"Heh, heh, hahaha..."
Mayuri suddenly burst into loud laughter.
"Hitsugaya... Hitsugaya Toshiro, so decisive in killing. As expected of the Vice-Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13. Perhaps... you are more suitable to be Captain-Commander than Yamamoto Genryusai."
Mayuri's tone was unprecedentedly serious. "Yamamoto Genryusai is ultimately old. He is no longer the man called the [Demon Sword]. He has too many concerns in his heart and is no longer suitable to be Captain-Commander. Otherwise, back then, on that matter, if he had followed my advice..."
Speaking up to here, Mayuri seemed to suddenly think of something and didn't continue.
A strange light flashed in Toshiro's eyes, but he didn't press about what Mayuri hadn't finished saying. It was nothing more than matters involving the dark side of the Soul Society.
Where there is light, there is shadow. The vast Soul Society certainly had some 'dirty work'. And Mayuri's Technology Development Institute was undoubtedly important to the Soul Society, and in that process, it must have come into contact with some of those matters.
The reason Mayuri was dissatisfied with Yamamoto in his words just now was nothing more than dissatisfaction with Yamamoto's handling of those matters.
Given Mayuri's cold and ruthless personality, he would certainly appreciate the way of doing things of the former Demon Sword more than the current Yamamoto.
"But although Yamamoto Genryusai is old, and his way of doing things is sometimes hard to stomach, the fact that he chose you as his successor proves his eyes aren't blind yet."
"Although the matter of the Sword Beasts isn't a major event threatening the survival of the Soul Society, being able to without hesitation abandon that kind of sentimentalism at a critical moment and make such a 'cold and ruthless' choice at least proves you have the bearing to be competent for the position of Captain-Commander."
This was the first time Mayuri had so openly expressed his appreciation and praise for Toshiro, not like before when he was always unconvinced and would sarcastically mock him at every opportunity.
"The 'bearing' to be competent for Captain-Commander? Perhaps..."
Toshiro was noncommittal.
Facing Mayuri's praise, Toshiro was indifferent and didn't take it to heart.
Whether he was more suitable for the position of Captain-Commander than the current Yamamoto, Toshiro didn't know. What Toshiro did know was that the reason he could be so decisive in making this 'cold and ruthless' choice was simply because he wanted to protect the Soul Society.
And the reason Toshiro wanted to protect the Soul Society wasn't because of some great ideal, but simply because his family and friends were here.
If the safety of his family and friends ever conflicted with the safety of the Soul Society, Toshiro didn't think he could sacrifice his valued friends for the greater good and choose the Soul Society's safety.
"Alright, Mayuri, I'll be going now. Since there's no good way to save those Sword Beasts, we'll have to thoroughly exterminate them. So I need to go back and prepare."
Toshiro casually waved goodbye to Mayuri.
With that, Toshiro didn't stay any longer to discuss matters of the Captain-Commander with Mayuri. He turned and left.
"Hitsugaya... Toshiro... perhaps it won't be long before he completely surpasses Yamamoto Genryusai..." Watching Toshiro's departing figure, Mayuri murmured to himself.
After leaving the Technology Development Institute, Toshiro didn't directly return to the 10th Division. He went to see Yamamoto to discuss the thorough extermination of the Sword Beasts.
Upon hearing Mayuri's research results and Toshiro's suggestion to thoroughly exterminate the Sword Beasts, Yamamoto hesitated for a moment but ultimately agreed.
Then Toshiro and Yamamoto jointly issued an order.
Under the joint order of the Captain-Commander and Vice-Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, almost the entire Soul Society's Shinigami mobilized.
It wasn't like before, small-scale actions of going to rescue wherever a Sword Beast attack occurred. This time, the entire Gotei 13 mobilized in force, searching everywhere for Sword Beasts, leaving no corner untouched, whether in the Seireitei or the Rukongai. Once found, they were immediately thoroughly exterminated.
…
Three days later.
10th Division, Captain's Office.
"Captain, after three days of large-scale action, the Sword Beasts have basically been exterminated. At most, a few scattered ones are hiding in the shadows, no longer able to threaten the Seireitei." Rangiku reported to Toshiro.
In the past few days, the extermination of Sword Beasts had basically been led by the Lieutenants of each division. The Captains generally hadn't taken action.
Because there was no need. Although Mayuri had said Sword Beasts were in a Bankai state, their Reiatsu was too weak.
The masters of those Sword Beasts, while alive, had basically been ordinary Shinigami. Their Reiatsu wasn't much stronger than students just graduated from the Shin'o Academy.
And if the master's Reiatsu was weak, the Sword Beast's Reiatsu naturally wouldn't be strong. With weak Reiatsu, even in a Bankai state, their strength wouldn't be much.
With Lieutenant level leading the teams, and even materialized Zanpakuto participating, as long as they weren't careless, it was basically enough to handle.
After hearing Rangiku's report, Toshiro put down the documents in his hand and looked up. "As the saying goes, 'eliminate evil completely'. Although most Sword Beasts have been exterminated, we can't just ignore the remaining ones."
"I understand, Captain." Rangiku nodded, then suddenly said, "Oh, right, Captain. During the process of exterminating the Sword Beasts, we came across a piece of intelligence."
"What intelligence?" Toshiro asked.
"Earlier, while pursuing Sword Beasts, we received a directive that a Sword Beast was causing destruction in a certain part of the Rukongai. But when we rushed over, we found that Sword Beast had already had its Reiatsu drained and had reverted to its sword state."
"After inquiring with people from other divisions, we found it wasn't done by them either. Finally, after much inquiry, we received a rumor that a special existence had appeared among the Sword Beasts, capable of devouring the Reiatsu of other Sword Beasts and Zanpakuto to strengthen itself, and was getting stronger and stronger." Rangiku explained to Toshiro.
"Strengthening its own power by devouring the Reiatsu of other Sword Beasts and Zanpakuto? Quite a rare ability." Toshiro couldn't help but be a little surprised.
Originally, as a group of Zanpakuto that had lost their masters, the Sword Beasts' own Reiatsu was very limited. Moreover, to maintain their existence, they consumed Reiatsu every moment. But they had no way to recover Reiatsu.
With Reiatsu only going out and not coming in, even if the Shinigami did nothing, the Sword Beasts would naturally perish before long.
The reason Toshiro had gone to the trouble of mobilizing large forces to exterminate the Sword Beasts was simply to prevent them from attacking and causing destruction everywhere during this period before they naturally disappeared.
"Being able to devour Reiatsu and get stronger is indeed a bit troublesome for ordinary Shinigami. But conversely, if we wait for that guy to devour the remaining scattered Sword Beasts, and then eliminate him, we can thoroughly exterminate all Sword Beasts." Toshiro pondered.
"Alright, you can go now. Continue to gather information about that special Sword Beast. We'll eliminate him when the time is right." Toshiro instructed.