Victory

Seireitei, First Division.

After ordering Ailin to suppress Hibiki Hoshino, Captain-Commander Yamamoto and the other eleven captains all gathered in the First Division Captain's office.

As the headquarters division of the Gotei 13, the First Division Captain's office stood higher than those of all the other divisions.

From here, they could see nearly half of the Gotei 13.

By chance, the commotion over at the Seventh Division also fell within their field of view.

Though they were too far away to see the battle itself clearly,

as Captain-level powerhouses, they relied more on sensing the clash of spiritual pressure between the two combatants when observing a battle.

Moreover, while they could not make out the details, they could still feel the immense destructive power of the sky-piercing slashes and savage dragon roars even from the First Division.

"Vice-Captain Ailin's strength probably would not be considered weak even among us."

The one who said this was Kyoraku Jushiro, captain of the Third Division.

Every captain had absolute confidence in themselves.

For a captain to make such a remark was enough to show how highly they all regarded Ailin.

Especially the spiritual pressure Ailin had released at the end, as well as that terrifying sun-like sphere of light...

Among everyone present, perhaps only Jushiro Genpachi, who had fused his Zanpakuto with Soul Society, had seen the battle most clearly.

When Ailin released that Zanpakuto at the end, Jushiro Genpachi inexplicably recalled that there seemed to be a Seat Officer in his division whose Zanpakuto possessed the power to control light.

That youngster seemed to be called Maki Ichinose, wasn't he?

He wondered whether, once he had grown, he would possess might comparable to Vice-Captain Ailin's.

"The outcome has been decided."

After the little sun dispersed, the captains could all sense that Hibiki Hoshino's spiritual pressure had fallen to an extremely dangerous level.

Clearly, Hibiki Hoshino had suffered grievous injuries under Vice-Captain Ailin's attack and no longer had the strength to resist.

"Everyone, Vice-Captain Ailin has successfully suppressed the traitor Hibiki Hoshino. Let us return to the Captain's Meeting room and await Vice-Captain Ailin's arrival, then celebrate his achievement."

"Yes, Captain-Commander."

Led by Captain-Commander Yamamoto, the captains headed toward the Captain's Meeting room.

On the way back, Ginrei Kuchiki, captain of the Sixth Division, deliberately moved closer to Shihoin Yoruichi, captain of the Second Division.

"Captain Shihoin, might I take up a little of your time?"

"Oh?"

Shihoin Yoruichi gave Ginrei Kuchiki a surprised glance, then a flicker of understanding passed through her eyes.

"Uncle Kuchiki, you jest. You are Yoruichi's elder. How could Yoruichi refuse an elder's invitation?"

Indeed, in terms of seniority, Ginrei Kuchiki and Shihoin Sennen, Shihoin Yoruichi's father, were of the same generation. Ginrei Kuchiki was not even a hundred years older than Shihoin Sennen. While Shihoin Sennen currently had only one daughter, Shihoin Yoruichi, Ginrei Kuchiki had a son and a daughter, so his family could be considered prosperous.

Unfortunately, although Shihoin Sennen had only one daughter, Shihoin Yoruichi had risen swiftly. In less than two hundred years, she had taken over both the position of Second Division captain and the headship of the Shihoin Family from Shihoin Sennen, allowing him to retire early and enjoy life.

Ginrei Kuchiki's children, on the other hand, had ultimately failed to amount to much, leaving him alone to shoulder both the Kuchiki Clan's main house and the duties of Sixth Division captain.

Now, though they were figures of the same era, Shihoin Sennen was still a robust man in his prime, while Ginrei Kuchiki had already grown frail with age...

Now that Sōjun Kuchiki had been killed, only the weak and solitary Haruko Kuchiki remained in the Kuchiki Clan's main house.

Then there was the Vice-Captain he had seen at the Kuchiki Clan's estate earlier...

What Ginrei Kuchiki wanted to say was obvious.

Sure enough, just as Yoruichi had expected, Ginrei Kuchiki immediately asked whether she could allow Ailin to transfer divisions.

"Captain Shihoin, after the chaos caused by Hibiki Hoshino, the Vice-Captain of my Sixth Division has perished, greatly weakening the Sixth Division."

"I see that your Second Division is rich in talent, Captain Shihoin. I would like to request someone from you to serve as Vice-Captain of my Sixth Division. What conditions would Captain Shihoin have?"

Ginrei Kuchiki's words nearly made Yoruichi lose control of her expression.

Were all these elders so thick-skinned?

In this rebellion raised by Hibiki Hoshino, the greatest losses should have belonged to the Seventh Division, which had served as the final battlefield, and the Ninth Division, which had gathered outside the Judgment Chamber of Central 46 at the very start of the rebellion.

Yes, the Sixth Division had lost a Vice-Captain to Hibiki Hoshino's hand, but among the upper ranks of the Gotei 13, who did not know how Sōjun Kuchiki had obtained the position of Vice-Captain?

With Sōjun Kuchiki dead, the Sixth Division had at most lost a Seat Officer around the level of Fourth or Fifth Seat. Replacing him with a more capable Vice-Captain would likely even improve their overall strength. How could it possibly count as a major loss of power?

Still...

Thinking of how only Ginrei Kuchiki remained to support the Kuchiki Clan now, Shihoin Yoruichi did not expose his lie.

"Uncle Kuchiki, you surely know that the Second Division is special. If a member of the Second Division wishes to transfer, we still need the Captain-Commander's approval."

Indeed, members of other divisions only needed their captain's approval to transfer divisions or retire.

But as a Secret Movement unit, the Second Division carried out classified missions and might even come into contact with secrets that ordinary Soul Reapers would never encounter in their entire lives.

Members of the Second Division, especially those in the Intelligence Squad and Punishment Force, could only remain in the division until they died of old age or fell in battle, unless they possessed some other special identity.

"Rest assured. As long as you agree, I will speak to the Captain-Commander myself."

Well, since he had put it that way, Shihoin Yoruichi was happy enough to let Ailin go.

"In that case, as long as Uncle Kuchiki can persuade that person and the Captain-Commander, I have no objections."

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...

With the Heaven-Piercing Sword in Ailin's hand as the center, an area three hundred meters in every direction was bombarded by countless densely packed laser beams.

The next moment, blazing explosions surged upward, forming a mushroom cloud dozens of meters high.

An invisible shockwave spread outward from the mushroom cloud, nearly leveling the entire Seventh Division.

By the time the smoke and flames had cleared, everywhere except where Ailin stood had become a crater dozens of meters deep.

After sensing Hibiki Hoshino's spiritual pressure, Ailin's figure flashed, and he appeared at the bottom of the crater.

"Cough, cough... Cough, cough..."

"Damn it..."

What remained of Hibiki Hoshino's former arrogance?

His body was riddled with at least dozens of puncture wounds. His left arm and nearly half of his body had been blown away.

His aura had fallen to its lowest point.

He looked as though he could die at any moment.

No, not as though—he really was about to die!

Seeing the viciousness in Hibiki Hoshino's eyes, Ailin raised the Heaven-Piercing Sword in his hand.

White spirit particles gathered at the sword's tip, condensing into a beam of light that shot toward Hibiki Hoshino's head.

"Whoosh!"