"Only one of the two immense Reiatsu remains. Has Nangong Ying? He didn't even need to use his Bankai!"
"That goes without saying. If he were to lose, the only option would probably be for the Captain-Commander to personally intervene."
To avoid being hunted, the Fifth Division and the Ninth Division joined forces. Seigen and Kensei sensed that the intense Reiatsu from afar had gradually subsided.
Kensei wasn't wrong; after all, Yama-jii was planning to personally apprehend Kōga. For a Soul Reaper who relies on Zanpakuto, Kōga was definitely the most dangerous enemy...
Kōga was smashing his Zanpakuto against a rock with the Zanpakuto. Zero stopped kicking him. Ginrei Kuchiki wanted to say something but Zero waved her hand to stop her. Yama-jii remained silent and didn't say anything about arresting the criminal.
"Gentlemen, could you give me a chance to persuade him? I want him to stop running away from reality and accept punishment."
What is the Captain-Commander's opinion?
"Um..."
Ling, who had already driven Kōga mad, suddenly asked the two old men for their ideas. The quick-witted Ginrei Kuchiki passed the question to Yama-jii for an answer, and Yama-jii nodded, which meant it was feasible.
In terms of status, the position of Captain-Commander is lower than that of the heads of the Five Great Noble Clans. It's just that no one dares to scheme against Yama-jii because of his invincible strength.
His nod at this moment was a sign of respect for Ginrei Kuchiki, as he knew she didn't want Ginrei Kuchiki to be executed Kōga the spot...
And as no one stopped Kōga from going mad, the Squad Members all stood by watching him gradually Kōga, some whispering among themselves:
"What's wrong? Has that guy gone mad?"
"He was probably discouraged by Captain Nangong! The gap between Captain is just too big."
"No, his strength is no weaker than some Captains, it's just that he's far too weak compared to 'Kenpachi,' who's known as the strongest Soul Reaper."
"Well, it's not shameful for him to lose to Captain Nangong. This is the real Nangong Kenpachi!"
The Squad Members of the First Division were all knowledgeable; they knew that the Captains ' abilities varied greatly, and they felt that Kōga's defeat was inevitable. They couldn't understand why he couldn't accept it, until he went mad...
With a clang, Kōga's Zanpakuto was finally smashed in two, but he was not satisfied and continued to roar as he smashed the broken blade against the rocks.
Having learned of the two old men's intentions, Zero kicked the broken blade out of his hand, then grabbed him by the neck and jumped hundreds of meters away before asking:
"What? You're blaming your Zanpakuto for being useless? You were just saying that the Zanpakuto was merely an extension of your own power, but now that you can't win, you're changing your story. The guy who claimed he'd shred the Captain to pieces is ultimately nothing special."
"Enough with the nonsense. Central 46 is nothing but a bunch of trash who are jealous of my power. You have power but you submit to them; you bastard, you're even more despicable."
Undeterred Kōga roared angrily. Fortunately, the two old men stopped all the Squad Member from the First Division who were about to follow, and Zero erected a small Kidō Barrier to isolate the sound and space.
Zero retorted, "So what? Are you going to resist? This is what will happen if you resist. You can't even beat me, so what makes you think you can resist?"
Hearing Zero seemingly say 'Don't resist,' Kōga remembered that Ginrei Kuchiki had said the same thing when he was imprisoned, and tears immediately streamed down his face. He then roared at Zero:
"If I were suddenly surrounded and attacked, Ginrei Kuchiki's idea was for me to die without resisting. Is that what you meant too? If this happened to you, what would you choose?"
Having lived one life as a human and another as a soul, this was the first time in his two lifetimes that he had encountered someone so broken down by the torment of life. Only then did he realize that Kōga had probably already collapsed long before he was defeated by him.
It's not that he couldn't control his power anymore, but rather that he was unwilling to continue controlling it and instead unleashed it.
Zero asked himself honestly, if he were framed and sentenced, he would definitely choose to forgive them, since peace is the most important thing.
Zero replied earnestly, "To answer the question at its root, I am Kenpachi. Even if I kill a few pieces of trash who swung their swords at me, the Central 46 can't punish me."
"You are only a Third Seat. Since you possess such power, you could have easily defeated or restrained them. It's just that you were too arrogant and didn't think of many solutions."
"Think about it yourself, isn't that right? If you had only restrained those few guys who suddenly attacked you, then none of the subsequent problems would have occurred. Ultimately, it's because you're too impetuous and arrogant, and your emotional intelligence is low..."
Zero was unaware of Kōga's imprisonment, but he learned from Hell Butterfly that Kōga had been sentenced for mistakenly killing his companion. Refusing to obey, Kōga killed someone and fled, which is why Zero said Kōga had low emotional intelligence.
By now, Kōga had calmed down a bit, and he realized that Ling was right.
It was very strange at the time. A few scumbags rushed at me to kill me, and I used my Bankai to kill them. Then the three of them came out, and they even brought a group of police officers with them.
If only I were a little smarter... But it's too late. The charges against me now are far more serious than before. I'm doomed no matter what.
After struggling and thinking for two minutes, Kōga suddenly relaxed, closed his eyes, and said helplessly, "It's too late, I found out too late. The Central 46 will probably sentence me to death... Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Captain Nangong. Please forgive me for my disrespect earlier."
'I'm sorry, Lady Ginrei Kuchiki, I'm sorry, Maki...'
After silently apologizing to his father-in-law and wife, Kōga suddenly tried to plunge the broken blade into his own stomach...
