Soul Society remained as calm as ever.
Days within Seireitei proceeded unchanged, aside from the recent large-scale mobilization of the Keigun and the searches conducted by the Eighth and Thirteenth Divisions throughout Rukongai, which left many confused.
However, since the First Division made no formal announcements, nobody pressed the issue, treating it as merely some confidential affair.
Tachikawa Nobu had vanished abruptly. When his friends came to the Fourth Division barracks searching for him, Kotetsu Isane only said he'd been sent out on a special mission and hadn't returned yet.
Currently, the only major topic people found worthy of discussion was Shiba Isshin's recent removal from the Tenth Division, along with speculation regarding his successor.
Matsumoto Rangiku had been overwhelmed with work lately. With her captain suddenly gone, the burden of leading the Tenth Division fell upon her shoulders, instilling a sense of responsibility strong enough to quell her usual laziness.
Besides handling routine division duties, she'd mainly been occupied with two tasks:
First, searching for Nobu.
Second, repeatedly visiting First Division to question Sasakibe-fukutaichō about who the next Tenth Division Captain would be.
Neither yielded satisfying results.
Nobu had vanished entirely. Matsumoto had come to the Fourth Division multiple times without once managing to see him, and it bothered her deeply.
What sort of special mission requires him to be out this long? It's not like he's from the Thirteenth Division…
Meanwhile, Sasakibe Chōjirō's repeated response regarding the next Tenth Division Captain was always the same: the candidate was still being discussed.
What's there even to discuss?
Right now, only Tachikawa Nobu and Ichimaru Gin qualified for captaincy.
Wouldn't a direct joint recommendation from the captains suffice? If competition existed, they could settle it through a match—like when Ichimaru Gin and Shiba Kaien had competed previously.
Matsumoto Rangiku desperately wanted to visit the Fifth Division, hoping to see Ichimaru Gin.
But reason restrained her.
Ichimaru Gin probably wouldn't even agree to see her anyway.
Second Division's Prison.
Nobu had been locked here for several days already. Unable to distinguish day from night in this gloomy cell, he felt a rising sense of restlessness.
Thankfully, Soi Fon visited him occasionally.
Though, rather than concern, her visits were purely for questioning.
"How exactly did you discover that hidden space? Sōkyoku Hill is a vital execution ground—normal people would never approach it, and there are always guards stationed nearby. You claim you stumbled upon it by accident, but why would any normal person go there at all? And that underground space has gone undiscovered for so long—how could it be you, of all people, who found it?"
Nobu answered in a casual tone, "Soi Fon-taichō, from how you speak, it sounds like you've known about that place for quite some time. Might I ask how you found out?"
Soi Fon's voice turned icy. "I'm the one asking questions here!"
Nobu merely shrugged. "You want answers from me, yet refuse to answer my questions? That hardly seems fair."
Her expression darkened further. "You're nothing but a prisoner right now!"
Nobu responded calmly, "Head-Captain Yamamoto ordered you only to imprison me—not interrogate me, isn't that right?"
Soi Fon stared at Nobu with eyes so frigid they seemed ready to devour him whole. After a tense silence, she suddenly snarled, "You've got some nerve, brat."
"This is the Second Division's prison—do you even realize most criminals locked here end up in the Maggot's Nest? Can you imagine what your fate will be? Do you even know what prisoners endure before they're sent there?"
Nobu's eyebrow twitched. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Ignoring his question, Soi Fon gestured to a black-clad subordinate, coldly ordering, "Open the cell."
Nobu instantly sat upright, wary. "What are you doing?"
Soi Fon didn't respond. As the subordinate unlocked the door, she stepped silently into the cell.
"Planning to use some private punishment, are we?"
"Private punishment?" Soi Fon scoffed contemptuously. "You don't deserve to accuse me of anything. I'm just here to help you see clearly."
Although Nobu's reiatsu wasn't sealed, he was still disarmed. His Zanpakutō had been confiscated upon imprisonment, and the cell walls, made entirely of Killing Stone, severely limited his spiritual options.
Yet Soi Fon wasn't concerned about Nobu resisting. Even if his strength was formidable, without his Zanpakutō and in such a confined space, she doubted his Hakuda could surpass hers.
