"Tch! Instead of playing these word-twisting tricks here to cover up your identity, you might as well save your breath."
Yoruichi's voice sounded like it had been soaked in ice. Every word carried biting hatred.
She stared fixedly at the man in front of her, her chest rising and falling as she held back the anger on the verge of exploding.
"No matter how slick your tongue is, no matter how much you say, you can't change that fact. You are a Hollow by nature, a monster who rules over Hueco Mundo."
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharp as a blade, "When you toyed with Sui Feng to her death, why didn't you remember you were a Shinigami?"
"Sui Feng?"
Rosse raised his brow slightly. There was no embarrassment at being exposed on his face. Instead, a trace of amusement appeared. He glanced around the meeting room, his tone even carrying a hint of strange confusion.
"That's odd. Then let me ask everyone here, was Captain Sui Feng forced by me to go to Hueco Mundo?"
He spread his hands, looking innocent.
"If not for Shutara from Hueco Mundo arriving in time to save the situation, that Second Division captain would have already been executed on the spot by you righteous captains led by Kyoraku Shunsui the moment she was judged by Central 46, wouldn't she?"
Those words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the unity that might have formed in the room.
Aside from Yoruichi, who was still full of anger, most of the captains present looked away or lowered their heads in silence, showing a near-indifferent detachment.
Everyone knew the truth back then. What happened to Sui Feng was essentially a frame-up.
To put it plainly, it was an ugly farce directed and acted by Kyoraku Shunsui himself, a thief crying thief.
More importantly, in the value system of most captains, even if Rosse truly was the King of Hueco Mundo, since taking office he hadn't actually caused any real harm to Soul Society.
Of course, that was also because the blade hadn't cut them yet.
"Bullshit!"
A furious shout shattered the silence.
Kirinji Tenjiro had a fiery temper. He shot up from his seat, a flash of cold light appearing as his Zanpakuto was already drawn, its sharp tip pointed straight at Rosse's nose, less than half an inch away.
"Then what about Head Captain Yamamoto's death! You dare say it has nothing to do with you?"
The blade radiated cold intent, but Rosse didn't even blink.
"What does it have to do with me? Should I be blamed for having the strength but failing to rescue him?"
Rosse let out a light chuckle. The sound was especially harsh in the tense air.
Ignoring the blade in front of him, his gaze slowly swept across every face present.
"Since we're talking about that battle, I'm quite curious. Among everyone here, how many truly gave it their all back then? And how many of you made even the slightest bit of effective resistance?"
That question hit like a heavy hammer against the captains' hearts.
The room fell into an awkward silence.
Thinking back to that battle, Head Captain Yamamoto had stood alone to block the defecting Kyoraku Shunsui.
Aizen and Rosse were also present, yet they hadn't attacked Soul Society. Instead, they had restrained Jushiro Ukitake.
As for the rest of these captains? At most, they lingered on the edges of the battlefield, tossing out a few harmless Kido for show.
They might have put in some effort.
But risking their lives? Absolutely not.
As for effective resistance? That was a joke.
Even if Rosse truly had the power to stop Kyoraku Shunsui, everyone present knew he had no obligation to do so at that moment.
Whether as a Shinigami captain or as the King of Hueco Mundo, standing by was the most reasonable choice.
"Stop acting here! What 'failed rescue'? Yamamoto was clearly killed by you!"
Kirinji didn't get dragged into the argument. A sneer pulled at his lips, killing intent surging.
"What?"
Standing nearby, Sasakibe Chojiro's pupils shrank as he looked at Rosse in disbelief. His grip on the sword hilt tightened until his knuckles turned pale.
"Tch!"
Facing the accusation, Rosse smiled.
He didn't even move the blade pointed at him. He simply raised his chin slightly, looking past the cold gleam of the sword into Kirinji's furious eyes, his tone calm to the point of being infuriating.
"Kirinji, instead of barking at me here, why don't you go bring out Kyoraku Shunsui? Ask him in front of everyone if he dares to admit that it wasn't his blade that pierced Head Captain Yamamoto's chest. If he dares to stand out and deny it, then I'll have nothing to say and accept any punishment."
"You!"
Kirinji choked, his hand gripping the sword trembling slightly.
