Night had fallen. Kirinji Tenjirō had left the palace, and silence filled the halls of Kirin Palace.
Lying on his bed, Yūshirō Shihōin stared at the ceiling, restless and unable to sleep.
"Yo~ Yūshirō, how was your day? "
Suddenly, the tightly closed door burst open, and a large-eyed monk stepped inside.
"Don't just barge into someone's room, Monk," Yūshirō said calmly, turning his head to look at the intruder.
"Come on, you don't really care, do you? "
The monk casually sat down next to him, grinning as he spoke.
"I care a lot, actually. But I figured you must have something important to say, so I didn't throw you out…"
Yūshirō frowned slightly. As a mentally sound man, he wasn't too fond of other men barging into his room in the middle of the night.
"So? What's so urgent that you had to come running to me? "
He looked at the monk seriously.
"It's not that urgent, really~." The monk scratched his shiny bald head and smiled, but then his expression grew serious. "Yūshirō, when do you plan to start controlling that terrifying spiritual pressure of yours? You can't stay locked in this birdcage forever. If this keeps up, one day you'll break. And when that happens, it'll be a disaster for the entire Soul Society."
"Control my spiritual pressure, huh? "
Yūshirō nodded lightly. That was indeed something worth considering.
"Actually, I had an idea. What if I wear another eyepatch over this one? That way I can suppress my spiritual pressure even further. Problem solved, right? "
After a moment of thought, inspiration struck him, and he spoke with a bright smile.
"Eh? Really? Another eyepatch? So on top of suppressing it thirtyfold already, you'll add another threefold seal? That means your spiritual pressure won't be as dangerous to the Soul Society anymore! Yūshirō… are you a genius? "
"Keep it low-key. I'm a humble guy," Yūshirō said, waving his hand modestly.
"Hahaha…"
"Hahaha…"
The two of them burst out laughing.
Click!
Just then, a frustrated voice roared from outside the door. Kirinji Tenjirō, who had been eavesdropping all this time, slammed it open.
"Are you two idiots?! You think that eyepatch can only suppress three times? No! It's your monstrous spiritual pressure—it's branded into the seal! Any more than threefold suppression, and it'll break the seal completely! Got it?! "
"Honestly, with you two, I can never relax! "
Kirinji stormed into the room and sat down next to Yūshirō as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"Uh? And why are you sitting down like you live here? " Yūshirō grumbled. "Is my bedroom a club meeting room now? "
"Gotta have somewhere to talk, right? "
As he spoke, Ōetsu Nimaiya strolled in, shutting the door behind him.
"…Great," Yūshirō sighed, glancing at the now full house. He stood, turned on the light, grabbed a chair, and sat backward on it with his arms draped over the backrest. "So, what's this about? "
"Aw, the mood's ruined when the lights are on," the monk muttered, instantly deflating.
"Yeah, no vibe. I'm going back to bed." Kirinji shrugged and started heading for the door.
"I'll kill you both."
Yūshirō's voice dropped cold, making them freeze in place.
"Hahaha, just kidding," the monk laughed awkwardly and sat back down. His tone shifted to serious. "Listen, Yūshirō… how about joining the Royal Guard? "
"…What? " Yūshirō blinked in surprise. "Doesn't joining Squad Zero require making an outstanding contribution to the Soul Society? I haven't done anything like that. This isn't the time for jokes."
"I'm not joking. I'm dead serious. You've done more than you think. Staying locked away like this? That's already a huge contribution. Otherwise, the Soul Society would be in ruins right now."
Ōetsu leaned in, his tone calm but heavy with meaning.
"The requirement isn't just strength—you need to have changed or influenced the entire Soul Society. By keeping yourself sealed away, you've done exactly that. And trust me, every one of us in Squad Zero would welcome you without question. We need someone like you—a true combat specialist."
Yūshirō raised an eyebrow. "And what about the other captains? If you make some nobody into a Royal Guard, they'll start harboring resentment."
"That doesn't matter," the monk said bluntly. "The entire Soul Society stands because of Squad Zero. The complaints of the weak are meaningless."
"Is that so? Thanks for the offer… but I'll pass."
Yūshirō waved them off with a lazy smile. "I don't hate staying indoors, but the thought of being stuck here forever with a bunch of old men? No thanks. Maybe after a thousand years, when I'm bored out of my mind and just as old as you guys."
"Pity…" The monk sighed, though his face showed he had expected that answer. Then his smile faded, and his tone turned sharp. "In that case, there's no choice. Until you fully master control over your spiritual pressure… we'll have to ask you to leave the Soul Society."
Yūshirō froze, eyes narrowing. "…Leave? Leave where? "
"Leave the Soul Society," the monk replied with a calm smile.
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