Lynn raised his eyes and saw a petite figure.
She wore a Shinigami uniform with a sleeveless red captain's haori, had purple twin ponytails, and a black eyepatch over her left eye.
She carried a blade on her shoulder, exuding a fierce and arrogant aura.
However…
Around her ankles were chains like those used on sinners, indicating her current status.
Upon seeing this face, the golden vertical pupils of Yoruichi in Lynn's arms widened abruptly.
"Sai—Captain Saito?"
"Hm?"
At the mention of her name, Saito Furofushi narrowed her eyes and looked toward the figure in Lynn's arms.
"Hohoho~ Looks like we've got a little junior from Seireitei…"
Yoruichi had never imagined she'd run into a former captain-level figure in Hell.
However…
This captain didn't have a great reputation back in Seireitei…
Yoruichi's expression turned somewhat solemn.
Saito glanced at Yoruichi, sensed her spiritual pressure, then turned her attention to Lynn.
This man…
She couldn't detect any spiritual pressure from him, but…
There was an overwhelming sense of danger.
Also…
Saito carefully examined both Lynn and Yoruichi.
Hmm…
No chains…
Saito narrowed her eyes slightly, stuck out her tongue, and grinned wickedly. "You…"
"Did you enter Hell voluntarily?"
Lynn ignored her, scanning the surroundings, then asked, "Are you the only Soul Reaper in Hell?"
"Tch."
Annoyed by being ignored, Saito sheathed her sword and responded coldly, "There are plenty of Soul Reapers in Hell, but…"
"Not many are as friendly as me~"
Lynn nodded slightly at her words.
"Hey!"
Saito suddenly called out, "I answered your question, now it's your turn to answer mine."
Lynn shrugged. "Whether I came here voluntarily or not… don't you already know?"
Saito pursed her lips.
Although she'd already guessed it based on the absence of chains, she still wanted confirmation.
"Ahem!"
Suddenly—
A man in a tattered nightgown rose from the ground.
He was hunched over and coughing up blood.
Lynn: "…"
Even someone in Hell can cough up blood?
Saito looked down at him and smirked. "Not bad, you're pretty durable."
Upon hearing that, the man coughed up more blood, then glared at Saito with bloodshot eyes.
"Saito, don't go too far!"
"Master Shuren sincerely invited you to join us in something great, and you actually—!"
He had been beaten to a pulp, his face now swollen and unrecognizable.
Just remembering it made his face twitch with fury.
"Something great?"
Saito snorted. "You mean trying to break free from the shackles of Hell…"
These fools were so naive…
If it were that easy, why hasn't anyone escaped Hell in the thousands of years since it was created?
A bunch of short-sighted idiots.
Still…
If she could escape Hell, she'd be more than happy.
After all…
Hell was beyond boring.
But…
She definitely wouldn't cooperate with someone like Shuren to do it.
"You'd better tell Shuren to give up. Do you think your strength is enough to destroy the Gates of Hell?"
Saito scoffed in disdain.
"But damn it!"
Murakumo clenched his teeth in frustration, only for Saito to swing her blade without hesitation and kill him again.
However—
Saito shook her head and muttered, "This damn Hell, not even killing someone feels satisfying."
Because of Hell's nature, souls trapped here could resurrect indefinitely.
Even if she killed him a hundred times, he would reappear like nothing happened.
After handling him, Saito turned her gaze back to Lynn with renewed curiosity.
This man had entered Hell of his own will.
She wanted to know his purpose.
And more importantly…
From the moment she laid eyes on him, Hell had started warning her about something.
It was only thanks to her immense spiritual pressure that she could suppress that feeling.
This man…
He seemed to be connected to Hell in some way?
That only made Saito more interested.
Ah~
Was something finally going to break the monotony of this place?
Saito was thrilled, an evil grin forming as she licked her lips.
Yoruichi: "…"
No wonder this woman has such a terrible reputation.
"Hey!"
Saito raised her Zanpakutō and asked, "What's your name?"
"Lynn," he replied calmly.
"Lynn…"
Saito repeated the name softly, then smiled. "This must be your first time in Hell, right?"
Lynn didn't confirm or deny it.
"In that case…"
"Let me be your guide through Hell!"
Yoruichi: "?"
Why does that sound so familiar?
Lynn gave Yoruichi a strange look, then nodded. "Alright. I'm heading to the fifth level."
Hmm…
Saito had been in Hell for a while, so she was probably more reliable than Yoruichi in this place.
Besides…
Lynn glanced at the flickering [Evil Piece] and narrowed his eyes slightly.
Well…
She was a peerage-worthy talent. Letting her go would be a waste.
After getting his answer, Saito chuckled, used Flash Step, and instantly moved far ahead of him.
"I'm fast, don't fall behind~"
She wanted to test Lynn's strength.
"Is that so?"
Suddenly, Lynn's voice echoed in Saito's ear.
Her smile froze. Before she realized it, Lynn was standing right in front of her.
He smiled. "Coincidentally, I know a bit about speed too."
Looking at Lynn's calm face, Saito gritted her teeth.
This guy was definitely messing with her, wasn't he?
She refused to believe it and used Flash Step again to increase the distance.
But…
The result was the same!
No matter how many times she moved first, Lynn always appeared in front of her before she even noticed.
Saito bit her lip.
Her instincts were right.
This guy…
Was seriously strong!
Things were getting more and more interesting!
Even though she was surprised by Lynn's speed, she admitted inwardly that she couldn't keep up.
But…
That didn't mean she would give up.
With stubborn determination, she used Flash Step again, pushing to win the next round.
And so…
In Hell.
The two figures moved one after the other, heading deeper into the abyss.
At the same time—
The fifth level of Hell.
A lava field.
"Blub blub—"
Suddenly, bubbles rose from the magma, and soon, Murakumo's figure emerged.
He climbed up with a frustrated expression.
"Killed again?"
Suddenly—
A gloating voice rang out.
Murakumo looked up to see a plump man in pink.
"Taikon, why are you here again?"
Taikon ignored the question and simply said, "Let's go. Lord Shuren has been waiting for you."
After a short while—
Murakumo was brought before Shuren.
Shuren didn't seem surprised to see Taikon bring Murakumo back.
He just sighed in his heart.
Another failure…
Saito Furofushi refused again.
Why?
Wouldn't it be better to work together to escape Hell?
Seeing the melancholy on Shuren's face, Murakumo suddenly spoke. "Lord Shuren, although Saito Furofushi refused to join us this time…"
He thought of the man who had appeared earlier.
"There might be a new development in Hell."
Shuren paused and turned his gaze to Murakumo, raising his eyebrows. "Explain."
"Yes."
Murakumo lowered his head and described Lynn's appearance and traits.
At first, Shuren didn't care.
But—
The moment he heard that Lynn had no chains on, his eyes lit up.
No chains…
(To be continued.)
***
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