Of course he knew the truth.
Under Rosse's step-by-step manipulation, it really was Kyoraku Shunsui's blade that ended Yamamoto's life.
But saying that out loud in this setting would only make it sound like Rosse was making excuses, while they were being forced into defending the real killer.
They could lie. They could fabricate facts. But reality was cruel.
Even now, Kyoraku Shunsui still couldn't face the sin of killing his own master.
And the captains present weren't fools. Aside from Kurosaki Ichigo, the others only needed one look at Shunsui's state to guess most of it.
"Kekeke! How noisy. Something so obvious, what's there to argue about?", A chilling, eerie laugh cut in.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri casually fiddled with his long, bizarre nails, the ornament on his head swaying slightly. His voice carried the boredom of someone watching a show.
"The battle recording from back then still has a backup in the Twelfth Division. I know what you're worried about. What the naked eye sees might be illusions, but rigid instruments don't get hypnotized. Recordings can't lie."
He glanced sideways at the group, whispering like a devil offering temptation.
"Want to see it?"
When no one responded, Mayuri spread his hands and added meaningfully, "If you think watching it here might deceive your vision, you can take the recording with you. Watch it privately, in Rukongai, or even bring it to the Royal Palace."
In reality, that so-called ironclad evidence had already been perfectly altered by him through technical means.
No matter how they examined it, what they saw would be flawless truth, perfectly matching their memories.
The only flaw might be that certain extremely minor details didn't line up.
But so what? Everyone knew Kyoraku Shunsui's Zanpakuto, Katen Kyokotsu, dealt with rules and the manipulation of the five senses. If details didn't match, that was the most reasonable thing.
It would only prove they had already fallen under his ability the moment they stepped onto the battlefield.
That instant logical loop was nearly perfect.
Mayuri's words seemed to settle the matter, plunging the noisy captains' meeting back into dead silence.
A recording was solid evidence.
Compared to Kirinji's evasive, half-spoken stance, Mayuri's open "take it anywhere and verify it" approach clearly held more weight in the captains' minds.
Bang!
At that moment, a loud crash made the teacups on the table tremble.
After holding it in for half a month, Kurosaki Ichigo finally couldn't take it anymore.
Seeing the situation deadlocked, he ignored the look Kirinji shot him and abruptly stood up. The chair scraped harshly against the floor.
The young man frowned tightly, staring at the man who had remained composed all along.
"Rosse! I don't care about anything else, but what about my mom? She's the Eighth Espada of Hueco Mundo. That's true, right?"
"That's right."
Facing the question, Rosse didn't hesitate at all. He nodded calmly.
"I saved her life. In return, she pledged loyalty to me. That's fair, isn't it?"
"Then what happened that night…"
Komamura Sajin frowned slightly, recalling that chaotic night.
Ichigo had gone berserk in his Hollow state and injured him. Then Rosse suppressed him. Immediately after, Kurosaki Masaki suddenly appeared.
That woman had overwhelmed most of the Gotei Thirteen captains, even injuring Kyoraku Shunsui in a single blow.
Though looking back now, Shunsui's injury was likely a deliberate act.
"Hah! The Kurosaki Ichigo who beat you badly back then is sitting right next to you now, isn't he?", Hitsugaya Toshiro crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair with a cold snort.
He glanced at Komamura, his tone clear and blunt.
"Back then Ichigo invaded as a ryoka, and now he's sitting here as an ally. Kurosaki Masaki may have struck hard, but she didn't kill anyone. Where's all this deep hatred coming from?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping toward Yoruichi, implying something.
"Besides, Shihoin Yoruichi is also a wanted criminal of Soul Society, isn't she? And Kurotsuchi Mayuri and Zaraki Kenpachi, there's plenty of Shinigami blood on their hands."
He asked coldly, "Why don't I see anyone shouting to kill them?"
The moment he learned Rosse's true identity, Hitsugaya had indeed been shocked.
But after the shock faded, what followed was a sense of acceptance.
Deep down, he had already suspected it.
He just thought Rosse was one of the Espada before. He hadn't expected him to be the King of Hueco Mundo himself.
