"The first commander of the expeditionary force!"
Everyone exclaimed in surprise.
"Gentlemen, it's our first meeting. I am Ashido, and I served as the first commander when the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force was established," Ashido stepped forward and said.
"Um... I remember the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force was established several hundred years ago, right?" Ota Masaru, commander of the 2nd Corps, said hesitantly.
Ota Masaru was the most senior among the corps commanders, so he knew the most about the expeditionary force's history.
After his initial shock, Amagai also said, "I think I've heard that the first commander went missing not long after the expeditionary force was established."
After joining the expeditionary force, Amagai had inquired about its history. He knew the first commander led the campaign to Hueco Mundo but went missing shortly after.
Along with him, most of the elite Shinigami of the 1st Corps, directly under his command, also disappeared.
For hundreds of years afterward, there was no news about the first commander, so almost everyone assumed he had died in battle.
But now, Toshiro went out and returned with someone claiming to be the first commander. It was a huge shock.
"Here's what happened..."
Toshiro explained to everyone: "After the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force was established, Ashido served as the first commander. Later, while leading part of the 1st Corps to pursue Hollows, he accidentally fell into the Forest of Menos. Under the onslaught of countless Hollows, the 1st Corps members died one by one, leaving only Ashido."
"Many Hollows in the Living World come from the Forest of Menos. To reduce the harm Hollows cause to the Living World, Ashido stayed in the Forest of Menos, fighting the Hollows there alone for hundreds of years."
Hearing that Ashido fought Hollows alone in the Forest of Menos for several centuries, everyone couldn't help but feel deep respect.
Before, they thought joining the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force and fighting Hollows year-round in Hueco Mundo's harsh environment for the Soul Society was a great deed. But compared to Ashido, they fell far short.
Both involved fighting Hollows in Hueco Mundo, but they were in the outer circle, while Ashido was in the Forest of Menos. The outer circle mostly had ordinary Hollows, while the Forest of Menos, as the name implied, was where Menos Grande lived.
Shinigami in the expeditionary force took turns returning to the Soul Society for rest after fighting in Hueco Mundo for a while. But Ashido fought Hollows for several hundred years.
Not to mention Ashido was alone, unlike them who had comrades to rely on.
Fighting Hollows alone in the Forest of Menos for centuries, with no comrades to rely on, no reinforcements to come… just thinking about it was enough to drive someone mad.
None of them were confident they could do what Ashido did.
"Ashido-senpai, you are a Shinigami worthy of respect," Ando, deputy commander of the 1st Corps, said respectfully.
The way others looked at Ashido also changed from wariness to respect.
"No, it's nothing extraordinary. I just fulfilled my duty as a Shinigami," Ashido said modestly.
"Ashido, no need to be modest. 'Fulfilling one's duty' sounds simple, but how many can truly do it completely, let alone being alone in the Forest of Menos for centuries?" Toshiro said.
"Commander Hitsugaya is absolutely right. But meeting a hero like Ashido, not offering a toast would be wrong, don't you think, Commander Hitsugaya?" Ando said, looking at Toshiro with a pleading expression.
Except for Amagai and Ashido, everyone else also looked at Toshiro expectantly.
Toshiro sighed helplessly. "Fine. But no getting drunk."
Toshiro wasn't a harsh superior. He was just worried that if everyone got drunk and something happened, they wouldn't be able to respond in time.
However, as long as Toshiro himself wasn't drunk, even if something did happen, it wouldn't be a big issue. So, letting everyone drink a little to relax occasionally was fine.
"Great! Long live Commander Hitsugaya!" Ando cheered.
Not long after, once the banquet was ready, except for those on guard duty, everyone in the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force began to celebrate.
Everyone sat around the campfire on the ground, enjoying food and drink.
Toshiro, Ashido, and the corps commanders sat together.
Once seated, Ando eagerly poured himself a drink, raised his cup, and said, "Come on, everyone. Commander Hitsugaya returns to the Soul Society tomorrow. So let's all toast Commander Hitsugaya!"
Hearing Ando, everyone except Amagai raised their cups and drank in one go.
"Huh? Amagai, you're not drinking?" Toshiro noticed Amagai had been hesitantly looking at the cup in front of him and hadn't drunk like the others.
Ando grinned mischievously. "Hey, hey! Amagai, this is Commander Hitsugaya's farewell banquet. Not even having one drink? That's too disrespectful, hehehe..."
Amagai said hesitantly, "This... I... with alcohol..."
Toshiro asked, puzzled, "Amagai, what's wrong? Can't you drink? Then forget it. Don't force yourself."
Hearing Toshiro's words, the previously hesitant Amagai instead looked resolved. "No. Ando is right. This is Commander Hitsugaya's farewell banquet. I'm grateful for Commander Hitsugaya's trust in choosing me as the next commander of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force. No matter what, I must toast you."
With that, Amagai picked up the cup in front of him, steeled himself, and poured it down his throat.
He looked like he was facing execution.
Watching Amagai drink as if facing a great enemy, Toshiro said, somewhat speechlessly, "Hey, Amagai, it's just one drink. Even if you can't drink, no need to act like it's an execution, right?"
They were drinking sake, with a very low alcohol content, only slightly higher than beer. Even someone who couldn't drink would be fine with one cup.
Amagai swayed dizzily. "So... sorry, Commander Hitsugaya..."
Thud!
Before he could finish, Amagai fell to the ground, completely drunk.
"Hey, hey, seriously? Just one cup?" Toshiro said, looking at the drunk Amagai.
"Hahahaha!"
Seeing Amagai drunk, the other corps commanders also laughed heartily.
Ando laughed and explained, "Commander Hitsugaya, Amagai has zero tolerance for alcohol. Not just drinking, even eating food marinated in alcohol can make him drunk."
Toshiro said, speechless, "So, you urged him to drink just to see him make a fool of himself when drunk?"