Chapter 350

2-in-1 chapter:

---------------------------

Kaelith pressed his left hand against his right shoulder and rotated his arm proudly, showing off how his body had been “restored to perfection.”

Ishida Ryūken was so startled he felt like his liver was going to burst.

He frantically tried to stop him, but the guy lying in bed completely ignored him—on the contrary, he seemed excited to tease him.

Just then, the door suddenly opened.

To Kaelith’s surprise, Sōsuke walked into the room.

He glanced around at the situation.

Under everyone’s gaze, he first gave a slight bow to Yamamoto:

“Captain-Commander.”

Then he walked straight over to Kaelith’s bedside.

“Lie down.”

“Oh, uh, okay.”

Kaelith quickly lowered his arm and lay back on the bed.

Expressionless, Sōsuke waved his hand. The hospital gown and bandages covering Kaelith’s upper body split apart instantly.

Sōsuke stared in silence for a few seconds at the state of his flesh beneath.

“The stitching is incredibly precise. The blood vessels were torn to shreds, yet you managed to reconnect them and keep the circulation going. Even a seated officer from Fourth Division probably couldn’t pull this off.”

Grinning, Kaelith said:

“Of course. When it comes to identifying and handling peripheral blood vessels, I’m confident I rank among the top in the whole Soul Society!”

“That wasn't a compliment.”

Sōsuke looked at him like he was some disgusting insect, cold and disdainful.

“If you enjoy pain that much, then I’ll just make sure you feel more of it.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a syringe and, without waiting for any protest, injected it into Kaelith.

Kaelith froze mid-motion, wide-eyed and mouth open as if about to speak, completely paralyzed.

Seeing Kaelith go quiet like that, Ishida Ryūken was a little startled.

“...What did you give him?”

He looked at Sōsuke with growing wariness.

To the Quincy, Kaelith was too important.

Even if this man was Kaelith’s so-called friend, Ryūken didn’t trust in such sentiment, not in a world as dangerous as this. If this Shinigami bore ill intent, he would protect Kaelith with his life.

Feeling Ryūken’s hostile pressure, Sōsuke gave him a sidelong glance.

“Relax. It’s just a sensory enhancement agent.”

“After being injected, a person’s five senses become significantly more sensitive.”

“In many video games, there’s a mechanic called ‘bullet time’—bullets flying at hundreds or thousands of meters per second seem to move at a snail’s pace to the player.”

“The drug I gave him simulates that effect.”

“However, since the formula is still incomplete, it’s a bit... different from actual ‘bullet time.’”

“To him, time has been slowed down by several thousand times.”

“Our current conversation—he won’t begin to hear it until another hour or two, from his perspective.”

“For him to fully process what we’re saying, it may take three days... maybe more.”

“And that’s assuming he can interpret sound stretched thousands of times slower and still make out what’s being said.”

Ryūken’s eyes widened as the true horror of the drug dawned on him.

Sure enough, Sōsuke gave a slight smile:

“And the pain caused by stitching his body together with shadow threads will also be prolonged by several thousand times.”

“Consider this... a learning experience.”

Ryūken’s knees almost buckled.

This man... was a demon.

How could anyone speak so casually about something so cruel?

As Kaelith lay paralyzed in bed, Sōsuke raised his hand, glowing faintly green, and pressed it gently against Kaelith’s wound.

Kaelith’s shadow-thread surgery was only a temporary fix. The flesh was forcefully held together but hadn’t truly healed.

Sōsuke began treating him as an emergency measure. Once they returned to Soul Society, he'd use the Kirinden hot spring for proper recovery.

After about ten minutes, he withdrew his hand and nodded with satisfaction.

This brute really did have the qualifications to be so cocky.

His body’s recovery rate was absurd.

Even without treatment, just resting would likely see him walking in about ten days.

Seeing Kaelith lying there, eyes wide and motionless, Sōsuke hesitated for a few seconds.

Then he sighed, pulled out another syringe, and injected it into Kaelith.

