The day of Rukia's execution.
The Shihoin Family's underground training room was now in complete disarray.
In this training ground that looked like it had been ravaged by thousands of huskies, three figures stood amidst the ruins.
These three figures exuded a powerful aura. Three terrifying Spiritual Pressure emanated from them, distorting the air around them. The collision of Spiritual Power Spiritual Power caused the space itself to creak and groan.
All three Spiritual Pressure are incredibly powerful! Even the weakest one, released by its owner, possesses a Spiritual Pressure Spiritual Pressure flow equivalent to at least Muguruma, inspiring fear and dread.
Yes, they are all powerful level Muguruma experts! Muguruma experts! Terrifying!
"Gentlemen, your time is up."
"I have taught you both everything I needed to, without reservation."
"As for how much you've learned, that's beyond my control."
"Now, it's time for you to secretly raid an execution ground and shock all the Soul Reaper in Soul Society!"
Yoruichi Shihōin stood before the ragged Ichigo Kurosaki and Renji Abarai and spoke earnestly.
Whether it was Ichigo Kurosaki and Renji Abarai's imagination or not, they could detect a hint of excitement in Yoruichi Shihōin's serious voice, as if... Yoruichi Shihōin was already eager for Ichigo Kurosaki and the others to storm the execution ground.
" Rukia, wait for me!"
Even though Ichigo Kurosaki sensed something amiss in Yoruichi Shihōin's tone, he didn't dwell on it. At that moment, Ichigo Kurosaki's mind was completely focused on how to successfully rescue Rukia Kuchiki had been sentenced to death.
"There's no time to waste."
"Let's go, Ichigo!"
Renji Abarai patted Ichigo Kurosaki's shoulder, who was silently calling Rukia's name in his heart with unwavering determination, and gently reminded him.
"I see."
"Alright, Yoruichi, let's go."
Before setting off, Ichigo Kurosaki didn't forget to bow slightly to his teacher Yoruichi Shihōin, whom he had been teaching for the past few days. Although Yoruichi Shihōin had only taught him for a few days, the training he received during those days would benefit him for life and be unforgettable.
Having been freed from Yoruichi Shihōin's torment and training, he had nothing left to fear; he was fearless...
Go, Ichigo!
Yoruichi Shihōin looked at Ichigo Kurosaki's resolute face and unwavering gaze, smiled gently, and spoke four words softly, like an elder.
"Um."
Ichigo nodded, turned around, and stepped out of the huge iron door of the Shihoin Family's basement with Renji Abarai.
From the moment Ichigo Kurosaki and Renji Abarai stepped across the iron gate, a thunderous roar seemed to echo in the sky, proclaiming their resolve.
Incidentally, that thunder was just something Sōgo Shihoin released out of boredom to scare away the birds in the sky and the sparrows in his Byakurai. Because he didn't control the power well, he accidentally alarmed the entire Soul Society Soul Society, causing countless scheming individuals to chatter and panic like startled birds. Sigh... Actually Sōgo didn't want to be so conspicuous, but what could he do? He was just too powerful! It really made him feel embarrassed.
On the cliff where Xingju Sōkyoku was located.
The enormous spear soared into the sky, towering high on the cliff, seemingly reaching straight to the clouds. On its straight shaft were traces of the passage of time, the repentance of countless sinners who gazed at the spear before their deaths.
Opposite the spear stood an equally imposing crucifix. According to the laws of Soul Society, the condemned would be bound to the crucifix and forced to witness themselves being pierced by that spear, thus repenting for their life's sins...
Between the massive scaffold and the long spear stood Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, an invincible war god Soul Society for thousands of years, and his henchman Sajin Komamura, the Captain of the Seventh Division. Apart from them, no other division captains were present.
