Chapter Thirty-Seven: Agony

A world shrouded in darkness... Hidden somewhere within this world... An existence yet to be discovered...

"Your Majesty."

Saidritz stepped through the entrance and into the room, gazing at the man in black seated upon the throne and kneeling on one knee.

"What is the situation, Saidritz?"

The man leaned back fully against his chair, asking in a calm tone.

"The 'object' Your Majesty brought back has been thoroughly analyzed."

...

The man remained silent, awaiting Saidritz's report.

"The situation is not favorable."

Saidritz closed his eyes, speaking in a low voice.

"So it truly cannot work without the '**'?"

The man in black sighed quietly, lifted his head, and stared at the pitch-black ceiling, as if murmuring to himself, "The secret of the Soul-Cutting Sword."

"Your Majesty..."

"No matter, Saidritz." The man's gaze returned to Saidritz. "This must not become a stumbling block to our progress at this moment."

"But, Your Majesty," Saidritz raised his head and looked at the man, narrowing his eyes slightly, "has the matter truly reached a point where you can declare it so easily?"

"...Indeed." The man placed his left hand upon the armrest of the throne, his expression grave.

That left arm was wrapped in white bandages, faint streaks of blood seeping through the gaps.

"We truly underestimated the power of Bankai."

"Even our ultimate defense, Blood Veil, could not fully withstand Bankai's assault. If we face Soul Reapers of captain rank, our soldiers would be annihilated in an instant."

"No..."

He paused, then looked up into the profound darkness, murmuring, "Should we truly fear the power of Shigekuni Yamamoto even more?"

Indeed, Bankai put the Quincy under immense pressure, but the one who used it was only Captain Ichinoji Chiharu of the Eighth Division. Shigekuni Yamamoto, as Head Captain, possessed an unfathomable strength—what manner of power would his Bankai wield?

The man dared not imagine, nor would imagining yield answers. Without witnessing it firsthand, without experiencing it personally, all conjecture was meaningless.

"So, we must devise a way to seal Bankai's power, mustn't we?"

Saidritz seemed to grasp the man's intent and asked.

"No."

The man denied coldly.

"!"

Saidritz looked up in surprise.

Not seal it? Then what does Your Majesty mean...

"The act of sealing always carries the risk that the seal may be broken. Against Bankai, we must employ even more absolute measures."

"Take it."

"!!!"

What was this? To take? The word struck Saidritz's heart like an invasion.

"To defeat Soul Reapers with their own power—that is vengeance."

An inexplicable fervor appeared on the man's face, subtle yet enough to make Saidritz's heart tremble.

"But..."

Imagination comes easily.

Yet the harshest reality is...

"We no longer have the time, Your Majesty..."

Silence, once more merging with the darkness...

................................................

Soul Society, Seireitei, First Division Captain's Office

"In District Forty, only this was recovered..."

Chozaburo lowered his eyes, his voice tinged with loneliness as he gave his report.

Before the assembled captains lay a captain's haori, stained with earth and blood, a deep gash across the chest—tattered and ruined.

"The bodies of the other one hundred thirty-five Quincy have also been collected, but..."

Chozaburo closed his eyes, then continued slowly, "We did not find the remains of Ichinoji Chiharu."

"Nor were there any traces of destroyed spiritual particles—it is likely the enemy took him."

"Additionally, in District Forty, one hundred fifty-eight native souls have vanished. Judging from the traces..."

"That will do."

...

Chozaburo halted his report, silenced by that low, heavy statement: "That will do."

Shigekuni Yamamoto spoke, further deepening the oppressive atmosphere within the captain's office.

"An unspeakable disgrace."

He uttered the words slowly.

Yamamoto swept his gaze across the other eleven captains in the room.

"Not only did the enemy seize the initiative, but now, with minimal losses on their side, we have lost a captain. What shame this brings."

"What say you all?"

The aura.

A presence and authority that none of the dozen captain-level Soul Reapers present could hope to match.

With mere presence alone, he subdued everyone there—a testament to Head Captain Shigekuni Yamamoto's power.

"Have you nothing to say?"

Yamamoto stepped forward, glancing at the two captains seated furthest to his right, and said calmly, "Akuji Kurosawa, Shirakawa—lead one hundred squad members each to the material world at once."

"!!!!"

A wave of shock rippled through the assembly.

What kind of decision was this?

In Soul Society's moment of crisis, to send captain-level Soul Reapers and large squads away from Seireitei?

Moreover, in this era, there were no "spiritual limit seals" to restrict captains and vice-captains' spiritual power. That meant even in the material world, captains and vice-captains could wield their full strength, but doing so would inflict tremendous harm upon souls that had not yet been "soul buried." Thus, captain-level Soul Reapers had always been forbidden from entering the material world.

But now, the Head Captain personally ordered two captains to go.

Did this mean the fate of the material world was irrelevant?

"Quincy are 'humans' as well—their relatives, even if not Quincy, should possess traces of spiritual pressure."

"Eliminate all humans with such traces."

"Furthermore, in battle, you are permitted to fully release your Soul-Cutting Swords."

".............................."

A long silence.

Those two sentences struck all the captains with immense force.

For those two sentences, a great calamity would befall the material world.

Countless humans would die, and innumerable souls would vanish forever.

"What kind of decision is this, Lord Yama!"

After the meeting, Chozaburo sought out Yamamoto and confronted him.

"How many will be sacrificed? How many innocent souls will be caught in this? You must know the consequences of this action!"

Chozaburo rose in agitation, forgetting all decorum before Yamamoto.

...

Shigekuni Yamamoto removed his white haori, seated quietly upon the tatami, and after Chozaburo fell silent, spoke slowly, "Did I err?"

"That is the—"

"But who will comfort the souls grieving for lost loved ones?"

"!"

Soul Society had lost many Soul Reapers, and likewise, many souls would mourn as a result.

Who had ever considered their feelings?

"Let the Quincy taste the pain we have endured—what fault is there in this?"

"Your thoughts are too naive, Chozaburo."

Yamamoto closed his eyes again.

With a sigh, he spoke softly.

"Sacrifice is no longer something we can decide."