Chapter 51: Captain's Meeting — Part 2
Narrator POV
"…Damage the soul…" Suì-Fēng repeated coldly, as if her words were a sentence. "That's why that fox is still in pain. The Ryoka didn't leave a simple wound… he left a mark." Her expression hardened even further, her tone gaining the weight of an execution order. "Someone like that cannot be allowed to roam free." She turned toward Yamamoto. "He must be captured… or eliminated."
A violent burst of laughter exploded in the room, breaking the somber atmosphere like thunder.
"Hahahahahahahahaha!!" Zaraki's laugh was a mixture of savage joy and contained excitement. "What the hell are you talking about, brat!? It's perfect!" His eyes gleamed with hunger. "A guy who can leave you marked for life… sounds like a spectacular fight." He slammed a fist against his chest, roaring with enthusiasm. "Don't any of you dare touch him! That Ryoka is mine!". Then he tilted his chin toward Gin. "Come on, spill everything you know. I need to recognize him if I run into him. What does he look like?"
Gin, still with one hand pressed against his aching stomach, flashed a mischievous smile as he recalled the one responsible for his pain.
"Well… black hair, with bangs almost covering his eyes… blue eyes, sharp gaze. Tall, very slim, but with good posture." His smile curved with slight teasing. "Ah, and very handsome, by the way."
Suì-Fēng's eyebrow twitched. "That last detail… is completely irrelevant."
Gin only shrugged, still enjoying provoking reactions.
The tension had not vanished… only transformed. Now, floating between the captains was a dangerous mix of fear, interest… and a desire to test themselves against this new threat.
One who didn't use katana, kidō, or spiritual tricks. One who struck beyond the body—straight at the soul.
And the war… was only just beginning.
"Well, well… didn't you want all the details?" Gin said with a mocking smile, flicking his hand dismissively as if shooing a fly. "Then I'm giving them to you."
He tilted his head slightly, fixing his sharp gaze on Suì-Fēng, noticing the faint shadow of irritation that crossed her face.
"Oh, right… was that what bothered you? Or is it that you don't like handsome men, Captain Suì-Fēng?"
Her eyebrow twitched again, but she didn't answer. She knew Gin was only trying to provoke her.
Before silence could settle again, a high-pitched voice—cold, clinical, tinged with scientific excitement—slipped between the captains like a scalpel sliding through flesh.
"Marvelous!" The word echoed with a mix of fascination and sick enthusiasm. "A Ryoka capable of damaging the soul… and a Captain, no less. What an exquisite specimen you describe."
The speaker couldn't be mistaken for anyone else.
White and black painted skin, a face like a skull with teeth permanently exposed in a grin-like grimace.
Golden eyes gleaming with perverse curiosity.
His distinctive two-pointed hat and large purple scarf wrapped around his neck as though hiding some forbidden experiment beneath.
He was the Captain of the 12th Division… the second president of the Research and Development Institute of the Seireitei:
Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
His stare dug into Gin like a scalpel searching for incision points.
"I would love to examine him. Understand his physiology. What kind of energy can cause that kind of damage? And can it be replicated?"
He let out a low, inhuman chuckle. "Perhaps we can learn something interesting… if enough of him remains, of course."
"What the hell are you babbling about, center freak?" Zaraki growled, turning sharply toward Mayuri, his sword rattling as he moved. "I already said that Ryoka is mine." He pointed at him forcefully. "MINE. So keep your syringes, needles, and your urge to cut up living things to yourself, before I make you a new hole to breathe through."
Mayuri clicked his tongue in annoyance, as if denied a new toy. His expression didn't change, but the tension in the air thickened, like invisible wires of power stretching dangerously.
Gin simply smiled wider.
"My, my… seems everyone wants to play with the Ryoka." He closed his eyes in amusement. "But be careful… he may leave you with more than a scar. I have the feeling he'll return stronger… and that he still has tricks up his sleeve."
"What a waste of time…". The cold voice dripped with disdain. "Arguing over a simple Ryoka. No doubt this place is full of crazy old men."
The speaker was the Tenth Division Captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya. Short in stature but impossible to ignore, his white hair and turquoise eyes stood out even among captains.
He wore his sleeveless haori over his standard uniform, and the green sash across his shoulder kept his Zanpakutō secured to his back. Despite his youth, the maturity in his voice cut through the atmosphere like a sharpened blade.
"And says the kid?" Zaraki replied with a mocking laugh, tilting his head with amusement. "Go drink your milk, brat. Maybe that'll help you grow a little."
A vein throbbed visibly on Hitsugaya's forehead, but he didn't respond. His turquoise eyes sharpened like the ice he commanded, hands curling into fists beneath his sleeves.
Before the tension escalated further, an authoritative voice rose.
"Enough."
