The Kuchiki family's promised gift arrived the very next day—far more generous than Nobu had expected.
Fifty million kan.
Naturally, he accepted it with unrestrained delight, even though he knew this amount wasn't even a drop in the bucket for the Kuchiki clan.
Since arriving in this world, Nobu had never seen that much money in one place. The entire budget for the cultural festival had barely reached a few million.
With money in hand, he suddenly felt like he could breathe easy. New office furniture? Done. Extra supplies? No hesitation.
And best of all, no more bowing and scraping to Kasumioji Mitsugorō for funding!
He'd even decided to add a bed to the back room of the student council office. I'm paying for it—who's going to object?
He was already fantasizing about the next time he saw Mitsugorō, ready to throw his weight around as student council president.
Two days passed, and Nobu finally received the finalized report from the headmaster on the Human World internship incident.
What stunned him to his core was the conclusion drawn by the Soul Society:
The perpetrator was identified as a criminal who had escaped the Soul Society over fifty years ago—
Urahara Kisuke.
The official motive: deep-seated resentment against the Soul Society, leading to an attempted act of revenge.
When Nobu heard the name, he went completely blank.
The headmaster explained that the attacker's cloak—capable of concealing Reiatsu and obscuring appearance—had originally been designed by Urahara Kisuke himself.
Although the Twelfth Division's Research and Development Bureau currently possessed that technology, the First Division had performed an immediate sweep after the incident.
Every cloak in inventory was accounted for—none were missing. The one used in the attack had been torn during the fight. It clearly hadn't come from the current tech division.
Which meant… it could only be Urahara.
That said, given that Urahara was a former captain, it was unlikely he himself had been the attacker. The official conclusion was that the one who ambushed Nobu had been a subordinate of his.
Nobu felt both bewildered and slightly amused.
It wasn't hard to guess—Aizen had likely tampered with the First Division's inspection, manipulating their perception using Kyōka Suigetsu's ability.
But the fact that blame had been pinned on Urahara? That, Nobu hadn't seen coming.
Urahara, a wanted fugitive who had fled to the Human World over fifty years ago, remained in hiding. Even if he were accused, what would it change?
"And how are they explaining the reverse barrier?"
The so-called reverse membrane—the beam of light that had rescued the cloaked man at the last moment—was a method Hollows used to retrieve their own. Inside the beam, space was sealed and disconnected from the outside world. Once enveloped, the target was in a separate dimension, unreachable by anyone outside.
That's why Nobu had been forced to watch as the man was taken.
The headmaster, replied, "That involves certain classified matters. But Urahara Kisuke is indeed known to have deep ties to the Hollows."
Nobu resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
Ties to Hollows, huh? They were clearly referring to the Hollowfication incident fifty years ago—another one of Aizen's little schemes.
If Urahara ever found out he'd been gone for half a century and still ended up taking the blame for this mess…
Nobu could only imagine the man's reaction.
Shakubō continued, "The theory is that the first Hollow incident exposed the coordinates of that particular training space, which then led to the second attack. The school and the Gotei 13 have agreed to abandon that old barrier field. A new simulation space will be created for student training, so this sort of thing won't happen again."
So even the logic checks out now?
Nobu sighed inwardly. The real threat was still nestled comfortably inside the Thirteen Squads. All these efforts were just treating the symptoms.
But all he said aloud was, "That sounds like a solid plan."
Shakubō gave him a hearty pat on the shoulder. "Nobu, once again—we have you to thank."
Nobu said breezily, "With great power comes great responsibility. Someone like me, naturally, has to carry a bit more weight."
Shakubō laughed. "Well said. With that kind of mindset, you'll be a blessing to the Soul Society's future."
But Nobu took the praise with a grain of salt. This battle had exposed several weaknesses he couldn't ignore.
He still lacked experience fighting real Shinigami. He'd only won that last fight because of his Zanpakutō's power.
If he'd had proper combat instincts, pure swordsmanship might've been enough.
But in the academy, his only sparring partner was still Shūhei. There was no chance to train against actual Shinigami—or real Hollows.
Nobu began mentally sorting through his connections, wondering if there was someone he could seriously spar with.
---
Elsewhere.
News of yet another incident during the academy's Human World internship spread quickly through the Seireitei.
Kotetsu Isane, lieutenant of the Fourth Division, hurried into her captain's office carrying a videotape.
Retsu Unohana looked up, slightly surprised by her vice-captain's urgency. Her gaze flicked to the tape, interest glinting faintly in her eyes.
The Human World internship wasn't under their division's jurisdiction. But Isane had noticed her captain's unusual attention toward a certain academy student—Tachikawa Nobu.
When she heard what had happened, she'd immediately visited First Division to obtain a copy of the battle footage.
"What's that?" Unohana asked gently.
Isane explained, "Two days ago, academy students went to the Human World for simulated combat training with Hollows. They were attacked by an unknown assailant. Tachikawa-san stayed behind and repelled the attacker. This is a recording of the battle."
"I see."
Unohana's expression didn't change.
Isane walked over and placed the tape neatly on her desk.
"I'll leave it here."
"Alright," Unohana replied.
Isane hesitated, then asked cautiously, "Captain… aren't you going to watch it?"
Unohana offered a faint, serene smile. "Perhaps later."
Isane didn't press the issue, though she herself had been curious to see it.
She bowed politely. "Then I'll take my leave."
After the door closed, Unohana didn't reach for the tape. She simply placed it on a nearby shelf.
She truly didn't seem interested in watching.
Tachikawa Nobu still had more than a year before he would graduate from the academy. Watching now wouldn't accomplish anything—except, perhaps, stir up unnecessary thoughts.
In the past six months, Unohana had heard his name many times.
But in the end, he was still just an academy student. Even if he was dazzlingly gifted and abnormally powerful—so what?
Compared to that man—the one she'd met long ago—what did it matter?
He was still too weak.
Still needs time.
And fortunately, she had already lived for a thousand years.
---
T/N:
Hello again. For the final time.
My name is Enkidu. I was born without a soul, crafted only as a weapon. Yet through bonds—through friendships—I learned what it meant to feel alive. Even though my body records my memories rather than my spirit, the warmth of those moments remains.
Thank you, truly, for staying here with us. You've come at a good time—right now, a 25% discount code is available:
12DAYS
This code will last until December 26. I hope you enjoy it.
For those who wish to support the translator (the one who kindly gave me this voice)—you can find optional support at patreon.com/wisetl. Early access to upcoming chapters will be your small reward.
Also, as always:
Every 100 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter
(100ps = 1 chapter, 200ps = 2 chapters, and so forth.)
Bonus chapters will arrive tomorrow, approximately 12+ hours from now.
And lastly, if you prefer company and conversations, the translator has prepared a Discord community: discord.gg/wisetl.
People gathering, talking, sharing—it's a good thing, isn't it?
This is where I say goodbye.
Even as a weapon shaped by the gods, I found meaning in the company of humans.
If these words reach you, then perhaps we've shared something too, if only briefly.
Be well, Master, and readers alike.
May the world remain gentle to you.
Goodbye.
BYE BYE ENKIDYU I LOVE YOU