Soul Society.
First Division Training Ground's door is wide open.
The long table is spread from the door to the courtyard, and from the courtyard to the corridor.
Cedar planks, it was still moist when it was unearthed from the warehouse, but now it is pressed by the dishes, and the moisture is gradually removed by the night breeze.
The table is piled with food brought from Rukongai's old shop.
The spout of the sake spout was exposed from the bamboo basket, and the glaze on the pot body glowed moistly under the light of the lantern.
Siwei Yan is sitting cross-legged in the middle of the main table, holding Yan Si Ming in his arms.
The child's back was pressed against his chest, and the head of his head was pressed against his chin.
The scarf was wrapped twice around his neck, and the end hung down to his father's wrist.
Yan Si Ming's eyes are moving, and his pupils are bright in the lantern light. Every time he turns to a person, he stops for a moment to see clearly, and then turns to the next one.
Kyōraku Shunsui came over with a wine bowl.
The bamboo hat was taken off, her hair was disheveled, and the white Haori was open. She walked in front of Siwei Yan, her heels together, and the wine bowl held up to the level of her eyebrows.
"Yan Si brother." The wine in the bowl swayed, reflecting the lantern above the head.
He poured it down with his head raised, his Adam's apple rolled three times, and the empty bowl was turned over with the bottom of the bowl facing up.
Yan Si Ming Look at this person.
Captain-General, Soul Society Thirteen Court Guard Squads highest position.
Omaeda Kichiyo followed behind, holding a bag of snacks in his hand.
He placed the snacks on the corner of the table in front of Yan Si Ming. The bag was not tied, revealing the colorful packaging.
"Want some snacks?" The voice was lowered, just like last time in Ninth Division's backyard.
"I still have a lot of them at home." He rubbed the mouth of the bag with his fingers.
"By the way, I also have a younger sister. Although she is ugly, she is a good child."
"Can you play with her?"
After saying that, he was squeezed away by the people in line behind him. Yan Si Ming looked at the bag of snacks. The wrapping paper reflected the colored light, and the mouth of the bag revealed Ikkaku with an unfamiliar trademark printed on it.
Omaeda Kichiyo, Second Division Lieutenant, heir to a large consortium.
When he gave a gift to his father, he put it on the corner of the child's table.
Ninth Division team members lined up and came over without any drinks or snacks.
Walk to Siwei Yan, stand still, put your hands on the seams of your pants, and bend down.
Ninety degrees, no more, no less.
When the leading soldier straightened up, his eyes were red.
"Yan Si Captain."
He shouted four words and then made way for the next person.
More than 20 team members, more than 20 bows, and more than 20 Yan Si captains.
Yan Si Ming looked at the angle at which these people bent, and looked at the red in their eyes when they straightened up.
His back was pressed against his father's chest, and he could feel his father's breathing. It was even and steady.
Every time someone bent down, my father's breathing did not change.
A member of Ninth Division's team, his father used to be Captain of the Ninth Division.
His eyes turned from left to right, and from right to left.
He'd heard it many times before.
Ichigo Kurosaki Brother said your father is a hero, Yasutora Sado Brother said your father is a hero, Orihime Inoue sister said your father is the gentlest person I have ever seen.
Keep it in mind every time.
But those words came from other people's mouths.
Now he sees it.
Captain-General served his father wine, and the big consortium Lieutenant put snacks on the corner of his table. The eyes of more than two dozen team members were red as they bowed to their father.
He saw it, and then he understood it.
The story told by my mother is true, the story told by brother Ichigo is true, the story told by brother Chadu is true, the story told by sister Orihime is true. All are true.
His father is a hero.
Yan Si Ming's back leaned against his father's chest.
The head of his head rubbed against his father's chin, and the end of the scarf slipped from his wrist and hung on his father's knees.
Yoruichi sat next to him.
Her long purple hair was tied up in a loose knot at the back of her head, and a few strands of hair hung down from behind her ears and stuck to her neck.
