Death: This Death is a bit unorthodox.

Some Hollows are fallen souls, while others are remnants left over from the Vasto Lorde-class Hollow invasions of Soul Society.

After laughing, he didn't make any further moves, but stood quietly in place, as if waiting for someone.

A moment later, a figure landed in front of Aozaki Mayuki, knelt on one knee, and said in an extremely respectful tone:

"Lord Sephiroth, your subordinate has found the Hollows' gathering place."

"You did a great job." Aozaki Mayuki didn't hold back her praise: "...Kugo."

This figure was none other than Ginjou Kugo, the first substitute Shinigami!

Of course, he was still young at this time, and his identity as a substitute Shinigami had not yet been recognized by the Soul Society.

Let's go back two days—

After leaving the mortal world, Aozaki Mayuki returns to this familiar yet unfamiliar land for the first time.

My first thought wasn't to return to my family from my previous life, but to find a place of spiritual rebirth, which is the city of Mingmu right here.

“There’s a spiritual pressure fluctuation in that direction,” said Aozaki Mayuki, looking into the distance.

He walked nonchalantly down the street. Compared to the country's rapidly developing military strength, its urban development seemed to have fallen into a strange state of stagnation, with various old and new elements mixed together, barely maintaining a balance.

Aozaki Mayuki, draped in a black cloak, stood atop a large tree. A smile gradually spread across his lips as he faintly heard the distant tolling of bells.

The echoing bells came from a small Gothic-style wooden chapel not far away.

More than 30 years ago, this country, which had been isolated from the world for hundreds of years, was forced to open its doors to the world under the impact of powerful ships and cannons.

Western culture and technology followed, gradually taking over this land, with churches and chapels being among them.

Aozaki Mayuki looked around.

The entire church was bathed in the cool, clear moonlight. The wooden church was mostly collapsed, and a monster wearing a white mask was wantonly destroying the crumbling building.

A blond, blue-eyed Westerner, a black-haired young Asian man, and a middle-aged man dressed in a Shinigami uniform—the three formed a bizarre group.

They stood before the monster like heroes challenging a dragon.

"Is that a 'dragon'?"

Looking at the monster wearing a white mask in front of him, the blond, blue-eyed priest murmured.

The masked monster was dark green except for its head. It had long forelimbs and short hind limbs, with huge wing membranes connecting its forelimbs to its body, making it look like a giant bat!

"You can actually see it? That ugly thing doesn't resemble a dragon at all! It's just a phantom, you stupid Westerner!"

A middle-aged man dressed in a Shinigami uniform stood in front of them, panting heavily.

"Damn it, how could someone of this caliber be here?"

"You can see us, which means you have high spiritual power. Did you attract us here?"

“I…I don’t know,” the priest said in a panic. “I don’t know why it’s here. I’ve only seen similar monsters back in my hometown. Some people call them ‘dragons.’”

"Don't insult the word 'dragon' with your Western winged lizards!" Death gritted his teeth, seemingly quite disdainful of the Westerners' use of the word "dragon."

"This damn thing has a stronger spiritual pressure than me. I'll hold it off while you guys find a chance to escape."

“But…” the black-haired young man hesitated.

"What's wrong? What's the point of talking at a time like this? Do you want to die, kid?"

Death spoke urgently, his hand striking the Hollow's claws with a frenzied clash, producing a metallic clanging sound. He didn't even have time to ponder why this young man could see him.

The young man clutched the cross necklace around his neck and slumped down behind Death.

The blond, blue-eyed priest helped him up and tried to escape, but a man dressed in noble attire stabbed him through the chest.

The young believer and the man with the knife looked at each other silently, the moonlight shining on them, as if they were two old acquaintances.

"Haven't decided yet?" the man with the knife asked softly.

"Are you really going to do this?" The young man knew what he was talking about.

"Don't forget your parents. Think about how they died. Don't you want to avenge them with your own hands?" the man with the knife asked again.

The young man asked, "But what do I have to do to get him to give me the power of death? You said it's a grave sin for the Grim Reaper to give his power to a human!"

“Let him hold this spirit sword.” The nobleman grinned, taking out a long sword with a light blue sheen. “Then insert the sword into your body, and you won’t need his permission.”

As the two were talking, the Grim Reaper, who was engaged in fierce fighting ahead, was hit by a heavy punch from the Hollow and flew backward, landing beside them.

Why are you still here?

He looked up and saw an unfamiliar figure.

And who are you?

The nobleman said casually, "This is none of your business, you have no right to know!"

Death, disregarding everything else, hurriedly warned, "Kid, you'd better run..."

