I'm really not the number one slacker in Soul Society.

Kensei tapped his head: "It's actually the real thing... No wonder they're one of the four great noble families, the Tsunayo family really found us a good job..."

They were standing at the entrance of a cave, with a stone door behind them that was exactly the same as the one before. The blue and white crystals embedded in the walls provided illumination, and in front of them was a huge hole from which a brighter blue light shone.

This looks so damn familiar...

Chapter Twenty-One: The Unbeatable Legend of Kensei

The destination is obvious, so there's no worry about getting lost.

But that's about it; much bigger troubles than they expected are troubling them.

As originally expected, the so-called Soul King Ruins would at most contain some old items used by the Soul King, with historical value outweighing practical value. Even with a few security guards, it wouldn't be too dangerous—after all, the Zero Division didn't come out to take over, which means the Soul King had no objection to it.

But once it actually came in, things got a bit outrageous.

Without saying a word, they first showed an opening CG that directly stated what the Spirit King had done here—if this cave is the same one we just saw, is "that thing" still inside?

That sword was personally crafted by the Spirit King!

If even a fragment of the Soul King could create monsters like Ginjou Kugo and Tsukishima Shukuro, then how terrifying must the weapons the Soul King himself created possess? They probably wouldn't be inferior to Yhwach's personal guard, would they?

The Tsunayo family suddenly pulled off such a huge feat; it's really impressive.

If this is a conspiracy, then its value is excessively high.

This is too dangerous, let's find a way to escape.

Because almost all information involving the Soul King is top secret, very few people know about this operation. This is evident from the fact that Urahara came alone and did not try to contact the Technology Development Bureau. Given the nature of those old guys in Room 46, if something happened here, they would probably sign several execution warrants for the exploration team without batting an eye.

Does that mean I won't be able to slack off happily anymore?

This is an event outside the main plot, and Mijin's prophetic advantage cannot be utilized—if anything, perhaps only the identities of the other three members of the team can provide him with some sense of security.

Urahara, Kensei, and Lisa all survived until the finale, so nothing should happen to them now... right?

That said, the other people in the know include the captain, vice-captain, members of the Tsunayoshiro family, and the 46th Chamber. Thinking about it this way, apart from a few small fry from the Tsunayoshiro family, Watanabe Miyako is really the lowest-ranking person among those in the know...

This is truly heartbreaking...

................................................

"That's good—"

After placing some unidentified objects at the stone gate (which he described as detectors and "some insurance"), Urahara stepped forward to check on the other three's condition. Kensei then directed the formation: Yama scouted ahead, while he and Lisa stood on either side of Urahara, allowing the technical experts to conduct their analysis without any worries.

The group then headed towards the large hollow ahead.

We arrived at our destination a minute later.

Mizhen was the first to step out of the narrow cave and into the hollow space that was as big as four or five football fields.

So human nature is quite interesting. He was praying in the cave that nothing bad would happen, but after confirming that there was really no danger, he felt inexplicably empty inside.

However, the reason soon became apparent.

The scenery inside the cave was exactly the same as the illusion from before, the only difference being the central area—

There was no stone platform there, but instead a huge crystal, four or five people tall, inside which was sealed the longsword made by the Spirit King.

And... a giant dragon encircling the crystal?

The dragon was about ten meters long, slender and long, with four limbs and two wings. Its whole body was bright red, and it even looked somewhat handsome. It wrapped its slender body around the crystal, closed its eyes, and its body rose and fell rhythmically, as if it were sleeping.

The reason there were no regular monsters has been found; it turns out this is a boss room.

After exchanging bewildered glances, the exploration team fell silent.

There's no other reason than that the art style of this thing is just too incongruous... Putting something that was obviously taken from a Western fantasy film into the Soul Society, if the Soul King did it, it can only mean that he has a really unique way of thinking.

However, considering the Quincy's German-style attire, perhaps the Soul King simply prefers this mixed style...

So Mima pointed at the giant dragon, paused for a moment, then turned around and asked, "Captain Urahara, you're very knowledgeable, do you know what's going on here?"

"No, I don't believe in everything..."

Faced with this situation, Urahara was also a bit dumbfounded: "The spiritual pressure reaction doesn't seem like that of a Shinigami, nor is it the same as that of a Hollow or a Quincy... What on earth is going on?"

"Should I go up and take a look?"

Continuing to be dumbfounded wouldn't solve anything, so Mima volunteered.

“The fifth seat for Watanabe, I’ll leave it to you,” said Kisuke Urahara.

After gesturing to stop Lisa's instinctive attempt to block him, he continued forward alone and soon approached the center of the hollow.

From a distance of about ten meters, he saw the scales on the red dragon's body stretch out, and its even and rhythmic breathing stopped.

Mizhen stopped and watched as the red dragon opened its blood-red eyes.

Muscles relax and then tighten, limbs move, and scorching light weaves through the gaps in the scales.

The spiritual pressure surged like a balloon being inflated. In the short seven or eight seconds from when it woke up and sat up, Mima's estimated threat level increased by three or four levels in one go.

"This smell... it's death itself. Haven't those five traitorous factions all died yet...? Hmph, whatever, it's none of my business anyway!"

