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"Captain-Commander…"
"I've thought it through."
"I want to join Captain Ukitake's Thirteenth Division."
The moment Bai Chen's words fell—
The courtyard, still shrouded in that newly-born forest, went dead silent.
Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
The other captains.
Even the seated officers watching from the perimeter—
Everyone wore the same expression of disbelief.
For a second, some of them genuinely thought they'd misheard.
"Huh?!"
"Someone tell me—what division did Bai Chen just say?!"
Isshin Shiba froze.
His grin shattered on the spot, like a man who'd just been dumped in public.
The smug certainty on his face stiffened into a blank stare.
Matsumoto Rangiku wasn't any better.
Her golden curls framed widened eyes; she looked stunned—then immediately complicated.
Shock.
Confusion.
Regret.
And then…
That very specific kind of female annoyance.
The kind that says you promised me something without ever promising me anything.
She'd imagined a future where Bai Chen was always nearby—where they'd see each other every day.
And now?
That future got canceled in a single sentence.
Isshin's mentality exploded.
Rangiku's mentality followed.
Neither of them could figure out why Bai Chen would "jump ship."
It made no sense.
"Bai Chen…"
"You're certain? The Thirteenth Division?"
"A division choice is a solemn matter. Don't joke about it."
Even Yamamoto looked genuinely surprised.
He assumed Bai Chen had misspoken and was giving him a second chance.
But the answer didn't change.
This time, Bai Chen even wrapped his voice in reiatsu—so it carried cleanly across the entire courtyard:
"Yes. I'm certain."
"I choose the Thirteenth Division."
No hesitation.
No wavering.
Bai Chen's decision was iron.
And after declaring it, he turned slightly—meeting Ukitake Jūshirō's gaze, then glancing to the man behind him.
Shiba Kaien.
He gave them both a calm nod.
A clear statement of intent.
Why the Thirteenth Division?
Part of it was simple: Kaien was Bai Chen's first real "guide" into the Shinigami path.
Back in West Rukongai, it was Kaien who accompanied him to the Shin'ō Academy and helped him enroll.
But that wasn't the real reason.
The real reason was hidden inside Captain Ukitake.
Ukitake's body carried something far rarer than talent or seniority—
A power tied directly to the Soul King.
A sealed "divine" force that, once awakened by ritual, could manifest as that black, one-eyed mark—
The essence of the Soul King's right arm.
For most people, that power was untouchable.
Even Ukitake himself couldn't "hand it over."
He relied on it to stay alive.
But Bai Chen's Wooden Dragon was different.
It could suppress.
It could drain.
It could steal reiatsu.
And not only through battle.
If Bai Chen approached it through "treatment"—
Using his healing methods to repair Ukitake's lungs while quietly drawing on that hidden power—
Then even a small amount would be enough.
Because Bai Chen believed in one thing with absolute confidence:
If the vitality of his "ultimate body" fused with a fragment of Soul King power…
His spiritual body would undergo a true metamorphosis.
A leap.
A soul-level ascension.
A path Aizen pursued to the end—and still failed to complete.
The creation of the Ōken.
The key that grants entry to the Royal Palace.
Bai Chen didn't need to gamble on distant miracles.
He only needed to get close to Ukitake.
As Bai Chen reaffirmed his choice, everyone finally accepted reality:
His mind was made up.
Even if other captains felt regret—felt the urge to snatch him on the spot—
None of them pushed further.
Not here.
Not in front of the Captain-Commander.
Not with "face" on the line.
Only Ukitake looked like he'd been hit by an unexpected blessing.
His pale face flushed faintly with emotion.
"Bai Chen… thank you for your trust."
"From this day forward, let's learn from each other."
Despite being the captain, Ukitake spoke without arrogance.
He didn't treat Bai Chen like a subordinate.
He treated him like an equal.
So much so that it almost gave people the illusion Bai Chen wasn't joining to support Ukitake—
But to one day replace him.
Bai Chen simply smiled and nodded.
"Captain Ukitake, you're too kind."
"I'll carry my responsibilities, and I'll contribute to the Thirteenth Division."
With the formalities complete, Yamamoto struck his staff lightly.
"Since Bai Chen has chosen…"
"From this day onward, he is officially assigned to the Thirteenth Division."
"As for rank and seat assignment…"
"That will be discussed by Ukitake Jūshirō and Shiba Kaien."
"Dismissed."
The captains and vice-captains departed in order.
The news spreads… and reaches the Tsunayashiro
Half a day later, the news had already flooded Seireitei.
Shinigami.
Kidō Corps.
Onmitsukidō.
Even the noble districts.
Everyone had heard it:
Bai Chen chose the Thirteenth Division.
And among those who received the report—
Was one of the Four Great Noble Houses.
The Tsunayashiro.
Deep within the aristocratic district, inside a lavish manor—
A quiet room.
A single man sat studying the intelligence sheet.
Narrow eyes.
Long bangs falling to one side.
White noble attire beneath a green silk outer robe.
Tsunayashiro Tokinada.
"Bai Chen…"
"A wood-type Zanpakutō…"
"Power comparable to Ryūjin Jakka?"
"Wood and forests—yet such destructive force…"
"How… incomprehensible."
A servant bowed low behind him.
"House Head… what are your thoughts?"
Tokinada smiled faintly.
"My thoughts?"
"On a Zanpakutō no one's heard of—yet one that appears overnight at the top of the food chain?"
"If I had the chance…"
"I'd like to meet Bai Chen in person."
"And admire it up close."
He sighed theatrically, shaking his head as if lamenting fate.
"But unfortunately…"
"My status was stripped long ago."
"I no longer have the privilege to openly enter the Gotei."
"So I missed the performance."
As he spoke, his gaze slid sideways—
Landing on the weapon resting near the room's edge.
A Zanpakutō with an unusual shape.
Enrakyōten.
A blade passed down within the Tsunayashiro line—ancient, obscure, and dangerous.
Once released, the blade itself vanished.
And its wielder could replicate other Zanpakutō powers—
Not just one.
Potentially many.
But the price was cruel:
Every use shaved away the wielder's soul.
A slow, steady erosion.
Life exchanged for power.
Still…
If Enrakyōten could copy something truly top-tier—
Then the "cost" became worth paying.
And now, having heard that Bai Chen's Wooden Dragon stood beside Ryūjin Jakka in destructive might—
Tokinada's greed stirred.
Cold.
Poisonous.
Ambition turning into intent.
He wanted to copy Wooden Dragon.
Which meant—
Bai Chen had entered the sights of one of the most vicious nobles in Soul Society.
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