The throne room of the Soul King Palace was quiet.
Not silent—quiet in the way vast places became when they anticipated something important. The air drifted without urgency. Light settled instead of shining.
Blake sat upon the throne without ceremony, one leg hooked over the armrest, elbow resting casually against the back. He did not look like someone about to conduct a royal assessment.
But the space around him knew better.
He exhaled slowly.
"Alright," he said to no one in particular. "Let's see how things have held together."
He raised one hand and flicked his wrist.
With a thought alone, the signal traveled to Ichibē "Come to the palace and Bring Division 0 along."
They answered immediately.
Light folded inward, and Division 0 appeared directly before the throne.
No kneeling. No hesitation.
Each of them placed a hand over their chest and bowed their heads in unison—formal and restrained.
Five figures.
Five pillars upon which the Soul Society quietly rested.
Ichibē Hyōsube stood at the forefront, massive frame relaxed, calligraphy brush resting against his shoulder as if it belonged there. His expression was neutral, eyes sharp but unhurried.
Ōetsu Nimaiya stood slightly behind him, arms crossed, a grin already threatening to surface.
Kirio Hikifune carried herself with her usual warmth, posture lively despite the gravity of the space.
Tenjirō Kirinji stood straight-backed, gaze alert, the faintest impatience lingering beneath his composed exterior.
Senjumaru Shutara remained perfectly still, robes immaculate, eyes observant as if already measuring threads unseen.
Blake's gaze passed over them once.
He nodded.
"Thanks for coming."
That was all.
Ichibē stepped forward and bowed—not deeply, not submissively. Proper. Respectful.
"My King," he said calmly, "during your absence, we maintained order and continued progress across the Soul Society."
Blake gestured loosely. "I saw parts of it. Continue."
Ichibē straightened.
"In the matter of Zanpakutō creation," he began, "Ōetsu has refined the forging process. Output has increased without sacrificing quality. Newly inducted Shinigami are now receiving their asauchi earlier in training, allowing proper synchronization and eventual awakening."
[Good. That was a bottleneck.]
[Summoned Shinigami arrive complete, but the new influx? Without proper Zanpakutō, their growth would stagnate.]
Ōetsu clicked his tongue, unable to help himself. "Told you I'd clean it up. Can't have kids swinging half-baked souls around."
Blake listened with one eyebrow slightly raised, a faint, approving grin forming unconsciously.
Ichibē's gaze shifted backwards toward Ōetsu—flat, heavy, unmistakably disapproving.
The grin vanished.
Ōetsu immediately lowered his head. "Apologies."
Ichibē continued, "Candidates are being observed and sorted based on affinity and response. Division alignment is now handled during early development due to current manpower shortages."
"That will save time," Blake said.
"And lives," Ichibē added.
Blake shifted slightly. "Training beyond swords?"
Ichibē nodded. "Expanded significantly. Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kidō are now taught in parallel rather than sequentially. kirio led the initiative."
Kirio beamed. "Turns out people learn better when they aren't starving or collapsing from exhaustion."
She clapped her hands together. "Instruction has also been standardized. Knowledge is no longer confined to individuals."
Ichibē added, "All techniques, exercises, and spell frameworks are being archived. Approved materials are stored at the Academy. Original texts, advanced theory, and forbidden Kidō are secured and properly stored within the Daireishokairō."
Blake's eyebrows lifted slightly.
"…Nice."
[They're filling the buildings again. Slowly, but properly.
Soul Society finally looks alive—like what I remember from the anime.]
He nodded once. "Good decision."
Ichibē's expression did not change, but here was a subtle sense of satisfaction for being acknowledged.
Blake leaned back slightly. "Alright. The difficult part."
The room stilled—not tense, but focused.
"Hollows. Hueco Mundo. Any updates, Give me the status."
Ichibē's voice lowered marginally. "Unchanged. We have not yet located a stable entrance."
Blake clicked his tongue softly.
"Garganta activity remains sporadic and transient," Ichibē continued. "Without sufficient tracking capability, most spatial tears collapse before response teams can arrive. Observers in the Human World report Hollow manifestations, but consistent trajectory mapping remains beyond our reach."
Blake stared at the floor briefly.
[Normally, this wouldn't even be a discussion.]
He lifted his gaze.
"And opening a passage directly?"
Ichibē shook his head. "Not possible at present."
Silence followed.
Blake flexed his fingers slightly.
[Spiritual. Material. Celestial. realm all are me and i am the realm]
[I'm the living embodiment of this realm.]
His jaw tightened briefly.
[And right now… I'm out of alignment neither do i have my powers restored to even half of it nor do i know how to control it.]
Aloud, he said evenly, "Continue deploying manpower. Expand observation. I want constant updates regarding Hueco Mundo."
The Royal Guard nodded as one.
Ichibē added, "Your presence stabilizes the realms by default. However, forcing a dimensional tear through Garganta requires precision we do not yet possess."
"And because of that," Blake said calmly, "no one else can force it either."
Ōetsu whistled. "Like trying to carve a door into the concrete walls of a house."
Blake snorted. "That comparison is uncomfortably accurate."
Ichibē continued, "Until your power recovers properly and stabilizes to a certain extent, entry to Garganta will remain inaccessible except through naturally occurring tears which forms when hollows are born.
Blake leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
"And what about the new recruits. How is Recruitment going on, Are there any quality seeds or talent ?"
Ichibē hesitated.
"…Limited."
"I expected that much," Blake replied.
"The spiritual density of incoming souls is lower than historical averages," Ichibē explained. "Exceptional candidates are rare. Most possess only baseline potential compared to earlier eras."
Blake nodded slowly.
[That's the reality. We dont even know the world we are in]
"Nevertheless," Ichibē continued, "the most promising individuals have been selected. Training has begun. With structure and guidance, they may yet become capable."
"They will need more than time," Blake said.
"And proper guidance to get polished properly," Ichibē agreed.
"Then provide it,"
With a pause.
Blake replied. "We cannot afford elitism. Build foundations. Legends can come later."
The Royal Guard accepted that without comment.
Blake stood up.
"I appreciate the work you've done. All of you."
No flourish. No speech.
Just acknowledgment.
"Keep going. If something stalls, inform me. If something becomes a problem—"
He shrugged lightly.
"You know what to do."
Ichibē bowed. "As you command."
As others prepared to depart—
Suddenly Ichibē stopped.
"My King," Ichibē said.
Blake looked over his shoulder. "Yes?"
"There is one more grave matter which i need to discuss with you."
The tone was unchanged.
The implication was not.
"A massive Hollow presence was detected earlier," Ichibē reported. "A horde of Gillian-class Menos, led by an Adjuchas-grade Hollow."
The room felt subtly heavier.
Blake did not react immediately.
"…Where?" he asked.
"Location remains uncertain," Ichibē replied. "The signal was briefly detected before vanishing."
Blake's fingers tightened into a fist.
[That's not random.]
He nodded once. "Alright."
"Stand by," he said. "I will see into it and handle it myself."
Blake turned back toward the throne, already thinking.
Ichibē bowed. "We await your direction."
The Royal Guard vanished as quietly as they had arrived.
Blake sat down again, staring direclty at an empty space.
No panic.
No speeches.
Only calculation.
[That's sooner than I expected.]
The realm shifted subtly around him—as if listening.
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