Outside, the desperate Fullbringers only felt the Shinigami controlling them suddenly let go.
Then, another Shinigami walked in.
"I knew they'd make a move."
After Yoshio entered, he looked around the room and asked softly, "Are you all okay?"
"You are…?"
Ginjō Kūgo stared at the suddenly appearing Yoshio. He didn't know what had happened, but he was certain this man had saved them.
The more he looked, the more familiar Yoshio seemed.
Suddenly, he remembered the Lieutenant he'd seen once a year ago.
Lying weakly on the ground, he said, "The Lieutenant from the Fifth Division?"
"Mm." Yoshio nodded. "Just call me Yoshio. I've trapped them, but this place might not be safe anymore. You should find somewhere else."
"What exactly happened? You Shinigami…"
"Don't lump all of us Shinigami together." Yoshio's tone turned cold. "This should be the work of the Tsunayashiro Clan. They don't represent the Shinigami—or at best, they represent only a part of them."
Yoshio walked up to a Tsunayashiro Clan member.
He found a tracker-like device on the man and crushed it with a little force.
The next moment, he cast a healing wave on Ginjō Kūgo. As golden light entered Ginjō's body, his condition rapidly improved.
"You…"
Ginjō gave Yoshio a complicated look. He didn't understand.
Why had Shinigami come to kill him before, and now a Shinigami had come to save him?
"What the hell are you playing at?!"
The Fullbringers who had been suppressed earlier were also freed. They were relieved to still be alive—earlier, they'd felt endless malice from the Shinigami.
Especially the leading Shinigami—he seemed to treat them like objects. Just his gaze had sent chills down their spines.
Now another Shinigami had suddenly appeared and killed all the previous Shinigami. What on earth was going on?
"Even if I wanted to explain, this isn't the place. Let's move. Do you have a safehouse?"
Ginjō's expression changed. He was still holding the shinigami substitute badge and was about to throw it away!
Because the man earlier had said it was used to monitor him!
"No need." Yoshio said. "I sealed it the moment I showed up, so you don't have to worry about eavesdropping or tracking."
"Then let's go somewhere else to talk." Ginjō said darkly. "I want to know what happened."
"The Shinigami have been monitoring me, and even if you sealed it, they'll notice something's off when it suddenly goes silent."
"It's not safe here. Let's go."
"Ginjō Kūgo! What the hell are you people doing?!"
The Fullbringers were furious and panicked; they had truly felt their lives threatened.
At the same time, they hated their own abilities even more.
They believed this was all happening because they had certain powers. If not for them, they'd just be ordinary people living plain but happy lives.
Yoshio sneered at their thoughts.
Ridiculous. In a world like this, how lucky it is to have power—yet they don't want it.
Kurosaki Ichigo's next-door neighbors would be green with envy!
Ichigo is smart. He understands how important power is. Unlike those vain, shallow posers, when he lost his power he said nothing, but deep down, he always longed to regain it as soon as possible.
Yoshio remembered that when he used to read manga, there were always people who hated having power, or hated living too long, or hated being immortal…
As for that mindset, he thought they were just spoiled.
Give them a couple of slaps and see if they still play crazy!
Of course, Yoshio figured they were posturing—but that was just his personal view. He didn't value such thoughts; perhaps they really had attained some enlightened state?
Respect others' destinies, let go of the urge to help, avoid self-harm.
As for Yoshio, after removing the soul king fragments from their souls, he would no longer have any interaction with them.
He wondered whether, after they lost their powers, they might be stomped to death by a passing Menos Grande.
The thought contained a trace of malice.
However, for now, he still had to play the hero.
Ginjō led everyone to another location. It was a normal residence, maybe sixty or seventy square meters.
It was cramped for dozens of people, but fortunately the next-door neighbor wasn't home, so they spread into the adjacent apartment.
The elderly and children went to the other rooms. The core Fullbringers gathered around Yoshio, with Ginjō present. They were ready to hear what Yoshio had to say.
With about ten people surrounding him, Yoshio's expression didn't change. He said lightly, "These people were Shinigami, yes—but there were more Tsunayashiro Clan members among them."
"Tsunayashiro Clan?" Ginjō asked. "What's that? Are they Captains among the Shinigami?"
