In the First Division headquarters of the Seireitei, a captain’s meeting was underway.
It wasn’t a full assembly, so vice-captains were permitted to attend on behalf of their captains.
Three captains were absent: Suì-Fēng of the Second Division, Kyōraku Shunsui of the Eighth, and Ukitake Jūshirō of the Thirteenth.
In their place stood Vice-Captain Shihōin Ichiryu for the Second, Vice-Captain Ise Nanao for the Eighth, and Vice-Captain Ōmaeda Marechiyo for the Thirteenth.
A century ago, the former captain of the Second, Shihōin Yoruichi, had defected.
The diminished Shihōin clan had pushed Ichiryu forward as a replacement.
In the end, his strength proved inferior, and the more powerful Suì-Fēng was named captain instead.
As a retainer of the Shihōin and head of the subordinate Feng family, Suì-Fēng’s ascension was seen by some as “subjugating the superior.” Yet upon becoming captain, she honored her promise: she promoted Ichiryu to vice-captain and appointed her allied clan leader, Ōmaeda Marechiyo, to the third seat.
More than thirty years later, after the death of Thirteenth Division Vice-Captain Shiba Kaien, Ichiryu’s maneuvering secured the vice-captaincy for Ōmaeda.
This meeting, however, had nothing to do with the Second or Eighth Divisions.
Something was wrong in the Thirteenth.
The Captain-Commander’s walking stick struck the floor.
“That concludes the matter,” Yamamoto declared.
“Kuchiki Rukia of the Thirteenth Division has given her Shinigami powers to a human without authorization.
This is the greatest scandal the Gotei 13 has faced in recent years.
Vice-Captain Ōmaeda, I order you to go to the human world immediately and arrest Kuchiki—”
Ōmaeda, still sweating from the earlier reprimand, opened his mouth to agree.
“Please wait.”
All eyes turned to Kuchiki Byakuya.
“Captain Kuchiki,” Yamamoto asked, his tone grave.
“Do you object?”
He spoke as if he hadn’t just used the name “Kuchiki” for the accused, as if he were only reproaching an interruption.
“Not at all, Commander.
My sister’s guilt or innocence is something I, as head of the Kuchiki clan, must also ascertain.
Please leave the task of arresting her and returning her to Soul Society to the Sixth Division.” Byakuya’s voice was flat, devoid of inflection.
A pause.
A fractional tightening of his grip on his scabbard.
“Fine,” Yamamoto nodded.
“Then the Sixth Division will capture Kuchiki Rukia.
After which… she will be handed over to Central 46 for trial.”
Byakuya’s expression froze.
As a noble, he understood Central 46’s nature.
But why?
The act was rare, and prohibited, but was it worth this level of scrutiny?
Why would Central 46 even care?
Was this a lingering effect of the previous “Shinigami Agent Rebellion”?
Or perhaps…
His gaze sharpened, cutting toward the Second Division’s position.
Not just Byakuya.
Many other captains looked at Ichiryu in that moment.
Even Captain-Commander Yamamoto’s eyes flicked in his direction.
Ichiryu said nothing.
He had absolutely no answer for that.
Central 46 wanted Rukia arrested and dealt with harshly, and that was his fault?
Of course, the suspicion was natural.
A hundred years ago, Ichiryu became vice-captain of the Second.
Relying on the Shihōin name, he cultivated a strong relationship with Central 46—the decision-making body of noble representatives.
He corrected procedural errors within the Gotei 13.
During the Shihōin clan’s internal strife, he protected Yoruichi’s younger brother and successor, Shihōin Yūshirō.
He urged the new clan leadership to compete for more seats within Central 46 itself.
The Shihōin family’s influence in the Ōin Council declined, but their power within Central 46 grew.
Later, with Central 46’s support, Ichiryu established a monitoring team inside the Second Division to supervise the other squads.
He admitted he had caught some corrupt officials.
He might have wronged some people in the process.
But this was all for Soul Society.
It was wrong for certain villains to call him “the nobility’s lackey” behind his back, wasn’t it?
To the other captains, Central 46’s sudden interest in such a minor matter meant someone was pulling strings from the shadows.
When they thought “pulling strings,” only one name came to mind.
Their question now was simple: who was Ichiryu targeting this time?
Captain Kuchiki?
Or Captain Ukitake?
Even Yamamoto, upon receiving the order from Central 46, had thought: What are the bastards from the Shihōin family planning now?
Ichiryu kept his face a placid mask, an expression of perfect, detached neutrality.
He had white hair that brushed his shoulders, a medium build, and a youthful face belied by a mature stillness.
A pair of rimless glasses rested on his nose.
A single, exaggerated earring hung from his left ear.
He looked pale, clean, almost gentle.
Nothing in his appearance matched the captain’s impression of him.
The Captain-Commander’s walking stick tapped the floor once more.
“The meeting is concluded!”
The captains and vice-captains responded and filed out of the headquarters.
None of them saluted.
Thirty years ago, Ichiryu had caused an incident.
He had indirectly stirred up several hot-blooded members of the First Division.
The nobles of Central 46 witnessed firsthand the Captain-Commander’s absolute prestige—Shinigami who obeyed only Yamamoto and knew nothing of Central 46.
That near-crisis had almost split the Seireitei.
In the end, both sides stepped back.
Since then, many of the formalities required for captains had been quietly canceled.
Ichiryu had even prepared blueprints, suggesting the conference hall add a long table and two rows of seats.
It was outrageous that only the Commander sat; they were all pillars of Soul Society, not his retainers.
Of course, “after a while” there would be an excellent opportunity.
For now, Ichiryu was only a vice-captain.
It wasn’t his turn to sit.
Outside the division headquarters, the captains had just dispersed.
“Shihōin Ichiryu!”
Ise Nanao’s voice cut through the quiet.
She stood rigid, the scroll from the meeting clutched in her hand.
“What on earth are you trying to do?”