Chapter 186: Chapter 186: Saitō’s Past
(T/N: Fifth Chapter!)
The deepest part of Muken, unreachable by the innocent.
Saitō Furaofushi sat atop a rock, bored out of her mind, twirling her hair with her fingers.
Her right eye was fixed forward. As long as someone called her name within Muken, a passage would appear before her—one that, if followed, would lead directly to the caller.
"So long and still not back..." Saitō Furaofushi sighed. "Don’t tell me he tricked me?"
After she proposed the condition to exchange information, Katori Nanatsuki had left Muken, promising to bring her the items she wanted.
But after such a long wait, there was still no sign of Katori Nanatsuki.
Saitō gently touched the eyepatch over her left eye, muttering to herself:
"Then again, he snuck into Muken to begin with... maybe it just takes time to sneak in again."
"If he does come back, should I really give him my information?"
"That depends on whether what he brings is enough to satisfy me..."
Saitō Furaofushi had been in Muken for so many years that she’d long grown used to its desolate solitude.
But now that she had something to look forward to, the wait suddenly felt excruciatingly long.
On the first day, she worried that Katori Nanatsuki might not keep his word, then considered whether something had delayed him—especially with the Gate of Hell having appeared in Soul Society.
On the second day, she was sure she’d been deceived.
On the third, she started to worry again—what if Nanatsuki had been caught sneaking into Muken?
On the fourth day, Saitō finally heard someone calling her name from the darkness.
"Saitō Furaofushi."
A gentle voice echoed out.
Saitō’s head snapped up, her two large violet pigtails swaying beside her ears.
Her previously lifeless demeanor brightened; her right eye gleamed with renewed light.
She kicked her legs forward, and her small, pale bare feet stepped onto the ground.
As she heard her name, a rocky passage formed before her.
Even in the pitch-black void of Muken, she could clearly see the path.
Stepping onto the rocky trail, she soon arrived in front of Katori Nanatsuki.
In the next instant, she was pulled into his Shadow Space.
"I thought the grand instructor of the Katori-ryu Dojo was too busy with his affairs to remember what he promised me," Saitō said, arms crossed, her tone oozing sarcasm.
"Sorry," Nanatsuki replied with a smile. "What Miss Saitō asked for was a bit difficult to find."
A few days ago, Nanatsuki had come to Muken hoping to obtain intel about Hell from Saitō. She’d agreed, but only in exchange for snacks and entertainment.
Nanatsuki had accepted—but Saitō’s idea of "entertainment" turned out to be alcohol and novels.
Alcohol was easy enough. But novels? That was a bit trickier.
The library at the Shin’o Spiritual Arts Academy didn’t carry fiction. There weren’t any dedicated bookstores for novels in the Rukongai either.
There were some bookshops in the Noble District, but when Nanatsuki checked, all the novels there were noble-centric romances—which Saitō had explicitly told him to avoid.
So, like Aizen Sōsuke once did, he turned to the private libraries within noble estates.
Those ancient family archives held a broad array of genres—and Saitō’s preferred books were among them.
"Everything Miss Saitō wanted is in here," Nanatsuki said, handing her a Reishi Pocket.
Eagerly, Saitō took the pocket and began pulling things out.
She picked up a pastry and took a bite, smiling in satisfaction. "Mmm! Red bean filling... Even after all these years, this bakery hasn’t changed a bit!"
She pulled out a jar of sealed liquor, popped the lid, and took a hearty gulp. "Hahaha! Not bad at all! The ’Aozakaya’ still makes their shōchū just like they used to!"
"Pastries and shōchū, huh..." Nanatsuki commented with a smile. "Miss Saitō has truly unique tastes."
Saitō popped a glutinous rice dumpling into her mouth and declared confidently, "This is the perfect combo!"
Then she pulled out a small stone and asked, puzzled, "What’s this?"
"A little gadget I made. It glows in dark environments. Since Muken has no light, I thought you might not be able to read, so I made this for you."
Nanatsuki took the stone and pressed the top. It lit up with a soft glow.
"I’ve infused it with enough Reiatsu to keep it glowing for over a decade. If you don’t need it on, just press it again. It’s yours to use freely, Miss Saitō."
"You made something like this?" Saitō said, pleasantly surprised. "You even thought that far ahead? I’d totally forgotten I can’t see well enough to read here!"
Using the soft glow of the stone, she flipped open a novel and read a few lines.
"Hmm... not bad taste, actually..." she admitted, clearly satisfied.
"I’m glad to hear that," Nanatsuki said with a smile. "Now then, would Miss Saitō be willing to tell me about the Sound of Hell and the intel you mentioned?"
"The Sound of Hell, huh..." Saitō reluctantly set down her book and lifted the wine jar in her arms, taking a long swig. "Haa—haven’t drunk in ages. Just a little and I’m already tipsy..."
A faint flush touched her ears and cheeks, warming her usually pale complexion.
The jar she hugged was almost a third her height, creating quite the amusing contrast.
"What you want to know about the ’Sound of Hell’..." she said with a mischievous grin, "It’s actually something I once brought back from Hell."
"You’ve been to Hell, Miss Saitō?" Nanatsuki asked in surprise. Not even Batsu’unsai had mentioned this before.
Saitō took another swig. Her eyes began to glaze over slightly.
Her Reiatsu had been sealed by restraints—she couldn’t suppress her intoxication.
But even if she weren’t sealed, she wouldn’t have bothered. It had been far too long since she’d felt anything beyond loneliness.
"Yes... I’ve been to Hell."
"When I was young, I was raised by my grandmother. When she passed... I missed her terribly."
"Then, I remembered something I’d once read in a book—a rumor so old no one mentions it anymore..."
"That when powerful Shinigami die, their Soul Burial doesn’t return their Reishi to Soul Society’s soil. Instead, they’re sent to Hell."
"My grandmother was one of those powerful souls."
"And so, I set my heart on going to Hell to find her."