Bleach: My Zanpakutō Is the Entire Underworld

Blood soaked the withered trees. Shattered entrails littered the earth—dense and innumerable, like sins frozen upon the ground.

The slaughter had lasted a long time—over an hour—before the blood-drenched women finally calmed down. By that time, there were barely any intact corpses left.

Only flesh-mush remained, mingled with the filthy soil. The stench of blood was so thick it felt tangible, suffocating every sense.

Asano Kiyoshi looked on, his stomach churning with discomfort. And then the next scene filled his heart with an even deeper bitterness.

Some of the women, even after avenging themselves, decisively chose to bash their own heads against the walls.

Did you know? When a head strikes a wall, it's like a watermelon exploding—red and white matter spraying outward, staining the walls.

And there wasn't just one woman who chose this...

Kiyoshi wanted to stop them, but a slightly older woman held him back and said:

"They've long since died. It was only the hatred from losing loved ones that kept them going. Their bodies were already filled with resentment and unwillingness. Now that it's all gone, it's time to let them go. …Our lives may be long, but for them, life had already lost its meaning—it had become a boundless prison."

Hearing her words and seeing the peace and resolve in those who chose death, Kiyoshi opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.

Once the last of the willing had fallen, blood had nearly dyed the entire ground crimson. Kiyoshi told the remaining women to leave and then used Kidō to set fire to that place of utter despair.

It was a hell more agonizing than the real one.

As flames roared into the sky, a trace of maturity and sorrow appeared on Kiyoshi's face. Growth always came so suddenly—the silence of a father, the tears of a mother...

Most of the time, growing up only takes a moment.

Looking at the tattered clothes and gaunt faces of the remaining women, Kiyoshi's expression grew resolute. He wanted to bring change. Even if it was just a drop in the ocean for the entirety of Rukongai, even the smallest good deed or change had meaning.

As for Yamano Yajirō's case, Kiyoshi found the girl he had abducted in his quarters. He handed the now-defenseless Yajirō over to the girl to deal with herself.

He could show mercy—but she wouldn't.

After the matter was settled, Kiyoshi gathered the remaining women and temporarily housed them in the original barracks of the Yinkou group. As for food, the Yinkou group still had enough supplies to feed the women for about ten days. Within those ten days, Kiyoshi aimed to establish a foundation of authority in District 79.

During those ten days, he nearly wiped out all fugitives in the area, gathered scattered villages, and used the Yinkou base as the center of a wave of reform. He selected trustworthy people from each village for joint governance.

From food distribution and farming to security and handling of future fugitives...

Kiyoshi handled almost everything personally. It demanded not only perseverance but also a significant amount of funding. Even with resources pooled from multiple villages, a major financial gap remained.

However, on the very first day, Kiyoshi contacted the Head Captain via Tenrin Kūra (Sky-Shaking Hollow Net). The Head Captain provided him with detailed guidance, support, and even mobilized members from various Divisions to help Kiyoshi stabilize District 79.

As the old man put it:

"The security problems in the outer areas of Rukongai have always been a major issue for the Soul Society. But due to the difficulty of governance, policy complexity, lack of personnel, and inaction by Central 46, it's never been properly solved. But if you take charge, I can help with high-level coordination and guidance."

In plain terms:

"I've wanted to fix this mess for ages, but no one ever acted. Central 46 just argues and stalls. Now that you're stepping up, don't worry—I'll back you with everything I've got!"

With the old man's support, Kiyoshi's reconstruction of District 79 proceeded rapidly. In just ten days, he brought order to a lawless zone, raising its security standards to rival the first 30 districts.

Looking at the ever-changing 79th District, Kiyoshi smiled, though tiredly. He was pleased with the transformation, but also realized how difficult governance truly was.

Leaving aside everything else, just managing the financial logistics would have been impossible without the Head Captain's assistance. Otherwise, the district would have quickly reverted to its former state.

While most of Rukongai's residents could survive just by absorbing spirit particles in the air, a significant number still needed food. Feeding them, cultivating land, and establishing a proper distribution chain…

All of it overwhelmed Kiyoshi. Only now did he understand why the old man was bald. Managing just one small district wore him out, while the Head Captain handled an entire Division and dealt with nobles on top of that—his daily workload was unimaginable.

Even so, Kiyoshi had no complaints. He hadn't come into this world to live solely for himself. At the very least, if he could help others within his means, it cost him nothing. Living without compassion… was a pitiful existence.

Fortunately, once the Division 13 members dispatched by the Head Captain arrived, Kiyoshi's workload significantly eased. After handing over his responsibilities, he left District 79 and made his way to District 80—Zaraki District.

The security there was even worse. Corpses in various states of decay were everywhere. But after surviving the trials of the previous two districts, Kiyoshi had grown more resistant to such sights. Moreover, there weren't many powerful individuals left in Zaraki.

The only notable one was a former private soldier of the House of Hōjō—a man named Naobayashi Dafu.

But even his abilities weren't impressive—around the strength of a 13th seat officer. He couldn't withstand even a few rounds of Kiyoshi's Kidō and was quickly killed.

In these outermost districts of Rukongai, Hollows occasionally appeared, though they were generally weak. Kiyoshi would take out several every day.

After spending another week in Zaraki District, Kiyoshi finally completed the list of tasks assigned by the Head Captain. With his promise to Rukia and the others in mind, and after reviewing his updated status panel, he decided it was time to end his training in Rukongai.

And on that stat panel, his attributes were now worlds apart from what they had once been.

T/N: For up to 20 chapters ahead on all my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle

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