Several days later, in the Seireitei, at the Squad 1 barracks.
Inside the solemn and imposing assembly hall, a heavy stillness filled the air.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto sat at the head of the chamber, with Lieutenant Chōjirō Sasakibe standing vigil at his side.
Kaito Yanagawa stood in the center of the hall, delivering a comprehensive report on the Twin Hyōrinmaru investigation—from the confrontation with the complete Hyōrinmaru to the revelations gleaned directly from the spirit.
Drawing upon the intelligence regarding the secret transfer of the King’s Seal provided by Isshin Shiba, he laid out his deduced conclusions in full before the Captain-Commander and the assembled captains.
He made no effort to embellish the peril or ferocity of the battle, presenting only the objective facts.
Yet simply hearing key terms such as *complete Hyōrinmaru*, *interference by a golden force*, and *King’s Seal power leak* was enough for everyone present to grasp the tempest lurking beneath the surface—and the gravity of a crisis far beyond any ordinary incident.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto kept his eyes closed throughout the briefing, only opening those molten-lava eyes once Yanagawa had concluded.
His gaze lingered on Yanagawa for a beat before sweeping over Isshin Shiba.
Finally, his deep, resonant voice broke the silence:
“Now that the truth has been brought to light, this matter has been confirmed to stem from an accidental leakage during the transfer of the King’s Seal.
The fault lies neither with Tōshirō Hitsugaya nor Sōjirō Kusakabe.
As for Central 46…
I shall speak with them personally.
Release the two at once, and restore their honors and freedom.”
The command was succinct and absolute, settling the matter with finality.
When the King’s Seal was involved, even Central 46 could hardly maintain their cruel “duel to the death” ruling once the Captain-Commander himself laid down the verdict supported by irrefutable evidence.
“Understood,” Chōjirō Sasakibe acknowledged with a bow.
“As for the power leak regarding the King’s Seal,” Yamamoto added, his tone chilling, “that remains top secret.
The details discussed here today are strictly forbidden from leaving this room.
Do you all understand?”
“Sir!” the assembled captains answered in unison, their expressions stern.
The orders were swiftly carried out.
Deep in the subterranean cells beneath Central 46 where Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Sōjirō Kusakabe were being held, the heavy stone doors groaned open once more.
This time, it was not for an oppressive interrogation, but to deliver the notice of their release.
As the two boys stepped out of the gloomy, freezing corridor one after another with unsteady strides, emerging into the gentle sunlight of the Seireitei, both felt as if a lifetime had passed.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya’s white hair seemed to have lost a bit of its luster, and exhaustion clung to his youthful face.
Yet the unyielding spirit of a prodigy remained unbroken in his eyes, tempered further by the ordeal.
His gaze immediately scanned the surroundings for Momo Hinamori.
Upon seeing his childhood friend safe and sound, a flash of relief softened his eyes.
Walking behind him, Sōjirō Kusakabe looked far paler.
His long black hair hung in disarray, and beneath his fatigue lay an indescribable emptiness and sorrow.
Instinctively, Kusakabe touched his hip—his Zanpakuto still rested there.
Yet when he slid the blade out half an inch, the steel was dull and lifeless.
The reserved yet potent chill of spiritual pressure that once flowed through it was gone.
The metal felt cold to the touch, but only with the ordinary chill of steel.
It was indistinguishable from an unawakened Asauchi.
“Kusakabe, your blade…” Tōshirō murmured, noticing his friend’s movement.
Kusakabe offered a bitter smile and let the blade click back into its scabbard.
His voice was hoarse.
“Just as I thought.
Hyōrinmaru is completely gone.
Now it’s…
nothing more than an Asauchi.”
He paused, his eyes drifting to the Zanpakuto at Tōshirō’s waist.
The faint chill emanating from it felt familiar yet distant, filling his gaze with complex emotion.
“Maybe this is how things were always meant to be.
I…
was never supposed to have Hyōrinmaru in the first place.”
In hindsight, it made total sense.
While Kusakabe possessed solid talent and was considered one of the top students at the Shin’ō Academy, the gulf between him and Tōshirō Hitsugaya—a once-in-a-century prodigy born with staggering ice-type spiritual power—was glaringly obvious.
The fact that they had “simultaneously” awakened the strongest ice-type Zanpakuto had been fundamentally unnatural from the start.
Now that the truth was exposed, it had merely been an anomaly born of external interference.
Right then, Yanagawa and Isshin Shiba appeared at the far end of the corridor.
They had arrived to tie up loose ends and personally verify the condition of the two youths.
At the sight of Yanagawa, both Tōshirō and Kusakabe instinctively straightened their posture, their eyes brimming with gratitude and respect.
From the guards who released them and from Hinamori when she rushed over, they had already learned the gist of what had happened: it was this Senior Yanagawa, a Squad Zero candidate, who had uncovered the truth and turned the tide, rescuing them from the brink of doom.
“Senior Yanagawa, Captain Shiba,” Tōshirō greeted with a respectful bow, and Kusakabe hurried to follow suit.
Yanagawa gave an offhand wave, indicating that formalities were unnecessary, before turning to leave alongside Isshin.
As Yanagawa and Isshin disappeared around the corner, news of the conclusion to the Twin Hyōrinmaru incident rippled through the Seireitei.
At first, when Yanagawa had been named a Squad Zero reserve member and tasked with heading the investigation, the court had been shocked, but whispers of doubt and skepticism had quietly circulated.
After all, Yanagawa had kept far too low a profile in the past.
Aside from stellar marks during his academy days and his position in the Kidō Corps, he boasted few renowned battle exploits or widespread prestige.
An invitation to Squad Zero was astounding, to be sure, but until he proved himself, there were always those who questioned whether other considerations were at play, or if Yanagawa could truly shoulder such a heavy burden.
Yet the outcome spoke for itself: untangling a top-secret crisis involving the King’s Seal, clashing head-on with Hyōrinmaru’s complete form, successfully exorcising the alien energy, rescuing the two accused boys, and ultimately forcing Central 46 to reverse its decree.
Before such ironclad results, every shred of doubt and hesitation vanished into thin air.
Through decisive action, this young Soul Reaper named Kaito Yanagawa had proven beyond question that he was worthy of the honor.
He had demonstrated not only tremendous combat power, but also a cool, brilliant intellect and profound insight into the mechanics of spiritual phenomena.
Whenever the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei 13 looked upon Yanagawa now, their eyes carried an entirely new measure of respect.