"..."
Starrk was perplexed. He frowned and said,
"What do you mean? That tree… changed all three worlds?"
"That's right," Yoshio replied gently. "I used to have a key too, but it wasn't the key to enter the Tree of Life, so I gave it to Yammy."
The more Yoshio spoke, the less Starrk felt he understood.
Yoshio continued,
"There are many keys to the Tree of Life, but only one is real. The rest are just traps."
What will happen…?
"I'm not entirely sure," Yoshio admitted. "It might change one's temperament, or push them to extremes, but I'm sure it'll make them stronger."
"I see… Yammy did change a lot over the years," Starrk said after a pause.
"Was it because Barragan got a key too?"
"That might be, but it's obviously a fake key as well," Yoshio said with a chuckle. "I understand the feeling, but you're better off not making Barragan your partner. That man…"
"…will destroy himself by his own madness."
"I'm not that desperate…" Starrk hesitated for a moment, then spoke:
"Hungry enough to go wild?"
"That's good then. By the way, where's Lilynette? Isn't she here?"
"She was in the Tres Cifras, right?" Starrk replied offhandedly, but then his expression changed as he realized something.
"She's gone!" he exclaimed.
"What's missing?" Yoshio asked, puzzled.
"I can't sense Lilynette's reiatsu anymore…"
"…" Yoshio frowned.
Even though Lilynette could be completely separated from Starrk's body, and they could even be revived independently, there was always a strange connection between them. No matter how far apart they were, Starrk could always sense her spiritual pressure.
But just now, when he tried to sense her, she wasn't there!
In Las Noches, or in the Tres Cifrass, as long as Lilynette was in Hueco Mundo, Starrk could sense her. But now, throughout all of Hueco Mundo, he couldn't feel her spiritual pressure at all!
"Don't panic. She might have gone to the Human World or Soul Society," Yoshio tried to reassure him.
"I'm sorry, but I need to check the Human World and Soul Society first," Starrk said in a low voice.
"I'll help," Yoshio offered. "I'm good at hide-and-seek."
"Thank you," Starrk said, and in the next instant, he vanished from in front of Yoshio.
He had already set off.
Yoshio also took this opportunity to try to raise Starrk's favorability towards him up to 90!
…
Meanwhile, back in Soul Society—
Less than two hours had passed since Yoshio left.
The people at Sōkyoku Hill had just dispersed, and even Rukia had left.
However, instead of returning to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads or the Kuchiki Clan, she went to the Research and Development Bureau, where Mayuri Kurotsuchi examined her body for any lingering traces of Hollowfication.
After a series of tests, it was finally confirmed that Rukia had fully recovered.
She emerged from the bureau knowing her body was fine, but there was neither a smile nor any joy on her face.
She tilted her head slightly, gazing up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, faint sorrow glimmering in her eyes.
Almost as if to wash away the traces of the previous battle—or as if the heavens were weeping—it began to rain.
At that moment, the clouds above the Shakonmaku were like a thick gray shroud, so heavy and oppressive it felt as if it might crush everything.
The rain came down relentlessly.
Despite having just survived a great battle, the Shinigami of Soul Society were now caught in a downpour, all seeming restless and unsettled. They hurried through the streets, with almost no one using umbrellas; nearly everyone was drenched.
But the physical discomfort was nothing compared to the psychological blow.
After all, this meant the loss of four captains, two lieutenants, and one third-seat officer.
For Soul Society, this was a devastating loss not seen in many years.
Everyone knew: these captains hadn't died—they had betrayed them, and were now set to become enemies.
That only increased the pressure.
Especially for the Shinigami of the 3rd, 5th, 9th, and 10th Divisions, whose anxiety now bordered on anguish.
After all, none of them had ever imagined their own captain would betray Soul Society!
Rukia walked alone through the rain-soaked streets, watching the other Shinigami rush past and feeling strangely out of place.
Her freshly changed uniform was soon drenched again, puddles forming beneath her feet, soaking her sandals and white socks.
In that moment, her loneliness carried a hint of sorrowful beauty.
The rain lashed her face, its cold touch slowly pulling her out of her confusion.
She walked on in silence.
If anyone in Soul Society was suffering, none could be suffering more than Rukia.
She had trusted Yoshio so deeply, but Yoshio…
If only he had just left quietly… why did he have to tell me about the necklace at the end?
