Restricted Death

Chapter 199 Masked Army
The Visoreds, having gained Hollow powers due to Aizen's Hollowfication experiments, consist of four captains, three vice-captains, and one vice-Kido Master.

Even though they were victims of the Hollowfication incident more than forty years ago, and the Soul Society knows this, they still treat them as Hollows and dispose of them.

In addition, the truth of the matter was altered, forcing this group of people to flee to the present world.

Standing in front of this group of people, Xin could clearly feel their vigilance and subtle hostility.

Thinking back to Ishida Sogen, whom he had just met, Shin realized that it seemed that no one outside the Soul Society had any goodwill towards Shinigami. How could an organization that was supposed to maintain the stability of the three worlds have come to this?

What an irony.

"Yo! Nice to meet you all."

He smiled, seemingly oblivious to the wary and scrutinizing gazes, and broke the silence, his voice ringing out clearly in the empty warehouse.

"Who's done?"

Hiyori Sarugaki retorted without hesitation, "You dare to come back?!"

"Why wouldn't I dare?" Xin asked calmly, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "I'm here to make friends, not enemies. I believe we can have a proper talk."

"That sounds nice," a man with blond bangs said, squatting on a rock, his eyes fixed intently on the letter. "Then why did you hide your identity in the first place?"

He was referring to the matter of Shin using the alias Takashi.

Shin shrugged: "If I reveal my true identity right away, I'm afraid it will be difficult to see Mr. Urahara again, won't it?"

"That being said, it also shows that you approached us with some ulterior motive in the first place, didn't you?"

Shin denied it, saying, "Captain Hirako, you're wronging me. During my 'chance encounter' with Ms. Yadomaru and Ms. Sarugaki last time, I was completely on the defensive. They should know that."

The blond man with bangs blinked and said, "I'm no longer the captain, so there's no need to call me that."

Judging from what Shin said, it seemed that he harbored a lot of resentment towards Soul Society.

Hirako Shinji then said, "You say you want to cooperate with us, so why should we believe you? And how can you prove that you're not in league with the Thirteenth Division?"

Upon hearing this, Shin couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Mr. Hirako, what you're saying is strange. As a Shinigami, I was originally part of the Thirteenth Division."

“However,” Shin paused, “Aizen and I do have some grudges.”

"What grudge?"

“One of my subordinates was killed by him. Besides that, when I was still at the Spirit Arts Academy, he caused me trouble more than once. He even sent his henchman, Dongxian, to attack me. Luckily, I survived,” Xin recounted.

The members of the Masked Army and others seemed to be deep in thought upon hearing this. The veracity of what Shin said remained to be verified, but the fact that he knew the true identities of Aizen, Tosen, and Gin Ichimaru was enough to prove a lot.

Unless this Tachikawa Shin is in league with Aizen and has come here to swindle them.

But was it necessary for Inazuma to do this?

If this Tachikawa Shin is indeed Aizen's man, then his contact with Urahara Kisuke would have been enough.

At this moment, a muscular man with white hair combed upwards spoke up: "You said that Tosen was going to attack you while you were still studying at the Spirit Arts Academy, and you escaped? That's ridiculous."

For Tosen, as a team leader, dealing with a student from the Spirit Arts Academy is just a matter of lifting a finger.

"At that time, I was interning in the human world. Tosen was the captain of the 9th Division. When he went to the human world, he had a limited spiritual seal on him. In addition, he avoided revealing his Zanpakuto, so his strength was very limited."

This reason makes sense.

Before they met, the shopkeeper had explained to them Tachikawa Shin's identity and experience in Soul Society. He had become a captain just a few years after graduating from the Spirit Arts Academy. Such talent was something none of them had ever heard of.

In other words, this person already possessed strength close to that of a captain while at the Spirit Arts Academy, which, while unbelievable, seems plausible.

The letter then addressed the white-haired man: "Captain Rokugane... no, Mr. Rokugane Kensei. I have a friend in Soul Society. When he was young, he was attacked by Hollows in Rukongai, and you saved him. He has always deeply admired and remembered your kindness. Even after you left Soul Society, he still resolutely chose the Ninth Division when he graduated. I invited him to be my lieutenant, but he refused, just to stay in the Ninth Division."

