Deep within the Seireitei lay a district unlike any other.
Its architecture was austere to an extreme.
Towering, rigid, and severe, constructed as if from stone and silence itself.
Even the light here seemed colder, heavier.
The air carried a suffocating weight, an invisible pressure that compelled one to hold their breath without realizing it.
This was the seat of Soul Society’s highest legislative and judicial authority—Central 46.
…
After passing through multiple heavily guarded checkpoints and corridors dense with spiritual pressure, Yanagawa and
Isshin Shiba were finally escorted into a reception hall.
There were no chairs, and no tea.
Only the vast, empty space of the chamber—and the two of them standing alone at its center.
Above them, on a raised platform resembling a tribunal, sat several figures in a row.
Not the full assembly of Central 46, only a handful of Wise mens, representatives of its will.
They looked down upon the two intruders from above, their gazes cold and probing—lingering especially on the striking white cloak of the Royal Guard draped over Yanagawa’s shoulders.
There was no reverence in their eyes.
Only but scrutiny and Judgment.
…and faint, undisguised displeasure.
“Provisional member of the Royal Guard, Yanagawa.
Captain of the Tenth Division, Isshin Shiba.”
The elder seated at the center, his silver hair and rigid expression resembling carved stone—spoke slowly.
His voice was dry, detached, and steeped in authority.
“For what purpose have you come here?”
The words were formally correct.
The tone was anything but.
Their impatience toward this sudden interference, especially from a young outsider bearing the flag of the Royal Guard, was evident.
Isshin’s brow twitched, about to respond—
But Yanagawa stepped forward first.
He lifted his gaze to meet theirs directly.
His voice rang clear and steady through the pressuring silence.
“I request to meet the two key individuals involved, Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Sōjirō Kusaka.”
“Where are they currently being held?
What is their condition?”
The request was direct.
No bullshit is needed.
Backed by both the authority of the Royal Guard, and the Captain-Commander.
By all rights, it should not have been denied.
Yet—
On the platform above, several Wise men exchanged a glance.
A red-faced elder with a sharp gaze and a pointed beard snorted coldly and spoke first.
“Meeting them?
Yanagawa… sir.
It seems you do not yet understand the degree of the situation.”
“This matter is unprecedented.
It violates the fundamental laws of Soul Society.
It represents a grave anomaly, a potential threat.”
“For the sake of maintaining stability within the Seireitei, and preserving the purity of the Zanpakutō system, we have already reached a resolution after thorough deliberation.”
He paused, looking down at Yanagawa with thinly veiled arrogance.
“As the anomaly lies in the existence of two identical Hyōrinmaru, this cannot be permitted.”
“The only viable solution… is for the two to engage in a formal duel.”
“The victor shall prove their legitimacy, and live.”
“will be eliminated.
Their very existence is an error.”
…
A duel to the death.
Simple and cruel.
Yet cloaked in twisted logic.
And clearly, this decision had already been made before Yanagawa’s arrival.
To them, his presence was nothing more than an inconvenience.
A disruption even.
Isshin’s fists clenched tightly.
Anger flashed in his eyes, but he forced it down.
He turned to glance at Yanagawa, concern flickering beneath his expression.
Yanagawa, however, remained perfectly still.
His face showed no reaction, not even a trace of anger or annoyance.
As if he had just heard an irrelevant report.
Only after the Wise men finished did he speak again.
Calmly.
“This decision… was made solely by Central 46?”
“Of course!” the bearded Wise men replied proudly.
“Our deliberation is final judgment.”
“Was it reported to the Captain-Commander?” Yanagawa asked evenly.
“Has the Royal Palace acknowledged and approved it?”
The Wise men faltered for a split second, then forced a hard tone.
“Handling anomalies falls under Central 46’s jurisdiction!”
A faint movement crossed Yanagawa’s lips.
Not quite a smile though.
But something colder.
“Which law,” he asked quietly,
“states that two innocent Shinigami possessing identical Zanpakutō must determine their existence through a duel to the death?”
“…You—!”
The Sage choked, face flushing with anger.
There was no such law.
Their “decision” was nothing more than an arbitrary conclusion, born from rigid thinking and a desire to maintain control.
Feeling humiliated, he lashed out.
“Young man!
Dont question the judgement of the Central 46!”
“Even as a provisional Royal Guard member, do not think you can act recklessly here!”
“The stability of Soul Society, the purity of the Zanpakutō system, outweigh everything!”
“Withdraw immediately and comply, or—”
He never finished.
Buzz—
A vast, pure spiritual pressure erupted without warning.
But it did not spread outward.
It focused entirely on him ALONE.
“Ghk—!!”
His expression twisted instantly, arrogance collapsing into pure fear.
He dropped to the ground like a puppet with cut strings, body trembling violently.
He couldn’t even lift his head.
Only ragged gasps escaped his lips.
His face turned deathly pale.
…
Absolute silence filled the hall.
The remaining Wise mens stared in horror.
They had felt it, even the residual pressure.
This was no ordinary power.
It was captain-level—
No.
Beyond ordinary captains?!
Isshin stood behind Yanagawa, eyes wide, mouth slightly open.
He knew Yanagawa was special.
But this?
This blunt, overwhelming domination?
This wasn’t the relaxed man hanging around the Kidō Corps lazily anymore.
This is damn different.
And yet somehow,
A surge of satisfaction rose in Isshin’s chest.
He had long despised these arrogant relics—men who treated lives as expendable under the guise of “order.”
He had endured them for years.
Now…
Watching Yanagawa crush their authority so cleanly…
It felt so damn satisfying!
“Now this,” Isshin thought, grinning inwardly,
“is how things should be handled.”
Yanagawa slowly withdrew his spiritual pressure.
The suffocating tension lifted.
The air began to move again.
He did not even glance at the Wise men writhing on the ground.
Instead, his gaze swept across the remaining figures—now pale, trembling.
His voice was as steady as ever.
“Now,” he said,
“will you take me to Hitsugaya Tōshirō and Kusaka Sōjirō?”
He tilted his head slightly.
His eyes flicked toward the collapsed Wise men.
“Or… would anyone else like to continue deliberating?”
No one spoke.
Everyone has their mouth zipped.
The Wise mens exchanged looks, fear now replacing that fragile authority.
They could not suppress him with power.
They could not even override the Royal Guard.
And now—
They could not even rely on their usual manipulations.
“…Take them.”
The eldest Wise men spoke at last, voice dry and strained, addressing a guard frozen in the corner.
Then, turning to Yanagawa, his posture lowered, just slightly.
But unmistakably.
“Yanagawa-dono… this way.”
Yanagawa said nothing.
He just stepped forward.
Isshin followed, and as he passed the collapsed Wise men, he “accidentally” nudged him with his foot.
A muffled groan followed.
Isshin’s grin widened.