— — — — — —
Lynn looked up—and saw a small figure appear before him.
Dressed in the standard Shinigami uniform, with a sleeveless, red-lined captain's haori.
Her dark pink hair was tied into twin tails that reached her hips, which bounced slightly as she moved, and a black eyepatch covered her left eye.
A zanpakutō rested casually on her shoulder, and her expression screamed cocky and dangerous.
But around her ankle hung a thick chain—similar to those worn by the damned—hinting at her current situation.
The moment she came into view, Yoruichi's golden, vertically-slit pupils widened in shock.
"C-Captain Saito?!"
Yoruichi had recognized her—Furōfushi Saitō, the very first captain of the 6th Division.
"Hm?"
At the mention of that name, Saito the Undying's eyes sharpened and turned toward Lynn.
"Well, well~ A little junior from the Seireitei…"
Yoruichi hadn't expected to run into someone who once held a captain's rank—especially not down here in Hell.
But this captain didn't exactly have the best reputation back in the Seireitei.
Saito gave Yoruichi a quick glance, felt her Reiatsu… then shifted her focus to Lynn.
She couldn't sense any reiatsu from Lynn. And yet… there was something about him. Something dangerous.
Saito looked more carefully at both Lynn and Yoruichi.
No chains?
She narrowed her eyes, her tongue flicking out slightly in amusement.
"You two…"
"You must've come to Hell willingly, huh?"
Lynn ignored her question, glancing around instead. "Are you the only Shinigami here in Hell?"
"Tch."
Not liking being ignored, Saito sheathed her blade and grumbled, "There's plenty of Shinigami down here. But…"
"Ones as easy to talk to as me? Pretty rare~"
Lynn nodded slightly at that.
"Hey!"
Saito suddenly cut in, "I answered your question. Shouldn't you answer mine?"
Lynn shrugged. "You already figured it out, didn't you?"
Saito pouted a little.
She had guessed it when she noticed they weren't bound in chains—but still wanted confirmation.
"Agh, dammit!"
Suddenly, a man who had been lying on the ground coughed and struggled to his feet.
He bent over, spitting up blood.
Lynn: "…"
Dude's literally in a soul in Hell, and he's still coughing up blood?
Saito smirked and looked down at him. "Not bad. You can take a beating."
Hearing that, the guy coughed out another mouthful of blood. Glaring at her, he growled, "Saito, don't be ungrateful!"
"Lord Shuren personally invited you to join his grand plan—and you dare…!"
Beat the crap out of me like this?!
His face flushed with humiliation at the thought.
{He was Gunjo, a member of Togabito (Sinners) led by Shuren.}
"A 'grand plan,' huh?"
Saito scoffed. "Isn't that just a fancy way of saying 'escape Hell'?"
These idiots… They have no idea what they're dealing with.
If it were really that easy, why hasn't a single soul escaped from Hell in over a thousand years?
Blind fools, all of them.
Not that she wouldn't like to leave this boring place…
But there was no way in Hell—literally—that she'd team up with someone like Shuren.
"Tell Shuren to give up. You lot think you can break the Gates of Hell with that level of power?"
Saito sneered.
"You bitch!"
Saito casually drew her blade and killed him on the spot.
But she sighed and shook her head. "Ugh. This damn Hell. Even killing people doesn't feel satisfying."
Thanks to the rules of Hell, souls here can revive infinitely.
Even if she chopped this guy to pieces a hundred times, he'd just reappear again eventually—good as new.
With that nuisance dealt with, Saito turned her attention back to Lynn, clearly intrigued.
A man who willingly entered Hell?
What was he after?
And ever since she saw him… she'd felt something strange. Almost like Hell itself was trying to warn her.
But with her overwhelming Reiatsu, she could mostly ignore that.
Still, there was something about this man—like he shared a connection with Hell itself.
That only made her more curious.
After so long in this hellhole, maybe something fun was finally about to happen?
Saito was visibly excited, her tongue flicking out playfully and a twisted smile creeping across her face.
Yoruichi: "…"
Yeah. That reputation? Deserved.
"Hey!"
Saito hoisted her zanpakutō onto her shoulder and asked, "What's your name?"
"Lynn," he answered calmly.
"...Lynn."
She repeated it. Then smiled. "This your first time in Hell?"
Lynn didn't bother confirming or denying.
"In that case…"
"Why don't I be your guide through Hell?"
Yoruichi: "…?"
Why did that line sound so damn familiar?
Lynn gave her a strange look, then turned back to Saito and nodded. "Sure. I was planning to head to the fifth level anyway."
Yeah, Saito had obviously been in Hell for a while, and frankly, she seemed way more reliable than Yoruichi in this setting.
Besides, Lynn's eyes flicked toward the glowing [Devil's Piece] in his interface.
This woman could be a real asset. No way he was letting her slip away.
Saito grinned, clearly pleased with the answer. She disappeared in a Shunpo (flash step), quickly widening the distance between them.
"I'm fast—try to keep up, okay~?"
She also took the chance to test his strength.
"Oh?"
Suddenly, Lynn's voice rang in her ear.
Saito froze mid-step—only to realize Lynn was already standing in front of her, casually smiling.
Looking at that calm face of his, Saito clenched her teeth.
Refusing to back down, she used Shunpo again—trying to put some distance between them.
But— Same result.
No matter how fast or early she moved, Lynn was always ahead of her.
Saito bit her lip.
Her instincts had been right.
This guy was strong. Really strong.
And that just made things even more interesting.
Sure, she was a bit shaken by his speed—and yeah, she could tell she wasn't quite on his level.
But giving up? Not her style.
She stubbornly Shunpoed again, determined to win at least one round.
— — —
Meanwhile, on the fifth level of Hell.
A field of molten lava bubbled and churned.
Blub… blub…
Suddenly, bubbles rose in one section of magma—then Gunjo's head burst out.
He climbed up, battered and miserable.
"Gunjo, you were killed again?"
Gunjo looked up to see a pudgy man with a smug grin.
"Taikon?"
Taikon didn't respond. He just said, "Come on. Lord Shuren has been waiting."
...
Seeing Taikon bring him back, Shuren didn't look surprised.
He just sighed inwardly.
Another failure.
Why had Saito rejected him again?
He really didn't get it.
Wasn't escaping Hell a good thing for all of them?
Sensing his master's frustration, Gunjo suddenly spoke up. "Lord Shuren, we have failed to recruit Saito, and…"
He remembered that man.
"There might be a new player in Hell."
Shuren's eyes sharpened slightly.
"Go on," he said.
"Yes, sir."
Gunjo lowered his head and began describing Lynn's features.
At first, Shuren didn't think much of it.
But—
When he heard that Lynn bore no chains of Hell… A sharp gleam lit up in his eyes.
"No chains!"
.
.
.