Chapter 693 Saeko: Among Sisters, Not a Single One Is Loyal

Deep within the 7th Division's barracks, a violent, nearly uncontrollable Reiatsu suddenly erupted.

A deep purple light shot into the sky, dyeing the originally clear sky above the barracks a dark purple hue.

The entire Seireitei was startled by this Reiatsu. Even Unohana, far away in the 4th Division, and Zaraki, who had fought Saeko many times before, could feel the anger contained within it.

Everyone wondered what could have happened to make the usually gentle and composed Captain of the 7th Division this furious.

The reason for Saeko's anger was that she had just learned from Rukia that her dear sisters Kanae, Megumi, and others had been 'taken' by the King of Hueco Mundo.

Rukia's eyes were still red, her voice choked as she recounted the expedition team's experiences in Las Noches in detail.

Saeko's Reiatsu rose steadily with Rukia's narration. Finally, when she heard that even Asuna had been taken, she could no longer suppress it.

The female officers of the 7th Division had never seen their Captain like this. They were too frightened to approach.

Saeko was seething with rage, nearly losing her mind.

She immediately summoned Hiyori, the Third Seat of the 7th Division, and ordered through gritted teeth for her to assemble the entire division immediately and prepare all combat equipment and the Senkaimon's coordinates.

She was going to lead the entire 7th Division straight into Hueco Mundo to rescue Megumi and the others.

Hiyori stood in front of the Captain's desk, looking at her Captain's twisted, furious face, and replied expressionlessly with a "Yes."

'Damn it!'

'How was I supposed to explain this to Makoto later?'

Rukia and Isane, who had barely escaped from Hueco Mundo alive, saw Saeko about to lead her entire division into Hueco Mundo and rushed over in panic, each grabbing one of Saeko's arms.

"Captain Busujima, you can't go! The power Hueco Mundo now possesses is completely beyond our imagination. It's not something a single division can handle!"

Isane, on the other side, also clung tightly to Saeko's right arm. "We saw many Arrancarized Vasto Lorde in the King of Hueco Mundo's territory. There's no way the 7th Division alone can rescue Lieutenant Kato and the others. Please calm down, Captain Busujima!"

These expedition survivors had just fled back from Hueco Mundo. They hadn't even had time to report to the Captain-Commander at the 1st Division before rushing straight to the 7th Division's barracks.

They were afraid that Saeko would completely lose her mind upon hearing the news and head to Hueco Mundo alone.

After all, everyone could guess that if she knew her Lieutenant had been captured by the enemy, with her personality, she would never stand idly by.

And their guess was right.

At this moment, Saeko was completely deaf to all advice, like a provoked lioness.

Her Reiatsu exploded again. A purple shockwave, centered on her, blasted outward in all directions, sending Rukia and Isane, who were clinging to her arms, flying.

Rukia's back slammed into the wall with a dull thud. Isane rolled twice on the ground before finally stopping.

Seeing Saeko stride toward the barracks entrance, with the female officers of the 7th Division who had been hastily assembled standing behind her, she raised her hand, ready to forcibly open the Senkaimon.

At this critical moment, Rukia suddenly remembered something and pulled a letter from her pocket.

"Captain Busujima! This is a letter from Captain Kanae! Please, please read this letter first before making your decision!"

Hearing this, Saeko's steps abruptly stopped.

A barely noticeable flicker of hesitation crossed her twisted, furious face.

She then took the letter from Rukia, unfolded it, and read it.

Within five seconds, Saeko's expression shifted from anger to shock, and from disbelief to a complex look that no one present could read.

No one knew what the letter said. They just stood there, not daring to breathe, waiting for Saeko's final decision.

Finally, Saeko destroyed the letter with her Reiatsu, reducing it to powder.

She took a deep breath, then said in a voice that had returned to calm, "Go report to the Captain-Commander first."

Hearing this, the expedition survivors exchanged glances, clearly still hesitant.

Saeko's attitude had changed too quickly. Something felt off.

Seeing them still lingering, Saeko added, "Don't worry. I won't do anything rash."

Only then did Rukia and the others feel slightly relieved.

Although they had no idea what the letter said, it was naturally best that Saeko had regained her composure.

Then, the expedition survivors led by Rukia left the 7th Division's barracks.

Hiyori stood beside Saeko and asked casually, "Not going to Hueco Mundo?"

Saeko turned her back to everyone.

"Leave me alone for a while."

Kei, Chisa, and the other officers, seeing Saeko barely holding herself together, were extremely worried.

Kei stepped forward half a step and cautiously comforted her, "Saeko-nee, if something's bothering you, please tell us."

Chisa also nodded in agreement.

Then they left the Captain's office one by one, gently closing the door behind them.

Hiyori, the Third Seat of the 7th Division, left the most quickly.

Unlike Saeko, who valued sisterly bonds highly, Hiyori's personality was far more selfish.

She wished all the other women around Makoto would die, leaving only her.

After the office was empty, Saeko slowly curled the corners of her mouth.

Because what she had read in that letter wasn't a plea for help from Kanae.

Quite the opposite, Kanae had subtly told her: the master of Las Noches was Makoto.

They hadn't been taken. They had stayed willingly.

Saeko had never expected that her man had also been transported to this world, and had even become the King of Hueco Mundo.

This discovery thrilled Saeko. She almost couldn't hold back her laughter.

But right on the heels of that excitement came an uncontrollable jealousy.

Because she knew very well that the 'being taken' by Kanae and the others was really just them not wanting to come back.

With Makoto in Las Noches, why would they ever want to return to the Seireitei?

