Help! I am bound to Aizen!-Chapter 203

Chapter 203

Love roared the words, drawing his Zanpakutō to charge in.

But the Quincy moved faster.

The moment Kaelith reached the tables, more than a dozen Quincy sprang up around him, each drawing back a spirit arrow.

Aizen narrowed his eyes, while Kaelith merely glanced at them, then sat down as though nothing were amiss.

Under everyone’s incredulous stares, he pulled out a sheet of paper and started writing the contract terms, occasionally asking Aizen for help recalling certain details. He looked more like a diner reading off a menu than a hostage under threat.

“Wait! Minomura! Inoue! What do you think you’re doing?!” Ishida Sōken rushed over, positioning himself in front of the pair to block their path.

Inoue snorted. “You heard him, Sōken? This kid’s the disciple of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni. If we capture him, we can force negotiations with the Captain-Commander on our terms. From now on, we’ll keep him close. If Soul Society dares move against us, I’ll chop off a finger each time and see how Yamamoto reacts.”

He laughed, and Sōken’s face went pale.

How idiotic could they be?

Yamamoto was no ordinary man. Threatening him with a student—any student—was pointless. He wouldn’t even blink at such a ruse, let alone yield to it.

Before Sōken could figure out a way to salvage the situation, Kaelith at the table tapped the wood.

“Hey, Quincy. I’m done writing. Come sign.”

Inoue Shōji frowned in annoyance. “You fool. Do you not realize your plight? You may be strong—far stronger than that white-haired Captain we defeated before—but we have you surrounded now. With this many arrows pointed at you, you’re doomed.”

“Hmm, is that so?” Kaelith set down the pen and scratched his head. “I don’t think any of them can actually hit me, though.”

Minomura and Inoue exchanged dark looks, displeased by his casual dismissal. Minomura snorted. “Fine, if you want to suffer first, let’s make it happen.”

He gave a slight wave of his hand. One of the Quincy fired immediately—

“Argh!”

To Minomura’s shock, Kaelith hadn’t even moved from his seat, yet the arrow flew wide and struck another Quincy in the chest. That unfortunate soul clutched at the mortal wound, eyes full of disbelief. Then he collapsed without a word.

That had to be a fluke, Minomura told himself. The archer must’ve panicked and missed.

He glanced around, signaling more Quincy to shoot.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several reishi arrows glimmered blue as they flew straight for Kaelith—only to streak past his seat just like before, hitting the Quincy opposite him with devastating accuracy. Screams echoed as more allies went down in friendly fire.

What in the world…? How could they all be missing? So many arrows at once, yet every shot inexplicably veered off target.

There’s no doubt he’s doing something. But he hasn’t drawn his Zanpakutō…

Minomura’s eyes narrowed as he stared at the blade at Kaelith’s hip. No, that wasn’t it. Kaelith hadn’t even gripped the hilt this entire time.

He was still reeling from confusion when he noticed a figure rushing toward him. A Shinigami with an unfamiliar face, clad in a white haori. The newcomer looked like he was shouting something, maybe a warning.

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Minomura flared with anger. Damn Shinigami, trying to trick us again!

He roared, raised his spirit bow, and unleashed arrow after arrow at the charging figure. The Shinigami—evidently a Captain—hesitated, then grew enraged in turn, lifting a large bow of his own to return fire.

Minomura snarled. A Shinigami using a bow? How dare he?

Instantly, a deluge of searing arrows rained down upon that would-be Captain. Light burst across the battlefield like a sea of blue meteors.

Thunk!

An arrow sliced through the hail of projectiles and drove itself deep into Minomura’s shoulder. Pain shot through him, but he clamped his mouth shut, refusing to cry out. He pressed the attack even harder, loosing more arrows at twice the pace.

In a frantic exchange—during which he was struck by four more arrows—he finally gained an advantage, landing over twenty shots in rapid succession on the enemy.

Panting heavily, Minomura let a triumphant grin stretch his face. “Damn Shinigami… so what if you’re a Captain? You’re still—”

He froze.

