Genryusai's single sentence was enough to unsettle even the Captains who had weathered countless storms.
It would have been understandable if he had spoken of a colossal threat approaching, or warned that this mission would be far more difficult than any prior.
Everyone gathered here was a person of iron resolve, having reached this position by seeing that resolve through to the very end.
They would have understood a call to stand their ground until the bitter end. They could have accepted a warning that they might die.
But a will? To prepare for death, rather than being warned of its possibility?
The Captains all looked toward Genryusai with similar questions reflected in their eyes.
Yet, none dared to speak lightly in the face of a word as heavy as 'death.'
Though they were the ones closest to death, they were not death itself.
"Are you suggesting that every single Captain of the Gotei 13 might die? If this is a matter of such gravity, there surely would have been precursors. I find the current situation completely incomprehensible."
The first to break the silence was none other than the Captain of Squad 12 and President of the Research and Development Institute, Kurotsuchi Mayuri.
To him, this was a matter of logic. After all, his Department was supposed to be omniscient regarding the happenings across the Three Worlds. Or rather, it had to be.
"Within the Seireitei, across Soul Society, the World of the Living, and even Hueco Mundo—I have synthesized every scrap of data, and nothing of concern was found. There was some movement from certain persons of interest, but to suggest that he, who has remained dormant until now, would suddenly cause a disaster requiring every Captain to risk their lives… is a stretch. It is logically difficult to reconcile."
It was natural for Mayuri to exclude 'him'—the Nether King—from the list of potential threats.
He was a being who had protected Soul Society since before the Seireitei was even founded, for more than just a decade or a century.
For such a being to suddenly go on a rampage?
A whim spanning hundreds of thousands of years? It was irrational.
Rationality aside, there was simply no reason for it.
If one were to assume from the start that the Nether King was the source of the problem, one could cobble together a theory, but the connections were messy and forced, so Mayuri had dismissed the possibility.
In fact, Mayuri's conclusion wasn't entirely wrong.
The Nether King was moving for reasons entirely outside the scope of Mayuri's logic and deductions.
The other Captains nodded, sharing similar thoughts.
"There's no way Lord Meio would do such a thing now. He only just attended my wedding; what kind of madness could have struck him?"
"Hmm… Based on the character he has shown us thus far, he is absolutely not the type of person to commit such an act."
"However, his external activities have significantly decreased lately. Could that not have been a form of preparation?"
"I believe the possibility of simple seclusion cannot be ignored. But… the timing is indeed suspicious."
"The old man has always been hard to read, but he wouldn't do something as pointless as this."
"Enough."
Interrupting the Captains, Genryusai stroked his cane and exhaled a heavy sigh.
"Since you all seem to have some faint inkling, I will not mince words. Our enemy this time is Tenjin Shaku. The being once known as the Nether King."
None of the Captains showed surprise at Genryusai's words.
Every soul in this room had, to some degree, expected this.
"Nngh…"
"…"
"Tch."
Most remained silent, unable to find words, while some displayed visible discomfort.
Even Zaraki Kenpachi, a man who never shied away from a fight with a strong opponent, showed a similar reaction.
A name that crushed the fighting spirit the moment it was heard. That was the weight of the name 'Nether King.'
"Why would the Nether King suddenly turn against us? There is no way he would become our enemy without reason!"
Shiba Isshin's outburst echoed what the other Captains felt in their hearts. Though they didn't speak it, they all looked at Genryusai with the same questioning eyes.
Meeting their gaze, Genryusai let out another deep sigh and recalled the events from a few hours prior.
The Nether King had appeared without a sound or sign while Genryusai was handling paperwork in the Captain-Commander's office, as he did every day.
Genryusai, long accustomed to the Nether King's presence, had greeted him casually.
"Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai."
Genryusai was about to prepare tea as usual, but the strange atmosphere surrounding the Nether King made him stop and look directly at the man.
"In three days, I will bring down the Royal Guard Palace and kill the Soul King. The Seireitei will become a battlefield. Order all personnel to vacate the area. They might get caught in the crossfire otherwise."
"Wait, what on earth…"
"Remember. Three days. I will give you exactly three days to evacuate at your own discretion. This is my final warning and my notification. There is no room for negotiation, nor do I have any intention of negotiating."
Having delivered his unilateral declaration, the Nether King vanished.
When Genryusai opened his eyes in the present, ten Captains were staring back at him.
Contemplating how to explain this, Genryusai stroked the cane that had been his companion for centuries with his thumb. Having braced his heart, he finally spoke.
"In three days, the Royal Guard Palace will fall upon the Seireitei."
"Surely… are you saying the Nether King intends to kill the Soul King? That's preposterous…! Why now, of all times?"
"I am just as bewildered as you. No doubt everyone here feels the same. Therefore, as Captain-Commander, I issue these orders: Those of Vice-Captain rank or higher who have mastered Bankai and choose to remain in the Seireitei in three days' time must write their wills. All other Captains are to lead their squads and all other personnel in an immediate evacuation to the outskirts of Soul Society."
None of the Captains nodded at Genryusai's command.
After a long moment of deliberation, Shiba Isshin, Captain of Squad 10, raised his hand.
"…I'm sorry. I will be withdrawing from this."
Isshin stood alone, his hand raised, his face a mixture of shame, guilt, and a myriad of other emotions.
Yet, no one in the room blamed or mocked him.
Instead, Kyoraku, the Captain of Squad 8 standing beside him, simply patted Isshin on the shoulder in encouragement.
"Shiba Isshin, Captain of Squad 10. Are there any others?"
"I shall withdraw as well. I must begin the transfer of the Research and Development Institute's data immediately."
Genryusai waited, but no one else raised their hand.
Genryusai nodded and struck the floor with his cane, finalizing the arrangements.
"Then I entrust the leadership of the personnel remaining in the Gotei 13 to Captain Shiba Isshin and Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri. The remaining Captains are to write their wills and deliver them to either Shiba Isshin or Kurotsuchi Mayuri by tomorrow. Dismissed."
The meeting ended in a somber silence. Kurotsuchi Mayuri left the room while initiating a communication link, and Shiba Isshin apologized to the other Captains before departing.
After all the Captains had left, Genryusai remained alone. He gripped his cane tightly, and the Zanpakuto hidden within it—Ryujin Jakka—revealed itself.
"Come out. How long do you intend to eavesdrop from the shadows? Yhwach."
"I showed consideration so as not to throw your subordinates into further chaos. Do I not get a word of thanks? Yamamoto Shigekuni."
With a voice tinged with mockery, Yhwach emerged across from Genryusai.
Genryusai's eyes snapped open, glaring sharply at Yhwach.
Though the relationship between Soul Reapers and Quincies had improved compared to a millennium ago, that progress did not apply to these two, who still lived in the shadow of that era.
One was the leader who had waged war; the other was the leader who had used that war as a pretext to wipe the name of 'Quincy' from the world.
If it hadn't been for the Nether King's mediation, that erasure would have been complete.
Thus, the chasm between them remained, unbridged even by a thousand years.
After a long silence, Genryusai pressed the guard of his blade with the palm of his hand.
"Know this, Yhwach: the name of the Gotei is not so light that it would crumble at the appearance of a single man."
"Hmph. If you believe that, why did you hide my presence from your subordinates? Is that not a contradiction?"
"It was to avoid a pointless waste of time."
Their Spiritual Pressures clashed sharply as they stood on edge, but only for a moment.
Simultaneously, both men released their tension and exhaled.
"Enough. This is not the time to be buried in the emotions of a thousand years past."
"For once, we are of the same mind, Yamamoto Shigekuni."
Nodding, Yhwach pulled a throne from the shadows and sat.
"The opponent is a walking disaster. A mere handful of Soul Reapers cannot stop him. Of course, given who the enemy is, the inclusion of Quincies doesn't necessarily create a chance of victory where none existed. However… I have a plan. Cooperate with me."
"I will decide whether to cooperate once I have heard your proposal."
At Genryusai's words, Yhwach smiled and reached out a hand.
"Hand the Seireitei over to me."
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