Ginjō had been a Substitute Shinigami, but he seldom appeared in the Soul Society, so naturally he didn't know much about Seireitei's political structure.
Yoshio had to explain the Five Great Noble Families of Soul Society.
After explaining, he added, "The Tsunayashiro Clan used to be the head of the Five Great Noble Families—the most respected nobles in Soul Society. Therefore, they also have strong influence over the Gotei 13."
"Even the Captain-Commander can be ordered by them."
Of course, not directly. They had to follow procedures.
The Tsunayashiro Clan could order Central 46 to order the Captain-Commander. That was the chain.
"What?!" Ginjō was shocked. "There are such figures among the Shinigami?"
"That's right." Yoshio nodded. "The Tsunayashiro Clan is arrogant and overbearing even in Seireitei. They look down on everyone, even the Captains of the Gotei 13."
"But why would these people want to kill us?" Ginjō was puzzled.
He seemed much better now.
He had been stabbed in the hakusui—a virtual incurable wound for Shinigami. However, Yoshio's healing wave was more effective than the usual Kaido.
Even with such a serious injury, Yoshio had a way to bring him back.
"The Kamado Family is a subordinate branch of the Tsunayashiro Clan. In fact, over ten years ago I received a mission from the Tsunayashiro Clan."
Yoshio said, "They sent me to the Human World to gather information on 'Fullbringers.' I even met you back then, Tenshiyo Agata."
Yoshio looked at a middle-aged man.
Tenshiyo Agata froze, surprised the conversation had turned to him.
"Me?"
"That was more than a decade ago." Yoshio said. "At the time I didn't know why the Tsunayashiro Clan wanted me to investigate you humans."
"So I didn't think much of it."
"Until last year, after Ginjō entered the Soul Society and became a Substitute Shinigami, I learned from a friend that the Tsunayashiro Clan seemed very interested in you. So I've been secretly watching their movements."
"Today I noticed some Shinigami from the Tsunayashiro Clan sneak into the Human World without authorization. I knew they were finally making a move, so I followed them."
"You're bold." Ginjō said coldly. "Didn't you say the Tsunayashiro Clan have great power in Soul Society? You're opposing them."
"Maybe. But as long as they don't know it was me, it's fine." Yoshio said. "I just don't want to see them dump the blame on Captain Ukitake."
"Ukitake…" Ginjō's eyes darkened. He clenched his fists, as if to crush the shinigami substitute badge.
He hurled it away—throwing the badge directly!
"How could I not hate you?!" Ginjō said coldly. "You've been playing me from the start!"
To him, whether the Tsunayashiro Clan wanted to kill or use him, the harm was far less than what the shinigami substitute badge had done!
He had never expected the seemingly gentle and courteous Jūshirō Ukitake had intended to use him all along!
The badge he gave him was to monitor and analyze him from the beginning!
Who could put up with that?!
If Ginjō could laugh it off, he'd be a god!
"For the record, I didn't know in advance about the substitute badge." Yoshio's primary goal was to keep his hands clean, insulated, and cut off from blame.
"I don't know Captain Ukitake's intent in giving you the badge, but I trust his character."
"You're a Lieutenant in the Gotei 13—of course you'd trust him!"
"Fine, I won't argue about Captain Ukitake." Yoshio said. "I'll ask you one thing: what do you plan to do next?"
"Enough!"
Before Ginjō could speak, the Fullbringers couldn't hold back and said in unison, "We don't care about the Tsunayashiro Clan, or Captain Ukitake, or Shinigami or Fullbringers. We just want Ginjō to take our powers away!"
Ginjō's face darkened. He moved his lips and said, "I'm sorry. I… I've lost my Shinigami powers. I'm afraid I can no longer help you transfer your powers."
"What?!" The Fullbringers were shocked and furious. "Why?! Didn't you say you'd help us get rid of our abilities?!"
Ginjō went pale, and Yoshio glanced at his wound, saying, "Nothing to be done. Ginjō's wound is in the 'hakusui,' one of a Shinigami's vital points where spiritual power is produced."
"Without the hakusui, a Shinigami's spiritual power dissipates. Fortunately, his Saketsu wasn't damaged—otherwise his power would drain even faster and maybe endanger his life."
Although Yoshio had staunched the bleeding, he wouldn't let Ginjō keep his Shinigami power.
