Chapter 173: The Fifth Great Noble Family
Clap clap clap!
Clap clap clap!
The frantic knocking jolted Kisuke awake.
He lay in bed, body completely still, but his hand had already stealthily grasped his Zanpakutō.
Then, he glanced at the clock on the cabinet out of the corner of his eye.
Past three in the morning...
At this hour, if there were an urgent mission, a Hell Butterfly messenger would deliver orders directly—they wouldn't bother knocking.
He tried to sense the Reiatsu outside the house.
Nothing.
Had the person left?
Just as he thought this, the knocking resumed—
Bang bang bang!!
Kisuke felt a chill run down his spine.
This was downright spooky!
He cautiously got up, gripping his Zanpakutō, ready to activate Blood Mist Shield at any moment.
Then, he slowly moved to the window, pressed against the glass, and peered toward the entrance.
There, in the pitch-black night, a grinning face appeared at the window, staring right back at him.
"Eek!!!"
Kisuke's hair stood on end as he stumbled backward several steps.
Just as he instinctively prepared to release his Zanpakutō, he suddenly realized—that face looked somewhat familiar?
Slam!
Kisuke yanked the door open and glared outside angrily.
"Mr. Satoru, are you so bored that you've resorted to scaring me for fun in the middle of the night??"
Satoru blinked in surprise.
"How could you think that... I felt so bad about disturbing you so late, so I tried to ease your anger with a smile. How could you misunderstand me?"
Kisuke scoffed internally.
If you hadn't anticipated my move and waited by the window, I might have actually believed you.
Seeing that Kisuke wasn't fooled, Satoru quickly cleared his throat.
"Ahem, Kisuke, I'm not asleep, and you're not asleep either—what a coincidence!"
"Look, I brought some drinks and snacks. How about a late-night snack together?"
Hearing the "you're not asleep either" remark, Kisuke mentally cursed a thousand times.
All his scolding and frustration condensed into a single phrase—
"Please, come in."
If it were anyone else, he wouldn't mind offending them.
After all, he had no grand ambitions—he was content to slack off, collect his salary, and tinker with research in his free time.
But Satoru was different... Offend this guy, and he could genuinely ruin you.
Just the thought of having months of backlogged work dumped on him at once was unbearable.
Ushering Satoru inside, the two sat facing each other.
After a few drinks, Satoru spoke gently:
"Kisuke, I've noticed your project progress has been excellent lately. If nothing goes wrong, you should have some free time now."
"How about balancing work and rest? Maybe take on a small project of a different type to refresh your mood?"
Here it comes.
The big one is here!
Kisuke's internal alarms blared at maximum volume.
He tensed up and smiled. "What does Mr. Satoru want?"
To keep Satoru happy, he had already prepared a brand-new game development engine in advance.
If Satoru's request was too outrageous, he would deploy this trump card to delight Satoru and steer the conversation elsewhere.
Anti-Satoru Weapon—Prototype Version!
Under his watchful gaze, Satoru stated:
"I want to build a base in Hueco Mundo."
"This base needs to be sizable, easily concealable, sturdy, durable, capable of blocking Reiatsu..."
"Most importantly, it must be built quickly—preferably from start to finish in under a day!"
Kisuke: "?"
His expression gradually twisted from calm.
If it weren't Satoru saying these words, he would have already wanted to curse.
Listen, is this a request a human would make?
Without hesitation, he was about to raise his hand in surrender and say he couldn't do it.
But before he could speak, Satoru interrupted him with a calm voice—
"Kisuke, I must complete this project."
"Whatever resources, power, or help you need, I will do my utmost to provide."
"This is my lifetime... well, half-lifetime... This is my biggest request this year!"
Kisuke:"..."
If not for the last sentence, it would have been quite impactful indeed.
He scratched his head, wearing a troubled expression: "Mr. Satoru, your request is too outrageous. Even if I dragged in Mr. Aizen and Mr. Kurotsuchi, it would still be nearly impossible work."
"The earlier parts are manageable, but the last one—requiring completion within a single day... this demands a large number of autonomous devices. I don't have that much material on hand, and I'm missing many key technologies."
Satoru responded without hesitation: "Write it down first, I'll find a way to get them."
