Gotei 13

The Gotei 13. A flippant tone, an utterly unconcerned attitude.

It sounded like an offhand joke, yet more like her true nature had inadvertently shown through.

A feline, inscrutable personality—this was precisely the impression Yoruichi Shihouin left on everyone.

Her pale golden eyes narrowed as the Head of the Shihouin Clan launched a swift, fierce offensive.

"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong? Can't even squeeze out half a sentence? Even if you lack confidence, shouldn't you at least argue back at a time like this?"

Or was it...

"Without someone to serve as your executioner, you can't bring yourself to do it?"

Smiling like a snarling lioness, Yoruichi Shihouin's gaze had Guiganjo drenched in sweat.

"If you don't mind, I could fill in for the role."

Other than Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, the person he feared most among everyone present was this damned head of the Shihouin Clan! Nobles were the most unreasonable of all, and the fondest of abusing their privileges.

Guiganjo, steeped in power and authority, feared this twisted amalgamation more than anything. Even his tone became noticeably lighter.

"N-No! Lady Shihōin, I-I only meant to say... there were reasons for all of this!"

Hirako Shinji, standing nearby, laughed even more brazenly.

"You're only making it worse, you idiot~"

"Sh-Shut up! I was just..."

"Silence."

It was as though a basin of cold water had been poured over swelling flames, rapidly cooling the situation that had been nearing its boiling point.

Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni did not offer an opinion on the matter.

Instead, he made his ruling.

"Guiganjo, thy conduct is indeed open to question. Do not repeat such actions in the future... that is all."

Guiganjo looked as though a great burden had been lifted from him, breaking into a delighted smile.

"Gah... ha, hahaha! I-I understand!"

The Captain of the First Division, who commanded the Gotei 13 as a whole.

The stern, taciturn old man's pronouncement at this moment carried authority far beyond the law.

Guiganjo had "escaped disaster."

"Honestly, shouldn't you thank the Captain-Commander at a time like this? You ought to have some manners, at least, shouldn't you~"

Wearing a pink haori embroidered with patterns, a straw hat perpetually perched on his head, and a light beard along his chin.

A flashy yet slovenly-looking man smiled at Guiganjo from the side.

"If the old man hadn't spoken for you, would you even have had the chance to smile?"

The Eighth Division Captain, Kyōraku Shunsui, rarely spoke during meetings. Thinking about it carefully, this was the first time he had ever taken the initiative to speak to Guiganjo.

It was somewhat surprising.

The slow-witted brute panicked for a moment and tried to speak, but Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni heavily struck his cane against the floor.

"Silence."

Even words that had reached one's lips had to be crushed and swallowed back down—this was one of the core rules of the Captain Meeting.

"Other than that, is there anything else?"

After a moment of silence, Hirako Shinji raised his right hand again.

"Ah~ It's not particularly important, but I'd like to inform everyone that I intend to make an adjustment to the Fifth Division's Vice-Captain position and appoint Aizen Sōsuke to the post."

Kyoraku Shunsui, standing beside him, tilted his head with a somewhat puzzled expression.

"It really isn't important... Isn't appointing a Vice-Captain something the captain can decide on their own?"

In other words.

This was nowhere near important enough to warrant discussion.

Hirako Shinji gave a soft chuckle, revealing an inexplicable smile.

"No, rather than a discussion, I'd prefer to call it a notification, wouldn't you? Right~ Please take good care of our division's Vice-Captain Aizen from now on."

There was one more matter.

Hirako Shinji turned toward Aikawa Rabu beside him.

"Has the soul of that Eleventh Division Member Guiganjo killed that day been found?"

The other man pondered for a moment before gently shaking his head.

"It vanished completely. But that isn't strange, is it? It wasn't a particularly powerful soul to begin with. Left alone, it would disappear soon enough."

"That's not what I meant to say... Ah, never mind~ What comes next has nothing to do with the meeting, so let's leave it at that."

In a corner Hirako Shinji could not see, Kisuke Urahara wore a thoughtful expression.

Sensing the meeting beginning to veer off course, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni raised his cane and tapped it against the floor again.

"Now that all has been said, today's meeting shall end here."

He inhaled and held his breath.

The old man's eyes widened slightly as he barked in an exceptionally composed tone.

"Meeting adjourned!"

"Understood!" ×12

After the meeting ended, the captains naturally no longer needed to maintain such a tense atmosphere.

Those familiar with one another paired off to chat, arrange drinks, and so on... such things were common.

Guiganjo lagged behind the others.

His gaze was lowered, yet his body would not stop trembling slightly.

Pain.

The wound on his shoulder seemed to have split open again... The bandages were soaked in blood and mixed with sweat, leaving him with a throbbing headache and a burning fury.

Fear.

Though it had been called a meeting, it felt more like a hunting ground.

Guiganjo felt like a fox pretending to be a wolf, able only to carefully blend in among them.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

Why did he have to suffer this kind of torment? In the end, it was all because of that blind little brat. If he had simply been cut down, none of this would have been so troublesome! What was that bastard's name again? A student of the True Spiritual Arts Academy? Fuck, don't think I can't catch you just because you're hiding in that school! I'll remember this grudge!

Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni walked down the passageway leading away.

Chōjirō Sasakibe followed closely behind, his stern expression making him look like a guard carved from stone.

"Hey~ Yama-jii~"

"..."

What an infuriating form of address.

Yamamoto stopped walking and turned a cold gaze behind him.

Two figures were striding quickly toward him.

Kyōraku Shunsui and Jūshirō Ukitake.

Both were his prized disciples, as well as the captain-class figures closest to him.

Unlike during the meeting, Kyōraku Shunsui seemed even more frivolous now.

"Yama-jii~ You're so cold today. It's been so long since you last saw us two, and you have nothing to say?"

"This old man has nothing to say to a wastrel like you."

Besides...

"What are you planning by deliberately putting Guiganjo in a difficult position today?"

"Did I? Wasn't I helping him out?"

Jūshirō Ukitake put on a show of coughing twice.

"No one present was blind, Shunsui..."

The party in question tilted his head, rubbing his chin with his right hand as an interested expression appeared on his face.

"Well~ Watching someone like that struggle is a rare sort of entertainment. Besides, I was somewhat interested in what happened that day."

His white-haired friend turned and said.

"That young man who injured Guiganjo? I've heard Squad Members mention him. If they weren't exaggerating, he really is a gifted prospect... cough, cough!"

"Yes, his name was Arima Shizuya. He fought Ōmaeda of the Second Division before, and I heard he gained quite an advantage."

Shunsui adjusted the straw hat on his head, his eyes settling on Yamamoto's back as he smiled.

"I also heard he's exceptionally skilled in the Original Flow you developed, old man, and became famous in a single battle through Hakuda."

"Cough... Why are you so interested in him?"

Kyōraku Shunsui gave an unobtrusive "hmm."

"Well, a distant relative of mine has some connection to him, so I happened to pay attention."

"...???"

Jūshirō Ukitake completely failed to understand the reason behind it.

By comparison, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni gave a deep snort, making the two behind him turn noticeably more serious.

"Gifted or not is merely the word of others. If he possesses true ability, then being tempered and honed is an exceedingly necessary process."

The Thirteen Court Guard Squads encompassed all things, that was true.

But they would absolutely never accept mediocre fools who possessed only a reputation.

So, if he truly had the ability... then he should learn, struggle, and fight as much as possible.

Until he became a pillar capable of upholding the name of the Gotei.

Before that, however.

Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni still found it difficult to take any interest in such matters.