Bang! Bang! Bang!
After years of peace, the massive brass alarm bells of the Seireitei rang out, their heavy tolls echoing across the white cityscape.
The sound was deafening, frantic enough to jolt the Seireitei out of its centuries-long slumber.
Jin'emon Kotsubaki rushed into the Captain's office, sliding the door open with a harsh clatter.
He was panting.
"Captain! The Captain-Commander has called an emergency meeting. Maximum priority!"
Sitting behind his desk, Kazuma showed no trace of surprise.
He set down his calligraphy brush, he had long anticipated this day.
He stood up and headed toward the First Division meeting hall.
Along the way, dozens of Shinigami sprinted past him, shouting orders and drawing weapons as they scrambled to meet whatever crisis had triggered the bells.
Kazuma tucked his hands into his sleeves, sighing inwardly.
'It's finally happening. The Hollowfication incident has begun!.'
When he stepped into the First Division meeting hall, the other Captains were already gathered.
Panic edged the faces of the newer Captains, caught off guard by the blaring emergency.
The veterans, however, stood unbothered.
Unohana, Shunsui, and Ukitake waited in quiet stillness, they had bled through countless wars and knew the sound of the alarms well.
Kazuma took his designated spot for the Seventh Division. His gaze swept the room, taking in the tension. He immediately noted the empty space where the Ninth Division Captain should be.
'Peace makes them soft. A single bell is enough to rattle the rookies,' Kazuma mused.
The heavy doors swung open.
Yamamoto strode in, his cane tapping a rhythmic, heavy beat against the floorboards.
His Spiritual Pressure was contained, but the suffocating weight of his presence still choked the room.
He reached the head of the table and slammed his cane down.
The dull thud silenced the frantic whispers in an instant.
"We have been monitoring an ongoing incident in the Rukongai. Souls have been vanishing without a trace," Yamamoto announced, his gravelly voice carrying across the hall. "Ninth Division Captain Kensei Muguruma led an advance team to investigate. Moments ago... Captain Kensei's Spiritual Pressure vanished."
A sharp gasp rippled through the newer Captains.
"In light of this, I am dispatching a Captain-level recovery team," Yamamoto continued, leaving no room for argument.
"Third Division Captain Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, Vice-Captain Love Aikawa, and Fifth Division Captain Shinji Hirako will proceed to the scene immediately. Find Captain Kensei."
Yamamoto turned his fiery gaze to the rest of the room.
"The Seventh Division will reinforce the guard around the inner court. The Sixth, Eighth, and Thirteenth Divisions will remain on standby. Second Division Captain Yoruichi Shihōin, ready the Onmitsukidō. Be prepared to move at a moment's notice."
Kisuke Urahara stood in the ranks, his bucket hat pulled low.
He remained silent, lost in thought.
Since Kazuma had already transferred Hiyori to the Seventh Division, Kisuke had no personal stake driving him to rush into the field.
As for Hiyori, Kazuma had sent her to Hueco Mundo weeks ago, using the excuse that Kuruyashiki needed help tracking down Ashido.
She was miles away, safe from the unfolding tragedy.
Captain Unohana stepped forward.
The usual placid smile was gone, replaced by a tight knot of worry. "Captain-Commander, considering the likelihood of heavy casualties, I request permission to accompany Captain Hirako. As the medical corps Captain, I can provide frontline treatment and ensure their survival."
Before Yamamoto could answer, Kazuma cut in.
He met Unohana's gaze. "Unohana, you must have faith in them. They are elites. Besides, the situation on-site is a blind spot. If you march in now, you risk walking the medical corps into an ambush. Wait until the perimeter is secured. That is standard tactical doctrine."
Unohana frowned.
She knew Kazuma's logic was flawless, but her instincts pushed her to go and save those lives.
She opened her mouth to argue. "But—"
Yamamoto stomped his cane, the sharp crack cutting her off.
He glanced at Kazuma, reading the silent warning in his eyes, then turned to Unohana.
"Enough. Captain Kazuma is correct. Now is not the time to risk our primary healer in an unknown combat zone. Remain with your squad and prepare the trauma wards. I will notify you if your presence is required."
Unohana bowed her head. Reluctant, but bound by duty, she stepped back into line.
She could only pray for the investigation team's return.
Yamamoto scanned the room, adjusting the deployment. "In that case, we will dispatch Grand Kidō Chief Tessai Tsukabishi and Vice Kidō Chief Hachigen Ushōda. They will provide containment support."
"Captain-Commander, isn't that a bit rash?" Shunsui spoke up.
His tone was lazy, but his eyes were sharp.
"To dispatch both the Chief and Vice Chief of the Kidō Corps into a blind trap... it leaves the Seireitei's barrier defenses vulnerable."
Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a better candidate for containment?"
Shunsui smiled.
He walked over to the open window and shouted, "Lisa-chan! You heard the meeting, right? Are you willing to go in place of the Grand Kidō Chief?"
Lisa's head popped into view, hanging upside down by her knees from the eaves.
She pushed her glasses up her nose and gave a deadpan nod. "Understood, Captain. I'll provide containment."
She swung back up, vanishing into the shadows.
A few Captains sighed.
Only the Eighth Division could be so casual during a crisis!
Yamamoto sighed, conceding the point. "The personnel are confirmed. Third Division's Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi and Love Aikawa, Fifth Division's Shinji Hirako, Eighth Division's Lisa Yadōmaru, and Vice Kidō Chief Hachigen Ushōda will form the recovery team. Depart immediately!"
"Meeting adjourned!"
"Yes, sir!"
Rose, Love, Shinji, and the others responded in unison.
They blurred out of the hall, racing straight toward the Rukongai.
"Kazuma. Stay behind, I have a question for you."
As Shunsui left the room, he glanced over his shoulder.
Kazuma wore a relaxed, knowing smile.
'Did Kazuma figure this out?' Shunsui wondered.
He knew Kazuma never spoke up in meetings unless he was orchestrating the board.
Soon, the heavy doors closed, leaving only Yamamoto and Kazuma in the hall.
Yamamoto turned to Kazuma. His voice trembled with a quiet fury.
"This matter... it is his doing, isn't it? It's Aizen Sosuke."
"You guessed correctly. It is him," Kazuma confirmed, his smile fading. "But you don't need to worry. Everything is proceeding within my parameters and for the record, Captain Kensei hasn't been killed. He has just been... altered."
"Altered...." Yamamoto's knuckles turned white around his cane.
He closed his eyes, swallowing the fire burning in his chest.
"Tell me the details!."
...
Across the Seireitei, the atmosphere tightened.
The air in the barracks grew heavy with the weight of impending battle.
The divisions mobilized in swift, grim coordination, locking down the city according to Yamamoto's orders.
The Seventh Division sealed the gates, reinforcing the guard around the inner court. They checked every shadow, investigating the slightest disturbance.
They carried the burden of ensuring the safety of the Captain-Commander and Central 46.
The Sixth, Eighth, and Thirteenth Divisions held their positions on armed standby, weapons drawn.
If the crisis in the Rukongai breached the walls, they were ready for urban combat.
In the shadows, Captain Yoruichi Shihōin directed the Onmitsukidō.
Clad in her assassin's gear, she kept her network primed to strike or support at a moment's notice.
Knowing the Flash Goddess watched the perimeter gave the lower-ranked Shinigami a lifeline of security.
The Seireitei was locked in war readiness.
Every division stood fast, weapons drawn, waiting in the heavy silence for whatever came next.
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