Seeing Satoru's resolute attitude, Kisuke sighed and had no choice but to start working.
Although he often complained verbally, he was genuinely grateful to Satoru in his heart.
Ever since Satoru joined the Second Division, his life had become much easier.
Especially after the Satoru Technical Bureau was established, life became comparable to heaven.
Originally, he became a Shinigami just to have a job to make ends meet, while earning some money to invest in his hobbies.
Now, with Satoru's help, even if he stopped being a Shinigami, he could happily do what he wanted.
To repay this guy, working some overtime could be considered a balance between work and rest.
...
...
Carrying the list given by Kisuke, Satoru returned to the Second Division barracks.
Along the way, he held an oil lamp in one hand and the list in the other, repeatedly examining it.
He recognized very few items... Tomorrow he would categorize them and try asking Yoruichi and Old Man Ginrei.
Thinking this, he put away the list and prepared to return to his dorm to sleep.
But just as he reached the officers' dormitory area, he suddenly stopped.
His soul domain alerted him that two people were standing at his door.
Using his Reiatsu perception, he could barely detect their presence.
Those who could achieve this either wore Reiatsu-blocking cloaks like him.
Or possessed some secret technique to conceal their own Reiatsu.
Whichever it was, they were no ordinary characters.
Without a doubt, they were specifically waiting for him.
Could they be Tsunayashiro remnants?
With curiosity, Satoru walked toward them.
His shadow separated from his body, merging with the night as it approached the two from another direction.
When he was still some distance away, the other party seemed to sense something.
Under Satoru's gaze, the two actively emerged from the darkness.
Over their black kimonos, they wore white noble haori.
Satoru raised his eyebrows.
The two weren't wearing Reiatsu-blocking cloaks or similar items, meaning the technique they used to conceal their Reiatsu was something they mastered themselves.
Since when did the nobility produce such talents?
After approaching him, both raised their hands in salute simultaneously.
One of them spoke:
"Pleased to meet you, Lord Satoru."
The other followed up:
"Forgive our abrupt intrusion."
"The two of us are envoys sent by the Saginomiya Clan."
"My name is Saginomiya Yasuo."
"My name is Saginomiya Jin."
"The two of us, representing the Saginomiya Clan, have come to request your assistance."
Hearing this name, Satoru pondered for two seconds.
Then, he revealed an expression of both sudden realization and slight surprise.
The Saginomiya Clan... he knew of them.
The last of the Five Great Noble Families, they never participated in any political activities.
Whether it was power struggles among the nobles or changes within the Gotei 13, they never concerned themselves.
Even when the Tsunayashiro Clan and the Kuchiki Clan were at each other's throats, nearly wiping one of them out, Saginomiya made no move.
This family kept such a low profile that they didn't even hold a single seat in Central 46.
The only thing they did was quietly watch over Hell.
Anything related to Hell or the Hell Gate fell within their scope of attention.
When he had previously asked Yamamoto about this family, this was the answer he received.
For such a family to suddenly seek his help?
He asked with some confusion, "Help... what could I possibly help you with?"
Yasuo bowed and said, "We request that you share your Reiatsu and participate in the great endeavor of suppressing the Hell Gate."
"?"
Satoru's mind filled with question marks.
Although he could understand every word in that sentence, when put together, he had no idea what it meant.
The two men showed no surprise at Satoru's reaction.
"Lord Satoru, might we speak in private?"
"Very well, but I must search you both."
Upon hearing Satoru's request, the two exchanged glances before simultaneously raising their arms, allowing him to proceed.
Satoru didn't stand on ceremony, thoroughly patting them down.
After confirming they carried no dangerous items like Hueco Mundo teleportation devices, he nodded and led them into his quarters.
After brewing a pot of tea, he sipped leisurely while listening to their explanation.
"Satoru-dono, you must be aware of the Gates of Hell's existence."
"Souls who committed grave sins in life, unable to be purified by Zanpakutō, are seized by the Gates of Hell and cast into the inferno... this is the purpose of the Gates' existence."
"As a vessel containing wickedness, the accumulation of sin within Hell grows increasingly vast over time."
"Among these immensely powerful, sin-laden beings, some occasionally attempt to breach the Gates of Hell and return to the three realms."
