Chapter 63: Seireitei Shudders |
Silence.
Yeruashi, still suspended calmly in the air before the members of the Zero Division, turned his gaze toward the battered and exhausted Yamamoto Genryusai nearby. "Well, Yamamoto Shigekuni? What say you now?"
"..."
After a few seconds of heavy silence, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13 finally stepped forward. Following the example of the Zero Division, he bowed respectfully to Yeruashi. "For a being of your status, it is only natural to use Hollows as subordinates, esteemed Hollow King... I am prepared to face the severest of punishments for this transgression."
The Soul King and the Hollow King held the highest authority in both Soul Society and Hueco Mundo; they were the very architects of these realms. Consequently, prohibitions on contacting Hollows, the blurring of the lines between the powers of Shinigami and Hollows, and other such decrees were utterly meaningless from their perspective.
It was the difference in standing between an elite student and a failure.
The former could amuse himself and relax as much as he pleased, while for the latter, such behavior would be seen as the root of all his failures. Rules and restrictions often existed only for a certain stratum of society, exerting no influence whatsoever on those at the top.
Yeruashi did not merely stand above the laws and restrictions; his very will was the law itself. Even Central 46 was bound to follow his desires without question.
"Esteemed Hollow King, I beg you not to be too incensed. The Captain-Commander was merely attempting to protect Soul Society by adhering to the laws established by Central 46 to maintain order, as per your will and that of the Soul King."
Yeruashi looked down at Yamamoto Genryusai, who kept his head bowed in humble anticipation of his sentence, while the gathered Shinigami remained frozen in silence.
Oetsu Nimaiya and the rest of the Zero Division felt a deep sense of unease. They were all well-acquainted with the leader of the Gotei 13. Yamamoto Genryusai's fate now rested entirely in the hands of the Hollow King, and none of them dared break the suffocating silence.
The other captains of the Gotei 13 were equally hesitant to intervene in the Hollow King's decision.
But.
After several heartbeats of stillness, one Shinigami finally found the courage to take the initiative.
Sajin Komamura stepped forward and dropped to one knee before Yeruashi. "Esteemed Hollow King, I implore you not to punish the Captain-Commander... He was simply upholding the established laws, unaware of your true nature. If you intend to deliver a harsh sentence, I ask to share it alongside him."
"The old man might have been too hasty and hot-tempered in his judgment, but he only sought to defend Soul Society according to the rules. Please, esteemed Hollow King, don't be too hard on the old-timer..."
Soon, following Komamura’s lead, Yamamoto’s own student, Shunsui Kyoraku, stepped up to defend him.
Jushiro Ukitake spoke next. "The Gotei 13 has long preserved order and protected Soul Society according to your will and the will of the Soul King. We hope the esteemed Hollow King can find it in his heart to accept the old man’s actions."
The remaining captains exchanged glances before bowing deeply to Yeruashi, following the lead of the Zero Division.
If Yamamoto Genryusai had offended the Hollow King by merely following the protocols set by Central 46, then they were just as guilty for obeying the Captain-Commander's orders.
As a result.
None of the captains could remain detached from the matter.
Yeruashi slowly swept his gaze over Sajin Komamura, Shunsui Kyoraku, and the rest of the Gotei 13 leaders before turning to Yoruichi Shihoin, who was still maintaining a stunned silence. "...And what do you say, Yoruichi?"
"It is up to you, Hollow King..."
Yoruichi lifted her head to look at Yeruashi in the sky, then abruptly looked away, her voice a hushed whisper.
'The young Lieutenant I’ve been hounding for years... turns out to be the Hollow King?!'
'Could this plot twist be any more dramatic?!'
She still couldn't quite wrap her head around such a jarring revelation.
"Enough."
"Rise."
Yeruashi smiled and spoke nonchalantly, looking away from the captains. "I am not so petty as to hold a grudge over such things. But as for what I said about your stagnation... do you concede the point, Yamamoto Shigekuni?"
Initially, Yeruashi had intended to say that an adult has no reason to be angry at the mistakes of children, but looking at Yamamoto Genryusai—charred, battered, and covered in wrinkles like a withered tree—he changed his mind.
Directing such words at the old man would have felt entirely too strange and out of place.
Yamamoto Genryusai answered submissively, "I shall certainly take your criticism to heart."
With those words, a collective sigh of relief swept through the Gotei 13 and the Zero Division. The grim, oppressive atmosphere that had choked the air finally began to dissipate.
Nelliel and Lilith, who had been standing calmly behind Yeruashi the entire time, showed no sign of surprise at the turn of events.
To them, everything was proceeding exactly as it should.
Nelliel had no idea what Yeruashi’s goals were, so she hadn't dared to reveal his identity prematurely, while Lilith knew from the start that Yeruashi was busy absorbing the Soul King’s power and didn't want to disturb him.
