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The Hill of Sōkyoku lay quiet beneath the fading light.
In the districts of Seireitei, healers and soldiers moved with relentless urgency. The aftermath was everywhere—collapsed walls, shattered tiles, smoke curling from the ruins.
The Fourth Division's main medical hall was overflowing. Beds filled the space wall to wall, and the air reeked of antiseptic and blood. Medics darted from patient to patient, their faces drawn with exhaustion. Across the Court of Pure Souls, squads labored to clear debris, repair streets, and tend to the wounded. The scale of destruction promised weeks—if not months—of restoration.
Within the First Division headquarters, a smaller but heavier battle was underway.
The wide meeting room, known informally as the Office of Six-Ten, felt emptier than ever. At the head sat Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, unmoving, his expression carved from stone. Only five captains stood to either side: Kyōraku Shunsui, Ukitake Jūshirō, Zaraki Kenpachi, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, and Unohana Retsu. Six in total—including the Head Captain—less than half the Gotei Thirteen's full strength.
Three captains—Hitsugaya Tōshirō, Komamura Sajin, and Kuchiki Byakuya—lay in critical condition. Three others had committed outright treason. Even Su Li, the central figure of the recent clash, was not yet in the room. The silence pressed down on them all.
"Enter," Yamamoto's voice broke the stillness.
The great doors opened.
A young man strolled in, hands clasped behind his back, a smile soft as spring wind on his face.
Su Li.
The captains' reactions were mixed. Unohana's lips curved faintly, her eyes narrowing in quiet amusement. Kyōraku smirked and tipped his hat, eyes gleaming. Ukitake greeted him with a nod and gentle warmth. Zaraki and Mayuri scowled openly. Yamamoto's gaze tracked him without a word as Su Li stepped into the circle of captains.
To the Head Captain, the boy looked less like someone summoned for interrogation and more like someone arriving to collect a commendation. He exhaled slowly, then began.
"This is a temporary Captain's Meeting," Yamamoto said. "We are short in number, but the matter's weight is unchanged. We will address Su Li's conduct during this incident."
His eyes sharpened. "You were aware of Aizen's conspiracy before it unfolded. Why did you not report it?"
The charge was already known to most—Komamura, Kuchiki, and others had confirmed it.
Mayuri stepped forward, voice edged with venom. "You knew what that snake was planning, and you stayed silent. You let us walk right into his trap."
Zaraki's reiatsu flared in irritation. "You wait till the end to show your strength? You playing with us?"
Su Li didn't flinch. "Because no one would have believed me."
The words landed with a weight none could dismiss. Before the chaos, who among them would have believed Aizen Sōsuke—a captain admired for his composure and grace—capable of treachery on this scale?
Mayuri's eyes narrowed. "Then tell me—how did you know his plans?"
Su Li's reply was calm. "Forty years ago, I met Urahara Kisuke in the living world."
Shock rippled through the room.
Urahara—the exile blamed for the Hollowfication of several captains and vice-captains—was one of Soul Society's most infamous traitors.
"Then why didn't you drag him back here?" Zaraki growled.
"Because he's not a traitor."
The room froze.
Su Li's voice was steady. "He was framed. The Hollowfication experiment wasn't his doing. It was Aizen's."
The truth spilled out—how Aizen's manipulations had twisted the narrative, how Urahara's exile had been part of the cover. At first, the captains resisted the thought. But the facts were there: Aizen's command over Menos Grande, his role in orchestrating the chaos. The pieces fit.
The realization stung. Urahara had been hunted for decades, Su Li himself mistrusted, all while Aizen maneuvered them like pieces on a board. Guilt flickered across more than one face.
Mayuri, still unwilling to yield, pressed on. "Then if you're this strong, why not take Aizen down earlier?"
Su Li gave him a long, almost pitying look. "Are you legally blind?"
Mayuri stiffened.
"Mere intent is not a crime. Until he acted, he was still the Fifth Division captain in good standing. I had no legal grounds to move against him. The Hollowfication incident was already ruled upon by Central 46. Without new proof, my word alone would have meant nothing."
Silence settled again.
Yamamoto's eyes softened—just slightly. He understood now why Su Li had walked in smiling. This was not a man expecting judgment.
It was a man collecting on the debt his actions had earned.
"Everyone is drunk," the Head Captain thought, "and you alone are sober."
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