And so, poor Kazuma found himself dragged back to the First Division under the joint escort of Batsu'unsai and Kōga.
Naturally, Shunsui came along too. He'd never been the type to turn down good entertainment.
The moment Kazuma entered the First Division, he started shouting.
"I object! Old Man Yama, you shameless bastard! You fight dirty! What happened today will go down in history as one of its darkest pages! I was forced into this!"
He struggled against the bindings.
"I never signed that contract! I refuse to recognize it!"
Kazuma was still determined not to surrender.
"Oh?"
Shunsui's eyes lit up.
"There's a contract too?"
This was getting better by the minute.
At this point, though, no amount of struggling seemed likely to save Kazuma.
His face was red with fury, and the stubborn expression he wore was so ridiculous that he looked one step away from shouting something like, Orcs will never be slaves!
Yamamoto merely sneered.
"Brat, what use is complaining now?"
He looked thoroughly pleased with himself.
"Everything has already been decided. Even if you grew wings, you wouldn't escape this."
"So stop wasting your strength and accept reality."
Realizing brute resistance was getting him nowhere, Kazuma's eyes darted around.
Then his entire demeanor changed.
"Yama-jii…"
His voice instantly became pitiful.
"Please. Have mercy on me."
"Can't you pick someone else to be Captain-Commander? Someone actually suitable?"
Kazuma looked at him pleadingly.
"I know my own limits. I'm really not capable of carrying that kind of responsibility."
The arrogance from moments ago vanished completely.
If begging could get him out of this disaster, Kazuma was willing to beg.
If Yamamoto wanted him to work like an ox or a horse, he might even agree to that.
Anything except becoming Captain-Commander.
Unfortunately, Yamamoto had lived far too long to be moved by a few pathetic words.
In truth, he'd considered Kazuma a possible successor for quite some time. The man certainly had his flaws, but none were serious enough to outweigh his strengths.
Batsu'unsai chose that moment to make matters worse.
"Husband, you should just accept your fate."
She smiled sweetly.
"You were born for the position. There's no need to keep pretending to be modest."
Kazuma stared at her in betrayal.
Then Yamamoto suddenly declared,
"Seventh Division Captain Kazuma possesses outstanding character and ability. He is well suited to inherit my position and shall succeed me as Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13!"
Without hesitation, Yamamoto removed the captain's haori that symbolized the authority of the First Division—
and personally draped it over Kazuma's shoulders.
Kazuma's eyes widened.
This was absurd!
Completely fucking absurd!
A position this important was being handed over like they were passing around a coat at a drinking party.
Shouldn't there at least be some kind of vote?
A formal review?
A meeting?
Anything?
There were only two other captains present!
How could this possibly count as a legitimate succession?
"Yama-jii…"
Kazuma desperately seized on the procedural flaw.
"Don't you think this is a little rushed?"
"At the very least, shouldn't you call all the captains here and discuss it first?"
Shunsui nodded, smiling with obvious interest.
"He does have a point, Yama-jii."
"As entertaining as this is, the procedure does seem a little casual."
Yamamoto considered that for a moment.
"Hmm."
Then he nodded.
"That is reasonable."
He glanced toward Sasakibe Chōjirō.
Chōjirō understood immediately.
As a man who'd served Yamamoto for centuries, he didn't need the order explained.
He activated Tenteikūra.
Spiritual chains burst outward from him and spread rapidly across the Seireitei, reaching every captain currently within Soul Society.
An urgent summons echoed through their minds.
"An emergency meeting?"
"Again?"
"What happened this time?"
"Seriously, can we get one quiet week?"
The captains immediately began complaining.
Aizen's betrayal had only recently thrown Soul Society into chaos.
Then the Bounts caused trouble in the Human World.
After that, Kazuma mysteriously disappeared.
And now another emergency summons had arrived.
One disaster had barely ended before the next came knocking.
Before long, every available captain gathered at the First Division.
Then they saw the scene waiting for them.
And froze.
Kazuma — who'd been missing for days — was standing right there.
Except he was tightly bound in Kidō and completely unable to move.
Even stranger, he was wearing the First Division captain's haori.
The symbol of the Captain-Commander.
Every pair of eyes slowly shifted toward the three people beside him.
Yamamoto.
Batsu'unsai.
Kyōraku Shunsui.
The captains exchanged stunned looks.
The same question appeared in everyone's mind.
'What the hell happened here?'
Had Soul Society undergone a regime change while they weren't looking?
Had the throne already changed hands?
For several long seconds, the room fell deathly silent.
Only quiet breathing could be heard.
Then Yamamoto struck his staff against the floor.
"Silence."
Although his body had returned to its youthful prime, some old habits apparently refused to die.
Every captain immediately fell quiet and focused on him.
The main event was about to begin.
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