Neither would have dared to make such a momentous decision without Yeruashi's express permission.
"Haa..."
Yoruichi let out a breath and stood up before addressing him. "Yeru... no, esteemed Hollow King. Earlier you said you had nothing to do with the recent Hollowfication incident, but you must know the truth behind it..."
There was no reason for a being like Yeruashi to lie to them; therefore, his previous statement about the incident had to be the truth.
"Indeed."
Yeruashi nodded. "I know the truth."
The expressions of the Gotei 13 captains shifted sharply at his confirmation.
Shunsui Kyoraku, Jushiro Ukitake, and the others had always found the Hollowfication incident suspicious, but they simply lacked the authority to challenge the verdict of Central 46. Now, based on the exchange between Yoruichi and Yeruashi, it was clear that a secret was indeed lurking beneath the surface.
"Then... would you be willing to tell us?"
These words from Yoruichi caused Sosuke Aizen, standing on the very edge of the captain's group, to slowly lower his head to mask his emotions from those around him.
Yeruashi smiled breezily, looking at the concerned Yoruichi. "Are you saying that you, the captains of the Gotei 13, want to shift the responsibility for what happens in Seireitei onto the shoulders of the Hollow King?"
With those words, Yeruashi turned away and took a step into the distance.
"If you want to know the truth behind that incident so badly, conduct a proper investigation yourselves. The current predicament of Kisuke Urahara and Shinji Hirako is a direct result of the Gotei 13's negligence. I have no intention of bailing you out."
Yeruashi's figure blurred and vanished after a few leisurely steps.
Lilith and Nelliel glanced once more at the Zero Division and the Gotei 13 captains before following after him.
Sosuke Aizen, standing slightly apart from the other captains, loosened his grip on the hilt of Kyoka Suigetsu once Yeruashi had departed.
His face and eyes projected an aura of absolute calm and stoicism, but his body trembled ever so slightly.
Isshin Shiba, standing near the Fifth Division Captain, whispered softly as he noticed Aizen's slightly unnatural behavior, "The Hollow King's presence is simply overwhelming."
Aizen suppressed his rising anxiety and nodded understandingly in response to the Tenth Division Captain.
Isshin was covered in cold sweat. He kept replaying the scene of Yeruashi blocking Zanka no Tachi and pushing Yamamoto Genryusai back with a mere flick of his finger as if it required no effort at all.
'How is it even possible to possess such unfathomable, inconceivable power?'
While Isshin remained in a state of shock, struggling to comprehend Yeruashi's strength, Aizen finally regained his composure and straightened his thoughts.
The Hollow King likely did know the truth about the Hollowfication incident, and his refusal to disclose it meant only one thing—Yeruashi didn't take him seriously.
It was highly probable that Yeruashi had joined the Gotei 13 merely for amusement, without any hidden motives or grand designs.
Aizen carefully adjusted his glasses with his fingertips, gazing in the direction Yeruashi had vanished.
He couldn't remember the last time he had been ignored so completely...
But.
He would continue to move forward.
The fact that the Soul King and the Hollow King had been at the absolute peak since the beginning didn't mean it was impossible to climb there through personal effort.
Sooner or later, he would reach that summit!
...
Rukia and Hisana were still surrounded by dozens of Shinigami from the Second Division and the Onmitsukido outside the Second Division's headquarters.
Yeruashi's figure suddenly appeared in the middle of the street nearby, after which he calmly walked toward them.
The Shinigami who witnessed his sudden appearance flinched and tensed up, but then, one by one, they began to collapse to the ground before they could take any action.
Thud! Thud!
Numerous Shinigami from the Second Division and the Onmitsukido fell helplessly to their knees.
In the end, only Rukia and Hisana remained standing. They looked around in bewilderment until they spotted Yeruashi’s figure nearby.
"Mr. Yeruashi!"
"Brother!"
Rukia and Hisana immediately rushed toward him, letting out loud cries of relief.
They hadn't been able to see the battle unfolding in the distance, much less understand its progression by tracking the fluctuations in Reiatsu. They only felt a true sense of relief once they saw Yeruashi standing before them, whole and unharmed.
"Hisana, Rukia... come along."
Yeruashi smiled at the two girls as they ran toward him.
Rukia grabbed Yeruashi’s hand tightly and asked with concern, "Where are we going now?"
Yeruashi spoke nonchalantly, pointing his finger toward the sky above Seireitei. "We are going... to the Soul King Palace."
...
The mythical Hollow King, who had vanished without a trace after the creation of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, had reappeared in the world after a million years.
The Hollow King had spent time as a Lieutenant of the Gotei 13’s Second Division under the name Hatake Yeruashi to experience the life of a Shinigami and explore the world he had left behind so long ago.
As the news spread... all of Seireitei shuddered!