Dark blue yukata with overlapping collars and a light gray belt around the waist.
He was holding a glass of juice in his hand, with the rim of the glass pressed against his lower lip, but not drinking.
The corners of the mouth are raised, pushing up from the cheekbones, and squeezing out fine lines at the corners of the eyes.
The lantern light fell on her face, illuminating her pupils into a very pale gold color.
The golden color was moving, swaying slightly as her eyes moved.
His eyes fell on Siwei Yan's back, and on Yan Si Ming's head pressed against his father's chest. Yan Si Ming turned his head sideways, looked at his mother's face, and looked at the corners of her mouth.
He watched it for a long time and felt excited in his heart.
Three people, Kyōraku Shunsui, Urahara Kisuke, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri, came around from three directions.
Kyōraku was still holding a wine pot in his hand, with wine dripping from the spout.
Urahara's fan is inserted into the back collar, with a section of the fan handle exposed, and very fine lines carved on the wood.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri and White Captain's Haori are buttoned tightly, with the collar standing up to cover the chin.
Siwei Yan lowered his head, clasped Yan Si Ming's armpits with both hands, and lifted the child from his arms.
The scarf slipped from his knees and dangled in the air.
He moved the child to Yoruichi's lap.
Yoruichi stretched out his hand to catch it, supported his back with his palms, and pressed the child into his arms.
"You take your children to the children's table."
"Okay." Yoruichi stood up, holding Yan Si Ming's butt with one hand, and protecting his back with the other hand.
The child's chin rested on her shoulder, and his golden eyes looked over her shoulder, looking at his father's face.
Yoruichi walked through the crowd and walked towards the table in the corner of Training Ground.
There were several children sitting at the table, Kuchiki Hizuki was sitting in the middle, with yokan crumbs on his chin.
Yoruichi placed Yan Si Ming next to Hizuki and sat down behind him.
Siwei Yan looked away.
He turned around and faced the three people gathered around him. He swept his right hand across the table and pushed the wine bowl to the corner of the table, leaving a space in the middle.
"The situation inside Gates of Hell."
Kyōraku put the wine bottle on the table, Urahara took the fan out of the back collar and held it in his hand without opening it.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri leaned forward half an inch.
The sounds of people around are still going on, the wine bowls are still being clinked, and the charcoal fire is still burning.
But the voices of the four of them were suppressed until only this small area of the tabletop could be heard. Siwei Yan tapped his finger on the tabletop.
"The body of Hell is a space the size of an entire planet, consisting of sand, gravel, lava, and bones, Puppets."
"We stayed there for nine hundred and ninety-nine months, which is more than eighty years based on Three Realms time."
"Then consume it until there is only a kilometer radius left."
"The further back we go, the harder it gets, the smaller the place, the less power Hell absorbs from the door, and the amount of Spiritual Power we consume increases exponentially. It is theoretically possible to completely obliterate it, but in practice it is impossible."
Kyōraku Shunsui's Adam's apple rolled.
"So Aizen led the team and entered Golden Gate, Old Man Yamamoto entered Blue Gate, Kenpachi Zaraki and Retsu Unohana entered Red Gate."
Siwei Yan's fingers tightened.
"The remaining doors are still open, but no one has entered. As long as the world behind those doors is still sending power to Hell, Hell will not disappear.
But after the door was opened, the conveying speed slowed down.
If someone continues to attack in Hell, consuming the power of Hell itself, at least it can prevent it from expanding."
"We send captains in rotation every year. We don't need to win anything. We just need to attack the ground, consume Hell's power and let it maintain the status quo." Kyōraku Shunsui stretched out his hand and grabbed the handle of the wine bottle.
Place your fingertips against the smoothed depression of the pot body and lift it up.
The spout is aligned with the mouth of the bowl, and the wine pours out, fills it up, and overflows onto the table.
