No Cheat in Bleach ? Watch me help Aizen then.-Chapter 129: I Feel Personally Insulted

Moonlight toyed with blossoms, a fairy clutched her chest, water flowed without care, yet the falling petals longed for connection.

Just as Higashi Shuuichi and his group entered Osaka Prefecture, they saw a massive mobile flower float rolling through the streets. Upon it sat a garishly dressed courtesan, her face painted thick, parading through the crowd with cheers echoing on all sides.

"Is this some kind of festival?" Matsumoto Rangiku asked curiously, peering out the carriage window.

She recalled a similar scene during a previous visit to the World of the Living—Shuuichi had taken them all out to a village for a little outing. The people had celebrated a festival then too, and a beautiful woman had been the centerpiece of the ceremony.

"You could call it that," Shuuichi replied blandly. "But it's just a marketing gimmick. A way for brothels to boost the value of their top courtesans."

He barely spared it a glance. These "Oiran parades" were nothing more than commercial showboating, and frankly, the aesthetics of courtesans from this era were not to his taste.

"Can I go see it up close, Shuuichi-kun?" Saya of the Tōma Clan asked eagerly.

Having rarely left her family's estate in Soul Society, Saya's first real journey had been to the World of the Living with Shuuichi's group. Even after arriving, she'd seldom gone out. Everything here was still new and full of wonder for her.

"Of course," Shuuichi nodded. "I'll take Shūsuke with me to handle Yokozawada Tsuna. I'll have Kensei go with you."

Now that they were inside the city, it was best to abandon the cart. Walking allowed for better stealth and quicker action.

"But won't that affect your mission? I don't need to see the parade if—"

"It's fine," Shuuichi reassured her, reaching out and gently grasping Saya's soft hand. With the other, he retrieved the Zanpakutō Semibasa, which he'd been holding for her since their last battle, and placed it back into her palm.

"But don't use it unless you absolutely have to," he warned. "Your body's still weak from what the wraiths did to you. That Zanpakutō consumes lifespan—best avoid it unless it's life or death. No matter what happens, I'll return to you immediately."

"I believe you, Shuuichi-kun~" Saya whispered, cheeks faintly pink from his warmth.

"Alright already!" Rangiku said, spotting a large izakaya across the street and eagerly swinging open the cart door. "You two go handle the boring stuff—leave the fun to us!"

Before Shuuichi could even reply, Rangiku and Saya were dragging a half-recovered Muguruma Kensei off the cart to follow the parade.

Then came another voice.

"What about me? Lord Shuuichi, I—"

Nagazawa Satomi pointed at herself. It seemed Shuuichi had automatically lumped her in with Saya's group—but Satomi had hoped to accompany Kisaragi Shūsuke instead.

Not because she liked him or anything—just that Shūsuke was dumb as bricks and needed supervision.

"You're staying," Shuuichi said firmly. "I know you want to follow Shūsuke, but this mission isn't some playground scrap."

As a man who'd seen it all, Shuuichi was well aware of the little spark between Satomi and Shūsuke. But setting aside the logistics of a Shinigami-human pairing, Satomi's Fullbring and current combat capabilities weren't suited for high-stakes situations.

By contrast, Shūsuke—having undergone extensive training with Shuuichi—was far more adaptable. freeweɓnovel.cøm

"I—What are you talking about?! I don't like that idiot!" Satomi yelped, face flushing scarlet. She bolted from the cart before Shūsuke could hear anything incriminating.

Moments later, Shūsuke appeared at the door. "Lord Shuuichi, did something happen to Satomi?"

"She's just a flustered idiot, version two," Shuuichi smirked, stepping down onto the street.

Just then, a three-wheeled motorcar chugged past—inside, a man in a black suit and bowler hat, his hair shining gold.

"Lord Shuuichi! Was that... Fullbring?"

Shūsuke instinctively reached for Shuuichi, whispering urgently. Dressed in a gigai, he couldn't sense spiritual pressure from the car, but the unfamiliar contraption had put him on edge.

"Fullbring? That's a car, you dolt," Shuuichi sighed and tapped him lightly on the head.

"Ow! So... like the stuff Urahara-san makes?"

"Sort of. Kisuke's tech is way more advanced. Stuff like this is just basic human machinery."

Shuuichi led Shūsuke to a nearby trading company storefront.

In fantasy worlds, taverns were the ultimate hubs for intel. In this semi-modern world? Trading companies served the same role.

No secret was out of reach for merchants. If it hadn't been obtained, it was only because the buyer hadn't paid enough.

The street cleared as the oiran parade drifted away.

Outside the Awahara Trading Company, Shuuichi stepped through the doors—only for a finely dressed, mustached manager to rush forward.

"Lord Inugami! Your presence blesses our humble company! Tell me, does General Satō require rice? Delicacies? Sake? Or perhaps a woman of refinement?"

"...Lord what?"

Shuuichi blinked.

The man paled instantly, falling to his knees. "Forgive me! I heard General Satō call you 'Inugami-sama' the other day—I presumed—I'm an idiot, please spare me!"

He slapped his cheeks and pressed his body flat on the ground, quivering.

Shūsuke was stunned.

Shuuichi, used to playing along, casually sat down on a sofa in the corner. "I'm just here to follow up on General Satō's satisfaction. Cooperation is expected."

"'Satisfaction'? What does that—"

Shuuichi raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! Absolutely! Full cooperation, I swear!"

"Good. Now... when did the General arrive?"

"One week ago!" the manager squeaked. "You accompanied him, sir!"

"Does he come often?"

"N-no! This was his first visit—he transferred in recently."

"Obviously," Shuuichi muttered.

He leaned forward. "Now, tell me—there've been others like the General lately, right? High-status, powerful, arrogant types arriving around the same time?"

This was the gamble.

If Osaka was a setup, Tsuna wasn't the real target. What mattered were the people gathering here. If Shuuichi could extract even two or three names, he'd narrow the suspect pool immensely.

"All due respect, sir," the manager whispered. "What exactly do you mean by 'like the General'?"

Shuuichi sneered. "Who else?! Important types with strange abilities, high profiles, and the same arrogant swagger. People who arrived around the same time!"

If this wasn't a trap, he didn't care about Tsuna. Because unless Kyōraku became Head Captain, Aizen killed off the Central 46, and Yhwach steamrolled Soul Society—then none of the Visoreds would be accepted back.

Trying to curry favor with the Shiba clan? Trying to prove they were "harmless"?

All of it—wishful thinking.

But if this was a trap, it meant reinforcements were likely. One or two more Fullbringers at least. And if he could identify them, the rest would be easy to trace.

Or so he thought.

Unfortunately, Shuuichi had grossly overestimated both the intelligence of Fullbringers—and Soul Society's intel network.

The manager rattled off seven suspicious names. Two of them had literally performed "miracles" in front of the public.

For a moment, Shuuichi truly felt personally insulted.

According to the man, if he had just gone out and asked any local, they could've told him the same.

"...Right," Shuuichi exhaled. "Back to business. General Satō said your company promised a lavish gift before he left. I'm here to collect. You don't mind, do you?"

"Gift? We never—" the manager blinked.

"Hm?" Shuuichi's tone sharpened.

"Yes! Absolutely! It will be delivered immediately!" the man stammered, drenched in sweat.

"It'd better be quick," Shuuichi warned, then turned and walked out with Shūsuke.

On the street, Shūsuke finally asked the question that had been nagging at him.

"Lord Shuuichi, raising the dead... surviving fire unscathed... are those things even possible with modern science?"

Shuuichi shook his head.

If this were a purely materialist world, he'd say it was fraud.

But this was the Bleach universe.

Those "miracles" reeked of Fullbring.

Only humans—Fullbringers—would perform such stunts for attention. No real Shinigami would lower themselves to that.

"So those two are probably like Satomi?" Shūsuke asked.

Shuuichi nodded. "Find Saya and Satomi. Take her with you. You each investigate one of those miracle-workers. Habits, addresses, schedules—get it all. But under no circumstances are you to engage. If you have to abandon the mission to avoid detection, do it."

"Yes, sir!"

Shūsuke saluted and ran off.

Shuuichi, meanwhile, remained near the Awahara Company. He found a street vendor, bought some snacks, and casually took a seat.

He waited.

Soon enough, the mustached manager emerged from the building with a group of subordinates, heading off in a flurry of nervous energy.

Shuuichi watched them go, quietly intrigued.

He was very curious to meet this mysterious "Lord Inugami" who had left such an impression.