Death: Starting as the Guardian of Avici Hell

Until the Araki family catastrophe occurred.

As if by some signal, one misfortune after another occurred, from the Yokota family to the Moriyama family, and even Takeda Satoru, who had always been loyal to Tsunayoshi and willing to become a retainer, died mysteriously.

Now, because of a rotten log echoing through the river, the entire mansion has been destroyed, and even the legendary Yanluo Mirror, which has been passed down for millions of years, has been lost.

The losses were considerable.

Looking at this series of events, it seems that someone is manipulating things behind the scenes.

Naraku, who wiped out the Araki and Yokota families; Kuchiki Kyouga, who should have been imprisoned in the First Division's jail; and the unfamiliar, powerful figure who severed Takeda Satoru's arm...

Is that you, Yamamoto Shigekuni?

Tsuna paused slightly for a moment while taking the lead.

His gaze turned towards the door of the tea room.

Behind the paper door, steady footsteps approached slowly. The newcomer stopped outside the door and waited respectfully with his head bowed.

Tsuna took down the teacup on behalf of Takeshi:

"Lord Gosuke, there's no need to be so formal. Please come in."

The paper door was pushed open, revealing Gosuke covered in wounds. Even his captain's haori was tattered, making him look less like a captain of the Gotei 13 and more like a commoner from Rukongai.

In the long silence, Tsunayoshi Taketori raised his eyes:

"Yes, your Kuji is also a troublesome Zanpakuto. Coupled with the surge in spiritual pressure, it is already quite difficult to make it submit again."

Wu Zhu looked ashamed.

Not long ago, with the help of Tsuna and Taketori, he gained a power that he never dared to dream of before.

They should have arrived at the scene of the incident at the Tsunayo residence immediately, but due to the betrayal of their Zanpakuto, it has been delayed until now.

"It's nothing, just a minor loss."

"It won't affect our plans."

Despite the considerable financial strain, Tsuna Miyoshi still tried his best to maintain a calm demeanor in front of his subordinates, which was the proper attitude for a superior.

If even he panics, it will only make things worse.

Upon hearing this, Wu Zhu relaxed slightly.

"Lord Gosuke, as the captain who frequently interacts with Yamamoto Shigekuni at the captain's meetings, what kind of person do you think he is?"

Tsuna asked Taketori quite abruptly.

After thinking for a moment, Wu Zhu replied, "The captain is a serious and upright person who upholds justice and adheres to principles. He also pays great attention to the discipline and rules of his subordinates."

"If I had to put it in perspective, I'd say he's a stubborn and pedantic old man."

Tsuna nods: "But what if I said that Yamamoto was behind all of these events?"

He then shared his conclusions and speculations.

Upon hearing this, Gosuke's face showed an expression of undisguised shock.

"How could this be? Wasn't it said that Captain-Commander Yamamoto was under the control of the 46 and would never get involved in the affairs of the nobles? Why is this happening?"

Tsunayoshi Taketori picked up the teapot, filled it with tea, slowly raised the teacup, and said calmly:

"Did you see Yamamoto Shigekuni attack the nobles?"

"Or do you have evidence that the mastermind behind all this is the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13?"

The five helpers remain silent.

"He may seem reckless and mindless, and abide by the rules they set for each other, but he is actually shrewd and calculating, and has long harbored resentment towards the nobility."

"Now it seems that the biggest obstacle in our way is Captain-Commander Yamamoto, who seems to be doing his duty and maintaining order in Soul Society."

Tsuna looked on with a sigh.

Normally, Yamamoto would carry out any order given by the 46th Chamber of the Shinigami without hesitation, no matter how unreasonable it was.

This guy, who is so obedient, has given us such a big surprise without saying a word.

On the surface, Yamamoto Shigekuni is pedantic and stubborn, only knowing how to abide by the rules of the Forty-Six Chambers, but behind the scenes, he has made countless arrangements.

The current turmoil surrounding Zanpakuto in Seireitei is a good example of this.

The original secret order from Chamber 46 was to strip Kuchiki Kyouga of all his spiritual power and to completely destroy the source of the turmoil—the Zanpakuto Muramasa.

Yet this rising star of Soul Society managed to escape from prison right under Yamamoto's nose and stir up a new wave of chaos unscathed.

The unrest even spread to the aristocratic district and to the Tsunayo family's residence.

If there wasn't something fishy going on, Tsuna would never believe it.

A flicker of panic crossed Gosuke's eyes.

