Creak~~
Amid the sound of friction, the heavy gates slowly opened.
Outside the gates, a figure lying in the shadows lifted the bamboo hat covering his face. "Handsome, how did it go?"
"Mm. With the method Yoruichi taught me, breaking the seal was easy."
As he spoke, a middle-aged man with a head of white hair slowly emerged from the gates, holding a shield in one hand and a rod-shaped object in the other.
If Duan Mu had been here, he would have discovered...
The figure was none other than Ukitake Jushiro, who had been taking sick leave all this time and had not attended a single meeting.
At those words, the person lying in the shadows slowly rose, revealing his distinctive flower-patterned haori. "Tsk, tsk. No matter how you look at it, the news Yoruichi sent still feels a little hard to believe."
"Indeed."
Ukitake Jushiro nodded. "But if we assume what she said is true and work backward from there, many things I couldn't understand have also been explained."
With that, a solemn look flashed through his eyes. "With Yoruichi's help, preparations to stop the execution are complete. During the period before the execution begins, we can verify for ourselves whether what Yoruichi said is true."
"Mm."
Kyōraku Shunsui pressed down on the brim of his hat. "Still, I'm more curious about how that Boss Duan Mu discovered it."
"I don't know."
Ukitake Jushiro shook his head. "Although I've interacted with him several times, I still can't quite see through him. The only thing I can be certain of is... he isn't our enemy."
"But that doesn't necessarily make him an ally."
Kyōraku Shunsui couldn't help recalling what Duan Mu had said at the earlier captains' meeting. He smiled. "Still, this really is the best time for us