Reluctantly, Rukia took out the two necklaces again.
She stopped wearing them around her neck and put them in her pocket, unsure if she should keep wearing them at all.
It was clear now: what Yoshio had said before was a lie. The necklace existed so Yoshio could use his own body to revive his subordinate Hollows.
At this moment, there was no more illusion left in the necklace—it was just a necklace.
Rukia stopped, closed her eyes, and let herself be soaked even more deeply by the pouring rain.
"..."
She didn't know how much time had passed before she opened her eyes again. She stared at the two necklaces in her hand, both wet from the rain. After a moment's hesitation, Rukia put away the one Yoshio had given her first.
She cherished the necklace she had gotten from Byakuya a while ago. It was found at the place where she had disappeared, and it was almost identical to the one she had received from Captain Yoshio…
She couldn't understand the connection, and even after pondering it, she still didn't know what it meant.
Yet, after much hesitation, she put the necklace around her neck once more.
Maybe she was just used to wearing it by now.
Rukia did not destroy Yoshio's old necklace—she just put it away. Perhaps, one day…
Will she return it to Yoshio in person?
Suddenly, Rukia quickened her pace—not to return home or to her squad, but to Yoshio's house.
Splash…
Rain poured down, fewer and fewer Shinigami were in the streets, and only Rukia was left running through the city.
After a while, she finally reached the Kamado family estate.
Once a noble's domain, it was now a forbidden place. With Yoshio's betrayal, the Kamado clan might be erased from Soul Society's history.
Of course, such a sentence was meaningless.
There were only two Kamado left in the clan—Yoshio and Yamiko.
Entering the Kamado household, Rukia felt no warmth in this once-familiar place. It was as cold and bleak as the world outside.
She walked to the place where Yoshio had once taught her Bankai. There was a small hut.
Rukia remembered that there had been nothing here before, but once, when she visited, it rained so heavily that she couldn't train. The next time, there was a rain shelter set up in the courtyard.
Rukia couldn't understand how the kind Captain Yoshio could have become like this!
Was it all a lie from the start?
No, that can't be!
Rukia refused to believe it. She couldn't accept that all those happy memories were fake!
She entered one of the rooms. As a member of the noble Kuchiki family and still unmarried, it was normally forbidden for her to stay in another's house.
But Yoshio had prepared a room for her to rest.
That was it.
Even after entering, she could feel a faint warmth inside.
Unlike the outside world, there was still a lingering warmth here. She reached the bed—a bed she had seen before but never slept in. After a moment's hesitation, she finally lay down.
Shivering from the cold rain, she curled up, and slowly…
Eventually, she drifted off and fell asleep on the bed.
…
The first to receive treatment was Hitsugaya. After surviving his severe injuries, Unohana Retsu swallowed him into her healing pool to accelerate his recovery.
Upon returning to the 4th Division, he was spat out and treated with specialized equipment.
Five hours later, Hitsugaya awoke.
"…What are you thinking?"
At that moment, Matsumoto Rangiku approached and looked down at Hitsugaya in his hospital bed.
Hitsugaya stared blankly upward.
He'd been in a daze for a while after waking up.
"…Nothing."
Hearing Rangiku's words, his tone was a bit weaker, but he still tried to maintain his composure.
"You're thinking about Yoshio and Hinamori, aren't you?" Rangiku said bluntly, sitting beside his bed.
Rangiku herself had been injured before, but not as badly as Hitsugaya.
When she saw his broken body, she couldn't believe it. Yoshio had been too ruthless. That bastard!
Hearing the names Yoshio and Hinamori, Hitsugaya's eyes grew even emptier.
He wasn't one to get discouraged easily, but this blow was truly devastating.
Yoshio had been his guide on the path of the Shinigami, and at the same time, his goal to chase. From the day he entered Shin'ō Academy, Yoshio had been his target.
Later, after graduation, he was assigned to the 5th Division, then later transferred to the 13th.
Yoshio, too, had moved from the 5th to the 10th Division. The two were not far apart, and both became captains in succession, so people considered them peers.
Hitsugaya knew that the usually modest Yoshio possessed immense power.
Even I can't surpass him!
Hitsugaya had trained hard for a long time, but could only see Yoshio's back ahead of him.
But now, there was no sign of him—not even his back.
He already knew what had happened on Sōkyoku Hill.
Yoshio… were you really so hungry for power?