As is customary, the captains should arrive half an hour early. However, apart from Rukia Kuchiki Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, the captain of the First Division who arrived early and patiently waited to execute Kuchiki Rukia, and Komamura Sajin, the Captain of the Seventh Division and a big fan of Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai Sajin Komamura, the other division captains seemed indifferent to the matter. They deliberately delayed their arrival, as if they had all agreed to skip class... This angered Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, who had originally planned to watch the show, and he decided to take some time to teach these brats who didn't know the meaning of punctuality a lesson.
Just as Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's face remained kind, but his heart was like a volcano about to erupt, constantly accumulating anger, a beautiful figure descended from the sky with her vice-captain.
"Ara~"
" Captain-Commander- in-Chief, I'm a little late because the Fourth Division is so busy... The execution shouldn't have started yet, right!"
With a beautiful face, a hot figure, and an aura like a lotus rising from the mud unsullied, yet possessing an angelic face and a seductive body like a succubus, Captain Retsu Unohana of the Fourth Division's Medical Squad, who could constantly arouse men and cause their testosterone to surge simply by standing still, approached Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai with her vice-captain, Isane Kotetsu, and apologized.
"It's alright."
Looking at the gentle and tender woman before him, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai opened his mouth slightly, but in the end, he could only manage to utter the words "It's alright."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai has always treated Retsu Unohana with special regard, since she was one of the original Gotei 13.
After Retsu Unohana received Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's forgiveness, she obediently stood to Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's right.
The captains who witnessed Rukia Kuchiki's execution stood in the same positions as in previous Captains' Meeting: captains of squads with even-numbered squads stood to the right of Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, and captains of squads with odd-numbered squads stood to the left of Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai.
The crowd lined up in two pairs in front of Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, standing quietly to watch the execution of Rukia Kuchiki.
Under normal circumstances, this should be correct, but so far, only three squad leaders have arrived here...
Even Byakuya Kuchiki, the Sixth Division head of the Kuchiki Clan, who is known as a paragon of nobility and never late, only slowly appeared ten minutes before the execution was to begin...
You're late.
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai spoke coldly to Byakuya Kuchiki without any politeness. His imposing demeanor, devoid of the benevolent air he had displayed when only he and Sajin Komamura were standing there earlier, was completely gone.
"The executions probably haven't started yet."
So I wasn't late.
Byakuya Kuchiki, draped in Captain's Haori and wearing a jet-black Shihakusho underneath, coldly responded to Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, as if even the person in front of him... the one hailed as the strongest Soul Reaper in a thousand years Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, could not intimidate Byakuya Kuchiki. He continued to argue his case, not missing any opportunity to defend himself.
Byakuya Kuchiki has never changed from childhood to adulthood. Although he speaks less and his expressions are more monotonous than before, he is still that passionate young man. He dared to diss Sōgo Shihoin when he was a child, and he dared to diss Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai when he grew up. This is... this is called "Although I can't beat you, I don't accept you. Even if your Bankai can kill me instantly, even if I fall into Hell because of it, I still don't accept you."
"..."
Looking into Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai Byakuya Kuchiki's sincere eyes, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's own eyes twitched slightly. He knew that this guy genuinely didn't think he was late and simply believed he hadn't done anything wrong. Thinking of this, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's anger burned even brighter; he was truly furious...
"Oh my gosh~"
"I'm late~"
Just as Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai was about to do something to revive his glory Captain-Commander, petals rained down from the sky. A man dressed in a pink lady's robe and wearing a straw hat descended from the sky carrying a perfect girl who was absolutely beautiful from any angle and had an extremely rare, limited-edition glasses girl attribute that made all those who liked glasses girls unable to resist.
" Kyōraku..."
Looking at his good disciple in front of him, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai felt a surge of pleasure in his liver.
" Little Nanao ~ Stop scattering flower petals~"
"We've arrived at our destination!"
The man named Shunsui Kyōraku, wearing a straw hat and sporting a stubble beard that exuded the weathered charm of a middle-aged man while also carrying a hint of lewdness, smiled slightly at the perfect bespectacled girl in his arms who was constantly scattering flower petals, and spoke in an extremely doting tone.
