The Onmitsukidō squad leader looked hesitant when he heard Asano Kiyoshi's request. He started to say:"According to protocol, you shouldn't—"
But before he could finish, Yamamoto interrupted him, his voice firm:"He's not asking you for permission. Stay here and wait. With me here, nothing will get out of hand."
Seeing the old man's unyielding attitude, the squad leader could only lower his head and reply quietly:"Yes, sir!"
Back in the Kuchiki estate courtyard, Yamamoto immediately set up a Kido barrier. He knew that whatever Kiyoshi was about to say couldn't be overheard. Byakuya obviously understood this too, but his choice to stay meant he had silently declared he stood on Kiyoshi's side.
Once the barrier was up, Kiyoshi spoke quickly:"Old man — the biggest hole in their accusation is probably the surveillance footage from two days ago, when I went to treat Kojirō's mother. If you can, please have the 12th and 4th Divisions examine the state of the corpse — see if they can determine the exact time of death."
"Next, since the Onmitsukidō just mentioned there was residual spiritual pressure at the scene — please check with the 12th to confirm whether any devices exist that can mimic spiritual pressure. And they also mentioned 'traces at the scene' — what exactly are these traces? They probably tie back to me somehow. If possible, investigate that angle too."
"Also, I collected some intel on the Tsunayashiro family from the Grand Spirit Book Archive. You can use it as leverage to pressure them to withdraw this false charge."
"First: the 2044 Zanpakutō disappearance case. According to the archive, not long after that incident, the Tsunayashiro clan purchased a batch of ordinary textiles from West Rukongai for nearly double the market price.
"At the same time, they were buying up large quantities of calligraphy and paintings — and then selling them off in bulk. These works were bought at absurdly high prices by other nobles. If you start tracing those transactions, you'll probably find some useful threads."
"Second: the mass soul riots in 2046. At the beginning of that incident, the Tsunayashiro clan hoarded massive amounts of food in advance and then monopolized three Rukongai streets. They manipulated food prices, selling to local grain merchants for twice the market price. Those merchants refused to take a loss, so food prices skyrocketed. Since those streets are remote, it was dangerous and costly for residents to buy food elsewhere — that sparked widespread riots.
"The riots spread to almost a dozen streets. Afterward, 372 residents mysteriously disappeared. But the Tsunayashiro clan washed their hands clean. Meanwhile, black market organ trading boomed at that time..."
"There's also the 2047 East Rukongai explosion incident… the 2048 Seireitei squad violence death incident…"
One by one, Kiyoshi laid out the cases — not just dates but clues, directions for investigating, even possible solutions.
His calm, thorough analysis made Yamamoto deeply satisfied. Level-headed under pressure, with clear priorities — this is exactly how someone in power should handle a crisis.
The more dirt Kiyoshi revealed, the darker Yamamoto's expression grew. The cane in his hand creaked under the force of his tightening grip. Byakuya's face, meanwhile, flickered with surprise and realization again and again.
When Kiyoshi finished, he paused, then added:"Old man… if possible, once I'm in custody, please keep an eye on my family near Shirodōmon. And my two classmates — Yumichika and Ikkaku — their tempers are pretty fiery. They might do something reckless if they hear about this. Please have someone warn them not to act rashly. Otherwise, they'll just make things worse — they might get dragged into this mess too."
Yamamoto nodded. Byakuya added:"Don't worry — I'll handle that. The burden on the Head Captain's investigation unit will be huge. And with the speed the Gold Seal Council moves, your trial will probably be done in two to three days. That means we only have about one day to gather all this evidence. It won't be easy."
Hearing this, Kiyoshi's lips curved in a bitter smile. He'd known the pressure would be enormous — but he hadn't expected the timeline to be so tight.
Yamamoto spoke up, his voice deep and steady:"Don't worry. I'd already looked into these incidents before — we just didn't have a breakthrough point. Now that we do, it's only a matter of time before we have the evidence. I'll order the 12th and 4th Divisions to fully analyze everything to clear your name."
Byakuya continued:"I'll speak to the Shihōin and Shiba families to see if they'll join me in pushing back against the Gold Seal Council. Your relationship with Captain Shiba is good, so the Shiba side shouldn't be an issue. As for the Shihōin, they'll likely support us too — the Tsunayashiro family overstepped badly by bypassing the Shihōin and directly commandeering other nobles' Onmitsukidō. That alone is a major insult — they've basically marked you as someone they must kill now."
Kiyoshi understood. He had the "Ōin" now — that was enough to drive the Tsunayashiro clan mad. They'd never let him live.
But questions still lingered in his mind: Did the Tsunayashiro clan know he'd acquired the Ōin? If they'd really wanted him dead, why not kill Kojirō earlier? That would've guaranteed Kiyoshi couldn't enter the Grand Spirit Book Archive — so why wait two days? What other game were they playing?
Seeing Kiyoshi's troubled expression, Yamamoto reassured him:"Don't overthink it. You'll be taken to the Central 46's holding cells next. They know how serious this is — they won't harm you. Cooperate fully and keep your mouth shut as much as possible. Leave the rest to us. It's nothing — I'm just aiming for maximum results!"
Hearing the old man's unwavering confidence, Kiyoshi felt a little more at ease. He exhaled, long and slow, watching the Kido barrier gradually dissipate as the Onmitsukidō approached him again. His heart stirred with complex emotions.
T/N: For up to 30 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle