Help! I am bound to Aizen!

Seeing the man before him, Kaelith Yurei was startled.

The man had messy blue hair, strange white paint on his face, and deeply set eyes that made him look ghostly.

Though he didn't look quite like Kaelith remembered, he could tell that this was definitely Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

At this point, Kaelith thought Urahara Kisuke hadn't yet made his appearance, so he assumed Mayuri wouldn't have shown up either.

Unexpectedly, this guy was already a Shinigami.

Seeing Kaelith in a daze, Mayuri frowned.

"Damn it... what's the rebellion thinking, sending over two idiots?"

"No way, I can't work with fools; they'd get me killed!"

He moved to close the door.

But just as he was about to, Kaelith's hand shot out, pressing down on his wrist.

With Mayuri watching in mild surprise, Kaelith lowered his voice and said, "Don't rush off. We might look like this, but we've got the skills."

"If we get the job done, does it matter if we're fools?"

Looking down at Kaelith's hand gripping his wrist, Mayuri frowned.

Although he was a scientist, he hadn't neglected his strength.

With the power of a seated officer, he should have seen Kaelith's hand coming, but he didn't.

If this guy had gone for a vital spot instead of his wrist, he'd probably be badly injured by now...

After a moment of thought, Mayuri looked Kaelith over.

"Tch, you look clueless, but your skills are decent."

"Fine, follow me... and remember, stay close, and don't touch anything unless I tell you to!"

With that, he shook Kaelith's hand off, turned, and quickly headed into the Twelfth Division's inner area.

Kaelith gave Yoruichi a quick glance, and they slipped through the door, quietly closing it as they followed.

Yoruichi leaned in, whispering, "Kaelith, what's with this guy…? Sounds like he's waiting for the rebellion?"

Kaelith nodded. "From what he's saying, it sounds like he made some sort of deal with them to work together."

With a slight grin, he added, "Maybe he's even here for the same reason we are."

Hearing this, Yoruichi's eyes widened.

If Kaelith's guess was right, things could get seriously complicated!

Under Mayuri's guidance, the three of them easily avoided the patrols and arrived in front of a building.

Exchanging a glance, Kaelith and Yoruichi couldn't help but smile wryly.

Mayuri had led them straight to their destination: the Twelfth Division's archive!

Originally, according to Yoruichi's plan, they would've had to improvise a way to sneak into the archives after entering the Twelfth Division.

Unexpectedly, thanks to Mayuri's interference, they'd skipped the hardest step and arrived at the final point.

If it weren't for the complicated situation requiring constant vigilance, Yoruichi would have already popped open some champagne.

Standing at the archive door, Mayuri inspected the lock before turning to Kaelith and Yoruichi.

"Captain Hikifune isn't here, but before she left, she set up a spiritual pressure lock."

"To open it, we need a Lieutenant-level spiritual pressure along with a specific unlocking method."

"I can handle the unlocking, but I don't have that level of spiritual pressure. Can you manage?"

A hint of doubt showed in Mayuri's eyes.

Both Kaelith and Yoruichi were dressed in dark attire, their faces hidden.

But from their build, they both appeared quite young.

As a prodigy, Mayuri had only reached the lower ranks of a seated officer.

How could these two, who looked even younger than him, have such high spiritual pressure? Could he have been given the wrong people? Were they really sent by the rebellion?

Instinctively, Yoruichi glanced at Kaelith.

She knew the technique to unlock the door. Before coming, she had explained the setup to Kaelith, who had assured her that he could handle the spiritual pressure part.

Yoruichi had heard that Kaelith had once released Lieutenant-level spiritual pressure back at the academy. However, "Lieutenant-level" was a broad term.(t/n seems like someone purposely hid his actual level, let's see if that is true)

If Hikifune Kirio's lock required a higher threshold, it could become tricky.

Under their watchful gaze, Kaelith raised his chin confidently.

"Hmph, pretty boy, don't underestimate me." (t/n pretty?...)

"Lieutenant-level? I've killed three Shinigami of that level before!"

At these words, Mayuri's pupils constricted.

Killed three Lieutenant-level Shinigami?

Even for a rebel, that was terrifying!

Yoruichi couldn't help but smirk.

Before their first meeting, Head Captain Yamamoto had ordered a background check on Kaelith.

Forget killing, Kaelith hadn't even harmed a single soul before.

Yet, here he was, boasting without a hint of shame.

While Mayuri stood dumbfounded, Kaelith approached the door lock and took hold of it.

Buzz!

The faint glow of spiritual pressure around the lock dimmed the moment Kaelith touched it, fading entirely.

Yoruichi's eyes widened in surprise.

From the lock's reaction, Kaelith's spiritual pressure must far exceed the required level.

The lock didn't resist at all; it simply submitted under Kaelith's pressure!

She glanced up at Kaelith's face.

With a mask covering him, his expression was hidden, but judging by his eyes, he seemed calm, entirely unbothered.

Yoruichi was taken aback.

Is this guy a monster?

No wonder the Head Captain couldn't resist taking him as a disciple… How old was he now?

At this rate of growth, in a few centuries, he'd likely be the strongest Shinigami under Yamamoto.

Mayuri blinked, looking as if he'd seen a ghost.

However, he quickly composed himself and proceeded to unlock the door.

To him, Kaelith's strength wasn't of much concern.

In the face of science, individual power was like a drop in the ocean, insignificant in scale.

Upon entering the archive, Mayuri's face lit up as he saw the neatly organized rows of scrolls lining the walls.

"Perfect, everything's still here."

"Luckily, we came in time… If we'd waited until Captain Hikifune's promotion, this place would've been emptied out."

Kaelith glanced at Yoruichi.

She quickly scanned the room, her gaze landing on a scroll slot over four meters high.

She gave Kaelith a look—*That one!*

Kaelith gave a barely perceptible nod.

He adjusted his mask to conceal his face even more.

Then he asked Mayuri, "Where's the item we need?"

Mayuri waved a hand impatiently. "What's the rush? Soul Manufacturing Techniques are Captain Hikifune's greatest research accomplishment. Did you think it would be that easy to find?"

"You two wait here. Don't let anyone inside. I'll start looking now. Give me ten minutes!"

Kaelith and Yoruichi exchanged a quick look, surprise flashing in both of their eyes.

The rebels' target… was the Soul Manufacturing Technique?