"Cough... cough cough..."
Saizō Sakahone lay on the sickbed, groaning softly, seeming to have finally regained some consciousness.
This thin, hunched old man had a face as pale as ash, his entire right side severely injured, half his body drenched in blood. His right leg and arm were reduced to mere stumps.
Makoto's brows furrowed slightly.
The other captains gazed at him with cold eyes.
Tenjirō waved his Kinpika, and crimson hot spring water retracted from Saizō Sakahone's body, turning into steaming mist in the air. When he sheathed his Zanpakutō, the bloodstains and wounds on Saizō's body had sealed, and the bleeding from his severed limbs had stopped.
"For now, this is all I can do," Tenjiro said, patting moisture from his shoulder, a grass root in his mouth. "If you have questions, ask now. I need to take this troublesome old man back for further treatment later."
"Hm," Yamamoto nodded, his face stern as he approached the bed and patted Saizō's face.
"Are you awake?"
"Ouch, my old arms and legs..." Saizō Sakahone glanced resentfully at Yamamoto, feigning a wail on the bed.
Obana laughed heartlessly nearby. "Don't worry, your arms and legs are in the Living World."
"Obana, want to taste insects digging out your heart and lungs?" Saizō didn't dare offend Yamamoto but had the gall to threaten Obana.
"Old man, don't think I won't hit you just because you're bedridden," Obana retorted, his momentum undaunted.
"Shut up," Yamamoto's cold shout silenced both Obana and Saizō.
The Gotei 13 captains gathered here weren't here for these killers' nonsense.
Yamamoto, face stern, demanded, "Didn't I send you to probe the Lichtreich's strength, Saizō? How did you lose the entire expeditionary force in the Living World?"
It was no wonder he was suspicious. Before joining Yamamoto, Saizō was the Soul Society's notorious Insect Master, sacrificing people to feed his Zanpakutō for power. Hearing the expeditionary force was annihilated, Yamamoto first suspected Saizō misused his subordinates, not the Lichtreich's strength.
For these irrational killers, even slight trust insulted their madness.
But this time, it wasn't Saizō's doing.
Sensing Yamamoto's suspicion, Saizō, on the sickbed, guessed his thoughts. Struggling, he opened his toothless mouth in a grim smile. "Yamamoto, we might have encountered a real disaster."
"Hm?" Yamamoto frowned.
Saizō exhaled slowly. "In the Living World, I easily found the Lichtreich's leader. Or rather, he never hid his identity."
"Do you know what he claims to be?"
"Who?" Yamamoto, annoyed by Saizō's slow manner, restrained his temper.
Saizō's next words stunned him. "His name is Yhwach. He claims to be the son of the Soul King."
The room's atmosphere froze.
Shigyō Nobutsuna burst into laughter. "Hah! Son of the Soul King? Then I'm his father! He says so, and it is?"
After the initial shock, the captains' faces showed disbelief. These killers held no awe for authority. To them, Soul King or Emperor was nonsense. Only strength could make them bow.
Though none spoke like Shigyō, their thoughts aligned.
But Saizō wasn't done. "I think it's not impossible."
"Hey, you scared, old man?" Obana cursed. "Boosting a mere human's morale now?"
Saizō sighed softly. "Do you know how many strikes it took to reduce me to this?"
His wrinkled face twitched. "Three strikes. The first two were probes. By the third, I was like this."
Silence fell.
Despite their conflicts, no captain dismissed another's strength. Saizō, a West Rukongai hero, held second-class spiritual power and a unique Zanpakutō. Ordinary foes might defeat him, but to crush him so overwhelmingly was no small feat.
Even Obana, his rival, stopped mocking. His strength matched Saizō's; if Saizō fell in two strikes, he might too.
All captains, assessing their own power, grew serious, doubts stirring silently.
Only Yamamoto and Makoto remained calm. Seeing Makoto's composure, Yamamoto nodded, then asked, "Son of the Soul King? Why attack his father's world? Did he give a reason?"
Saizō shook his head. "He said he came for 'revenge.' I don't understand what it means. Yamamoto, do you know something?"
Yamamoto's expression stiffened, recalling something. "Revenge... huh?"
The image of a figure sealed in the Royal Palace's crystal depths flashed in his mind. He pondered. If true, the Gotei 13 alone couldn't handle it. After facing Ichibē Hyōsube, Yamamoto knew his limits against one wielding the Soul King's power.
"Let's adjourn," Yamamoto said flatly. "Leave this to the Royal Palace."
The sky falls, taller ones hold it. No longer the Soul Society's tallest, he passed the burden. He wasn't an inflexible fool. Feeling lighter, he noted the others' silence at the mention of the Royal Palace.
