Division 1, Captain’s Meeting Room.
Under the summons of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the Captains of each Division had gathered here.
Some still had bandages wrapped around their bodies, some looked weak, and others still had blood oozing from their wounds—clearly not fully healed—causing the entire Captain’s Meeting Room to appear as if filled with the injured.
"You all should rest a while longer..."
Retsu Unohana seemed dissatisfied with the situation, sighing there, but no one responded to her.
There was no helping it. Even Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had attended wrapped in bandages—how could they, the "younger" Captains, be absent from this post-battle meeting?
Even Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who had shut himself in his Division headquarters during the battle, was present, and the frail Jūshirō Ukitake had also dragged his weakened body to attend, causing Retsu Unohana’s brows to remain tightly knit from beginning to end.
Fortunately, someone was still attending this meeting completely unscathed.
That person was, of course, Kaiser, seated between Suì-Fēng and Retsu Unohana.
At this moment, Kaiser was looking at Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who stood at the head of the room wrapped in bandages, with a somewhat awkward expression.
Everyone else present had been wounded by the chaos caused under Sōsuke Aizen’s Kyōka Suigetsu hypnosis—but the Captain Commander’s injuries were all inflicted by Kaiser alone...
"That wasn’t my fault, right?"
Kaiser muttered inwardly and received a glance from Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto struck his wooden staff forcefully, making a loud sound against the floor and drawing everyone’s attention to him.
"This meeting has only one agenda: Sōsuke Aizen!" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto said sternly to everyone. "At this point, there’s no need to elaborate further—Sōsuke Aizen is the mastermind behind all anomalies of the past hundred-plus years!"
"The Hollowfication experiment involving numerous Captains, Lieutenants, Shinigami, and even ordinary Rukongai citizens—he was the true orchestrator!"
"Decades ago, he launched a terrorist attack on sixth-year and first-year students of Shin’ō Academy, releasing multiple modified Hollows. That was also Sōsuke Aizen!"
"Former Division 10 Captain Isshin Shiba was likely killed in the World of the Living—the culprit was again Sōsuke Aizen!"
"Even many Hollow-related incidents involving strange abilities over the past century can be traced back to one person—Sōsuke Aizen!"
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto slammed his staff again, the motion filled with clear anger.
"Such a criminal has no right to call himself a Captain of the Gotei 13—nor do his accomplices Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen!"
Upon hearing this, Sajin Komamura lowered his head, his expression turning somber.
Kaname Tōsen had always been his closest friend—someone he believed to share his ideals.
Now, that person had betrayed the Soul Society, betrayed the Gotei 13, and become an accomplice to the true culprit.
Sajin Komamura felt sorrow, and also anger.
"Old man Yama," Shunsui Kyōraku sighed and said, "What’s the situation with Central 46 now?"
"...Its operations have completely ceased," Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto said after calming slightly. "Central 46 is effectively defunct. Until the Great Noble Clans choose new sages and adjudicators, the Soul Society will have no supreme judicial authority."
"Until Central 46 is reformed, all affairs will be solely handled and decided by the Gotei 13."
This... might actually be a good thing?
At the very least, the Gotei 13 would no longer be restrained from above, and their freedom would greatly increase.
"Sensei," Jūshirō Ukitake couldn’t help but ask, "What about Rukia Kuchiki’s crime...?"
Byakuya Kuchiki immediately looked up at Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
But Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto ignored him and turned to Retsu Unohana.
"What is Rukia Kuchiki’s current condition?" he asked. "And the Ryoka?"
"They’re all safe," Retsu Unohana smiled slightly. "Including Ichigo Kurosaki, all individuals related to the World of the Living were recovered by Division 4 and received timely treatment."
"Sōsuke Aizen only wanted the object inside the Kuchiki Division Member—he had no concern for their lives."
"That’s why they were lucky enough to survive."
Upon hearing this, several Captains visibly relaxed. Thɪs chapter is updated by NovᴇlFɪre.ɴet
Kaiser was one of them.
He knew that if anything had really happened to those people, Ichigo Kurosaki—the original protagonist—would have gone berserk.
At that point, things might have spiraled into disaster.
"In that case, let’s leave it for now." Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto seemed unwilling to pursue the Ryoka’s invasion of Seireitei any further. After a brief pause, he said, "The sentencing of Rukia Kuchiki was orchestrated behind the scenes by Sōsuke Aizen. Now that we know this, there is no reason to go along with it."
"Her crimes shall be put on hold for the time being."
Jūshirō Ukitake immediately showed visible joy, and even the normally stoic Byakuya Kuchiki’s expression softened noticeably—compared to his earlier cold and ruthless demeanor, it was like night and day.