He'd always thought Yoshio was a genius, his goal to catch up to, so he'd worked even harder to chase after him.
He should have realized it sooner—if Yoshio hadn't craved power, no matter how talented he was, he would never have become this strong without striving for it.
Hitsugaya thought Yoshio's talent was about equal to his, or maybe a little higher. The reason Yoshio became much stronger was because of two things: he had trained longer, and—
His desire to become stronger was about surpassing himself!
Yes, me too…
Why didn't I realize this sooner?
If he'd noticed earlier, perhaps he could have given Yoshio some advice.
As for Hinamori… he understood her even less.
They'd been childhood friends, but after she entered the Shin'ō Academy, things changed, and they ended up in different divisions.
When people don't see each other for a long time, relationships inevitably grow distant. Hitsugaya knew that, so even when he noticed Hinamori acting strange during their rare meetings or when they returned to Rukongai together, he hadn't thought much of it.
Looking back now, it was all because he'd reacted too slowly.
If Yoshio was after power, what about Hinamori?
What was her motive?
Yes…
It was all Aizen's fault!
Hitsugaya gradually pieced together the clues and realized both Yoshio and Hinamori had deep ties to Aizen!
Hinamori, of course, was now the 5th Division's lieutenant and had spent the most time with Aizen.
He'd sensed Hinamori's affection for Aizen even back when Aizen was captain.
Yoshio, before transferring to the 10th Division, had been a lieutenant in the 5th as well.
Even after becoming captain, the two remained on good terms. In fact, it was almost impossible to find anyone in Soul Society who disliked Yoshio.
Even the noble families who resented others had a good impression of Yoshio.
And it wasn't just them!
Ichimaru Gin had also once been in the 5th! He betrayed them, too!
Kira Izuru had also served in the 5th Division and, like Hinamori, had been saved by Aizen!
Of all the traitors, only Yamiko and Kaname Tousen didn't have obvious deep ties to Aizen. The rest were all subordinates or lieutenants to him!
As if he'd discovered something earth-shattering, Hitsugaya's eyes suddenly cleared. He sat up in his hospital bed and shouted,
"Aizen!"
"?!"
Rangiku was startled. "Aizen? Is Aizen here?!"
"…Huh? Where's Aizen?"
Rangiku looked around, then sighed in relief when she saw he wasn't there. She turned to look at Hitsugaya.
But she saw him clench his fist and declare,
"That's right, it must be Aizen!"
"What do you mean?"
"Yoshio, Hinamori, Ichimaru, Kira—they must all have been bewitched by Aizen!" he said in a low voice. "Aizen is the mastermind behind everything!"
"They were deceived by Aizen!"
"..." Rangiku fell silent.
But Hitsugaya stubbornly believed his own theory, and even hatred flickered in his eyes!
He'd once worked under Aizen as a 5th Division member, and they'd gotten along well. Aizen had even celebrated his birthday once.
But now, in that moment, he blamed Aizen for everything!
He didn't want to defeat Yoshio—he wanted to kill Aizen, to prove to Yoshio that everything Aizen had ever said was a lie.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
Rangiku was shocked to see Hitsugaya getting out of bed. "Captain Hitsugaya, you're still badly injured!"
"I… want to become stronger!"
Hitsugaya spoke solemnly.
He recalled how easily Yoshio had defeated him, and a new resolve welled up inside.
Yes, he wanted to become stronger—strong enough to freeze the feet of those who would walk away!
He thought… perhaps power was nothing more than the sticky, frozen state created to keep those around you from leaving.
At the very least, he needed to train until he could fully master the Bankai of Hyorinmaru!
He could no longer rely on the passage of time or the withering of ice flowers to fully unleash Hyorinmaru's power!
…
"Pepe, Jerome, and Lloyd are dead."
Within the Wandenreich—
The Sternritter members had gathered in the grand hall for a meeting.
Yhwach did not attend the Sternritter Council; instead, Haschwalth presided.
The Royal Guards were not considered regular Sternritter, so Baelz and the other three did not attend.
After the great war in Soul Society ended, Haschwalth began to review the events.
During that battle, ten Sternritters fought Angra Manyu. Even working together, they were unable to defeat Angra Manyu.
Angra Manyu's strength was beyond their expectations. Though he was injured, three Sternritters were killed!
One of them was "Y"—Loyd Lloyd.