A few seconds later, Kaelith suddenly bolted upright.

To everyone else in the room, only ten minutes had passed.

But to him, it had been over a month.

An entire month spent frozen, experiencing constant, agonizing pain, completely unable to move, surrounded by voices that dragged on like distorted echoes, impossible to comprehend.

Sōsuke frowned slightly at Kaelith’s expression.

Maybe he’d gone too far this time.

He’d known Kaelith for a long time and had never seen him look this panicked.

He opened his mouth, ready to apologize.

But Kaelith turned to look at him.

“Sōsuke.”

“Hm?”

“Is this how you always think so fast?”

“Every time something goes wrong, you just jab yourself with one of those things, spend a few months thinking up a solution, and then act like it was off-the-cuff genius?”

Sōsuke: “…”

I was too naïve.

Trying to win against this brute with psychological warfare? What a joke.

He sighed and turned to walk toward Yamamoto.

Watching him go, Kaelith grinned, baring his teeth.

No doubt about it—what Sōsuke had used was Mayuri’s invention: the “Superhuman Drug.”

Seriously twisted stuff.

Basically torture.

Luckily, he’d reacted quickly and faked not being fazed.

As long as Sōsuke didn’t catch on, he wouldn’t risk using it again.

Before that happened, he needed to find Urahara Kisuke and develop an antidote!

Heh heh… Sōsuke lacks wisdom, Mayuri lacks foresight—how could they hope to outwit someone as brilliant as me?

---

In the blink of an eye, two days passed since Yamamoto and Kaelith vanished.

The mood in Soul Society was tense beyond belief.

Everyone was waiting for the outcome of that battle.

Would Yamamoto defend his supreme authority? Or had Kaelith pulled off an overthrow?

Among all the anxious captains, Kyōraku Shunsui was especially nervous.

At first, the idea of the two of them knocking each other out for a few years seemed amusing.

But now, with both missing, he started to panic.

If something really did happen to both of them, who else was left to take over the mess?

He broke into a cold sweat.

Maybe he should find a way to go missing too?

Thankfully, on the morning of the third day, salvation came.

Eleventh Division Captain Kaelith walked through the Gate of Seireitei and returned to Seireitei!

The news sent all of Seireitei into a frenzy.

Reactions varied.

The Eleventh Division and other factions under Kaelith were ecstatic—he did it!

Big bro beat Yamamoto! Big bro humiliated Yamamoto! Big bro is going to be king!

Fifth Division and their captain’s faction were in utter shock.

Yamamoto lost? Kaelith, the traitor, won?

What kind of nightmare was this?!

In no time, every major figure rushed to the gate.

As Kaelith strolled down the street, he was quickly surrounded by familiar figures appearing via Shunpo.

“Big bro!!”

“Kaelith!!”

“Captain Kaelith!”

Raising a hand, Kaelith greeted them all with a grin.

“Yo, you guys eaten yet?”

“…”

Everyone fell silent.

Ukitake quickly stepped forward. “Kaelith, where’s the old man?”

“The old man… is resting.”

Kaelith hedged.

“Resting?”

Ukitake frowned. That was a strange answer.

He couldn’t help asking, “Where is he resting?”

Kaelith scratched his head, looking awkward.

He remembered what had happened before he left:

Yamamoto soaking in the Kirinden hot spring, towel on his head, a small wooden tray with sake floating beside him.

The old man had said:

“Boy, once you return, don’t tell a single soul where I am!”

“If I find out you blabbed, you’re getting pan-fried!”

Tch.

The old fart always threatening violence.

Like I’d be cowed by brute force?

With a resolute expression under everyone’s gaze, Kaelith said:

“I don’t know.”

You don’t know?!

Everyone’s expressions changed.

Kyōraku adjusted his hat. “So, uh, Kaelith, what’ve you been doing these past few days?”

“Healing, obviously.”

Kaelith pointed at his shoulder. “Got sliced up pretty bad by the old man. Took a while to patch up.”

