Central 46, the underground council hall.
This was the nexus of supreme power in all of Soul Society. Towering stone walls surrounded a cold dome, and behind forty-six numbered wooden plaques sat the Sages and Inquisitors who fancied themselves masters of truth and order.
The dim light drew a stark dividing line before their elevated seats, isolating the man standing in the center of the hall amid shadows and scrutiny.
Kisuke Urahara stood there, his hair a mess. He clearly had not bothered grooming it.
The Rotating Speaker's voice carried a scrutinizing edge. "Kisuke Urahara, we have reviewed your application."
"That's good." Urahara nodded.
That unexpected brevity left all the Sages on the dais momentarily stunned. A few almost seemed to have question marks materializing above their heads.
In all of Central 46's long history, what member submitting a special request here had not stood respectfully and spoken earnestly? They all but polished every word on their tongues three times, terrified of offending the central authority's dignity.
Yet this newly appointed Twelfth Division Captain had offered nothing more than a breezy little reply?
The Rotating Speaker frowned. He turned a page of the document in his hand, as though checking that he had not misread it.
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi was lawfully confined to the Supervision Tower for secretly developing weapons through human modification and conducting spiritual-body detonation experiments on living subjects. His sentencing order bears the seals of both the First Division and Central 46, and you want to release him, hmm?" the Rotating Speaker said coolly, then slammed the table.
"To be my research assistant, of course." Kisuke Urahara ignored the deafening bang. That idiotic, rather punchable grin remained on his face, and he even raised a finger to point solemnly at the ceiling.
The hall fell silent for