The uproar in the Seireitei lasted from the previous night until noon the next day. Although it had quieted down slightly by now, the thorough investigation within the Seireitei was still in full swing.
The Shutara-level lockdown had not yet been lifted. An attack on Central 46 was an unprecedented event in a thousand years. Although the forty-six sages inside hadn't suffered any mishaps, Kōe figured they must have been terrified out of their wits. Otherwise, they wouldn't have spent the entire night investigating the whereabouts of every Captain, as well as the Kidō Corps Commander and Vice-Commander, in batches. This was an entirely unprecedented procedure not even included in a standard Shutara-level lockdown.
Fortunately, as the pillars of the Seireitei, they had all passed the investigation smoothly. If they hadn't, the current situation would undoubtedly be ten times more chaotic than last night!
Currently, the Gotei 13 members below the rank of Lieutenant were conducting internal inspections of their own barracks and other areas within the Seireitei under the leadership of their respective seated officers.
As for the thirteen Captains, they were currently holding a meeting in the Squad 1 assembly hall. Central 46 had been attacked, and the Senzaikyū had been breached, leading to the escape of imprisoned criminals. Although the majority had been recaptured within the Seireitei, a small fraction had successfully escaped its walls. Most notably, there was absolutely zero intelligence regarding the ringleader, Azashiro Sōya.
As for the fourteen Lieutenants, they were currently waiting in a small room next to the Captains' assembly hall, feeling as though they were just wasting time.
Kōe sat on the floor, leaning against the wall with his hands resting behind his head, staring at the ceiling. He understood far more about what had happened last night than anyone else present.
Only two major events had occurred that night, and the Royal Weaving Facility was absolutely certain there were no signs of external intrusion into the Seireitei. That meant the individual or group responsible for this was already inside.
On the surface, the attack on Central 46 appeared to be the more severe incident. However, anyone within the Seireitei knew that trying to destroy Central 46—a structure built from Sekkiseki and reinforced with Kidō—using just two Kidō spells was nothing but a fool's dream.
This meant the enemy's true target was actually the Senzaikyū. But why force the Seireitei into a state of martial law? They had already breached the Senzaikyū silently; wouldn't it have been safer to just smuggle the prisoners out?
Kōe couldn't quite understand it. Why would such a capable and tactically sound group choose the much riskier option? It defied all logic!
'No, wait,' he thought. 'As a transmigrator, there's no way I wouldn't know about a group like that. Could it really be exactly as Kuruyashiki Kenpachi said? That Azashiro Sōya was the one who orchestrated all of this, including the prison break? That's a bit too exaggerated.'
'But exaggerated doesn't mean impossible. The truth is, the Kidō Corps never managed to find Azashiro Sōya's Zanpakutō. If his Zanpakutō has some bizarre, unconventional ability, pulling all this off is entirely possible.'
Kōe rubbed his temples with one hand. In his past life, he hadn't exactly been a die-hard Bleach fan—at least, not one who memorized every obscure detail. Because of that, he had absolutely no memory of a character named Azashiro Sōya. The unknown was always the most dangerous thing, especially for a transmigrator.
"What's wrong? If there's something you can't figure out, tell me. Maybe talking about it will give you some ideas," Yoruichi, who was sitting beside him, asked with a face full of concern upon seeing Kōe's troubled expression.
Yoruichi's voice successfully interrupted Kōe's train of thought, but it also gave him a sudden burst of inspiration. That's right! When it came to understanding the Shinigami as a whole, the current Yoruichi definitely knew far more than he did!
"Do you know anything about this Azashiro Sōya?" Kōe asked. "For instance, the abilities of his Zanpakutō's Shikai and Bankai?"
"Uh... I'm not really familiar with him," she replied.
"..."
...
The very question Kōe had just asked was currently the main topic of discussion inside the Captains' assembly hall. Squad 4 Captain Unohana Retsu had just finished presenting the autopsy reports on the Senzaikyū jailers and the lookouts stationed in the perimeter towers.
