Chapter 304: Interrogation

"Bambietta-san, Candice-san, are you going to tell me what I want to know now?"

Masatsuki Aozaki paused for a moment, dragging out his words before smiling and continuing,

"Or should Roka-san use a few tricks to help you speak?"

Roka remained silent, wordlessly opening the suitcase she had brought with her. Her demeanor was utterly cold.

And that, more than anything, made Bambietta and Candice tremble.

As members of the Sternritter, they were beings of high status in the Wandenreich—second only to His Majesty the Emperor and the Schutzstaffel.

Even from a young age, when they first displayed their extraordinary Quincy talents, their lives had already diverged from those of ordinary people.

They were the kind of prodigies people revered.

Raised in luxury, they had lived privileged lives for centuries.

Had they ever experienced anything like this before?

Candice was relatively strong-willed, at least managing to regain her composure—on the surface.

It would have been more convincing if her eyes hadn't instinctively avoided his gaze.

Bambietta's reaction, on the other hand, was far more telling.

Her entire body trembled uncontrollably.

The man standing beside her, Masatsuki Aozaki, and the emotionless woman before her...

To her, they might as well have been demons.

Her wonderful life had only just begun.

Why was this happening to her?!

She felt like she was about to break down completely.

But the moment she thought of her majestic Emperor, fear gripped her, and she forced herself to shake her head.

"Well... you might as well kill me. I won't give in."

"Even if I die, I won't tell you anything."

She was a Quincy of the Wandenreich, trained by the empire since childhood.

Her education had instilled in her a single truth—

Yhwach was a great and sacred existence to the Quincy.

She had always believed this.

And it was that belief, along with her desire for a better life, that led her to join the Sternritter.

Through years of indoctrination, Bambietta had come to understand not only the overwhelming power of His Majesty but also the sheer terror he inspired.

The Quincy existed because of their king—their very lives and deaths were his to command.

To betray His Majesty meant only one thing—certain death.

And even that wasn't the worst of it.

Once her soul returned to Yhwach, she would be subjected to endless torment and suffering.

One way or another, she was going to die.

She just hoped it would be an easier death.

Hearing this, Masatsuki Aozaki nodded slightly, his face still wearing a smile.

"You've got quite a stubborn mouth," he said. "But I believe the tools in Roka-san's hands will have you talking soon enough."

Masatsuki understood Bambietta well.

She didn't seem like the type to endure for long.

Masatsuki Aozaki slowly stood up and instructed Roka,

"These two girls are yours to handle."

"Roka, I'll give you three days. I want a detailed report on the Wandenreich."

He emphasized,

"At the very least, you need to interrogate them about their personnel structure and individual abilities."

"And I need information on the hidden forces of the Wandenreich. I want to know what cards they're keeping in the shadows."

After a brief pause, he seemed to realize that simply giving orders wasn't enough—some extra motivation might be necessary.

"If you fail the task... then I'll have to punish you severely."

"This..."

Roka had been ready to accept the order, but that last sentence made her hesitate.

Masatsuki narrowed his eyes at her.

"What's wrong? Do you have an issue with it?"

Roka glanced at him. Her expression gradually returned to calm, and she shook her head.

"No."

Masatsuki nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Don't worry—I won't overlook your contributions."

"If you complete the task successfully, I'll grant you any reasonable request within my power."

A flicker of surprise crossed Roka's eyes before she tilted her head slightly, her gaze thoughtful.

"Then, Masatsuki-sama, may I begin? Should I take them to Hueco Mundo?"

Masatsuki looked at her, then after a moment of silence, said,

"No need. Here is fine. You can use any cell you like."

With that, he shot her a glance, signaling that she could start.

Roka nodded, her lips curling into an eerily mechanical smile before she turned to face Bambietta and Candice.

As the two Quincy girls stared at her in growing despair, Masatsuki turned and left the cell.

A wave of cold dread washed over them.

Roka approached, grabbed Bambietta by her clothes, and dragged her to a separate cell.

