All Arrested

Before long, the first to arrive was the Commander-General of the Gotei 13, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

He was followed by the captain of the Sixth Division, Byakuya Kuchiki. Since this involved the Tsunayashiro Clan, one of the Five Great Noble Clans like his own, an almost imperceptible gravity flickered in the depths of his eyes.

From farther away came a succession of air-splitting sounds as the captains arrived: Isshin Shiba of the Tenth Division, Soi Fon of the Second Division, Sajin Komamura of the Seventh Division, Shunsui Kyoraku of the 8th Division, Jushiro Ukitake of the Thirteenth Division, and others.

Along with numerous vice-captains and Stealth Force members, they rapidly converged from every direction, sealing off the area completely.

Everyone's gaze first fell upon Liu Chuan.

Then their eyes lowered, taking in Tsukihito Tsunayashiro kneeling and sprawled on the ground, his face ashen with despair.

They saw the executioner, Scarface, who had thrown down his blade in surrender and now crouched nearby, trembling.

And they saw the Tsunayashiro Clan's dead soldiers lying on the ground, either unconscious or incapacitated.

The air still seemed to carry the faint lingering traces of Binding Spirit Dust interfering with Spiritual Power.

Combined with the crystal-clear recording from the Heavenly Sky Net, in which Tsukihito Tsunayashiro had exposed his own scheme, the truth was laid bare before all the Soul Society higher-ups who had rushed over.

"Sir Liu Chuan." Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was the first to speak. He looked at Liu Chuan with both inquiry in his eyes and a faint, barely perceptible scrutiny.

Though the Heavenly Sky Net had already made much clear, procedurally, he still needed Liu Chuan's personal confirmation.

Liu Chuan addressed Commander-General Yamamoto calmly:

He pointed at Tsukihito Tsunayashiro on the ground. "This old bastard wanted to kill me here. Unfortunately for him, he failed."

His account was concise. Together with Tsukihito Tsunayashiro's smug "confession," the obvious signs of an ambush at the scene, and the culprits caught red-handed, the evidence was irrefutable.

"You bastard!" After hearing this, Isshin Shiba could no longer restrain himself. He stepped before Tsukihito Tsunayashiro, crimson Spiritual Pressure nearly taking on the form of tangible flames.

"You attacked a Zero Division member? Using such a filthy trap?"

"Captain Isshin, remain calm."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto spoke in a deep voice, cutting Isshin Shiba off.

He swept his gaze over the collapsed Tsukihito Tsunayashiro, his eyes holding only the indifference one might show a dead thing, along with an assessment of the severity of the situation.

He slowly raised a hand and gestured to Chōjirō Sasakibe, the First Division vice-captain standing solemnly behind him.

"Chōjirō."

"Present!" Chōjirō Sasakibe bowed.

"Take all personnel involved in this case—"

Commander-General Yamamoto enunciated every word, his voice reaching everyone's ears with perfect clarity.

"Tsukihito Tsunayashiro, the escaped felon Scarface, and every Tsunayashiro Clan dead soldier involved in this attack. Arrest them all and imprison them in the First Division's underground special detention prison under strict guard! Without my written order, no one is to approach them!"

"Yes!" Without hesitation, Chōjirō Sasakibe immediately directed the First Division elite behind him to step forward.

The well-trained members moved swiftly, placing Spirit-Sealing Stone shackles on Tsukihito Tsunayashiro as he was dragged up like a limp sack, and restraining Scarface as well, who obediently dared not move.

They then carefully carried away and detained the dead soldiers on the ground, whether unconscious or severely wounded. The entire process was swift and orderly.

Only after all the suspects had been brought under control did Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto slowly speak again. "This incident is exceptionally vile and its impact exceptionally grave!"

His gaze swept over the crowd before settling once more on the escorted Tsukihito Tsunayashiro, his tone icy.

"The mastermind, Tsukihito Tsunayashiro, holds two identities. First, he is a Sage of the Central 46 Chambers and should have been impartial and upright."

"Instead of upholding the dignity of Soul Society's laws, he acted out of personal resentment, knowingly broke the law, and committed this despicable assassination attempt, severely trampling upon the foundations of Soul Society's legal order!"

"Second, he is a member of the Tsunayashiro Clan, one of the Five Great Noble Clans. He used the clan's stockpiled forbidden drug, Binding Spirit Dust, colluded with a convicted criminal, and dispatched dead soldiers. This is no longer an individual's act; it must involve the clan's influence."

"Did the Tsunayashiro Clan know? Did it tacitly permit this? Did it participate? We must investigate to the very end!"

He paused and turned his gaze to Liu Chuan, his tone becoming even graver.

"And the target of his attack was a member of the Soul King Palace's Zero Division, a Royal Guard! Attacking a Royal Guard is a provocation against the Soul King Palace, a challenge to the highest authority that maintains the balance of the Three Worlds!"

"This act is no ordinary vendetta or power struggle. It is a grave crime that shakes the foundation of stability in Soul Society and even the Three Worlds!"

The words "attacking a Royal Guard" struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.

The transcendent status of the Zero Division and the supreme authority of the Soul King Palace had been made clear by Commander-General Yamamoto in the most solemn and official manner possible.

This meant the matter had long surpassed the scope of internal Seireitei power struggles or noble grudges. It had risen to an issue concerning the relationship between all of Soul Society and the Soul King Palace, even the stability of the laws governing the Three Worlds!

For a time, every captain and high-ranking official wore an exceptionally grave expression.

They all understood the severity of the matter, but with Commander-General Yamamoto personally setting the tone of "attacking a Royal Guard," its weight and subsequent consequences would be impossible to estimate.

The Tsunayashiro Clan... this time, it would likely face its most severe crisis in centuries!

"I will personally oversee this case and investigate it to the very end!"

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto gave his final order, his voice decisive and beyond dispute.

"All personnel involved, regardless of status or background, will be punished without leniency!"

"Yes!" All the captains, vice-captains, and high-ranking officials present answered in unison, their voices shaking the night sky.

After hearing Commander-General Yamamoto's words, the last trace of strength seemed to drain from Tsukihito Tsunayashiro's body. He completely collapsed, his eyes filled with nothing but dead ash.

He knew he was finished. The Tsunayashiro Clan... would likely pay an unimaginably painful price for his foolish and mad actions as well.

Liu Chuan stood quietly to the side, watching Commander-General Yamamoto deal with the aftermath with swift decisiveness and listening to his final characterization of the incident.

Deep within the Tsunayashiro Clan estate lay the clan's council hall.

Unlike the vast solemnity of the Central 46 Chambers, this space was older and more oppressive, with murals on the walls depicting the Tsunayashiro Clan's ancient glory and secret rituals.

Several elderly men dressed in elaborate garments bearing the clan crest sat around the council table, while the current clan head, Tsunayashiro Dekang, sat upright at the head seat.

They were all core elders and holders of power within the Tsunayashiro Clan, yet every one of them looked grim, their eyes tangled with rage, fear, and disbelief.

Just moments ago, they had almost simultaneously received urgent reports from their respective intelligence channels, along with Tsukihito Tsunayashiro's utterly foolish confession, broadcast through the Heavenly Sky Net to Seireitei's upper ranks!

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