Kensei Muguruma fell silent upon hearing this. He couldn't remember who the letter was referring to. As the captain, he had saved too many people, but these words left him with mixed feelings.

More than forty years have passed since then, and hiding in the world for so long feels like a nightmare.

The members of the Masked Army remained silent, as did the shopkeeper and Tessai.

Then Xin said, “The Central 46 has already determined the nature of what happened more than 40 years ago. Over the years, few people have mentioned it, but it’s not that no one remembers it. Before coming to the mortal world this time, I went to investigate the events of that year in secret and found that there were other people besides me who were very concerned about what happened back then and wanted to find out everything.”

As he spoke, Shin looked at Yadomaru Lisa and said, "That person is called Ise Nanao, and she is currently the vice-captain of the 8th Division."

"..."

Lisa Yadomaru's body visibly trembled, her eyes behind her glasses widened suddenly, and the others also felt that the name seemed somewhat familiar.

Hirako Shinji spoke softly, "Are you planning to convince all of us one by one like this?"

Shin shook his head: "In my opinion, the reason you agreed to cooperate is not to clear your name in the Soul Society. You don't need to prove anything to outsiders. To be honest, I also don't like those guys in the Central 46. Whether you are willing to forgive the Seireitei when the truth is known is your own business, but taking revenge on Aizen is always our common goal."

Indeed, everyone present hated Aizen. They had all once held incredibly prestigious positions and enjoyed their own glory in the Soul Society, but all of that was taken away overnight, and they had to bear the label of "traitors."

As victims, are they traitors simply because they refused to die willingly?

The letter's words, like pebbles thrown into stagnant water, stirred ripples in the hearts of the members of the Masked Army.

The hostility in the air seemed to have lessened somewhat, but the vigilance remained deeply ingrained.

"Easier said than done." Hirako Shinji squatted on a rock, his golden bangs falling down to cover half of his eyes. "Revenge? Do you even know Aizen?"

Shin said, "I know him fairly well, not only about Hueco Mundo, but also about his strength and the weaknesses of his Zanpakuto, in addition to what Urahara-san and I discussed."

weakness? !
Hirako Shinji's pupils constricted sharply, his crouching body tensed instantly, and the other members of the Visored were also shocked. Shin continued, "In your eyes, my strength alone may be limited, but if we unite, even Aizen wouldn't dare to underestimate us. Moreover, the Seireitei still has forces worth fighting for. Your former colleagues, Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake, I believe they will definitely choose to stand on our side after they know the truth."

A brief silence enveloped the warehouse.

Shinji Hirako raised his head. He didn't look at the letter, but exchanged a glance with the shopkeeper.

"Tell us your plan first, then we'll consider it," Hirako Shinji said. "You said you want to turn Ichimaru Gin to a defection?"

"It's not really about turning him to a defection; he and Aizen were never on the same side to begin with," the letter said. "We're just bringing him into our camp. As a rescue team, the Fifth Division has the most field missions besides the Thirteenth Division, and they frequently come to the Human World. When Gin Ichimaru leads his team into the Human World, I will notify you, and you can take him down."

Hirako Shinji frowned: "What happens after we subdue him? If he has truly been lurking around Aizen all along, can we really gain his trust with just a few words?"

Gin Ichimaru was once one of the three seats under him, and Shinji Hirako felt that he understood this person even less than Aizen.

Aizen at least kept him on his guard and wary, but Gin Ichimaru...

Or rather, it was his wariness of Aizen that made Hirako Shinji overlook this person, and now, in retrospect, he realizes that he only had a superficial understanding of Ichimaru Gin.

When Shin learned from the store manager about Shin's plan to recruit Gin Ichimaru, his companions expressed doubt and disbelief, but Shinji Hirako thought the story was quite credible.

“Of course.” Shin chuckled. “Mr. Hirako, you’ve forgotten that Gin Ichimaru was also involved in what happened more than forty years ago. He knows all too well what you’ve suffered. He might question your strength or your motives, but he would never doubt your hatred for Aizen. That alone is enough.”

