot tapping the ground beneath him.
"That is to be expected. After all, we are invaders who occupied their homeland and killed their families and companions. Expecting them to join us wholeheartedly now is almost impossible."
"In addition, there is the King they are hoping will be resurrected in a hundred years... even if we announce that Yhwach is dead, they will not believe it."
To these Quincies, Yhwach was their faith.
For generations, they had spent their lives singing hymns to Yhwach, believing that he would return like a lightning bolt.
To deny this now would be like denying the core programming of their entire lives; naturally, they would not believe it.
Furthermore, Yhwach really wasn't dead!
A flash of worry passed through Ren's mind as he looked at Sengoku.
"What do you plan to do?"
Sengoku's expression became solemn, the light reflecting off his lenses and obscuring his eyes.
But his voice was chillingly cold.
"Kill them."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]