The most revered Shinigami in Soul Society, the great Emperor of Hueco Mundo, had finally returned—to the only realm that had never shown him loyalty: the World of the Living.
The sun shone brilliantly, the skies were clear, and the world thrived with life.
But beneath that vast blue expanse, an unexpected disturbance suddenly broke the peace.
Dong!
A sharp, ringing sound echoed through the sky.
Had any ordinary human seen it, they'd have cried out in shock—a wooden door had appeared in midair. Its panels slowly opened, releasing a radiant white light.
From within, a figure stepped forward.
"World of the Living... we meet again. Though, it hasn't been that long."
Masatsuki Aozaki emerged from the Senkaimon, standing atop the clouds, gazing down upon everything below. He stretched his arms wide, letting the breeze brush past him, a faint smile curving his lips.
But when his eyes settled on the traditional Japanese mansion below, his smile turned oddly crooked, a trace of confusion flickering in his eyes.
At the mansion's gate, several uniformed officers were speaking with an old man. The conversation didn't last long before the officers turned and left.
Masatsuki's brow furrowed slightly as he mused to himself,
"Quincy in the World of the Living are supposed to be rich, aren't they? Why would the police be here? Are they investigating them?"
In this country, family-owned business conglomerates held immense power. They controlled not just the economy, but had deep sway over politics. Whether it was a ruling party or the criminal underworld, none could thrive without their backing.
So for the police to show up now—it was certainly unexpected.
Still, Masatsuki didn't think much of it. Ordinary humans posed no threat to Quincy who possessed supernatural power.
He chuckled quietly and in a flash, appeared inside the house.
Glancing at the adorable girl beside him, he asked curiously,
"Bambietta, what's with those guys?"
He had only been gone a few days, and already trouble had cropped up—trouble that involved the World of the Living.
Just the thought that this woman might've dragged him into some mess gave Masatsuki a mild headache. He hated complications.
Really, the only places this woman belonged were the basement... and his bedroom.
Even Masatsuki had to admit—Bambietta knew exactly how to please him. More importantly... she was obedient.
So long as she didn't go too far, he was willing to let her off with just minor punishment.
"It's because of all the destruction we caused a while ago. They think some kind of terrorist activity is going on here."
Bambietta pouted, clearly displeased.
To her, the arrival of police officers was just an annoying intrusion. Before she met Masatsuki, she wouldn't have hesitated to kill them on the spot.
But now she had her Master's mission to fulfill—and nothing was more important.
Masatsuki raised an eyebrow at her explanation. This kind of hassle really was tiresome.
The fact that Bambietta had restrained herself from killing anyone was already a big step forward.
So, with a faint smile tugging at his lips, he offered a suggestion.
"In that case... why don't we make sure the ones in charge of them learn to behave?"
Bambietta's eyes lit up, and she nodded eagerly.
"As expected of Master! What a brilliant idea! Of course—the World of the Living should be kneeling at your feet!"
Masatsuki sighed. He had no interest in ruling the World of the Living.
But seeing Bambietta so thrilled, he didn't bother to correct her. He just smiled in quiet agreement.
Then his gaze shifted—and spotted Candice hiding in the corner, trying to sneak away.
He shook his head in exasperation, walked over, and picked her up.
...
Masatsuki settled comfortably onto the sofa, pulling Candice tightly into his broad arms.
Her meticulously groomed hair spilled over him, soft and silky to the touch. That lush, grassy green medium-length hair really was something else.
Honestly, given how much Candice adored her hair, it wouldn't be wrong to say it was practically her true body.
Her expression shifted quickly—from irritation to shy embarrassment.
She gritted her teeth.
"Bastard! Let go of my hair!"
But Masatsuki Aozaki completely ignored her protest and only stroked her long hair more indulgently.
With every motion, Candice's face grew redder.
To be fair, Masatsuki's technique was... surprisingly pleasant. And from how practiced he was, who knew how many people he'd done this to before?
Eyes half-closed in contentment, Masatsuki let out a relaxed sigh.
"Remember what I promised you all? I'm here to keep that promise today."
With a flick of his wrist, a vial of glowing liquid appeared—literally out of nowhere.
No rummaging through pockets, no shift in space—it simply manifested.
Masatsuki had glanced over Mayuri Kurotsuchi's research just once, and from raw materials to final product, he recreated it on the spot.
The convenience of his ability was undeniable. Unfortunately, he still couldn't create Soul King fragments—otherwise, he'd have already handed Yoruichi and the others a deluxe version of the Hōgyoku.
Still, one thing was certain:
Masatsuki Aozaki's power had begun to trespass into divine territory—an undeniable provocation to the gods themselves.
"Auswählen—have you found a way to block it?"
Research into countering Auswählen had been stalled for quite some time.
Every technical breakthrough felt like a direct clash with divine will.
To the Quincy, Yhwach was nothing less than a god.
But Mayuri Kurotsuchi's research capabilities were monstrous, even terrifying—and that was something even Bambietta and Candice had to acknowledge now.
"Mayuri once experimented on prisoners from the Schatten Bereich War," Masatsuki said calmly.
"This formula can forcibly expel the part of the Quincy's soul that belongs to Yhwach."
"But in exchange, you might lose some of your power."
The so-called "Schatten Bereich War" referred to their last brutal battle against the Wandenreich. Since the battleground had been the Schatten Bereich, the name stuck.
That said, there had never been any official declaration that the war was truly over.
The Wandenreich had retreated in chaos, and without a doubt, they were still active somewhere in the world.
Just the thought of Yhwach still being alive was enough to rob the old man of sleep.
Even now, despite the exhaustion of war, he couldn't rest—continued to mobilize forces, sweeping the Three Worlds in search of any trace of the Wandenreich.
...
"Losing power, huh..." Bambietta muttered as she scratched her head in frustration.
If she got weaker... would she be less useful to her Master?
Would he cast her aside?
That was what made her hesitate.
"In comparison to Auswählen, the amount of power lost from removing the soul fragment should be minimal," Masatsuki added after a moment of thought.
"And judging by my estimates, Yhwach will soon regain enough strength to activate Auswählen again."
"You don't have much time left."
...
Over on the sofa, Candice stared off blankly, on the verge of mentally shutting down.
Talk all you want, but could you at least stop playing with my hair?
I haven't even said anything—can't you leave me alone?
Why can't you treat me normally, like you treat Bambietta?
Damn it... you're treating me like a pet!
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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