He's back.
After Head-Captain Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni explained the existence of the pardon, Higashino Shuuichi's appearance became… marginally reasonable.
Still hard to swallow, though.
Why Higashino Shuuichi?
Unfortunately, any captain with that question was destined to go unanswered.
"While the captaincy of the Katana-gari-shū is mine for the taking, since the Head-Captain says I need at least three captains to witness and test me, I won't argue. Captains—shall we do this one at a time, or all at once?"
Higashino stood in the doorway of the 1st Division's meeting hall, radiating confidence.
"All at once? Higashino Shuuichi, your mouth got bold in the World of the Living, huh?
I like it! Let's go!"
Zaraki Kenpachi could no longer restrain his trembling hands of excitement. He drew his zanpakutō, lunged, and came down with a ferocious leaping cut.
Chōgetsu (Lifting Moon)!
But just as Zaraki reached Higashino, darkness slammed over his vision. For a heartbeat he lost all sight—his beast-like instincts snuffed out as if sealed. In that night-black instant, a crescent streaked up from below like a meteor, tracing his body. The next blink, light returned—only for Zaraki to find himself hurtling toward the back of the chamber, a blood-red furrow carved across him by crushing reiatsu.
"That is…"
Yamamoto's face hardened. Memory stirred—he had seen a similar slash once, long ago in his youth, wrought by a man named Ōetsu Nimaiya. But Nimaiya's heart never rested in kenjutsu; after creating the technique, he shelved it and devoted himself to forging. The young Yamamoto had wanted to learn it, but never did.
Higashino's cut carried heavy shades of that slash—and felt even stronger.
So where did Higashino learn it?
While Yamamoto puzzled, Unohana Retsu's eyes glimmered. Her pale right hand slid unconsciously to the zanpakutō at her waist.
As expected—every time you vanish and return, you surprise me, Shuuichi-kun.
"The gap between us grows wider, Zaraki Kenpachi. As you are now, you can't be my opponent."
Higashino watched Zaraki's arc through the air.
He'd thought that after their fights over a decade ago, Zaraki's reiatsu would begin its rapid climb. Instead, it had fallen. Clearly, the Head-Captain's hand was at work. Without guidance, even if Zaraki resumed suppressing himself for lack of worthy foes, he wouldn't have dropped this far, this fast.
By Higashino's measure, Zaraki's true strength now was lower than when they first met—roughly equal to Fengqiaolou Jūrō at present.
A max-level account, ruined by its own player—textbook.
"Enough arrogance, Higashino Shuuichi. This is the 1st Division, and the ones before you are the captains of the Gotei 13. I'll face you."
7th Division Captain Komamura Sajin stepped out, the iron helm on his head gleaming, blade drawn and stance set.
As a man of the wolf-people, he'd never been well-regarded, and owed everything to Yamamoto's shelter and training. He revered the Head-Captain. He'd had no dealings with Higashino before becoming captain, nor sought information about the defector who once fought four captains at once—but if the Head-Captain did not recognize Higashino, Komamura would stand up to fulfill his wish.
Anyone could be captain of the Katana-gari-shū—anyone but the man Yamamoto personally rejected.
"Just you? Captain Komamura Sajin of the 7th? Let's not waste time. Any captain who intends to 'test' me—come together, shall we?"
Higashino sounded brazen enough to be a stranger even to Soi Fon.
The Shuuichi-sama she'd known wasn't like this. Had that old incident turned him against the Gotei 13? Her heart twinged. The pardon made her waver—had they been wrong before?
She wanted to stand before him and demand answers. Her instincts said: not now.
While she hesitated, a captain Higashino hadn't expected stepped out.
"Since no one else will, I'll play the reluctant third examiner~"
8th Division Captain Kyōraku Shunsui strolled over to Komamura, tipping his straw hat back as he smiled at Higashino.
Kyōraku, huh?
Higashino chuckled.
He'd thought it would be Soi Fon, or the 10th's captain he barely knew—one of the 'tactless' few likely to step up. But Kyōraku would do. The real headaches wouldn't move here in public: Aizen Sōsuke, Unohana Retsu, and Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
Those three—he couldn't beat.
As for the rest—if Zaraki were in full form, he'd be wary. He wasn't.
Kyōraku's zanpakutō was terrifying, but outside of that, he lagged behind his teacher Yamamoto, behind Aizen and Unohana in other respects.
Footfalls rasped across tatami as Komamura struck first.
Without Yamamoto's leave, Komamura stubbornly kept his blade sealed.
Unlike Zaraki's instinct-driven style without formal kenjutsu, Komamura trusted that, with neither side releasing, he could contend with Higashino.
He couldn't have known the kenjutsu training Higashino had undergone—or the brutal regimen in that "other" space.
Frankly, Higashino didn't remember the latter clearly. But the body did.
Step in. Off-angle. Parry. Turn-cut. Finish with Bungetsu-giri (Dividing Moon Cut).
Fluid as water, the sequence unraveled Komamura's assault. In Komamura's disbelieving stare, Higashino nearly took half his life.
Only Kyōraku's timely Hadō #78: Zangerin (Severing Floral Ring) from afar forced Higashino to raise his blade in defense and break off pursuit.
"Before we convened, the Kidō Corps reinforced the wards. Zanpakutō releases are permitted, Captain Komamura~"
Kyōraku had noticed why Komamura fought bound and offered a gentle reminder.
