Tokinada Tsunayashiro  

"Oh? Vying for the Divine Eight Mirror Sword?" Ailin stroked his chin. "But aren't these fellows still unable to even find the Divine Eight Mirror Sword's location? Yet they're already fighting over it?"

Ailin remembered that currently, the Divine Eight Mirror Sword should have been hidden away by Shunsui Kyoraku. Looking around, Ailin didn't see Shunsui Kyoraku's presence here.

Although the deceased was the eldest son of the Kyoraku Clan who married into the Ise Clan, if Shunsui Kyoraku appeared here now, everyone would assume he had taken the Divine Eight Mirror Sword.

At that time, even as a higher noble clan, the Kyoraku Clan would be pressured by everyone else. It's better for him not to show up and sever ties between the Kyoraku and Ise Clans.

This way, even if someone guesses that the sacred Divine Eight Mirror Sword is with Shunsui Kyoraku, there's no evidence.

After all, who could have imagined that the current head of the Ise Clan, who had guarded the sacred Divine Eight Mirror Sword for countless years, actually didn't want her daughter to suffer the same curse and prematurely sent it away?

Only inheritors of the Divine Eight Mirror Sword from the Ise Clan have value.

Without the Divine Eight Mirror Sword, Nanao Ise is seen by the nobles as less valuable than even a genius student from the Spiritual Arts Academy.

After all, a genius student still has the potential to cultivate a powerful Zanpakuto, while a member of the Ise Clan without inheriting the sacred artifact may not even possess a Zanpakuto.

"Who knows..."

"Perhaps they have a hundred percent sure method of finding the Divine Eight Mirror Sword."

Although Yoichi Shihoin's words seemed joking, Ailin felt the nobles might actually have such a method.

Otherwise, Shunsui Kyoraku wouldn't need to hide the Divine Eight Mirror Sword within his own Zanpakuto's inner world.

It seems only by concealing the Divine Eight Mirror Sword in a Shinigami's spiritual world could it evade those special searching methods.

Among the nobles here, aside from the Five Great Noble Families, basically all of them covet the sacred Divine Eight Mirror Sword.

It's precisely because the Five Great Nobles don't covet the Divine Eight Mirror Sword that these higher nobles are allowing the heads of the Tsunayashiro, Shihoin, and Kuchiki Clans to decide which clan will inherit it.

"Impossible!"

"How could we not find it?"

With messengers from each noble, those who were just arguing now had their faces change color.

Just as Ailin said earlier, the reason they were all arguing over the Divine Eight Mirror Sword's ownership was because each side possessed methods to locate the sacred artifact. But they never expected those methods to suddenly fail now.

"Search, all of you search, dig three feet underground to search."

The one saying this was right next to the Kasumiōji Clan head, clearly also a higher noble on the same level. Under his roar, the attendants behind him immediately scattered across the Ise estate, opening boxes, smashing walls, demolishing rooms.

Even the flowers and plants in the courtyard were dug up three meters deep, the pond water drained, and the rock gardens shattered...

"Oh my, it seems the late Ise Clan head already anticipated your actions and made some preparations in advance."

Seeing the unsightly expressions on these higher nobles' faces, Ailin couldn't help but revel in their misfortune.

"Hmph!"

These nobles were already in a foul mood from not finding the Divine Eight Mirror Sword, and Ailin's taunting only further enraged them.

But after seeing Ailin's captain's haori and the stars representing the Kuchiki Clan on his clasp, as well as the red silken windflower emblem on his neck, each of them just snorted coldly, not daring to do anything to him.

The higher nobles could look down on Gotei 13 captains, but they couldn't disrespect the Kuchiki Clan.

The Kuchiki Clan was the foremost of the Soul Society's Five Great Noble Families and had always strived to maintain order in the Soul Society. The order among nobles was also maintained by the Kuchiki Clan.

"Well, well, everyone needn't be so pessimistic."

At this moment, Tokinada Tsunayashiro, the current Tsunayashiro Clan head, smiled and glanced at Nanao Ise, who was hugging her knees sitting outside the gate, saying: "Doesn't the Ise Clan still have a daughter? If we can't find it, why not just capture her and interrogate her?

I think seeing some of the torture tools used by our clans would make this little girl more than willing to reveal the Divine Eight Mirror Sword's whereabouts, without even needing torture."

When Tokinada Tsunayashiro said this, the expressions of those present changed.

Those higher nobles were overjoyed, as if grasping their last hope.

"Quick, quick, hurry and capture that little girl."

Immediately, the attendants abandoned searching for the Divine Eight Mirror Sword and ran towards Nanao Ise sitting by the gate.

"I'd like to see who dares!"

But before they could reach Nanao Ise's side, Ailin's figure had already appeared in front of her, shielding her behind him.

"Dear noble sirs, you've really opened my eyes today. What's this? None of you dare go purify the Hollows to maintain stability across the three realms, yet these home invasion and slaughter tactics are well-practiced?

With this sort of behavior, are you even qualified to be called nobles? I'd say you're more like maggots, wouldn't you agree?"

These words from Ailin left the nobles gasping for breath, one of the higher nobles furiously scolding him: "You commoner from the outskirts, what do you know?"

"We're doing this to allow the Ise Clan to continue, to prevent the loss of the sacred Divine Eight Mirror Sword."

"For us nobles, everything is for the peace and stability of the Seireitei."

"The sacred Divine Eight Mirror Sword is extremely important to the Seireitei, we cannot afford to lose it."

"The Ise Clan now only has this one little girl. If we don't help her, how can she restore the clan's prosperity?"

As these nobles trotted out these preposterous justifications one by one, especially seeming to believe their own noble-sounding reasons, Ailin knew exactly what sort they really were.

"Heh, it sounds nice in words. But how were you all treating this little girl earlier? If I didn't mishear, it seems the one from the Tsunayashiro Clan said having this girl witness your clans' torture tools would make her reveal the Divine Eight Mirror Sword's location without any need for torture. I wonder if I'll have a chance to see these torture tools from your clans?"

Unsheathing the Zanpakuto at his waist, Ailin swung the sword -

Boom!

A massive cloud of dirt and rubble burst upwards, then slowly rained down on the Ise estate grounds.

"Hiss..."

At this moment, to the side of Ailin and Nanao Ise appeared a trench dozens of meters deep and over ten meters long.

"I, Ailin, am protecting this little girl. You nobles can consider the sacred artifact you couldn't find as having been taken by me. Any who wish to seize the sacred artifact or abduct the girl, come at me and see if the sword in my hand recognizes you."

Hearing Ailin's words, these nobles turned red-faced and thick-necked in anger, yet none dared make another move.

After all, they recognized the man before them.

By status, he was the Kuchiki Clan's son-in-law.

By strength, during the King's Seal transfer mission a few years ago, he had demonstrated power surpassing four captain-level opponents while outnumbered. With Ailin causing this disruption, they truly couldn't do anything to him.

"Hmph, a bunch of timid and pusillanimous wretches, yet you dare covet a sacred artifact? How disgusting."

Seeing these nobles recall their attendants, Ailin sneered, sheathing his Zanpakuto before squatting before Nanao Ise and comforting her by stroking her hair: "It's alright now. Although your parents are gone, you must believe that as long as you don't abandon hope, everything will be fine."

"Waaah...waaahhhh..."

Comforted by Ailin, Nanao Ise immediately threw herself into his embrace, crying loudly to release all the negative emotions she had experienced since her parents' passing.

"It's okay now, it's okay..."

Just as Ailin was comforting Nanao Ise, Tokinada Tsunayashiro, the current Tsunayashiro Clan head, narrowed his fox-like eyes and approached, saying in a mock-surprised and envious tone: "Oh my, so the Ise Clan's sacred artifact has already been taken by Lord Ailin in advance...

It seems the Kuchiki Clan is making a big move... Captain Yoruichi, you'd best be wary of the Shihoin Clan's Heavenly Granted Armaments, lest they become the Kuchiki Clan's one day."

"The Shihoin Clan need not worry about that, they have sufficient strength to guard the Heavenly Granted Armaments. It is the Tsunayashiro Clan head who should be careful. After all, just decades ago the Tsunayashiro Clan was nearly wiped out by an 'evil-doer's' attack, leaving only the current Tsunayashiro head. If the Tsunayashiro head were to die, the Five Great Noble Clans of the Soul Society may truly become four."

"Oh? Has the Soul Society not always only had four Great Noble Clans?"

"A clan unable to even defend its own territory has no right to stand alongside us."

"Heh..."

Yoichi Shihoin fell silent with her arms crossed.

Regardless of which clan opposed the majority, its roots would be torn from the Seireitei.

Although the Shihoin Clan did not directly participate in the incident against the Tsunayashiro Clan, their silence made them accomplices by default. This could not be denied!

"Hahaha, indeed, a clan unable to even defend its own territory is worthless trash."

After comforting Nanao Ise, Ailin rose and approached Tokinada Tsunayashiro, laughing: "But even though the Tsunayashiro Clan has fallen, its branch and main families still have many members remaining. Yet Lord Tsunayashiro, despite guarding such a vast estate, you are the only one left.

May I ask the Lord Tsunayashiro, what right does a clan unable to even protect its own clansmen have to stand alongside the rest of us?"

The mocking smile on Tokinada Tsunayashiro's face instantly darkened as he glared at Ailin with a hint of killing intent.

"Well now, Lord Tsunayashiro, you'd best temper that gaze of yours a bit. For I fear I may not be able to stop myself from accidentally killing you and allowing the true Four Great Noble Clans to emerge..."