He put down the wine bottle, picked up the bowl and raised his head.
The Adam's apple rolls, once, twice, three times and four times.
The bowl is empty.
The bowl hit the table, and the wine spilled from the bottom of the bowl and stained his cuffs.
He let out a long breath.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri The corners of his mouth twitched upward.
The golden pupils shrank in the lantern light, and the blood vessels at the edge of the iris beat slightly.
"What are other worlds like?"
Siwei Yan lifted the wine glass in front of him, put the rim of the glass against his lower lip, and then put it down. The bottom of the glass touched the wood with a very light sound.
"I've never been there, how could I possibly know." The corner of his mouth tilted to one side.
"At least these places will definitely not be smaller than Three Realms."
"Three doors have already been occupied, Old Man Yamamoto, he will definitely cut off the Hell connection."
"Kenpachi Zaraki and Captain Unohana, they might go crazy, but Soul King also entered that door, so there is a high probability that there will be no problem."
"Aizen That one."
He paused.
"Don't hold out too much hope, he probably won't make it a priority to cut off the Hell connection."
"So, after a period of rest, we have to form an investigation team to go to those three doors to confirm whether the connection has been cut off."
"If not, we'll do it ourselves."
"Ah ha ha ha."
Urahara Kisuke's laughter exploded from behind the fan. He moved the fan away from his mouth, and the fan ribs clicked on the edge of the table.
Leaning back, the other hand points to the corner of Training Ground, pointing to the little figure wearing a blue scarf in Yoruichi's arms.
"It doesn't matter." He closed the fan and pointed the tip in that direction.
"With that kid here, you can blast Gates of Hell at any time."
Kyōraku Shunsui lifted the wine pot again, pointed the spout at the mouth of the bowl, and his hands were shaking.
It's not that I can't hold it steady, it's that I laughed too hard and my shoulders drove my arms, and my arms drove my wrists.
The wine sloshed out of the spout and spilled onto the table.
"Yes," he put down the wine bottle and picked up the bowl, "My nephew is terrifyingly strong, hahaha."
He raised the bowl to his mouth and drank it down.
The Adam's apple rolled, and the wine leaked from the corner of the mouth and dripped down the chin onto Haori.
Siwei Yan's gaze passed through the crowd and landed on the table where the child was sitting.
Yan Si Ming is lowering his head, helping Kuchiki Hizuki wipe the yokan crumbs from his chin. The end of the scarf hangs to the edge of the table, and the blue cloth is stained with a little dark red bean paste.
The movement was very gentle, the paper towel was folded into small squares and rubbed over Hizuki's chin bit by bit.
He didn't understand until he came back.
It is not Aizen that broke the blockade of Gates of Hell.
At least Aizen will not account for the majority.
The biggest reason is Ming.
Ming has the power to directly influence Hell.
The punch he threw in Hill of the Twin Executions coincided with Aizen's attack on the door in Hell.
The time is exactly the same and the location is exactly the same.
So the door is open.
The one who opens the door is Ming.
Even now, Siwei Yan is not sure of opening Gates of Hell. Sayafushi chopped it, Cero blasted it, and Quincy's arrow shot it.
All parked in front of the door.
Ming only used one punch.
One Bone.
A five-year-old child punched away Gates of Hell.
But isn't it enough that my son can open it?
"So don't worry." Siwei Yan moved his hand away from the wine glass and placed his fingers flat on the table.
"After you have rested, let's reorganize the team."
Urahara Kisuke Turn the fan over, with the ribs facing up and the fan facing down.
He held the end of the fan handle with his fingers and rubbed the wood with his fingertips.
The lantern light fell on his face, and the shadow of the hat brim covered the upper half of his face, leaving only his chin and the corners of his mouth exposed.
The corners of his mouth were still curled up, but the curvature of the curls had changed. He picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and then another sip.
Then he put the cup down, and the bottom of the cup fell on the table without making any sound.
