First Division Headquarters — Captains' Meeting
This captains' meeting was unprecedented.
The attendees were not limited to the official captains of the Gotei 13. Instead, all Shinigami within the Seireitei who possessed captain-class combat power were summoned.
As for how "captain-class" was determined, the rule was simple:
Anyone who had mastered Bankai and was still in their prime qualified.
Of course, there were rare exceptions like Yoruichi, who possessed captain-level strength without relying on Bankai—but individuals like her were extremely uncommon.
Originally, Genryūsai Yamamoto had opposed such an arrangement. In his view, a captains' meeting should consist only of the thirteen division captains and the leaders of Kyoraku's newly established departments. The rest of the Shinigami simply needed to obey orders.
But the one who proposed this idea was Sawada Tsunayoshi .
After witnessing Tsunayoshi fight him as an equal, Yamamoto had no choice but to seriously consider his suggestion.
According to Tsunayoshi:
In the coming crisis, only captain-class fighters would truly be able to participate on the battlefield.
Everyone else would mostly be cannon fodder.
Faced with such a dire warning, Yamamoto reluctantly agreed.
As a result, this meeting looked very different from the usual captains' gatherings.
Instead of the captains simply standing in two rows by division number, a massive conference table had been prepared. Each division and department leader sat at the table, while the remaining officers stood behind their respective captains.
On the Seireitei's side:
Aside from the usual thirteen captains, Love Aikawa attended as the representative of the newly established department.
Hachigen Ushōda had been reassigned to the Kidō Corps as the current Kidō Commander, representing them in the meeting.
Meanwhile, Tessai Tsukabishi had declined Seireitei's invitation—he claimed he had more important matters to handle.
Standing behind several captains were select officers:
Chōjirō Sasakibe — First DivisionRenji Abarai — Sixth DivisionKotsubaki Jin'emon — Seventh DivisionMadarame Ikkaku and YAyasegawa Yumichika — Eleventh DivisionNemu Kurotsuchi — Twelfth Division
Among them, Yumichika and Nemu had been specifically requested by Tsunayoshi.
Looking across the entire history of Soul Society, no one had ever seen Yumichika use Bankai. But Tsunayoshi found it hard to believe he truly couldn't. Someone who spent so much time with Madarame Ikkaku—a man obsessed with combat—couldn't possibly have failed to develop even half a Bankai.
As for Nemu, she was a special case.
No one knew what Mayuri Kurotsuchi had placed inside her body. Her upper and lower limits were both completely unknown.
Thus she was allowed to attend as a special combat asset.
The last was Kotsubaki Jin'emon, the famed swordsman once known as a kenjutsu master, who still retained considerable fighting strength.
Altogether, these individuals represented all of Seireitei's high-level combat power.
Just a little over twenty people in total.
For the past six months, Tsunayoshi had been working together with Urahara Kisuke and Yoruichi Shihōin.
Alongside them were Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends from the Human World. They had been seated in the corner of the room.
It was time they learned why Tsunayoshi had been desperately pushing himself to grow stronger.
As for Isshin, he had left in his usual carefree manner.
After guiding Hitsugaya, the last burden in his heart had finally lifted. He returned to the Human World with his family, ending his journey in Soul Society.
Therefore, all matters concerning Isshin's position were entrusted entirely to Tsunayoshi.
Isshin trusted the boy he had watched grow up.
This time—whether the world faced destruction or rebirth—Isshin would face it together with his family.
Once Tsunayoshi took his seat, Urahara busied himself setting up equipment on the conference table.
The meeting began shortly afterward.
"Sawada Tsunayoshi ," Yamamoto said, tapping the table lightly with his palm.
"You may begin."
"What exactly is this future crisis you speak of?"
In truth, Yamamoto himself was hesitant.
If Tsunayoshi had not demonstrated strength equal to his own, Yamamoto would never have believed such claims.
The scale of this meeting was already unprecedented—both in its participants and its topic.
And worse still, the content of the discussion was something even Yamamoto could not fully control.
Everything rested upon Tsunayoshi's credibility and power.
"Alright, I'll start with something simple."
Tsunayoshi glanced around the room.
"Commander Yamamoto… after nearly a thousand years, do you still remember the Quincy?"
The moment those words fell, Yamamoto's gaze swept across the room like a blade.
His killing intent instantly focused on the corner of the chamber.
There stood Ishida Uryū, wearing the distinctive white uniform of the Quincy.
Ichigo's expression changed immediately. He stepped forward and stood in front of Uryū.
Yamamoto's gaze was terrifying—but Ichigo did not back down.
He believed Tsunayoshi would never harm them.
"Tone it down, Commander," Tsunayoshi said, knocking lightly on the table.
"This is a meeting."
"You haven't forgotten the war a thousand years ago, have you?"
"Of course not!" Yamamoto replied proudly.
"To be precise, it has not quite been a thousand years yet."
"But I clearly remember leading the Gotei 13 and burying every Quincy who dared invade Soul Society."
"Only a few remnants remained in the Human World—and they have long since ceased to be a threat."
As he spoke, Yamamoto glanced again at Uryū.
After all, Soul Society had once even launched operations to hunt down the surviving Quincy in the human world.
He simply could not believe someone like Uryū could threaten Soul Society.
"More accurately, there are still about two years left," Tsunayoshi added.
"The Quincy passed down a prophecy."
Then he recited it calmly:
"The sealed Quincy King shall regain his pulse after 900 years.
After 90 years, he shall regain his consciousness.
After 9 years, he shall regain his power.
And 9 days later, the King shall reclaim the world."
"We're running out of time."
"The Quincy King is about to return."
A projection appeared on the table.
It showed the crude image of an old man with long black hair.
Next to it were the words:
Yhwach — King of the Quincy
The portrait was rather rough… almost comparable to one of Rukia's famous drawings.
"That's impossible!" Chōjirō Sasakibe stepped forward, his tone sharp.
"Tsunayoshi… sir. Do you have any evidence?"
Few people present had the right to speak about the war from a thousand years ago.
But Sasakibe had actually participated in that battle.
Although only a lieutenant, he had been one of the few witnesses.
And the reason for his emotional reaction was simple—
Back then, it had been his surprise attack that allowed Yamamoto to defeat Yhwach.
His role in that war could not be ignored.
"Evidence?" Tsunayoshi shrugged.
"The Quincy King possesses an ability called Auswählen."
"It allows him to steal the life and power of other Quincy, then redistribute it."
"About six or seven years ago—when I was nine—he activated it."
"He took the lives and powers of every mixed-blood Quincy."
Tsunayoshi looked toward Yamamoto.
"You don't seriously think the scattered Quincy in the human world could do something like that, do you?"
As he spoke, however, his gaze flicked briefly toward Sasakibe with a hint of amusement.
The table projection changed.
It now displayed figures being enveloped by pale blue beams of light—Tsunayoshi's recreation of the Auswählen.
"Auswählen…"
Yamamoto's eyes turned cold.
"Is Yhwach truly still alive?"
He knew that ability very well.
A thousand years ago, Yhwach had repeatedly used Auswählen to strip power from his own allies in order to fight Yamamoto.
That was why Zanka no Tachi contained the ashes of so many Quincy.
As Yamamoto fell into silence, the atmosphere in the room grew heavy.
At that moment—
Ishida Uryū stepped forward.
His expression was serious.
"Tsunayoshi… when we were in elementary school…"
"Was my mother also affected by Auswählen?"
He remembered that day clearly.
It was also the first time he had met Tsunayoshi.
After that incident, his mother Kanae Katagiri had become extremely weak.
No matter how much he asked, his parents never told him the truth.
They simply said she had fallen ill.
Ryūken and Kanae believed that hatred would only hinder Uryū's growth until he was strong enough.
But now—
Uryū had begun to awaken the power of his Schrift.
It was time he learned the truth.
"Yes," Tsunayoshi replied softly.
"Not only your mother… Ichigo's mother was also struck by Auswählen."
"If events had unfolded normally…"
He stopped there.
He didn't need to continue.
BANG.
Ichigo slammed his fist into the wall.
Cold sweat covered his face.
His eyes were filled with fear.
When he first obtained his Shinigami powers, he had seen the memory of that photograph—
The moment he collapsed.
The last thing he saw had been a Hollow.
Which meant…
His mother might have died because of Auswählen.
"Tsuna… back then…" Ichigo asked hoarsely.
"Oh," Tsunayoshi replied casually.
"I just happened to be passing by."
Only he and Ichigo understood what that meant.
"In reality," Tsunayoshi continued,
"both the Kurosaki family and the Ishida family share a blood feud with that man."
He pointed toward the projection.
Ichigo and Uryū both turned their eyes toward the image of Yhwach.
Now everyone understood why Tsunayoshi had allowed people from the human world to attend this meeting.
If they shared the same enemy—
Even Quincy from the human world could become allies.
"Sawada Tsunayoshi ," Yamamoto said coldly.
"Where is Yhwach?"
"Find him."
"I will personally send him to hell."
A terrifying wave of Reiatsu spread from Yamamoto.
Despite being fire-type power, it felt colder than an ice cavern.
Tsunayoshi smiled slightly.
He glanced toward Urahara.
Receiving the signal, Urahara immediately began operating the device.
The projections on the table disappeared.
A map of Seireitei appeared in the center.
Then—
Beneath it—
Urahara displayed another Seireitei.
Pitch black.
An inverted mirror image beneath the original, like a shadow.
Tsunayoshi spoke calmly.
"What would you think… Commander…"
"If I told you the Quincy have been hiding inside the shadows of Seireitei itself?"
"For nearly a thousand years."
"They've grown into an invisible empire."
Yamamoto's brows furrowed deeply.
Instead of raging, he turned toward Urahara Kisuke.
He wanted evidence first.
Urahara scratched his head under his hat.
"To be honest… this has been quite troublesome."
"Since I couldn't appear in Soul Society very often over the years, my investigations had to remain rather… discreet."
A vein bulged slightly on Yamamoto's forehead.
Urahara's complaint sounded suspiciously like Yamamoto himself was the reason.
"Due to limited data and insufficient experimental opportunities," Urahara continued,
"I can't yet confirm whether an empire truly exists within the shadows."
"However…"
"There are definitely abnormal concentrations of Reishi within the shadows of Seireitei."
What followed was a long stream of theories and data analysis.
Tsunayoshi couldn't understand most of it.
But Urahara's final conclusion was simple:
Something strange existed within Seireitei's shadows.
And it needed to be investigated.
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