Originally there had been two of them, but when they saved the vengeful spirit, Loyd Lloyd's younger brother was killed.
Now, Loyd Lloyd himself was dead.
When Angra Manyu realized he was being surrounded, he focused his main attacks on Lloyd.
From a strategic standpoint, it was the perfect decision. Even tactically, it was fine to kill Lloyd first.
Lloyd's ability was nasty—he could transform into others and gain their powers.
If that were all, Yoshio wouldn't care, but being able to access others' memories and thoughts was simply disgusting.
That was why he'd killed his younger brother, who could access all memories and thoughts. Now, he'd targeted and killed the elder brother, who could access about 70–80% of them.
Having transformed into Angra Manyu's appearance, Lloyd became a main attacker among the ten Sternritter—a foe as formidable as Surt and Gerard Valkyrie.
Angra Manyu paid a price to kill him.
After Lloyd was killed, the next to appear was the most revolting, Pepe. Not only was his power disgusting, his appearance was equally so. Yoshio didn't judge people by looks, but Pepe was truly repulsive.
After killing Lloyd, Angra Manyu killed Pepe as well.
As for Jerome, he was simply too weak. Even though Angra Manyu hadn't targeted him specifically, he couldn't withstand Angra Manyu's power, ended up succumbing to his venom, and ultimately died—his Holy Form's resistance exceeded.
Three Sternritter were lost at once, but the others seemed indifferent.
The Sternritter were content to fight each other, and Yhwach was fine with letting them die on the battlefield, but Haschwalth considered more factors.
Among the Vandenreich, Haschwalth was probably the only Quincy truly concerned for the future of their race.
Seeing everyone else's indifference, he continued,
"Surt, you achieved merit in this battle. Therefore, His Majesty has decided to promote you to the Schutzstaffel."
"Ah," Surt nodded. She was already quite strong, and with another taste of Yhwach's blood, she would become even stronger.
In short: though the Quincy hadn't stopped Aizen from seizing the Hōgyoku, nor killed Angra Manyu, and had lost three Sternritter, they hadn't truly lost.
Lloyd and Pepe weren't weaklings, but their deaths provided Angra Manyu with valuable combat data.
And they had achieved one goal.
Surt had succeeded in absorbing the power of the Sōkyoku, fully completing Ragnarok and becoming a royal guard.
Surt's increased power was more important than the two lost Sternritter.
Additionally, this incident had tested some Arrancar soldiers' powers, revealing their terrifying combat strength.
The only problem was…
"Our presence has been detected," Haschwalth added.
At this, the others began to stir.
Bazz-B said irritably,
"What are you afraid of? If the Shinigami make a move, we'll kill them all!"
"If His Majesty hadn't said it was too soon, we could have wiped out all the Shinigami in Soul Society by now," Bambietta said confidently. "Shouldn't we at least consider moving up the attack?"
"The Shinigami are all wounded, right? Aizen and the others have escaped. Only a handful are left. If we attack now, we could slaughter them all!"
They weren't wrong.
The Sternritter were known for their blind arrogance, but this time, the difference in strength was too great.
Given the current state of the Gotei 13, even if Yhwach hadn't fully recovered, a mass assault could have wiped out the captains long ago.
How could even Yamamoto Genryūsai, said to be the strongest Shinigami, have defeated so many if the situation were reversed?
Bambietta and Bazz-B's arguments piqued everyone's interest, and a commotion broke out.
Haschwalth saw their arrogant faces and calmly said,
"It's not time yet."
The Sternritter would never realize that neither they nor killing Shinigami were important—what mattered was whether Yhwach could regain his full power.
When the time came, Yhwach would have recovered fully, so there was no need to wait for some "moment of Shinigami weakness."
Yhwach never considered the Shinigami his true enemies. To him, the Gotei 13 and Soul Society were nothing but stepping stones. He never even considered them worthy of attention.
His true enemies were the Zero Division!
Killing the Gotei 13 Shinigami was not a difficult job, but it was meaningless.
Shinigami could be mass-produced. Even if this batch was wiped out, as long as the Zero Division remained, new Shinigami could be made.
If he wanted to destroy Soul Society, he had to start at the root!
"Again with the bad timing! Do we really have to wait two whole years?!" Bazz-B exploded with anger. "Just sitting here watching people fight all day is so damn frustrating!"
"There's no rush. Victory is within our grasp. But victory alone isn't what we're after," Haschwalth said, glancing at Bazz-B. "In the meantime, we'll recruit new Sternritter and aim to make up for our current losses within two years."
This was one reason the Sternritter didn't mourn when any of their members died.
Recruiting new Sternritter wasn't hard for them. As long as Yhwach was alive, Sternritter…
…could be mass-produced!
Given the right candidates, he could bestow them with Schrift and power.
Besides—
When someone died, their soul returned to Yhwach's body.
So what was there to worry about?
In this war, they'd lost the Sternritter "Y," "R," and "L."
So, the next step was to find three even stronger Quincy, grant them Schrift, and make them Sternritter.
Thus, the real purpose of this Sternritter meeting was to discuss this very matter.
"Any recommendations for suitable candidates?"
"James is pretty good," Meninas pouted. "He's short, but the way he trains is really impressive."
"Mentally, he's not up to it," quipped Quilge, the Quincy instructor and the one who knew Quincies best. He had every right to speak on this.
He said coolly,
"James has Quincy abilities, but lacks combat talent."
"Just because someone can't fight doesn't mean they can't be a Sternritter," said Gremmy, who rarely attended these meetings, with a smile. "Aren't you the only one here who fights using only basic Quincy powers?"
"What era do you think this is? That old thinking is outdated. What matters most now is actual power—Schrift."
Gremmy's words were laced with mockery toward Quilge.
Quilge glared coldly at Gremmy, but Gremmy was so powerful that when he mocked other Sternritter, all they could do was endure it.
"I think James is a good choice," Gremmy added. "Like me, he's good at fighting using imagination."
"In that case, James will be one of the backup candidates," Haschwalth said calmly.
James was, in fact, a Superstar—the "S" of the Sternritter, using the classic Bleach power system.
His boxer partner, "Mask de Masculine," was the Sternritter "S" (Superstar).
The sidekick who cheered him on and helped him recover from injuries—James—was the real "S."
Most people thought Mask was "S," but actually, James, who could only support Mask from the sidelines, was the true "S."
Mask was just the "great hero" imagined by James, who was a real person. When James was killed by Mask, Mask lost his source of power and was eventually killed by Renji's Bankai.
After many twists, James finally became a Sternritter.
"Also, Berenice performed very well. I think he's pretty amazing now," Liltotto said, munching on her food.
She didn't like to talk much, but Berenice was directly under Baelz, so she'd met him many times.
He was a chatterbox, but actually quite strong.
"What? Berenice?" Meninas blurted. "I can't stand him, he's so noisy."
"Agreed," Candice said, a little annoyed. "Lily, why'd you bring him up? He's always arguing with me, makes me want to electrocute him."
"Hey, you guys, at least think of the Empire's future," Bambietta snorted. "We're talking about the future of the Empire here. Don't reject someone for such silly reasons, okay?"
Berenice had now been infused with evil nodes by Baelz and become incredibly powerful.
He was more than qualified to be a Sternritter.
Haschwalth jotted down Berenice's name,
"That leaves just one more."
But the last slot was truly difficult to fill.
While the Wandenreich had many talents, finding someone with the qualifications to be a Sternritter wasn't so easy.
The key was, even if someone qualified, if they were among the weakest, it wouldn't matter.
"There are two candidates," Quilge suddenly added.
"Speak," Haschwalth said—he'd actually been waiting for Quilge to bring this up.
After all, as the Quincy combat instructor, many Quincies had graduated under his guidance—even some of the Sternritter.
"In the living world."
"..."
At those three words, Haschwalth fell silent, and another Sternritter burst out laughing.
"You're kidding, Quilge," a Sternritter laughed. "There's no way a Quincy from the modern world could be up for discussion. They're just trash tamed by the Shinigami."
Haschwalth hadn't paid much attention—his job had been to monitor Uryū Ishida in the living world on Yhwach's orders.
He knew Ishida was a special Quincy, and if it was him…
Maybe?
But for now, His Majesty had no intention of inducting him as a Sternritter.
He'd ask later.
For now, he gestured for Quilge to continue.
Ignoring the sneers, Quilge said,
"As a Quincy raised in the living world, Uryū Ishida has grasped the essence of Quincy combat in just over ten years. His potential is extremely high."
It was indeed Uryū Ishida. Haschwalth kept it vague,
"And the second?"