Kyōraku hesitated. “And the old man? Did he get hurt?”

Kaelith smirked and was about to speak—

Then suddenly remembered something and changed his expression.

“I don’t know.”

Again?!

Kyōraku’s eye twitched.

“Well, did the old man at least say anything?”

Kaelith nodded. “Yeah. He said all of Seireitei’s affairs should be temporarily handled by…”

He paused mid-sentence, then looked at Kyōraku with a spark in his eye, like discovering treasure.

“...temporarily handled by you, Senior Kyōraku!”

“All of the Captain-Commander’s duties are yours now!”

Kyōraku Shunsui: “…”

He’d bet his entire stockpile of sake this was absolutely not what Yamamoto had said.

He looked over at Ukitake. They exchanged glances and nodded.

Based on what they knew of Kaelith, Yamamoto was probably fine.

Either he was too injured to return and they were covering for him…

Or he was plotting something.

Either way, they needed to play along.

Just then, a voice interrupted:

“No. That’s not what the Captain-Commander ordered.”

No one had noticed when Sōsuke appeared beside Kaelith.

Even the other captains hadn’t sensed his arrival.

Hirako Shinji rubbed his eyes.

He hadn’t zoned out. So where did this guy come from?

Sōsuke held up a document under everyone’s gaze.

“Captain-Commander Yamamoto has decreed that, until his return, all of Seireitei’s affairs shall be temporarily managed by Eleventh Division Captain Kaelith.”

“During this period, Kaelith has full access to Captain-Commander privileges and may act at his discretion.”

“All division captains must fully cooperate.”

He flipped the document around for everyone to see.

The bold, powerful handwriting left no doubt—it was Yamamoto’s.

Even Kaelith, skilled in calligraphy, couldn’t replicate it.

Hirako Shinji was horrified.

It’s over, it’s over!

He had only suspected before, but now that Sōsuke showed up, he was sure of it.

These two traitors had captured Yamamoto!

That document had to be fake!

He opened his mouth to object, but seeing the others around him, he shut it again.

Yoruichi, Unohana, Komamura, Kenpachi…

Anyone of them could take him in a fight.

Especially Sōsuke, who kept glancing at him from the corner of his eye—he’d love nothing more than for Shinji to act out.

Shinji was furious.

Kaelith stared at the document, wide-eyed.

What the hell? Why didn’t I know about this?

He thought fast. Could he blame Urahara?

Then inspiration struck.

He turned to Kyōraku.

“Alright, then. As my first act with Captain-Commander authority…”

“I hereby delegate all Captain-Commander duties to my acting-proxy, Senior Kyōraku!”

“Until the teacher returns, everything’s yours!”

“?”

Kyōraku looked like he might pass out.

Please, could you just act like a responsible adult?

While everyone stood there dumbfounded, Kaelith tossed away his newly gained authority like a hot potato and strolled off toward Eleventh Division with a grin.

Everyone looked at one another, speechless.

Kenpachi scratched his head.

He didn’t understand what just happened, but big bro was back, so he was happy.

He slung Yachiru on his back and followed with a big grin.

Ichimaru Gin looked at Tōsen Kaname.

“Looks like we can pull back the troops stationed around Seireitei now.”

“Mhm. I’ll notify them right away.”

And just like that, after two days of overwhelming tension, Seireitei returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

Even though Captain-Commander Yamamoto hadn’t returned, everyone inexplicably felt relieved.

Back in the day, this would’ve been unthinkable.

Without Yamamoto, Seireitei should’ve fallen into chaos or at least a deep depression.

But now... aside from a few whispers and rumors, Seireitei remained largely stable.

Seeing this bizarre outcome, Kyōraku couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly.

He wasn’t even sure anymore if this was a good thing or a bad one.

----------------------------------------

You can check out here for 65 advanced chapters!

Patreon(.)com/IDKjust 

Btw you also get 2 daily chapters