Just minutes earlier, inside Central 46, a protracted negotiation that had dragged on for months finally reached its end.
Below the dais, Kasumiooji Masasuke—the head of the Kasumiooji clan—was speaking with fiery conviction. Beside him stood a Shinigami in poor shape, wearing a skull-like mask that leaked faint howls from within, clutching a Bakkōtō (Parasitic Zanpakutō) in both hands.
This was the first time Masasuke had unveiled his "masterpiece" to the public.
He would show Central 46 that he could now completely control this new kind of power.
"As you can see, this is absolutely a force that can overturn the current combat system of Soul Society! And this power is one our nobles can truly, fully control!"
Masasuke deliberately stressed the second half of his sentence.
Who he meant was obvious.
On the right, the Captain-Commander Genryūsai's pupils merely tightened, then returned to stillness.
"Soul Society already has the Gotei 13. We don't need a new force, and we certainly don't need that dangerous thing you engineered!"
Genryūsai didn't plan to say more, but Yoruichi, the Second Division Captain, couldn't hide her disgust.
Hollowfication—how dangerous was that? From what she'd heard from Kisuke, it was something that should never be pardoned.
Unfortunately, the one behind it was Kasumiooji Masasuke, head of a top noble house just beneath the Five Great Noble Clans.
And not only had Masasuke polished this scheme to such a degree, he'd put his hand squarely on the other nobles' throats.
That choke point was Genryūsai.
The strongest Shinigami of the last thousand years.
No matter how loyal Genryūsai acted day to day, to nobles seated on the throne of power, Yamamoto was never "one of their own."
That was one reason they worked so hard to plant noble scions in the Gotei 13 and push them into captain seats.
If they could command a high-power unit entirely beholden to them, taking orders only from noble houses…
It had to be said: many in Central 46 were tempted.
Some even regretted letting Genryūsai attend today's meeting.
As the decision dragged on, Genryūsai suddenly spoke: "I have only one condition. Future Bakkōtō personnel must not be chosen from active Shinigami."
He knew that if the ruling were going to be a rejection, the verdict would already have been delivered. The only reason those men on the dais hadn't decided was because of him.
Sure enough, once Genryūsai stated his condition, Masasuke's petition passed—overwhelmingly.
With the judgment rendered, all that remained was for Genryūsai to read it aloud; then the formation of the Bakkōtō Unit would be ironclad fact.
Masasuke took the paper with trembling hands. The unit was approved—could the title of Sixth Great Noble be far behind?
Or rather, the new Fifth—he'd heard many among the other Four were already openly displeased with the Shiba clan.
But before his daydream reached its peak, a terrifying Reiatsu (Spiritual Pressure) and a thunderous explosion from outside shattered it to pieces.
"Bad news, Captain-Commander! At the Kasumiooji estate inside Seireitei, a humanoid creature suspected to be an Arrancar has appeared—but it also wields a Zanpakutō (Soul-Cutter)!"
A blood-soaked Shinigami stumbled into Central 46, reporting directly to Genryūsai.
Because the trial concerning the Kasumiooji had been conducted in secret, ordinary Shinigami still knew nothing about Hollowfication.
But everyone inside Central 46 understood perfectly.
"Impossible! As long as their Bakkōtō remains in hand, it completely suppresses the Hollow within. The two achieve absolute balance! Across so many experiments, not once has there been an exception!"
Masasuke roared, surging forward to seize the messenger—but a broad-shouldered figure barred his way.
"I'm afraid not today, Masasuke-dono of the Kasumiooji."
Shunsui's gaze turned lupine, as if he meant to swallow Masasuke whole.
Chaos rippled across the dais. No one had expected this—least of all at this exact moment.
Because Masasuke had telegraphed that he would "drop a bomb" today, Central 46 had unusually summoned a full seven captains, even calling in the much-scorned Eleventh Division Captain, Kenpachi.
That left, outside Central 46, only a handful of captains: Jūshirō of the Thirteenth—unwell and stationed long-term in the World of the Living; Kirio of the Twelfth—buried in research; Kamikawa Rennosuke of the Third—kept in reserve for emergency support; Maki Kurando of the Tenth—charged with routine security; Retsu of the Fourth—medical; and Kensei of the Ninth—prisons.
Very few could rush to the nobles' district in time.
Almost everyone arrived at the same suspicion: was this orchestrated by Masasuke?
"I would never!"
As clan head, Masasuke understood the implication all too well. Even if his Bakkōtō Unit truly had that power, he had no motive. What good would a shattered Soul Society do him?
Meanwhile—
At the Kasumiooji estate within Seireitei, Higashino Shuuichi stood holding the Bakkōtō "Raika," eyes cold as he faced a Shinigami who—deprived of his Bakkōtō's restraint—had fallen fully into Hollowfication and lost all reason. At Shuuichi's feet lay a broken Bakkōtō; its core was being devoured by Raika.
"Kasumiooji Masasuke would never be so arrogant as to rebel outright. But he forgot—at this point, someone has to rebel. Otherwise, all that awaits him is a march up the Twin Hills of Execution."
"Someone must pay the price. If not Kasumiooji Masasuke, then it will be Kumoi Gyoukaku. The gears are turning; they won't stop."
Beside Shuuichi, Aizen lifted his gaze toward the heavens.
"I wonder if they'll enjoy the splendid spectacle to come."
"They will, Aizen-dono. If noble blood isn't enough, we'll fill it with captains' blood."
Shuuichi's Shikai (Initial Release) bloomed. Through the视角 of reishi constructs deployed from Peach Blossom Spring, he saw the Tenth Division Captain Maki Kurando rushing to render aid.
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