Chapter 160: Aristocrat District

Chapter 160: Aristocrat District

Mansions, high-class restaurants, and exclusive establishments lined the roads leading into the eastern sixth ward — the aristocratic district. Inaccessible to the commoners without an invitation or formal authorization, this district was among the most protected places in the Soul Society.

Along one such prestigious road, a group of six figures made their way. At the forefront, two formidable Shinigami, embodying the ideal of stoic bodyguards, cleared the path. Following closely were Ginrei Kuchiki and his grandson Byakuya, dignified and composed, epitomizing aristocratic pride. Accompanying them were two aspiring Shinigami from Rukongai, and trailing the group silently was a cat with glistening black fur.

Byakuya maintained his usual serene façade, but a rare glimmer of agitation flickered in his eyes — a result of the silver-haired youth's interactions with his sister-in-law, who bore a strong resemblance to his wife.

“Rukia, your legs look shaky. Let me carry you.”

“Rukia, you’re about to fall.”

“Hey, do you think I can’t carry you?”

“Rukia, why aren’t you saying anything?”

Each remark from Kazuya tinted Rukia’s cheeks a deeper shade of red. Kazuya, relishing the moment, was inwardly grateful for the absence of Toshiro, Momo, and Renji. There was no one to interrupt his playful teasing of Rukia, allowing him to go all out.

Finally reaching her limit, Rukia swung her fists, hitting nothing but empty air. “Leave me alone!”

“But we’re friends,” Kazuya responded smoothly, effortlessly lifting her onto his shoulder. “A good friend shares in burdens, while a great one carries them. I consider myself a great friend.”

Elevated to this new vantage point, Rukia found herself looking down at Byakuya rather than up, a refreshing reversal that made her reconsider her annoyance.

“Enjoying the view, huh?”Thê source of this content n/o/v/(el)bi((n))

“Your voice,” Rukia said, frowning slightly. “I know that for a fact you use it to seduce women.”

“I don’t need it to seduce women. My charm is enough to melt any heart.”

Rukia ruffled his hair. “It sounds like pure bullcrap, but I don’t feel like you’re lying.”

His unwavering confidence had a big effect on her judgment. It wasn't blind confidence — it stemmed from his close relationship with Tier and others.

“Because I’m telling the truth.”

Rukia crossed her arms. “There’s a girl who is deeply in love with you. What are the odds of you quitting your playboy life and getting into a serious relationship with her?”

“Like serious serious?”

He closed his eyes, pulling his lips in a slight smirk. “Fools mock the king’s ambition, not knowing it’s the seed of greatness. I was born in this world to be a king.”

{Wrong. You were born to be a god.}

His dignified voice convinced Rukia that his ambition wasn’t foolish and arrogant, and his real ambition was beyond his hedonism. Recalling Momo’s words about him using those women to achieve his goal further solidified her impression.

“I give up,” Rukia yielded to his sweet talk. “I tried my best. It’s between you and Momo now.”

He acknowledged her concession with a nod, then turned his attention back to Byakuya. “That estate we saw earlier — who owns it? Care to indulge the curiosity of the man who outdid you in Shunpo?”

“The head of the Five Great Noble Clans,” Byakuya spoke coldly, disdain dripping in his voice. “Tsunayashiro Clan.”

Kazuya’s eyebrow arched in genuine surprise. “Who?”

The nobles usually came to boast to him about their clans, but no Tsunayashiro had done so. He didn’t even know a clan named Tsunayashiro existed within the Soul Society.

Rukia gave his ear a quick pinch. “Didn’t your Sensei teach you about the Five Great Noble Clans?”

“I nap during lectures.”

Rukia couldn’t help but let out a weary sigh. Without the presence of Momo and Renji, his playful approach to everything clashed with her typically serious demeanor. “Listen, the Tsunayashiro Clan is the most influential family. They are kind of crazy.”

“How so?”

“They,” Rukia trailed her voice intentionally. “They kill their weak members in the name of ‘survival of the fittest.’”

“What an extreme motto.”

“I heard that their clan Zanpakutō, Enrakyōten, is very powerful. It’s also cursed. No one in the family uses it.”

{The curse is nothing to us for we are a walking plague.}

‘No, I am the storm that is approaching.’

{Hoooold up, Partner. Did you cut your hair short because you wanted to cosplay Vergil?}

‘Ahem. Maybe?’