Inside Central 46 of the Seireitei, Yamamoto had been waiting since before Kōe even set foot back in the Seireitei.
In the spacious, dimly lit hall, behind wooden desks arranged in ascending tiers, sat individuals whose faces and genders were completely indistinguishable.
These people were the rulers of Central 46, the forty-six sages hailing from the priestly families.
Like the captains of the Gotei 13, these forty-six sages had also been replaced over the long years, but absolutely no information about them was ever recorded.
Exactly who comprised the members of Central 46 was known only to the heads of the Tsunayashiro and Kamidera clans, the two leading priestly families. Even the members sitting together within Central 46 did not know each other's identities.
Once they entered Central 46, their names would completely disappear from the history of the Seireitei. The strictness of their selection process was even more rigorous than that of the Gotei 13 captains.
However, if any of these forty-six were singled out, they held no power whatsoever—perhaps even less than an ordinary member of the Gotei 13.
They were a single entity. Only words spoken collectively through forty-six mouths could become an order in the Seireitei. Yet they could not possess merely a single voice, nor did such an absolute existence exist anywhere in the Seireitei.
Naturally, this was also tied to the nature of Central 46. As the institution that decided all internal affairs of the Seireitei, big or small, and could even interfere with the Gotei 13 when necessary, they had to either discard all emotions or mutually supervise each other. Only then could the majority be put at ease.
As the actual equal to Central 46, representing the military might of the Seireitei, the Gotei 13's only connection to Central 46 was Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni. The two factions also shared a relationship of mutual supervision. Naturally, most of the time, they did not disagree and got along quite harmoniously.
But now, although there was no overtly hostile atmosphere in the hall, if an outsider were present, they would be able to tell from the conversation that they were actually arguing over a single person.
"Shihouin Kōe absolutely cannot become the captain of Squad 11. That is the bottom line, Yamamoto."
An emotionless voice echoed from the ceiling. Just by listening, it was impossible to tell which sage from which direction had spoken. Of course, it was also possible that more than one sage had said it.
Standing right in the center of the hall, Yamamoto narrowed his eyes. His face was devoid of expression. Lowering and raising his chin slightly, he asked in a soft, measured tone, "Since when did the appointment of captains fall under the jurisdiction of Central 46?"
The appointment mechanism for lieutenants and seated officers of the Gotei 13 could be independently determined by the captains of each squad. For example, the current lieutenant of Squad 11, Gosuke, had followed Kuruyashiki Kenpachi since childhood and was directly appointed by him.
As for the appointment—or rather, the assessment—of a captain, it generally proceeded in one of three ways.
The first method was to pass the captain's proficiency test in the presence of three current captains, including the Captain-Commander. This allowed one to assume a vacant captaincy, excluding Squad 2, Squad 6, and Squad 10.
To put it plainly, the captain's test was a test of the candidate's strength. Whether or not they could achieve Bankai was a crucial factor, or rather, the sole focal point. Theoretically, one could pass the combat test without having mastered Bankai, but such a person had never existed in the long history of the Seireitei.
The second method required the joint recommendation of six captains, and at least three of the remaining six captains had to approve of the candidate. Finally, under the witness of the Captain-Commander, this person could become a captain of the Gotei 13.
This method sounded simple, but similar to Central 46, the Gotei 13 was not of one mind; in fact, the division was even more severe.
The thirteen captains each held immense power in the Seireitei, and their styles of conduct and attitudes toward others were subject to minimal restrictions. If Central 46 only ever issued a single voice, then the Gotei 13 could entirely issue thirteen different voices.
Coupled with their different backgrounds—with three of the Five Great Noble Families permanently commanding three specific squads—their attitudes toward matters were even more elusive.
Under such premises, obtaining the joint recommendation of six captains was inherently an extremely difficult task, let alone securing the approval of at least three of the remaining captains.
Without the Captain-Commander endorsing and paving the way for them, it was a near-impossible feat. Consequently, those who became captains through this method were exceedingly rare.
As for the third and final method, it involved defeating the current captain in a duel witnessed by over two hundred squad members. The victor would then replace the current captain and become the new captain of that squad.
However, this method appeared almost exclusively in Squad 11. To a certain extent, it had even been established specifically to accommodate the inheritance of the Kenpachi title.
Regardless of which of these three methods was used to become a captain, Central 46's interference in the process was extremely limited.
Naturally, this was to be expected. The Gotei 13 and Central 46 were of equal rank. If Central 46 could dictate the promotion of captains, that would be truly absurd.
"This time is different."
That emotionless voice echoed from the ceiling once more. Hearing it, Yamamoto immediately retorted, "How is it different? Kōe killed Azashiro Sōya; therefore, he is the Ninth Generation Kenpachi! He is also the ninth captain of Squad 11! This is the ancient rule of the Gotei 13!"
"Central 46's ruling regarding Azashiro Sōya was to capture him alive first. Shihouin Kōe violated orders. Whether this is a merit or a fault still requires our deliberation."
"Impure of mind, greedy for merit, and arrogant. Whether such a person is fit to hold the vital position of captain, you should know better than anyone, Yamamoto."
Two voices, one after the other, not only erased Kōe's contributions this time but also painted him as a man unfit for heavy responsibilities.
Yamamoto's eyes snapped open. He slammed his walking stick heavily onto the ground. The floor, forged entirely from Sekkiseki, actually fractured into a dense web of fine cracks beneath the strike.
"A fugitive who murdered a sitting captain of the Seireitei should have been executed on the spot! Impure of mind, greedy for merit, and arrogant? That is utterly ridiculous!"
As Yamamoto spoke, his voice grew louder and louder. The forty-six sages behind the wooden desks on the high platforms, even protected by invisible Kidō, felt their ears throbbing with pain from the sheer volume.
"To brush me off with such childish drivel—have you grown tired of living in those seats for so long?!"
"In... solence..."
A sage to Yamamoto's left had barely opened his mouth when he met Yamamoto's cold, stern gaze. The second syllable of his word dissolved into an inaudible breath, and he couldn't even utter the rest of his sentence.
'I am clearly hidden by Kidō. How did he find me?'
It wasn't just this sage who thought so; the rest of the people in Central 46 felt the same at this moment. Even though Yamamoto wasn't looking in their direction, they all had a lingering feeling in their hearts—the sensation of being stared down by a ferocious beast lurking in the shadows.
The massive Central 46 fell into a dead silence. Below the platforms, Yamamoto stood motionless, leaning on his walking stick. Above, the forty-six sages counted their own heartbeats, suffering in torment.
Finally, a soft sigh drifted through the air, breaking the silence that was worse than death.
"Let me give you a reason, Yamamoto..."
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