Jolted back to himself, Komamura swallowed the bitter truth: the former 11th Division lieutenant was frighteningly strong. He hated to admit it, but based on that smooth string of movements alone, Higashino's swordwork was above his own.
Which left one option if he wanted to help the Head-Captain keep Higashino out of the captaincy.
"I'll hold back, Higashino Shuuichi—try not to hurt you too badly."
Komamura leveled his blade, eyes tracing its polished length to the man opposite.
"Roar—Tenken!"
Overhead, a titanic reishi arm manifested, gripping a giant sword mirroring Komamura's own.
"Kesa-giri!"
He hewed down; above, the reishi arm mirrored him, the slash carving at Higashino.
Meanwhile Zaraki, blade in hand, charged again. This time, unlike before, he coordinated with Komamura. One above, one ahead; pressure from both sides. Behind Higashino, Kyōraku set his footing and sent another Kidō blade arcing in.
"Now this is fun."
Higashino eased his sword down, palm resting on the guard—then, an instant before the blows converged—
Draw—Metsukū (Extinguish Space).
Ura: Nadegiri (Reverse "Smoothing Cut")!
Zaraki's blade met Higashino's—and under crushing reishi collapse, the eternally asauchi-like weapon snagged upon a briefly riven space. Fissures multiplied until the sword shattered.
Komamura's Shikai avatar smashed apart on contact with the slash.
As for the Kidō blade from behind, a small sidestep made it miss cleanly.
If you don't bind him with Bakudō first, dreaming of tagging Higashino with ranged attacks alone is foolish.
"…He held back that day…"
Behind his mask, Kurotsuchi Mayuri fell quiet. Good thing he hadn't yet approached Higashino for new samples—he'd need to carefully script that talk. Similar thoughts moved through other captains' minds.
Even Tōsen Kaname—who'd watched Higashino grow from below his own level to the man who could duel four captains—found he no longer understood this person.
Wasn't the World of the Living starved of reishi?
Wasn't it a pain to use Shinigami powers there?
So… did Higashino cheat IRL?
Ten-plus years gone and he returns like this?
Worse (for them): just as Komamura prepared to Bankai, and Kyōraku—seeing Zaraki out for the moment—decided to release Shikai to give the others a true look at the hellish power within Higashino (and to show the old man that Higashino could now leash that infernal force—as well as his Hollow power)…
Higashino's next move stunned every captain in the room—including Yamamoto and Aizen.
"So you're getting serious?
Then I'll get a little serious too~"
Higashino met Komamura's solemn gaze and smiled.
"Bankai—Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō!"
"Kafū shoran, Kashin teimei, tenpū ranran, tema shishō—Katen Kyōkotsu! (Flower wind drifts, flower god weeps; heaven's gale roils, the demon laughs—Katen Kyōkotsu!)"
Komamura and Kyōraku's voices rose almost together.
Kyōraku intended to use this chance to let the others witness the terrifying power of Hell within Higashino—and, crucially, to let the Head-Captain see that Higashino now commanded that power, to say nothing of his Hollow side. His testimony alone would never sway that stubborn old man.
He hadn't expected Higashino to choose a simpler, more brutal path.
"Heihō Sogen (Return to Tactics' Source)… Bankai: Shakutō Satsujin (Borrowed Blade Killing)!"
Without hesitation, Higashino released his zanpakutō—activating the ability he'd traded in for "Smiling-Within-The-Scabbard" upon returning from the fabricated future.
At the same moment, far off in the West Administration, Kisaragi Shūsuke—protecting Kabuma Sayako and company; with them to London beneath the West Administration's sphere, cooperating with Urahara Kisuke—felt a call tug at his soul.
"Shuuichi-sama?!!"
He'd just bought ice cream to bring to Nagasawa Satomi. Ecstatic, he didn't know how, but Shuuichi-sama's voice—one he could never forget—was calling. Asking to borrow his strength?
What a joke—borrow? Shūsuke would give it all. As much as Shuuichi-sama wanted!
He tried shouting Shuuichi-sama's name in his mind again and again. No reply. A one-way line, it seemed.
Even so, to a man drowning in guilt—convinced Shuuichi-sama had perished in that battle—this was salvation.
Back in the 1st Division barracks, under every captain's stare, Higashino laid his zanpakutō flat before him.
The blade was the same. The soul was not.
"Donka (Dulling)!"
No tuning forks—yet invisible waves pulsed out.
Komamura's Bankai failed.
Kyōraku's Shikai failed.
A sickening sensation rippled from the captains' zanpakutō.
Their blades… wouldn't release.
"What have you done to my zanpakutō?!"
Komamura stared at the unresponsive sword in disbelief, then glared at Higashino.
"Now you see why the new division is called the Katana-gari-shū, don't you?"
Higashino didn't look at Komamura. He fixed his gaze on the elder seated at the back—Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
"The day Soul Society branded me a traitor, I swore it would never happen to me a second time.
So, Head-Captain—do I now have the qualifications to lead the Katana-gari-shū?"
Yamamoto said nothing. His clear eyes offered no hint.
All anyone knew was the final words he spoke:
"From today, Higashino Shuuichi shall serve as Captain of the new division, the Katana-gari-shū—title: Great Blade-Hunting Chief."
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