Five days later, the official transfer order for Kōe to take over as the captain of Squad 11 still hadn't arrived, though his title as Kenpachi had already spread far and wide.
The members of Squad 11 were eagerly awaiting their new captain's transfer order. Without a captain in the squad, getting into their usual conflicts with other squads felt awkward, leaving them completely uncomfortable.
However, as the person in question, Kōe wasn't in much of a hurry. After his battle with Azashiro Sōya, and especially after having his head severed, he had gained a new understanding of Zanpakutō and Kidō. It was just that this understanding still lingered on a vague level. For the past five days, he had been meditating in the quiet room, trying to grasp that profoundly mysterious sensation.
Inside a large, dimly lit room with flickering lights, Kōe sat cross-legged face-to-face with a suit of pitch-black armor. This was his inner world—or rather, one of his inner worlds—and the armor before him was the materialized form of Kōki.
Since his celestial garments were damaged, he wouldn't be able to release Kōki in the short term, but communicating with his Zanpakutō spirit was no problem. A Shinigami's training was mostly focused on cultivating the mind, with physical training being secondary.
"You won't find the answers here with me. If there are things you don't understand, then I understand them even less." Even though there was clearly nothing beneath the armor, a hoarse voice emanated from the Hannya mask suspended in mid-air. "You know this. You are me, and I am a part of you."
"Then why did an ability like Static Recording appear? When my head was severed, I felt a sensation of having already died. If you are me, then you would have perished at that moment as well."
"Then what is the feeling of death?"
Kōe furrowed his brows tightly. For a moment, he couldn't describe that feeling. The lights in the room twisted together, and the already dim space seemed to be shrouded in a thick layer of fog.
"Sinking? Longing? Maybe even a bit of fear? It's very complicated." Kōe sighed and shook his head. "Or maybe it was indifference. Watching my own severed head fly off even felt a bit unreal. It was strange, like an out-of-body experience, which is ironic considering I'm already a soul."
"You are very confused right now. You don't understand what death is, and similarly, neither do I," the armor-clad Kōki said. The lights in the room grew dimmer and dimmer. Kōe felt the figure before him drifting further away, becoming increasingly blurry, until his vision finally went black. Both the large room and the armor vanished completely.
"Whether it is knowledge or power, you must fight for it yourself. Your strength has never been given to you by others, and that includes me. Do you remember that, Kōe?"
Soft sunlight pierced his eyes. Kōe opened them to find his surroundings had returned to the appearance of the Squad 1 quiet room. Kōki's final words echoed in his mind, while a series of knocks vibrated against his eardrums. It seemed he had been pulled out of his inner world because of this noise.
"What happened?!" Kōe opened the door and spoke irritably to the Squad 1 member who had disturbed him.
"L-Lieutenant Shihouin!" The newcomer was startled by Kōe's demeanor and spoke timidly. "Captain-Commander Yamamoto wishes to see you. According to your instructions, I..."
Kōe reached out and interrupted him. Before entering the quiet room, he had indeed given orders to decline all invitations on his behalf—including those from Urahara and Yoruichi—unless it was Yamamoto looking for him.
"Then I will take my leave."
"Wait, thank you for delivering the message." Kōe called out to the squad member who was about to turn away. "Also, my tone just now wasn't directed at you. I apologize."
"I-It's nothing!" The squad member waved his hands with a surprised look on his face. "You should hurry, Lieutenant Shihouin. It might be the transfer order for Squad 11. The next time I see you, I might have to call you Lord Kenpachi. Congratulations!"
Kōe smiled and waved him off. The man bowed slightly and left. Becoming Lord Kenpachi was indeed something to be happy about, but he hoped Yamamoto had called him over for another matter entirely.
Five days ago, upon returning from Squad 11, Kōe had briefly met with Yamamoto. After exchanging a few words about trivial daily matters, Kōe had cut straight to the chase.
He had gone alone to find Azashiro Sōya for the sole purpose of using it as a bargaining chip to hand over the Holy King Konrad, who was still undergoing interrogation, to Kurotsuchi Mayuri for research. As for the title of Kenpachi or anything of the sort, he truly hadn't thought about it at the time.
But to be honest, Kōe wasn't very confident about this plan. He could only imagine how furious Yamamoto would be when he heard that Kōe wanted to trade the captain's seat for a prisoner.
After all, his military merit had already been established. If he really used it as an exchange to avoid becoming the captain of Squad 11, anyone with half a brain would see that something fishy was going on. This would be throwing Yamamoto and Central 46 straight into the fire.
Because of this, Kōe had even prepared a set of excuses. As long as Yamamoto nodded in agreement, he would claim that Ao had intervened in the nick of time to help him defeat Azashiro Sōya.
He would say he had temporarily lost himself in the intoxication of fame and fortune, only coming to his senses in time thanks to his master Yamamoto's guidance. To prove his remorse, he would even offer to voluntarily resign from his position as the lieutenant of Squad 1 and reflect on his mistakes in isolation!
As for whether his reputation would be cleared, Kōe couldn't care less. If this could actually cause Aizen—who was still biding his time in the shadows—to underestimate him, then he would truly be thanking his lucky stars!
It was just a pity that none of these preparations were put to use! Yamamoto hadn't been angry at all. He merely said he needed a few days to think about it before sweeping Kōe out the door. This reaction had briefly made Kōe wonder if the Yamamoto in front of him wasn't real, but rather an illusion created by Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu.
But he hadn't even seen Aizen's Shikai yet, so the Old Man Yama in front of him had to be real. He finally knew how to dote on his kid! It really wasn't easy!
He just didn't know if, after these past few days, Old Man Yama had forgotten how to dote on him again. Kōe took a deep breath and spoke through the door in front of him. "Master, Kōe requests an audience!"
"Enter."
Kōe opened the door and walked into the Captain-Commander's office. Yamamoto, sitting behind his desk with his head lowered, raised a hand and gestured to the spot across from him, signaling Kōe to sit.
As soon as he sat down cross-legged, Kōe couldn't wait to speak up. "Master, how have you considered the matter from a few days ago?"
"So impatient. You are far too invested in the Quincy." Yamamoto glanced at Kōe and spoke unhurriedly. "Tell me, what exactly are you seeking by having Kurotsuchi Mayuri research the Quincy?"
"I still can't let go of the hidden threat the Quincy pose. Knowing the enemy and knowing oneself ensures victory in a hundred battles. I feel that we still know far too little about the Quincy."
"Is that truly the case? The Quincy no longer exist in Soul Society, and we have placed all Quincy groups in the World of the Living under surveillance. They are still alive not because we cannot kill them, but because they are not worthy of dragging the countless living souls of the World of the Living down to the grave with them."
Yamamoto raised his head, his eyes staring straight at Kōe as he spoke expressionlessly. "Tell the truth!"
Kōe subconsciously straightened his posture and sat upright. His heart pounded so hard it felt like it was going to leap out of his chest. Yamamoto's action was completely unexpected.
He wasn't afraid of Yamamoto getting angry over the idea of the exchange. What he feared was Yamamoto demanding the truth—that secret brought over from his previous life, buried in the deepest recesses of his heart.
And now, Yamamoto had grown curious about his actions and was beginning to dig into the underlying reasons. Under these circumstances, how much longer could this secret remain hidden?
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