Help! I am bound to Aizen!-Chapter 190
Chapter 190
“There’s an old saying in the Soul Society,” Kaelith said softly.
“Something like… ‘Those who recognize the times are the true heroes.’ If you cooperate with us, we won’t treat you poorly. Otherwise, I have plenty of methods to pry open that mouth of yours.”
With half his face cast in shadow, Kaelith wore a fiendish grin. Bambietta could only let out muffled whimpers, despair etched into her tear-filled eyes.
Seeing her refusal, Kaelith snorted coldly. “Not talking, huh? Someone bring the instruments of torture!”
“Mmm! Mmm!” Bambietta struggled violently.
Crack!
Yamamoto’s hand smacked into Kaelith’s head, sending him tumbling to the side.
“You fool! You’ve gagged her—how is she supposed to speak?” Yamamoto barked.
Shunsui Kyōraku stood by quietly, at a rare loss. He’d never imagined a day would come when he’d be tempted to tell someone else to be more serious.
…
Meanwhile, in the Wandenreich:
“Report! Lord Haschwalth! We found no trace of Bambietta Basterbine in the residential district!”
“Report! Lord Haschwalth! No sign of her in the training area either!”
“Report…”
Jugram Haschwalth, with his long golden hair, stood silently in the grand hall, listening to his subordinate’s reports. Not long ago, while managing the empire’s affairs, he suddenly realized that one particular reiatsu had vanished—Bambietta Basterbine’s.
A young Quincy prodigy, Bambietta was talented, powerful, and flamboyant. Quincies did not produce their own reiatsu naturally; it only manifested when drawing in spirit particles during battle, making them almost undetectable at rest. Bambietta, however, always maintained a subtle flow of reishi to flaunt her strength. When that distinct presence vanished, Haschwalth immediately noticed.
He had visited Bambietta’s home, where he detected a faint lingering spiritual energy belonging to a Shinigami.
The Wandenreich, founded by Yhwach’s power, existed in the shadows of the Seireitei. Under normal circumstances, no Shinigami reiatsu could penetrate within.
Staring out the window, Haschwalth contemplated for a few seconds, then spoke decisively:
“Summon all the Sternritter to the central plaza.”
Before long, white-clad figures converged from all directions. With Yhwach in slumber, Haschwalth oversaw the empire’s daily affairs. Though he held no official title, everyone acknowledged him as the highest authority in Yhwach’s stead.
Gazing at his gathered knights, Haschwalth began:
“Everyone, it seems our empire’s existence has been exposed. We now find ourselves in peril. One of our own, Sternritter Bambietta Basterbine, has likely fallen into the hands of the Shinigami.”
A stunned silence fell over the Quincy knights.
“How can that be? The empire is built upon Quincy powers. How could Shinigami discover it?” a girl in a peaked cap exclaimed.
Haschwalth shook his head. “Unclear for now. But from the scene, this does not appear to be a large-scale incursion. The Shinigami’s Zanpakutō have many peculiar abilities. Perhaps one of their swords can breach our borders, enabling them to abduct Bambietta.”
The knights reacted differently:
“Is war coming?!”
“Perfect! I’ve been itching to see how strong the Shinigami really are!”
“Oh no, my poor Bambietta!”
A messy-haired giant of a man raised his head and shouted, “Haschwalth! Let me lead the first strike! I’ll make sure those Shinigami never return!”
Haschwalth cast him a calm, distant look. The man grinned, waiting for approval.
In the next instant, the giant’s face changed dramatically.
A colossal, irresistible pressure bore down on him. He grunted, barely able to react before he crashed to his knees. Stunned, he looked up to find Haschwalth regarding him with a cool gaze.
“His Majesty once said that until he awakens, no one shall move recklessly,” Haschwalth said evenly. “Our mission is to protect the Wandenreich and await His Majesty’s return. I summoned you today to remind you that no matter what happens, you must not, under any circumstances, reveal the empire’s location.”
“I have ordered the initiation of the Final Diocese defense.”
Shock rippled through the crowd.
A Quincy with a bizarre hairstyle resembling a cockroach gasped, “Then what about Bambietta? If we activate the Final Diocese, the empire will be completely sealed off from the outside world! Bambietta will be trapped out there, left to die!”
Haschwalth shook his head. “It cannot be helped. For the sake of the empire and His Majesty, this sacrifice is necessary.”
“B-but…” The cockroach-haired Quincy hung his head helplessly, falling silent.
Haschwalth was about to continue when he suddenly looked skyward.
In the blue sky above the empire, a fissure cracked open. A black shadow poked through, accompanied by a sinister cackle.
“It worked! There really is someone here!” a voice sneered. “Heh heh heh… Greetings, Quincy.”
The voice spread through the air, carried by reiatsu.
Upon hearing it, the Sternritter raised their heads in unison. Shinigami? Had they found a breach?
Several more impulsive knights readied themselves for battle.
Just then, Haschwalth moved. In a blur, he vanished from his spot and reappeared at the edge of the sky’s fissure, drawing the sword from his waist and hurling it straight at the opening.
The sword erupted in a ring of white shockwaves and exploded in a brilliant flash of deep blue flame, filling the sky. Amid the explosion, a faint “Rua!” could be heard.
Haschwalth had chosen to sacrifice his beloved blade, forged from high-density reishi and carried for centuries. Its detonation forced Kaelith back for the moment.
Haschwalth roared, “Activate the Final Diocese!”
From beyond the fissure, that dreadful voice realized what was happening. “Senior brother, help me! They’re trying to seal the gate!”
As if responding, another reiatsu with shadow-like qualities emerged on the other side of the breach.
Haschwalth’s heart tightened. But what truly shook him came next: a parched, fiery reiatsu began stirring, poised just beyond the gap.
Someone was there, preparing to unleash devastating power the instant the fissure reopened—someone Haschwalth knew all too well.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni!
He must not allow this man to cross over!
Haschwalth’s eyes widened in rage. He summoned all his strength and drew back a spirit bow, focusing his entire being on preventing that nightmare from invading their empire.
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