119 Nanao Ise  

After stabilizing Kensei Muguruma injuries with Kaido, Ailin carried him back to the cave they were hiding in previously.

"Captain Ailin, you're back."

Outside the cave, Kuna Mashiro, the lieutenant of the 9th Division, came bouncing over to welcome them, a smile on her face showing no signs of the near-death crisis she had faced just days ago. But in the next moment, the lively girl's face instantly paled.

"Captain... What happened to the captain?"

Seeing the battered Kensei being carried by Ailin, Kuna was almost scared witless.

Kensei's current appearance was truly frightening.

Although treated by Ailin's Kaido, Kensei's injuries had stabilized, but the man had lost a great deal of blood in his fight against Setsuna, especially after taking the full brunt of the Prison Dragon Break and being stabbed by Setsuna. Without Ailin's aid, he likely would have bled to death. So now, Kensei was basically a "bloody man."

Thinking Kensei was already dead, Kuna ran up to Ailin and cradled Kensei's head that Ailin was carrying, shaking it back and forth frantically.

"Captain, don't scare me like this! Wake up, Captain! Wah, Captain, hurry and wake up. I'll never call you an idiot again... Waaah...Captain..."

Ailin's brow twitched as he watched Kuna's frantic shaking threaten to reopen Kensei's freshly treated wounds. He had no choice but to grab the back of her shihakusho and lift her up.

"Lieutenant Kuna, I know you care about Captain Muguruma, but if you keep shaking him like that, the captain may never wake up."

"Ah?"

Hearing Ailin's words, Kuna froze for a moment before understanding their meaning - Kensei wasn't dead yet, but if she continued shaking his head, he might actually die.

Instantly, Kuna's face turned beet red. "Sorry, sorry, Captain Ailin, I thought..."

"I know, but Lieutenant Kuna, you should still have some faith in your captain. He went all out against that foe to avenge you, betting everything to defeat the enemy."

Indeed, defeat, not kill. After all, Setsuna was just severely injured, not dead yet.

"I've already treated him, so from now on, Captain Muguruma's care is up to you. I'll make my mission report to Captain-Commander Yamamoto first."

"Un."

After handing Kensei over to Kuna, Ailin returned to the cave. He said it was to make his mission report to Captain-Commander Yamamoto, but in reality, Ailin was recounting the process of seizing the King's Seal himself, looking for any potential flaws or oversights.

After all, even if Ailin wanted to send a message to the Captain-Commander, he had no means of contacting him at the moment.

In this world, modern communication devices like phones and computers hadn't appeared yet. Shinigami relied on messenger teams and Hell Butterflies to transmit information. Rooms were piled full of experimental data as well.

Ailin could only wait for a Hell Butterfly messenger to find them before he could send his report back through it.

After reviewing his recent actions, movements, and words with his eyes closed, Ailin silently gave himself a pat on the back.

Aside from using the portal from Urahara to send five Zanpakuto to the Soul Society, he hadn't exposed any flaws.

As for whether Roger, Shanks, and the others left any hidden dangers during their period in Hueco Mundo, that had nothing to do with him.

In any case, this time he had truly "killed" those five, destroying all evidence.

Perfect!

As expected of me.

As Ailin predicted, after sending word that the King's Seal had been retaken, within two days the nobles reorganized an honor guard to escort the King's Seal and Ailin's group to the next hiding place. Without Ailin's script, the journey went very smoothly for everyone else.

The pace was slow as always, but there were no more powerful foes appearing to steal the King's Seal.

The few Hollows that did appear were easily dealt with by Kuna. It took over a month, but this King's Seal transfer mission finally concluded.

As for what the Gotei 13's intelligence division and the nobles discovered about the theft of the King's Seal this time, Ailin had no interest in knowing. As long as they didn't find anything linking back to him, it didn't matter.

***

Peaceful days are always nostalgic.

After returning to the Kuchiki Manor, Ailin went back to his idle life. If he wasn't going out with Haruko for strolls, he was playing tennis with her, the very picture of a winner in life.