Besides, if Nobu dared fight back, it would conveniently give her greater justification.
Clenching her delicate fist, Soi Fon drew the elegant short blade she carried and pointed it at Nobu. "This is your last chance—confess everything honestly."
This woman…
Nobu's eyes darkened slightly.
Admitting anything involving Shihōin Yoruichi would mean openly declaring his collusion with one of Soul Society's most wanted criminals.
"Soi Fon-taichō, I advise you—don't regret this later."
Soi Fon's expression remained icy as she tightened her fist, swiftly releasing a burst of reiatsu before lunging forward in a sudden attack.
Bam!
She aimed a fierce punch directly at Nobu's face, but he caught her fist neatly in his palm.
Surprisingly strong…
Nobu observed Soi Fon's petite form in front of him, silently impressed.
As soon as her punch was blocked, Soi Fon immediately pivoted into a sweeping kick. Nobu swiftly raised an arm to block, retreating hastily. But the cell was narrow, and after just one step, his back pressed firmly against the stone wall.
Though he'd been top of his class in Hakuda at Shin'ō Academy, it was nowhere near enough to match the opponent before him.
Fortunately, Shigan and Higan's abilities remained active. While he couldn't openly summon them, their powers were still usable.
Relaxing his stance slightly, Nobu carefully tracked Soi Fon's next movements.
When Soi Fon struck again, he met her punch directly with his own.
Seeing Nobu attempt to counterattack head-on, she sneered disdainfully. Yet the next instant, a strange, intangible layer of reishi enveloped her, causing her vision to blur oddly. Suddenly, her fist halted midway—somehow returning inexplicably to her side. Meanwhile, Nobu's punch landed squarely.
Bam!
The blow struck solidly, knocking Soi Fon back several paces.
What the hell just happened?!
Soi Fon's eyes widened sharply in disbelief. For some inexplicable reason, her fully extended punch had abruptly reverted to a neutral position, as if she'd never thrown it at all.
Pain flared sharply across her cheek, and Nobu pressed his advantage.
Soi Fon swiftly moved to evade, yet again, something bizarre occurred. Though she'd clearly dodged, her body instantly returned to its original position, perfectly aligned with Nobu's incoming strike.
Bam!
Another fierce punch connected solidly with her face, leaving an obvious red mark on her delicate skin.
"Ugh—!"
Her breathing faltered slightly from the pain.
It hurts!
"Soi Fon-taichō, if you stand still like that, you'll keep getting hit," Nobu said lazily.
Alarm bells rang frantically in her mind. Voice tight with suspicion, she demanded, "What did you do?"
"What's this? You attack me, but won't allow me to defend myself?"
As he spoke, Nobu shook out his fist lightly. "Your face sure is hard, Soi Fon-taichō—made my hand hurt."
Veins bulged furiously on Soi Fon's forehead as her face turned dangerously dark.
Without further hesitation, she abruptly drew her Zanpakutō from behind her waist. The short, elegant blade gleamed ominously in the dim prison cell.
Nobu raised an eyebrow, about to comment further when he heard footsteps approaching.
From down the narrow corridor, Sasakibe-fukutaichō appeared, flanked by several First Division members. Seeing the tense standoff between Nobu and Soi Fon, he paused briefly in confusion.
"You two—?"
Soi Fon merely scoffed coldly, quietly sheathing her Zanpakutō.
Sasakibe carefully observed the pair. Noticing the red marks clearly visible on Soi Fon's face, he swallowed back the warning he'd intended to give her about overstepping her bounds.
Instead, resignedly, he chose to announce his official business.
"Tachikawa Nobu."
He produced a formal document.
"Following joint recommendations by Third Division Captain Shiba Kaien, Fifth Division Captain Aizen Sōsuke, Seventh Division Captain Komamura Sajin, Eighth Division Captain Kyōraku Shunsui, Ninth Division Captain Tōsen Kaname, and Thirteenth Division Captain Ukitake Jūshirō—six captains in total—and after deliberation between the Head-Captain and Central 46, you are hereby officially appointed as the Tenth Division Captain!"
Nobu's expression remained calmly neutral upon hearing this, while Soi Fon exploded with disbelief:
"Him, a captain?!"
---
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