This flippant attitude caused the usually serious and upright Sajin Komamura to furrow his brows tightly.
However, seeing that the new Head Captain, Shunsui Kyoraku, hadn't lashed out, he suppressed the urge to reprimand him.
"The power you displayed on Sokyoku Hill, as well as the grievances you carry, are already known to the Soul King Palace."
Kirio Hikifune did not scold Asuka for his rudeness, seemingly having anticipated this situation.
"By the decree of the Soul King."
"To commend your bravery, and to maintain the long-term balance of the Three Realms, you are hereby granted the position of—[Soul King's Direct Subordinate・Substitute Soul Reaper]."
"Effective immediately, you are permitted to freely travel between the Seireitei and the World of the Living as a Special Division, without being bound by the usual Spiritual Pressure restrictions."
"Soul Reapers stationed in the World of the Living may assist you in emergency situations. However, you must report the reasons to Squad Zero using the [Substitute Badge] given to you by the Monk Who Calls the Real Name."
With that, Kirio Hikifune tossed a Substitute Soul Reaper Badge radiating a golden Reishi glow to Asuka, watching as he reached out and caught it.
'Substitute Soul Reaper? Special Operations Division?'
The Captains looked at each other, exchanging glances.
Some, like Retsu Unohana and Jushiro Ukitake, nodded gently at Asuka, seemingly congratulating him on his newly established status.
Others, such as Byakuya and Soi Fon, as well as the soon-to-return Kensei Muguruma, didn't care at all, feeling that this had nothing to do with them.
The one who felt the most regret was likely Shinji Hirako.
The Vice Captain he had handpicked was now gone just like that, leaving him somewhat disappointed.
The lack of a major reaction from the crowd was fundamentally because the concept of a Substitute Soul Reaper was not without precedent in the history of the Soul Society.
The Captain of the Thirteenth Division, Jushiro Ukitake, had once granted the status of Substitute Soul Reaper to a human in the World of the Living named Kugo Ginjo, in the name of the Gotei 13.
Furthermore, according to Ukitake's original plan, after the Ryoka invasion incident subsided and Rukia's innocence was proven...
He intended to use the same method to legitimize Ichigo Kurosaki's status as well.
That is, to grant him the title of Substitute Soul Reaper as a way to repay the boy for saving his subordinate.
However, Jushiro Ukitake's actions were, at best, an internal matter within the Gotei 13, or even just a unilateral special arrangement by the Thirteenth Division.
But now, Asuka's appointment was a direct decree from the Soul King Palace.
The former was merely a temp worker who could be held accountable by Central 46 at any time.
The latter, however, could mobilize Soul Reaper members and report mission details directly to the Soul King Palace.
It was far more legitimate, acting almost like an [Imperial Envoy] on par with a Soul Reaper Captain.
"This is certainly a first." Even the knowledgeable Kisuke Urahara couldn't help but flash a look of astonishment.
But he knew full well that Squad Zero's decisions represented the unquestionable will of the Soul King, so he could only suppress the doubts in his heart.
As for Asuka, the person in question, he felt no joy upon hearing this special appointment.
On the contrary, his brows furrowed deeply, his eyes full of suspicion.
"Substitute Soul Reaper?" Asuka stood up straight, looking at Kirio Hikifune seated in the high position. "What is that? I don't understand your overly formal jargon."
Like a tolerant mentor facing a stubborn student, Kirio Hikifune patiently explained, "A Substitute Soul Reaper, simply put, means you have received official recognition from the Soul Society."
"From now on, you can legally exercise the authority of a Soul Reaper in the World of the Living, including but not limited to slaying wandering Hollows and performing Soul Burials for lost souls."
"Not only that, but with this status, if you encounter an unsolvable problem in the World of the Living, you can request combat support from the Seireitei at any time."
As if recalling something amusing, Kirio Hikifune pointed at Asuka and chuckled softly. "You can also legitimately use the Senkaimon. You won't need to be stuffed into a special Garganta and tumble in so pathetically like you did this time."
"In terms of compensation, the Seireitei will issue you a Captain's salary. However, since you don't have an account here, it will be deposited into Fourth Seat Kocho's account for now."
"As for your daily life, you can just live like a normal person. Just remember to occasionally report your recent situation to Squad Zero using the Substitute Badge."
Hearing the list of generous benefits Kirio Hikifune laid out, the Captains present secretly clicked their tongues in amazement.
These privileges offered even more freedom than what some official Captains enjoyed.
But the more he listened, the uglier Asuka's expression became.
"Can I refuse?"
"Huh?" Shinji Hirako, standing to the side, dug his ear, thinking he had misheard.
"I don't understand what you're scheming." Asuka's voice carried a tone of alienation and vigilance. "I have no interest in protecting the Three Realms. The safety of the Soul Society has nothing to do with me."
"It sounds more like you're planning to keep me under constant surveillance."
Asuka's train of thought was actually quite simple.
There was no way such a "good" job would be rewarded to him for no reason, right? He felt there was a catch.
It might be the same kind of trick used by a hypocrite like Aizen—waiting until he lowered his guard to suddenly wipe him out along with Shinobu Kocho and the other otherworldly visitors in one fell swoop...
And after his experience in the Kusajishi District, he even suspected that the entity the old man feared so much might be the lofty Soul King Palace itself.
In short, his reluctance to accept the job wasn't because he found it troublesome, but purely out of concern for potential danger.
"Yo, yo, yo! Boy, you've got quite the fiery temper!"
At this moment, the Divine General of the West, Oetsu Nimaiya, who had been spacing out while filing his nails, suddenly spoke up.
He stopped what he was doing and pushed his sunglasses down slightly. "Did you think we were discussing this with you, Boy?"
"You just said that none of this has anything to do with you?"
"Well, you're right. It's exactly because you have no connection to the Soul Society that we must force a connection, yo."
Nimaiya raised his hand and pointed at Asuka. "These past few days, the Monk and I reviewed your soul records..."
"The result was exactly as expected. Completely blank."
"There are no records of your birth, death, or even reincarnation."
"In other words, according to the laws of the Soul Society, you are like a ghost fabricated out of thin air, an anomaly that shouldn't exist within these Three Realms."
His words surprised many of those who were curious about this mysterious swordsman.
After all, even Hollows were fundamentally transformed from human souls, meaning they would inevitably leave behind some sort of trace...
Asuka looked at Nimaiya in silence, having nothing to say.
Because he genuinely didn't know where he came from either.
"A powerful soul, yet without any archival records, unbound by laws and morality."
"Boy, if you were sitting in our position, would you allow such an entity to roam freely across the Three Realms?"
"That would be a very unsettling thing, yo!"
Nimaiya's words essentially unraveled the mystery behind the Soul King Palace's supposed blessing.
The Substitute Badge was an identification tag that had to be worn at all times.
Once Asuka accepted it, his Spiritual Pressure fluctuations and movement trajectory would be legitimately integrated into the Soul Society's surveillance system.
It was indeed a shackle.
But this was perhaps the Soul King Palace leaning toward the kinder option on the moral scale.
Perhaps it truly was the will of the Soul King that granted Asuka this opportunity.
Regardless, if he refused...
Although Nimaiya didn't say it outright, every Soul Reaper present understood perfectly.
What awaited Asuka would only be an endless cage.