The green-haired Judge gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, a mix of doubt and confusion flickering in his heart.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, as the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, had always demonstrated unwavering loyalty to the Seireitei. His dedication was highly esteemed among the members of Central 46, even surpassing that of the noble families. In every past meeting, he had never once defied or questioned their orders.
And yet, today, he openly challenged the Wise Men and Judges of Central 46. This was highly unusual.
Yamamoto gazed at the silent Wise Men and Judges before speaking slowly, "I will dispatch members of the Gotei 13 to investigate this incident. You need only wait for the results."
The assembly was momentarily stunned.
Masatsuki Aozaki… Was he truly worth this level of concern?
The green-haired Judge, now composed, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, took a deep breath and said evenly, "Leave this matter to the Gotei 13. This is your responsibility."
"The deaths of the Four Noble Clans affect the prestige of the Seireitei. The truth must be uncovered."
"I trust that His Excellency the Captain-Commander will do his utmost to provide us with a satisfactory answer."
"Furthermore, this incident must remain confidential. The information must not spread."
"What do you all think?"
"Agreed," Masayo Shihōin spoke.
The Judge beside him, wearing a Kenseikan, followed up. "Seconded."
"Agreed."
"..."
One after another, voices rang out in agreement. At this point, they all understood that continuing the meeting would serve no purpose.
The Tsunayashiro Clan was infamous for its madness, but that didn't mean they were fools.
On the contrary, as one of the Five Great Noble Clans, each generation produced a select few with exceptional abilities and formidable Reiatsu. These individuals received top-tier elite education, trained by the finest masters in various disciplines, and underwent rigorous selection processes.
Only after proving their worth did they gradually ascend to seats among the Wise Men and Judges of Central 46.
If the Tsunayashiro Clan were merely a band of lunatics, they would have long since fallen into ruin, never securing their place as the most powerful noble house in the Seireitei.
The Judges and Wise Men of Central 46, who represented the highest authority in Seireitei, were the elite among nobles. Their privileged upbringing ensured they would always safeguard the rule and dominance of the aristocracy.
It was inevitable.
Aside from the "King" who resided in the heavens, the nobles were the supreme rulers of Soul Society.
This was their unshakable law—their absolute bottom line. It could never be crossed, nor was it ever open for debate.
…
World of the Living.
Shin'ō Academy's Konsō Training Area.
The sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky, casting light over the endless forest.
"Yes, Captain-Commander… According to the information provided by Shin'ō Academy, I have arrived at the scene."
Standing on the grass, Isshin Shiba used Kidō to report back, his face weary. He scratched at himself absentmindedly while quickly scanning the area.
"There aren't many obvious traces at the scene."
"Yes, I understand."
After disconnecting the communication Kidō, Isshin let out a long, frustrated sigh.
"Sending all of us here… The Captain-Commander must really be taking this incident seriously."
A woman with braided hair, dressed in a Shihakushō and wearing pink-framed glasses, appeared beside him. Tied to her arm was the emblem of the "Bird of Paradise" unit.
Isshin nodded but inwardly found it excessive.
The grass was clean, with only a few scattered pieces of clothing. The occasional slash mark from a blade could be seen, but there was no way to discern what had actually happened here.
This was the frustrating thing about being a Shinigami—if your Reiatsu wasn't strong enough, you couldn't even preserve a corpse. If it was too strong, you couldn't easily dispose of one either.
By the time Asaka Tsunayashiro's death was noticed by the guards and students, her body had already vanished without a trace.
Now, days had passed. Evidence wouldn't just appear out of thin air.
At this point, even sending them here—what was the point?
All this trouble over a dead noble from one of the Four Great Clans...
It wasn't that Isshin didn't value human life, nor was he prejudiced against nobles. But deploying this many people was a complete waste of resources.
The Gotei 13 didn't have the manpower to spare, especially in these turbulent times. The rebels could use this opportunity to attack more innocent people.
Still, no matter how absurd it seemed, this was an order from Central 46 and the Captain-Commander.
Regardless of his personal opinions, Isshin would do his job properly.
His eyes drifted to an open patch of land not far away, and his mouth twitched.
Here he was, a 10th Division Captain assisting in the investigation, running himself ragged—while the one actually in charge, Shunsui Kyōraku...
That bastard was lounging against a tree, drinking sake, looking like he had nothing to do with any of this.
"Captain Kyōraku!!"
Lisa Yadōmaru, noticing Kyōraku's laziness, gritted her teeth and shouted in frustration.
"We're in the middle of a mission! What do you think you're doing just sitting there?"
Hearing her voice, Kyōraku raised his hands in surrender, grinning.
"You've been glued to those weird books of yours. Doesn't look like you're taking this all that seriously either."
Slowly, he set his bottle down, got up, and strolled over.
"What have you found?" Isshin asked, clearly annoyed.
"Let's see…"
Kyōraku stroked his chin, fingers grazing over his stubble, then adjusted his straw hat as he studied the "crime scene" intently.
Suddenly, he widened his eyes in exaggerated surprise, as if he had stumbled upon something interesting. Then, with dramatic flair, he declared:
"Haha, not even a scrap of her remains. Looks like she wasn't strong enough to have reached Lieutenant level!"
Everyone in the area turned to look at him.
Isshin Shiba: …
Lisa Yadōmaru: …
Investigating Shinigami: …
"I really don't get why the old man sent us here," Kyōraku shrugged, lips curling in amusement.
"The Academy students already explained it, didn't they? A Hollow attacked this young lady. We should just report that to the higher-ups and be done with it."
"But the instructors at Shin'ō Academy said they didn't sense any Hollow Reiatsu. The only traces left behind were blade marks…"
"Lisa-chan… Didn't they see the Hollow with their own eyes?"
Kyōraku winked, then, without a care in the world, turned and flopped back onto the grass, taking another sip of his drink.
"There are plenty of Hollows with special abilities. Hiding their Reiatsu isn't exactly unheard of."
"This noble lady was just unlucky—she ran into a Hollow that could conceal its Reiatsu and was stronger than her."
Lisa furrowed her brows, glancing at Isshin, who remained silent. Then, in a steady voice, she said:
"We'll suspend the investigation for now. Let's head back and question the students."
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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