DxD: Chapter 222/223

Chapter 222: Hell
Although she found it hard to fully understand, Shirona Kuraki still replied respectfully and without hesitation, "The Lion King Organization will compile all the relevant information regarding the Flame Feast and send it to you later."

Seeing this, Lynn gave a light hum and then dispelled the illusion.

Even though the Lion King Organization had no shortage of talented individuals, Lynn wasn't in a rush.

What belonged to him would eventually be his.

As Lynn's figure faded, Shirona Kuraki finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Koyomi Shizuka also adjusted her glasses, easing the tension in her body.

Dealing with someone of that level was truly terrifying...

But...

After this event, the Lion King Organization...

It looked like they'd inevitably be labeled as Lynn's affiliates.

After all...

Once the Flame Feast ended, the Lion King Organization would be known for helping Lynn collect intelligence. It wasn't something that could be hidden.

Thinking of that, Shirona and Koyomi exchanged glances and saw the helplessness reflected in each other's eyes.

Suddenly,

A soft clinking sound broke the silence, drawing their attention.

The Snowdrift Wolf Schneewalzer stood still like a withered plant after frost, its blade quietly planted into the ground. The liveliness it displayed earlier when Lynn had appeared had completely vanished.

Yukina: "…"

Yukari looked at the Snowdrift Wolf with interest and murmured, "The Snowdrift Wolf…"

"It feels like it's become more spiritual."

Could it be because of Lynn?

Yukari instinctively ruled out Yukina as the cause.

As a master, she knew her apprentice too well.

Thanks to this interruption, Shirona and Koyomi temporarily pushed aside some of their worries and turned their attention toward where Dimitrie Vatler had vanished.

Shirona said with concern, "If Dimitrie Vatler dies here, won't the War King make a move?"

Yukari shrugged. "So what? If he's got the guts, let him try talking to Lord Lynn."

"…Right."

Shirona blinked, then thought about it again. That made sense?

Anyway, they now served Lord Lynn. If the sky falls, someone taller will hold it up.

Thinking from that perspective...

It didn't seem so bad working under Lynn?

At the very least...

When facing powerful forces, the Lion King Organization could rely on Lynn's influence.

Of course, that was only if they did everything Lynn instructed properly.

Shirona clapped her hands. "Alright. Our next mission is to gather all the information on the Flame Feast!"

Yukari rubbed her chin and said hesitantly, "I remember…"

"There's still one body that hasn't awakened, right?"

Koyomi nodded. "Yeah, No. 12's resting place is still unknown."

"But…"

She thought of Dimitrie Vatler.

Since he'd personally approached the Lion King Organization about hosting the Flame Feast, that meant...

"The Warlord already knows the location of No. 12."

Koyomi looked confident.

Shirona curled her lips. "Looks like we'll still have to deal with that old guy."

But…

At least they had a lead now.

The three of them discussed it a bit more before remembering Himeragi Yukina.

Shirona looked at Yukina and asked cautiously, "Yukina, you now…"

She wanted to ask about the changes in Yukina.

Why had her power surged so much all of a sudden? And…

Why had the Snowdrift Wolf changed too?

Yukina remained silent for a moment before answering apologetically, "I'm sorry. I need to ask Master Lynn first."

Shirona paused, then nodded with a complicated expression. "That's reasonable…"

---

The World of the Soul Reapers.

After receiving Yukina's message, Lynn responded indifferently, "Whatever."

It was a good opportunity for them to realize the benefits of becoming a peerage member.

After replying to Yukina, Lynn observed Kikyo and the others' actions in Hueco Mundo for a while, then returned to reality.

There was something he needed to settle.

"Hell, huh?"

Lynn went to find Kisuke Urahara and requested access to Hell.

Though Urahara Kisuke was surprised, he still used the stabilizer to open the gate to Hell.

Whoosh—

As the portal opened, an eerie chill gushed out.

Looking into Hell, Lynn inwardly confirmed what he had sensed before.

Ever since arriving in the World of the Soul Reapers, he had vaguely felt an inexplicable pull.

And Lynn knew very well, this pull came from Hell.

Was it because of his identity as Yama?

He had a faint guess.

Without hesitation, he stepped into the gate of Hell.

Seeing this, Yoruichi turned into a black cat and leapt into Lynn's arms. "Since Master is new to this world, let me guide you."

She was quite curious about Lynn's reason for heading to Hell.

Urahara Kisuke: "?"

A guide?

If it were the Soul Society, then sure, Yoruichi was reliable.

But...

Hell?

Even he had rarely visited that place, let alone Yoruichi.

Lynn glanced down at her without saying anything, then continued forward through the gate.

