Squad 1.
As soon as the Shinigami captains who had journeyed to the Wandenreich returned, they were summoned to the assembly hall by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
"Sigh. If I wasn't worried that breaking the Wandenreich's barrier would endanger you all, I would have used my Zanpakutō to destroy it!"
Kenpachi Kuruyashiki was very unhappy that he couldn't join the fight.
The Wandenreich's Sun Gate was destroyed, the shadow passage was cut off, and he couldn't get in.
His Zanpakutō actually had the power to break the Wandenreich's barrier. He could have entered from the Dangai.
But his Zanpakutō is extremely hard to control. Once released, it devours all matter without distinction.
Everything within its range—living or dead, enemy or ally—would be torn apart and swallowed by his Bankai.
That's why Kenpachi Kuruyashiki almost never uses his Bankai.
"Winning is a good thing, and the casualties were within an acceptable range."
Retsu Unohana said with a smile.
She was treating Shunsui Kyōraku and Isshin Shiba, the two captains who were more seriously injured.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the most injured, had already been sent back to the Technology Development Bureau.
"It's all thanks to Captain Katori infiltrating the Wandenreich and getting that intel. Otherwise, we would have suffered heavy losses."
When Shunsui Kyōraku thought of the terrifying ability of 'The X-Axis', his wounds started to hurt again.
"Yes. We were worried about you while we were outside. Good thing Captain Katori had intel on the Sternritter, or this operation would have been dangerous."
Jūshirō Ukitake frowned. "It's just a shame Yhwach escaped to Hell. His power can't be underestimated."
"Lieutenant Mayuri has learned Bankai, and his strength is already equal to a captain's. Yet he was wounded that badly by Yhwach's attack."
"Letting him escape is a lingering threat."
"Although we didn't achieve total victory, we did wipe out most of the Wandenreich. Captain Katori deserves the highest praise!"
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto nodded.
"But Yhwach will not give up. We cannot lower our guard."
He had no plans to go to Hell to kill Yhwach right now.
Hell is not a small place. Its territory is vaster than Soul Society's. Looking for Yhwach there would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
"Understood. The Technology Development Bureau has made some progress researching Hell's Reishi. If a Gate of Hell appears in Soul Society, we can detect it," Sora said.
After the captains finished their reports, Yamamoto let them go rest. But he called out to Sora as he was leaving.
Yamamoto took Sora to the tea room.
He wanted to signal Chōjirō Sasakibe to pour tea, but remembered Sasakibe was also injured and at Squad 4. He gave up the idea.
A moment later, Yamamoto poured tea for himself and Katori Sora.
"I think this is the first time I've had tea poured by the Captain-Commander!" Sora smiled.
"You don't visit often, so of course you haven't."
In private, Yamamoto was not as stern as he was in the assembly hall.
"I asked you to stay because I want to understand something," Yamamoto continued.
"Captain-Commander, you want to ask about this, right?"
Sora had expected this. He swiped a hand over his face, and a white mask appeared.
"My senses were not wrong. It really is a Hollow's presence."
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed.
When Sora used Hollowfication on the battlefield, all the Shinigami sensed the Hollow Spiritual Pressure.
The others couldn't ask about it, but Yamamoto had to know.
"Does the Hollow power come from this mask?" Yamamoto asked. "What is this?"
"The mask is just the physical form of the Hollow power. Captain-Commander, how much do you know about my origins?"
Sora dismissed the mask and asked a question in return.
"Your origins?" Yamamoto thought for a moment. "On the surface, you are Batsu'unsai Katori's adopted brother."
"In reality, you are his Reigai, created during the 'Captain Supplementation Plan'."
As Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto certainly knew about the 'Captain Supplementation Plan'.
But he didn't know Sora was a Reigai at first. Only after Sora rose to prominence did he investigate his background.
"That's right. But only half right," Sora shook his head.
"There's more I don't know?" Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. "It seems Batsu'unsai Katori hid things from me."
He had sent Sasakibe to ask Batsu'unsai for the details. If there was more, it meant Batsu'unsai had hidden the facts.
Sora smiled lightly and started making things up:
"This matter is very complicated. Batsu'unsai only kept it secret to protect me."
"The Reigai is only part of my spiritual body."
"Captain-Commander, you should know about Captain Ukitake's situation."
"My situation is actually similar to the 'One-Eyed God' Mimihagi."
"I am the Shadow of the Soul King!"
"The Soul King rules all things in the three worlds. And I... I rule the shadows!"
"Shinigami, Hollows, or Quincy—they all have shadows. I can control Hollow and Quincy shadows to grasp powers beyond those of a Shinigami."
"It's just that after fusing with Batsu'unsai's Reigai, Shinigami power became my instinct. The other powers needed time to awaken."
Sora planned to use the "Shadow of the Soul King" identity to get by. It wasn't like the Soul King would pop up and call him a liar.
"Is that so!"
Yamamoto's eyes showed a trace of surprise.
This was not an answer he had expected.
"My control over shadows can't be explained by a Zanpakutō. I can even control them without releasing my sword. Please watch, Captain-Commander."
Sora pointed at the shadow under the teacup. The shadow detached from the cup, changed into a silhouette of Yamamoto, and started doing a striptease on the table.
After gaining Shinigami, Quincy, and Hollow powers, his shadow ability had grown stronger.
If Shunsui Kyōraku were to spar with him now, Sora could even twist the rules of the shadow game and make Shunsui take damage from the shadows he entered.
"Enough!"
Yamamoto's face darkened. He could clearly see the shadow was his own silhouette.
Sora lowered his finger, and the shadow returned to being the teacup's shadow.
"In the past decades, your contributions to the Gotei 13 and Soul Society have been great. You deserve the credit for this victory."
Yamamoto believed Sora's story and brought up another matter.
"The Zero Squad has noticed your achievements. They sent me a message. In a few days, they will come down from the Soul King Palace to take you there to be rewarded."
"The Zero Squad is coming down?" Sora raised an eyebrow.
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