Prelude to the Incident (II)

First Division Barracks, Captain-Commander's Office.

After listening to Unohana's report, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai remained silent for a long time. He stood by the window, leaning on his cane, gazing at the torrential rain outside. A rare look of solemnity appeared on his face, which had remained unchanged for a thousand years.

"Are you saying that everyone else is invincible, except for that so-called 'Cheat B'?" the Captain-Commander asked slowly, his voice deep and authoritative.

"That's what he said," Unohana replied respectfully. "And he also said that not only will you die, but everyone in the Zero Division will die too."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto turned around, his eyes, capable of seeing through illusions, fixed on Unohana: "Is that so? What if that 'Cheat B' doesn't show up? What if Liu Ziyun's prediction is wrong?"

"Perhaps that's why he stepped in to correct things when problems arose," Unohana explained, offering her understanding. "So far, most things have happened exactly as he predicted. So we just need to wait for the key person to appear. After all, he seems to care about this even more than we do—just like he told me, knowing everything but not being able to reveal it to anyone, and having to carefully keep things on track. It's exhausting."

The helplessness and weariness conveyed in these words caused Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's eyes to flicker slightly.

He looked out at the heavy rain again, remained silent for a long time, and finally sighed, "Then let's wait and see."

"Captain-Commander, then I shall take my leave." Unohana bowed.

"Hmm." Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto nodded.

Unohana turned and left, her footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. When she walked out of the First Division Barracks and found herself back in the rain, she felt utterly lost.

Inside the Captain-Commander's Office, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stood alone by the window, gazing at the rain outside. In the depths of his unchanging eyes, complex emotions surged.

[Things are really complicated... Kid, don't betray our trust. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to risk the destruction of Soul Society to eliminate you.]

The rain poured down, as if playing a tragic prelude to the approaching storm.

As Liu Ziyun predicted, events unfolded step by step, following the predetermined path.

First, the disappearances of souls in Rukongai became more and more frequent, which attracted the attention of the Central 46. Following normal procedures, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto dispatched a team of ten elite Soul Reaper to investigate.

Then, that team lost contact.

When the news arrived, the entire Gotei 13 was shaken. The simultaneous disappearance of ten elite Soul Reaper was a rare event in the history of Soul Society. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto immediately convened a meeting of the captains.

The atmosphere at the meeting was heavy and tense. All the team leaders realized the seriousness of the situation—this was no ordinary case of a soul disappearing; there must be a huge danger lurking behind it.

After discussion, the meeting decided that Kensei Muguruma, Captain of the Ninth Division, would lead an elite team to conduct an in-depth investigation of the incident area deep within Rukongai. At the same time, Hiyori Sarugaki, Lieutenant of the Twelfth Division, would also go to provide support and conduct on-site analysis using the equipment of the Technology Development Bureau.

When Liu Ziyun heard the news in the Fourth Division, he felt both helpless and heavy-hearted. He knew that the gears of fate had begun to turn, and the fate of those "unlucky guys" was beyond redemption.

But he still decided to do everything in his power to ensure that certain key points would not go wrong.

That evening, he went to Unohana's Captain's Office again.

"To prevent any accidents, try to come out a little early when you attend the captain's meeting later." Liu Ziyun straight to the point, handing a Black Cloak to Unohana. "Then put this on, follow Captain Urahara, and give me a signal. I'll go with you."

Unohana took the cloak, her brow furrowing slightly. "Why go through all this trouble? And why follow Kisuke Urahara?"

"Because this is of utmost importance, we can't afford any mishaps, so we have to keep a close eye on it." Liu Ziyun's expression was unusually serious. "Also, have Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe go to the Fourth Division Captain's Fourth Division Captain. He needs to prove afterwards that we didn't leave and have been there the whole time."

Unohana frowned even more. "So troublesome? We need to find a witness?"

"After this incident, you'll realize the importance of witnesses," Liu Ziyun said without elaborating. "In short, whatever you see, don't reveal it, and don't come forward to testify—it's useless. Alright, let's get started."

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Unohana standing alone in the Captain's Office, clutching the Black Cloak in her hand, her heart filled with doubt and unease.

That night, the First Division Barracks were brightly lit once again.

The second captain's meeting was convened urgently, and the atmosphere was even more tense than the last one. Just now, the Captain of the Ninth Division, Kensei Muguruma, and Hiyori Sarugaki, who was on her way to provide support, had also lost contact.

"We must organize a rescue immediately!" The voice of the Eighth Division Captain, Shunsui Kyōraku, was unusually serious. "Captain Kensei and Lieutenant Hiyori are both Captain-level; if even they are out of contact, it means the situation is unimaginably serious."

Inside the meeting room, the captains' expressions were all extremely grave. Losing ten elite Soul Reaper was serious enough, but now even Captain-level were out of contact, which meant that Seireitei was facing an unprecedented crisis.

After intense discussion, the meeting finally decided that a new elite rescue team, consisting of Captain Shinji Hirako of the Fifth Division Captain, Captain Love Aikawa of the Captain of the Seventh Division, and Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi of the Third Division Captain, along with the Kidō Corps's Assistant Kidō Chief, Hachigen Ushōda, and the Eighth Division's Lieutenant, Lisa Yadōmaru, would be immediately dispatched to the incident area.

This team boasts an impressive lineup—four current or former captains, one Assistant Kidō Chief, and one Lieutenant. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that this is the strongest rescue force the Gotei 13 can send out.

After the meeting, the team leaders quickly left to prepare for their respective tasks.