Yes, this guy was also a participant.

The members of the Masked Army were all lost in thought, and their gazes turned to Hirako Shinji and the shopkeeper. Among their group, these two could be considered as the simple "leaders".

However, the store manager did not comment.

Upon seeing this, Hirako Shinji jumped down from the rock and walked slowly to Shin. He was thin and wore very fitted clothes, making him appear quite tall.

Hirako Shinji stopped in front of the letter, looking straight at it.

“Then let’s give it a try,” he said.

We await your news.

Xin smiled slightly and extended his hand to them: "It's a pleasure to cooperate with you."

Hirako Shinji glanced at his outstretched hand, but did not shake it; instead, he gently patted it.

Snapped--

"Let me be frank from the start," Hirako Shinji continued, "We are not partners. To put it nicely, we are cooperating, but in reality, we are just using each other. I'm sure you think so too, right?"

Xin looked completely innocent. "Of course not. I genuinely want to be your friend and companion."

This is true. Yadomaru Lisa, Sarugaki Hiyori, and Kunan Shiro are three girls who are still undeveloped in the system and can bring him a lot of benefits.

In comparison, dealing with Aizen was just a side matter.

Shin firmly believed that as long as his strength increased to a certain level, neither Aizen nor anyone else would be a problem.

Hirako Shinji sneered: "You need our strength. To be honest, we are indeed very interested in this suggestion of revenge. However, I personally hate your behavior of making assumptions about people's hearts. If we find anything wrong with you, don't blame us for being ruthless."

Xin, still smiling, replied, "Ah, I believe you won't have that chance."

His gaze swept over the rest of the group, then settled on the shop manager, and he said, "So, we can say we've established a cooperative relationship now?"

After reaching an agreement, Xin took his leave, as there was no room for further conversation given his current tense relationship with these people.

Before leaving, Shin made a point of waving goodbye to Yadomaru Lisa.

However, Yadomaru Lisa simply turned her head slightly, avoiding his gaze. Her glasses reflected a cold light, and she gave no response. Her demeanor was even more distant and aloof than when they first met.

Xin didn't take it to heart, smiled, and his figure quickly disappeared into the light of the edge barrier.

There's no need to ride in the car driven by Ryūteishai on the way back. I believe I've already achieved my purpose in coming to this world, and it's time to go back.

After Xin left, the heavy atmosphere did not immediately ease with his departure; complex thoughts lingered in everyone's mind.

Shinji Hirako then asked the shop manager, "Do you think this guy's words are credible enough? We've taken a huge risk this time."

Sarugaki Hiyori also said, "You're right. I have a feeling that guy isn't a good person. I want to leave here as soon as possible. Who knows, death might surround this place soon."

The shopkeeper gently waved his paper fan and said leisurely, "I don't think so."

He glanced sideways at the now-closed entrance to the barrier: "The fact that he was able to meet Yoruichi in Soul Society is what made me start to trust him."

Previously, all the information they knew about Soul Society came from Yoruichi's investigations in Soul Society. Although Yoruichi was also a traitor, she received different treatment than them.

They can't enter Soul Society now, but Yoruichi can.

This must be a "privilege" of the Shihouin family.

The shopkeeper tapped his head lightly with his paper fan, looking troubled, and said, "It's a pity that Yoruichi isn't here right now, otherwise she could answer many of our questions."

Kensei Rokusha, Raito Aikawa, and Rojuro Horihashi then gathered around.

Aikawa Rao, with his afro, said, "Since we've already decided to do this, there's no need to have so many reservations. To be honest, compared to my current life, I'm still very willing to agree to this cooperation, no matter what risks we take. I think we all feel the same way."

Hachigen Ayatsuda, Lisa Yadomaru, Hiyori Sarugaki, and Shiro Kunan also moved closer.

Kensei Rokusha snorted, "That's right. For us, these days can't even be considered truly living. Aizen, Kaname Tosen, there are some things that need to be settled!"

(End of this chapter)