The trial arrived right on schedule.
Those who didn't know the truth couldn't believe it—why would a mere First Division member dare to accuse the newly rising star of Soul Society, the Grand Blade-Hunting Chief, Higashino Shuuichi?
Countless others were shocked that a taichō was even willing to testify.
After Higashino Shuuichi was taken away from the Katana-gari-shū headquarters by the Eighth Division taichō, Kyōraku Shunsui, the ordinary Shinigami who witnessed it all reacted in different ways: some were confused, some questioned it, and some ran straight to the Tsunayashiro Clan.
This was a massive, high-profile arrest—Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni intended to make an example out of it.
He wanted to use this to knock a few heads in the increasingly restless Soul Society, reminding everyone that the old order still held: Soul Society was still under the control of the Gotei Thirteen.
"Tsunayashiro-sama, should we find a way to rescue Grand Blade-Hunting Chief Higashino?"
Inside the Tsunayashiro estate, a Shinigami who had come to report the news spoke anxiously.
Up ahead, Tsunayashiro Kamihara snorted with open disdain.
"No need. Shuuichi didn't do this. Even if Yamamoto has his own thoughts, he won't fabricate something out of thin air. This is just for show~"
Tsunayashiro Kamihara was brimming with confidence.
Thanks to Higashino Shuuichi's "rescue" earlier, all of his devices had already been fully installed. The early-stage preparations on Soul Society's side were essentially complete—now all that remained was to wait for the other side to finish getting ready. Then he could begin his attempt to seize the position of Soul Society's number one great noble clan.
The dream was beautiful.
Let that clown Yamamoto hop around a little longer—no problem. If Higashino Shuuichi had to suffer a bit, so be it.
What Tsunayashiro Kamihara didn't know was that everything that followed would be nothing like his dream.
"Heh. Just because those two flap their mouths, Sōtaichō Yamamoto, you believe them?"
Standing at the center of Central 46, his Zanpakutō (Soul-Cutting Sword) bound tightly with the Shihōin Clan's heirloom artifact—"bandages"—Higashino Shuuichi shot a meaningful look at the Ninth Division taichō, Tōsen Kaname, then turned his head toward Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni below the judgment platform.
The spectacle today was just as grand as Higashino Shuuichi had predicted.
Not only were all the Gotei Thirteen taichō present, even the Kidō Corps' Dai-Kidōchō—a nobody whose face Higashino Shuuichi could barely remember, Saju Mimimi—had been dragged here by Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
It was an unmistakable sign of respect for Higashino Shuuichi's strength.
And there was more.
The seats above—normally packed with the Central 46 sages and judges—were nearly empty today. Only three of them had come.
What were they afraid of?
So at some point without realizing it, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—the thousand-year-strongest Shinigami who had once feared nothing—had gained yet another "fear" in addition to the nobles.
Higashino Shuuichi laughed in delight inside his heart.
He knew Yamamoto probably wasn't afraid of losing in a fight—he was afraid Higashino Shuuichi might cause additional losses to the nobles and to Seireitei.
Still, at this point in time, being able to force Yamamoto into arrangements like this… Higashino Shuuichi suspected he was the only one.
Even though his Zanpakutō had already been sealed by the Shihōin heirloom bandages.
Normally, for a mere trial, there'd be no need to deploy something as extreme as the Shihōin bandages.
But Higashino Shuuichi was… a little special.
After all, he had once demonstrated in front of every taichō that he could seal Zanpakutō releases.
If Higashino Shuuichi truly used that Bankai (Final Release), Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni feared that every taichō present—every last one of them—would be helpless fodder, with only himself and Unohana Retsu able to resist at all.
So even if Yamamoto knew this would only deepen Higashino Shuuichi's resentment, for safety's sake… he had to do it.
And the facts proved his preparation was correct.
Because soon, that "First Division member" who had accused him—Kuchiki Kōga—used concrete action to prove that Higashino Shuuichi was the mastermind behind this incident.
"You think we only have that little suspicion? Heh heh, of course not. Higashino Shuuichi—want to see what this is?"
When Kuchiki Kōga produced a humanoid wooden-doll-like device in front of everyone, both Higashino Shuuichi and Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni frowned at the same time.
Higashino Shuuichi frowned for the sake of acting—making the performance look real.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni frowned because he was genuinely displeased.
The thing in Kuchiki Kōga's hands looked extremely similar to the "Tenshintai (Soul-Transfer Body)" he had reported earlier, but that object should have been in Higashino Shuuichi's home—not here.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni had never given Kuchiki Kōga permission to search Higashino Shuuichi's residence.
In other words, Kuchiki Kōga had once again acted on his own.
"Do you realize what kind of behavior this is?"
With a voice like ice, Higashino Shuuichi questioned Kuchiki Kōga as a dense reiatsu (spiritual pressure) seeped from him. He took a single small step forward.
That predator's readiness—like a beast about to pounce—made even Kuchiki Kōga, who already knew part of the truth, unconsciously retreat half a step.
He couldn't help it.
A thought flashed through Kuchiki Kōga's mind:
"Was he lying to us the whole time? Does he actually want to kill me here?"
Fortunately, Kyōraku Shunsui stepped in at once, positioning himself slightly in front of Kuchiki Kōga and taking on part of the pressure coming off Higashino Shuuichi—stopping Kuchiki Kōga from mentally collapsing on the spot.
In theory, this was Kuchiki Kōga's first time facing Higashino Shuuichi in this state. Only now did he realize that because Higashino Shuuichi usually presented such a harmless, almost tame image, he had underestimated him—forgotten those "glorious achievements."
This was a hard-core Shinigami who had climbed to this position through real, bloody accomplishments.
Swallowing hard, Kuchiki Kōga took a deep breath, forced his emotions into order, then looked at Higashino Shuuichi and spoke.
"Of course I know. I'm exposing your wrongdoing!"
"Sōtaichō—this is the Tenshintai I told you about. I found it in Higashino Shuuichi's home."
"As long as you activate it and continuously pour massive reiatsu into it, its affected range will keep expanding—until it can influence all of Seireitei… even all of Soul Society!"
"But as everyone knows, I'm only an ordinary First Division member. My reiatsu isn't enough to demonstrate this to the taichō here."
"So I ask that you select one taichō to personally verify it!"
Kuchiki Kōga spoke convincingly enough, and Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni had no reason to refuse.
Verification was always the most direct—and most effective—method.
Normally, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni would assign such a task to his prized disciple, Kyōraku Shunsui.
Kyōraku Shunsui was already prepared to accept the "heavy responsibility"—
But then a voice rang out—one no one expected.
"Then let me do it~"
Gentle and composed, that figure took a step forward, and most Shinigami present—including Higashino Shuuichi—were startled.
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's eyes moved between her and Higashino Shuuichi several times, trying to find something unusual.
He found nothing.
She wasn't his preferred choice—but if it was her, it wasn't unacceptable.
"Mm. I'll leave it to you, Unohana."
With that, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni set the final executor.
Kyōraku Shunsui, who had been about to speak, immediately swallowed his words.
At a moment like this, he absolutely couldn't "compete" for it—doing so would clash horribly with his established persona. Ordinary people might not notice, but his teacher—and old foxes like the Tsunayashiro head—would see the tell immediately.
Off to the side, Kuchiki Byakuya also sensed something was wrong.
This was a serious, unexpected deviation. The way things unfolded next could easily spiral beyond their control.
He quietly stepped back half a pace, preparing to warn Kuchiki Kōga:
Abandon the original plan immediately. Tell Muramasa—already materialized and lurking within Seireitei—not to act rashly.
"Unohana-taichō… are you trying to personally pass judgment on me?"
Higashino Shuuichi also realized something major had gone off-script. As the "suspect" awaiting trial, his options were limited—so he could only take another route.
"Are you admitting guilt?"
Unohana Retsu's gaze met Higashino Shuuichi's.
Sometimes, two people didn't need words at all. A single look, a single exchange of eyes, was enough.
Especially for Unohana Retsu and Higashino Shuuichi—taichō and fukutaichō who had once spent centuries together, and who had now crossed a certain broken "paper window" between them—this glance alone carried a great deal of information.
Higashino Shuuichi's calm, self-assured eyes clearly told Unohana Retsu:
Everything today… was within his expectations.
"So no matter what happens next, it's normal—that's what you mean?"
"Even… your own judgment."
