Demon Slayer: The Journey That Began When I Became Yoriichi's Sister

Ichinose Masaki stood in front of Kariya, drawing his Zanpakuto from his waist, his face extremely tense: "Mr. Kariya, this woman..."

"Step back, Ichinose," Kariya interrupted him. "You are no match for her."

That was what Kariyagami originally meant: a woman who could easily defeat that monster would be difficult for even him to handle.

But Ichinose Maki's figure froze instantly.

Kariya frowned slightly: "What's wrong? One...?"

Kariya-gami stared at Ichinose Masaki's retreating figure, his eyes slightly narrowed.

Is that... trembling?

In Ichinose Masaki's vision, the world seemed to lose its sound at this moment, leaving only that long, wine-red hair, as intense as the setting sun and as dazzling as blood.

No, it's not that hair color, but there's no doubt about the face.

Ichinose Masaki's hand holding the Zanpakuto trembled slightly. This trembling did not stem from physical exhaustion, but from the fear deep in his soul, like the helplessness of an ant facing a behemoth.

Ichinose Masaki's pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints as he uttered that name in disbelief.

"Jiguo...Ikuko."

It was a long-sealed secret, still belonging to the Gotei 13 even now.

He remembered that it was before Kenpachi Zaraki entered Seireitei and became a captain; it was when he followed his predecessor.

Defection.

That was a virtualization experiment from a hundred years ago.

Captain Kisuke Urahara of the 12th Division committed serious disciplinary violations by conducting experiments on Hollowfication. The number of captains involved was almost half of the Gotei 13 at the time, and even included the then Kido-cho and Vice Kido-cho.

Among all the captains, one person's identity stands out.

Ikuko, the successor to the country.

To be honest, his impression of her wasn't very deep; he only remembered that the woman had long white hair.

But what truly deepened his memory was how, despite the Captain-Commander having laid a trap beforehand, he almost single-handedly maneuvered among several veteran captains, allowing Kisuke Urahara and his group to successfully escape Soul Society.

Even Captain-Commander Yamamoto was helpless against her for a time, and eventually had no choice but to unleash his Bankai.

At that time, because of his position as a seat official, he was able to maintain order around the Shihōin residence and had the opportunity to experience that devastating spiritual pressure up close.

That's a power that can evaporate even the body's moisture, a power capable of destroying the world.

And the result was predictable: several captains, including Captain-Commander Yamamoto in his Shikai state, were unable to defeat Tsugikuni Ikuko, and she was finally eliminated by Captain-Commander Yamamoto's attack.

but……

"You...are still alive?"

Ichinose Maki's voice trembled slightly.

Because Yuko's hair color had changed, and since he had never really interacted with Yuko before, he only remembered her now that he saw her face clearly.

In other words, she managed to escape unscathed after withstanding Captain-Commander Yamamoto's attack.

"Who are you?" Yu Zi frowned slightly. "Am I not alive, or am I dead?"

After a long pause, she muttered again, "...No, if you really want to say it, it doesn't seem wrong."

This was the first time Kariya had seen Ichinose so frightened, and he asked, "Ichinose, do you know her?"

Even when we first met and Ichinose was rescued from the clutches of the Hollow, I wasn't this terrified.

This woman... is probably not someone you can easily handle.

Ichinose Masaki finally snapped out of his panic and stood in front of Kariya Kami, gripping his Zanpakuto with both hands: "Mr. Kariya, run! This monster is beyond our current capabilities."

Upon hearing this, everyone was slightly taken aback.

Even this guy said something like that...

So, what exactly is this woman in front of me...?

Even Yoshino was shocked. Just who was Yuko?

Could a mere third seat position really frighten Ichinose to that extent?

"Oh? You do have some self-awareness." Yuko stopped less than ten meters away from them, making Kariya and his group tense. "But not much."

Yuko glanced at Ishida, who was being carried on Koga's shoulder, and then at Yoshino, who was in Ugaki's hands, before slowly raising her hand.

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Ichinose Masaki's forehead, a glint of inspiration flashing in his eyes. He quickly interrupted, "Wait! Tsugikuni Ikuko!"

"Ok?"

