The war is over... The thousand-year-old feud between the Quincy and the Soul Reaper, or rather, the entanglement and history that has lasted for a century, has finally come to an end!
"The sunshine is so beautiful today!"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai sat casually on the street, looking at the sun in the sky, and smiled.
When the war ends, he can still see the sun of Soul Society —how wonderful would that be!?
"My mission is over..."
"It's time to take a break!"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai squinted. Thousands of years of work had exhausted him. He had transformed from a middle-aged man into the aged man he was now. His once full head of hair had vanished completely. Although he had become bald and indeed stronger, his physical strength had only made his mind more weary.
"Is Yhwach dead!?"
Jūshirō Ukitake looked at Yhwach, who was sealed inside the crystal, with an extremely complicated expression.
"He's only dead now; he's still alive in the future!"
"It's like the Soul King has disappeared, but he still lives on in your body..."
Sōgo Shihoin stood beside Jūshirō Ukitake, smiling slightly.
"It seems you, Sōgo Shihoin, are fully aware of my situation!?"
After hearing what Sōgo Shihoin, Jūshirō Ukitake Sōgo Shihoin already knew everything about his situation.
Don't worry about these things!
"No Jūshirō Ukitake what's inside your body, you are still just yourself. If you keep creating pressure for yourself that isn't your own, you'll only drag yourself down."
Sōgo Shihoin patted Jūshirō Ukitake on the shoulder and spoke with a smile.
"..."
Jūshirō Ukitake listened to Sōgo Shihoin's profound pronouncements, his eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected to hear such deep thoughts coming from the mouth of this man before him; truly, Mahito...
"I see."
Jūshirō Ukitake nodded slightly, indicating that he understood what Sōgo Shihoin said.
" Ukitake..."
" Kyōraku..."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai slowly stood up from the ground; he had already made up his mind.
"We're here, Mr. Yamamoto!"
Upon hearing this, Ukitake and Kyōraku immediately went to Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's side.
"You two can walk with me for a bit."
I have something to discuss with you!
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai looked at Ukitake and Kyōraku, his two most prized disciples in his life, and spoke softly.
"We understand!"
Ukitake and Kyōraku exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously. They vaguely sensed why Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai had called them over, but neither of them revealed it. They preferred the ambiguity to being explicit.
Let's go...
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, along with Ukitake and Kyōraku, walked quietly down the street, heading into the distance...
"Boring! I'm going back..."
Kenpachi Zaraki sheathed his Zanpakuto. Looking at the defeated enemy, he felt bored and listless. He decided to return to Seireitei.
" Zaraki..."
Just as Kenpachi Zaraki was about to leave, the Big-Eyed Monk called him Kenpachi Zaraki.
"What is it!?"
Kenpachi Zaraki turned around and looked at the Big-Eyed Monk, raising an eyebrow.
"Do you want to stay?"
"Our Squad Zero is expanding, and we have one more spot now!"
"Join our Squad Zero, and death will be a thing of the past!"
You will enjoy happiness forever!
The Big-Eyed Monk, like the leader of a pyramid scheme, kept promoting the benefits of his Squad Zero.
"I'm not going!"
Kenpachi Zaraki glared at the Big-Eyed Monk monk, then turned and strode away!
"Captain, wait for us!"
Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, as the 11th Division's vice-captain and Third Seat respectively, are right after Kenpachi Zaraki...
" The 11th Division is really strong now!"
The Big-Eyed Monk looked at Ikkaku Madarame, who already possessed Captain-level Spiritual Pressure, and Yumichika Ayasegawa and smiled gently.
"So, Mr. Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, would you consider joining the Squad Zero?"
After being rejected by Kenpachi Zaraki, the Big-Eyed Monk set his sights on Kuruyashiki Kenpachi.
"I refuse!"
Three hundred years later, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi once again rejected the Big-Eyed Monk.
"Aha..."
"You rejected me again, it's really heartbreaking..."
The Big-Eyed Monk sighed helplessly; their Squad Zero really was short of a combatant.
"Disperse! Disperse!"
The remaining squad leaders, without giving the Big-Eyed Monk a chance to speak, all left the Soul King Palace and returned to the dilapidated Seireitei.
"So, repairing this place is our Squad Zero's job!?"
"That's fantastic!"
The Big-Eyed Monk looked at the destroyed streets and sighed helplessly. Their Squad Zero was suffering! Naming the characters, forging swords, providing medical care, clothing, food...
They've already solved their food and clothing problems, but they still lack transportation and shelter. This huge Squad Zero is missing people specifically for building houses and inventing vehicles.
"I wonder when we'll be able to fill the gaps in our professional staff!"
"Oh right, and there are the combatants I've been longing for! I wonder when we'll be able to get them!"
The Big-Eyed Monk looked at everything in the Squad Zero and shook his head helplessly. At the very least, their Squad Zero should still need three more members.
On the other side...
After the Quincy attack, most of the Gotei 13's barracks were reduced to ruins, and the Soul Reaper soldiers suffered heavy casualties, with some barracks even experiencing near annihilation!
Fortunately, the vice-captains and Soul Reaper of Captain-level and above survived, meaning the top fighting force of Soul Society was preserved. However, the other Soul Reaper in the divisions were far too weak...
"In short, let's speed up the teaching at the Shin'ō Academy!"
In response to the current situation, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai simply ordered Shunsui Kyōraku to accelerate the training of new students at the Shin'ō Academy.
"The next era belongs to Shunsui Kyōraku!"
"I'm going to step back from the spotlight..."
Looking up at the sky and then at everything around him, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai decided to travel for a while to see the sights of the three realms. When he had seen enough, he would go to the Squad Zero Squad Zero and become a member of it.
"This responsibility is quite heavy, Yama-jii."
"If I could, I would like to..."
Shunsui Kyōraku understood Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's meaning. He knew that the other party was pushing everything onto him, but to be honest, he had absolutely no interest in any of it.
"That's an order, Shunsui!"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai opened his slightly narrowed eyes and began to speak in a cold voice.
"Ah..."
"Okay! Okay! I understand!"
Shunsui Kyōraku sighed somewhat helplessly, indicating that he understood.
"I'll be taking over as captain of the First Division now..."
"Honestly, they dump all these troublesome things on me!"
Shunsui Kyōraku sighed helplessly; he felt utterly exhausted!
"Lord Genryūsai, please allow me to continue following you!"
At the moment when Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai decided to leave the Gotei 13, Chōjirō Sasakibe, the vice-captain of the First Division for a thousand years, also chose to leave the Thirteenth Division. Chōjirō Sasakibe was never loyal to any king Gotei 13; he was only loyal to Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai!
So even though he had countless opportunities to become the captain of the Gotei 13 over the past thousand years, he gave them all up!
For a thousand years, he had followed Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai like a loyal servant, and this moment was no exception.
"Good!"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai looked at Chōjirō Sasakibe and simply said "okay." To be honest, after a thousand years, he had become accustomed to Chōjirō Sasakibe's presence. If the other man were no longer around, he would feel somewhat uneasy.
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai and Chōjirō Sasakibe left in a hurry; only Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake witnessed their departure...
The Seventh Division barracks...
"What!?"
" Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai has actually left Soul Society!?"
Sajin Komamura's eyes widened upon hearing the report from his subordinate.
"In that case, I have no reason to stay here any longer..."
Sajin Komamura shook his head. His reason for joining the Gotei 13 and becoming a Soul Reaper was simple: to repay a debt of Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai. Now that Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai was no longer in the Gotei 13, there was naturally no need for him to stay there any longer.
"Captain, you mean...?"
"You're not leaving, are you!?"
After hearing Sajin Komamura's words, Iba Tetsuzaemon Iba's eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, widened in surprise.
"Yes, I'm going back to the mountains to continue my spiritual practice!"
Sajin Komamura's furry ears twitched. He decided to return to the mountains, apologize to the elders, and continue his training there.
"But..."
"What will happen to the Seventh Division if you leave!?"
Tetsuzaemon Iba was somewhat troubled. If Sajin Komamura really left, what would become of their Seventh Division? They couldn't remain without a division captain forever!
"The position of Captain of the Seventh Division, or rather, the entire Seventh Division, is entrusted to you!"
Don't worry! I know you can do it!
Sajin Komamura patted Tetsuzaemon Iba on the shoulder. His gentle eyes were full of trust in Tetsuzaemon Iba. He knew that his subordinate had already met the entry-level standards for a squad leader and had already secretly learned Bankai.
