Light, lively jazz once again echoed above the Seireitei.
Many squad members set aside their work, closed their eyes, and listened to the cheerful music.
The gloomy atmosphere brought about by the defection of eleven captain-class officers since summer was swept away.
Though many captains had been lost, outstanding new blood continued to emerge in the Seireitei.
The wounds had grown old, and a new era was about to arrive.
Before the First Division barracks, Uchiha Yato draped a spotless white haori over his shoulders.
A black [Nine] was emblazoned on the back of the pure white haori. Its lining was pale blue, embroidered with white poppy patterns.
The white poppy was the Ninth Division's squad flower, symbolizing "forgetting."
"It fits you perfectly, Yato—no, Captain Yato."
Even the forthright and bold Kaien Shiba could not help sounding a little sour when he saw his friend becoming captain before him. "Formally taking office as captain after only twelve years in the Gotei 13—you've already broken the record since its founding."
"There just happened to be an opening, Kaien."
Uchiha Yato did not become carried away by his elevated status. He merely smiled as usual, bumped Kaien's shoulder, and walked forward.
A gentle-looking man in a white haori was already waiting there.
"Captain Aizen, shall we go in together?"
"Of course, Captain Uchiha."
Their gazes met for an instant before quickly moving away.
The gates of the First Division slowly opened, and the two stepped inside.
From this day onward, they and the Lieutenants, Seated Officers, and squad members behind them were no longer colleagues on equal footing, but leaders and subordinates separated by clear rank!
Every captain of the Gotei 13 held a portion of the Seireitei's core authority. Their names were carved upon the white pillars before the First Division