The day of the Central 46 trial arrived right on schedule.
Rosse, alone, wearing a captain's haori, entered the Central 46 council chamber under the respectful signals of the gatekeeping Shinigami.
As the heavy stone doors slowly opened, the full view of the chamber was finally revealed.
It was a grand, semi-circular, tiered hall so magnificent that it made one feel insignificant by comparison. Upon the towering dome above were intricate murals symbolizing the balance of the Three Realms. Light poured down from an unknown source, bathing the entire space in solemn majesty. Dozens of sky-piercing pillars rose from the ground, supporting this hall that represented the highest authority of Soul Society.
And beneath this suffocating grandeur, seated upright on the tiered seats, were the forty-six wise men.
The vast majority of them were merely decrepit old men from various noble families, their spiritual pressure so thin it was almost negligible.
Let alone a captain, they probably could not even defeat a single seated officer.
Yet at this moment, each and every one of them wore the most luxurious robes, sitting high upon the platform, identical expressions of feigned dignity hanging on their faces. Their eyelids were half-lowered, their pretended air of authority making them look exactly like rows of clay idols seated in a shrine, waiting to be worshipped.
The moment Rosse stepped into the hall, dozens of scrutinizing gazes clung to him like a spider's web, trying to find even the slightest hint of disrespect or impropriety.
"Captain Rosse!"
An aged and arrogant voice rang out from the highest judge's seat, breaking the silence in the hall. Behind the curtain there sat the judge ranked "Five".
"According to regulations, you should have arrived earlier to undergo our preliminary questioning."
This was not a question, but a condescending interrogation. As if Rosse's lateness were a grave provocation against their supreme authority.
The air in the entire chamber grew heavy because of this accusation.
Yet Rosse seemed not to have heard the so-called "divine decree" descending from above at all.
He did not even lift his head. His gaze passed directly over dozens of steps and landed on the other side of the observer seats, on a figure yawning while shading his face with the brim of a straw hat.
"Captain Kyoraku!", His voice was not loud, yet it echoed clearly through the empty hall, "It's been a long time since we last got together. After the trial, care for a drink?"
This sudden and utterly inappropriate invitation plunged the entire chamber into an eerie silence.
The wise man whose sacred interrogation had been interrupted flushed red in an instant.
As for Kyoraku Shunsui, it was as if he had heard the best news imaginable. He lifted his head sharply, a bright smile blooming on his face beneath the hat, and answered cheerfully, "Oh my, that sounds wonderful. Sharing a drink with a close friend after work is truly one of life's great pleasures."
Not only did he have no intention of dissuading Rosse, he instead joined him in action, together turning those so-called wise men on the high platform completely into background scenery.
He had arrived a bit earlier, and had been badly annoyed by this bunch of troublesome people.
The key point was that because of his status, he could not do anything out of line.
These old geezers who looked decrepit, most of them were not even older than him. What right did they have to point fingers at him?
There were always people who could not put themselves in the right place, thinking that being wise men of Central 46 meant they could look down on everyone.
Even this time, despite being forcibly carried out by the Captain-Commander, these people were still as arrogant and irritating as ever.
"Then it's settled. At the Eighth Division's mobile tavern. My treat."
Rosse replied with a beaming smile, strolling unhurriedly over to Kyoraku Shunsui's side.
Communicating with a bunch of maggots would only waste his time.
But since they dared to question him face to face, he had made a mental note of it.
When it came time to take the stage later, he would start with that one.
"Insolence! Rosse!"
On the judges' platform, the Fifth Wise Man called him by name in fury, even discarding the honorific "Captain".
Rosse's disregard was like a resounding slap, landing on his face.
This was not only a personal humiliation, but a trampling of his family's prestige.
He could clearly feel that the gazes from the colleagues around him were no longer reverent, but mocking, like spectators watching a show.
'Why?'
'Is a mere captain daring to defy the noble Central 46 now?'
Just as he was about to raise the charge of contempt for the wise men, Kyoraku Shunsui's perpetually drowsy voice drifted over leisurely, "Judge Kasumioji, it seems you didn't sleep well last night."
He pressed down the brim of his hat, his tone as relaxed as if talking about the weather, yet his words made every wise man's heart tighten.
"If you're feeling unwell, perhaps you should step down and rest. The upcoming trial will surely proceed smoothly even without you."
Inside the hall, there was dead silence.
Even though those who could become wise men were all stubborn old fossils, they still understood Kyoraku Shunsui's unspoken meaning.
If Judge Kasumioji refused to bow out gracefully, Kyoraku Shunsui would make him do so.
"Head of the Kyoraku family!"
Judge Kasumioji still wanted to say something, when a calm voice sounded from beside him.
"That's enough, Judge Kasumioji!"
The First Judge spoke. His tone had no rise or fall, yet carried an innate authority, "Today's focus is the interrogation of the criminal Sui Feng. All other matters can be discussed later."
Hearing this voice, Rosse, who had been thoroughly uninterested until now, finally lifted his eyes.
'Oh? Finally someone who can actually speak has shown up?'
His gaze locked precisely onto the chief seat.
Though separated by a curtain, that unique aura and those ornaments still revealed the other party's identity.
So old he seemed like he could turn to dust at any moment, yet possessing a noble bearing refined over hundreds of years, rigid to the point of flawlessness.
And then there was the priceless Kenseikan atop his head, and the silver-white windflower silk around his neck that symbolized the Kuchiki family.
'Tch! As expected, someone from the Kuchiki family.'
And if nothing unexpected happened, he should be the leader of the Kuchiki noble faction.
'If I kill him, the Kuchiki family will probably be in a turmoil for a while,' Rosse thought with interest.
Whether number one or number forty-six, in his eyes there was no difference at all. They were nothing more than a bunch of boring ants.
Ants that could be crushed at will. No matter how many tricks they had, what meaning did it have?
These nobles surely did not really believe that so-called rules could cage a fierce tiger called power, did they?
On the other side, Judge Kasumioji was nowhere near as calm as Rosse.
"Chief Judge Kuchiki, I understand."
Judge Kasumioji's face looked as if he had swallowed shit, but in the end, constrained by the Kuchiki family's status, he did not dare utter another word.
Although the Kasumioji were an upper noble family, in essence they were merely one of the Kuchiki family's dependents.
But deep down, Judge Kasumioji still felt extremely uncomfortable.
'It was clearly you who signaled with your eyes for me to start the trouble in the first place.'
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