"Hmph~"
Upon hearing Kyōraku's words, Nanao Ise snorted coldly and put away the basket full of flower petals, which was considered giving Kyōraku ample face.
"What do you guys think this place is?"
Looking at the group of squad leaders in front of him who were late and showering him with artificial flowers, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai felt furious but helpless. If it were just one person acting like this, he could punish them and be done with it. But if they were all like this, then he had to start to consider whether it was their lack of propriety or... that times had changed and that his adherence to ancient etiquette made him seem unorthodox.
This is like a normal person mixed in with a group of mentally ill people. In the eyes of the mentally ill people, they are all normal people, and the normal person is the only mentally ill person in their group.
In such situations, following the principles of natural selection and survival of the fittest, we cannot change the world, only ourselves. The normal person had no choice but to become mentally ill and then live happily with the other patients.
Just as Yamamoto was pondering whether the times were changing too fast, or if he was truly getting old...
The Second Division's vice-captain Shaoling Fon, and the Thirteenth Division's captain Kūkaku Shiba, arrived together... Behind them, relentlessly pursued, was the Tenth Division's captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya...
Shaoling Fon, Kūkaku Shiba, Tōshirō Hitsugaya seemed to be competing in speed, continuously using Shunpo to move forward.
Of these three, Shaoling Fon, who underwent special training in the Second Division, is the fastest. As the true commander of the Stealth Force, if her Shunpo) isn't Kūkaku Shiba or Hitsugaya, then she might as well quit! As the commander of the Stealth Force, even if her Shunpo isn't the best in the three realms, it's still among the top few. At this level of speed, surpassing Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Kūkaku Shiba is incredibly easy...
Before long, Shaoling Fon appeared in the first position to the right of Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai and stood obediently.
A few seconds later, Kūkaku Shiba and Tōshirō Hitsugaya arrived at their destination. The two came to Yamamoto's side, and seeing Yamamoto's dark face, they were like roosters with their necks caught, not daring to make a sound. They immediately stood on either side of Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, quietly waiting for Rukia Kuchiki's execution.
Time passed by, minute by minute.
However, no other squad captains arrived before the countdown ended.
"..."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai looked at the group of squad captains present and fell silent. Even if Aizen was really dead, there should still be eleven squad captains left.
Only the captains of the First Division, Second Division, 4th, Fourth Division, Sixth Division, Seventh Division, Eighth Division, and Tenth Division Thirteenth Division showed up. Leaving aside the Fifth Division which is currently considered dead and has no captain), and the eight captains who arrived, there should have been captains of the Third Division, Ninth Division, and 11th Division Twelfth Division present. However, for some unknown reason, these four captains were absent, which made Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai feel a sense of unease.
Time's up!
Just as Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai was feeling quite puzzled, several white-robed soldiers wearing the special uniforms of the First Division captains, escorting Rukia Kuchiki, who was dressed in white and had no Spiritual Pressure around her.
"The sinner Rukia Kuchiki, has been brought here. Execution will commence immediately."
The man in white robes shouted loudly, announcing the official commencement of the execution.
" Ukitake... if you don't hurry, I'm going to have no choice!"
Shunsui Kyōraku silently muttered to himself. Although he was confident he could defeat the Sōkyoku, he had absolutely no confidence in facing Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, known as the strongest Soul Reaper in a thousand years, alone. As Yamamoto's disciple, no one knew better than him just how terrifying Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai truly was...
Why hasn't anyone come to stop this execution?
"I'm really anxious!"
While Shunsui Kyōraku was anxious, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai was also feeling very heavy-hearted. His previous anger was all an act, meant to make others think he was serious, so as to lull the mastermind behind the entire Seireitei into a false sense of security. So, he never really intended to kill Rukia Kuchiki. As the execution ceremony of the Sōkyoku officially began, Yamamoto admitted that he was genuinely a little nervous.
(End of this chapter)