Despite the silence that followed, many still harbored discontent over the notion that Yamamoto had lost to Ichibē Hyōsube.
Without witnessing their battle firsthand, even those at the captain level struggled to fathom the "overwhelming strength" of Ichibē Hyōsube, a member of the Royal Guard. Naturally, they felt no despair.
But since Yamamoto had spoken, the others had no choice but to obey, filing out of the infirmary and dispersing.
At that moment, a subtle weight settled in the depths of Makoto's heart.
If his memory served him correctly, there was a scene in the original story where Ichibē Hyōsube personally intervened to seal Yhwach's "eyes," wasn't there?
Assuming his recollection wasn't mistaken…
"Is it about to begin?" Makoto murmured under his breath.
"What?"
Before his words could fully fade, Katori's small head popped into his field of vision. Her large eyes blinked rapidly behind thick glasses, hands clasped behind her back, her loose robes stretched taut by her figure under the pull of gravity.
The girl looked at him with curiosity.
Makoto's lips instinctively pressed together.
Noticing it was Katori, he exhaled, "Too close, Captain Katori."
"Eh? Does Makoto-kun mind?" Katori lowered her voice, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Even though you're a man with that kind of Shikai."
"…"
Makoto turned his head, pretending to admire the scenery on the bathhouse's outer wall nearby.
Hit a snake at its third inch, curse a man by exposing his flaws.
Could this conversation get any worse?!
Rustle, rustle,
As the two spoke, a sound like a swarm of insects crawling erupted from the infirmary, a faint, grating noise that prickled the ears.
Makoto instinctively turned to look inside the room.
"If I were you, Makoto-kun, I'd rein in that curiosity." Katori's gentle voice cautioned before he could fully turn.
Makoto froze, heeding her advice without thinking.
"Why?" He asked.
Katori raised a finger, making a "shh" gesture, then leaned in to whisper, "Saizō-sama's Zanpakutō ability is also tied to 'living things.'"
"Not as 'interesting' as Unohana-sama's, mind you."
"And according to the other captains, Saizō-sama's survivability is likely the strongest in the Gotei 13."
"That's probably one reason why Yamamoto-sama sent him to the Living World."
As she spoke, Katori's gaze flicked subtly toward the infirmary bed. "Right now, he's probably 'replenishing' his limbs."
At her words, Makoto's mind conjured an image of Saizō Sakahone lying on the bed, his body half-covered by a swarm of insects, slowly reconstructing his limbs with their bodies.
A shiver of unease crawled up his spine.
After a moment's thought, he decided to walk away briskly.
"Captain Katori is right." He said. "Best not to be too curious."
"Mm~!" Katori's face lit up with a satisfied smile at being called "Captain Katori." She quickened her pace to follow him. "Vice Captain Makoto, could you say that a few more times?"
"Starting today, I'm your direct captain, you know."
"You'll need to show me proper respect."
"Yes, yes~" Makoto replied half-heartedly. "I look forward to your guidance, Captain Katori."
Katori's satisfaction grew, and she trailed closely behind him as they walked.
"Of course!"
"For your safety, Makoto-kun, you'll need to stick close to me from now on."
"Safety?" Makoto paused, turning to her with a puzzled look.
The light glinted off Katori's glasses as she smiled softly. "Haven't you figured it out, Makoto-kun? The reason Yamamoto-sama went through this whole charade to transfer you from the 11th Division?"
"What do you mean?" Makoto genuinely didn't understand.
Katori explained gently, "Ever since Yamamoto-sama noticed the scar on Unohana-sama's neck and that 'alive' look in her eyes, he realized your 'clash' with her was inevitable."
"But letting a talent like you, Makoto-kun, die in vain would be such a waste."
"So, Yamamoto-sama wanted to find a way to separate you two for a while."
"Until your strength is enough to survive under Unohana-sama's blade, only then will he allow you to face her again."
Her wooden clogs clicked crisply against the stone tiles with each step, pata, pata.
Katori walked forward, hands behind her back, then suddenly spun on her toes, her face breaking into a soft smile.
She turned to Makoto. "And I'm the one tasked with 'protecting' you during this time, Makoto-kun."
Makoto stood stunned for a moment.
Even as she spoke, Katori's face retained that gentle, girlish smile.
But in the next instant, her figure closed the distance, her nose nearly brushing his. A flicker of excitement danced in the depths of her dark eyes behind her glasses, barely contained.
For once, Katori's voice trembled with suppressed thrill, her tone a mix of conflicting emotions. "So…"
"You'd better make it worth my while, Makoto-kun."
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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