Chapter 864: [864] : [BONUS] - Refusing Old Man Yama

~ Next Bonus, 300!

--------------------------------------------------

The Soul Society had recently been considering an assault on Hueco Mundo. Aizen had gone too far this time, and if they didn’t make a move, their authority would be meaningless.

However, as if anticipating their actions, Aizen was already prepared. He began dispatching Grand Hollows to the World of the Living.

He was clearly trying to stall the Soul Society’s inevitable campaign against him.

Aizen himself was busy; his Hōgyoku research was still incomplete. The pressure Shin had put on him meant he couldn’t afford to remain idle. He had no time to play games with the Soul Society.

In the World of the Living, Gillian-class Grand Hollows, once a rare sight, began appearing in droves. Even Arrancar were showing up frequently.

Though Shin had wounded them badly before, they were back to their arrogant selves now that they had recovered.

———————————

"Old man, you want me to go deal with the Hollows?"

Shin looked at Old Man Yamamoto. The Captain-Commander had personally come to the Second Division barracks to ask for Shin’s help.

Before coming to Shin, Yamamoto had already been to the Fourth Division to ask Retsu Unohana for her assistance.

As Captain-Commander, Yamamoto couldn’t leave for the World of the Living himself. He had to stay and guard the Soul Society against a potential sneak attack from Aizen.

So, he needed to send a powerful captain. He had originally wanted Unohana to go, but she had refused.

With Unohana unwilling, he had no choice but to seek out Shin.

"I refuse. I’m not a captain anymore, and this is no longer my duty," Shin said to Yamamoto.

If it had been anyone else, Yamamoto might have flown into a rage and slapped them across the room. But Shin wasn’t afraid of him, and Yamamoto could only let out an angry huff.

"This brat is so ungrateful."

Yamamoto was furious. He had come personally, expecting Shin to give him some face, but Shin’s refusal was swift and decisive.

"Actually, if you want to deal with those Hollows in the World of the Living, you do have options," Shin said to the fuming Captain-Commander.

Seeing Shin’s mysterious expression, Yamamoto frowned. He disliked people who beat around the bush, but if Shin didn’t elaborate, there was nothing he could do.

Seeing Yamamoto on the verge of erupting, Shin decided to just tell him, lest the short-tempered old man lose his cool.

After all, Yamamoto’s temper was notoriously foul. He was actually much calmer now than in his youth. Back in the day, he would have drawn his sword by now.

The old man was a dormant volcano; once he erupted, he would be uncontrollable.

While Shin wasn’t afraid of him losing his temper, he didn’t want the Second Division barracks destroyed in the process.

"Shinji Hirako. You remember them, right? They were framed by Aizen. You can ask for their help now."

Shin said to Yamamoto.

"You want them to fight those Hollows?" Yamamoto frowned at the suggestion, a look of displeasure on his face.

"Yes. They’d have no problem with it. Or do you not trust their strength? They’ve mastered Hollowfication. Honestly, they’re stronger than most captains."

Shin said with a smile.

Yamamoto, however, remained silent. He was the one who had ordered Shinji’s capture back then. Could Shinji and the others truly hold no grudge?

Impossible. They definitely resented him. So, would they really help?

"You’re worried they won’t help, right?" Shin asked.

Yamamoto didn’t speak. That was part of it. But there was also the fact that, even if Aizen was at fault, Shinji and the others now possessed Hollow powers. That was an undeniable fact. Furthermore, who knew if they still harbored resentment towards the Soul Society? Yamamoto had to consider all of this.

"You don’t need to worry. If you ask them, there’s a high probability they’ll agree. Their grudge against Aizen guarantees they’ll help fight him."

"We’ll see."

Yamamoto stood up and walked out. He still wanted Shin to act, but from the looks of it, that was impossible now.

So, Yamamoto didn’t waste any more time. He would just have to arrange for someone else to solve the problem.

Worse comes to worst, he could send Shunsui Kyōraku with a few other captains. It wouldn’t be a big deal if all the captains were deployed. As long as he was here, the Soul Society would be safe.

And indeed, while Yamamoto was confident, he had the strength to back it up. Even Yhwach wouldn’t dare face him lightly. The Bankai of Ryūjin Jakka could incinerate all of creation. It was a good thing the current Yamamoto had mellowed out so much.

If this were his younger self, the "Demon of the Sword," he probably would have already stormed Hueco Mundo and annihilated Aizen, regardless of the cost.

———————————

"What did Old Man Yama want?" Yoruichi asked Shin.

She had come out a bit late and only saw Yamamoto’s back, so she didn’t know what they had discussed.

"He wanted me to help deal with those Arrancar. I refused."

"Why did you refuse?" Yoruichi asked.

"Of course I refused. It’s a thankless job. Why would I do it? I’m not an idiot," Shin said, rolling his eyes at Yoruichi.

"Then you could have negotiated for a reward."

"Heh, knowing how cheap Old Man Yama is, he’d never give me anything. He probably just wanted free labor. I’m not falling for that."

Shin really didn’t think Yamamoto would give him anything. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"If you want to help, you can go,"

Shin glanced at Yoruichi, but based on his estimation, she probably wouldn’t.

"I’ll pass. It’s too much trouble."

Yoruichi hated trouble. Dealing with those Hollows was too much of a hassle. Besides, the Arrancar weren’t easy to handle. If a few of them ganged up on her, even she might be in trouble.

Based on her current strength, she could probably take on someone like Barragan, but if the Arrancar teamed up, she would definitely be at a disadvantage.

She knew the strength of those Arrancar; they were not to be underestimated.

An average Vasto Lorde probably couldn’t even defeat an Adjuchas-class Arrancar.

After becoming Arrancar, they also gained Zanpakutō. The power boost from their Resurrección was simply too immense. If a Soul Reaper dared to underestimate an Arrancar, they would pay a heavy price.

Come to think of it, both the Arrancar and the Sternritter were incredibly powerful. As for the Gotei 13 captains... besides a few pillars, they didn’t seem to measure up.

But the Sternritter were on another level. If they appeared now, they could probably sweep away both the Arrancar and the Soul Reaper captains combined.

--------------------------------------------------

~ Every 100 PS = Bonus Chapter!

~ 80 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!

https://p-atreon.com/dragonnx

(Just remove the hyphen to access Patreon normally.)