Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō novel Chapter 396

Chapter 396: Chapter 396: A Key Player

With a rough sense of the power balance between both sides, Yamamoto felt a bit more at ease as his gaze swept across the room.

"The most urgent matter now is to determine how the original Captains escaped from Hell."

"If something really has gone wrong in Hell—if the Togabito have managed to break free—then the consequences for the entire world would be catastrophic."

His expression darkened. Bracing both hands on the table, Yamamoto slowly stood up, his voice deep and heavy.

Originally, this meeting had been convened to discuss the search operation for the Wandenreich.

But trouble never comes alone.

Before the Wandenreich situation could be resolved, an even greater crisis had surfaced.

A problem far more dangerous than the Wandenreich!

If there was anything in this world that could leave even the strongest Shinigami of the past thousand years at a loss... it was, without question, Hell.

Over the course of a million years, virtually every soul possessing Third-Class Spiritual Power or higher—that is, Captain-class Shinigami and Hollows—had been consigned to Hell.

Based on what he’d learned from the Yomi Clan, Yamamoto knew that the beings in Hell were immortal.

Even if killed, they would be resurrected within Hell, over and over, until their very will eroded into dust.

If the Yomi Clan’s claims were accurate, then even if most of those souls had already turned to sand, the number of remaining Captain-level beings could still be considerable.

After all, the Captains from a thousand years ago were still walking around—and Yamamoto himself had sent countless others into Hell over the centuries.

Going back even further, the total number would be staggering beyond comprehension.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling his recent fight with Chika Shihōin.

When had that cunning old comrade ever looked so blank and lifeless?

Rather than harboring hatred toward Yamamoto or the Soul Society, he’d seemed more like a puppet—his body manipulated by some unseen force.

And another thing...

If someone had escaped from Hell, and the Yomi Clan—who constantly monitored Hell—had known about it, shouldn’t they have come to report it immediately?

Why hadn’t there been any word from them? Why did he have to send someone to summon them?

Just then, a member of the Inner Court Troop rushed into the room.

"Reporting! Captain-Commander, a representative of the Yomi Clan is here. He’s waiting outside!"

Finally.

Yamamoto raised an eyebrow.

If the Yomi Clan hadn’t come voluntarily, he was prepared to pay them a visit himself—even if it meant offending one of the Five Great Noble Houses.

Before long, an elderly man entered the room, leaning on a cane.

It was Hoshi Yomi—the same elder Masatsuki Aozaki had met once before.

He was the one Masatsuki had discussed the matter of Kenpachi Kiganjō’s soul with.

With a solemn expression, the old man gave a respectful bow to everyone present.

After receiving their return greetings, he turned to Masatsuki Aozaki and, with grave seriousness, began asking for a full account of the situation.

After listening, Hoshi’s expression turned to shock.

"So that’s it... The Will of Hell has entered the Three Worlds. No wonder we couldn’t detect anything."

"What do you mean by that?" Kensei Muguruma asked instinctively.

Under everyone’s gaze, Yomi Hoshi cleared his throat and began to explain slowly.

"The Will of Hell is the warden of Hell—the embodiment of its rules."

"As you all know, Hell is a place that imprisons the damned." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

"The Will of Hell exists to punish souls who committed heinous crimes in life."

"Its power is bound by a special set of laws. No matter how strong the Togabito are, they can’t resist it."

"It will ravage and kill them over and over, waiting for them to resurrect, only to kill them again."

"This endless cycle inflicts eternal suffering."

"It has no will of its own. It exists solely as a part of Hell."

"And since it appeared in the Soul Society but didn’t bring the First Generation Captains back..."

"That means—they’re not escapees. The Will of Hell allowed them to come here!"

"That’s also why we didn’t detect anything unusual."

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