The Withering Zero Division

"Are you trying to say that you merely kindly let Inoue stay here to train? So she could face this thousand-year blood war?"

Lu Li countered, "If that was the explanation you heard, do you think it makes sense? Instead of strengthening the Gotei 13's Captains, or nurturing talented juniors like Ichigo Kurosaki, they chose this moment to train and strengthen a Fullbring user with support abilities?"

Kirio Hikifune felt choked up. She felt that Lu Li's words made some sense.

She had only been promoted to Zero Division a little over a century ago. Two hundred years earlier, she had dealt with Lu Li quite often. When Lu Li had been judged by Central 46, she had even secretly helped him. They could be considered acquaintances.

After Lu Li's disappearance back then, the relationship between the Gotei 13 and the Spirit King Palace had once become extremely tense. Thus, her promotion had also been a major matter, with half the division supporting it and half opposing it.

But in the end, she had agreed to the promotion. Mainly because she wanted to exchange knowledge and learn more from her senior, Shutara Senjumaru, she became the fifth member of Zero Division.

"Zero Division guards the Soul King. It seems we have no reason to explain ourselves at length to a criminal like you, do we?"

Shutara spoke. "In my view, the one standing here is merely a criminal who defected and forcibly invaded the Spirit King Palace. He is no longer a Gotei Captain, is he, Hikifune?"

She was reminding Kirio Hikifune to mind her position and not let Lu Li's words shake her resolve.

Shutara had medium-length black hair with side-parted blunt bangs, elaborate golden hair ornaments, and a white cloak adorned with buckles. Her features were refined, her