Before he finished speaking, the young man slowly turned his head.

His brown eyes reflected the burning flames, like a mirror engulfed in flames.

As Death was stared at by that burning gaze, he trembled violently, as if the flames were about to engulf him.

He suddenly dodged backward, but his body abruptly stopped.

"Feel sorry."

As the young man spoke, the cross he gripped in his hand transformed into a massive, jewel-encrusted two-handed sword. The blade pierced straight through the body of the middle-aged Grim Reaper, and warm blood flowed out along the blade.

"what!"

The deathly scream made the nobleman laugh with satisfaction.

He stepped forward, carrying a long sword.

A cacophony of sounds emanated from inside the church, like the whispers of demons or the roars of wild beasts. The bat-like monster flew in front of the two, the fire burning the church still raging.

The bat said, "Powerful spiritual energy, become my food!"

"I don't want to waste any more time with you, you bastard!" The nobleman glanced at it sideways and tightened his grip on the young man's hand.

At the same time, the young man's body emanated a powerful spiritual pressure, and the swirling winds whipped up the nobleman's long hair.

The nobleman pushed forward, and the greatsword in the young man's hand slowly dissipated, replaced by a longsword symbolizing the power of death that pierced into the monster's mask.

Chapter 145 Sephiroth

"Well done, Kugo," the nobleman said softly, nodding in satisfaction as he looked at the young man in his Shinigami uniform.

Ginjo Kugo raised his Asagi sword, clenched his fist, and felt the power surging within his body.

"Now you can tell me... who you really are, right?"

"Well... it's alright to tell you." The nobleman looked at the bloodstains on his Zanpakuto with a hint of disgust and flicked it onto the ground.

Ginjou's eyes narrowed slightly, and he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

The nobleman said to himself, "I come from the Tsunayoshiro family."

"Tsunayoshi family?"

"That's right, we are the rulers of Soul Society..."

Seeing the two chatting, Aozaki Mayuki used "Binding Spell No. 26: Curved Light" and walked to a short distance away from them.

"The rulers of Soul Society? Shinigami... are you the ones who rule them? So this Shinigami is actually one of your subordinates... meaning this was all arranged by you. What is your purpose in contacting me, and why are you helping me?"

Ginjou Kugo asked his questions in one breath.

The rulers of Soul Society so casually sacrificed the lives of Shinigami.

"Whether one dies or ten or a hundred, it's just a number," the nobleman said indifferently. "We chose you because you have value."

"Do you know what ability you had to conjure a greatsword out of thin air just now?"

“I don’t know.” Ginjou Kūgo shook his head.

A few years ago, this man suddenly appeared in his life, taught him how to use his abilities, and today he helped him gain the power of death.

His feelings at this moment can probably only be described as utter confusion.

He had lost everything. He lost his parents a few years ago, and the priest who took him in had just died in front of him. Even the church where he lived had been destroyed.

The man in front of her, exuding an air of nobility, said he had chosen her, yet made no attempt to hide his disdain for her.

This condescending attitude is annoying.

Ginjo Kūgo had never seen nobles in person, but he had long heard about the behavior of those feudal lords and feudal lords.

However, as someone living in this era, the priest's claim that "all people are equal under God" is not credible to him.

Although he wore a cross around his neck, it was a keepsake left to him by his parents; he had never seen God.

"That's a power called Fullbring. You don't need to worry about where it comes from."

The nobleman sheathed his sword, clapped his hands, and said casually.

"Let's get straight to the point. I have two things I want you to do."

"First, find more people like you who can change things and bring them together."

"Second, go hunting, kill more Hollows."

Upon hearing this, Aozaki Mayuki nodded, roughly understanding what the Tsunayo family wanted to do.

If he remembers correctly, Ginjo Kugo possesses the ability to steal others' Fullbring abilities.

The Tsunayo family may have discovered this as well, and the Soul King fragments could exist anywhere, including within the Void.

Sending him to hunt down Void beings was probably to see if he could plunder fragments of the Spirit King from within them.

That's all I can tell you.

Seemingly to instill a sense of awe in Ginjou Kugo, the nobleman warned:

"Don't even think about getting rid of us. The Tsunayo family are the rulers of Soul Society. You killed a Shinigami for the power of a Shinigami, which is an unforgivable crime. If we give the order, the entire Soul Society will not let you go..."

Before the nobleman could finish speaking, a flash of sword light severed his head from his body. Warm blood, under the moonlight, shimmered like jewels, splashing onto Ginjo Kūgo's face.

A magnetic voice sounded behind the nobleman: