Help! I am bound to Aizen!-Chapter 230

Chapter 230

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Suddenly, Tōsen remembered a certain moment: when Tokinada had asked if he would seek revenge, there had been a faint killing intent. Tōsen had assumed it was aimed at the system, at the nobility.

In reality, that killing intent had been directed at him.

Though blind, he could picture this chilling truth: the man responsible for his friend’s death was right beside him, asking that dangerous question. If Tōsen had answered incorrectly, he’d already be dead.

Sensing Tōsen’s realization, Tokinada let out a light chuckle.

“So, you’ve figured it out. I wasted my time chatting because I needed to know if you still hungered for vengeance. It’s always the powerless ones—those with nothing to lose—who cause the biggest headaches. If you’d chosen revenge, I wouldn’t have hesitated to kill you on the spot.”

“Fortunately, you’re as spineless as Kakko was.”

He broke into laughter.

Hearing this, Tōsen’s world seemed to shatter. Mere minutes ago, he’d thought this man might understand him, might even be a friend. But this supposed ‘ally’ was the most twisted demon imaginable.

Rage surged through him.

“Tsunayashiro Tokinada!”

Tōsen roared and threw himself at Tokinada, only for Tokinada to casually land a kick that sent him sprawling.

“Hey, hey…what happened to not taking revenge?” Tokinada gave a disappointed sigh. “Well, if you’re attacking a noble like me, you must be ready to face the consequences.”

He gripped the hilt of his sword and drew it slowly, raising it high as though performing an execution. Then he brought it down, aimed straight at Tōsen.

Lying on the ground, Tōsen braced himself with his hands. He couldn’t see, but his instincts screamed that death was moments away. Foolish enough to trust the killer of his friend, maybe he deserved it.

But right when he was ready to die, a voice cut through the tension.

“Méng Lóng Bǎi Wěi!” (Fierce Dragon’s Tail!)

In Tokinada’s startled gaze, a figure in a black cloak appeared out of nowhere. Tokinada tried to dodge, but the stranger was too fast. The cloaked newcomer spun in midair and landed a crushing kick directly to his face.

Boom!

The impact hurled Tokinada backward. His head snapped back, pulling the rest of his body along, and he crashed into the river with a huge splash.

“Heh,” said the newcomer as he landed lightly on the riverbank. He glanced at the water. “That splash was too big—zero points for style.”

Tōsen stared, completely lost as to what was happening.

Not far away, another figure in a matching black cloak stood in the shadows—Aizen. He sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead.

…

A short while earlier, in Kantei Street, Kaelith had been about to step in when he saw the guards threatening Tōsen. But before he could, a hand fell on his shoulder.

He turned to see Aizen, cloaked in black, motioning for silence.

“Aizen?”

“Kaelith, don’t go over just yet,” Aizen said quietly.

Seeing Kaelith’s puzzlement, Aizen explained, “That man is Tōsen. I discovered him a while ago. Initially, I intended to bring him back as a test subject. But before I moved in, I realized he had a lot of potential. If we can harness it, maybe we can cultivate someone at least Lieutenant-level—perhaps stronger.

“He’s just suffered a serious blow to his spirit. If we use that, we can make him utterly loyal to us. So wait. Let him taste despair first. When he’s at his lowest, that’s when we step in. It’ll get us the best results.”

Kaelith clicked his tongue but didn’t argue. Hearing Tōsen’s name reminded him that Tōsen eventually became a captain of the Ninth Division and served under Aizen. Interfering too soon might mess up the timeline or complicate things unnecessarily.

So he stopped and took the black cloak Aizen handed him, throwing it on.

Aizen was visibly relieved that Kaelith was so cooperative this time. If he hadn’t listened, Aizen would’ve had to find a different way to recruit Tōsen.

From there, they followed Tokinada and Tōsen to the riverbank, overhearing every word. Watching Tokinada deceive Tōsen, Aizen couldn’t help but marvel at how thoroughly he embodied the word “despicable.”

On the other hand, Tokinada’s cruelty had pushed Tōsen to resent Seireitei and the entire nobility—exactly what Aizen wanted. Once Tokinada took action, Aizen planned to appear like a savior, offer Tōsen a new path, and make him into his subordinate.

But that plan was derailed when Tokinada revealed who he was and started gloating.

Seeing Tokinada, Kaelith grinned and stepped forward. Aizen frowned in confusion.

“Kaelith,” he warned.

Kaelith turned back with a small shrug. “Sorry, Aizen. I’m going to interrupt your plan. As compensation, anything you wanted Tōsen to handle for you someday, I’ll do it myself.”

With that, he blurred forward.

Watching Kaelith rush in, Aizen pressed a hand to his forehead again, both exasperated and somewhat amused.

Behind him, the sound of many more guards approached. Aizen turned away from the riverbank to face them, drawing the Zanpakutō at his waist.

“Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu.”

.......

..

.

Tōsen stood rooted to the spot, momentarily stunned.

“You…you are…?”

He turned “toward” Kaelith, his face filled with disbelief.

Kaelith didn’t answer. He only cast Tōsen a brief glance before disappearing in a blur.

Meanwhile, down in the river, Tsunayashiro Tokinada burst to the surface.

“Pffft!!”

He spat out a mouthful of water, glaring furiously at the bank.

“Damn it! Who did that? Do you realize whom you just attacked?!”

But on shore, only Tōsen stood there. Farther off, a group of noble guards milled about—Tokinada’s own men. Under normal circumstances, they would have rushed in to protect their master after he was struck. Yet instead, they were in total chaos. Wielding iron rods, they attacked each other savagely, as though locked in a bitter blood feud.

This bizarre sight made Tokinada’s eyes widen in alarm. He tried to climb out of the water, only to notice a figure appearing in front of him.

“Mmgh!!”

A large hand slammed against his face. The grip was firm and gave him no room to struggle, shoving him backward at breakneck speed. Tokinada’s body skimmed the water, throwing up a long, ragged wave behind him. The surge of the river felt like knives cutting into his flesh, wringing pained howls from his throat.

Boom!

Still pressing down on Tokinada’s face, the figure bulldozed him straight out of the river and into the opposite bank, sending earth and debris blasting ten meters high.

“You…you bastard,” Tokinada gasped, sprawled in a newly formed crater. His eyes squeezed shut in agony, but that didn’t stop the curses from spilling out. “You dare lay a finger on a noble?! You’re dead!”

Just then, a familiar voice spoke next to him.

“That’s too bad for you,” the voice said quietly. “I may not have the same prestige as you, but I, too, am a noble. This might just count as…nobles settling things their own way.”

Tokinada’s eyes snapped open. When he saw who was standing before him, he shouted in shock:

“Kaelith!”

“At your service,” Kaelith replied with a mocking grin. His fist shot downward.

Tokinada’s eyes bulged, and his spiritual pressure flared. Lying sideways as he was, he hastily crafted a foothold of reishi beneath his feet. That sudden burst of energy propelled him sideways, allowing him to dodge at the last moment.

Kaelith’s punch slammed into empty ground, leaving him looking mildly surprised. “Huh. Not bad.”

He had assumed Tokinada was just another pampered aristocrat, perhaps no stronger than a seated officer—hence Kaelith hadn’t used much force. But the brief flash of spiritual power and Tokinada’s skilled Shunpō were definitely Captain-class. And not the watered-down kind, either.

Straightening up, Kaelith turned to regard Tokinada, who now faced him with wary eyes.

“Kaelith,” Tokinada began, “I’ve never wronged you. We can pretend none of this ever happened. Let’s both step away—no harm done. How about it?”

Kaelith snorted. “My, how timid. You had no qualms about killing your wife, and you showed no mercy to a defenseless civilian. If you’re so bold in that, why shrink away from me?”

He drew his Zanpakutō, eyes flashing. “Come on, show me the dignity of a noble from one of the Five Great Houses!”

Tokinada narrowed his eyes, but forced a smile. “Kaelith, you and I have no grudge. Why go this far? Even if the Tsunayashiro family has fallen from its peak, we’re still one of the Five Great Noble Houses. Better to make friends where you can—perhaps I could even help you someday.”

Kaelith gave him a look of utter disdain. “A beast who murders his own wife isn’t worth my friendship.”

At that, Tokinada’s thin veneer of civility finally cracked. His palm shot forward. “Hadō #63: Raikōhō!”

Blinding golden light surged forth, its radiance tearing through the darkness of the night. Through the thunderous beam, Kaelith simply reached out and ripped the electricity apart. Then he leapt into the air, Zanpakutō in hand, racing straight for Tokinada.

“Shatter Defenses—Rixiang Jimie!”

Blue flames roared to life around Kaelith mid-flight. Tokinada’s eyes went wide at the sight of that blazing figure. The resemblance was uncanny—too much like that man.

Long ago, Tokinada had been a classmate of Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō. Back then, the Gotei 13 wasn’t as vast as it was now, and Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni personally trained promising students. He’d taken a special interest in Shunsui and Ukitake, but he’d also given Tokinada considerable guidance.

Tokinada’s feelings toward Yamamoto were complicated—gratitude, admiration, resentment, and fear. The old man’s fiery image had always lingered like a nightmare, one Tokinada thought he could avoid for the rest of his days by never crossing paths with Yamamoto again.

Yet here it was, resurrected in the form of Kaelith’s Zanpakutō release.

After a moment’s panic, Tokinada sucked in a sharp breath, fixing his gaze on the incoming Kaelith. With a swift yank, he drew his own blade.

“Bite, Wind Serpent!”

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As soon as he uttered the command, a sudden breeze swirled around him. In midair, Kaelith gave a puzzled grunt as a stray gust brushed past his ear. A stabbing sensation flared there, and though he didn’t see what happened, he instantly knew: twin pinpricks of blood dotted his earlobe as if he’d been bitten. A dangerous force coursed in through the wounds, racing through his bloodstream toward his heart.

All of it transpired in a mere flash. By the time Kaelith registered the stinging in his ear, he was already upon Tokinada. His dual blades, engulfed in azure flames, slashed downward with unstoppable momentum.