Lying on the ground, riddled with arrows, was no Shinigami at all. As Minomura watched, the figure’s shape blurred, then resolved into the form of his own ally—Inoue Shōji.

“In-Inoue?!”

Minomura let out a strangled cry, staggering over to lift his friend. Inoue’s mouth opened and closed, as though struggling to speak, but the words never came.

Ishida Sōken had witnessed the entire tragedy, unable to intervene. Everything happened so fast, and the horror of it left a scar on his mind he knew would never heal.

Standing beside Kaelith, Aizen observed Minomura with cool detachment as the Quincy screamed in grief. Aizen’s gaze betrayed no sympathy whatsoever.

This was the fate of those who dared wield their claws against someone untouchable.

Kaelith slowly lifted his head amid Minemura’s agonized screams.

He seemed entirely unfazed by the horrific scene around him; instead, he regarded Ishida Sōken with utter calm.

“Mr. Quincy,” he said, “what are you hesitating for? Come sign the contract.”

Ishida Sōken’s eyes widened, and he stared at Kaelith as though looking at a monster. His white beard quivered slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he merely sighed.

“…Very well.”

He drew a deep breath and walked to the table.

Some of the Quincies still refused to accept reality and raised their bows at Kaelith once more. However, before they could act, those who had already been frightened out of their wits turned and fired a volley of spiritual arrows at them, killing them instantly.

Seeing their own companions killed by their own hands, the Quincie’s first reaction was relief. Realizing this, their faces went deathly pale.

Ishida Sōken let out another sigh.

Setting aside the vast difference in overall power between the Quincies and the Shinigami—even if they were somehow evenly matched—the morale right now was completely broken. Nothing more could be done.

He picked up a pen, wanting nothing more than to end this ordeal quickly.

At that moment, Minemura—who had been clutching Inoue’s corpse—suddenly stood up.

“Shinigami!”

He roared and pulled a silver metal rod from inside his white suit. A blade of blue spirit energy erupted from its tip, forming a glowing sword over a meter long.

Dropping his stance, he prepared to charge Kaelith. But before he could take his first step, blood spurted across his chest.

Disbelief filled Minemura’s gaze as he looked down at the half-meter-long slash across his torso, blood gushing out. It was as though an invisible swordsman stood right in front of him and delivered a diagonal cut.

Thud!

Minemura collapsed.

Ishida Sōken watched quietly, powerless to intervene. Even if he could have done something, he wouldn’t have. To ensure the survival of the remaining Quincies, both Minemura and Inoue had to die. If these two leaders of the radical faction remained alive, they would eventually incite the Quincies again, and next time…signing a contract would no longer be an option.

As Ishida Sōken lowered his head to sign, Kaelith suddenly thought of something.

With curious interest, Kaelith asked, “Your name…is Ishida Sōken, right?”

“That’s me,” he replied.

“Do you have a son?”

“…?”

Ishida Sōken looked up in shock. Indeed, he had a son, born in the hidden Quincy empire. After his wife’s passing, he fled the empire, going to great lengths to bring his son with him.

Because he hadn’t established a secure foothold in the human world, he’d used a secret technique to keep his son in a deep sleep, hiding him in a very secluded place. Not even Minemura or Inoue knew about the boy.

Why would this Shinigami know?

He stared at Kaelith, silent for a long time, then managed a bitter smile.

So that was it…this Shinigami was letting him know that he had no secrets here.

Should Ishida Sōken ever harbor treacherous thoughts, his son would be the price. It was a precise strike at his weak point. Compared to the entire Quincy lineage, he cared far more about his son.

Lowering his head, Ishida Sōken said, “Rest assured, I will do my utmost to manage the Quincy of the World of the Living.”

Seeing him suddenly become so deferential, Kaelith tilted his head.

All he did was ask about Ishida Ryūken—why did the mood change so drastically?

He glanced toward Aizen, only to see Aizen give him a look of approval.

“…?”

