NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 25: CHAPTER 25
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED 30+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/FrancisMW
Currently at Chapter 56 on Patreon
patreon.com/FrancisMW
A certain area of Karakura Town.
In a hidden monitoring chamber, two men draped in white haori—the captains' feathered cloaks—sat before a glowing screen, observing.
"It's terrifying."
"An Adjuchas-class Arrancar like Kakarob got obliterated in a single blow."
"Seems like that kind of Arrancar still isn't enough to test his upper limit."
Ichimaru Gin folded his arms, smiling slyly, fox-like as ever.
Displayed on the screen—
Was the exact moment Kurosaki Kanbaru annihilated Kakarob, while Shiba Isshin finished off another Adjuchas-class Arrancar.
"Gin, those were incomplete Arrancar—failed attempts. Among captains, they're bottom-tier."
Aizen Sosuke gently adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, his voice calm and polished.
There are captains... and there are captains.
Some are terrifyingly powerful.
Others... are just placeholders.
For example, the Head Captain—Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—is the mightiest Shinigami in a thousand years. His strength could incinerate the entire world.
On the other hand, someone like Muguruma Kensei, former captain of Squad 9 and now among the Visored, is laughably weak in comparison—weak enough to use as a measuring stick for captain-class baseline.
(Muguruma Kensei: "Do you want to get stabbed, or...?")
"But still..."
"Just a hybrid, and yet he wields such power."
"Kurosaki Kanbaru... he's a freak of nature."
Ichimaru Gin's eyes narrowed, gaze fixed on the youth on screen holding a Reishi cannon.
For a brief moment—
Gin had the illusion he was looking at a monster.
One not fully formed, but awakening.
He shook it off with a slight smirk.
"Gin, you know something."
"There's more and more hair on my pillow every morning, and the sandwich bread I like keeps disappearing from the convenience store."
"It's the buildup of those petty despairs that cultivates growth."
Aizen's smile was gentle, warm—yet chillingly fake.
"There's a parasite known as a flea. A tiny thing... barely significant."
"Would you call it courage when it dares bite a being millions of times its size?"
"No, fleas don't have courage. So what is courage?"
"Courage is recognizing fear—and weaponizing it."
"Fear disrupts breathing. But once you master fear, your breathing won't be disturbed."
"That... is growth."
Ichimaru Gin tilted his head slightly, noticing Aizen was looking right at him.
"So even Captain Aizen is curious."
"Curious how far Kurosaki Kanbaru, a mixed-blood Quincy, can ascend."
Then—
With practiced subtlety, Gin turned his gaze elsewhere, his smile mischievous.
"But it's funny."
"We're the ones who orchestrated this hollow-extermination training op—and now we have to wrap it up."
"Captain Aizen, fate sure knows how to mess with people."
He tucked his hands into his sleeves. His eyes gleamed.
"Let's go, Gin."
"It's our turn next."
"As backup from Seireitei, we shouldn't be the last to show up."
Aizen stood, donning once again that warm, benevolent smile.
---
"Found you."
Kanbaru's eyes flashed.
He had locked onto Kurosaki Masaki's spiritual pressure.
Location: The outskirts of Karakura Town, near a half-developed zone.
There—
Masaki stood face-to-face with several men. The air was tense, sharp with spiritual pressure.
"Who the hell are you people?"
"Where's Kanbaru?!"
Her normally soft face was now steeled with suspicion.
Moments ago, while fighting a Gillian-class Menos, these strangers had swooped in and wiped it out.
And—
They were clearly using Quincy techniques.
So she tentatively trusted them.
But the longer it dragged on, the more alarm bells rang.
She wasn't some naive little schoolgirl, okay?
Sure, Kanbaru teased her relentlessly, but that didn't mean she couldn't tell something was off.
"Don't worry."
"Your brother's waiting ahead."
One of the men in a white Quincy cloak smiled faintly.
"Ahead?"
"Liar."
"Kanbaru would never bring me to some shady construction site. That's something only his 'big brothers' in those weird novels would do."
Masaki gave them a full-power look of disgust.
White-robed Quincy: "???"
Wait.
Why are there so many weird shops around here?
Also...
What have you been reading in your brother's notebook?
"This leaves us no choice."
The white-cloaked Quincy exchanged a look with his wrinkled companion.
Their expressions grew dark.
Masaki sensed the shift instantly. Her eyes narrowed, dropping into a fighting stance.
Then—
Swish.
A figure dropped silently between her and the others, shielding her.
She looked up.
The moment she recognized the back in front of her, a wide grin crept across her face.
"G—"
"Shut up."
"…?"
Masaki's lips froze. Her smile twitched.
You're yelling at me now? You'd better have candy to make up for this!
"Who are you?"
The wrinkled Quincy's voice was gravelly. Suspicious.
"I'm Ishida Ryūto."
Kanbaru stood firm, naming himself without hesitation.
(Sorry, Ryūken. We're bros, right? You'd understand.)
(Ishida Ryūken: "You better hope I never see you again.")
"Ishida Ryūto?"
"The pure-blooded Quincy from this world?"
The wrinkled man nodded. They'd done their homework.
They knew Ishida Ryūken was a pure-blooded Quincy and the current leader of the local line.
"What's that you're holding?"
The sharp-eyed Quincy pointed at the book Kanbaru clutched.
"Oh. Qiongming Goddess Record."
"Wanna read it? It's a little twisted."
Kanbaru scratched his head and handed it over.
White-robed Quincy: "???"
What the hell?
"Forget this. We're your elders. Show some respect."
"What do you mean?"
"Use honorifics!"
"What dialect is that?"
"It's not a dialect—it's basic politeness!"
The white-robed man flailed his arms. What kind of hellspawn was this kid?
"You're wasting your time talking to these clueless fools."
The wrinkled Quincy glared coldly at them.
They were as good as dead.
Why bother?
"When did you start thinking I didn't know anything?"
Kanbaru slowly lifted his eyes.
Suddenly—
SPLURT.
The wrinkled Quincy clutched his neck, stumbling back.
Blood gushed out in pulsing waves, bubbling violently in the air.
His throat was slashed.
A blade of Reishi had materialized and severed his jugular with brutal precision.
The cut tore through his Blut Vene—his static blood armor—and left him on death's door.
One swing.
That's all it took.
"Did you think I was playing dumb?"
The old Quincy dropped to his knees, clutching at his throat.
With his Blut Vene shattered, recovery was impossible in the short term.
He was finished.
"One."
Kanbaru gave no further explanation.
He casually flicked the blood from his Reishi longsword.
Then turned toward the white-cloaked Quincy, whose eyes were wide with shock.
"Next is you."
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCED 30+ CHAPTERS
patreon.com/FrancisMW
Currently at Chapter 56 on Patreon
Five chapters uploaded every two days on patreon.
One chapter uploaded everyday on webnovel.
patreon.com/FrancisMW