The sun was shining brightly in a clear sky.
From above, the ancient buildings of the Seireitei conveyed a strong sense of order and discipline, evoking the strict and powerful atmosphere of a feudal society.
"The environment in the Seireitei looks pretty nice," H'el commented.
H'el stood before the western gate of the Seireitei, looking up at the tall white gate. In front of it was a giant man in a Shihakushō, Jidanbō.
This was the same gatekeeper Ichigo Kurosaki had encountered when he first came to the Soul Society. Jidanbō was not a Soul Reaper but a chosen hero of the Soul Society, responsible for repelling intruders or souls attempting to enter the Seireitei.
Jidanbō stared in astonishment as three captain-level Soul Reapers escorted three children. It was unheard of to see three captains deployed together.
What kind of event could prompt such a response?
Unable to fathom it, he quickly and respectfully raised the gate to allow the captains and the children to enter.
"Well... the environment is quite nice, but there are some annoying nobles here. If you encounter them, try to avoid them. It will save you a lot of trouble," Kyōraku Shunsui advised.
Since their conversation in the room, they had set out the next day. Though officially it was an escort mission, it was clear that the captains were monitoring H'el, Gin Ichimaru, and Rangiku Matsumoto as they headed to the Seireitei.
During the journey, Kyōraku Shunsui had come to understand that H'el was a fearless and unrestricted individual. He was not bound by any rules or authority, and even his companions, Gin and Rangiku, could not restrain him in the slightest.
Threatening H'el by using his friends would not work either.
Gin had once told Kyōraku Shunsui that during a battle, when he and Rangiku were captured and used as leverage, H'el had calmly stated that he would not hesitate to kill them along with the enemies, ensuring their deaths were clear-cut.
It didn't seem like a lie; Rangiku had nodded fearfully in agreement.
This gave Kyōraku Shunsui a headache.
The power that seemingly could summon the Gates of Hell was unrestricted within H'el, subject only to his whims.
He could hardly imagine what that power entailed.
In the end, they didn't push too hard to witness the phenomenon of the Gates of Hell appearing due to H'el's Shikai. After all, the appearance of the Gates of Hell was troublesome enough once; there was no need to bring it out again without necessity.
As for whether they needed to confirm if H'el's Shikai really caused the Gates of Hell to appear, Kyōraku Shunsui decided to bring H'el back to the Seireitei and let the Head Captain decide.
The Seireitei was, after all, a traditional feudal society. Kyōraku Shunsui, being a high-ranking noble himself, understood that if certain nobles clashed with H'el, things might not be easy to handle.
Despite H'el seeming agreeable, if he found someone displeasing, he wouldn't hesitate to cut them down without a second thought.
So, Kyōraku Shunsui could only subtly warn H'el to avoid unnecessary conflicts with the nobles, as there were quite a few foolish ones among them.
"Don't worry. As long as they stay out of my way, there won't be any issues," H'el said calmly.
In H'el's mind, as long as these people didn't cause trouble for him or arrogantly flaunt themselves in front of him, everything would be fine. Otherwise, he wouldn't hesitate to kill them, even within the Seireitei.
No matter how strict the hierarchy of the Seireitei, it couldn't control him. No matter how feudal, it couldn't bind his power.
He firmly believed that as long as the troublemakers were killed, there would be no problems.
Identity, authority, status, wealth, balance, order, and rules were concerns for others to worry about.
Kyōraku Shunsui rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He could already imagine the trouble a fearless H'el would bring.
Deciding to pass this headache onto the Head Captain, Kyōraku Shunsui led H'el, Gin Ichimaru, and Rangiku Matsumoto through the white gate and into the Seireitei. The classical and solemn rules were evident everywhere, from the walls to the eaves. Many Soul Reapers in Shihakushō saw them passing by, saluted, and looked curiously at H'el and his companions.
H'el and his two companions were led directly to a room where three vice-captains were standing guard outside, straight-backed and serious, awaiting their arrival. Once inside, they found themselves in a reception room with white walls and brown wooden chairs. Kyōraku Shunsui made the arrangements:
"Please wait here for a moment. I'll go report to the Head Captain about your situation."
H'el had no objections to this quasi-detention-like treatment and immediately chose a seat to sit down. However, Rangiku Matsumoto looked tense, her hands clasped uneasily at her abdomen. She nervously asked Kyōraku Shunsui, "What do you intend to do with H'el?"
"Don't think of us so poorly. He hasn't committed any unforgivable crimes," Kyōraku Shunsui replied with a smile, avoiding a direct answer, and then left. He left behind Hirako Shinji and Kensei Muguruma, who showed a friendly yet fierce smile towards Rangiku.
Rangiku tensed up at Kensei's menacingly friendly smile. With a worried expression, she sat down next to H'el. H'el smiled, placing his hand on Rangiku's soft, slightly plump cheek, tugging at it playfully. He then tousled her orange hair, making it a tangled mess.
"Do we really need to come to the Seireitei? What you've taught us is more profound than what these Soul Reapers can offer," Gin Ichimaru suddenly asked.
On their way here, H'el had told them that they would be attending school in the Seireitei to learn all the Soul Reaper techniques in swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, movement, and Kido. They might become Soul Reapers or possibly end up as fugitives hunted by the Soul Reapers in the Soul Society.
"What I've taught you undoubtedly guides you toward understanding the essence of spiritual particles at a microscopic level, pursuing their fundamental nature. However, the techniques the Soul Society has developed over millions of years to manipulate spiritual energy, constructing various skills from spiritual particles, are also invaluable. Becoming a Soul Reaper should be a good choice for you," H'el explained.
"And what about you?" Gin squinted his eyes and asked, "Coming to their stronghold, their most powerful base—what if they convict you of some crime and try to imprison you?"
Rangiku's face tightened at Gin's words, and she tightly gripped H'el's hand, which was still on her head, clearly worried about what might happen next.
H'el nonchalantly replied, "It doesn't matter. I'll take action."
°°°
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