"Above concludes the complete report on this enemy invasion incident."
Akon finished his methodical report and lowered his head.
The meeting room fell silent. After a moment, Mayuri Kurotsuchi spoke:
"Tch, good work, Akon. You may withdraw."
"Yes."
Akon bowed slightly, then left through the side door without hesitation.
At this, Mayuri stepped forward from the formation. As he walked, a strange smile crossed his face:
"Well then..."
"I'll call these invading intruders the 'enemy army' for now."
"When they attacked the Captain-Commander, they called their organization... the 'Vandenreich,' correct?"
"How fitting. Just like their movements—arriving without shadow, departing without form..."
Mayuri spoke slowly. Nearby captains like Tōshirō Hitsugaya showed thoughtful expressions.
But Mayuri didn't stop. His smile widened:
"In fact, not long ago, the Department of Research and Development observed mass Hollow disappearance events. Note—I said 'disappearance,' not 'purification.'"
"Today's enemy invasion is deeply connected to these recent Hollow disappearances."
"At this point, I imagine you intelligent captains can draw conclusions?"
Mayuri's gaze swept across every captain's face before settling on Yamamoto:
"The enemy army's true identity is—"
"Quincies!"
"?!"
The instant Mayuri finished, nearly every captain froze.
Their pupils contracted. They stared at Mayuri in disbelief.
Mayuri ignored their looks. He kept his eyes locked on Yamamoto and smiled:
"According to Soul Society historical records, Quincies were completely eradicated years ago."
"So how did these ones survive? How did they expand their forces? All of this... currently unknown."
"But what we must be most wary of now—they apparently have methods to bypass the soul-concealing membrane."
"And based on Lieutenant Sasakibe's final words, you all know—the moment he released his Bankai, the enemy sealed it... meaning they possess methods to nullify it..."
"Enough!"
Suddenly, Yamamoto—who'd kept his eyes lowered—cut Mayuri off. He raised his eyes and said heavily:
"Captain Kurotsuchi, the intelligence sharing is sufficient. What I want you to investigate is..."
"Where exactly is their base?!"
Yamamoto's eyes no longer held earlier grief.
Instead—unquenchable fury!
Hearing this, the surrounding captains' hearts stirred.
At this, Mayuri's smile faded. He shook his head helplessly:
"...My apologies. That is currently... unknowable."
He'd naturally conducted numerous theories and investigations. But he'd found no trace.
This was what made him most wary of these Quincies.
Invisible enemies were the most troublesome.
"...I see. Then it seems we cannot launch proactive attacks."
Thud!
Yamamoto's wooden cane struck the ground heavily. His eyes opened wide, light blazing. His gaze swept quickly across everyone:
"...I now order all Gotei captains to immediately begin preparing for future combat!"
"Though the enemy's advance force declared 'war in five days,' such words from those who launch surprise attacks cannot be trusted!"
"We must immediately enter full combat readiness at maximum speed!"
"Absolutely cannot... let them seize the initiative again!"
Yamamoto spoke decisively and rapidly. On that aged face appeared—towering fury!
Under such rage, even the Gotei captains fell silent.
In centuries, they'd never seen the Captain-Commander lose composure to this degree.
The pre-war strategy meeting ended. Division captains left immediately with their lieutenants.
Yamamoto walked alone toward the duty room.
But when he turned a corner, he found Mayuri waiting there.
Yamamoto stopped. Mayuri spoke immediately.
He leaned against the wall, expression neither happy nor sad, voice calm:
"The Quincies slaughtered Hollow populations, directly collapsing the soul balance between Soul Society and the World of the Living."
"So without permission, I personally mobilized 12th Division members to correct this imbalance by..."
"Directly eliminating twenty-eight thousand Rukongai residents."
"..."
Hearing this, Yamamoto raised his eyes slightly. His expression unchanged, he said quietly:
"Why not obtain permission first...? In emergency situations, permission would have been granted."
At this, Mayuri rolled his eyes:
"If I'd waited for permission, the situation would only have become more critical. I can't be responsible for that. Surely you understand the consequences of soul imbalance?"
"..."
Yamamoto slowly turned his head toward Mayuri:
"If your Department of Research and Development's reports and responses had been swift enough... perhaps this incident could have been prevented."
Hearing this, Mayuri straightened. He grinned:
"Not necessarily."
"Back when Uryū Ishida—that Quincy—invaded the Seireitei as an intruder, I already foresaw this situation. I advised you immediately."
"But you dismissed it as needless worry..."
"?!"
Yamamoto lowered his eyes. His expression darkened.
Mayuri didn't stop. He stared at him intently:
"The true culprit behind this crisis's escalation lies entirely with you, Captain-Commander. A thousand years ago..."
"You failed to completely... kill that man!"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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