To his surprise, Aozaki Reiji suddenly raised his hand and easily gripped the spirit arrow with astonishing speed.
Ishida Ryūken: "?!"
The white-haired young man's eyes widened, staring at the scene before him in disbelief.
He had never imagined that someone could catch his arrow with their bare hands!
Regardless of how they verbally squeezed and excluded him, the Quincy in their hearts recognized this talented young man.
He possessed talent and ability far surpassing his father, and his strength had long since exceeded that of his father, Ishida Soken.
Yet, this Shinigami, who didn't seem very old, was able to easily catch his spirit arrow?
Just who exactly was this guy?!
Looking at the spirit arrow in his hand, Aozaki Reiji chuckled lightly:
"A bunch of Quincy who proclaim themselves noble are not even as good as a mere youth."
With that, he casually crushed the spirit arrow into fragments, then looked up, surveying the Quincy who had mostly fallen around him.
These self-important Quincy appeared so vulnerable before him.
Their arrogance and confidence were utterly shattered at this moment.
Finally, his gaze fell on Ishida Ryūken, and he grinned:
"Only you are left. You seem to be the strongest among them. Do you want to surrender on their behalf?"
...
The orange-haired girl slowly opened her eyes, and the first thing that came into view was that highly recognizable face.
"Hey, you're awake?"
Aozaki Reiji asked softly.
The girl subconsciously nodded, her eyes dazed, as if she hadn't fully woken up, a bewildered expression on her face.
Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she shrieked in terror, pointing at Aozaki Reiji and shouting:
"B-bad guy, why didn't you kill me? Why am I not dead?!"
"Huh?"
Aozaki Reiji was taken aback.
"Oh right, Uncle Soken, where is Uncle Soken? Is he... is he dead?"
The girl spoke in a flustered voice, filled with fear and unease, her body trembling uncontrollably.
"Are you referring to Ishida Soken?"
Aozaki Reiji extended his hand and pointed behind him, answering calmly:
"Isn't he standing right behind me?"
Hearing this, the girl immediately turned to look behind Aozaki Reiji and couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
Sure enough, Ishida Soken was standing quietly there.
He looked a bit disheveled, but his face was not red and he wasn't out of breath, so he should not be in mortal danger.
What was surprising was that a group of trembling Quincy were closely following him.
She looked at Ishida Soken and Ishida Ryūken, as well as the surviving Quincy behind them, and suddenly spoke:
"Big Brother, you really are a good person!"
Aozaki Reiji, with a bewildered expression, rubbed the back of his head. How did he suddenly get a 'good person card'?
"What?"
"Never mind, don't say so much, come over quickly! Negotiations can't happen without you!"
"Negotiations?" The girl tilted her head to the side, her face full of confusion.
Then Aozaki Reiji led the girl to Ishida Soken and the others, and announced loudly:
"By order of Captain-Commander."
"All Quincy, from this day forward, without the approval of Soul Society, are forbidden from using Quincy abilities against Hollow!"
"In case of an emergency that endangers life, restrictions may be temporarily lifted for self-preservation, and a report must be made to the local stationed Shinigami. Unauthorized killing is still not permitted!"
"Furthermore, from now on, Human World Quincy must accept unified management under the Eleventh Division. Simply put, this means submitting to Seireitei."
This statement caused an uproar, and the Quincy began to discuss it animatedly.
Aozaki Reiji's gaze sharply swept over everyone, and he asked loudly:
"Who agrees? Who opposes?"
The crowd, which had just been buzzing with discussion, immediately fell silent, and the scene suddenly plunged into stillness.
Suddenly, a voice rang out:
"Isn't this just treating us like caged pets? It's simply a pipe dream! We are noble..."
Before he could finish speaking, a bolt of lightning pierced through the speaker's body, instantly turning him to dust.
Aozaki Reiji's decisive action shocked everyone.
Especially those Quincy who had been agitated before the battle, their faces turned extremely grim.
Ishida Soken looked at the scene before him and sighed inwardly.
However, he did not immediately express his opinion, but instead remained silent in thought.
He knew that given the current disparity in strength between the two sides, the conditions proposed by the Captain-Commander were actually quite lenient.
If it were this ruthless young man making the decision, it might even lead to the extinction of their race.
The girl only saw living Quincy standing before her, but she did not realize that the portion cleared by the Shinigami had already left this world forever.
At this moment, Ishida Soken couldn't help but recall his previous experiences.
He had been regarded by his own kin as a racial traitor and an enemy's dog, enduring countless accusations and attacks.
Now, having witnessed Aozaki Reiji's immense power, These kin finally realized the disparity between them and recalled the fear of being dominated by Shinigami!
When the other Quincy witnessed the tragic death of their comrade, they all turned their gaze towards Ishida Soken.
Ishida Soken felt a wave of helplessness.
He truly couldn't understand why such people were his kin.
They had once regarded him and his Ishida as enemies, yet now they placed their hopes on him.
Sighing inwardly, Ishida Soken still quickly said:
"Aozaki-sama, after all, this is a matter of great importance, please give us some time to discuss it."
"Ten minutes." Aozaki Reiji said lightly: "If there's no result, then there's no need for a result!"
Ishida Soken nodded solemnly, then bowed to indicate understanding.
He turned and walked into the crowd, beginning to discuss with the other Quincy.
Their expressions were serious, and the atmosphere gradually became tense.
Aozaki Reiji stood quietly, his gaze sweeping over the people around him, as if waiting for something.
The girl watched Ishida Soken's departing back, her lips moving as if to say something, but she ultimately held back.
A hint of helplessness and relief appeared on her face.
After all, even if Aozaki Reiji hadn't come, her current situation wasn't good; she was essentially living under someone else's roof.
Although Uncle Soken was a good person, in the eyes of most people in the Ishida, she was nothing more than a reproductive tool to continue the pure-blooded Quincy lineage.
Besides the gentle Uncle Soken and Brother Ryūken, who else would care about her thoughts?
The people of Ishida wouldn't, and those strange Quincy certainly wouldn't.
Aozaki Reiji keenly noticed the girl's change in mood and instinctively placed his hand on the girl's head, gently stroking her hair.
There was no need to think; it was purely driven by instinct.
This gesture made the girl feel a warmth, and she looked up, gratefully glancing at Aozaki Reiji.
Ten minutes later, Ishida Soken led the Quincy back to their original position.
Their expressions appeared somewhat heavy, clearly having undergone an intense discussion.
"Aozaki-sama, we accept Captain-Commander's terms."
Ishida Soken said respectfully, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness and bitterness.
"Oh? You figured it out so quickly? That's great!"
Aozaki Reiji's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a playful smile, "So, Mr. Ishida, may I ask if this time you are only representing the Ishida, or all the Quincy present?"
A hint of awkwardness flashed across the faces of Ishida Soken and the Quincy behind him.
They exchanged glances, and finally, Ishida Soken spoke:
"Aozaki-sama, I am now the Quincy leader and can represent everyone behind me."
"Very good, a wise man submits to circumstances; you have done very well."
Aozaki Reiji nodded in satisfaction, "Since that's the case, then this matter is resolved perfectly."
"However..."
He changed the subject, his tone becoming serious, "I need to make things clear beforehand."
"My old man is old, and this time he was soft-hearted and let you off the hook."
"But from today onwards, you will be brought under the jurisdiction of the Eleventh Division."
"And I don't like trouble, so if it happens again, I won't be negotiating terms."
Ishida Soken lowered his head and, after a moment of silence, said:
"Please rest assured, Aozaki-sama."
"I will manage the Human World Quincy well and ensure that similar incidents do not happen again."