When Ishida Sōken finished signing, Kaelith took the document from him, studying it closely. Satisfied, he nodded.

“That will do. To ensure this is carried out, I’ll assign an inspector to watch over the Quincy in the World of the Living.”

At this, Ishida Sōken frowned slightly.

“Lord Kaelith, I don’t dare object to your appointment of an inspector, but if a Shinigami works within such a large group of Quincy, one mishap could—”

“Relax,” Kaelith interrupted, “I’m sending a Quincy.”

“Quincy…?”

Tucking away the contract, Kaelith stood and signaled to the nearby Shinigami to begin transporting the Quincy corpses.

Their actions disturbed the Quincy crowd once more. Ishida Sōken also felt it inappropriate and was about to say something—but then recalled Kaelith’s earlier threat. After a moment of hesitation, he gave up trying to stop them.

One by one, the Quincy bodies were carried off to the Soul Society. Most would be handed over to the Kaelith Technology Bureau—under Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Kisuke Urahara—for Quincy research. Especially “valuable” subjects were given to Aizen.

For instance, that slash Kaelith dealt Minemura Toshiki hadn’t actually killed him. With prompt treatment in the Soul Society, he could still be…useful.

Doors through the realms began opening in the air. The Shinigami formed neat lines, jogging into the Dangai. Just as Kaelith was about to pass through, Ishida Sōken called out:

“Lord Kaelith!”

Kaelith turned to face him. The elderly Quincy stared with a conflicted expression.

“Kaelith, I possess a secret that concerns the survival of the entire Soul Society. I would like to trade this secret for one favor. If, one day, the Quincy in the World of the Living ever face a calamity, I hope you will intervene and save us.”

At those words, Kaelith grinned.

“A secret? Kaelith knows everything—past and future, from the heavens above to the depths below. You think I’d need your secret?”

Shaking his head, Ishida Sōken continued, “This matter is rooted in old grudges from over eight centuries ago. If the Soul Society does not prepare, once the catastrophe comes…bones and ashes will be all that remain!”

He had intended merely to stress the severity of the crisis so Kaelith would take it seriously, but he didn’t even finish before Kaelith’s expression changed. In the blink of an eye—so fast Ishida Sōken couldn’t register it—Kaelith was standing right in front of him.

“You know about Yhwach?! How would a Quincy from the World of the Living know that name? Wait, you’re not a typical Quincy—your parents were with the Wandenreich? Or even earlier?”

His gaze hardened. “Old man, spill everything you know, or I’ll bury every single Quincy here alive!”

Ishida Sōken’s eye twitched at Kaelith’s crude threat. But then he realized: this Shinigami…knew about Yhwach. He even knew of the Wandenreich! How much did the Soul Society already know?

Despite wanting to bargain, Ishida Sōken felt the thick killing intent emanating from Kaelith, so he told him everything he knew…

…

With the repeated opening of gates, the Soul Society bustled with activity. Crowds of Shinigami thronged the main portal plaza, watching Kaelith’s returning forces.

The first thing everyone saw were ranks of stretchers. At a glance, the bodies on them were bloodied. Some Shinigami grew concerned, assuming they must have suffered massive casualties. On closer look, however, they realized these were physical bodies, not spiritual ones—Quincy, not Shinigami.

Those who had friends in Kaelith’s returning unit soon learned the full story: these were Quincy corpses, the spoils of Kaelith’s operation. And the tale of how Kaelith fought the Quincy alone, subduing their entire army, swiftly spread among the onlookers.

Uproar followed.

“Kaelith is unstoppable—a true hero on the battlefield!”

“He’s invincible—no one can stand against him!”

“So fierce, so powerful! Who could ever hope to match that?!”

Amid the clamor, Aizen stood quietly, lips curving into a faint smile. Yamada yawned, unaffected; as far as he was concerned, he was just the team medic, and there hadn’t been much work to do thanks to Kaelith’s prowess.

