A few days later...
An ancient Japanese-style estate, lavish beyond measure, stood with towering black-roofed pavilions that seemed to pierce the sky.
The Tsunayashiro Clan residence.
Clusters of tall, timeworn buildings stood together, their unpainted pillars, beams, and walls exuding an air of antiquity. This was the home of the noble, one of the great rulers of Soul Society—one of the Four Great Noble Clans—the Tsunayashiro Clan.
Elderly men, draped in opulent robes, sat in elevated seats. The towering walls were engraved with depictions of ancient trees and vast mountains, radiating an aura of absolute authority.
"Sinners, tell us what happened."
At the center of the council chamber, two men knelt—both reduced to barely recognizable figures after brutal torture.
They were missing limbs, their faces smeared with blood, their breaths faint and shallow.
One of them spat out a broken tooth and weakly murmured,
"Lady Asaka... is dead..."
The elders exchanged cold glances before closing their eyes and shaking their heads.
The death of Asaka Tsunayashiro meant little in itself—what mattered was that she bore the Tsunayashiro name, and her fate reflected upon the honor of the clan.
"How did she die?!"
"A witness saw a Hollow attack Lady Asaka."
The man trembled violently. Forcing himself to stay upright despite his failing body, he swallowed the blood pooling in his mouth and continued,
"You were her guards, yet you had to hear of your master's death from an outsider. What use do you have left? Go prove your loyalty."
"Thank you, my lords! Thank you, my lords!"
The two guards kowtowed frantically, slamming their foreheads against the floor until blood seeped from their wounds.
At this moment, living was far more painful than dying.
As the family guards dragged the two men out of the chamber, one of the elders frowned at the bloodstains on the floor and asked,
"What should we do next?"
"Have Central 46 issue an order. This matter must be investigated thoroughly!"
Another elder slammed the table, his voice thundering with rage.
And so, the news spread swiftly.
The Tsunayashiro Clan was thrust into an atmosphere of tense unrest. Loyal death guards, clad in black, moved like specters through the estate, while members from various branches were urgently recalled from afar.
Household servants cast anxious glances toward the central pavilion, their hearts filled with dread.
A ruler of Soul Society—one of the noble Five Great Noble Clans—had perished.
This was the first unnatural death of a Five Great Noble in Soul Society in over a million years—since the war a thousand years ago, when the Quincy invaded.
…
Late that night...
Yamamoto was abruptly woken from his sleep by his deputy. Though irritated by the disruption, he suppressed his displeasure and made his way to the Central 46 Compound's grand conference hall without delay.
Moving swiftly, he passed by the barracks of the various Divisions, walked through the "Bamboo Grove" formed by white towers, and crossed multiple gates before arriving at a massive stone wall.
The wall was stark white, its stone doors marked with a bold red and black octagonal pattern.
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
Two Shinigami from the Seventh Division, stationed as guards, bowed respectfully.
Yamamoto gave them a brief nod.
The guards opened the doors, revealing a familiar wooden bridge. Beneath it lay a crystal-clear pool of water, and at its center stood a structure built from Sekkiseki (Spirit Reducing Stone).
Yamamoto stepped inside, pushing open the great doors of the underground central chamber.
The conference room's interior mirrored its exterior—a perfect octagon. The pitch-black floor stretched endlessly, like a bottomless abyss, creating an unsettling sensation of groundlessness.
Long tables, arranged in tiered rows, encircled the chamber. Atop each table stood screens marked with numbers, obscuring the occupants behind them. Seated beyond the screens were 46 individuals—nobles and elders of the Soul Society.
At the highest position sat the six Judges, and below them, forty wise men of the council.
These forty-six individuals represented the pinnacle of power in Soul Society—its highest judicial authority...
The Central 46 Compound.
"Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, pays his respects to the Wise Men and Judges," Yamamoto announced as he stepped forward. With each measured step, squares of white light flickered to life beneath his feet.
The six Judges and the Forty Wise Men showed no sign of displeasure. Instead, faint smiles tugged at their lips, as if trying to ease the tension—though their faces remained hidden from Yamamoto's view.
No one seated here was a fool.
Their wisdom, honed by years of political maneuvering, made them keenly aware of reality.
This old man before them was not someone they could manipulate at will.
Even if he played along for now, there was no guarantee he always would.
And if the day came when he tired of their games—when he no longer indulged their authority—none among them could stop the blade that could set the world ablaze.
The Judge seated on the far left, Masayo Shihōin, waved his hand with a soft chuckle.
"Our sharpest blade, Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Shigekuni Yamamoto-sama—congratulations on taking a new disciple."
Yamamoto's voice was deep and unwavering.
"There's no need for pleasantries, Your Honor."
"I know exactly why you've summoned me here."
"But before we begin, I have a question for all of you..."
He paused.
His gaze, suddenly razor-sharp, swept over the assembled dignitaries like the edge of a drawn sword.
"Why did you bypass the Gotei 13, the Onmitsukidō, and the Kidō Corps—
and instead send family guards to surround the Shiba Clan?"
"The Shiba family was once one of the Five Great Noble Clans. Even if they have left Seireitei, that fact has not changed!"
The green-haired Judge seated at the center scowled and retorted,
"According to the law, any act of violence against a noble must be met with severe punishment."
"Asaka Tsunayashiro perished in the World of the Living during a Konsō training mission, yet we have not even held the Gotei 13 accountable for its failure!"
"Or do you believe that the life of a noble is worth less than that of a mere Rukongai commoner?"
The moment those words were spoken, tension rippled through the chamber.
Even with the screens concealing their faces, the arrogance and fury in his voice were unmistakable.
Yet, standing before Seireitei's highest authority, Yamamoto remained composed. His tone was as steady as ever.
"The lives of nobles are important—"
"But that does not justify breaking the law."
"No matter the crime, it is the Gotei 13's duty to investigate. To interfere without proper authority is, in itself, a violation of the law."
"Furthermore, there is not a shred of evidence proving that Masatsuki Aozaki was at fault in this incident."
Shihōin Masayo nodded in agreement.
"I believe the Captain-Commander is right."
"Let's not forget—twenty years ago, a member of the Tsunayashiro Clan, a graduate of the Academy, committed a crime so severe that it warranted immediate execution."
"Yet, out of consideration for his connection to the Captain-Commander, the Judges and Wise Men commuted his sentence— reducing it to three hundred years of house arrest."
"If you could show leniency then, why be so merciless now to the Captain-Commander's new disciple?"
As Yamamoto and Shihōin Masayo's unrelenting words echoed through the chamber, the elders and judges of the Tsunayashiro Clan opened their mouths—yet no words came forth.
For the first time, they were speechless.
Frustration swelled in their chests.
Back then, they had only sought to protect a promising clan member while reaffirming the Tsunayashiro Clan's authority.
Who would have thought that decision would now come back to silence them?
And it was all because of those meddling old family elders—who had, for the sake of a mere branch family member, brought disgrace upon the entire clan today.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake