Chapter 359: Curtain Call
BOOM!!!
With a loud explosion, Inaba Kagerōza was sent flying backward, trailing a long line of white smoke, before crashing into the ground.
He lay on the ground, head tilted back, eyes rolled back, nose bleeding profusely, with several teeth missing.
Witnessing this scene, everyone on the battlefield was stunned.
Just moments ago, Inaba Kagerōza had been dominating the battlefield, single-handedly suppressing both Satoru and Shunsui Kyōraku—how could he be defeated so abruptly?
After a brief moment of astonishment, the Gotei 13 seemed to grasp the situation.
The gazes everyone directed at Satoru and Shunsui Kyōraku were tinged with the same emotion they had shown Komamura earlier.
Shunsui Kyōraku adjusted his straw hat, averted his eyes, and began whistling, feigning complete detachment from the matter.
As for Satoru, he flashed a bright, cheerful smile:
"What's this, everyone? Staring at me with such admiration all of a sudden—I'm getting a little embarrassed!"
Not a hint of it showed.
That thought crossed everyone's minds simultaneously.
After taking down Inaba Kagerōza, Satoru looked down below.
"Suì-Fēng! Arrest this guy and send him to the Eleventh Division for interrogation!"
"Yes!"
Without hesitation, Suì-Fēng led the Onmitsukidō over with a Flash Step.
Upon hearing Satoru's order, some frowned slightly.
A major criminal like Inaba Kagerōza should be tried by Central 46 after capture—what was the meaning of sending him to the Eleventh Division?
But seeing that no one around them reacted—not even the Captain-Commander said anything—they chose to keep quiet for the time being.
Then, Satoru turned to face the replicated captains.
"Well, everyone? Will you surrender willingly, or shall I make a move?"
Hearing this, the replicated captains' expressions darkened.
"Captain Mikami, you are indeed stronger than us, but we are also captains of the Gotei 13."
"Surrendering without a fight is absolutely out of the question!"
"Hmm… I see."
Satoru nodded.
Then, he grinned:
"In that case, I can act without holding back."
...
...
Most Shinigami had no idea what transpired that day at the First Division barracks.
They only knew that Captain Mikami's Reiatsu washed over the Seireitei like tidal waves, again and again.
Mixed within were the Reiatsu signatures of various division captains.
Initially, these Reiatsu surges were formidable, capable of standing toe-to-toe with Captain Mikami.
But within ten minutes, they extinguished one by one, vanishing from perception.
Only Captain Mikami's remained.
Though no one witnessed the scene firsthand, they imagined it must have been an epic battle.
Unlike the distant speculations of ordinary squad members, the captains present had a deeper understanding.
In the past, everyone knew Satoru was strong, recognized his extraordinary talent—that in less than two centuries since his debut, he could already confront Yamamoto head-on.
But it wasn't until today that they truly grasped the extent of his combat prowess.
Facing the replicated Thirteen Court Guard Squads—whose Reiatsu surpassed the originals, abilities were identical, and physical strength exceeded their counterparts—this man employed no flashy tricks or shortcuts. From start to finish, it was a direct, head-on clash.
The entire replicated Thirteen Court Guard Squads joined forces, unleashing their full power.
Yet, before Satoru, they were like a group of tough schoolyard bullies encountering a professional martial artist.
When the latter got serious, he could essentially take down one with just one or two moves.
Confronting the replicas, some using Shikai, others Bankai, Satoru didn't even draw his Zanpakutō. Relying solely on his fists, he ended the battle in an astonishingly short time.
The replicas either surrendered on the spot or were turned into Gigai pills in Satoru's hands.
Next, as long as Aizen interrogated... ahem, inquired about the detailed plans of the Vanguard Project, they could replicate it step by step, creating their own versions for the Seireitei.
Of course, this was merely about acquiring the relevant technology and capabilities. Whether to actually produce them could be discussed separately based on actual circumstances.
Originally, many had doubts about Satoru's ability to succeed Yamamoto.
Now, it seemed that at least in terms of strength, he was fully capable.
With this clarity, everyone felt reassured.
With Yamamoto Shigekuni and Satoru—these two powerhouses—holding the fort, the Seireitei was likely to enter a long period of stability.
The only one displeased was Yamamoto himself.
After resuming his duties at the First Division, he couldn't help but feel as frustrated as if he'd been bitten by Komamura.
