"Caw—!"
A lone, proud hawk soared through the wind, its piercing cry splitting the heavens. It tucked in its wings and dove from high above, sweeping across the long streets of Rukongai. Then, with a powerful beat of its dark wings, it shot back up into the golden clouds.
"Very well…"
The heavy, resonant voice of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto echoed throughout the entire assembly hall—so loud that even the adjacent side room could faintly hear it.
"I appoint Tenth Division Captain Kaien Shiba as the leader of the Advance Guard. He shall lead Rangiku Matsumoto, Ikkaku Madarame, Yumichika Ayasegawa, Renji Abarai, and Tsukuyomi Saito to be stationed in the Human!
Lastly—"
Yamamoto's voice deepened.
"I assign Captain Fūjin Taichi of the Ninth Division to supervise the Soul Society Expeditionary Reserve Force and proceed to Hueco Mundo to resist the Arrancar army! Departure is immediate!!"
"!!!"
At this final appointment, all the captains once again turned their eyes toward Fūjin Taichi.
Those gazes held surprise, doubt, sympathy—some even schadenfreude. After all, Hueco Mundo was known as the graveyard of Shinigami…
Theoretically, a newly appointed captain like Fūjin Taichi could hardly survive there—let alone command thousands of expeditionary troops to the front lines. It was practically a suicidal mission.
"Wait, Captain-Commander!"
Standing at the head of the left row, Soi Fon was the first to object.
"The Ninth Division captain lacks seniority, has limited strength, and possesses no experience fighting in Hueco Mundo!
To appoint him as supervisor of the expeditionary force is… it borders on recklessness! I respectfully request that you rescind this order!"
"Hm… Captain Fūjin, do you have anything to say?" Yamamoto asked, ignoring Soi Fon's protest and turning to Taichi instead.
"… "
Fūjin Taichi's measured gaze swept across the captains before settling on Yamamoto.
"I… have nothing to say. Nor do I object."
"What?!"
Kaien Shiba hurried out of formation and called out,
"Taichi?! Did you not hear clearly? The Captain-Commander ordered you to accompany the expeditionary force to Hueco Mundo to resist the Arrancar army—"
"I heard clearly."
Fūjin Taichi looked at Kaien seriously.
"If I'm not mistaken, the so-called Arrancar army is merely a batch of experimental products Aizen created to buy time…
Their true strength may only be slightly above that of high-level Hollows—nothing to fear. On the contrary… preventing Aizen from counterattacking Soul Society is the real danger."
"Idiot! Aizen only has Gin Ichimaru left under him. How could he possibly counterattack Soul Society?!"
As Kaien spoke, his expression suddenly changed.
"Masaka… could it be—?"
"Exactly."
Fūjin Taichi nodded.
"Hueco Mundo has existed for nearly ten thousand years. Among the earliest fallen Hollows, surely some would have evolved into Adjuchas—or even Vasto Lorde over that vast span of time.
Now, judging by the sudden emergence of an Arrancar army overnight, Aizen likely possesses some extraordinary power that allows Hollows to undergo Arrancarization in a very short time.
Aside from the numerous but weak low-level Hollows… high-level Hollows, Gillian, Adjuchas, and Vasto Lorde may also have undergone Aizen's modification."
At this point, Taichi's blue-black eyes swept across every captain as he spoke in a low voice:
"So here's the question… where have the Arrancar evolved from Menos-class Hollows and above gone?"
"!!!"
A chill ran through the captains present.
Even a Gillian-class Menos was already difficult to deal with—let alone the rumored Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde…
If an unknown number of Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde truly underwent Arrancarization as Taichi suggested…
That power might very well surpass the Gotei Thirteen itself!!
"Tch. Stop spreading alarmist nonsense." Sneered Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
"Even if Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde exist in Hueco Mundo, with their strength, why would they submit to Aizen?"
"That's exactly the problem, Captain Kurotsuchi—your technology is outdated! You haven't even figured out drones, radio communication, or wireless networks from the Human World. And yet you call yourself head of the Research and Development Institute?"
"Oh? It seems Captain Fūjin is unaware of the 'Soul Society Prohibited Items Regulations.' Heh heh heh… blindly worshipping human technology—"
Mayuri grinned mockingly.
"And striving to introduce it into the Seireitei… shall I interpret that as a challenge to Soul Society's system?"
"Old Mayuri, open your eyes and look at the world."
Fūjin Taichi shook his head with a sigh.
"With your so-called 'advanced' techniques, you can't even detect the stray dogs lurking in the shadows.
Who would want that?"
"So I suggest you shut down the Research and Development Institute as soon as possible and go raise pigs instead! I hear pork prices have skyrocketed lately—maybe you could make a fortune from that!"
"You—!"
Enraged by Fūjin Taichi's words, Mayuri Kurotsuchi stepped forward, eyes blazing as a tremendous surge of spiritual pressure poured from his body.
"Thud!!"
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto slammed his curved wooden staff heavily against the floor, producing a deafening crash.
"Ninth Division Captain! Twelfth Division Captain!!"
"!!!"
The captains present immediately realized the severity of the situation. Yamamoto only addressed captains by their division numbers—without even speaking their names—when he was truly furious.
"..."
Fūjin Taichi and Mayuri both wisely ceased their quarrel and lowered their heads, returning to their ranks to listen.
"Tch!"
Yamamoto's burning gaze swept over the two captains before he rebuked them in a tone heavy with disappointment:
"You are captains of the Gotei Thirteen, yet you bicker like street shrews from the Human World. Utterly disgraceful!!"
"..."
Knowing full well that Yamamoto was in a state of towering rage, Fūjin Taichi subtly shifted his body slightly toward Sajin Komamura, using the latter's tall, burly frame to shield himself from the Captain-Commander's scorching glare.
Tch... coward.
Because of the mask on his face—and perhaps because he had long since abandoned any concept of shame—Mayuri stood there unfazed, allowing Yamamoto's nearly tangible gaze to bore into him.
"Enough…"
Yamamoto exhaled the pent-up anger from his chest and fixed his open right eye upon Mayuri.
"Twelfth Division Captain, I hereby appoint you as the scientific officer accompanying the army. You will assist the Ninth Division Captain in proceeding to Hueco Mundo to resist the Arrancar forces and investigate the origin of this Arrancar army—"
"Hah?!"
Mayuri was stunned. Just as he was about to protest the order, Yamamoto struck his staff against the ground once more.
"This command is neither to be refused nor rescinded!!"
"… Yes."
Though Fūjin Taichi also felt a headache coming on at this final appointment, he could only grit his teeth and accept it.
"Meeting adjourned!"
With Yamamoto's declaration, the seventeen-hour-long Captains' Meeting finally came to an end the following afternoon.
It was precisely at that moment that Kenpachi Zaraki, who had been absent the entire time, finally arrived outside the assembly hall. Seeing the captains filing out one by one, he looked utterly confused.
"Huh? It's over already??"
"… Sigh. You should really get yourself a guide dog, Kenpachi."
Fūjin Taichi patted him on the arm, shook his head, and walked off—quickly disappearing from Kenpachi's sight.
"A guide dog??"
...
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