A group of Soul Reaper squad members stood guard around them.
Standing before the two was Kyōraku Shunsui, his expression a complex swirl of emotions, and Ukitake Jūshirō, who looked deeply helpless.
"Shunsui, Jūshirō, how is the situation?"
Yamamoto called out to the two in a low voice.
Kyōraku turned his head. He forced his usual frivolous smile onto his face, but he couldn't hide the gloom in his heart.
"Old Man Yama, it's just as Lieutenant Sasakibe reported. The evidence is conclusive."
"After capturing Captain Urahara and the Grand Kido Chief, Ukitake and I questioned them, but the testimony we got was a complete mess."
Ukitake picked up the thread, his face showing his bitterness. "Captain Urahara... he keeps insisting on his innocence, claiming he was framed. When I asked him who framed him, he named Lieutenant Aizen, and..."
He paused, looking at Ren and Yoruichi standing beside Yamamoto.
"...and the Commander-in-Chief of the Shihoin. He even said the Captain of the Second Division, the Eleventh Division's Captain Kenpachi, the Sixth Division's Captain Kuchiki... he's accused all of them in his accusations."
Hearing this, Yamamoto's expression darkened, and he slammed his cane heavily onto the ground.
"He's making wild accusations!"
"Caught red-handed and facing his end, he's trying to go out in a blaze of madness, dragging as many people as he can down with him!"
Yamamoto had seen many such people throughout his long life.
Ren's expression turned deep and somber, though he felt a sense of oddness in his heart.
'Is Urahara Kisuke crazy? Snapping at everyone like a mad dog at a time like this.'
'This will only damage the credibility of his testimony!'
Beside him, Yoruichi's eyes widened in disbelief at Ukitake's words.
"Kisuke... how could he?!"
"He wouldn't do that!"
She never imagined her childhood friend would actually...
However, she also felt that something was fundamentally wrong!
She had known Urahara Kisuke since they were children and understood his character and nature perfectly.
He would never do something so deranged.
The bound Urahara and Tessai noticed the newcomers at that moment.
Lifting his head, Urahara saw Yoruichi walking toward him with a look of grim determination.
Seeing Yoruichi, Urahara looked as if he had seen a savior. Light returned to his eyes as he roared, "Yoruichi-san! You know me! I'm innocent! I've been framed!"
"The Grand Kido Chief and I were trying to save Shinji and the others, but we were—"
Halfway through, his voice suddenly caught in his throat.
His body began to struggle violently, and his pale face turned a sudden, vibrant red.
Those eyes that had just shone with hope were now filled with pure hatred as he looked past them at Ren, who was standing behind Yamamoto.
"It's him! It was that bastard Shihoin Ren!"
"Yoruichi, Captain-Commander, listen to me! This is all his fault!"
"The previous soul disappearance incidents, the Hollowfication of Shinji and the others... Ren did it all!"
"That's right! Shihoin Ren is the one behind it!" Tessai gritted his teeth, nodding repeatedly as he spoke in a heavy voice.
Hearing Urahara's accusations, Ren's expression remained unchanged as he discreetly observed the others present.
He saw the old man Yamamoto's face darken.
"Old Man Yama, looks like you've become a mastermind too."
Kyōraku tugged at his hat, his voice full of banter, though half his face was hidden in shadow.
Ukitake Jūshirō's face turned pale, and he sighed. "To think he'd try to implicate even me... Captain Urahara, I don't believe I've ever done anything to offend you."
Yoruichi stood with her back to Ren. He couldn't see her expression, but he could see her shoulders trembling slightly.
"Kisuke, you're actually accusing me of being the mastermind?! To my face?!"
"How pathetic! Are you really that desperate to save your own skin?!"
Yoruichi suddenly exploded, turning around with a roar of anger, her face flushed with rage.
Gritting her teeth, she stomped back to Ren's side.
Seeing this and recalling Ukitake's previous words, Ren finally understood the situation.
Yamamoto and the others were suffering from hallucinations.
They were misinterpreting Urahara's actual words as something else entirely.
In all of Seireitei, Ren knew of only one person capable of such a thing.
Ren's gaze swept across the area, finally landing on a familiar, smiling man in glasses among the Soul Reaper ranks nearby.
It was Aizen.
Aizen stepped out from the group of Soul Reapers and moved to the front of the line.
Beside him were his two constant subordinates, Tōsen Kaname and Ichimaru Gin.
The three stood before the crowd, watching the events unfold as if they were watching a play.
Sensing Ren's gaze, Aizen raised a hand and offered a silent, smiling greeting.
Ren immediately retracted his gaze.
'Is this supposed to be an apology for not being able to handle Kyōraku and the others before?'
Ren turned his head and signaled to Shisui behind him.
Receiving the signal, Shisui looked at Aizen's trio and expressionlessly extended his hand, secretly giving them a thumbs-up.
"Hmm?"
Seeing this, Aizen chuckled and shook his head.
Ichimaru Gin reached out, trying to make the same gesture, but he saw Shisui quickly pull his hand back.
That fox-like smiling face froze for a second before he silently lowered his hand.
Urahara was still screaming at the top of his lungs. Seeing Ren, his expression became even more deranged.
Especially after hearing what Yamamoto and the others said, he couldn't comprehend what was happening at all.
He cursed Ren incessantly, his voice shrill and piercing.
"Ren, I will never let you get away with this!"
"Even if I end up in Hell, I'll curse you! I'll curse you to suffer every torture in existence! I'll make sure you suffer even after death!"
'I'm afraid I have bad news for you, Urahara. Even in Hell, I am the Lord of Hell.'
Ren took a step forward, looking at Urahara with a gaze full of pity.
"Kisuke, I always treated you as a friend. I never thought you would actually do something like this."
"Sigh..."
He let out a sigh. A thought suddenly occurred to him—did Aizen use the power of Kyōka Suigetsu just to let Urahara vent his curses at him?
Ren turned to look at Yoruichi.
"Yoruichi, according to Seireitei law, what will Central 46's verdict be?"
"Huh?"
Hearing Ren's question, Yoruichi looked completely bewildered and pointed a finger at herself.
Seeing her look so utterly clueless, Ren found it hard to keep a straight face.
'I must be out of my mind, actually asking Yoruichi.'
'She doesn't even know the internal rules of the Second Division; how could she possibly know something as complicated as the laws of Seireitei!'
Ren turned his gaze toward Kyōraku and the others. Ukitake frowned and asked, "Commander-in-Chief, I must ask—you're not planning to use your influence to let Urahara Kisuke off, are you?"
"Certainly not!"
Ren's face was full of righteous conviction!
He pointed toward the group of Hollowfied captains and the others nearby.
He asked Ukitake, "Setting Kisuke aside for a moment, what about Captain Shinji and the rest?"
Ukitake hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Regarding the Hollowfication of Captain Shinji and the others, Captain Unohana has already concluded that they cannot be saved."
"Instead of allowing them to fall into such depravity, it's better to give them the respect due to a Soul Reaper and allow them to keep their final bit of dignity."
Hearing this, Ren was slightly surprised.
On second thought, such a sentiment was indeed very much in line with Ukitake's character.
"I understand."
He looked at Yoruichi beside him and said in a low voice, "Yoruichi, let's go."
Just as he took a step, Ren suddenly paused.
Yoruichi looked at Ren with doubt.
But Ren was looking at Yamamoto.
"Captain-Commander, I'm free to move on my own now, right? Do you still need to monitor me?"
"As you please," Yamamoto said.
As the words fell, Ren took Yoruichi's hand and left the place without looking back.
Watching Ren and the others depart, Yamamoto's expression was calm.
Kyōraku's tone was unreadable as he said, "Judging by his attitude, he probably intends to go and influence Central 46."
"Let him go," Yamamoto said in a heavy voice. "If he goes too far, I will make my own decision. I will not allow him to do as he pleases."
"Even if... it goes against the orders of Central 46!"
Within the crowd, Aizen watched Ren and the others leave. He pushed up his glasses, and the corners of his mouth curled slightly.
Beside him, Ichimaru Gin seemed to sense Aizen's mood and looked up at him.
"Lieutenant Aizen, are you planning to do something wicked again?"
"Ichimaru, mind your tongue. Lord Aizen has his own reasons," Tōsen Kaname warned.
"It's fine, Kaname."
Aizen smiled and tucked his hands into his wide sleeves, letting them hang naturally in front of his waist.
"I just thought of something, but my predecessor might be a bit unhappy once he finds out."
Once they were out of the Twelfth Division, Yoruichi still had a look of resentment on her face.
After her initial anger had passed, her elegant brows furrowed, and a trace of doubt appeared in her eyes.
She said to Ren, who was walking ahead of her, "Ren, I still feel like there are too many things that aren't right about this."
Recalling Urahara's reaction just now, Yoruichi said, "In my memory, Kisuke wouldn't be that panicked even in a desperate situation. It's too abnormal; it's not like his personality at all."
"And Uncle Tessai... I've known him since the old man was still alive. He wouldn't act like that either."
The 'old man' Yoruichi spoke of was her father, the previous head of the Shihoin family.
Hearing Yoruichi mention her deceased father, Ren's voice became a bit somber. "Could it be that he wasn't faking it all this time?"
Yoruichi shook her head repeatedly. "How is that possible? Kisuke and I have known each other since we were kids. No one can hide their true nature for so many years."
'Heh, talk about a coincidence.'
'Ren knew someone who was an expert at faking it.'
'Hiding his true nature, having one face for the public and another for the private—he had been hiding for nearly half his life.'
"True."
Ren nodded in agreement. "In fact, I also think there are too many suspicious points about tonight. Kisuke might have been framed."
Yoruichi's eyes lit up.
She shook Ren's hand, which she was still holding, a few times.
"You think so too? I knew my gut feeling was right."
Recalling Ukitake's words, Yoruichi asked, "So you're going to Central 46 this time because you plan to have the Chief Judge release Kisuke?"
At this point, Yoruichi's expression became nervous.
She continued, "But the laws of Seireitei are there. Even if the Chief Judge and the others are on our side, they wouldn't dare be too blatant about it."
"And Captain-Commander Yamamoto has his own set of ideas. He's so stubborn, he probably won't agree easily."
Hearing this, Ren's expression became solemn.
"Yoruichi, what kind of talk is that? Do I look like the kind of person who manipulates power and uses private connections for favors?"
"Yes!" Yoruichi nodded heavily. "That's exactly who you are!"
"Yoruichi, that's a bit much."
Ren glanced at Yoruichi from the corner of his eye and sighed.
"The world misunderstands me. I'm afraid it will only get worse in the future."
"Especially you, Yoruichi."
"Me?"
Yoruichi could see that Ren was pretending to be profound.
In fact, beneath that surface, she could see a flicker of confidence in his plan to persuade Central 46.
So she simply played along. "How have I misunderstood you?"
Ren's expression was grave, and he spoke with absolute seriousness. "Yoruichi, you misjudged me yesterday, you misjudged me today, and perhaps you'll misjudge me again tomorrow, but I am still me."
"Pfft..."
Now that her heart was at ease, Yoruichi was amused by Ren's words.
"Haha, what are you talking about? Is this some kind of comedy routine?"
"See, Yoruichi? I told you that you'd misunderstand me."
Ren's brow relaxed. Seeing Yoruichi's carefree smile, he felt as if his own mood were being brightened by her.
Yoruichi hugged Ren's arm and laughed for a good while.
When her laughter subsided, she suddenly said softly, "Mister Serious, it's just that you're too good."
"What?"
Yoruichi's voice was so quiet that Ren didn't seem to hear her.
He turned his face toward her, looking puzzled, and asked, "Yoruichi, what did you just say?"
"Nothing."
Yoruichi shook her head with a silly smile.
Her clear golden eyes reflected Ren's profile, and they gradually curved like crescent moons as the smile on her face deepened.
"I was asking how you plan to persuade Central 46."
"Since the direct approach won't work, we'll take a detour."
Ren caught a glimpse of Yoruichi's face and hurriedly looked away, focusing on the path ahead.
"The law can't be touched, and Central 46 wouldn't dare be too obvious. With Old Man Yama watching like a hawk, we'll just have to go along with their intentions."
Yoruichi played along and asked, "How so?"
Ren said, "The evidence against Kisuke and the Grand Kido Chief is conclusive; they're as good as dead. Shinji and the others have been Hollowfied, and by general standards, they'll be treated as Hollows—meaning they're also as good as dead."
"Ah, then that's terrible."
"Heh heh. They're going to die regardless, but how they die, who kills them, when, and where... there's plenty of room to maneuver in those details."
"Oh? How?"
"We just need to get Central 46 to issue an order to hand Kisuke and Shinji's group over to the Onmitsukidō for handling. That's my home turf. I have plenty of ways to stall for time."
"Wow, you can do that!"
"Exactly. As long as they're in my hands, the time we gain will allow us to find the mastermind who framed Kisuke and save Shinji. When the truth is revealed, everything will be perfect."
"Hmm, that is a good idea."
Ren's brow suddenly furrowed.
He looked down at Yoruichi, who was clinging to him, and his eyes showed his speechlessness.
"Yoruichi... honestly, I don't need a hype man."
"Hehe, the mood was just right, I did it without thinking..."
Yoruichi gave an embarrassed laugh and scratched her head.
Then she immediately pulled a serious face. "Mister Serious, if things really go the way you say, Kisuke, Uncle Tessai, and Shinji can all be saved."
"That's only the ideal scenario," Ren said in a heavy voice. "If things don't go as planned, everything we're doing now will be for nothing."
"What do you mean?"
"What if we don't find the mastermind who framed Kisuke in that time? What if Shinji and the others can't hold out and fully transform into Hollows?"
"Have you thought about those things?"
Ren's words immediately made Yoruichi feel tense.
If it really came to that, what else could be done?
There would be no other choice but to carry out the execution!
Yamamoto Shigekuni, Central 46, and even the other nobles—everyone in Seireitei was watching this.
The current power of the Shihoin family was indeed formidable, but it wasn't enough to support Ren in blatantly defying the law and public justice to such an extent.
Yoruichi said, "Doesn't the Onmitsukidō monitor the entire Seireitei? Is it possible there won't be any clues? With the research division at headquarters and the Twelfth Division, surely we can find a way to save Shinji."
But Ren shook his head. "Yoruichi, do you remember what I said to Yamamoto during the Captains' Meeting?"
"The Onmitsukidō didn't detect any movement from the mastermind at all. That means the investigation will likely be at a total loss for leads."
"And after today, the mastermind will surely go into hiding, making them even harder to find."
"As for Shinji and the others, even Captain Unohana had no answer. What can anyone else do?"
Yoruichi looked anxious. "This... then what should we do?"
"For now, we can only take it one step at a time. It's better than doing nothing."
Ren's voice was heavy.
His intention to save Urahara Kisuke and the others wasn't just to placate Yoruichi.
He truly did intend to save them!
Urahara's intellect and Bankai, Tessai's Kido, and Shinji's group of captains—each had their own value.
Even Muguruma Kensei.
Even if he ultimately had to kill them, they could at least provide him with a massive amount of Spiritual Pressure.
Every little bit counts.
After walking a bit further, Ren stopped and looked up.
Yoruichi followed his gaze and saw that they had arrived at Central 46.
Ren waved his hand, and Shisui, who had been hidden in the shadows, appeared beside him.
"My Lord."
"Go. Tell the Chief Judge that we've come to see him."
"Understood."
Shisui stepped forward to negotiate with the guards at the gate.
Yoruichi hugged Ren's arm, frowning. "Ren, do I have to go in too?"
"Of course," Ren said matter-of-factly. "The Chief Judge used to be a subordinate of the Shihoin family. Having you there as the head of the family will make things go much smoother."
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]