"Our Saginomiya clan bears the mission of preventing such occurrences."
"To this end, whenever formidable warriors emerge with strength sufficient to aid in suppressing Hell, we seek their assistance."
"Satoru-dono, we sincerely invite you to contribute a portion of your Reiatsu to reinforce the suppression of the Gates of Hell."
With these words, they bowed to Satoru once more.
Studying them, Satoru inquired curiously, "Who in Seireitei currently participates in this endeavor?"
Yasuo replied, "Yamamoto Shigekuni-dono, Retsu Unohana-dono, Shinji Hirako-dono, Ginrei Kuchiki-dono, Shunsui Kyōraku-dono, Kirio Hikifune-dono, Jūshirō Ukitake-dono..."
Jin added, "Sōya Azashiro-dono was originally a core force in sealing the Gates of Hell. However, since his imprisonment in Muken, we can scarcely draw upon his power anymore."
Yasunari nodded, "Ah, and Kōga Kuchiki-dono... though recently, the Reiatsu he's provided has grown exceedingly faint, much like Azashiro-dono after his confinement in Muken. We're uncertain what has befallen him."
Satoru's pupils contracted slightly.
He exclaimed in surprise, "Kōga Kuchiki? He's still alive? Where is he?"
Yasuo offered an apologetic look.
"Our deepest apologies, Satoru-dono. Regarding that matter, we have no knowledge."
"The contract with the Gates of Hell only reveals how much Reiatsu we receive from each signatory; it does not allow us to ascertain their condition or location."
Satoru's expression remained unchanged.
Internally, however, he couldn't help but feel utterly bewildered.
These nobles certainly possessed an alarming number of inexplicable artifacts.
Yasuo pondered briefly, "Within Seireitei itself, these are essentially the primary contributors."
Seireitei itself?
Satoru noted the peculiar qualifier and filed it away.
Mentally reviewing the list of names, he shook his head, "I'm merely a third seat. I'm afraid I lack the power you require."
Every name listed by the Saginomiya represented elite Captain-class individuals.
The Captains of the Third and Ninth Divisions were newly appointed, so their absence from the list might simply mean they hadn't been approached yet.
But Love Aikawa, Captain of the Seventh Division, had held his position for some time.
His exclusion from the list clearly indicated the Saginomiya family's stringent recruitment standards.
Hearing this, Jin said, "Please rest assured, Lord Satoru. The criteria for seeking assistance are determined by us through the sacred artifact."
"If the sacred artifact deems you possess the corresponding power, then you certainly can accomplish it."
I see...
Yasuo added, "Lord Satoru, borrowing your power will not significantly impact your strength."
"When the Hell Gate shows no abnormal activity, your Reiatsu will hardly be invoked by the contract."
"Even if an accident truly occurs, the contract will prioritize invoking the Reiatsu of stronger individuals, such as Lord Yamamoto's Reiatsu."
Satoru looked at him: "Then, if the Hell Gate becomes extremely turbulent, unprecedented in history, could these contractors be drained dry?"
Yasuo shook his head: "That won't happen. According to our family's historical records, if the Hell Gate enters an unstoppable state, all contracts will be automatically dissolved under the influence of hell's power."
"In history, the Hell Gate has opened twice."
"Both times, it was due to the sudden fall of powerful figures in their era, causing the seals to loosen."
"And according to records, these two openings did not affect the other contractors."
Satoru nodded noncommittally.
You speak, and I listen.
As for the truth, I'll leave that for Sōsuke to analyze later.
Seeing that Satoru didn't seem very interested, Jin spoke up:
"Lord Satoru, our Saginomiya clan will provide all possible rewards to those participating in the suppression."
"Wealth, weapons, secret techniques..."
Hearing this, Satoru asked curiously: "Can you help me kill Tsunayashiro Senzaemon who fled to Hueco Mundo?"
Jin gently shook his head: "Apologies, the Saginomiya clan has a family rule—we never participate in such conflicts."
"This family rule has been strictly observed for a million years."
Satoru nodded slightly.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something:
"Let me list some items. See if you can obtain them for me."
Saying this, he found paper and pen, and wrote down several of the most difficult-to-find materials from Kisuke's list, selecting them in a way that made their purpose hard to discern...