HBWnovel Chapter 284
Chapter 284
Chapter 284
2-in-1 chapter:
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“Whaaat did you say?!”
Yoruichi dropped down behind Kaelith, landing beside Byakuya. With a wicked grin, she grabbed the boy’s cheeks and tugged them back and forth. Byakuya tried using Shunpo to dodge, but his footwork was like a child crawling when compared to Yoruichi’s skill—utterly useless.
“You little brat. If Kaelith can transform into a cat, then why am I the only ‘cat demon’?”
“Kaelith’s not like you at all!”
“Oh? And how exactly am I different?”
“…W-well, you just are!”
Seizing the moment when Yoruichi’s grip loosened, Byakuya swung his bamboo sword, darted away from her clutches, and hid behind Kaelith. Once he saw that she wasn’t pursuing, he shot her a triumphant grin and stuck out his tongue.
Narrowing her eyes, Yoruichi prepared to demonstrate some real cruelty to this cheeky kid, but she suddenly noticed someone behind Byakuya and stopped. A small smirk formed on her lips, full of anticipation.
Byakuya was still basking in his so-called “victory,” until he heard a voice directly behind him.
“Did I ever teach you it’s acceptable to act rudely to guests?”
He nearly jumped out of his skin. Spinning around, he stiffened to attention the moment he saw who it was: Ginrei Kuchiki, draped in a white, flower-patterned scarf, approaching at a measured pace.
“Hey there, Lord Ginrei! Have you eaten yet?” Kaelith raised a hand, smiling in greeting.
Ginrei dipped his head politely. “Thank you for asking, I’ve already had my breakfast.”
“How’s Sōjun doing?”
“Come with me.”
Hearing Kaelith mention his father, Byakuya looked puzzled.
“Grandfather, isn’t Father at the squad barracks?”
Ginrei hesitated, as if weighing how best to respond. Kaelith seemed to grasp something and spoke before Ginrei could. He gave Byakuya’s head a gentle pat.
“You should come too.”
“Alright!” Byakuya agreed at once.
Ginrei briefly appeared as though he might object, but after a moment, he let out a small sigh and led the way. They arrived at Sōjun Kuchiki’s room, where a strong medicinal odor lingered even from outside.
Opening the door, Kaelith saw Seinosuke Yamada inside, busy with various tasks. Time had tempered Seinosuke; he was no longer the brash young graduate he once was. Years in the Fourth Division had taught him much. He greeted Ginrei with a polite tilt of the head, but the moment he spotted Kaelith, his refined composure cracked into a familiar, mocking grin.
“Kaelith, I heard you got dragged off to do some real work?”
“Yeah, the Kuchiki family said they needed you to cure someone’s rear end or something—”
“?”
If Seinosuke’s hands weren’t full, he’d have slugged Kaelith by now. As the pair traded jabs, a servant showed in another visitor. Aizen entered with quiet elegance, in stark contrast to Kaelith’s empty-handed arrival—he carried a paper bag filled with fruit. After offering Ginrei a respectful bow, he passed the fruit to the servants.
Watching Aizen, Ginrei felt a bit emotional. Of Sōjun’s friends, Kaelith was undeniably the flashiest. But the one who inspired the most confidence, who put people at ease, had to be this young man named Aizen.
The three who had once trained together at the Shin’ō Academy gathered around Sōjun’s bedside. He lay sleeping, silent and still. Kaelith turned to Seinosuke, who understood at once and carefully pulled back part of Sōjun’s blanket.
To be honest, Sōjun had a rather delicate, graceful appearance, and the way Seinosuke peeled the covers made it feel like there might be something…well, interesting underneath. But that was hardly the time for such thoughts. Beneath the bandages wrapped tightly around him, large swathes were stained with blood.
Byakuya gaped in horror.
“Father!”
Smack!
Kaelith flicked his forehead. “Why are you shouting? He’s not dead.”
That finally brought Byakuya back to his senses, and he mumbled an apology to everyone before returning his attention to his father. Kaelith studied Sōjun as well.
Lately, all of Seireitei’s resources had been focused on the Wandenreich situation. Under Yamamoto’s orders, they were conducting a new
"Cause I just wanted a stable 9-to-5 job" Kelith tought to himself
“But gradually, you started feeling…heavier. I’m not sure what you saw or experienced, but it isn’t hard to guess. The Soul Society’s been rotten for a long time. Seeing a fraction of that ugliness is enough to weigh on anyone’s heart. In time, most Shinigami resign themselves to it, choosing to ignore what’s wrong.
‘I’ve clawed my way out of that muck, so why dive back in?
I’ll just do my duty and nothing more…’
Even captains end up feeling that way eventually.
“I used to think you’d do the same.”
“Yet lately, I sense you’ve discovered a new purpose. You’re driven—constantly moving forward with a clear goal in mind, shining with that determination.”
Kaelith blinked, genuinely impressed. Many of the people who spent the most time around him hadn’t noticed such changes, but Yoruichi had.
Seeing his surprise, she grinned smugly. “Don’t underestimate a cat’s intuition!”
Kaelith rested his hands on the ground behind him, leaning back as he studied the warmth in Yoruichi’s golden eyes. He flashed a grin of his own.
“You’re right—I am working on something out of the ordinary. Someday, it might not be so good for you. Got any clever ways to handle that, Miss Shihōin?”
Yoruichi let out a little huff. “Don’t forget, I have a lot more tricks up my sleeve than you think. If you ever hit a wall, you can always come to me for help.”
“I appreciate it,” Kaelith replied, smiling. Then his tone turned sincere.
“Thank you, Yoruichi.”
“Idiot,” she teased, giving his shoulder a playful thump. “Stop being so formal—it’s embarrassing.”
Basking in the last light of the setting sun, they both broke into laughter.
That same evening, Sōjun Kuchiki finally woke. Ginrei personally visited Squad Eleven to thank Gin Ichimaru for saving his son. Spending even a short while in Kaelith’s “bandit den” was enough to give Ginrei a mild headache. The Eleventh Division had always been a bit wild, but this was on another level—clearly Kaelith’s influence at work.
From a distance, Ginrei watched the man perched on a bearskin throne, laughing and drinking with his subordinates, and couldn’t help but smile wryly. Kaelith was truly someone impossible to define by normal standards.
…
After finishing his midday meal, Aizen left the Fifth Division barracks and headed toward Squad Eleven. Halfway there, he paused, feeling as though someone was watching him. But when he continued on, the sensation faded the moment he stepped into Squad Eleven’s territory.
A slight scowl pulled at Aizen’s lips. Being tailed so blatantly…was that meant as a warning?
If it were because he’d actually done something and been caught, he might feel intrigued by a worthy opponent. But in this case, he truly hadn’t done anything—and yet he was being watched. His own captain must have too much spare time on his hands.
Still deep in thought, he heard a voice from afar:
“Vice-Captain Aizen! Good afternoon! Have you eaten?”
Seeing Isshin Shiba waving enthusiastically as he approached, Aizen folded his arms, eyes narrowing as if he’d found the perfect target for his frustrations.
“Isshin, go do ten thousand sword strikes at the training grounds.”
“...Huh?”
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