If Rosse were just an Espada, Hitsugaya might still struggle with his stance.
But since he was the King, oddly enough, Hitsugaya had no real objection.
Someone who could rule chaotic Hueco Mundo could naturally rule Soul Society as well.
For the lower souls in Rukongai, what difference did it make?
As long as they weren't treated differently or sacrificed like disposable tools, it didn't matter who sat on the throne.
And in Hitsugaya's eyes, Rosse hadn't engaged in any kind of discrimination.
On the contrary, his actions and policies were gradually pulling the Gotei Thirteen out of decay.
Looking back, since Rosse became a captain, most troubles were caused by Soul Society itself.
Either they provoked Hueco Mundo with expeditions, or they falsely accused Sui Feng of being a spy, which ended up bringing Shutara over.
Oh, and there was also that time Ichigo went berserk and attacked Rosse, forcing Masaki to step in to save her son.
Adding those up, Hueco Mundo hadn't actually done anything harmful to Soul Society on its own.
Instead, these messes were all caused by the Shinigami themselves.
And Rosse could only be said to have handled them in an extremely clever, even masterful way.
"This…"
Komamura Sajin was at a loss for words.
Hearing Hitsugaya's blunt truth, he opened his mouth but couldn't refute it.
He hadn't interfered in the dirty affairs of other divisions.
He hadn't interfered in the nobles' shady dealings back then either.
So why, just because Rosse was the King of Hueco Mundo, did he put on tinted glasses to judge him?
Was it just because Rosse used to be a Hollow?
Komamura subconsciously glanced at his own furry hand, a trace of bitterness rising in his heart.
'Am I not a werewolf now, myself?'
And with the Hogyoku's evolution, he also possessed a Hollow form and power.
In essence, there was no difference anymore. They were all outsiders in this world.
"Damn it! Stop changing the subject!"
Ichigo's spiritual pressure began leaking out uncontrollably. He slammed both hands onto the table, making the specially made captain's table creak under the strain.
He glared at Rosse, eyes bloodshot, almost roaring.
"I'm asking you, was she defiled by you or not?"
Those words exploded in the room like a bizarre deep-sea bomb.
The tense atmosphere froze instantly, then twisted into something indescribably strange.
All the captains, including the ever-composed Byakuya Kuchiki and even the previously aggressive Kirinji, stopped what they were doing and looked at Ichigo with extremely odd expressions, as if staring at a rare creature.
Was this kind of personal, dignity-related matter something you shouted out in public during a serious political confrontation?
Behind Ichigo, Rukia's face flushed bright red.
Her hands trembled uncontrollably as she pressed them against the hilt of Sode no Shirayuki. At that moment, she wished she could release it on the spot and freeze Ichigo's loose mouth shut forever.
This was too embarrassing.
"Tch!"
A rough, mocking laugh broke the awkwardness.
Zaraki Kenpachi had been leaning back in his wide chair the whole time. Bored, he hadn't paid attention to any of the convoluted schemes, and had almost fallen asleep.
Only when he heard Ichigo's brainless question did he finally laugh like he'd heard a joke.
"So damn nagging. Kurosaki Ichigo, why are you acting like a woman?"
He scratched his neck, his single eye glancing at the orange-haired boy with disdain.
To Kenpachi, the identity of the Hollow King and all these schemes meant nothing.
In Soul Society, he followed only one rule.
As long as there was someone to fight, that was enjoyment.
Whether the one sitting above was a Hollow or a Shinigami didn't matter. What mattered was that the current environment suited him more.
Under the current rules, he could fight whoever he wanted. As long as he could pay the price, nothing else mattered.
Rosse never imposed those hollow moral restraints.
So his stance was simple. Whoever let him fight freely, he supported.
Ichigo's current behavior, on the other hand, just looked ridiculous to him.
His strength wasn't much weaker than his own, yet the way he talked was soft and hesitant.
Actually asking the enemy if she'd been defiled.
"You still need to ask about something like that?"
Kenpachi curled his lips, baring his white teeth, his tone full of disdain.
"If you think she was defiled, draw your sword and fight. If you think you're a coward, then act like nothing happened and shut your mouth."
"If you don't even have that kind of resolve, you're just a coward!"
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