"Kurosaki Karin," Quilge replied in a low voice. "She's Kurosaki Ichigo's younger sister, and I've known for some time that she's awakened her Quincy powers."
"If we can recruit her, not only would we gain a powerful asset, but we could also effectively restrain Kurosaki Ichigo."
The Sternritter understood Kurosaki Ichigo's unique abilities—after all, he possessed special combat skills.
When Haschwalth heard the name Kurosaki Karin, he began to seriously consider the matter.
Kurosaki Karin has awakened her Quincy powers?
He hadn't paid much attention to the Kurosaki family—his assignment had been to watch Uryū Ishida.
"I'll report this to His Majesty."
Haschwalth said calmly,
"That concludes this meeting."
With that, he stood and was the first to leave the room.
Seeing Haschwalth go, the rest lost interest in lingering.
And so, this meeting…
…came to an end!
…
While the Quincy held their meeting, the remaining mobile Shinigami gathered as well.
The Gotei 13's Commander-Captain Yamamoto, 4th Division Captain Unohana, 8th Division Captain Kyōraku, and former 13th Division Captain Ukitake were now in the Central 46 Compound.
Yamamoto looked at the bodies buried in the Seijōtōkyorin and asked,
"These people… have been dead for at least two weeks, haven't they?"
"Indeed," Unohana replied calmly. "Each wound is a precise killing blow."
"..." Yamamoto frowned. "But we only met with Central 46 two days ago."
"..." This statement puzzled the other three captains as well.
This time, Aizen hadn't explained his powers. Even when battling Yamamoto, Aizen hadn't used Kyōka Suigetsu's abilities much.
Therefore, they had no idea what was going on.
Central 46 had been inactive for at least two weeks—during that time, who had been issuing orders in their name?
"Lieutenant Matsumoto said that Kamado Yoshio the traitor was once acting on orders from Central 46."
Unohana added,
"I believe this must be related to the traitors' abilities."
"At present, the only Zanpakutō that affects others' senses is Kaname Tōsen's Suzumushi. But perhaps the enemy is hiding their true abilities."
Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu was publicly known as a water-type Zanpakutō, and while it could affect others' perceptions, it wasn't essentially an "illusion-type."
Yoshio's "Lonely Hell" could also affect perception, but his Zanpakutō was a "kidō-type."
"It's hard to say. The enemy's been plotting betrayal for a long time—especially Aizen Sōsuke, the mastermind behind the Hollowfication incident. He may be hiding his abilities," Kyōraku Shunsui said, shaking his head.
"Indeed, that's possible," Ukitake agreed. "But Urahara Kisuke in the living world might know more."
At Urahara Kisuke's name, they all fell silent again.
As the first head of the R&D Bureau and former 12th Division captain, Urahara Kisuke had been mistaken for the Hollowfication culprit, and they'd tried to capture him for many years.
Did he really hold no grudge against them? Or did he harbor hatred?
"To deal with Aizen this time, we'll need Urahara Kisuke's help!" Ukitake said promptly. "What happened back then was a misunderstanding—should we bring him back?"
"I don't think Captain Urahara will return," Kyōraku said. "He doesn't seem like the type to settle into a captain's job."
That was true…
"But at least the ban has been lifted, right?"
"…I'll arrange it," Yamamoto said, then turned to Ukitake.
"Ukitake, the Gotei 13 is short-handed. You shouldn't step down."
"…I understand." Ukitake nodded. "I'll return to the 13th Division."
"You can't go back to the 13th. Which division do you want to lead next?"
"The 10th," Ukitake answered without hesitation.
At the mention of the 10th, all three present were a little surprised.
They all knew Ukitake and Yoshio were close friends and book lovers. They'd thought Ukitake would avoid touching anything Yoshio left behind.
Surprisingly, he chose Yoshio's former post without hesitation.
"I know what you're thinking, but I'm not that fragile," Ukitake said with a wry smile. "Yoshio used to be a Shinigami and captain, but now he's a traitor. I'd never confuse past and present."
"I see, I see," Kyōraku said, stroking his chin. "After all, when we clashed over Rukia's execution, you didn't hold back, Ukitake."
He referred to the time they'd fought to stop Rukia's execution.
Ukitake, without any embarrassment, replied quietly,
"You know me. I… stand only for justice and morality!"
Even if he faces Yoshio again, he will show no mercy!