Numerous noble families who had been domineering and leeching off the Soul Society were secretly decapitated, their key figures eliminated.
Stripped of their core, these families would quickly be swallowed up, absorbed, and vanish from the Seireitei's history.
Then came an even greater shock.
The Onmitsukidō reported that the Central 46 hadn't made contact with the outside world for many days.
With Yamamoto's permission, the Onmitsukidō entered the Central 46's main conference hall.
There, they discovered rows of corpses, long devoid of life.
The Fourth Division rushed to the scene and confirmed that these great sages had been dead for a considerable time, likely since the beginning of Inaba Kagerōza's rebellion.
Hearing this, the Shinigami were astounded.
If the entire Central 46 had been wiped out... then where did all the recent orders issued in their name come from?!
Satoru stroked his chin.
"It must have been Inaba Kagerōza's doing!"
"That man, in order to realize his filthy ambitions, actually committed such heinous acts!"
"Forty-six great sages... the precious assets of Soul Society, slaughtered by him to the last!"
"Such evil deeds are truly satisfying... cough... truly enraging both gods and men, intolerable to heaven's principles!"
Watching Satoru's righteous indignation, Yamamoto narrowed his eyes.
He flipped through all the directives issued by Central 46 after Inaba Kagerōza's rebellion.
Every single one of these directives aimed to help commoners, suppress monopolies, curb noble authority, and increase commoners' avenues for expression.
Inaba Kagerōza's ambitions and goals had absolutely nothing to do with these political decrees.
On the contrary, a certain brat had always shown intentions of working in this direction.
For a moment, Yamamoto looked at Satoru with extremely complicated feelings.
If this had happened two hundred years ago, had he known someone dared to attack Central 46 during wartime, he would have pursued them relentlessly.
But now, how to handle this matter left him troubled.
Although Satoru's operation was outrageously audacious, there was no evidence at the scene.
These political decrees provided no personal benefit to Satoru either.
In fact, given his noble status, he was completely a "victim" in this situation.
If one didn't consider his impulsive nature and insisted this was his doing, probably few would believe it.
After long contemplation, Yamamoto made his decision.
If it were anyone else—even his prized disciples Kyōraku or Ukitake—if they dared to move against Central 46, he would never permit it.
But Satoru was different.
This kid would eventually take over as Captain-Commander.
If Kyōraku took the position, his moderate character would likely leave him manipulated by Central 46.
But Satoru... this kid would be doing well if he didn't end up manipulating Central 46 instead.
A Captain-Commander who dared to fight, dared to take responsibility, and even dared to strike against Central 46—others would have no choice but to respect him.
Hmph... kid, you should thank this old man's mercy.
With a dark expression, Yamamoto set the documents aside.
...
...
"Hehe, Sōsuke, how do you like the gift I prepared for you?"
In a certain room of the Eleventh Division, Satoru pushed the door open, his face full of pride.
Aizen was holding a tablet, reviewing the materials he had obtained from Inaba Kagerōza.
Hearing Satoru's voice, he looked up.
"Satoru Mikami."
"Present!"
"No... why am I reporting present? I'm all merits this time, I haven't done anything wrong!"
Satoru first snapped to attention out of habit, then realized his mistake and protested angrily.
Aizen took a deep breath.
"I've told you many times."
"Your Reishi transformation is a very dangerous ability. If mishandled, it could cause irreversible consequences."
"Although you've succeeded every time so far, just one failure would be a catastrophic accident!"
"You are forbidden from using this ability again until you've completely mastered it.Hearing this, Satoru showed a subtle expression.
In truth, during times unknown to Aizen, he had already used this technique countless times.
While he wouldn't claim complete mastery, he had at least reached expert level.
But his intuition told him that if he said this to Aizen, the consequences would likely be more severe.
After thinking for a few seconds, he nodded:
"I'll remember!"
Aizen looked at him suspiciously.
Before he could figure anything out, Satoru had already coughed and leaned closer:
"Hey hey, Sōsuke, did you already get the data from Kagerōza?"
"What does it say? Can you handle the Vanguard Project?"
When it came to his field of expertise, Aizen became animated.
He adjusted his glasses.
The moment he pushed them up, he suddenly remembered that someone seemed to have tampered with his glasses—they weren't positioned quite right when he put them on today.
Never mind, just a minor issue. Most likely this guy in front of him had taken them to play with.
"I've already analyzed the contents of the Vanguard Project."
