Onmitsukidō

Inside the newly built Reishi Research Institute at the Twelfth Division's barracks.

The institute was empty.

Aside from a few newly arrived instruments that had yet to be assembled and some old equipment from Shutara's stores, there were only several wooden crates piled in the corner. They contained the sewing tools and fabric samples Shutara had moved from her old residence. Other than that, there was nothing.

Shutara sat in a chair, a stack of documents spread across the table before her.

Twelfth Division equipment requisition forms, material allocation sheets, personnel rosters, technical research project proposals... Since the postwar reconstruction began, these documents had been piling up for over half a month. She truly had not looked through most of them. Her vice-captain had handled the bulk of the work; only a few core documents required her signature.

That had left her far too idle. Idle enough that she had started flipping through the paperwork.

Shutara picked up the one on top. It was an equipment loss report written by Okutano, the Twelfth Division's vice-captain. She skimmed it, turned to the second page, and stopped.

Beneath the words "Recent Equipment Loss Statistics" was a long list of figures. She could tell Okutano had compiled them carefully.

But what truly made Shutara pause was the final paragraph.

"During high-Reiatsu, high-intensity combat after Shikai release, Reishi Garments have a high probability of sustaining damage."

Shutara set down the report. She understood that her vice-captain was asking whether she had any tougher fabric.

A flood of thoughts suddenly filled Shutara's mind. She caught hold of an idea, vague and formless, like a crumpled piece of cloth that had yet to be unfolded.

"What if the Reishi Garment automatically adapted to fluctuations in Reiatsu? What if the garment itself served as a Reishi Circuit, changing shape and repairing itself along with the Reiatsu?"

She shook her head again.

But the thought quickly returned.

She looked at the fabrics in the crates and drew her Zanpakutō, which remained constantly in Shikai—a single embroidery needle, Meridian Pierce.

It was night again.

The lights in the First Division Captain-Commander's office were still on. Yamamoto sat behind his desk. Chojiro Sasakibe stood by the door, holding a freshly organized report on each division's reconstruction progress and preparing to present it when he heard footsteps in the corridor.

They were neither hurried nor slow, but each step landed firmly.

Sasakibe recognized who it was. He glanced at Yamamoto, who gave a slight nod.

Sasakibe opened the door.

Shihōin Qianri stood outside.

"Captain-Commander." Shihōin walked in without bowing, merely stopping in place.

"I'm here to discuss the Onmitsukidō."

Yamamoto looked up at him.

"Sit."

Shihōin did not sit. He remained standing.

Yamamoto did not urge him again. He reached for the document and unfolded it.

"The Second Division captain concurrently serves as Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō. The Onmitsukidō shall be the personal guard of the Second Division captain's family." Yamamoto recited.

"Yes."

"The First Division, the Punishment Force, is responsible for executions and assassinations. Its commander shall concurrently be the Commander-in-Chief, with Hakuda as its specialty."

"Yes."

Sasakibe listened from the side, committing it all to memory.

"The Second Division, the Patrol Corps, is responsible for patrols and inspections within the Seireitei. Its inspection targets are Soul Reapers. Its commander shall concurrently be the Second Division vice-captain."

Yamamoto's finger tapped the desk once, very lightly.

Sasakibe knew that gesture. It was not dissatisfaction, but deliberation. Bringing patrol and inspection authority under the Onmitsukidō meant the Second Division would possess law enforcement authority over Soul Reapers within the Seireitei. That had never happened in the history of the Gotei 13.

"The Third Division, the Supervision Corps." Yamamoto's tone did not change as he read those words, but Sasakibe noticed his hand pause.

The Supervision Corps was responsible for guarding the Supervision Tower, also known as the Maggot's Nest. Those imprisoned there were not ordinary criminals, but Soul Reapers deemed "potentially destabilizing factors." Some had lost control of their Reiatsu; others held dangerous ideas.

"The condition for serving as commander of the Third Division is the ability to suppress every criminal within the Maggot's Nest alone. Ryouka Hachi currently holds the position," Shihōin said.

Ryouka Hachi, of the Hachi Clan. Sasakibe knew the name. Her Hakuda and Shunpo were both among the best. Her Reiatsu was not the strongest, but her control over it was exceptional.

Yamamoto made no comment on Ryouka Hachi's appointment.

He continued reading.

"The Fourth Division, the Feimou Corps, is responsible for going out to search for missing Soul Reapers. It specializes in Reiatsu perception."

"The Fifth Division, the Inner Court Corps, is responsible for urgent communications for Soul Reapers outside the Seireitei. It specializes in Shunpo."

Yamamoto reviewed the duties of the five divisions in his mind: execution and assassination, patrol and inspection, prisoner supervision, search and rescue, and communications. The Second Division had changed from an ordinary combat division into a comprehensive organization encompassing intelligence, law enforcement, punishment, search and rescue, and communications.

He considered it for a while.

Shihōin stood before the desk without moving.

Sasakibe stood by the door, even breathing more softly.

"Interrogation," Yamamoto suddenly said.

"Removed."

"I mean it is the bottom line."

"I know. That's why I removed it," Shihōin said.

Yamamoto looked into his eyes. Shihōin did not look away.

"The Onmitsukidō may be established."

Yamamoto said, "But remember this: the authority in your hands was not given to you by me. It was ceded to you by the Gotei 13. The day you forget that, I will take that authority back."