If he still had it, he'd still be a Substitute Shinigami and could absorb the Fullbringers' power. Then why would Yoshio be here?
So when healing, Yoshio deliberately didn't heal the hakusui fully until Ginjō's power was nearly gone, and only then completed the repair.
And…
If Ginjō still had power, he might be less cooperative.
Yoshio glanced at Ginjō and fell into thought.
He hadn't expected their goodwill toward him to hit eighty just for saving their lives. To collect soul king fragments from them, he'd have to play along for a while.
Of course…
There were other ways.
"You… want to give up your superpowers?" Yoshio asked, puzzled.
"Of course," a female Fullbringer said. "We're human, not Shinigami. Humans should live human lives!"
"I've always wondered why you humans have these powers," Yoshio said suddenly. "More than ten years ago, when I came to the Human World on a mission, I wondered why humans could control reishi."
"All things have reishi and souls, but human souls are bound by kishi, so theoretically, awakening such powerful abilities shouldn't be possible."
"Given the Tsunayashiro Clan's behavior, I think there's something in the depths of your souls causing the anomaly—and the Tsunayashiro Clan are trying to take it back."
"What is it?"
"I don't know—but if you trust me, I can take a look."
Yoshio had thought saying this would cause dissatisfaction or suspicion. After all, a group had just targeted them, and though Yoshio saved them, he immediately proposed the same goal…
That would naturally make people suspect his presence was part of a conspiracy.
But…
They seemed at their wits' end. As long as they could rid themselves of Fullbring, they didn't care about anything else.
Ginjō sensed something off, but the Fullbringers had no objections—some even begged Yoshio for help.
Yoshio thought for a moment and said, "I'll try. What about you?"
He directed the latter half at Ginjō.
Ginjō looked grim and said coldly, "I won't accept help from Shinigami—or from you, Yoshio. I don't know your purpose, but I'll take revenge on the Shinigami."
"If you want to stop me, kill me now."
"…Why?" Yoshio was silent a moment, then spoke.
"?" Ginjō frowned. "Didn't you hear me? I said I'll take revenge on the Shinigami! Especially Jūshirō Ukitake!"
His hatred for Ukitake—who "betrayed his trust"—was even stronger than for the Tsunayashiro Clan.
"Is that a reason for me to kill you?" Yoshio sighed. "Forget it. This is indeed the Shinigami's fault. I don't know what Captain Ukitake was thinking, and I won't defend him."
"So I won't clean up his mess. This is the consequence of those arrogant fools. You're a pitiful victim—why should I kill you?"
Ginjō was moved. He knew he shouldn't shift his hatred for Ukitake and the Tsunayashiro Clan onto other Shinigami—especially not onto Yoshio.
Although he still found Yoshio's demeanor a bit odd, he had indeed saved him and the Fullbringers.
Also, after saying all this, Yoshio didn't kill him and even gave him leverage.
Although Yoshio had already taken care of all the Shinigami before leaving the villa, Ginjō remained there. As long as he claimed the person who saved them was Yoshio, given the Tsunayashiro Clan's power in Seireitei, Yoshio's situation could become very tricky.
He knew Yoshio did this deliberately to make him believe.
He would work to restore his power and verify Yoshio's claims.
What Yoshio said was easy to check, especially the rumors about the Tsunayashiro Clan. If they were really that terrifying, he wouldn't even need to enter Seireitei; he could find information in the Rukongai.
"I'm leaving." Ginjō knew that since the Fullbringers had started seeking Yoshio's help, there was no point in him staying.
He needed a quiet place to reflect on everything and then…
Regain his power!
He could also awaken Fullbring and use it to restore his Shinigami powers, but he wouldn't show up easily. Instead, he would gather strength in secret until the time was right to take revenge on Jūshirō Ukitake.
Under everyone's gaze, Ginjō rose from the sofa and left the house.
Before leaving, he suddenly said to Yoshio, "If you want to find me, look for me at Nagahara."
With that, he pushed the door open and left.
Yoshio said nothing, silently watching Ginjō disappear.
"All right, that guy's gone. How are you going to take away our abilities?" the female Fullbringer asked directly.
"Let's find another place," Yoshio said. "This doesn't feel safe. Does anyone have a larger house?"
"Come to my place," Tenshiyo Agata said heavily. "It's just me and my daughter. There's enough space; we can hide there."