Kuchiki Sōjun felt a bit disappointed—although he was delighted by Kaelith’s success, he himself had barely contributed at all on this mission. Still, he consoled himself that this was at least an official operation under his belt. Next time he applied for a mission, it should be simpler to get approval.

He glanced Kaelith’s way. On one’s first outing leading a mission, handling it so flawlessly—surely Kaelith would be elated, right? But he only saw Kaelith standing there in deep thought, as though miles away.

Kaelith was pondering the intelligence Ishida Sōken had provided. Most of it overlapped with what Bambietta had revealed—an excellent confirmation, particularly the detail about Yhwach’s thousand-year slumber. Ishida Sōken believed it unconditionally.

That eased some of Kaelith’s worries, though he remained cautious. If Yhwach would not awaken for another century or so, then by that time, Aizen would have grown immeasurably. And Kaelith himself—borrowing the momentum—would also gain the power needed to confront the Quincy. With Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Kisuke Urahara, and Aizen’s technical brilliance behind them, perhaps they could find a way to break through before Yhwach’s return.

The notion made Kaelith sway slightly, his expression brightening.

Kuchiki Sōjun approached.

“Kaelith, should we go straight to the First Division to report?”

“No rush,” Kaelith replied, shaking his head. “I need some sleep after all that running around. My teacher can wait. At his age, a few hours make no difference.”

“Is that right?”

A low voice spoke up. Kaelith nearly nodded reflexively before freezing.

Turning slowly, with a squeak like an unoiled machine, he saw Captain-Commander Yamamoto standing there with Sasakibe, both having arrived at the main portal plaza.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes, about to say something—when Kaelith abruptly launched himself forward, accelerating so fast he kicked up a swirling cloud of dust. Dropping onto one knee, arms clasped together in a respectful salute, he slid toward Yamamoto.

“Reporting, Master! Your humble student has successfully quashed the Quincy rebellion in the World of the Living! The victory belongs to the entire squad, not me alone. If you wish to reward someone, reward everyone!”

Yamamoto was momentarily speechless.

Looking at Kaelith’s theatrics, he felt his blood pressure spike. Truly, no one had such gall but this troublesome pupil of his. Inhaling quietly to steady himself, he shifted his gaze to the “spoils” Kaelith had brought back.

Rows upon rows of Quincy corpses—probably close to two hundred. Yamamoto nodded almost imperceptibly. Had Kaelith shown too much mercy, Yamamoto would have sent another team to finish the job.

Simply beating the Quincy into submission wasn’t enough. He had clashed with Quincy for over a millennium and knew that these humans—empowered by unique abilities—were driven by an intense fighting spirit.

Regardless of what negotiations Shinigami might attempt, the Quincy prided themselves on their mission to slay Hollows. And no matter how many times they were beaten down, once they had a chance to regroup, they would rebel anew.

The most effective way to stop them was to keep their numbers under strict control.

Looking at Kaelith—grinning foolishly beside him—Yamamoto tapped his cane on the ground, speaking loudly:

“Kaelith, Third Seat of the Second Division, led a mission to the World of the Living to quell the Quincy rebellion and has successfully curtailed their growth. This achievement is great!”

“I shall report it to the Central 46 for your reward.”

Hearing this, Kaelith instinctively glanced at Aizen, whose contributions had been indispensable. Without the absolute power of Kyōka Suigetsu’s illusions, the Quincy might not have buckled so completely.

Shouldn’t Kaelith share some credit with him? But Aizen, guessing Kaelith’s thoughts, sent him a slight frown and shook his head gravely.

He’d never liked standing in the spotlight. And the more he discovered about the world, the more determined he was to remain hidden. If forced, he could step forward—but with Kaelith around, there was no need. Let Kaelith handle fame. He would handle the shadows. It was the perfect partnership.

Understanding his meaning, Kaelith said nothing more. Aizen nodded in approval.

By the following evening, Kaelith’s reward was officially delivered to the Second Division. It had passed the Central 46 with unanimous support. Kaelith was granted mid-level noble status, with the right to found his own house. Thus a new noble family entered the Soul Society—House Kaelith!