Shihōin's lips moved, as though he wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

He bowed.

This time, it was a proper bow.

"Captain-Commander, the Onmitsukidō will officially begin operations today."

Yamamoto picked up the scroll on the desk and wrote a single character upon it.

Approved.

Shihōin accepted the document and turned to leave. When he walked out of the office, his steps were a little faster than when he had arrived. Sasakibe noticed his shadow stretching long beneath the corridor lights, like a drawn blade.

Sasakibe closed the door and returned to Yamamoto's side.

"Genryusai Yamamoto, the Fourth and Fifth Divisions—the search for missing Soul Reapers and urgent communications—those functions used to be scattered among the divisions."

"Now they will be brought back under the unified command of the Second Division," Yamamoto said calmly.

Sasakibe did not ask further. He understood. This was not about expanding the Second Division's authority. It was about centralizing scattered functions for unified deployment and command. The Quincy invasion had exposed too many problems: delayed intelligence, poor communications, missing personnel left unsearched for, and security holes throughout the Seireitei.

The Onmitsukidō was not Shihōin Qianri's ambition.

It was Yamamoto's resolve.

Second Division barracks.

Shihōin Qianri stood at the very front of the main hall.

Vice-Captain Ōmaeda Xiquanzhi stood at the front, with the Third Seat, Seventh Seat, and Ryouka Hachi, who had just returned from the Supervision Tower, lined up behind him. There was no one else in the hall. Shihōin did not like crowds.

He swept his eyes over the four before him and took out the appointment letters from his sleeve.

"The Onmitsukidō is established today."

Shihōin's voice was not loud, but every word was crystal clear. "The Second Division captain shall concurrently serve as Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō. The First Division, the Punishment Force, shall be directly commanded by me. The Onmitsukidō shall serve as the personal guard of the Second Division captain's family."

He glanced at Ōmaeda.

"The Second Division, the Patrol Corps, is responsible for patrols and inspections within the Seireitei. Its inspection targets are all Soul Reapers. Its commander shall concurrently be the Second Division vice-captain."

Ōmaeda accepted the appointment letter, his eyes widening. "I'm in charge of patrolling the Seireitei?"

Then, with the resigned calm of someone accepting his fate, he folded the appointment letter and tucked it into his robes. "All right. No problem."

He had been vice-captain for over two years and had grown accustomed to assignments dropping from the sky. Patrolling the Seireitei did not sound like work for a combat division, but the Captain-Commander had approved it, and his captain had given the order. He would do it. There was nothing more to say.

Shihōin's gaze shifted to Ryouka Hachi.

"The Third Division, the Supervision Corps, is responsible for guarding the Supervision Tower. The qualification for its commander is the ability to suppress every criminal within the Maggot's Nest alone."

Ryouka Hachi did not move.

Shihōin continued, "Ryouka Hachi, you are hereby appointed Third Seat of the Second Division and concurrently commander of the Supervision Corps."

The hall fell silent for a moment as his words landed.

Ryouka Hachi did not accept the order while standing in place. She stepped forward and dropped to both knees. Her knees struck the floor with a dull thud. Then she bowed low, clenching both hands into fists and pressing their backs against the floor, her forehead resting atop them.

She knelt with both knees down, fists against the floor.

It was the great ceremonial bow passed down through generations of the Hachi Clan.

It was not a bow offered to nobility. It was a bow offered to a superior on the battlefield, meaning, "My life is yours."

"Ryouka Hachi accepts the order."

Her voice was not loud, but the floor seemed to tremble faintly.

Shihōin did not tell her to rise. He turned toward the other two.

"Seventh Seat."

The Seventh Seat stepped forward. He was young and thin, but he stood perfectly straight. His Shunpo ranked second within the Second Division—first was, naturally, Qianri himself—and could place among the top five in the entire Gotei 13.

"The Fifth Division, the Inner Court Corps, is responsible for urgent communications for Soul Reapers outside the Seireitei. You will serve as its commander. Shunpo will be the division's specialty."

The Seventh Seat accepted the appointment letter with both hands. His voice was steady. "I accept the order."

Shihōin looked at the final person, the First Third Seat. The Second Division had two Third Seats. One was Ryouka Hachi; the other was the man standing before him. He was unremarkable, his Reiatsu unimpressive, and neither his Zanjutsu nor Hakuda could be considered first-rate. Yet he possessed one ability that surpassed everyone else in the Second Division: Reiatsu perception.

From the center of the Seireitei, he could sense Reiatsu fluctuations in the Thirtieth District of Rukongai—not merely a vague direction, but positions accurate to within a few hundred meters.

"The Fourth Division, the Feimou Corps, is responsible for going out to search for missing Soul Reapers. You will serve as its commander. Reiatsu perception will be the division's specialty."

The First Third Seat accepted the appointment letter, lowered his head to look at it once, and said nothing. He merely nodded.

Shihōin watched him.

"I accept the order," the First Third Seat said. His voice was soft, but certain.

At last, Shihōin withdrew his gaze and looked over the four before him.

Ōmaeda stood with his arms folded, his expression already calm again.

Ryouka Hachi still held her back perfectly straight.

The Seventh Seat stood on the right, holding the appointment letter in both hands.

The First Third Seat stood on the left. He had already folded the appointment letter and placed it inside his robes, one hand hanging at his side as though awaiting the next order.

"The Onmitsukidō will officially begin operations today."