I said you are all war criminals

"Maintain the balance between the two worlds and guide lost souls..."

Aizen's voice continued, but Shoko couldn't hear a word. She just wanted to figure out where she was and what Goto Ichiri was trying to do.

“This is the world after death.”

Ichiri walked out from behind Aizen.

Her attitude remained very relaxed.

"And these people, you heard...are the gods of death."

grim Reaper.

The first thing Xiangzi thought of when he saw this word was a skull in a cloak holding a sickle. But now Xiangzi looked around and saw warriors with unshaved heads... What kind of god of death was this?

Ichiri continued, "The God of Death, the Soul Society, these things really exist. However, they exist in another world, a parallel world that is infinitely close to our own."

"Death God? Soul Society? Parallel world?"

Xiangzi threw out a series of questions, blasting at Yili like a machine gun. She rubbed her temples, feeling like her brain was about to explode.

Ichiri looked at Xiangzi's frantic expression and explained calmly: "Simply put, the God of Death is the one who guides the soul, and the Soul Society is the soul's destination. As for the parallel world... that's what my ability is."

Yili continued, unfazed, "I possess the sacred text representing A, which allows me to see other worlds. To be more precise, parallel worlds that are infinitely close to our own. What you are seeing now is one of them."

Xiangzi frowned, still unable to understand: "Infinitely close parallel worlds? What's the point of that? Does it mean that there is an Aizen Sosuke giving a speech in every world?"

"You could think of it this way... The scene I just showed you, where you killed two billion people, was also taken from a parallel world. However, compared to this parallel world, that world is much farther away."

A slow and methodical explanation.

Xiangzi stared at Yili, his eyes full of suspicion.

"A parallel world? Death? Your storytelling skills are quite good, much better than those third-rate novelists. Unfortunately, I don't buy it."

Ichiri didn't explain, just said, "I need your help."

"My help?"

Xiangzi sneered, "How can I help you? Help you write a novel? Just like your fellow drummer."

Yili walked to the front of the podium and looked at the Grim Reaper standing all over the lecture hall.

"I have observed countless parallel worlds. These so-called guides of the undead will eventually attack the human world."

Xiangzi turned around and looked at those death gods.

They were not fierce, just like ordinary high school boys and girls, except that they wore strange kimonos and had swords on their waists.

These guys...will attack humans?

“…What’s the reason?”

Xiangzi asked, "These people must have a reason for attacking humans, right?"

"I think it's population growth."

Ichiri replied, "In the last hundred years, the human population has increased fivefold. I believe this is a great burden on Soul Society."

“Is population growth a burden to them?”

Xiangzi raised an eyebrow, as if he had heard a funny joke. "What does the number of humans have to do with the god of death? Is it because they don't want to work overtime?"

Ichiri explained, "It's not what you think. The Soul Society's spiritual power comes from human souls. The more humans there are, the more spiritual power they absorb. But the problem is that the resources of the Soul Society itself are limited and cannot support the unlimited growth of human souls. So..."

"So they're going to start purging humans?"

Xiangzi took over the conversation, "But if that's the case, wouldn't the number of people dying at once burst the Soul Society?"

"In war, even the dead die."

Yili's tone was flat.

After all, Xiangzi had been the ruler of a country, so he naturally understood what Yili meant.

War wasn't just about stealing other nations' treasures; it could also consume excess populations. After all, those who started a war would only die if it failed, while ordinary citizens would die because of its success. For a king, a successful war meant not only killing enough enemy troops, but also killing friendly troops that would hinder the functioning of the state.

...Xiangzi has done the same thing, so there is no reason to blame the gods of death.

Xiangzi rubbed his temples. "I still think this is all too ridiculous... Death... Death, is there really a God of Death in this world?"

"I understand your skepticism."

