Outside the gate, the afternoon sun hung lazily, casting its rays across the vast, solemn plaza.
However, this languor was thoroughly shattered by several figures quietly waiting around the corner of the corridor.
When they saw the figures of several captains walking out one after another, the hearts of Hinamori Momo, Renji, and the others instantly leaped into their throats.
They held their breath, their gazes rapidly searching among those majestic figures.
Then, they saw him.
Following the slightly hurried or contemplative strides of the captains, a tall, straight figure with a steady gait stepped over the threshold, unhurried and composed.
As the sunlight fell upon him, the first thing that caught their eyes was that pure white haori.
Beneath the haori was the familiar black Shihakushō, and below that, the calm face they were also familiar with, yet which now seemed somewhat strange.
Yanagawa.
A white…
haori?
How could Yanagawa be wearing a captain’s haori?!
The first to recover enough voice from this immense shock was Abarai Renji.
Pointing at Yanagawa, he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence, believing he had found a logical explanation:
“That guy Yanagawa!
So he was getting a promotion!
I felt something was off when I met him yesterday!
Is this…
is this the outfit of the Kidō Corps Chief?
Did this guy actually become the Kidō Corps Chief without saying a word?!”
His voice sounded exceptionally abrupt at the edge of the vast plaza; even the few captains who hadn’t fully left yet and were conversing in low voices (such as Kyōraku Shunsui and Jūshirō Ukitake) couldn’t help but glance over, then revealed subtle smiles, shook their heads, and continued on without stopping.
“Renji!
That’s not right!”
Hisagi Shūhei was also quite shocked by that white haori, but his training as a lieutenant allowed him to calm down faster, and he instinctively refuted Renji’s outrageous guess.
“Use some common sense!
Although the Kidō Corps Chief is the head of the Kidō Corps, their uniform is different from a captain’s haori, and it’s certainly not this style or color!
This…
this looks more like…”
He paused, his voice filled with uncertainty and deeper suspicion:
“Could it be…
that Yanagawa has taken over as captain of a vacant squad?
But…” Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
He quickly ran through the names of the thirteen captains and recent rumors in his mind, becoming even more confused.
“I haven’t heard of any captain stepping down or any vacancies…
And even if it were a new captain, the granting of the haori should have a formal ceremony and announcement; how could it be so sudden, right after the captains’ meeting…”
His analysis was logical and reasonable, yet it only served to highlight the strangeness and incredibility of the scene before them.
Not the Kidō Corps Chief, nor an ordinary captain; then what exactly did this white haori represent?
Just then, a cold, slightly trembling voice rang out softly, interrupting Hisagi Shūhei’s musings and acting like ice water poured over the heads of the group, who had just slightly recovered from Renji’s outrageous guess but were now even more bewildered.
It was Kuchiki Rukia who spoke.
She had stepped forward at some point, her eyes fixed intently on the pattern on the back of Yanagawa’s haori—a pattern that was not any known squad insignia or family crest in the Seireitei.
Kuchiki Rukia’s pupils shrank to the size of pinpoints, and her breath caught in her throat.
She couldn’t be mistaken.
Absolutely not.
In the ancient archives of the Kuchiki Clan, she had once seen a rubbing or description of this pattern.
It was a mark closely linked to the Soul King Palace, to the legend that stood above the Gotei 13.
“Zero…
Zero Division…”
Kuchiki Rukia’s voice was very soft, filled with disbelief, as she squeezed these few words, heavy as a thousand pounds, from her throat.
“That pattern…
is the insignia of the Zero Division.”
Zero Division.
These three words, like the final hammer of judgment, slammed fiercely into the hearts of everyone present.
Kira Izuru stumbled, nearly losing his footing.
Zero Division.
Soul King Palace.
That existence which only circulated among the highest levels, and which was like a myth or legend to the vast majority of Shinigami.
That supreme realm which stood above the Gotei 13, guarded the foundation of the world, and whose members were all those with the merit of “irreplaceable creation.”
Yanagawa…
their contemporary, the Yanagawa who chose the Kidō Corps and seemed to spend his days in leisure, had actually become a member of the Zero Division?!
Yanagawa stopped, naturally seeing the few people waiting by the corridor.
“Hey!
Yanagawa! This chapter is updated first at g.com.
What the hell is going on?!
Zero Division?!
When did you become someone from the Zero Division?!
Something this big, and you didn’t say a single word to me?!
Do you still consider me a friend?!”
His questioning was blunt and rude, a style that made no effort to hide his emotions, but strangely, there wasn’t much awe or distance regarding the status of the Zero Division; it was more an expression of anger and surprise that a close friend had kept such a major matter hidden.
This familiar, unceremonious attitude was like a key, slightly prying open the frozen atmosphere.
Yanagawa looked at the familiar faces before him, watching Renji’s undisguised “interrogation.”
He sighed softly in his heart, knowing he had to provide an explanation, even though this explanation was destined not to fully satisfy their curiosity.
He raised his hand and gently brushed the unique fabric of the white haori on his body, his movements calm, as if he were just straightening a piece of ordinary clothing.
“This matter is a long story, and it also involves some…
reasons that are inconvenient to detail.”
Yanagawa spoke, his voice still the steady, clear tone everyone was familiar with, not carrying a hint of arrogance or alienation despite the sudden change in status.
“What I can tell you all is that due to some special reasons—please forgive me for not being able to specify exactly why—the Soul King Palace took notice of me and gave me this opportunity to be promoted to the Zero Division.
It wasn’t that I intended to hide it, but rather that before today’s meeting, the matter hadn’t been fully confirmed, and it required confidentiality.”
His explanation avoided the heavy and focused on the light, attributing the cause to the “will of the Soul King Palace” and “confidentiality requirements,” which was reasonable and logical, and also blocked further questioning.
After all, anything involving the Zero Division and the Soul King Palace inherently contained too many secrets that could not be spoken of to outsiders.
He paused and turned his gaze to Hinamori Momo:
“As for the matter of ‘Twin Hyōrinmaru,’ the Captain-Commander has officially ordered during the meeting that it be handed over to me to handle entirely.”
“Hitsugaya is your childhood friend; both publicly and privately, I will do my utmost to ensure his safety.
You can rest assured on this point.”
“Yanagawa-kun…”
Hinamori Momo nodded vigorously, her voice choked with tears:
“Thank you, Yanagawa-kun!
I…
I believe in you!
Please…
I leave Shiro-chan to you!”
Her trust in Yanagawa’s ability, coupled with the inexplicable confidence brought by his “Zero Division” status, finally allowed her heart, which had been hanging high, to settle a little.