"The main issue is still Sōsuke Aizen, right?" Suì-Fēng crossed her arms. Blood still seeped slightly from her neck, yet her expression remained cold. "Even the Hollowfication incident a hundred years ago was orchestrated by him. Lady Yoruichi was completely innocent. Shouldn’t we clear her name?"
Kaiser immediately turned to glance at
This woman... seemed to have reconciled with Yoruichi Shihōin?
So now she was eager to speak out for her?
Ugh... that look—so cheap.
Even Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto selectively ignored Suì-Fēng’s words and said:
"Sōsuke Aizen has indeed committed unforgivable crimes—but he has already achieved his objective and acquired what he desired."
The one who reacted to this wasn’t anyone else—it was Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
"The Hōgyoku... right?" Mayuri Kurotsuchi’s face darkened as he bit his finger, cursing with an expression of bitterness never seen before. "That damn Urahara Kisuke, to have secretly created such a thing—he’s just as unforgivable!"
"It’s because of his research that so many incidents occurred—not to mention that the product of that research overlaps heavily with what Sōsuke Aizen developed."
"Those two might even be co-conspirators. Even if they aren’t, they’re still sinners who crossed the forbidden line."
"I propose we sentence Urahara Kisuke to death immediately and let me personally go to the World of the Living to arrest him."
Upon hearing this, many people’s mouths twitched.
"This guy is clearly just jealous of Urahara Kisuke, right?"
Kaiser also looked at Mayuri Kurotsuchi—his resentful face struck Kaiser as particularly grotesque.
The Hōgyoku—such a miraculous creation—Mayuri Kurotsuchi obviously coveted it, but since he couldn’t make it himself, and it had been created by his long-time rival Urahara Kisuke, how could he possibly stay calm?
This bastard had clearly lost it.
"Whatever with Urahara Kisuke!" Kenpachi Zaraki spoke bluntly. "I just want to know—what action is the Gotei 13 going to take against the fleeing Sōsuke Aizen?!"
"That bastard already got his hands on that whatever-it’s-called Hōgyoku, right?"
"His goal’s been achieved, so then..."
The rest of the sentence didn’t come out.
Because Kaiser finally spoke.
"I have something to say."
Kaiser suddenly spoke.
"Obtaining the Hōgyoku—this was only one of Sōsuke Aizen’s goals."
"He actually has another."
"And that is to replace the Soul King—to sit upon the throne of the Three Worlds."
The moment those words left Kaiser’s mouth, the expressions of everyone present changed.
The Captains all looked at one another, each with expressions of unease and doubt.
"His goal is actually the Soul King?"
Even Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto’s face turned grim.
In Soul Society, there had always been a legend...
"God created the world—then abandoned it."
"But a human world without divine governance would descend into chaos."
"Demons would proliferate, evil spirits would devour the weak-willed, turning them into puppets of destruction."
"After a long era of chaos and darkness, God could no longer stand by and created a new world—Soul Society—to manage the human realm."
"The arbiters of gods and spirits guided souls to their rightful worlds, dispersed evil spirits, and allowed good souls to reincarnate. Thus, the world of the living shifted from chaos to balance."
The "God" referenced here was the Soul King, who created the Three Worlds—the World of the Living, Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo.
The arbiters of gods and spirits naturally referred to Shinigami.
Shinigami were the managers of Soul Society, guardians of the World of the Living, and emissaries of the Soul King—subjects under His reign.
However, the Soul King did not reside within Soul Society—not in Seireitei nor anywhere in Rukongai.
He resided within the Soul King Palace, protected by the Royal Guard known as the Zero Division, beyond seventy-two barriers separating it from Soul Society. For countless years, He had never interfered with Soul Society or the World of the Living—not even Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who had lived for over two thousand years, had ever seen Him.
It was said that the Four Great Noble Clans of modern Soul Society were once close retainers of the Soul King, now serving as His representatives in managing Soul Society.
When Sōsuke Aizen spoke of "the heavens above," he meant the Soul King Palace.
When he spoke of "the throne," he meant the Soul King.
"Once he uses the Hōgyoku to surpass the limits of a Shinigami, he’ll likely find a way to attack Soul Society and head for the Soul King Palace."
"That is his ultimate goal."
Kaiser’s revelation made the entire Captain’s Meeting Room fall into utter silence.
Author’s Note: Sorry for the delay. Support the book with some powerstones, i’ll do powerstone goals on reset tomorrow!
🔹 Read 100+ Chapters ahead! → /NiaXD