The eyes of the Sixth Division Captain opened slowly, drawing everyone's attention. Until then, he had remained silent, distant, as if nothing discussed concerned him. But now he spoke, and his voice was as sharp and precise as Senbonzakura's blade.
"Behave like proper captains." He paused briefly, directing his gaze at Gin. "Tell me… did that Ryoka, by any chance, use spatial daggers?"
The room seemed to freeze for a second.
Some captains raised an eyebrow in confusion. Others narrowed their eyes, alert. Only Suì-Fēng spoke, suspicion in her voice.
"You've already faced him, Kuchiki?"
The nobleman averted his gaze for a moment, as if recalling something he preferred to keep silent.
"Perhaps…"
Gin, who had been enjoying the reactions so far, smiled even wider at the question.
"Oh, yes…" He nodded slowly, his tone more intrigued than mocking. "He used some strange daggers. Definitely uncommon." His smile stretched. "As if they cut more than just flesh."
Murmurs spread through the room. For the first time, everyone agreed on something: that Ryoka was not ordinary.
And the fact that even Byakuya Kuchiki spoke of him… made him even more dangerous.
"Then speak, Captain Byakuya… what do you know about this Ryoka?"
The Captain-Commander's question fell with the weight of an order, not a suggestion. His eyes remained fixed on the young head of the Kuchiki Clan, whose composure was intact… though within, not everything was so firm.
Byakuya closed his eyes for a moment, remembering.
His encounter with that human—Akira—had been brief, almost insignificant… on the surface.
But he remembered clearly: the moment one of those daggers grazed his cheek, cutting through his defense. Just a scratch. But not one he should have received.
Even under the restrictions imposed to avoid damaging the Human World, his level as a Captain far surpassed any normal opponent. The fact that a human managed to wound him—however lightly—had been marked not on his skin, but on his pride.
"Rukia called him Akira. I don't know if he's grown stronger since then…" He opened his eyes slowly, voice as cold and elegant as ever. "But I will say this: do not underestimate him. He defeated Renji with only a few blows."
A dense silence fell across the room.
Byakuya hadn't shouted. He didn't raise his voice.
But his warning was clear—and coming from the most meticulous and prideful man among the captains, it carried weight.
If he said not to underestimate someone… then this Ryoka was far from ordinary. Not only had he wounded Gin. He had also defeated the lieutenant of the Sixth Division. Quickly. Easily.
Glances were exchanged. Some captains looked uneasy. Others, like Zaraki, only burned with even greater desire.
"Then it's settled!" Zaraki roared with laughter. "I'm going after this Akira! Our battle will be legendary!"
Before the room could spiral further, a calm, soft, rational voice intervened.
"I believe we should all calm down." The tone wasn't authoritative, but reasonable—imposing itself through logic rather than power. "If this Ryoka truly injured both Captain Byakuya and Gin… then he's not an opponent we should face without a plan."
The speaker was a tall, slender man with fair skin and soft brown hair parted to the sides, framing his face with natural elegance.
He wore square-framed glasses that reinforced his calm, almost academic demeanor. His presence lacked Zaraki's intimidation and Byakuya's haughtiness, yet when he spoke… everyone listened.
He was the Captain of the Fifth Division:
Sōsuke Aizen.
"And what do you propose, Captain Aizen?" Unohana's voice was soft as a whisper, though it didn't hide the spark of interest growing within her.
A Ryoka capable of damaging the soul… was not something she could ignore.
Aizen narrowed his eyes slightly behind his glasses, crossing his arms in a measured gesture.
His tone remained calm, almost gentle… though his mind worked several steps ahead.
—Well… since both Captain Zaraki and Captain Kurotsuchi seem so interested in the Ryoka, I suggest the first one who finds him has the right to face him. —He cast a brief glance toward both captains, wearing a slight, neutral smile. —As for the rest of us… I believe the wisest course of action is to wait.
He raised a hand and adjusted his glasses with a simple gesture.
—If Captain Kuchiki has already encountered him in the Human World, and the Ryoka has reached this place, it is very likely his objective is Rukia Kuchiki. — His tone turned more analytical, almost clinical. —What other reason would he have to risk infiltrating the Soul Society? If she is his goal… then they will come to us. Here, on our territory, we will have every advantage.
Aizen's words fell with impeccable logic. There was no need to hunt the prey if it would willingly approach.
Yamamoto, silent until then, slowly nodded before striking his cane against the floor with force.
The sound echoed through the hall, imposing and commanding order.
"Very well." His voice was deep, powerful, unmistakable. "If the intruders' objective is Rukia Kuchiki… then I authorize Captains Zaraki and Kurotsuchi to search for and engage the Ryoka if they wish."
He paused briefly, letting his gaze travel across the room and each face present.
"As for the rest of you… given the nature of the threat and the information we have received, you are authorized to use your Zanpakutō against the Ryoka known as Akira."
Silence. But not an empty one. It was the silence that precedes a storm.
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End of the chapter.