'What a bunch of 'good hearted-sisters'… they were living the good life with our man while leaving their sisters in the Seireitei to slave away!'

She resolved that when she saw those heartless women later, she would definitely give them a piece of her mind.

On the other side, Rukia had already led the expedition survivors to the 1st Division's barracks.

After hearing the full account of the Hueco Mundo expedition, Yamamoto's grip on his cane tightened sharply. The stone floor beneath the cane's tip cracked like a spiderweb.

Instantly, a Reiatsu several times more violent than Saeko's just moments ago erupted from the 1st Division's barracks.

All the officers in the Seireitei were so startled they fell to the ground.

'What was going on with all the Captains today? Had they all eaten gunpowder?'

Then, the alarm bells above the Seireitei let out a piercing shriek. Broadcasts continuously announced emergency assemblies.

Soon, all the Captains and Lieutenants raced toward the 1st Division's barracks as fast as they could.

Everyone knew something monumental must have happened. Otherwise, Saeko and Yamamoto, two of the most composed people, wouldn't have unleashed such berserk Reiatsu one after another in such a short time.

In the 1st Division's meeting room, after seeing that everyone had arrived, Yamamoto signaled for Rukia to recount what she had just reported to him to all the Captains and Lieutenants present.

When they heard that multiple female officers had been 'claimed' by the King of Hueco Mundo, the expressions of everyone in the room changed.

They had considered the possibility that the entire expedition team might have been wiped out.

But none of them had expected that the King of Hueco Mundo would claim so many female Shinigami for himself.

Frankly, this outcome was even more humiliating for the Gotei 13 than total annihilation.

Gin lowered his head slightly, using his hand to hide the uncontrollable twitch at the corner of his mouth.

'That guy really was a lustful glutton.'

Although he had guessed that Makoto, with his indiscriminate appetite, would probably do something when encountering beautiful and capable female Shinigami like Megumi and Kanae,

He hadn't expected him to take all of them in one go.

Kyoraku adjusted his straw hat, walked up, and patted Rukia on the shoulder. "Don't blame yourself. The fact that you all made it back alive to the Seireitei is already the greatest gain from this expedition."

Just then, Gin flashed a fox-like smile and looked at Byakuya standing diagonally across from him. He teased, "Captain Byakuya, it's a good thing your sister isn't pretty, otherwise she wouldn't have made it back either."

As soon as he said this, Byakuya's perpetually icy face showed an expression that clearly said he wanted to kill someone.

Although Byakuya usually appeared indifferent to everything, his care for his adopted sister Rukia was genuine.

Aizen looked at Yamamoto and steered the meeting back on track: "Captain-Commander, what should we do now? Send reinforcements to crusade against Hueco Mundo?"

Saeko gave an even stronger reaction, her voice echoing through the hall: "We should immediately gather all Captain-level combat power and launch a full-scale war against Hueco Mundo!"

No one present was surprised by Saeko's passionate response.

After all, Megumi, Kanae, Shinobu, Darkness, Asuna, and the others who had been taken were all core members of the 7th Division.

As their Captain, if Saeko were indifferent, that would be what was strange.

Her proposal was also seconded by Captain Sui-Feng of the 2nd Division.

Sui-Feng's face was equally filled with undisguised anger.

After all, Megumi, who had also been taken, was her Lieutenant.

After Yoruichi's disappearance, Megumi had become her best friend.

As a Captain and as a friend, she absolutely couldn't tolerate her subordinate being taken by that damned King of Hueco Mundo.

But unknown to everyone, despite Saeko's passionate declaration of war on the surface,

She was actually in name only on the Gotei 13's side.

The reason she strongly advocated for all-out war was so she could be 'captured' as well, and then legitimately stay in Las Noches to live a blissful, shameless life with her man.

Unfortunately, after a long silence, Yamamoto slammed his cane heavily on the ground again and ordered that no rash action be taken.

This wasn't because he was afraid.

Although both were leaders, Sarutobi Hiruzen was indeed the type to be submissive to outsiders and aggressive to insiders, but Yamamoto's situation was completely different from the former.

The balance of power between the Soul Society and Hueco Mundo had been completely rewritten after the battle decades ago.

He knew very well that with the Seireitei's Captain positions only recently filled, if they rashly started an all-out war with Makoto, the best outcome would be mutual destruction.

At the very least, they should wait until Toshiro formally achieved Bankai, and until they had a clearer understanding of Las Noches's situation.

Seeing that Yamamoto refused to approve an all-out war, Saeko squeezed out a 'How weak' through her teeth, turned, and walked away.

Then, as she reached the heavy wooden door, she raised her leg and kicked it.

The entire door flew off its hinges, smashing into the stone wall across the corridor and breaking into several pieces.

Seeing this, Unohana slightly bowed to Yamamoto and pleaded on Saeko's behalf: "Captain-Commander, please don't blame Captain Busujima. She lost her composure because her officers were taken."

Even Zaraki, rarely, spoke up to excuse Saeko, shouting at Yamamoto, "Hey, old man, don't be so petty."

"I'm not angry." Yamamoto said calmly.

He hadn't planned to punish Saeko for her rudeness in the first place.

Putting himself in her shoes, any responsible Captain would react no less intensely if half their division's main force had been taken.

Aizen, standing in the Captain's position of the 5th Division, remained silent throughout.

'It seemed war was just around the corner.'

He also needed to use this last relatively peaceful period to find a way to strengthen his own forces.

Currently, he still only had Tosen, whose strength was mediocre, and Momo, who, while loyal, couldn't be relied upon for her strength.

Such a lineup was far from sufficient.

He needed more pawns.