"And I've been out a long time. I have to check on my daughter."
"Fine."
Yoshio agreed, and no one objected.
They left and went to Tenshiyo Agata's home.
…
There, Yoshio saw Agata's daughter, Aura Michibane.
Aura was a little girl, locked in a cage-like space by Agata.
Yoshio frowned. "Is this how you treat your daughter?"
Agata burst out, "What do you know?! She's a Fullbringer too! Until she becomes a normal person again, I'll never let her walk the same path as me!"
"No one thinks that way; you're exaggerating," Yoshio said coolly.
These people not only disliked their powers—they hated them!
Very good. If they all felt that way, it would be easier to extract the soul king fragments.
He glanced at Aura. As with other characters who'd appeared, her Souls Ability was different from other Fullbringers.
Her Souls Ability was "Foundation Master."
"Foundation Master: raise Hakuda and Kidō to the same level as Aizen Sōsuke."
What kind of master?
Does "Aizen level" mean the current cap of Shinigami, or as Aizen grows stronger in the future, does the cap rise with him?
That's like cheating.
So when Aizen later merges with the Hōgyoku and becomes stronger, would Kidō and Hakuda skyrocket as well?
Great ability—I want it too!
Aura appears in later official novels. She is also a Fullbringer, and the soul king fragment in her body is a complete component, much larger than ordinary fragments.
She is the Soul King's "Saketsu."
The Saketsu, like the Hakusui, is one of a Shinigami's key points.
Hakusui generates spiritual power; the Saketsu drives it—it can be said to be a very important part of the Soul King.
As such a special organ, her Fullbringer ability can be seen as a reishi thruster. She has no special abilities herself; all she does is push basic Fullbringer abilities to the limit.
Moreover, Yoshio noticed Aura had a very high initial favorability toward him.
Though it was their first meeting, Aura's favorability was an astonishing 45.
He had just saved a bunch of Fullbringers, but none of them had a favorability of 45!
Must be the innocence of a child.
Thinking this, Yoshio's gaze softened when he looked at Aura.
He didn't know if her Souls Ability would change after he removed the soul king fragments from her.
No—he had to retrieve her Soul King Saketsu last, and only after her favorability rose above eighty.
Yoshio withdrew his gaze. "I need to examine your souls. Who wants to go first?"
"I will, since this is my house," Tenshiyo Agata said.
Yoshio nodded. Under the Fullbringers' watch, he had him lie on the bed.
He placed his hand on Agata's head and performed a reishi scan.
Actually…
Extracting the soul king fragments shouldn't be too hard—at least easier than extracting the Hōgyoku.
Aizen extracted soul king fragments himself, but when extracting the Hōgyoku he relied on the Sōkyoku and Kisuke Urahara's techniques.
Yoshio hadn't mastered those methods yet, but he felt that with a subject he could attempt multiple times on, removing soul king fragments shouldn't be a problem.
Seeing that Yoshio was about to experiment on Agata, Aura spoke up. "Uncle, what are you going to do to my father?"
"Aura, don't be afraid. Soon we'll be able to appear outside as normal people. You won't be trapped in this darkness anymore!"
A spark of curiosity flashed in Aura's eyes. Having been confined for years, she was full of curiosity about the outside world.
But whenever she showed curiosity, Agata scolded her harshly, and bit by bit, her curiosity—along with all her other emotions—had dulled.
Until Yoshio appeared…
Yoshio brought her hope.
Could she go out?
Aura was a little confused, and her long-suppressed emotions burst forth.
As long as big brother allowed it, could she go outside?
When one has stayed too long in darkness, even a faint light is seen as a lifeline.
And Yoshio's appearance was like a beam of light in the dark—a light that could free her from this home that was like a prison.
"I could try Kidō."
Yoshio frowned slightly and said tentatively, "But I haven't done this before, so let's try another subject first."
"Then I'll go!" the woman from earlier stepped forward again. "Even if you lose control and kill me, so be it. Life or death, I don't care."
Her words dripped with world-weariness. Yoshio really couldn't understand why someone would hate their own powers so much.
Forget it. Not my problem.
Since someone volunteered, Yoshio decided to test on her first.
Yoshio was also a Kidō master.
Among the four basics—Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido—he excelled at Shunpo, then Kidō.