Despite gaining unimaginable power, he still couldn't help but feel some fear when he thought of Yamamoto, who had been a force to be reckoned with in the Soul Society a thousand years ago.

He didn't think he could withstand the Ryujin Jakka in his current state.

If you really anger that old man, he could drag the entire Soul Society down with him.

"Then, sir, what should we do next..." Gosuke asked with some concern.

Tsunayoshi Taketori lowered his eyes, looking at the cherry blossoms floating in the pond, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Since Yamamoto Shigekuni is an insurmountable obstacle."

"Then let's make him our target and formulate the next plan."

“Other aspects also need to be accelerated.”

At this point, he seemed to suddenly remember something and raised his eyes:

"Where is Arturo?"

Gosuke hesitated for a moment, then respectfully said, "We've returned to Hueco Mundo. The two-thousand-year seal has severely damaged his soul, and he needs to eat a lot to recover."

Tsuna frowned: "Tell him to be cautious. Hueco Mundo is not what it was two thousand years ago. Be careful not to capsize in a ditch."

"We need to hurry."

“That old fellow Yamamoto Shigekuni is not as patient as we are.”

……

……

"Is this the Enra Mirror Scripture you mentioned that can copy the power of other Zanpakuto?"

Examining the mirror-like blade in his hand, Aizen's eyes revealed intense interest and curiosity.

Although he had already read through a large number of books in the Spirit Arts Academy during his time as a student, he had also browsed through the Fifth Division's library and confidential files many times after joining the team.

But this is the first time I've ever heard of or seen a Zanpakuto whose ability is to copy and imitate.

"The cost of using it is the reduction of one's own soul, and repeated use will lead to premature death."

Naraku Sora sprawled on the only sofa in the lab like an old man, speaking without turning his head.

"It took me a lot of effort to take it down."

"Don't be silly and take it and use it."

Aizen's expression turned serious: "I never expected that Soul Society would have such a miraculous Zanpakuto."

Naraku glanced at him and shook his head:

"In fact, the Mirror of the Enchanted Palace may have existed for a little longer than the Soul Society."

“My master, the prison warden, mentioned before that the Zanpakuto Enra Kyouden already existed back when Tsunayoshi existed.”

Upon hearing this, Aizen immediately recalled the records about the Zero Division.

Naraku Sora once told him that the warden of the Shinigami Prison, Shutara Senjumaru, was invited by the Zero Division to become one of them because he invented the Shinigami Armor, a very significant invention.

Many years ago, this prison magistrate had already visited the Spirit King's Palace, so it's not surprising that she knew these secrets.

According to the records of the Spirit Arts Academy, although the Zero Division has a small number of members, all of them are captains, and their strength is equivalent to the total strength of the Gotei 13.

At first, Aizen didn't understand why just a few people could be able to defeat the entire Gotei 13, but as his strength increased...

He was acutely aware that in the face of true power, numbers were meaningless.

For example, even if the number of ordinary soldiers increased a hundredfold, it wouldn't affect him at all.

Perhaps those big shots in the Zero Division are all comparable to Captain-Commander Yamamoto.

Aizen shook his head, dismissing these irrelevant thoughts.

We're still too far from the Zero Division. Instead of wasting our energy on some unknown entities, we should investigate the secrets of the Yanluo Mirror Manual.

Hold the hilt with one hand and gently stroke the blade with the other.

The movements were gentle, with a slight spiritual pressure covering the blade.

A deep voice then resounded in his mind.

“Say my name, use my power, and you will have your heart’s desire fulfilled.”

"Drinking from the four seas, dwelling at the ends of the earth, encompassing all things, overwriting and cutting..."

"My name is Yanluo Jingdian."

A heavy pressure descended upon the soul, as if it were the immense power of countless souls piled together, making it difficult to breathe.

A faint suction force emanated from the blade; Yanluo Jingdian seemed to have an instinctive craving for the souls of the Grim Reaper.

Aizen resolutely refused.

As a Grim Reaper with immense untapped potential, he would never do something as foolish as reducing his own soul.

In terms of sheer eeriness, Yanluo Jingdian is no less than Muramasa, who specifically targets the Grim Reaper, and may even surpass him.

After all, it can do what Muramasa can do.

The only price is the soul of Death.

Furthermore, judging from Naraku Sora's description, this Zanpakuto is still subject to the user's spiritual pressure.

Some of the copied abilities are far less powerful than those used by the original user.