“You shouldn’t have stopped us.” Ichinose Masaki bit his lip lightly, and seemingly to gain Ikuko’s trust, he immediately sheathed his Zanpakuto.

In fact, the difference between him and this woman was no different whether he was carrying a knife or not.

He can still recall the time he personally witnessed the attack on this woman alongside the chief captain, his former captain.

These are the words spoken by Kenpachi Oni, the former captain of the Eleventh Division.

"That woman is a monster in human skin."

Ah, that's a monster that managed to escape even when surrounded by the captains.

Yuko stared at Ichinose Masaki carefully for a moment and realized that he was indeed not someone she knew.

But the other party's attitude prevented her from taking direct action.

"reason."

Ichinose Masaki turned around and nodded slightly to Kariyagami, signaling him to wait a moment, before starting to talk to Ikuko.

"You must also harbor resentment towards the Soul Society and the Seireitei, right?"

"In that case, you don't need to have a conflict with us."

"Because our goals are the same."

Yoshino suddenly realized, "So that's it! It must be referring to the fact that Yuko is talented, but the Second Division Captain deliberately suppressed her!"

It turned out to be the case.

Holding a grudge against Seireitei, and considering this guy's reaction just now, Ikuko finally realized what was going on.

This guy probably defected a hundred years ago after Aizen's Hollowfication experiment, so he knows this famous figure in Soul Society.

Yu Zi tilted her head, a hint of confusion in her eyes: "Same goal?"

Her reply came from Kariyagami: "We plan to invade Soul Society and destroy Seireitei."

After all, he is the leader.

Yuko scoffed, her crimson eyes sweeping over the crowd: "So what? You're not saying that you think you can launch an attack on Soul Society with just a bunch of trash like you?"

Koga and the others all showed their dissatisfaction, but due to Ikuko's beating of the masked monster when she appeared, and Kariya and Ichinose Masaki's performance just now, they could only swallow their anger for the time being.

"Destroy the Seireitei? Don't make me laugh." Yuko smiled coldly as if she had heard a joke. "Since you are a Shinigami, you should know very well."

"With just the people behind you, you can't possibly beat that old geezer."

Before Ichinose Masaki could speak, Kariya stepped forward and said, "I think you have some misunderstandings about the Bount. This is not our peak period yet."

"Indeed, we are not yet able to contend with the entire Soul Society."

"But with Yoshino's power, we can become stronger even faster."

"Furthermore, you may not know this, but in places like Soul Society where spiritual particles are active, the power of our Bounts can be increased several times over."

"It's more accurate to say that we are trapped by the spiritual energy that is scarce in the present world."

“I was talking about your prime.” Yuko chuckled, then frowned slightly. “But I’m curious, what do you plan to do to Yoshino?”

Kariya paused for a moment, glanced back at Yoshino, and then turned around and said, "That woman possesses a characteristic that we in the Bount do not have."

"A non-existent characteristic?"

Kariya replied, "Feelings, especially maternal feelings."

“The Bavents are an emotionally impoverished race, and in this context, Yoshino’s existence is extremely precious.”

"Her power can give rise to even greater power, and that power can make us stronger."

He had considered the potential harm of telling Yuko the truth.

To be honest, telling a woman you've only met for two minutes about your plans is a huge psychological challenge.

However, judging from Ichinose's attitude, Kariya has completely confirmed Ikuko's strength.

Of course, most importantly, Ichinose said she has a grudge against Soul Society.

Therefore, the enemy of my enemy is naturally my friend.

"God!" Upon hearing Kariya's words, Yoshino's pupils dilated slightly as he struggled to break free of his restraints.

Was it all a lie? The feelings we once shared…

To be honest, she once told Yu Zi that she no longer cared about their past relationship, but whenever she recalled the past, she still missed the days they lived together.

At that time, the God of Hunting had not yet consumed the souls of living people, and had not yet become what it is today.

Upon hearing this, Yu Zi smiled slightly: "If I said that Fang Ye is my friend, would you let her go?"

Kariya narrowed his eyes slightly, without the slightest hesitation: "Of course, her existence is nothing more than speeding up the process. If I can get such a powerful helper as you, I think it will be beneficial and harmless."

"Well, while I'm somewhat interested in this process, I have something else I'd like to ask."

Yuko narrowed her eyes and asked, "Why are you so determined to attack Soul Society?"

"Was it because they were slaughtered by the Shinigami, just like the Quincy?"

Kariya closed his eyes briefly, seemingly recalling something because of Ikuko's words. A moment later, he opened his eyes.

“Yes and no,” he countered. “Do you know how the Bount was born?”

Yuko's gaze lingered on Yoshino for a moment before she replied, "Yoshino said that the Bounts are a race that suddenly mutated; they were originally just ordinary humans."

Kariya shook his head.

Sawatari stepped forward and chimed in, "That's not right."

"The Bount was born because of an accident during Death's research experiment on immortal souls."

"What did you say?"

The first to show a shocked expression was not Yuuko, but Rukia, who was squatting on the ground behind Yuuko.

Upon hearing Sawatari's words, Rukia stood up, leaving Ichigo in Inoue's care, and went to Ikuko's side.

You mean Death's research experiments?

“That’s right.” Sawatari said calmly, “The death spirits created by the explosion caused by the experimental accident entered the mortal world, combined with human souls, and ultimately formed us, the Bounts.”

Kariya God continued, "He possesses an immortal body, yet he cannot freely manipulate spiritual power like a death god."

"We, who were rejected in the human world, thought that the Soul Society would accept our existence. But what we didn't expect was that the Shinigami began an endless hunt for Bount in order to cover up their mistakes."

“Large numbers of our compatriots died at their hands.”

This secret was something that not only Rukia, but even Yoshino had never heard of before.

"I see, that's why that guy wanted to keep it from you."

A voice rang out from above, and before Kariya and the others could look up, the figure landed beside Yuko.

Kariya remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was filled with dread.

Fortunately, I didn't have a direct conflict with this woman. She's no pushover either.

"Second Division Captain, Yoruichi Shihōin."

As expected, Ichinose Masaki cautiously called out the name of the newcomer.

"Huh? The captain of the second division?"

Surprisingly, Yoshino was taken hostage.

The captain of the second division... isn't he the bad guy who suppressed Yuuko?

Why Yoruichi?

Having already dined with Yoruichi once, Yoshino had a fairly deep impression of her. Most importantly, Ikuko didn't show any dissatisfaction with Yoruichi. On the contrary, she displayed a rare gentleness.

The two must have a very good relationship.

At least he wouldn't be the evil boss Yu Zi described, the one who suppressed her and allowed cronies to become deputy captains.

The atmosphere seemed to become somewhat somber after Kariya revealed the truth.

A moment later, Yuko turned her head slowly and looked at Yoruichi: "What should I do if I'm thinking of joining?"

Yoruichi rolled her eyes.

Yuko sighed, "Well, it does sound like something those scum would do."

Ichinose Masaki's face lit up with delight. "So, you..."

This is a monster capable of rivaling the Captain-Commander. With such a monster joining the fray, our chances of attacking Soul Society have increased considerably.

"But, I refuse."

"..."

"I, Tsugikuni Yuko, love to say no to people who have an absolute advantage and believe that the conditions they offer are not to be refused."

"..."

Yuko shrugged. "I sympathize with your plight, and I can even understand your consumption of the souls of the dead, but in my eyes, you who harm ordinary people are no different from the trash in Soul Society."

"However, your words were still somewhat useful, at least they saved you from disaster."

"What do you mean..."

Halfway through the myth of the hunter, his pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinheads.

Koga Takeshi, Ugaki, Ichinose, and the others also showed expressions of shock.

"That's what I mean."

Yoshino felt as if Ikuko's words were right next to her ear. When she came to her senses, Kariya and his group somehow appeared a dozen meters away directly in front of her.

She subconsciously looked to her side, where Yuko was carrying the unconscious Ishida in one hand. Noticing her gaze, she turned her head and smiled slightly at her.

Kariya suddenly turned around to look at the crowd behind him, his pupils dilating in his eye sockets.

What a joke!

What just happened? !

No one was injured, but Yoshino and the Quincy were taken away.

Even judging from the reactions of the crowd, no one had yet reacted.

Is it Instant Step?

No, not possible!

Even if there really was a difference in strength, a frontal distance of more than ten meters would not have allowed him to take them away without even feeling them.