But his Shunpo was markedly superior. He had learned it from Aizen, and his technique was exquisitely elegant.
He thought for a moment, then activated All-rounder, distributing his Shunpo mastery evenly among the other three skills.
With All-rounder boosted, his Kidō rose to another level.
Beyond the Kidō he'd trained through the system, he had read many books about Kidō. That's how he had raised Ise Nanao's favorability to 80 back then.
Ise Nanao liked reading, so Yoshio learned to read like her; as a researcher, he'd read a lot of books.
Most importantly, he had read ancient Kidō incantations and forbidden techniques obtained from the Tsunayashiro Clan, so designing a small Kidō spell was not hard for him.
Yoshio analyzed the woman Fullbringer's reiatsu and soul structure and began identifying the soul king fragment's location.
He wasn't sure if it was always in the same place, but this woman's fragment was in her lower abdomen, so he put a hand on her stomach.
Her skin felt smooth, but Yoshio's heart remained calm.
Shinigami and humans are reproductively isolated!
Random thoughts flickered through his mind, then a green light appeared in his hand.
From that green light, fine threads spread and cloaked both of his hands in a thin green film.
Seeing the glow, the woman tensed.
Yoshio took a breath, and the hand pressed on her belly sank slowly into her body.
Her pupils dilated at once, as if her consciousness were collapsing; her features twisted, eyes rolled back, foam at her mouth!
Yoshio ignored it, reaching deeper into her body.
He closed his eyes, feeling carefully for the soul king fragment.
Suddenly, Yoshio's right hand jerked upward!
Between his thumb and forefinger he pinched a small shard shimmering with crystalline light!
At that moment, the woman fainted on the spot!
The surrounding Fullbringers were stunned, exclaiming, "What is…?"
"Why… did that come out of her body?"
"So this is the source of our Fullbring?"
Yoshio raised the fragment to his eyes. As he gazed at the gorgeous radiance, a strange color appeared in his own eyes.
Good stuff!
"This is it."
Facing their questions, Yoshio said in a low voice, "I think this is it."
"Damn… this is what turned us into monsters!"
"Did it work?!" Tenshiyo Agata was excited. "If you remove that thing, can we become normal?"
"Likely." Yoshio glanced at the woman and said, "But I'm not sure about side effects. Let's wait and see if she has any issues when she wakes."
"If she does, I'll revise the Kidō."
At that, the crowd quieted.
Right—while the source seemed removed, the woman was unconscious.
What if something went wrong?
They all wanted to lose their powers, but not everyone was as death-defying as that woman.
But no one knew how long she'd be out.
Agata's house was large and had a front yard, so there was enough space for the crowd to gather.
Yoshio watched the Fullbringers exchanging looks and whispering, then focused on Aura Michibane.
There wasn't much emotion in her eyes, but he sensed curiosity beneath her calm gaze.
Pocketing the fragment, Yoshio went to Aura. "Are you afraid?"
Aura watched him come and squat in front of her.
She shook her head.
Yoshio frowned again; Aura was still bound by chains.
He couldn't help telling Agata, "Child abuse—you know that's a crime, right?"
"My daughter is mine—I'll handle her how I want! You Shinigami, stay out of it. Just take that thing out of us!" Agata said impatiently.
"In the end, you Shinigami understand nothing! You don't know how others look at us. What's wrong with not wanting my daughter to face those stares?"
"Heh…" Yoshio chuckled softly and didn't respond. He never argued with fools.
He directly crushed the cuffs Agata had put on, freeing Aura.
Aura looked confused, not knowing what had happened.
"It's nothing. You're free now." Yoshio patted her head and ruffled her hair.
Ever since meeting Hitsugaya, Yoshio liked mussing people's hair; it had become a seated officer's habit.
"What if she never wakes up?" another impatient Fullbringer shouted.
"If she doesn't, I'll refine the technique and find the next subject," Yoshio said coolly.
He didn't think it would fail—after all, the Tsunayashiro Clan's ancient texts described similar methods; with his superb Kidō, small tweaks would suffice.
He hadn't acted sooner because he wanted more time with Aura to quickly raise her favorability to the max and gain the "Foundation Master" ability permanently.
That woman had lost her Souls Ability after he removed her soul king fragment.
He worried Aura might experience the same—so he had to save extracting the Soul King Saketsu for last.
