Yuko slapped her right hand against her left palm, realization dawning on her face. "Oh, I get it. Isn't Hyōrinmaru supposed to be the strongest ice-type Zanpakuto?"
Everyone turned toward her, curious to hear what she had to say.
"Obviously, the people of Central 46 coveted Hyōrinmaru's power," Yuko said as though it were self-evident. "That's why they deliberately kept Kusaka in custody."
"They were probably training him in secret, planning to turn him into the ultimate assassin and have him quietly eliminate anyone they didn't like."
"..."
Everyone broke into a sweat. Mayuri Kurotsuchi added without expression, "You really are a genius. I bet you'd make an excellent police officer in the Human World."
"Oh, hardly. I'm making my contribution to education."
Jushiro's skin prickled. He hurriedly changed the subject. "In any case, we've established what started all this. Let's return to the Captain-General."
"You explain it to that old man. I need to get back to the Human World." Yuko pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Now that we know who the enemy is, dealing with the rest should be straightforward."
"Besides, the King's Seal can cross space, and Toshiro is still in the Human World."
Kyoraku had only said it could affect time and space. Yuko doubted its effect on time was anything too extreme.
But its spatial ability was another matter. Seireitei was not somewhere an intruder could simply stroll into.
"Whatever Kusaka intends to do to Toshiro," Yuko said, "he clearly wants to drive him out of Soul Society."
What Yuko wanted to know was whether Kusaka, whom Toshiro had killed, meant to turn him into a hunted outcast—misunderstood by Soul Society and ultimately killed by its hand.
Or whether he had something else in mind.
Something about the man's actions struck Yuko