"I..."
Tetsuzaemon Iba's mouth gaped slightly, a hint of helplessness in his expression. He admitted that he had indeed mastered Bankai long ago. Having initially come aiming for the position of lieutenant-in-chief, he secured his Third Seat in the 11th Division through sheer strength. However, realizing he had no hope of becoming lieutenant-in-chief in the 11th Division, he switched to the Eighth Division. With his incredibly well-rounded skills in Zankensōki, he instantly secured the lieutenant-in-chief position, fulfilling his promise to his mother. But his goal was merely to become a lieutenant-in-chief; he had never considered becoming a captain...
"I'm leaving it to you!"
Sajin Komamura patted Tetsuzaemon Iba on the shoulder and walked away irresponsibly. At this moment, Sajin Komamura believed that he had repaid his debt of gratitude, at least until Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai. He had nothing else to do but return to the mountains.
"This is troublesome..."
As Tetsuzaemon Iba watched Sajin Komamura's departing figure, he helplessly covered his head and sighed.
Apart from the First Division, the Seventh Division, and the Eighth Division, the other divisions get along quite well, and there haven't been any instances of captains choosing to strike...
After Shunsui Kyōraku officially assumed the position of Captain of the First Division and concurrently served as the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, the new captains of the Gotei 13 are as follows...
The First Division consists of Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, Vice-Captain Nanao Ise, and fellow Vice-Captain Genshirō Okikiba.
Second Division Captain: Shaoling Fon; Vice-Captain: Invincible Ōmaedaijin.
The Third Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, the vice-captain Gin Ichimaru, and the vice-captain is Izuru Kira.
Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana, Vice-Captain Isane Kotetsu.
Fifth Division Captain Shinji Hirako, Vice-Captain Momo Hinamori.
Sixth Division Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, Vice-Captain Renji Abarai.
The Captain of the Seventh Division Tetsuzaemon Iba, and the vice-captain Iemura Yasochika.
Captain of the Eighth Division Lisa Yadōmaru, and Vice-Captain... Raizo, who was brought back from the World of the Living by Lisa Yadōmaru Love Aikawa.
The Captain of the Ninth Division Kensei Muguruma, the Super Vice-Captain Mashiro Kuna, and the Vice-Captain Shūhei Hisagi. Shūhei Hisagi is now showing signs of surpassing Kensei, causing Kensei Muguruma some anxiety.
The captain of the Tenth Division Tōshirō Hitsugaya, and the vice-captain Rangiku Matsumoto.
The 11th Division's captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and its vice-captain Ikkaku Madarame.
Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi of the Twelfth Division, and Vice-Captain Nemu Kurotsuchi.
The Thirteenth Division is led by Captain Kūkaku Shiba and Vice-Captain Rukia Kuchiki.
These are the current elite combatants of the Gotei 13!
Some of the vice-captains are just figureheads, like the invincible Ōmaedaijin!
Within the Second Division, the one with absolute control is neither Ōmaedaijin nor Shaoling Fon, but the former Second Division Captain, Sōgo Shihoin, followed by Shaoling Fon, and then the various army commanders of the Second Division's Execution Force!
The First Army Commander is Shaoling Fon, the Second Army Commander is currently Lilynette, the Third Army Commander is Tier Harribel, the Fourth Army Commander is Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, the Fifth Army Commander Sōya Azashiro, the Sixth Army Commander is Tsunayashiro Tokinada, the Seventh Army Commander Hideki Ise, and the Eighth Army Commander Szayelaporro...
Furthermore, Sōgo Shihoin established the Ninth Army and the Tenth Army. The Ninth Army was commanded by Yiwen Aura Michibane. Most of the commanders of the Ninth Army were Fullbring users, including Kūgo Ginjō and Shūkurō Tsukishima, who had died and come to Soul Society...
The commander of the Tenth Army was the Quincy Division, with Yiwen serving as the Bambietta. Meninas McAllon, Candice, and Liltotto served as deputy commanders in the Tenth Army. The Tenth Army incorporated almost all the remaining Quincy!
Currently, the Gotei Second Division 2 is the largest of the entire Gotei 13. Each of its squads is the size of an entire division of the other divisions, and each of its commanders possesses strength comparable to, or even exceeding, that of an ordinary captain of the Gotei 13! It is truly terrifying.
(End of this chapter)