Jūshirō Ukitake's Decision

As Grimmjow successfully ascended, his spiritual pressure rippled throughout Las Noches.

Outside the palace, the long-waiting masses of Menos let out a chorus of cries.

The Adjuchas who had followed Grimmjow through the wars on the Hell front for so long were the most reactive of all.

They were overjoyed!

According to the rules of Las Noches, a Vasto Lorde was permitted to possess their own independent faction outside the palace walls.

After all, the entirety of Hueco Mundo belonged to the King of Hueco Mundo; to command one's own forces, one had to obtain the King's consent.

Furthermore, the direct subordinates under a Vasto Lorde would no longer be required to take orders from any other Menos, save for the King of Hueco Mundo himself.

Although they had lost the possibility of evolving into Vasto Lorde themselves, by following Grimmjow, they had attained a status far above that of other Menos.

In contrast to them stood Inotra and his own faction of Adjuchas.

Because Inotra had died once during the battles in Hell, his evolution potential—which had originally surpassed Grimmjow's—had been halved after being resurrected by the great King of Hueco Mundo. Now, he could only watch as Grimmjow stepped ahead of him to become a Vasto Lorde.

How could the proud and arrogant Inotra endure such a thing?

Moreover, the battlefield in Hell had ceased operations. Having lost the special power that surged into his body upon slaying the ogres of Hell, Inotra had no idea how long he would need to accumulate strength to restore his potential for ascension.

Thus, amidst the agitation of his surging spiritual pressure, Inotra used Sonido and departed rapidly.

This left his subordinates, the Adjuchas, not daring to follow him.

After all, when Inotra was in a fit of rage, he was truly capable of cutting anyone down.

Not long after Inotra left, Grimmjow emerged from Las Noches. Without even glancing at Inotra's Adjuchas, he led his subordinates away directly.

They were certainly going to celebrate!

Roasted Hollow legs—this time, they were going to eat their fill!

Elsewhere, Inotra ran to a Forest of Menos and began a slaughter of the Gillians wandering aimlessly within.

"Will you eat them all?"

Suddenly, a female voice reached Inotra's ears.

Inotra stopped, turned around, and saw the Vasto Lorde-class Hollow, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.

Even though he loathed having a woman standing above him, hindered by the rules set by the King of Hueco Mundo, he knelt on one knee and greeted her, "Greetings, My Lady!"

This was the reason Inotra had left earlier; he did not wish to offer greetings to Grimmjow.

Nelliel looked at the Gillians slaughtered by Inotra. Ignoring his greeting, she asked him again, "Will you eat them all?"

Inotra replied in a low voice, "No!"

"Then why do you slaughter them?" Nelliel looked at Inotra with disgust. "Perhaps one or several companions could have been born among them, or they might have served as the rations desperately needed by a companion during their ascension! What you are doing here has a hundred harms and not a single benefit."

Seeing that Inotra did not answer, Nelliel turned and left helplessly. "I will report your actions here to His Majesty. You would do well to reflect on the reasons why His Majesty established so many rules in Las Noches."

Since possessing the Zanpakuto forged by the Shinigami using ancient Hollow-devouring techniques, the Adjuchas-level Hollows who led Las Noches no longer needed to devour one another to ensure they would not regress.

A preliminary order had been established since that time.

Nelliel enjoyed serving as this logistics officer; she wanted to maintain this order, which she viewed as hard-won.

Since they had regained their reason, why should they continue to view themselves as beasts?

But Inotra did not think so.

He believed more firmly in the law of the jungle.

If not for the battlefield in Hell, he might have long since grown unable to tolerate the order of Las Noches.

Now that the Hell battlefield was closed, he had begun to show his dissent.

Watching the spot where Nelliel had departed, Inotra grew even more furious!

He couldn't even kill Gillians as he pleased... this life was becoming unbearable.

Two days passed in a flash.

After bidding farewell to Kaien, Aoto transformed his Gigai back into spirit particles and rushed to the place where Kaien had "died in battle."

He needed to rendezvous with Blue Oni there and reclaim his own identity.

The process was quite simple.

After all, with Captain Ukitake providing cover, and in the absence of other captains, Aoto did not encounter any interference.

However, it was only after Blue Oni returned to the Zanpakuto that Aoto noticed the 13th Division seated officers who had followed them were all looking at him with very strange expressions.

Although they all knew Aoto was a friend of Kaien and had helped Kaien find release, he was, after all, the one who had killed Kaien, and they felt conflicted when facing him.

Aoto said nothing, merely moving closer to Captain Ukitake... this was their secret signal, telling him that he had returned.

Ukitake Jushiro nodded silently.

Because Kaien had left no body behind after his death, Ukitake Jushiro had only had a cenotaph erected there.

This was only because they were in the World of the Living. Had it been in the Soul Society, there might have been nothing more than a photograph and a spirit tablet.

After all, as long as one has not reached the third-class spiritual power, the body will dissolve back into spirit particles upon death.

Just like the body of Shiba Miyako, it has already completely returned to the Soul Society!

The 13th Division has suddenly lost both its lieutenant and its third seat; it is no exaggeration to say that its vitality has been severely damaged.

However...

The seated officers of the 13th Division looked at Hyakume-ki Seikyo, who had followed them, and roughly understood what Captain Ukitake intended to do.

He must be planning to make him the lieutenant!

His strength is certainly sufficient, it is just that these people still harbor some resentment.

But when the memorial service ended and Captain Ukitake truly began to speak, everyone was shocked!

Because this is what Ukitake Jushiro said.

"I have decided to retire!" Captain Ukitake looked at all the seated officers and said in a deep voice, "As for the position of captain, I will recommend Fourth Seat Hyakume-ki Seikyo to succeed me!"

Huh???

What the hell???

Seikyo's expression was no calmer than that of the seated officers.

His mouth was open the widest.

"Captain Ukitake, are you joking?" Seikyo truly did not know what kind of expression he should make.

"Of course I am not joking!" Ukitake Jushiro was extremely serious. "I had already intended to retire. Originally, it should have been Kaien to succeed me, so now, please, I ask you to take the position!"

Although the surprise was sudden, Ukitake Jushiro had no intention of disrupting his retirement plans.

Moreover, Ukitake Jushiro had received news that because Seikyo had "accidentally" released the Garaku Kairo previously, the Central 46 had already begun to doubt his reliability.

Only by becoming a captain would such doubts regarding his reliability fade away.

Kaien had already left, and Ukitake Jushiro did not want his friend to be "made to disappear" as well...

"I hope everyone can agree with my decision!"

Facing the seated officers, Ukitake Jushiro bowed his waist.

With things having come to this, how could they possibly oppose Captain Ukitake's choice?

Although their gazes toward Seikyo remained conflicted, the seated officers all lowered their heads in unison.

"Yes, we shall strictly follow the Captain's decision!"

Now, the only person left dumbfounded was Seikyo!

What? My plan has ended before it even began?

This is just too intense!