Aura's favorability rose quickly. Yoshio felt she was a bit like Hitsugaya; if it increased, it rose fast.
Just like now—Yoshio had already temporarily obtained the Foundation Master ability.
Except…
Even at the end, it hadn't reached eighty.
Three hours later, the woman woke. After confirming she was fine, Yoshio began extracting the next soul king fragment.
The next was Tenshiyo Agata. He'd tried to have Yoshio extract Aura's first, but Yoshio refused.
His reason was that he didn't yet understand the technique's side effects on children; their souls were too fragile. He'd only consider it after perfecting the Kidō.
After extracting Agata's fragment, Yoshio didn't wait for him to wake—he started on the next person while Agata was still out.
But there were too many people and Yoshio's stamina was limited.
So that day he extracted only ten fragments.
"Dawn is near."
Yoshio looked out the window. "I know many of you haven't had your sources extracted, but I must return to the Soul Society."
"Something must have happened with the Tsunayashiro Clan. If I'm absent, it'll arouse suspicion."
"If you still want your power sources removed, meet at the same place tonight."
The Fullbringers were anxious; they urgently wanted their sources removed, but Yoshio didn't listen—he left the house straight away.
Extracting ten fragments in a row required precise Kidō control and a lot of mental work—it was a test for Yoshio.
But the gains were satisfying—ten fragments!
…
Yoshio happily returned to the Gotei 13. At daybreak, he went to the Fifth Division and immediately heard that several Shinigami and an important Tsunayashiro member were missing.
Yoshio had dealt with them and left no traces, so no one would connect it to him.
He wasn't worried; he was already thinking about harvesting more fragments that night.
But accidents are, by definition, unforeseen. When he arrived at the Fifth Division, he received a message.
"…"
A Jigokuchō landed on his hand, rested for a moment, then flew off.
Yoshio's gaze grew solemn.
Jigokuchō are tools Shinigami use to communicate—but few today know how they're bred.
In fact, if you think carefully, the name Jigokuchō comes from "hell," so of course they're connected to it.
This Jigokuchō brought neither a Gotei 13 command nor a Central 46 order, but…
The Tsunayashiro Clan!
Strictly speaking, it was the Tsunayashiro Clan Ancestor's words.
This Jigokuchō had flown out of Hell!
["Yoshio, I'm not interested in what you're doing, but I won't stand by and watch you completely destroy the Tsunayashiro Clan."]
["Tonight, I'll be waiting for you at the Tsunayashiro Clan estate."]
There was no signature, but Yoshio instinctively felt it was from the Tsunayashiro Ancestor!
This ancestor was from a very distant past!
He should have had special powers before the Three Realms were established. Was he still alive?
No—he must be dead, but based on the message, he had fallen into Hell.
Indeed, anyone with reiatsu at level three or above falls into Hell after death. The Tsunayashiro Ancestor was undoubtedly that level, so it made sense.
However, with Yamamoto and Aizen now in the Human World, their reiatsu should suppress Hell's gate, and the reishi between the Three Realms and Hell should still be balanced. How did the Ancestor convey his will?
Forget it—strictly speaking, the establishment of the Hell also had something to do with them. Maybe they left back doors.
He recalled that in the official novels, Shunsui seemed to believe that the monk wanted to turn Kurosaki Ichigo into the Soul King as the Five Great Noble Families' ancestors intended.
In other words, they indeed had ways to intervene in the Three Realms?
At least they could still send messages via Jigokuchō?
Yoshio shook his head. He didn't fully understand, but he'd know more tonight.
It was just a meeting with the Tsunayashiro Ancestor. Since he invited him, it would be rude not to go.
Yoshio decided to go alone tonight.
Speaking of which, the Three Realms are a giant sieve.
Aizen has surveillance functions, Mayuri Kurotsuchi has surveillance, the Tsunayashiro Clan has surveillance, the monk has surveillance, Yhwach has surveillance…
Hell has surveillance too!
Hell's wardens possess foresight; they can know what happens in the Three Realms from within Hell. If they paid attention, they could probably see what Yoshio was doing.
However, his safehouse was absolutely secure; no one could peek at the truth, so they should only know about himself.
They shouldn't know his two clones were related.
From now on, any meetings or actions with his clones must be inside the safehouse.