"Based on the dissipation of their internal spiritual power and the degradation of their bodies' Reishi, the jailers inside the Senzaikyū died before the lookouts on the perimeter. We can deduce that the Senzaikyū was breached from the inside. Therefore, Captain Kuruyashiki's hypothesis is very likely true."
Initially, the other Captains had held reservations—or even outright skepticism—regarding Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's claims. However, following Unohana's statement, the situation seemed to be developing in the most absurd direction possible.
"But one of the jailers died inside the Fourth Deep Prison with the keys on him. Could he have been an inside man for Azashiro?" Squad 9 Captain Muguruma Kensai proposed an alternative possibility.
"Central 46 has already confirmed that none of the jailers in the Senzaikyū have had any contact with Azashiro Sōya since birth," Yamamoto stated evenly, his eyes narrowed.
"Then we have a problem. I've met Azashiro Sōya before, but I've never seen his Zanpakutō," Kyōraku Shunsui said, before shifting his tone. "However, I always got the feeling that his blade was constantly in his hands. It's truly strange."
"To be able to use a Zanpakutō while his spiritual power was restricted... barring any surprises, his Zanpakutō must be a constant-release type. A very rare classification," Hikifune Kirio offered her perspective.
A Shinigami's Zanpakutō normally remained in a sealed state. Naturally, if a Shinigami lost consciousness, even if they had already released their Shikai or Bankai, their connection with the Zanpakutō would be severed, causing the blade to automatically seal itself.
A constant-release type, taken literally, was a Zanpakutō that remained in a released state without relying on the Shinigami's active input. Even if its master lost consciousness or had their spiritual power restricted, it made no difference. The connection between the blade and its master would persist continuously until the master's death.
"His blade is not a constant-release type. At least, his Shikai isn't," Kuruyashiki Kenpachi stated, sharing what little he knew.
"Then could it be his Bankai? But if he constantly maintained a Bankai state, how could he possibly hide his Reiatsu?" Hikifune Kirio analyzed. "Perhaps he concealed some of his Zanpakutō's abilities from you?"
"..."
Kuruyashiki Kenpachi didn't know how to answer. Azashiro had never revealed his Zanpakutō's abilities to anyone. It was only after interacting with him for a long time that Kuruyashiki had managed to catch a glimpse of them. Perhaps Hikifune Kirio was right; Azashiro's heart might never have truly been open to him.
"Head Captain, I request permission to personally recapture Azashiro Sōya!" Kuruyashiki stepped out of the formation and bowed his head toward Yamamoto, who sat at the head of the room. "Trust me, I will absolutely not show any mercy!"
"The criminals must certainly be brought back, but not just Azashiro Sōya!" Yamamoto declared, abruptly standing up from his seat.
Seeing this, the remaining Captains knew that Yamamoto was about to issue his final orders. Every single gaze in the room focused entirely on him.
"There are currently ten criminals from the Senzaikyū still at large. Squad 11 Captain Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, Squad 8 Captain Kyōraku Shunsui, and Kidō Corps Commander Tsukabishi Tessai will lead the vanguard. The Lieutenants of Squad 2, Squad 3, Squad 5, and Squad 9 will act in a supporting capacity. These six squads and the Kidō Corps will jointly deploy personnel. You must bring all ten of these individuals back!"
"Yes, sir!" the three named individuals replied in unison. As for the arrangements concerning the Lieutenants, those orders would be relayed by their respective Captains shortly.
Yamamoto nodded, then turned to his right to look at Unohana Retsu. "Squad 4 Captain Unohana Retsu will coordinate with their operation and dispatch the appropriate squad members to accompany them!"
"Understood."
"These ten were already condemned to death. If they resist, you are authorized to execute them on the spot!" Yamamoto said, slamming his walking stick heavily against the floor. His voice boomed with authority, "Bring them back dead or alive! I do not want to hear the words 'whereabouts unknown'! Is that understood!"
"Understood!"
"Then move out, now!"
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