At the heart of Seireitei, a sprawling mansion built in the elegant style of traditional Japanese architecture dominated the central area. Its refined layout, luxurious structure, and vast size rivaled that of an entire division's barracks. At its highest point bloomed a dark green flower — the emblem of the Komyoda Clan, marking this estate as theirs.
In the courtyard, Komyoda Kojirō stood silently outside the main hall. Inside, two stern-faced men sat facing the door. Their expressions were cold and distant as they looked at Kojirō. One of them finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying a subtle weight:
"The situation in the Grand Spirit Archive has been unstable lately. You must be ready to graduate from the Spiritual Arts Academy at any moment. According to the elders' consensus, that thing will emerge within the next year and a half at most."
The speaker was a slightly overweight middle-aged man whose face bore no emotion as he delivered this statement to Kojirō.
Hearing this, Kojirō's expression remained unreadable. He simply dropped to one knee, lowered his head respectfully, and replied:
"Yes, I understand, Lord Sōsuke."
Komyoda Sōsuke looked at Kojirō's obedient demeanor and smiled slightly — yet no warmth reached his eyes. His smile was purely mechanical.
"Good. I'm glad you have this level of awareness. Remember, for the sake of our clan, you must secure that position no matter what. Your zanpakutō is uniquely compatible with it. That makes you invaluable — more than anyone else."
Having said this, Sōsuke waved a hand, signaling Kojirō to leave.
Kojirō bowed politely to both men, turned, and walked out of the courtyard. But beneath his seemingly calm exterior, his fingernails had already pierced into his palm — bright red blood dripped silently from his clenched fist.
Watching Kojirō's retreating figure, the older, thinner man beside Sōsuke narrowed his eyes slightly. He then said:
"Sōsuke, everything has its own expiration date. You understand that, don't you? Especially things that come with a high cost. Sometimes, it's more reasonable to treat them as rentals, rather than long-term investments."
Sōsuke's slightly plump face twisted into a cold, bone-chilling smile. He took a slow sip of water and responded quietly:
"Of course. Your teachings — I've always kept them in mind."
The elder nodded at Sōsuke's words and said nothing more. Only the tea leaves in his cup continued to rise and fall in the bitter hot water, struggling desperately within their steeping prison.
Meanwhile, in the Central 46 Chambers, another major meeting had concluded. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto leaned on his cane as he slowly emerged from the cold, pitch-dark chamber. His expression was as calm and composed as ever, but the faint heat radiating from his body hinted that his mood was far from tranquil.
Chōjirō Sasakibe, with his silver mustache neatly trimmed, approached the Captain-Commander. Seeing the tightness in Yamamoto's expression, he quietly offered a rare piece of good news:
"Captain-Commander, there's word from Squad Four. Asano Kiyoshi's recovery rate is far beyond normal parameters. His body has fully healed, and his spiritual pressure has even increased slightly as a result of the incident."
Hearing this, the oppressive heat around Yamamoto began to dissipate. He turned toward Sasakibe with a softened gaze and said warmly:
"Is that so? Looks like that boy turned misfortune into blessing. But since he's got that kind of recovery ability, I'll just have to train him even more rigorously from now on!"
There was even a trace of laughter in his tone — but the amusement didn't last long. Yamamoto's face soon turned serious again as he asked:
"And? What was the cause of this incident? Have the investigations found anything?"
Sasakibe paused briefly before replying:
"Reports from Squad Twelve and Squad Thirteen suggest that the Hollow appeared in the human world through a randomly opened Garganta. It seems to have been a genuine accident. Moreover, neither the autopsy of the Hollow nor the body of the deceased Squad Member Bannai Daigo showed any trace of foreign spiritual interference."
"However, there's one thing that doesn't quite add up. Based on the residual spiritual pressure on both corpses, Daigo should have been capable of defeating the Hollow. Even if he had taken a direct hit, his spiritual strength should have been enough to defend himself..."
"But according to the wounds found on his body, he didn't use any spirit energy to defend himself at all during the attack. That's what makes this incident so puzzling. No matter how careless he may have been, it's hard to believe he'd die from such a basic mistake."
Yamamoto listened silently, then finally gave an order:
"Record this incident in the archives — file it under Squad One as an A-rank case. Also, increase the condolence payment for the deceased squad member by twenty percent. Deduct the extra from my own salary."
Sasakibe chuckled softly at this and added:
"Captain-Commander, you're not the only one who said something like that. Someone else expressed similar thoughts — though the words were different, the intent was the same."
Yamamoto raised a brow, curious:
"Oh? Who was it?"
Sasakibe smiled:
"The boy you just mentioned — Asano Kiyoshi. The moment he was discharged from the hospital, he personally went to Captain Ukitake to ask about Daigo's family and the arrangements made for them. He even donated his entire scholarship award to Daigo's relatives — and delivered it himself."
Sasakibe nodded in approval and added with a hint of emotion:
"Captain-Commander, it seems you've found a disciple who truly mirrors you."
Though Yamamoto said nothing, the slight lift at the corner of his eyes betrayed his mood — he was clearly pleased.
But then, he shook his head slightly and said:
"No... he's not like me. He's much gentler. That boy's kindness — it comes from deep within. It's a part of his very bones. I'm not like that. I'm a devil forged over a thousand years of battle."
Sasakibe fell silent at those words. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but Yamamoto waved a hand, dismissing him.
Alone now, Yamamoto stood inside Squad One's barracks, leaning on his cane. A breeze slipped through the half-open wall — damp with early summer moisture. It carried the sorrow and joy of the Soul Society into the deep wrinkles of the old man's weathered face.
He let out a soft sigh and muttered to himself:
"The nobles have raised taxes on the commoners yet again... Even those members of Central 46 born as commoners have mostly sided with them. The Gotei 13's budget has been cut, under the excuse of it hindering the peaceful development of the Soul Society..."