Death: Starting as the Guardian of Avici Hell

That imposing figure remains a nightmare he can never forget.

Before leaving, the other party said that they would send another Grim Reaper to contact them after a while. Could it be the one in front of us?

Ishida Munen glanced at the other person again.

He had short, dark green hair, thin, long eyebrows, and a pair of narrow eyes that held a faint smile.

For some reason, when he saw the smile on the other person's face, Ishida Sogen felt not the slightest bit happy, but his heart was gripped tightly by an indescribable chill.

After a brief silence, the man broke it:

"Mr. Ishida, are you truly satisfied with the Quincy's current situation?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Ishida Sogen frowned deeply.

Chapter 177 Do you like this gift?

"What do you mean by that, sir?"

Ishida Sogen put down his teacup and stared nervously at the figure on the chair next to him.

"Of course, it means exactly what it says."

The man didn't seem to care about Ishida Sogen's attitude, but spoke calmly, as if he were catching up with an old friend.

"If I remember correctly, Quincy in the modern world are probably not well-liked, right?"

"For some reason, the Shinigami of Soul Society have sent people to discuss various matters more than once."

"The last conflict broke out completely. There was a madman among the Grim Reapers who killed Mr. Utsunomiya Wan, the leader of the Quincy in the present world, on the spot and forced everyone to sign a number of unequal treaties."

The man looked at Ishida Sogen with a half-smile, speaking softly as if he were standing up for the Quincy.

"The most serious of these is the prohibition on hunting any form of Void."

"As a Quincy, to see a Hollow but be unable to attack it is such a cruel thing."

"It's like imprisoning a tiger, pulling out its sharp teeth and claws, and then letting a wild rabbit roam freely in front of it."

"Are you... really content with this?"

Ishida Sogen's eyes twitched suddenly, and he looked at the man in front of him with some surprise.

At first, he thought the other party was there to discuss work, but when he heard the last sentence, he immediately dismissed the idea.

“Mr. Ishida, you seem very scared.”

Ishida Sogen's expression was stiff, and he forced a smile:

"You jest. The Quincy who are still alive are loyal to Lord Naraku. There is no need for you to test us."

Upon hearing this, the man paused for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on his lips, as if he had heard a joke.

"It turns out that Mr. Ishida thought I was sent by Naraku Sora. What a wonderful misunderstanding."

"Hmm, I wonder if Mr. Ishida has ever heard of the Five Great Noble Families?"

"The Five Noble Families?"

Ishida Sogen paused for a moment, then frowned deeply.

As a Quincy, he was naturally not very clear about the power structure of Soul Society. The only thing he knew was that the Gotei 13 was the highest military force among the Shinigami.

The highest judicial body is the Forty-Sixth Bureau, which is said to be composed of a group of people with little martial arts skills but high social status.

Could it be that the person in front of me is a member of the 46th Chamber?

The man tilted his head, gazing at the pensive Ishida Sogen, and said gently:

"It seems they don't know. The five noble families are the highest-ranking beings in Soul Society."

"Above the Gotei 13 and the 46 Chambers of the Shinigami, it is an existence that controls all power."

"They can often decide the fate of countless people with a single word, even Quincy are no exception."

Upon hearing this, Ishida Sogen's eyes widened.

"This……"

Although he didn't trust the man in front of him, he could tell that the man wasn't lying.

On the contrary, the other party remained sincere from beginning to end.

His sincerity made even someone who doubted his motives feel guilty.

"You're surprised, aren't you? But this is the system of Soul Society, this is what the world originally looked like."

The man sighed.

"Now, Mr. Ishida, if an opportunity to change the fate of the Quincy were presented to you, what would you choose?"

"Should we remain holed up in one place and watch the Quincy perish, or should we rise up and take revenge on the Grim Reapers?"

Ishida Munen was stunned.

He never expected that a man who was the Grim Reaper would utter such outrageous words.

Upon closer inspection, the other person was dressed in luxurious clothes, and their every move exuded an indescribable classical elegance, just like a true nobleman.

Seemingly having guessed something, Ishida Sogen murmured:

"Could it be that Your Excellency..."

The man stood up, ready to end the conversation; in his view, he had already achieved his purpose for the trip.

Just as he had predicted, Ishida Sogen was an indecisive person, but the only thing he cared about was the Quincy clan in the present world.

The bait has been cast; whether the fish will bite depends on their greed.

“Mr. Ishida, think it over carefully. This will be your only chance in this life to change the fate of the Quincy, and I am the only one who can give you that chance…”

"I'll be waiting for you in the empty seats area."

"Furthermore, I trust Mr. Ishida's character; he would not disclose our conversation to anyone else."

Just as he turned to leave, a low, husky voice suddenly sounded behind him:

"Who exactly are you?"

The man turned around, his serpentine gaze landing on Ishida Sogen's conflicted face, a slight smile playing at the corners of his lips:

"Just as you thought."

"I am a member of the five noble families, named Tokina, Tsunayoshi Tokina..."

Upon hearing this, Ishida Sogen's pupils suddenly contracted.

Before they could stop him, the figure in front of them suddenly flashed and disappeared from the spot.

Ishida Sogen followed him out of the corridor, staring blankly at the empty courtyard, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

The opponent's speed seems to be even faster than that of Lord Naraku back then.

After a long while, a barely audible sound echoed in the empty corridor.

"The power to choose one's fate?"

It must be said that Tsunayoshi Tokinada's words were indeed very appealing.

Even the honest man, Ishida Sogen, was somewhat tempted.

……

……

That's the whole story.

Ishida Sogen sat upright in his chair, like a punching bag, and described in detail what had happened at the Ishida Manor.

On the other side, Naraku Sora's expression was strange.

"You mean, a guy who calls himself Tsunayoshi Tokinada approached you, saying he could change the fate of Quincy, allowing them to live openly in the sunlight, and even stand up to the Grim Reapers?"

Ishida Sogen nodded honestly.

In fact, he struggled with this decision for a long time before coming to Soul Society.

If it weren't for the fact that Naraku's performance in the battle at the manor that day left such a deep impression on him, and that he had already revealed the secret of the Wandenreich to him, he might have actually sided with Tsunayoshi Tokinada in the end.

"Sousuke, what do you think?"

Naraku crossed his arms, thought for a few seconds, and then turned his gaze to the person next to him.

Aizen sighed: "Mr. Ishida, I have some bad news for you first. What Tsunayoshiro Tokinada said is true."

Ishida Munen's expression froze, his pupils shrank, and his voice trembled.

"Then, there must be some good news, right?"

Aizen nodded: "The good news is that the Tsunayashiro family, one of the five great noble families, was taken down by that guy opposite you and a group of captains a while ago."

"Tsunayoshi Tokinada was one of the members who managed to escape."

"?"

Sozuru Ishida's pupils were shaking.

The highest level of power in Soul Society, an existence above the Forty-Six Chambers, was so easily wiped out?

Could it be that this Lord Naraku is the true pinnacle of Soul Society?!

“Mr. Ishida, you should be glad you made the right choice.”

Aizen said casually.

"But since the decision has already been made, let's carry it through to the end."

"I'll be relying on you to be my guide for the rest of my journey in the mortal world."

After a few seconds of silence, Ishida Sogen nodded with a serious expression.

……

……

In the pitch-black barrier, three figures continued forward along the Spirit Path.