Ichiri said, "Seeing is believing, hearing is not."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiangzi's vision blurred. A familiar aroma, a rich blend of instant noodles and alcohol, instantly enveloped her. As expected, she had returned to her apartment, a mess that looked like it had been bombed. Dirty clothes piled like a mountain, and empty beer cans rolled across the floor, making a crisp thud. A decadent atmosphere hung in the air, a stark contrast to the solemnity of the lecture hall just moments before.

Yili was nowhere to be seen.

In the empty room, Xiangzi could only hear the other person's slightly hollow voice.

"It's up to you to find traces of Soul Society... I believe you can find traces of Soul Society. After all, you are also someone who possesses 'words' within your soul."

"……baffling."

Xiangzi pressed her forehead, cursed softly, and walked towards the refrigerator.

In the refrigerator, besides a few cans of beer and a wrinkled box of instant noodles, there was only a half-opened bottle of ketchup and a bag of moldy bread. Xiangzi frowned, pinched his nose in disgust, threw the bread into the trash can, and then took out the box of instant noodles and a can of beer.

The water in the kettle was bubbling. Xiangzi stared at the rising steam, but his mind was filled with the scene he had just seen.

then.

"...Tell me, Nana. What should I do?"

Unconsciously, Xiangzi once again uttered a cowardly tone.

132

Chapter 132 Half a year later.

Kaguya Shinomiya was walking briskly towards the student council office. She was in a particularly good mood today because she had finally mustered up the courage to invite Shirogane Miyuki to go see a new movie together this weekend.

Along the way, she repeatedly practiced various opening lines, fearing that she would appear too deliberate and be mistaken by Baiyin as a confession.

Pushing open the door to the student council office, the smile on Shinomiya Kaguya's face froze. The room was empty except for Fujiwara Chika, who was practicing a strange dance she had learned from somewhere in front of the mirror.

"Kaguya? Why are you so early today?"

Fujiwara Chika stopped and blinked her big eyes.

"Where's President Baiyin?"

Kaguya tried her best to sound calm, but her anxiety was still revealed in the slightly trembling ending of her voice.

"Ah, President, it seems he had something urgent to do at home, so he has gone back first."

As Fujiwara Chika spoke, she began to twist her body again, humming a tuneless tune, "Really, it's a rare occasion that I want to teach him a new dance today..."

Kaguya's heart sank. The carefully prepared opening remarks, the tone she'd practiced over and over again... now, it was all gone. She clenched the movie ticket in her hand, her fingertips turning white.

"Kaguya? What's wrong with you? You don't look well?"

Chika Fujiwara finally noticed that something was wrong with Kaguya, stopped dancing and came over.

"nothing……"

Kaguya subconsciously hid the movie ticket behind her.

"Huh? What is that?"

Fujiwara Chika's curiosity was piqued, and she reached out to grab what Kaguya was hiding behind her, "Let me see! Let me see!"

Before he could dodge, the movie ticket was snatched away by Fujiwara Chika.

"Wow! Movie tickets! Two of them! Kaguya, who are you going to the movies with?"

She had a gossipy expression on her face and her eyes were sparkling.

Kaguya's face instantly turned red, like a ripe apple, "No, not with anyone..."

Fujiwara Chika looked at Kaguya's embarrassed look and immediately understood.

"Oh - I see!"

She deliberately stretched out the last syllable of her words, with an expression that said, "I get it, I get it." "It's with the president, right? Oh my, Kaguya, come on, if you want to go to the movies with the president, just say so directly. Why are you so shy?"

Kaguya glared at Fujiwara Chika angrily, but was unable to refute.

"Don't be shy, this is a great opportunity!"

Fujiwara Chika stuffed the movie ticket back into Kaguya's hand and said, "Since the president is not here, you can secretly give the ticket to him and write a small note or something to express your feelings!"

Kaguya hesitated. Expressing her feelings directly was still too difficult for her. However, if she missed this opportunity, she didn't know when the next one would come... It was already the end of her third year, and after the president went to America, Kaguya wouldn't be able to see him every day like she did now.

"All right……"

Kaguya finally gave in. She took out a pen and paper from her bag and attached a small note to the movie ticket, which read:

"President Shirogane, there's a new movie coming out this weekend. I want to go see it with you. Is that okay?"

After finishing writing, Kaguya checked it several times to make sure there were no typos or expressions that could be easily misunderstood, and then she carefully placed the movie ticket and note on Shirogane Miyuki's desk.

After doing all this, Kaguya felt like she had just fought a battle and was completely exhausted.

She fled from the student union office, her heart beating like a drum.

Leaving the gates of Shuchiin Academy, Shinomiya Kaguya didn't take the family car as usual. She walked briskly, practically jogging, through the bustling streets, her heartbeat syncing with the city's hustle and bustle. The setting sun stretched her figure, accentuating the blush on her face.

Now, Kaguya is no longer the girl bound by her family, whose every move must conform to the identity of "the eldest daughter of the Shinomiya family". She has her own life, her own friends, and even... her own secrets.

The place she was going to was a photography studio called "Starlight." It wasn't well-known, but it had quite a comprehensive range of facilities. Kaguya pushed open the glass door, and a faint scent of lavender lingered in the air.

"Welcome to Starlight Photography Studio."

The store manager came up from behind the counter with a smile, "How can I help you?"

The store manager was a woman with long, smooth black hair tied back, revealing her slender neck. However, she didn't seem to recognize Kaguya... well, Kaguya had only been here once and wasn't a regular customer.

Kaguya politely responded, "I'd like to rent a private studio for an hour."

"Okay, what's your last name?"

The woman handed Kaguya a clean register and a pen.

Of course, Kaguya didn't write her real name, but casually wrote down Tanaka as her last name. This kind of private studio is not very formal, so it can get away with just a random registration.

After completing the registration, the woman handed Kaguya a key and pointed to the end of the corridor. "Shed 3, the equipment is all inside. If you need anything, feel free to call me."

Kaguya took the key and headed for Studio 3. Just like Studio 2, the equipment here wasn't just basic soft lights and backdrops, but also reflectors, tripods, and other professional equipment. Even if you didn't know how to do anything, you could still take decent photos.

She expertly set up her camera, adjusting the aperture and shutter speed. Once, photography was just a hobby she couldn't express herself in public, but now, she could finally immerse herself freely in the world of light and shadow, without having to worry about the threats from the Shinomiya family...

Kaguya closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and the image of Shirogane Miyuki emerged in her mind. She imagined Shirogane Miyuki standing in front of the camera, smiling or lost in thought. Every scene made her heart beat faster.

And when she thought of the composition and opened her eyes, the person in the camera was Aicheng Hualian, posing.

"I, reproduce!"

Hua Lian casually made a horizontal V sign in front of her eyes.

Kaguya looked at Aijo Karen who was posing and sighed helplessly, as if all the romantic atmosphere was broken by this sudden "shining appearance".

"Hua Lian, you..."

Hua Lian maintained that posture, as if frozen in the center of the stage, shining with an inexplicable light.

"How about it, Kaguya, isn't my posture super cool?"

Kaguya rubbed her temples, feeling a slight headache.

"He's handsome...but why are you here?"

Karen then lowered her arms, walked over to Kaguya carelessly, and put her arm around her shoulders.

"Of course I'm here to join you on patrol! As the Knights of Starry, we have the responsibility to protect the people!"

"...Then there's no need to patrol every day."

Kaguya put away the camera and sighed slightly, "Besides, Karen, your basic training is still only at the 'okay' level, right?"

"That's why we have to exercise together!"

Karen said nonchalantly, "It's Starry's credit that Kaguya can have fun now."

Six months ago, Kaguya joined an organization called "Starry." After drinking the blood of an unknown substance, they gained the mysterious power to see "Hollows" and expel those ghosts called "Hollows." It was also because of this power that Kaguya was able to escape the cage called "Shinomiya" and do what she likes as she does now.