At this point, suicide was his last act of defiance. He admitted his mistakes, but he was still unwilling to submit to the Central 46, who were jealous of his power.
But the broken blade couldn't pierce through him no matter what, because Zero was holding the broken blade in place, preventing him from committing suicide.
"To be honest, I also dislike Central 46, but I take back what you said about low emotional intelligence... you're just plain stupid."
Zero didn't quite understand how Kōga managed to stay in the Kuchiki Clan. Perhaps it was because his wife had been handling all those underhanded schemes for him!
"You bastard, you still want to humiliate me at a time like this? I'll fight you to the death!"
Kōga's Reiatsu, which had plummeted to the bottom, surged due to Zero's sarcasm. Ignoring the noble manners he had learned, he cursed and challenged Zero to a fight to the death, but Zero did not give him the chance.
"Idiot, think about it carefully. I've been wasting so much time talking to you here, why haven't Master Yama-jii and Ginrei Kuchiki said anything? They're intentionally letting you live!"
Zero's straightforward words jolted Kōga; he hadn't really considered this connection. Zero continued:
"At least... Grandpa Ginrei Kuchiki doesn't want you to die. He's raised you for at least eighty or a hundred years. Humans aren't plants or trees; how can they be without feelings? Remember, you only have value if you live, and only by living can you repay his kindness."
"Is it only useful to be alive? Sorry, I haven't thought about that enough."
After realizing what was happening, Kōga continued to think: 'If he wants to save me, then Lord Ginrei Kuchiki will definitely have to pay a heavy price! The honor of the Kuchiki Clan might be tarnished because of me, even so, would he...?'
To confirm this, Kōga, with mixed feelings, followed Ling to kneel before Yama-jii and Ginrei Kuchiki, and expressed his guilt and willingness to accept any punishment...
The Squad Members escorted Kōga back to Soul Society. Ginrei Kuchiki went ahead, while Yama-jii stayed behind to have a brief talk with Zero.
"I don't care what your purpose is in saving Kōga Kuchiki's life, but what if he becomes a factor that disrupts the peace of Soul Society in the future?"
Yama-jii's voice was calm, but incredibly intimidating. He saw through Zero's thoughts; it was simply a matter of befriending the Kuchiki Clan —something any normal person would do.
"Then I'll deal with him. If he becomes the leader of the Kuchiki Clan and leads Kuchiki Clan in rebellion, I'll deal with the Kuchiki Clan as well. What do you think?"
Upon hearing the answer, Yama-jii opened his eyes and saw Ling smiling, but the seriousness in his eyes was unmistakable.
"Yes, remember this: I will never tolerate those who neglect justice."
Yama-jii closed his eyes again, turned around, opened the Senkaimon, and left the World of the Living... For Yama-jii, breaking the existing order and bringing in Captain from Rukongai might be more feasible, since those of humble origins are easier to control, just like Nangong Ling in the present...
"Are you neglecting justice? Justice has stooped to the point where it needs your power to uphold it..."
After becoming the Captain, Zero was well aware of the Seireitei. In a sense, the Five Great Noble Clans were truly powerful, and rules simply did not exist for them.
Even the most traditional and law-abiding Kuchiki Clan has a side that can't be seen in the light...
Upon returning to Soul Society, Ginrei Kuchiki resumed his busy schedule, this time with even more matters to attend to. He needed to contact the other Four Great Noble Clans and ask them to help save Kōga's life.
Although this would damage the reputation of the Kuchiki Clan, it was unavoidable. Kōga was originally his son-in-law whom he had groomed as his heir, so how could he possibly give up on him?
Three families were willing to lend a hand, but Tsunayashiro made a request: in exchange, the Kuchiki Clan would also need to work on the release of one of the last members of their branch family.
Ginrei Kuchiki agreed to Tsunayashiro's request; the matter he needed to handle was far more important than Tsunayashiro's...
Six months later, under pressure from the secret alliance of the Five Great Noble Clans, the Central 46 had no choice but to make concessions.
Originally, Kōga, who had killed dozens of Soul Reaper, should have been sentenced to death or banished without Reiryoku, but in the end, he was sentenced to be imprisoned in the Third Layer underground the Jail, "Muken," for two hundred years, and his Zanpakuto was completely destroyed.
A few days later, the person from the Tsunayashiro Clan was also released without charge. This person was none other than Tokinada Tsunayashiro... After his father died, Tokinada Tsunayashiro was reduced from the direct line to a branch family member, and became the last in line. His elder brother, who was about to inherit the family headship, was the true direct line.
Because of Zero, the Tsunayashiro Clan kept a low profile for decades. During this time, Tokinada Tsunayashiro also married a woman named Kakyō. He pursued Kakyō and married her because she had something that his family needed.
After becoming a member of the branch family, Tokinada Tsunayashiro felt uncomfortable. He had to bow and scrape when he met the main family members, and was even insulted by them once. This made him want to seize power.
In order to seize power, he married Kakyō, whom the rest of the family did not want to marry because of her ugly appearance. The family needed something from her body, and Tokinada Tsunayashiro used this to gain the attention of the family Elder Council.
After the family retrieved that item, Kakyō advised Tokinada Tsunayashiro to stop, but was beaten to death by him, resulting in the death of Kakyō, who was Seated Officer. Knowing that he could not escape, Tokinada Tsunayashiro had no choice but to turn himself in.
Eventually, the Kuchiki Clan also ran into trouble, and he was conveniently released through negotiations...