I said you are all war criminals

"Weren't you just talking to the Grim Reaper? Why not just call them and contact them?"

Seeing Hongxia's actions, Lixi's face suddenly darkened, "I told you not to follow me——"

Hongxia smiled and handed the crepe to Lixi's mouth.

"Are you hungry?"

"I just--"

"Are you hungry?"

"That's—well…"

Lixi wanted to continue refusing, but Hongxia pushed the crepe directly to her lips. The rich sweet aroma instantly overwhelmed her sense of smell. Her stomach growled involuntarily. In the end, Lixi couldn't resist the temptation and took a bite.

The sweet cream melted on her tongue, the tartness of the strawberries perfectly counteracting the cloying sweetness. The soft crust enveloped it all, and the various flavors intertwined on her taste buds, creating an intoxicating delicacy. This sudden sweetness relaxed Lixi's tense nerves a little. She devoured it almost voraciously, as if venting all her frustrations on the food, her cheeks puffed out like a hamster's.

Hong Xia drank her Coke slowly on the side. After Li Xi finished eating, she spoke slowly: "How do you feel? Are you feeling better?"

"...How can I feel better just by eating?"

Li Xi grinned and said, "Besides, I just told you not to follow me."

"I want to meet the two Death Gods. Can you take me to see them?"

Hong Xia said simply and concisely.

Riki was silent for a moment, then dialed the number he had given Rukia.

The phone rang three times before it was connected, but the person who answered was not Rukia, but another person with a calm voice.

"Hello, are you the one who lent this machine to my foolish sister? I'm Byakuya Kuchiki."

"Ah...um, is Rukia here?"

Li Xi said into the phone, her tone a little awkward. She wasn't really sure how to address the person on the other end of the line. After all, the person introduced himself as "Kuchiki Byakuya", which sounded very formal. And he was Rukia's... brother?

"She's not with me right now."

Kuchiki Byakuya's voice sounded calm. "She's injured and is being treated in the Fourth Division. If there's anything you want to know, just ask me."

"Rukia...is she hurt?"

Li Xi's voice suddenly became tense, her brows furrowed. She gripped the phone so hard that her knuckles turned white. "Is she seriously injured?"

On the other end of the phone, Kuchiki Byakuya's tone rose slightly, "Don't worry, she's fine, just some minor injuries, and she's receiving treatment."

Hearing that Rukia was not in danger of life, Li Xi finally breathed a sigh of relief, and her heart, which had been hanging in the air, finally let go. She rubbed her stiff cheeks and said, "That's good..."

"I need to speak with you face to face regarding the plan to 'transform all of humanity into Quincy' and the attackers you encountered."

Kuchiki Byakuya's voice remained steady. "Tomorrow afternoon at three, in a forest park on the outskirts of Tokyo, is that okay?"

"suburbs?"

Li Xi repeated it, a desolate and remote scene emerging in his mind. I always feel that meeting in a place like that would easily lead to an ambush...

Before Li Xi could reply, Hong Xia suddenly spoke up in a clear and sweet voice, "Hello, Mr. Kuchiki. I'm Hong Xia, Li Xi's friend. It's not convenient to meet in the suburbs, so why don't you come to my house? I have a Live House there, and it's a nice and safe environment. We can chat over coffee."

There was silence on the other end of the line for a long time, so long that Rikki began to wonder if Byakuya Kuchiki had hung up. Just as she was about to ask, Byakuya's voice came again, with a hint of doubt in his tone: "...LiveHouse? Excuse me, what is that place?"

Li Xi turned her head abruptly and looked at Hong Xia, her eyes full of questions, "What the hell are you doing?" She had never expected Hong Xia to suddenly interrupt, and now she had missed the opportunity to veto.

Hong Xia completely ignored Li Xi's gaze, still maintaining a sweet smile, and explained to the phone: "LiveHouse is..."

She paused, as if thinking of a word to describe it. "...Well, to put it simply, it's a place where you can listen to music, sing, and dance. It's a bit like a bar, but it focuses more on the musical atmosphere."

There was silence on the other end of the phone again.

Riki seemed to be able to imagine the confused expression on Kuchiki Byakuya's face.

After a long while, Bai Ya finally agreed in a muffled voice, "Let's do as you say."

144

Chapter 144: Kuchiki Byakuya.

Kuchiki Byakuya hung up the phone.

To be honest, he had no idea what the mechanical box in his hand was for. After reconnecting with the real world in Soul Society, Byakuya discovered that his life, which had lasted for hundreds of years, had undergone earth-shattering changes.

He still remembers his last visit to the world.

That was the 34th year of the Meiji era.

He remembered that, back then, he had been tasked with investigating the Hollows lurking in the real world, and also observing the changes in human society. Japan, at that time, had just emerged from the Meiji Restoration, a time of prosperity and yet also chaos. Western culture flooded in like a tide, impacting ancient traditions and creating a peculiar landscape.

Women in kimonos pass by men in suits, old rickshaws run side by side with new steam locomotives, and Western-style houses rise next to low wooden buildings. Everything seems so out of place, yet coexists in a strange harmony.

Byakuya once took a break in a traditional teahouse. In the dimly lit room, the tatami mats emanated a faint scent of grass. Geisha gently plucked shamisen and chanted ancient waka songs, their graceful melodies seemingly telling stories thousands of years old. He silently sipped his tea, feeling the tranquility and distant feeling, his heart unperturbed.

He also once tried coffee at a newly opened Western restaurant. The bitter yet mellow flavor was a little strange to him, yet also a bit novel. He looked at the people around him: men in suits and ties, discussing business and national affairs, women in gorgeous dresses, whispering about fashion and gossip.

Byakuya Kuchiki observed people's lives, learned their customs, and tried to understand this rapidly changing world. At that time, he already felt that the world was changing very quickly...

However, compared with today, a hundred years later, the changes then were negligible.

The world today is filled with things he has never seen or heard of: flashing neon lights, towering skyscrapers, speeding cars, and LiveHouse?

Baiya couldn't help but think of the girl's clear voice on the phone just now, and her description of "Live House". A place where you can listen to music, sing, and dance... a bit like a bar, but more focused on the atmosphere of music...

He couldn't understand or imagine it.

"...Anyway, let's prepare the artificial body first."

Since he was meeting with a mortal aid, Byakuya considered the use of his artificial body a basic etiquette. At least a hundred years ago, even when meeting an aid with spiritual power, Byakuya would wear his artificial body and meet the other person according to the etiquette of the time... This was the reserve of a noble, and the proper etiquette of a noble.

The Technology Development Bureau was surprisingly efficient. Less than an hour after Byakuya submitted his application, the artificial body was delivered to him. It was a black suitcase, seemingly ordinary, but it held a hidden gem. Upon opening it, a lifelike artificial body lay quietly within.

The appearance of this artificial body was almost identical to Byakuya's own, though slightly younger, with softer edges. Byakuya frowned slightly, somewhat dissatisfied with this somewhat "childish" appearance. However, considering the character of Director Urahara of the Technology Development Bureau, Byakuya decided not to talk to him again.

The soul-hosting process went much more smoothly than Byakuya remembered. After a slight dizziness, he felt himself and the artificial body merge perfectly.

The suitcase also contained a suit. Looking at the well-tailored suit, Byakuya felt a slight pang of nostalgia. After the separation of Soul Society and the real world, Byakuya had rarely had the opportunity to wear a suit... No, even if the two worlds hadn't been separated, Byakuya, now captain, no longer needed to guard the real world, let alone walk in the human world in his prosthetic body.

...Is this what is called "loss in one place, gain in another"?

After sighing briefly, Byakuya prepared to take action.

And just then...

"Captain Kuchiki, where are you planning to go?"

Aizen Sosuke stood at the door of the lounge, looking at Byakuya who had changed into his artificial body.

His voice was gentle. "According to the captain-in-chief's orders, the captain should stay here to prevent the Quincy from attacking... But, judging by Captain Kuchiki's expression, it seems he's planning to go out."

Byakuya corrected Aizen.

"Captain Aizen, the captain-in-chief's orders are that at least one captain must be stationed here. With you here, I don't think there will be any problems."

Aizen Sosuke looked at Kuchiki Byakuya with a half-smile, "Captain Kuchiki, you really flatter me. I'm not good at fighting."

He pushed up his glasses.

Byakuya stopped, without turning back, staring coldly at Aizen's back, with a hint of impatience in his tone: "Captain Aizen, what do you want to say?"

Aizen's tone remained gentle: "It might not be safe for Miss Rukia to stay here...would you like to consider sending her back to Soul Society?"

Byakuya frowned slightly. Rukia was Hima's sister, and he had some selfish motives in bringing her into the Sixth Division. But the battle was urgent, and any personal feelings had to be put behind the overall situation.

"Even if Rukia is Hisahi's sister, she's just an ordinary member of the Sixth Division. Since she's not injured enough to leave the front lines, she should stay here and fulfill her duties."

Byakuya's voice was as cold as ever.

Aizen Sosuke smiled slightly, as if he had anticipated Byakuya's answer.

"Captain Kuchiki really trusts me,"

He paused, then continued, "Since Captain Kuchiki insists, I won't stop him. I just hope everything goes smoothly for Captain Kuchiki."

Byakuya ignored Aizen and left the room.

"correct,"

Behind Byakuya, Aizen spoke again, "Captain Kuchiki, do you have any cash on hand? In the modern world, we don't use gold and silver coins, but paper money... If you don't have any money on you, it might not be very convenient to travel."

Byakuya stopped in his tracks.

Is there any money in his artificial body?

"…I think so."

Aizen walked over and placed a black wallet in Byakuya's hand.

Holding the slightly rough leather wallet in his hand, Byakuya left the temporary base.

The Death God base is located in an abandoned factory, far away from the city center, in order to prevent the Death God's battles from affecting ordinary humans.

Stepping out of the factory gates, the hustle and bustle that greeted him made Byakuya feel slightly uneasy. The towering buildings, the flashing neon lights, the constant flow of vehicles, and the people dressed in strange costumes—everything felt unfamiliar and disorienting to him. The sensory experience brought by the artificial body was so real—the breeze on his skin, the smell of car exhaust in his nose, even the loud music in the distance—that he almost forgot his identity as a Shinigami captain, as if he were truly just an ordinary... human?

Souls reincarnated into Soul Society often forget their "lives." Therefore, Byakuya only knew the present world a hundred years ago. He remembered that when carrying out missions there, the primary mode of transportation was a rickshaw. While it might seem outdated now, it might have been a good option in this unfamiliar environment.

Byakuya stood by the roadside, trying to imitate the gestures he remembered people using to hail rickshaws. However, when he raised his hand, a strangely shaped black vehicle pulled up. Its body was smooth, gleaming with a metallic sheen. There was no sign of human power on the vehicle, only four round black wheels.

"Where are you going, sir?"

The car window rolled down and a young man in black clothes stuck his head out, his tone slightly impatient.

Byakuya was stunned for a moment. This was completely different from the rickshaw he remembered. Could this be a modern rickshaw? His heart was filled with doubts, but on the surface he still maintained his aristocratic reserve.

"Go to... Starry in Shimokitazawa."

Byakuya slowly announced his destination.

He was sure he hadn't misremembered the location.

However, a question mark almost appeared above the man's head. "I know Shimokitazawa, but what is Starry? I'll just drop you off at the Shimokitazawa intersection, okay?"

"can."

Byakuya nodded.

145

Chapter 145 "Shiina Tateki".

Hongxia is making cocktails at Starry's bar.

She mixed a wine produced in 2046 called Shiina Tachi.

In that world, there's a quick way to become a legend: attacking a company. Shiina Tateki's rise to fame stems from nearly killing Toyokawa Shoko. If the trauma team hadn't arrived in time, Toyokawa's hostess would have been reduced to a corpse.

Of course, that Lixi failed.

But she was also legendary enough—legendary enough to leave a wine list in the afterlife.

Combine whiskey, lemon juice, chili juice, and bitters in a shaker and fill with ice.

Shake vigorously until well cooled.

Strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with ice.

In this way, you get a cup of "Shiina Riki".

...At that time, Hongxia liked the wine "Shiina Ritsuki" very much, but Hongxia never thought that she would know the person Shiina Ritsuki.

"What on earth are you trying to do..."

Shiina Riki was sitting outside the bar. She felt upset as she watched Hongxia's skillful cocktail-mixing skills.

Hong Xia didn't answer, instead concentrating on shaking the cocktail shaker like a magician's crystal ball. The ice cubes collided with the liquor, creating a crisp, clinking sound. Her golden hair fell, obscuring half her face, making it difficult for Li Xi to discern her expression. Finally, she poured the prepared drink into a delicate glass, where the ice cubes gently clinked, creating a melodious sound.

She pushed the wine glass in front of Lixi. The wine was an attractive amber color and exuded a faint fruity aroma.

"Drink it,"

Hongxia's voice was calm, "This is 'Shiina Ritsuki'."

"……What do you mean?"

Li Xi glanced at Hong Xia suspiciously, but ultimately she picked up the glass and took a sip. As the wine slid down her throat, a familiar spicy flavor, mixed with a hint of fruit, spread throughout her mouth. She had to admit, Hong Xia's bartending skills were truly top-notch.

Putting down the wine glass, Lixi asked, "The wine is good, but why did you call my name?"