"Hmph…"
"A Gotei 13 Captain, yet he dares to release Bankai inside Seireitei!"
"Kuchiki Byakuya's actions have already disrupted the order of Seireitei. And as the head of the Kuchiki clan…"
"He should feel ashamed for such conduct!"
Unlike the others,
within the 1st Division, Head Captain Yamamoto was enraged.
Brows furrowed tight, his voice thundered as he condemned what he saw on the screen.
As Commander-General of the Gotei 13,
he had long made it clear: outside of training or official duels,
any unauthorized battle within Seireitei was strictly forbidden.
Especially Captains—
they were expected to set the example.
Yet here and now,
in front of the entire world, in front of all powers of Soul Society,
Byakuya openly defied that law—
brutally beating down his own lieutenant.
To Yamamoto, such conduct was outright betrayal.
It was as if Byakuya deliberately spat in his face as the old man in charge.
At the desk,
Chōjirō Sasakibe felt the storm of his commander's fury.
He bowed deeply, cautiously offering words:
"Please calm yourself, Captain-Commander. The earlier footage already revealed it—Byakuya struck in order to stop Abarai Renji from rescuing someone."
"And notably, he did not show favoritism because it concerned his adoptive sister Rukia. He carried out his duty without compromise."
"In my eyes, Byakuya demonstrated loyalty. As a Captain, he did not fail his post."
They were colleagues after all, and somewhat friendly.
Instinctively, Sasakibe leapt to defend him.
"Hmph…"
"Even if that is excused, don't you find Rukia Kuchiki's execution suspicious?"
Yamamoto's anger eased, but his gaze narrowed in thought.
Normally, when a Shinigami commits a serious crime and is sentenced by Central 46,
death is final.
Usually even public execution follows, to serve as warning.
So Yamamoto found it unbelievable—
that in the future, even if Renji had achieved Bankai,
a mere Vice-Captain alone could cause such disruption at an execution site.
Unless…
Yamamoto lowered his eyes, voice chilling:
"At that time, it won't just be Abarai Renji. There must be accomplices attempting a rescue."
Yes.
From just one scene,
with his two millennia of experience and knowledge of every Shinigami's character,
Yamamoto could already discern—
that soon, because of Kuchiki Rukia, Seireitei would face upheaval.
Hearing this, Sasakibe broke into a cold sweat.
"Accomplices? Could it be… that human boy from before?"
"He should never have become a Shinigami in the first place. And in the previous scene, he was already cut down trying to stop Rukia from being taken away."
In that instant,
Sasakibe thought of Kurosaki Ichigo.
If he could somehow become a Shinigami,
then invading Soul Society, even Seireitei itself, wasn't impossible.
"Hmph…"
"No matter. Since this video can foretell the future, exposing scenes to us in advance—"
"As long as we are the audience, we hold the advantage. There is nothing to fear."
Tapping his cane lightly,
Yamamoto's eyes were calm.
He didn't give a second thought to Sasakibe's warning—
the potential threat of Kurosaki Ichigo.
To him, a mere human boy was nothing.
He was the strongest Shinigami of a thousand years, founder of the Gotei 13.
Why fear such a trivial possibility?
Meanwhile,
on the screen,
the 6th Division civil war reached its end.
Shhhhhh—!!!
No suspense at all.
Petal after petal cascaded down, a pink waterfall burying Abarai Renji beneath it.
In an instant, his body was carved with countless wounds, blood spraying wildly.
Renji and his Bankai, Hihiō Zabimaru (Baboon King, Snake Tail), collapsed together in the rubble—
crushed utterly by Senbonzakura Kageyoshi (Vibrant Display of a Thousand Cherry Blossoms).
"Ma…"
"Bankai defeating Bankai. Hardly surprising."
In the 5th Division, Gin narrowed his eyes, tone casual as if he had expected this result all along.
He found nothing odd, fully acknowledging Senbonzakura's might.
"Indeed…"
Behind black frames, Aizen's dark eyes glinted, voice low:
"Gin… rather than this outcome, aren't you more curious about Byakuya's next opponent?"
"Eh…" Gin arched a brow. "You mean?"
"First it was the freshly minted Shinigami Kurosaki Ichigo. Then his Vice-Captain Renji Abarai."
"Unless the segment ends here, surely the next opponent of Senbonzakura will be Captain-class strength."
Aizen's mind was razor sharp, rivaling even Urahara.
He reasoned instantly:
if the ranking video continued,
then naturally, to highlight Senbonzakura's power further,
Byakuya's next foe must be stronger.
There was no other way.
"Heh…"
"Then I too look forward to who the next victim will be."
Gin stretched lazily, fox-smile curling.
A human?
A Shinigami?
Or… an Arrancar?
But the moment his words left his lips,
the previously dark screen lit up again.
A new scene burst forth—
with furious, indignant roars:
"Damn it!"
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it…!"
"Shinigami Captain… to wound me like this! That arrogance, that hateful pride…"
"Unforgivable!!!"
At once,
as that voice spread,
Aizen, Gin, and Kaname Tōsen, usually stoic, all changed expression.
Their faces tightened—
as realization struck, they spoke almost together:
"No way…"
"That voice… it's Zommari!!"
"As an Espada, will he be Byakuya's next opponent?!"
(End of Chapter)
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