"As we previously speculated, the combat strength of the warriors created by the Vanguard Project should fall between ordinary Shinigami and low-ranking officers."
"The reason Inaba Kagerōza was able to create these powerful cloned captains is thanks to his Soul King Fragment."
"Every time he creates a cloned captain, he utilizes the 'Breath of the Soul King' to imbue it with massive Reiatsu."
"Simultaneously, to ensure he can dominate the clone's consciousness and establish a master-servant relationship, he must tear off a fragment of his own soul and integrate it into the clone."
"With his current production method, I'm afraid it won't be long before his own soul can't sustain it, even without us taking action."
"In summary, creating a large number of captains to form an army is nearly impossible."
"The greatest gain from capturing Inaba Kagerōza this time is actually the Soul King Fragment within him."
"Such a large Soul King Fragment far surpasses anything I've seen before... Obtaining such excellent experimental material is truly a joyous matter."
Compared to Aizen's excitement, Satoru seemed rather uninterested.
He had originally hoped to create a massive number of cloned captains to surprise Yhwach with human wave tactics when he arrived.
He hadn't expected the plan to be unfeasible.
As if guessing his thoughts, Aizen looked at Satoru and curled his lips:
"Although mass-producing captain-level modified souls is meaningless, don't forget what we already have in our possession."
What they already have?
Satoru was momentarily stunned.
Then, as if suddenly remembering something, his eyes lit up.
Under Aizen's gaze, he opened his hand, and a shadow spiraled open.
From within, a large handful of red Gigai pills fell out, piling up into a small heap in his palm.
He looked at Aizen:
"Sōsuke, can you revive all of these?"
"Merely a trivial trick."
Satoru grinned.
...
...
"So... I'm fine now?"
The green-haired girl stood in the room with a somewhat dazed expression.
Suì-Fēng nodded:
"Lord Mikami has properly dealt with Inaba Kagerōza. No one will come to capture you anymore."
"Although your identity is special, considering you had no connection to Inaba Kagerōza's conspiracy, plus you voluntarily surrendered to Lord Mikami and shared information, Lord Mikami has used his temporary Captain-Commander authority to clear your criminal charges."
Hearing this, Kujō Nozomi opened her mouth slightly, seemingly unable to believe it.
Although she hadn't done anything wrong, she and Inaba Kagerōza shared the same origin. In principle, she should have been punished alongside him.
Could it really... be dismissed just like that?
Seeing her incredulous expression, Rangiku chuckled lightly.
"When Satoru handles things, you can rest assured."
"That man never disappoints!"
Kujō Nozomi looked at the two women before her.
Such beautiful women...
Though their figures and personalities differed greatly, each possessed a breathtaking beauty that made one marvel involuntarily.
Even as a woman herself, facing these two, she felt a slight flutter in her heart.
Suì-Fēng continued:
"Kujō, Lord Mikami said you're free to choose what you want to do next."
"We'll provide you with as much assistance as possible."
Hearing this, Kujō Nozomi frowned slightly.
She tentatively asked: "Would it be possible for me to work for Captain Mikami?"
"...Naturally."
Suì-Feng nodded.
A faint trace of resignation seemed to flash in her eyes, but her tone remained serious:
"To work for Lord Mikami, you first need to become a Shinigami."
"Right now you're just an ordinary soul. To become a Shinigami, we must first determine your spiritual power aptitude."
"If your aptitude meets standards, I'll take you to participate in this year's Shin'ō Academy enrollment."
"After graduating from Shin'ō Academy, you can become a Shinigami and join the Eleventh Division to work for Lord Mikami."
Without hesitation, Kujō Nozomi nodded firmly:
"I have no problem with that."
"Good."
Suì-Feng nodded.
"Please wait a moment. I'll first go report to Lord Mikami."
After speaking, she vanished from the room in a flash.
Watching where Suì-Feng had disappeared, Kujō Nozomi pressed her lips together.
"I'm just a split-off soul fragment. Will someone like me really not be disqualified..."
Rangiku laughed.
"How could that be... Not long ago, Satoru picked up a girl who's much stranger than you."
"You're just a half-soul, while she's countless souls. Both are quite interesting actually."
"Next time, I'll introduce you to her!"
Seeing Rangiku's enthusiastic expression, Kujō Nozomi slightly raised the corners of her mouth.
The people around Satoru... were all good people, just like him.