"Yan Si brother."
The sound was lowered, so low that only this small piece of tabletop could hear it.
The fan rotates in a circle between the fingers, and the fan bone moves from the thumb to the index finger, and from the index finger to the middle finger.
"You have no plans to go to other worlds?"
He can be regarded as a good friend of Siwei Yan.
They are not superiors and subordinates like the captain and team members, nor are they nodding acquaintances like colleagues.
They are the kind of people who have drank together, fought together, sat on the roof together in the deepest night without talking, and would not be embarrassed.
The two spent a long time together, so long that he could tell something was wrong from Siwei Yan's breathing.
Today's Siwei Yan is different from before.
It's not the way he looks, it's not the way he talks. It's something else.
He hasn't had a drink so far.
I have picked up the wine glass many times.
Pick it up when you are clinking glasses, pick it up when others are toasting, and pick it up in the middle of speaking.
Place the rim of the cup against your lips and then put it down.
Put it back on the table, the bottom of the cup touches the wood.
The glass of wine is still full.
For this old friend at the table, it has been an earth-shaking change.
In the past, Siwei Yan never pushed a glass when drinking.
Wherever the jug is lifted, the cup is empty.
Kyōraku drinks as much as he drinks, Hirako drinks as much as he drinks.
He drank under the table, drank until dawn, drank until Yoruichi dragged him home by his ears. Now the glass in front of him is still full.
After clinking glasses, the other person tipped his head to drink, and his glass was put back on the table.
There is a smile on the corner of the mouth, but that smile is not the same as before.
The smile before had the smell of alcohol, the energy of a gangster, and the aura that I could drink for three more rounds.
The smile now is very light and faint.
Siwei Yan's eyes still fell on the table where the child was sitting.
Yan Si Ming has wiped the yokan off Hizuki's chin, and is folding the paper towels and placing them next to the bowl.
Yoruichi put his hand on his back, with his palm against his back and his fingers slightly spread.
"At least until that kid grows up, I won't leave."
He didn't look away.
Yoruichi lowered his head and rested his chin on the top of Yan Si Ming's head.
The corners of her mouth were raised, pushing up from her cheekbones, squeezing out fine lines at the corners of her eyes. Yan Si Ming leaned in her arms, the end of her scarf hung down to her knees, and the blue fabric and dark blue yukata were folded together.
The lantern light fell on them, casting the shadows of the two people on the grass behind them. The shadows were close together and the edges blended into one.
"I've missed his birth and infancy."
"I don't want to miss his future growth."
He turned his head and faced Kyōraku Shunsui.
"Shunsui, senior brother, I'm sorry."
As the absolute combat power of Three Realms, it will indeed be a lot more difficult if Survey Corps does not join him in the future.
It's not that it can't be beaten, it's just that it's more difficult to beat.
Without him, others will have to fight more.
Play more, the rotation cycle will be shortened, and the time to come back and rest will be less.
"I want to be a good father."
Kyōraku Shunsui stretched out his hand and slapped Siwei Yan on the back. The sound was so loud that people at the table next to him turned their heads to look.
The palm of his hand rested on Siwei Yan's back for a moment, and then he took it back.
"What nonsense are you talking about?" The corners of his mouth opened, his eyes bent, and fine lines formed at the corners of his eyes.
"There is no imminent crisis now Three Realms, so there is no need to be so anxious."
The wine pot was lifted up again, the spout was pointed at the mouth of the bowl, and it was filled.
"Before my nephew grew up, there was still me."
He raised the wine bowl but did not drink.
"Also, don't underestimate the captains of Soul Society."
The other hand stretched out and pointed at the people sitting in Training Ground.
Fingers move from table to table, from person to person.
Second Division Captain Soi Fon, his back is straight, his short hair is tucked behind his ears, revealing the team logo of the Shihoin Clan.