Combining that with Higashino Shuuichi's earlier, abrupt line, Unohana Retsu instantly understood what he was hinting at.
And then, a far more interesting thought took shape in her mind.
If that deduction was correct, it meant that even without her sudden interference, Higashino Shuuichi had already accounted for every possible development—and from the way he specifically "reminded" her just now, the act of pouring reiatsu into the Tenshintai was not something just any taichō could do.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to warn her.
Which meant: among the other taichō present, there had to be at least one insider on Higashino Shuuichi's side.
And who would that be?
From the corner of her eye, Unohana Retsu's gaze fell on Kyōraku Shunsui—standing left-front, hands folded inside his sleeves, looking serenely detached.
If she had to choose, it would be him.
Because if no taichō volunteered, then based on Unohana Retsu's understanding of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, he would definitely assign Kyōraku Shunsui to carry out the task.
And that… made things interesting.
"So, Shuuichi… it turns out you're not only secretly 'getting involved' with me—you've also got other Shinigami within the Gotei Thirteen, like Kyōraku Shunsui."
"Knowing your personality, you wouldn't be satisfied with only the two of us taichō, would you?"
In that instant, Unohana Retsu seemed to see straight through all of Higashino Shuuichi's arrangements.
Then, under the eyes of the taichō, she slowly walked to Kuchiki Kōga, and gave him her usual sunlight-warm, gentle smile.
"Then, Kōga-kun… please hand that Tenshintai to me~"
Kuchiki Kōga hesitated.
Unohana Retsu was completely outside their plan. In every contingency they'd prepared, they had never accounted for Unohana Retsu—this Shinigami taichō who, even when Baraggan (the former ruler of Hueco Mundo) led the Arrancar to attack Seireitei and most taichō couldn't return in time, still refused to fight, quietly doing only her assigned duties.
But feeling all those eyes upon him, Kuchiki Kōga knew he had no choice.
He had to hand it over.
If he didn't, the taichō present would tear him apart.
"Then… I'll be counting on you, Unohana-taichō!"
Kuchiki Kōga placed the Tenshintai into Unohana Retsu's hands, speaking with heavy emphasis.
Then, after stepping away—while everyone's attention focused on Unohana Retsu—Kuchiki Byakuya moved to Kuchiki Kōga.
"Tell Muramasa to abandon the plan immediately!"
Kuchiki Byakuya's voice was low, only the two of them could hear it, and his tone was urgent.
Thanks to Higashino Shuuichi's cooperation—and Yushima Ōko's full support—Kuchiki Byakuya's side had planted the Technical Development Bureau's newest product on that pseudo-Tenshintai: surveillance bacteria.
Even outside Central 46, Kuchiki Kōga's Zanpakutō, Muramasa, could still "see" every action within Central 46.
It couldn't hear the sound yet—still something to improve—but functionally, the surveillance bacteria was already close to the mature product in Higashino Shuuichi's memories. There wasn't much difference anymore.
"I know!"
Truthfully, Kuchiki Byakuya didn't even need to remind him. Kuchiki Kōga already knew their plan had gone wrong.
Because the plan's fatal flaw was simple:
The moment any Shinigami poured their reiatsu into the Tenshintai, they'd instantly learn the truth.
The Tenshintai could only help the one Shinigami pouring reiatsu into it materialize their Zanpakutō—and a Shinigami who had already achieved Bankai could control whether their Zanpakutō materialized or not.
So the instant Unohana Retsu poured her reiatsu into the Tenshintai…
She would immediately know the truth.
Unfortunately, Kuchiki Kōga seemed to have forgotten something.
A Zanpakutō reflects its owner.
What kind of master you have determines what kind of Zanpakutō you get.
Back then, Kuchiki Kōga had been wildly arrogant—so now, his Zanpakutō was just as rebellious.
What did "a commander in the field may disobey orders" look like?
Muramasa gave them a vivid, living demonstration.
When Kuchiki Kōga and Kuchiki Byakuya saw that Muramasa had received the message and thought everything would be fine—
When Unohana Retsu, in front of all taichō, formally poured her reiatsu into the Tenshintai—
Outside Central 46, a few First Division members on patrol felt something… off.
They turned their heads—
And saw those familiar silhouettes.
"No way… again?!"
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