Buzz—

The moment he stepped into Hell,

A streak of white light flooded his vision, making his eyes sting slightly.

Clang—

The crisp sound of metal clashing echoed in his ears, gradually approaching.

Yoruichi blinked, her blurry vision slowly adjusting.

Then,

What came into view was a space filled with white blocks. On them stood chained figures, staring lifelessly at Lynn.

"These are…"

Yoruichi narrowed her eyes.

"Sinners."

Lynn gave them a brief glance. He didn't sense any powerful presences.

He took another step forward, heading deeper into Hell.

Then the sinners suddenly moved.

Yoruichi tensed instinctively.

But…

Their actions weren't what she expected.

Instead of attacking—

They all knelt down?

As if…

They were worshiping their king?

Yoruichi blinked again, doubt flashing in her eyes.

Lynn paused and watched them with interest.

At the same time,

A wave of information flooded into his mind.

After a few seconds, clarity appeared in Lynn's gaze.

"So that's how it is…"

Because of his identity as Yama, Hell had recognized him.

That's why this scene was happening.

Lynn hadn't expected his Yama identity to have influence in other worlds too.

As he thought...

It was because of that identity that he had drawn Hell's attention.

But...

Lynn chuckled to himself.

Hell's consciousness had a nice little plan, wanting him to work for it?

That wasn't why he came here.

He hadn't come to be acknowledged.

Lynn...

Came to take control of Hell.

He ignored the sinners and kept walking deeper.

First floor.

Second floor.

All the way to the fourth floor.

Along the way,

He and Yoruichi encountered all sorts of strange sinners.

The deeper they went, the more twisted and corrupt the sinners appeared.

Aside from the blame beings, they also saw Hell's guardians—giant skeletal creatures with massive bodies.

But without exception,

Every one of them knelt in reverence upon seeing Lynn, as if welcoming their king's return.

But Lynn knew better.

It was all an illusion created by Hell itself.

Lynn curled his lips. "So you really want me to work for you?"

Suddenly.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion interrupted him.

Lynn stopped, turning toward the source of the sound.

Soon, a figure wearing a black cloak flew toward him in retreat.

Coincidentally, they landed right in Lynn's path.

With a gentle wave of Lynn's hand,

The cloaked figure froze in midair, then dropped like a rock!

Bang!

They slammed into the white ground with a loud crash!

Immediately after.

A petite figure appeared, walking toward Lynn from the distance.

"Oh?"

Seeing Lynn, she let out a surprised sound, then grinned widely.

"Haha, two interesting newcomers have come to this boring place!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 223: Saito Furofushi

Lynn raised his eyes and saw a petite figure.

She wore a Shinigami uniform with a sleeveless red captain's haori, had purple twin ponytails, and a black eyepatch over her left eye.

She carried a blade on her shoulder, exuding a fierce and arrogant aura.

However…

Around her ankles were chains like those used on sinners, indicating her current status.

Upon seeing this face, the golden vertical pupils of Yoruichi in Lynn's arms widened abruptly.

"Sai—Captain Saito?"

"Hm?"

At the mention of her name, Saito Furofushi narrowed her eyes and looked toward the figure in Lynn's arms.

"Hohoho~ Looks like we've got a little junior from Seireitei…"

Yoruichi had never imagined she'd run into a former captain-level figure in Hell.

However…

This captain didn't have a great reputation back in Seireitei…

Yoruichi's expression turned somewhat solemn.

Saito glanced at Yoruichi, sensed her spiritual pressure, then turned her attention to Lynn.

This man…

She couldn't detect any spiritual pressure from him, but…

There was an overwhelming sense of danger.

Also…

Saito carefully examined both Lynn and Yoruichi.

Hmm…

No chains…

Saito narrowed her eyes slightly, stuck out her tongue, and grinned wickedly. "You…"

"Did you enter Hell voluntarily?"

Lynn ignored her, scanning the surroundings, then asked, "Are you the only Soul Reaper in Hell?"

"Tch."

Annoyed by being ignored, Saito sheathed her sword and responded coldly, "There are plenty of Soul Reapers in Hell, but…"

"Not many are as friendly as me~"

Lynn nodded slightly at her words.

"Hey!"

Saito suddenly called out, "I answered your question, now it's your turn to answer mine."

Lynn shrugged. "Whether I came here voluntarily or not… don't you already know?"

Saito pursed her lips.

Although she'd already guessed it based on the absence of chains, she still wanted confirmation.

"Ahem!"

Suddenly—

A man in a tattered nightgown rose from the ground.

He was hunched over and coughing up blood.

Lynn: "…"

Even someone in Hell can cough up blood?

Saito looked down at him and smirked. "Not bad, you're pretty durable."

Upon hearing that, the man coughed up more blood, then glared at Saito with bloodshot eyes.

"Saito, don't go too far!"

"Master Shuren sincerely invited you to join us in something great, and you actually—!"

He had been beaten to a pulp, his face now swollen and unrecognizable.

Just remembering it made his face twitch with fury.

"Something great?"

Saito snorted. "You mean trying to break free from the shackles of Hell…"

These fools were so naive…

If it were that easy, why hasn't anyone escaped Hell in the thousands of years since it was created?

A bunch of short-sighted idiots.

Still…

If she could escape Hell, she'd be more than happy.

After all…

Hell was beyond boring.

But…

She definitely wouldn't cooperate with someone like Shuren to do it.

"You'd better tell Shuren to give up. Do you think your strength is enough to destroy the Gates of Hell?"

Saito scoffed in disdain.

"But damn it!"

Murakumo clenched his teeth in frustration, only for Saito to swing her blade without hesitation and kill him again.

However—

Saito shook her head and muttered, "This damn Hell, not even killing someone feels satisfying."

Because of Hell's nature, souls trapped here could resurrect indefinitely.

Even if she killed him a hundred times, he would reappear like nothing happened.

After handling him, Saito turned her gaze back to Lynn with renewed curiosity.

This man had entered Hell of his own will.

She wanted to know his purpose.

And more importantly…

From the moment she laid eyes on him, Hell had started warning her about something.

It was only thanks to her immense spiritual pressure that she could suppress that feeling.

This man…

He seemed to be connected to Hell in some way?

That only made Saito more interested.

Ah~

Was something finally going to break the monotony of this place?

Saito was thrilled, an evil grin forming as she licked her lips.

Yoruichi: "…"

No wonder this woman has such a terrible reputation.

"Hey!"

Saito raised her Zanpakutō and asked, "What's your name?"

"Lynn," he replied calmly.

"Lynn…"

Saito repeated the name softly, then smiled. "This must be your first time in Hell, right?"

Lynn didn't confirm or deny it.

"In that case…"

"Let me be your guide through Hell!"

Yoruichi: "?"

Why does that sound so familiar?

Lynn gave Yoruichi a strange look, then nodded. "Alright. I'm heading to the fifth level."

Hmm…

Saito had been in Hell for a while, so she was probably more reliable than Yoruichi in this place.

Besides…

Lynn glanced at the flickering [Evil Piece] and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Well…

She was a peerage-worthy talent. Letting her go would be a waste.

After getting his answer, Saito chuckled, used Flash Step, and instantly moved far ahead of him.

"I'm fast, don't fall behind~"

She wanted to test Lynn's strength.

"Is that so?"

Suddenly, Lynn's voice echoed in Saito's ear.

Her smile froze. Before she realized it, Lynn was standing right in front of her.

He smiled. "Coincidentally, I know a bit about speed too."

Looking at Lynn's calm face, Saito gritted her teeth.

This guy was definitely messing with her, wasn't he?

She refused to believe it and used Flash Step again to increase the distance.

But…

The result was the same!

No matter how many times she moved first, Lynn always appeared in front of her before she even noticed.

Saito bit her lip.

Her instincts were right.

This guy…

Was seriously strong!

Things were getting more and more interesting!

Even though she was surprised by Lynn's speed, she admitted inwardly that she couldn't keep up.

But…

That didn't mean she would give up.

With stubborn determination, she used Flash Step again, pushing to win the next round.

And so…

In Hell.

The two figures moved one after the other, heading deeper into the abyss.

At the same time—

The fifth level of Hell.

A lava field.

"Blub blub—"

Suddenly, bubbles rose from the magma, and soon, Murakumo's figure emerged.

He climbed up with a frustrated expression.

"Killed again?"

Suddenly—

A gloating voice rang out.

Murakumo looked up to see a plump man in pink.

"Taikon, why are you here again?"

Taikon ignored the question and simply said, "Let's go. Lord Shuren has been waiting for you."

After a short while—

Murakumo was brought before Shuren.

Shuren didn't seem surprised to see Taikon bring Murakumo back.

He just sighed in his heart.

Another failure…

Saito Furofushi refused again.

Why?

Wouldn't it be better to work together to escape Hell?

Seeing the melancholy on Shuren's face, Murakumo suddenly spoke. "Lord Shuren, although Saito Furofushi refused to join us this time…"

He thought of the man who had appeared earlier.

"There might be a new development in Hell."

Shuren paused and turned his gaze to Murakumo, raising his eyebrows. "Explain."

"Yes."

Murakumo lowered his head and described Lynn's appearance and traits.

At first, Shuren didn't care.

But—

The moment he heard that Lynn had no chains on, his eyes lit up.

No chains…

(To be continued.)