"Cough..." Yamamoto-Genryūsai Shigekuni finally opened those oppressive eyes, like a dormant volcano waking up.
Without any extra greetings, he tapped his cane lightly on the ground, and his deep, majestic voice, like the bell of judgment, struck directly at the core of the meeting:
"Everyone is here."
He looked around, his gaze finally locking onto Hiroki like iron pincers. "Then, the first item on today's agenda."
"Shihōin Hiroki," the Captain Commander's voice was steady, yet weighed a thousand tons.
"Explain. The unrest in the Southwest Noble District last night, the event where everything was purged overnight in the name of 'rebellion'."
Yamamoto's eyelids opened slightly, his restrained gaze seemingly able to pierce the soul. "Over a hundred people on the death list, a wide scope, the commotion shook the entire Seireitei! Even several Captain-level spiritual pressures erupted and vanished. I need a complete explanation that can be submitted."
He paused deliberately, his powerful spiritual pressure pressing down on Hiroki like an invisible mountain. "Why did you not report to the First Division in advance?"
"Why did you take it upon yourself to mobilize the Second Division and Sixth Division for such a large-scale internal execution?"
"Where did those three unfamiliar Captain-level spiritual pressures from last night come from? And,"
Yamamoto's sharp gaze swept over Soi Fon, who kept her head down in silence.
"Is the Second Division's report the full truth?"
The atmosphere instantly froze to the breaking point.
All the Captains—whether it was the upright Soi Fon, the gently smiling Aizen, the reclining Kyōraku, the smiling Unohana, or the irritable Kiganjō—
All fixed their gazes firmly on Hiroki, waiting for his response, watching how he would dance under this pressure.
The faint smile on Hiroki's face did not fade; instead, it became slightly clearer under the Captain Commander's oppressive gaze.
He leaned forward slightly, his hands easily folded on the conference table, his posture as composed as if he were just discussing a dinner menu.
"In response to the Captain Commander," Hiroki began, his voice clear and steady, exceptionally distinct within the walls of killing aura stone.
"Last night's events concern the stability of Seireitei's foundation, so I did not dare to be negligent. An explanation must naturally be made clear."
He tilted his head slightly toward Soi Fon, his eyes carrying a hint of'seeking confirmation' (though they had already coordinated their stories). "As stated in the report,"
He turned back, his gaze meeting Yamamoto's candidly. "The incident originated from the timely and sharp intelligence work of Captain of the Second Division, Soi Fon."
Soi Fon's body tensed further, her chin lifting imperceptibly, her golden eyes under dark green eyeshadow sharp, as if to prove the truth of the intelligence.
"Captain Soi Fon," Hiroki's voice carried a well-measured seriousness,
"Met with me urgently yesterday evening and presented me with conclusive evidence."
He gestured with his hand, as if that invisible evidence were laid out before everyone.
"The evidence showed that the Maeda main house, the Jinguji Family, the Kurahashi Family, and several subordinate families like the Inoue and Katagiri were secretly colluding and plotting misconduct!"
He paused deliberately, letting the words 'plotting misconduct' echo in the solemn meeting room.
"Their goal," Hiroki's voice suddenly dropped, carrying the coldness of exposing a massive conspiracy, "was aimed directly at the core of the Kuchiki Clan's power! Furthermore, they intended to challenge the authority of the Central 46."
They even planned to cause chaos during an important festival, seizing partial control of certain key central locations to pressure the First Division and the Central 46 for excessive benefit distribution and improper privileges!
Vainly attempting to restore the transcendent status of the old noble era, placing themselves above the law!
"This is rebellion, without a doubt!"
His words were like hailstones, drumming on the table and on the hearts of the Captains.
A glint flashed in Aizen's eyes; Kyōraku's brow under his straw hat seemed to furrow; Kiganjō snorted in disdain.
Unohana continued to smile.
"The situation was urgent, hanging by a thread! If we had waited until their connections were fully established and their influence deeply rooted before purging them, the resistance would have been immense, casualties far greater, and there would even be the danger of triggering wider noble unrest!"
Hiroki's tone turned stern.
"In these extraordinary times, extraordinary measures must be taken! To protect the fundamental order of Seireitei, to safeguard the supreme majesty of the Central 46 Chambers, and to prevent the situation from expanding and affecting the innocent."
As the new Captain of the 6th Division, I, Shihōin Hiroki, burdened with the responsibility of maintaining the stability of the noble system, consulted urgently with Captain of the Second Division, Soi Fon, who is responsible for internal surveillance and rapid response, and made a prompt decision!
He suddenly straightened his back and looked around at everyone, his voice resolute and carrying an unquestionable decisiveness:
"Captain Soi Fon and I unanimously decided—to strike first! My Sixth Division, in coordination with the elite forces of the Second Division's Onmitsukidō, launched a joint operation! Catching them off guard, we crushed this budding rebellion with thunderous force!"
"Nipping the danger in the bud, and quelling the unrest before it erupted!"
"As for why there was no prior report..." Hiroki changed his tone, looking at Yamamoto with a perfectly timed expression of 'helplessness' and 'candor'.
"Time is life! The opportunity was fleeting! If we had reported through the layers, waiting for the First Division to verify and approve, then convey the orders, I'm afraid it would have been too late!"
The rebels' butcher knives might have already fallen!
I am willing to bear all responsibility for 'procedural impropriety'! But I am even more certain that last night's actions saved Seireitei from a great disaster!"
"As for those three unexpected Captain-level spiritual pressures," Hiroki's voice became steadier, even carrying a hint of'sorrow' as if it were expected.
"This is precisely the evidence of the fierce resistance we encountered! It is also proof of the necessity and urgency of this operation! Those corrupt nobles caught in the vortex of rebellion did not hesitate to collude with powerful renegades from the outside world just to preserve their own sins!"
They harbored at least three desperate criminals of unknown origin and ferocious strength!"
"One was an ancient rebel remnant lurking deep beneath the Maeda estate, using secret techniques to prolong a decaying life, with an aura like a zombie from an ancient tomb!"
"One was a twisted monster forcibly nurtured and modified by the Jinguji Family using evil methods to imprison and sacrifice the lives of their own clan elders!"
"The most dangerous was a master swordsman who suddenly appeared from the Kurahashi Family. His stance was unclear, yet he possessed top-tier strength no less than any Captain present. His attitude was extremely aggressive, and he immediately intended to kill my subordinates to silence them, causing great trouble!"
Hiroki's gaze swept over the Captains: "These three powerful rebels were clearly the hidden trump cards and reliance of those rebellious nobles!"
"Had it not been for our swift and unexpected action, along with the bloody battle fought by the comrades of the Sixth Division and the Onmitsukidō at a considerable cost, we would not have finally killed or severely wounded and subdued them."
"If allowed to develop, the consequences would have been unimaginable! Their appearance precisely proves that the ambitions and preparations of these nobles far exceed normal imagination! This purge of the rebellion was imperative!"
The entire meeting room was silent, with only Hiroki's clear and powerful voice echoing.