Perhaps some were unhappy with Ailin and Haruko being so coupled up, as many female Shinigami in the Seireitei have recently been keeping in close contact with Haruko, seemingly planning to establish some kind of "Shinigami Women's Association."

Moreover, they even planned to requisition one of the small gardens at the Kuchiki Manor as the association's headquarters, prohibiting entry to non-members.

?

Truly, "I'm in my own home, but I can't enter it."

However, Ailin had no objections to this. Haruko wasn't his subordinate, she had her own friends and her own thoughts. No matter what she planned to do, Ailin would support her wholeheartedly.

Mutual respect, mutual understanding, mutual consideration...

That said, ever since this "Shinigami Women's Association" was established, Ailin did find himself quite bored.

However, Ailin wasn't going to cause trouble for the female Shinigami just because he had less time with Haruko.

After all, the one who proposed establishing the Shinigami Women's Association was his intended disciple daughter-in-law, Rangiku Matsumoto.

Currently, the Shinigami Women's Association had quite a few members, with several captains also participating.

2nd Division Captain Yoruichi Shihōin, Lieutenant Soi Fon.

4th Division Captain Retsu Unohana, Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu.

8th Division Lieutenant Lisa Yadōmaru.

10th Division 3rd Seat Rangiku Matsumoto.

11th Division 3rd Seat Yachiru Kusajishi.

12th Division Captain Kirio Hikifune, 3rd Seat Hiyori Sarugaki.

13th Division Kiyone Kotetsu.

Apparently, in the association's early days, their frequent late night banquets and raucous noise led to them being expelled by 6th Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, who reclaimed their headquarters in his authority as head of the Kuchiki Clan.

However, Byakuya was then forcefully suppressed by 11th Division Captain Ailin Kenpachi, forcing him to relinquish the headquarters.

Of course, to preserve Captain Byakuya's reputation, association members were prohibited from entering through the Kuchiki Manor's front gate.

As a result, nearly every association member dug out spacious underground tunnels connecting the manor to their respective divisions.

These tunnels were even personally constructed by 2nd Division 3rd Seat Kisuke Urahara, ensuring their safety.

"Truly peaceful, isn't it..."

Lying in the courtyard, Ailin mused while propping his head up with one hand. In any world, as long as those researchers don't cause trouble, the world remains peaceful.

But if some researcher gets the wrong idea one day and wants to study forbidden things, that world is doomed to great calamity.

Once Pandora's box is opened, it can never be closed again.

As his mind wandered, a figure suddenly flashed before Ailin's eyes. Looking up, he saw it was Byakuya.

"Oh, Byakuya, aren't you usually at the 6th Division during the day? What brings you back today?"

Byakuya Kuchiki was both the 28th head of the Kuchiki Clan and captain of the 6th Division. Normally, Byakuya stayed at the 6th Division during the day, only returning to preside as head of the noble Kuchiki Clan if there were conflicts between nobles that required his judgment.

The nobles placed great importance on "face" and "interests," so conflicts rarely arose. But once a conflict did occur, it meant a clan's very survival was at stake.

"Un, it seems there's some major issue among the nobles. One clan is having some problems that require my presence."

"What kind of problem?"

"Apparently the head of a clan guarding a sacred artifact has died, but failed to leave any clues about the artifact's location before his death... Many clans are now eyeing that artifact..."

"A sacred artifact?" Ailin stroked his chin.

In the Soul Society, aside from the Shihoin Clan's "Heavenly Granted Armaments," the only other sacred artifacts seemed to be the "King's Seal" and "Shinken Hakkyōken (Divine Eight Mirror Sword)"

The Shihoin Clan was still thriving, even more prosperous than the Kuchiki Clan. After all, the current head, Yoruichi Shihōin was only the 23rd generation, while Byakuya represented the Kuchiki's 28th generation, with a five generation gap in between.

This was only because Sōjun Kuchiki never inherited the clan head position before his death, otherwise Byakuya might have been the 29th head.

The progenitors of the Five Noble Clans had existed since the founding of the Soul Society over a million years ago.

Taking the Shihoin Clan as an example, each generation's head served for nearly four to five thousand years on average. Even for the Kuchiki Clan, the average tenure was over three thousand years per generation.

Currently, the only confirmed immortals in the Soul Society were members of the Zero Division guarding the Soul King.

As for the King's Seal, Ailin had only relocated its hiding place three years ago. So the clan in trouble should be that one, right?

With that thought, Ailin suddenly rose from the ground. "Shall we go then?"

"Hm?"

Byakuya gave Ailin a sidelong glance. Sometimes he really felt his uncle-in-law had been spoiled rotten by his aunt.

Think back to those early years after he became captain of the 6th Division - who among the division members didn't praise the former Captain Ailin?

But now? He spent every day at home, either playing shogi with his wife or hitting tennis balls. Though that tennis was interesting. And he was still captain of the 11th Division?

"Uncle Ailin, what is this about?"

"I'm bored at home, so I'll join you for some excitement. What, is that not allowed? Can't I, the son-in-law of the Kuchiki Clan act up a little?"

"..."

Byakuya gave Ailin a sideways glance, ignoring his quip.

In the Soul Society, who dared look down on the Kuchiki Clan?

He must have been idle for too long. However, Byakuya didn't stop him.

Following Byakuya, Ailin only recognized the Kuchiki and Shihoin manors in this noble residential area. Soon, the two arrived at an estate where many nobles were already waiting.

"Yo, little bro Byakuya, you're here. And you, that idle Ailin, you actually came out for a walk too. Really surprising."

The one speaking was the current head of the Shihoin Clan, Yoruichi Shihōin.

"Captain Yoruichi, isn't that going too far? Where have I been idle?"

Not wanting his reputation tarnished, Ailin immediately refuted her claim. "Look, these past few years the 11th Division has been the most active division in the Gotei 13. Wherever combat or extermination was needed, my 11th handled the missions flawlessly without a single failure. In all my years as 11th Division captain, I've brought the division to its peak. How is that idle?"

"Hey, but Captain Ailin, isn't it Vice Captain Zaraki handling most 11th Division matters?"

"Ah, Captain Yoruichi, I'm just learning from you. Look at Vice Captain Soi Fon, then look at yourself... I just had a bit better luck and stumbled upon a lieutenant."

Ailin finished speaking and smiled, holding up his thumb and forefinger in a "tiny gap" gesture before Yoruichi Shihōin's face.

"Screw off!"

Having her thoughts seen through by Ailin, Yoruichi shot him a glare before ignoring him.

It was only then that Ailin surveyed the scene. This was the Ise Clan's estate, so the deceased were naturally the Ise Clan head and her husband.

Speaking of the Ise Clan, Ailin had some understanding. This was the Soul Society's only clan with a female head from generation to generation.

The Ise Clan had guarded a "sacred artifact" known as the Divine Eight Mirror Sword, a Zanpakutō passed down through the generations.

However, this "sacred artifact" could only harm "deities" and was useless against normal beings. Perhaps due to this sacred artifact's immense power, it was also cursed. Every wielder would bear the curse of "killing their husband."

This generation's Ise Clan head married the eldest son of the higher ranking Kyoraku Clan, giving birth to a daughter, Nanao Ise.

Unfortunately, the Ise Clan was recently attacked, forcing the clan head to use the Shinken Hakkyōken's power and triggering the curse.

Now the curse had taken effect - the Kyoraku heir died prematurely, and the Ise Clan head soon followed in a death of sorrow.

Currently, the Ise Clan only had one bespectacled young girl left, sitting dazed before the gate as these nobles discussed how to plunder the Ise Clan and seize the Shinken Hakkyōken.

"Captain Yoruichi, you arrived earlier than us. What's the situation now?"

"What situation? It's just everyone vying for the Divine Eight Mirror Sword. These self-righteous talkers are all full of ill intentions, who doesn't know that?"