["Refuse?!" Stelle stared at her in disbelief.]
["A mere Stellaron is nothing. The Alliance has long been aware of such things and has its own methods to deal with them. The Xianzhou has soared for eight thousand years—we are accustomed to crises of survival." Yukong spoke unhurriedly. "Though the current disaster strikes fiercely, the Xianzhou still has the strength to handle it on its own. There is no need to rely on outsiders to quell this calamity."]
["You have come from afar as guests, and there is no reason for you to be entangled in this matter—do you understand what I mean by this?"]
Soul Society, Seireitei.
In the meeting room of the Gotei 13, Renji Abarai, the lieutenant of the 6th Division, let out a dissatisfied "Tch."
"The way they talk… the people of the Xianzhou are way too arrogant, aren't they?!"
The room was filled with captains and lieutenants, while seated outside were the lower-ranked Shinigami below the third seat. Renji's remark drew murmurs of agreement from the members outside.
"Arrogant? That's not quite the right word." Byakuya Kuchiki glanced sideways at Renji behind him, his tone calm. "Have you forgotten? The Xianzhou is a faction directly blessed by the Hunt Aeon. Figures like Jing Yuan, who are of Emanator-level strength, include five generals and one marshal."
"Belobog doesn't have a Preservation Emanator, so it's understandable they couldn't handle the Stellaron. But the Xianzhou has seven Emanators—if they can't deal with a single Stellaron, that would be hard to believe."
Byakuya's words were logical and well-reasoned, immediately silencing the murmurs outside.
"If we take Yukong's words at face value—'The Xianzhou has soared for eight thousand years'—then a single Stellaron destroying them would mean the Xianzhou Alliance would never have lasted this long."
Currently seated in the Captain-Commander's seat, Shunsui Kyōraku rested his chin on his hand. He acknowledged Byakuya's point but had other concerns.
"The Xianzhou's goal is to hunt the Abundance, but now Destruction has intervened—in other words, the Xianzhou has become a battleground for three Aeons' forces. The situation is unpredictable."
"This isn't like Belobog… On that ice ball, everyone just had to focus on dealing with Cocolia and the Stellaron. But on the Xianzhou, the allegiances of friend and foe could shift at any moment."
As Kyōraku finished speaking, a light cough came from the captains' seats—it was Tōshirō Hitsugaya of the 10th Division.
Ahem. "Captain-Commander, I have a different perspective."
Hitsugaya cleared his throat and spoke solemnly. "The forces of the Aeons, the Express crew… those are matters of another world. Even if some of them are aware of our existence, they likely won't pose a threat to the Soul Society anytime soon, right?"
His words immediately made everyone think of Sampo, sending a chill down their spines—that inscrutable man had caused massive upheaval in the Soul Society with just a few casually spoken words.
Kyōraku himself had tried more than once to decipher that man's intentions, but every time he attempted to, he felt as though he were sinking deeper into a spider's web—an uncomfortable sensation.
He was neither good nor evil, neither friend nor foe… Considering he hadn't done anything further to threaten the Soul Society, the captains had relaxed their guard against him for now.
"Most likely… yes." Kyōraku nodded.
Hitsugaya lifted his teacup, watching the tender tea leaves slowly sink to the bottom before narrowing his eyes slightly.
"Everyone here has witnessed their 'swordsmanship,' right? What do you all think?"
He raised his gaze, sweeping it over the seated captains—all of them had seen the battle between Jingliu and Jing Yuan. Even the mere memory of it sent a thrilling tremor through their bodies.
Especially Kenpachi Zaraki, who slammed the table and laughed heartily. "Of course it was exhilarating!"
"Indeed. At least in the realm of 'swordsmanship'… I cannot compare." Hitsugaya's eyes lowered as he drew his Zanpakutō from his back, gripping it tightly.
"The Xianzhou's sword arts are incredibly refined—a legacy of thousands of years. In my opinion, if we have the chance, we must master them. This is the most pressing matter at hand."
"If we can attain that level of swordsmanship, then even if that man Sampo suddenly turns hostile and threatens the Soul Society, we'll have another means to counter him."
The other captains agreed with Hitsugaya's reasoning, though they still had doubts. "But that woman Jingliu seems to have already died. Her swordsmanship was passed down to Jing Yuan, and if Jing Yuan doesn't use it… how can we learn?"
"Yet Jing Yuan also passed it down to Yanqing."
"In the days to come, we should pay close attention to that young man." Hitsugaya said. "With such a legendary master, it's unlikely he'd produce a mediocre disciple. I have a feeling… that boy's mastery of the sword is anything but ordinary."
——
[No matter how much Welt tried to explain, Yukong's stance remained unchanged. Her words reflected the Xianzhou's final decision—unmovable.]
[Since she had made her position clear, March 7th no longer wanted to involve herself in this mess. But just as she prepared to leave, Yukong's expression turned stern, declaring that they were not permitted to depart.]
["…Hey, that's going too far." March 7th was starting to get angry.]
["The discovery of the Stellaron on the Luofu was only days ago. The Sky-Faring Commission has been completely sealed, with no one allowed to leave—so how did you all foresee this? How did you determine it was connected to the Stellaron?"]
["I've reviewed the Sky-Faring Commission's entry logs. Not long ago, someone hacked into the system, opened the Jade Gate, and guided a ship into port—that ship was yours: the Astral Express…"]
["The hacker's methods were sophisticated, even leaving behind a mark as if to taunt us—'Silver Wolf,' a member of the Stellaron Hunters."]
[Yukong's voice was colder than the deepest winter snow. "How do you explain this?"]
["The Stellaron Hunters asked us to come!" Stelle hurriedly defended.]
[But Yukong paid no heed, her face stern as she declared, "Until these suspicions are cleared, you are not to leave the Sky-Faring Commission."]
[Before her words fully settled, Yukong's gaze flicked to the side, and a hearty laugh rang out from nearby, drawing everyone's attention.]
[A blue projection slowly approached the group—the figure's identity was none other than General Jing Yuan!]
["Now, now, Yukong, no need to be so harsh. If word gets out, wouldn't the galaxy laugh at the Xianzhou Alliance for its lack of hospitality?"]
"Hmph. A familiar tactic."
In the Jade Chamber, Ningguang reclined on her soft silk cushion, a familiar smirk playing on her lips.
"Tactic?" Her secretary, Baiwen, was confused. "Lady Ningguang… what tactic?"
"One plays the villain, the other the hero."
Ningguang explained leisurely. "First, a subordinate plays the strict enforcer, issuing threats and denials. Then, the higher-up steps in as the benevolent mediator to ease tensions—it's just a way for the leader to win trust. A common trick."
"Baiwen, think carefully. If you were part of the Express crew right now, who would you trust more—Yukong, or General Jing Yuan?"