DxD: Chapter 224/225

Chapter 224: Seireitei Meeting
Under the guidance of Saito Furofushi, Lynn reached the fifth level in a short time.

Upon entering the fifth floor, the scenery clearly differed from the upper levels.

The colors were more vivid. Lava flowed in many places.

Saito Furofushi crossed one arm in front of her chest while covering her nose with the other, muttering with disgust, "I really don't understand what you're doing here."

The concentration of miasma on the fifth level of hell was so high that even she struggled to endure it.

That's why she had always disliked this kind of environment.

More than that...

She shot a reluctant glance at Lynn.

She had never been able to surpass him in speed, and that fact continued to gnaw at her.

However...

That also confirmed one thing for Saito Furofushi.

Lynn was truly powerful.

On the other side.

Lynn ignored her and focused on observing the fifth floor.

The miasma surrounding him had no effect at all.

Still...

He frowned slightly.

This environment was far from suitable for the development of Hell.

Moreover...

Although the hell within the World of the Soul Reapers possessed a faint consciousness and a few basic rules...

It was still too crude.

There was no developmental potential.

Hell needed a complete overhaul.

For Lynn, this wasn't difficult.

After all, he had already gained full control over the version of Hell located in the Japan zone of the main world.

All he had to do was replicate that Hell template here.

However...

Before that, he needed to find a method to obtain sovereign control over this world's Hell.

Otherwise...

The benefits might just be absorbed by Hell's consciousness.

But...

As Lynn scanned the area, he found no specific anchor or artifact directly tied to Hell's authority.

So...

How should one go about claiming Hell's sovereignty?

Lynn stroked his chin, lost in thought.

Hmm...

Suddenly, his crimson eyes lit up.

While nothing tied directly to Hell's authority could be found...

The deeper he ventured, the more he felt a vague consciousness gradually becoming clearer.

Yes...

Hell's consciousness.

With that in mind, Lynn closed his eyes and tried to establish contact with it.

After a while...

Lynn frowned slightly.

He could sense the existence of Hell's consciousness, but connecting to it was proving difficult.

Then...

A flash of insight struck him.

Since this was the world of the Soul Reapers, it made sense to use their power to communicate.

Reiatsu.

Realization dawned on Lynn.

After recruiting Yoruichi into his Peerage, he had gained access to spiritual pressure, the energy unique to the Soul Reaper world.

However, due to his unique constitution...

Reiatsu didn't manifest as his primary energy.

That was why Saito Furofushi hadn't sensed it from him earlier.

As a devil, his main energy was magic.

Spiritual pressure was simply an attribute layered onto his existing power.

Lynn calmed himself and converted his internal energy into spiritual pressure.

The next moment...

A terrifying burst of Reiatsu exploded from the depths of Hell.

BOOM!!

A dazzling beam of light shot skyward.

It instantly tore through the thick miasma clouding Hell.

The entire realm began to quake violently.

Lying in Lynn's arms, Yoruichi's expression shifted.

This spiritual pressure was even more terrifying than the old man's!

Saito Furofushi stood frozen.

The force of the spiritual pressure whipped her long purple hair wildly.

Her oversized shihakushō flapped violently in the wind.

She stared in stunned silence at the spiraling column of energy erupting from Lynn and swallowed hard.

At that moment, Saito Furofushi no longer cared about why she hadn't sensed spiritual pressure on Lynn before.

This level of spiritual pressure...

Gulp.

The sound of swallowing echoed from her throat.

After their previous speed contest, she had already elevated Lynn's strength to a nearly mythical level in her mind.

But now...

No one had told her that this guy was more terrifying than even Yamamoto.

Had she been in Hell too long?

Had she completely lost track of the current power scale?

In this world...

When did such a monstrous figure appear?

The eruption of Lynn's spiritual pressure didn't just shake Yoruichi and Saito Furofushi.

In a distant corner of Hell...

"This... this spiritual pressure!"

His eyes were filled with fear as he clenched his fists tightly.

At the same time...

Shuren abruptly stood up from his seat, staring at the origin of the spiritual pressure with disbelief.

"What terrifying spiritual pressure..."

So...

Hell could shake.

Feeling the tremor beneath his feet, Shuren was deeply shocked.

He'd been in Hell for who knew how many years, but this was the first time he'd seen something like this.

Haa...

His breathing grew ragged.

Such a terrifying existence might actually be able to break the Gates of Hell.