Red Dragon sniffed and stared at Mi Zhen with his bright eyes. His childlike voice, like that of a young girl, diminished his majesty, but the explosive amount of information he conveyed completely made up for it.

Kensei and Lisa didn't understand what he meant, but Urahara and Yama's expressions had already changed.

"Hello, Death, my name is Little Red Riding Hood."

The red dragon raised one wing and pointed to the longsword sealed in the crystal. "My duty is to guard the 'divine sword' here and to conduct trials on all who come without discrimination."

Little...Little Red Riding Hood?

The somewhat familiar name quickly brought back some memories for Mima.

Holy crap, isn't that a dragon from a fairy tale?

But isn't that thing a specialty of the West End of London? How did it end up in the territory of the East End of Seireitei?

"Hello, I am Watanabe Yama, a Shinigami from the Gotei 13."

He swallowed hard, grasped the key information in the red dragon's words, and asked with a forced smile, "Trial? What does that mean?"

"Hmm? Does this word have a second meaning?" The red dragon tilted its head and glanced at him, then gave him a very human-like smile. "Don't worry, you'll understand soon enough."

"Understand what..."

Halfway through the conversation, a flash of red light appeared.

The red dragon swung its long tail suddenly, the sharp, needle-like tip slicing through the air and emitting a piercing whistle.

Despite its name, the sweeping attack was actually a lightning-fast slash aimed directly at Mima's head.

If that hit him squarely, his skull would definitely explode like a watermelon!

Without time to think, Mi Zhen instinctively planned to create several gaps in the air before the attack landed, but he immediately stopped himself and stood there blankly as if he hadn't noticed the attack at all.

If he were the only one coming to explore, that would be fine, but it's not the right time to reveal his strength... so he might as well just give up this clone!

In a split second, the red dragon's attack was imminent, but what struck Mi Zhen first was a powerful force from behind—

It's Kenshi!

He caught up quickly, shoved Mima aside, and used his still-unsheathed Ground-Splitting Wind to block the path of the red dragon's slash.

Just like that, an irresistible and overwhelming force shattered the scabbard of the Earth-Shattering Wind Blade, and Kensei himself was sent flying high into the air like a leaf swept by a whirlwind, crashing directly into a distant stone wall.

Chapter Twenty-Two: The So-Called Mantis Stalks the Cicada

Meanwhile, in the 79th ward of the Eastern District of Rukongai.

On a hill a little further from the cave, Mi Zhen's Flowing Moon skin clone dug a hole in the ground, sat inside, and stretched a light screen made of ghost energy in front of him into various shapes.

Indistinct sounds and images came from inside; it seemed the signal was weak.

After fiddling around for a while, a coherent sound and image finally emerged from the black mass—

They were members of the Tsunayo family, and they were having a lively conversation.

That's why intelligence work is so important...

This is a practical skill that Mi Zhen developed himself, which he calls "Camera Technique". By simply poking a spot with his finger, it is equivalent to placing an invisible pinhole camera there, which can transmit images, record audio, and even adjust the viewing angle.

For the sake of secrecy, this ghost path can only exist for a few hours after it is released, and the signal is easily lost if it is far away. If the spiritual pressure changes in the environment become complicated, there is also a risk of it being destroyed.

"Let me see what you're up to now—"

Mima rubbed his hands together and turned his gaze toward the person named Tsunayoshi Yoki—and Aizen beside him.

...Alright, when it comes to eavesdropping, you're the best, bro. Just go and experience it live.

Furthermore, Urahara spent half a day tinkering with his magical gadgets in that place; no one would believe he didn't do anything shady.

................................................

"Lord Tokina, it seems the 'Guardians' have already begun their operation!"

Seeing the red scales in his hand begin to glow, an ordinary-looking member of the Tsunayoshiro family excitedly spoke to "Tsunayoshiro Haruki".

Good grief, he's practically self-destructing right off the bat, a seasoned bomber indeed.

Perhaps because there were only his own people nearby, the man simply stopped pretending and casually ripped off the middle-aged man's mask from under his cheek, revealing a younger face underneath.

That mask was probably some kind of magical gadget, capable of disguising not only one's appearance but also altering one's voice and spiritual pressure. It made Yama, who was in a distant cave, gasp in surprise, and even made Aizen laugh.

"Contact Jia Gu." Shi Tan glanced at the scales and calmly ordered, "Have his men prepare. Dealing with two captains and a vice-captain will take a lot of effort, even for the guardian. That will be the best opportunity to seize the 'Divine Sword'."

Upon hearing this, Mi Zhen was slightly annoyed.

You only mention the captain and vice-captain, so you don't take me seriously at all?

These hanging men were indeed hiding something. Judging from their attitude, they clearly knew a lot about the situation inside the cave, and the information they gave to the 13th Gotei 13 was also false—at least the claim that only four people could go in was questionable.

Upon hearing Tokina's order, one of the members of the Tsunayo family's group quickly withdrew from the cave.

The person mentioned, Kotani, is likely Kotani Shinji, currently a member of the 46 Chambers.

By taking the Gotei 13 through so many knives, does Yamamoto know how awesome you guys are?

Seeing the cave fall silent, Mima clicked his tongue... and decided to find a way to make these scumbags from the Tsunayashiro family reveal something more.

But before he could even start thinking about it, a solution came to him on its own.