There was a cup of tea in front of her, and her eyes glanced in the direction of Yoruichi from time to time, then back again. Third Division Captain Gin Ichimaru sat next to her, hiding her hands in her sleeves.
The wine bowl in front of him was empty. No one saw when he drank it. His face was slightly tilted and his ears were facing the main table.
Fourth Division Captain Isane Kotetsu, not long after taking over the position of Retsu Unohana, he was still a little reserved at the table, holding the wine glass in both hands without moving.
Fifth Division Captain Hirako Shinji leaned against the edge of the table, resting his chin on his arms.
Her long blond hair hangs down from both sides of her shoulders, and the ends of her hair are stained with wine.
With his eyes half closed, his fingers tapped on the table in a very slow rhythm.
Sixth Division Captain Kuchiki Byakuya is sitting under the west corridor of Training Ground, leaning against a pillar.
The silvery white Kazahana is floating on the shoulder, with a few extremely fine black sand particles on it.
He looked at Kuchiki Hizuki running in the yard, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised.
Hisana sat next to him, wrapped in a thick shawl, and placed his fingers on the back of his hand.
Captain of the Seventh Division Sajin Komamura just sat cross-legged on the ground.
The tin mask was taken off and placed next to his knees. The wolf's face was very quiet under the lantern light. He held a bowl of wine in his hand, which was as small as a teacup in his huge palm.
Eighth Division Captain Yadomaru Lisa is sitting next to Komamura, with a book spread out on his knees.
The pages of the book were not turned, and his eyes passed through the top of the pages and landed on the back of Siwei Yan at the main table.
The eyes behind the glasses squinted for a moment, then retracted.
Captain of the Ninth Division Tōshirō Hitsugaya is sitting on the table next to the main table, holding a glass of juice in his hand.
Hyorinmaru was inserted into the waist, with a very thin layer of frost on the handle.
From time to time, his eyes drifted in the direction of Yan Si Ming, then drifted back again.
The corners of his mouth were pursed tightly, but the smile could not be hidden.
Captain of the Tenth Division Shiba Kaien sat opposite Tōshirō, with one foot on the chair and his elbow supporting his knee.
The wine bowl is held in the other hand, the mouth of the bowl is tilted, and the wine sloshes to the edge of the bowl and then back again.
His voice was loud, laughter burst out of his throat, he clinked glasses with the team members next to him, and the wine spilled all over the table.
Eleventh Division Captain Renji Abarai rolled up Shinigami uniform's sleeves above his elbows, exposing the tangled muscles on his forearm. Zabimaru laid it across his knees, and there were a few new scratches on the scabbard.
He was arm-wrestling with the team member next to him, his hands locked on the table, and veins crawled from his forearms to his wrists.
Twelfth Division Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri leaned forward and drew something famous on the table with his fingers.
Golden pupils stared at Siwei Yan's mouth, waiting for his next words.
Thirteenth Division Captain Rukia Kuchiki stood on the edge of Training Ground, with his back against the wall.
Sode no Shirayuki is hung on the waist, and the cloth strip wrapped around the handle of the knife has been replaced with a new one.
His eyes passed through the crowd and fell on Kuchiki Byakuya and Hisana.
He dropped it for a moment, then pulled it back, his eyes red.
Kyōraku Shunsui retracted his fingers from the last person.
He raised the wine bowl to the level of his eyebrows. The wine in the bowl reflected the light of the lantern and all the people in Training Ground.
"Don't worry."
"We Soul Society Thirteen Court Guard Squads will definitely protect Three Realms." Siwei Yan looked at Kyōraku Shunsui's face.
The corners of the mouth are raised from both sides, the eyes are bent down, and fine lines are squeezed out from the corners of the eyes.
"Hmm."
He picked up the wine glass in front of him.
Place the rim of the cup against your lower lip and raise your wrist.
The wine gushes out from the mouth of the cup and pours into the mouth. The Adam's apple rolls once.
The cup is empty.
"Then I'll leave it to you."