Shuren's shock only lasted a few seconds before he snapped back to reality.

Escape from Hell.

That had always been his goal.

And in his estimation, the only way out was to shatter the Gates of Hell.

But...

With his power alone, that was impossible.

That was why he had always tried to rope in Saito Furofushi.

Yet...

Even with immortality, Shuren had no confidence he could break the gate.

Now, however...

Finally, someone gave him hope.

Shuren raised his hand. "Let's go. It's time we paid our respects to this mighty being who descended into Hell."

As soon as he spoke, Shuren stepped forward.

Murakumo and the others exchanged uncertain glances.

This overwhelming spiritual pressure was terrifying, but...

Would someone like that really help them break the Gates of Hell?

Doubt clouded their expressions.

In the end, it was Taikon who broke the silence. "Lord Shuren..."

He hesitated, then asked, "Would someone like that even be willing to help us?"

"Oh..."

Shuren chuckled, then replied with confidence, "Don't worry. Once I make my move, there's no goal I can't achieve!"

Murakumo's expression twitched slightly.

No unachievable goals?

Then why did Saito Furofushi reject them?

Ah...

Right. Shuren hadn't personally stepped in before.

Despite the unease, Shuren had spoken.

So, after another round of glances, the group sighed in resignation and followed him.

And that wasn't all.

The impact of Lynn's spiritual pressure eruption continued to spread.

---

Soul Society.

Connected to Hell.

Click—

The Gates of Hell, which had been silent for many years, suddenly trembled.

A thin line of data appeared across the seal.

Soon—

Thick miasma surged out.

A Soul Reaper standing guard had been half-asleep, but when he saw this, he jolted upright.

He stared at the miasma and shouted, "Quick, notify the Captain-Commander!"

Soon—

An urgent report reached Seireitei.

Inside the central building of the Gotei 13.

The captains had all gathered.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni sat at the head.

Once everyone was present, he said in a low voice, "It seems something has occurred in Hell."

"Hell?"

Hearing the word, the captains were visibly surprised.

Then their expressions turned grim.

As captains, they knew well how dangerous Hell was to the balance of the three realms.

Yamamoto Genryusai remained calm, though he was quietly pleased by their reactions.

He continued, "I intend to send a team into Hell to investigate. Who among you volunteers?"

"Hmm..."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 225: Volunteer

As Yamamoto Genryusai finished speaking.

The entire meeting room fell into brief silence.

A disturbance in Hell was undoubtedly serious.

But…

It was also troublesome.

None of the captains seemed eager to volunteer.

Except one.

"Hell, huh?"

Kenpachi Zaraki sat slouched in his seat, his expression wild. "Sounds like there might be something worth cutting down in there."

"Old man Yamamoto, just let me go!"

Yamamoto Genryusai gave him a glance, then ignored him.

He continued calmly, "No one else is volunteering?"

Kenpachi: "…"

He slapped the floor in frustration. "Hey, hey! I said I'd go!"

Kurotsuchi Mayuri let out a laugh. "You're not seriously sending a researcher like me to that kind of place, are you?"

Yamamoto didn't expect anything from him either. Instead, his eyes turned to Kyoraku Shinsui.

Kyoraku, who had been slacking off, paused for a moment. Scratching his head lazily, he replied, "Wouldn't this sort of thing be better left to the more specialized Second Division?"

After all, the cause of the incident in Hell was unclear. It made more sense to let the more professional Second Division investigate.

Of course…

All of this was just an excuse to avoid taking the mission.

Soi Fon: "…"

The new captain really had no authority.

No.

It was worse. She was stuck in a role where she couldn't speak up but was expected to work.

She wasn't as old as the veterans, but more capable than most newcomers.

Basically born to be a workhorse.

She sighed, then straightened her posture and said seriously, "In that case, I'll go."

Yamamoto Genryusai looked at her silently for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. I'll leave it to you."

Soon after, the decision was finalized.

The Second Division quickly mobilized.

Gate of Hell.

Soi Fon and her squad approached.

She frowned at the miasma surging out, then produced her mission certificate and said coldly, "Open the gate."

Clang—

Moments later, the Gates of Hell opened completely.

Whoosh—

Unhindered, the miasma poured out even more violently, like it had found an escape route.

Seeing this, Soi Fon was the first to step into the gate.

Meanwhile.

Fifth Level of Hell.

Lynn suppressed his overwhelming spiritual pressure.

