The thing one fears most is when the air suddenly goes quiet.
Byakuya Kuchiki had originally only intended to make a joke. After all, in his understanding, this would count as a capital offense punishable by death.
It was roughly equivalent to a boss asking an employee why they didn't come to work by asking, "Did you get hit by a car?" only to find out the employee really did get hit by a car.
However, after he said those words, Yoruichi Shihōin and Soifon managed to maintain their composure. It was just that...
Standing opposite him, Ichigo Kurosaki's expression immediately became off.
Crap, Ichigo revealed a flaw!
Yoruichi Shihōin jerked her gaze toward Ichigo Kurosaki. The other party was, after all, still a first-year high school student; naturally, his lying skills were not as natural as theirs, who had lived for decades or centuries.
Almost everyone present turned their heads simultaneously, looking at Ichigo Kurosaki with his weird expression, and then looking at Soifon. The looks on their faces were replaced by incredulous shock.
—A casual joke had actually bombed out the truth?
"Did you really... pass the power of a Shinigami to this human of the World of the Living, a complete stranger?"
Byakuya Kuchiki's expression turned very ugly. If this was the case, even he couldn't think of any way to protect Soifon.
With the influence of the Kuchiki Clan, perhaps he could save Soifon from the death penalty, but he could not guarantee whether she would be imprisoned in Muken or a place like the Maggots' Nest.
"Impossible!"
Rangiku Matsumoto almost shouted it out. She lunged forward a step, blocking the space between Soifon and Byakuya Kuchiki.
"Captain Soifon is just... just exhausted from battle! Spirit Particles are sparse in the World of the Living, so recovery is just slow!"
Isane Kotetsu also nodded hurriedly, her voice trembling slightly:
"Right... as long as she returns to Soul Society, Captain Soifon's Reiatsu will recover very quickly!"
"Captain Byakuya, you... don't talk nonsense!"
As Vice-Captains, refuting the opinion of the Kuchiki Clan's head required immense courage.
In fact, both Rangiku Matsumoto and Isane Kotetsu had their hands pressed against their sword guards.
But Byakuya Kuchiki did not look at them.
His gaze passed over Rangiku Matsumoto and Isane Kotetsu's shoulders, locking firmly onto Soifon's face.
"Captain Soifon," Byakuya Kuchiki spoke slowly. "Please, answer for yourself."
The night wind blew through the deserted street, curling up a few fallen leaves on the ground.
Yoruichi Shihōin shielded Soifon without leaving a trace, but her kindness was rejected by Soifon behind her, who blocked Yoruichi's hand and pushed it back.
Soifon took a slow breath and met Byakuya Kuchiki's gaze.
"Yes." Her voice was still weak and unsteady. "The situation was critical at the time, so I passed the power of a Shinigami to Ichigo Kurosaki."
Rangiku Matsumoto and Isane Kotetsu sucked in a breath of cold air simultaneously, and the expressions on their faces turned ugly as well.
"The situation was critical. Three Quincys with strength far exceeding estimates surrounded us. I was unable to escape, nor could I protect him after he mistakenly entered the battlefield."
"Moreover, the power hidden within Ichigo Kurosaki is very strong. I judged that giving him the power of a Shinigami would allow him to defeat the enemies, so I did it."
Soifon calmed her breathing and spoke word by word, with no intention of defending herself.
Byakuya Kuchiki closed his eyes. After a while, he slowly opened them: "Do you know what this means... Captain Soifon?"
"I know." Soifon shook her head at Yoruichi and walked slowly toward Byakuya Kuchiki. "I will go back with you."
"Wait—!" Ichigo Kurosaki rushed in front of Byakuya Kuchiki, his expression angry. "Why?!"
"Didn't we kill the enemies in Karakura Town for you guys?"
"Why must there still be punishment?"
"I don't understand!"
With just a few sentences, Ichigo Kurosaki could no longer suppress the Reiatsu within his body. The powerful pressure caused the Shihakushō of the several people present to flap loudly.
It wasn't that Byakuya Kuchiki couldn't speak to refute him; it was just that he also agreed with Ichigo Kurosaki's words.
He didn't understand either, but his upbringing told him he could only do this.
Tap.
Soifon's hand rested on Ichigo Kurosaki's shoulder, halting the other party's surging Reiatsu.
"Calm down, Ichigo."
"I gave the power to you because that was the only way to defeat the enemies at the time. I made this choice, so I must bear the consequences of this choice."
Soifon slowly pushed aside Ichigo Kurosaki, who was blocking her way, and walked up to Byakuya Kuchiki. She turned around to stand side-by-side with him, facing the crowd.
"Don't let Byakuya's constantly icy appearance fool you; he is actually my friend, and a noble of the Seireitei."
"With him here, I won't receive a heavy sentence."
As soon as Soifon finished speaking, everyone coincidentally shifted their gazes to Byakuya Kuchiki, who had been silent on the side, wanting an answer from him.
The tsundere Byakuya Kuchiki did not give a direct answer. He merely snorted coldly, glanced at Soifon, and then looked away.
"I do not have that kind of ability. The punishment for Captain Soifon should be decided by Central 46."
"However... although Captain Soifon violated the law, she also slew strong enemies. Merits and faults will naturally be judged by others."
After saying this, Byakuya Kuchiki turned around, raised his Zanpakutō, and opened the Senkaimon. He glanced back at Rangiku Matsumoto and Isane Kotetsu, signaling for the two to keep up.
With one person on each side supporting Soifon, Rangiku and Isane followed behind Byakuya Kuchiki, arriving before the Senkaimon.
Ichigo Kurosaki was stunned. He opened his mouth, seeming to want to say something else, but was interrupted by another voice.
"Byakuya!"
Yoruichi Shihōin stepped forward to Byakuya Kuchiki's side, staring at him.
"What is it?"
Byakuya Kuchiki met her gaze without a hint of a guilty conscience.
Yoruichi spoke: "What you just said—it counts, right?"
After staring at each other for a few seconds, Byakuya Kuchiki said: "As the Head of the Kuchiki Clan, I would not go so far as to lie to a wanted criminal like you."
After returning to the Seireitei, Soifon's weak Reiatsu fluctuations immediately attracted the attention of the various Captains.
The process of the debriefing report went very quickly. Soifon did not hide the fact that she had passed Shinigami power to a human under emergency circumstances.
The air in the entire First Division barracks solidified.
The veins on the back of Captain-Commander Yamamoto's hand, which was resting on his cane, bulged slightly.
Good...
Less than a hundred years have passed. Yoruichi Shihōin was like this, and now her successor is like this too.
"Captain Soifon." The Captain-Commander's words concealed anger. "Do you admit your guilt?"
Nodding, Soifon bowed slightly: "I admit my guilt, Your Excellency Captain-Commander."
"Take her away." After a moment of silence, the Captain-Commander finally spoke. "Confine her in the Fourth Division's Special Confinement Unit under strict guard, to await judgment by Central 46."
Two First Division soldiers stepped forward, just about to escort Soifon away, but were blocked by Isane Kotetsu, who had returned with them.
"Captain-Commander, Captain Soifon's Spirit Body is weak. Let me take her back to the Fourth Division for treatment first, before locking her in the Special Confinement Unit. Would that be acceptable?"
Isane Kotetsu braced herself, bearing the pressure of being watched by numerous Captains, and pleaded with the Captain-Commander sitting in the center.
The Captain-Commander narrowed his eyes slightly, sizing up Isane Kotetsu for a good while, before slowly spitting out a single word.
"Granted."
____
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