She opened the door and tossed her inside.

Bambietta hit the ground with a sharp cry of pain.

Then, without hesitation, Roka picked up Candice and threw her into another cell just as effortlessly.

...

When Masatsuki stepped out of the dungeon, he found Nemu Kurotsuchi waiting for him. She glanced at him and asked,

"I didn't expect Masatsuki-sama to have connections in Hueco Mundo. Who was that just now? The one wearing a mask—was it a Hollow?"

Masatsuki shook his head, making no attempt to conceal the truth.

"That was an Arrancar—Hollows that have evolved."

His gaze fell on the girl before him, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes.

"But let's not talk about that. Nemu, what are you doing here?"

Nemu gave a faint smile.

"I came to see if you needed any assistance… and to bring you some food."

She gestured toward the pile of supplies behind her.

Masatsuki studied the ever-thoughtful girl.

He had promised to make it up to her, but he had been so caught up in things that most of the day had already slipped away.

At least today was a rest day—they still had time.

...

As morning light bathed Soul Society, its golden radiance drove away the lingering shadows of the night.

A man and two women strolled leisurely along the road, having set out from Sōkyoku Hill.

Leading the group was Masatsuki Aozaki, accompanied by his personal secretary, Nemu Kurotsuchi, and Aura Michibane, whom he had specially brought back from the 12th Division.

The reason was simple—he had just stirred up a storm in the Wandenreich and even taken some of their people.

With Hisana and the others living in his home, there was a risk they could be targeted.

If Aura stayed with them, she could serve as their protector.

Despite her young age, Aura was the third strongest among all of Masatsuki's lovers.

The first, of course, was Retsu Unohana. Her current power was terrifying—her Reiatsu had reached the absolute peak of what a Shinigami could achieve.

Without even needing to use Hollowfication, she had already surpassed her former rival, Kenpachi Zaraki.

Second in strength was Rangiku Matsumoto.

Her Reiatsu had reached the First-Class Spirit Level.

Her Zanpakutō, Yuhime, was officially recognized by Seireitei as the most powerful among wind-element Zanpakutō.

And then there was Aura Michibane, whose strength earned her the third rank.

Aizen himself had personally acknowledged her abilities.

Her proficiency in Kidō alone was already on par with what Aizen had been capable of before fusing with the Hōgyoku.

And when it came to Kidō, Aizen was practically untouchable.

Since his Zanpakutō lacked direct combat abilities, he had delved deeply into Kidō, mastering it to a terrifying degree.

Back in his Shinigami days, he had been able to defeat most Captains using Kidō alone.

That was why Masatsuki had decided—

Rather than leaving Aura in the crowded and overly scrutinized Shinigami Research and Development Institute, it was better to build her a lab at home.

At least there, she would be surrounded by allies, and if anything went wrong, there would always be someone to step in.

A gentle breeze, carrying the faint scent of earth, rippled across the river's surface.

The three of them—handsome and elegant—strolled down the road, chatting and laughing as if they were on a carefree outing.

They reminisced about the past, sharing family anecdotes and playful banter.

At one point, Aura even brought up Rukia.

With a smug grin, she boldly declared that she would find Rukia a good match—she couldn't just let her fall into Masatsuki's hands.

It was obviously a joke, but if Rukia heard it, she would definitely be furious.

Masatsuki, walking ahead of them, made no comment.

Instead, he simply reached out, silently taking both their hands, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Decades had passed since he took them in.

They had grown.

He had heard countless remarks like this over the years.

Bold statements like Aura's were nothing new—just playful banter between sisters.

There was no need to take them seriously.

...

"Masatsuki, you haven't forgotten what day it is the day after tomorrow, have you?"

Back at home, watching Rukia swinging her Zanpakutō, Aura folded her arms and asked.

"That…"

Masatsuki nodded, his tone light.

"Of course I haven't forgotten."

He smiled and added,

"Don't worry—I've already sent someone to prepare the perfect gift."

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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