He began using it to communicate directly with Hell.

Soon—

He captured a faint consciousness.

Lynn attempted to establish communication.

But...

There was no response.

"…?"

Hell's consciousness…

It didn't seem fully developed.

So…

Was all of this just its instinct?

Did it instinctively recognize Lynn as a Yama and believe he could help it develop?

Lynn smirked at the thought.

He wondered if Hell's consciousness had ever heard the phrase "letting a wolf into the house."

Then he forced his way deeper into Hell's consciousness.

Buzz—

Hell's awareness suddenly flared up, and the entire realm trembled violently.

Saito Furofushi: "?"

"What's going on?"

Her expression tensed.

Why did Hell's reaction grow even more intense after Lynn suppressed his spiritual pressure?

Hell's consciousness began resisting instinctively.

But Lynn sent it a message.

"You don't want Hell to be trapped in a corner of the world, scrounging for scraps left behind by others, do you?"

...!

Hell's awareness suddenly stilled.

The struggle ceased.

"…Really now."

Lynn looked a little surprised.

Was it that easy to convince?

He actually felt a little sorry for it.

But…

That didn't mean he'd hold back.

He seized control of Hell immediately.

However...

"Locked?"

Lynn furrowed his brow slightly.

He now had control over Hell—just not full control.

Hell's consciousness made a deal with him.

It would hand itself over completely to Lynn, but...

Only if it saw real development.

This thing…

Was sincerely devoted to Hell.

Its purity made even Lynn feel a little ashamed.

Well, briefly.

After finishing the negotiation, Lynn opened his eyes.

Saito Furofushi was right in front of him, blinking with curiosity.

Seeing him awaken, she asked, "Did you do something just now?"

Lynn nodded. "Just made a deal with Hell."

Saito Furofushi: "...?"

Hell? A deal?

She understood the words individually, but together, they didn't make sense.

A deal with Hell?

"Is that even possible?"

She was full of doubt.

She had lived in Hell for so long, yet never heard of such a thing.

Lynn tilted his head. "Could it be..."

"You're just not qualified?"

"…?"

The corner of her eye twitched. "You mean..."

"I'm not worthy?"

Lynn nodded meaningfully.

"…Haa."

Saito let out a heavy breath.

Not worthy?

Well…

It might actually be true.

Thinking of Lynn's spiritual pressure—far more terrifying than Yamamoto's—she clicked her tongue.

She had no reason to doubt him anymore.

"I didn't expect you to be that strong," she muttered in awe.

And...

She was curious.

What kind of deal had Lynn made with Hell?

Even Yamamoto and Squad Zero couldn't intervene here.

Yet the man before her had done exactly that.

Her adrenaline spiked.

This was getting interesting.

Unable to suppress her curiosity, she asked, "So, what kind of deal did you make with Hell?"

"Nothing much," Lynn replied casually. "I'll help it develop. In return, Hell will be mine."

"…?"

Ownership of Hell?

Wait a minute!

Saito's eyes widened. "Hell will belong to you?"

You develop it, and then it becomes yours?

Was that even a deal?

Why did it sound like Lynn got everything?

And Hell… agreed?

Lynn simply shrugged.

Saito was speechless.

She had a strange feeling.

Hell might not be very smart.

But despite that, it had kept her bound here all this time.

Thinking about it, she sighed deeply.

After calming herself, she asked again, "So... what are you going to do?"

Developing Hell...

She wanted in on something that interesting.

"First…"

Lynn said, "Let's shake hands."

"…?"

Saito looked confused.

Under her puzzled gaze, Lynn raised his hand and waved.

A portal instantly formed before them.

Lynn locked onto coordinates and connected to the Hell in Japan from the main world.

Soon—

Through the dimensional gate, a field of red spider lilies came into view.

In the center of the red bloom stood a small thatched hut, quietly nestled in the scene.

"…This is…"

Saito's eyes narrowed in surprise.

Beyond the portal…

It almost looked like a connection between Hell and the Soul Society.

But…

Her understanding was still limited.

That place...

Was actually another world's Hell.

Naturally, Lynn didn't explain.

At the same time.

---

Main World.

In the Hell of Japan.

Ai Enma sensed the sudden change.

The moment she saw the gate open through the field of red spider lilies, a question mark formed in her mind.

Before she could react.

She saw Lynn.

"…?"

"Lord Lynn?"

(To be continued.)