"Not a single member of Squad 10 survived. There are no signs of resistance, and Captain Shiba Isshin is not among the dead."
When Ukitake relayed this to Yamamoto, even the Head Captain, a man who had weathered countless storms, displayed a fleeting moment of blatant shock and fury.
Although there were still a few Squad 10 members stationed in the Plains of Slaughter and the Rukongai, their numbers were entirely insignificant compared to the over two hundred stationed at the barracks.
Furthermore, the squad's most crucial personnel—the lieutenant and the seated officers—were all present. Yamamoto understood, just as everyone who heard the news understood, that Squad 10 had essentially been annihilated.
This was absolutely unprecedented in the history of the Seireitei. Even during the most chaotic, blood-soaked eras under Yamamoto's rule, no squad had ever been slaughtered down to a mere name! And for this to happen right inside the Seireitei—it was an utter humiliation!
"Not a single sound was made. Do not tell me these people were sleeping so soundly they could not even draw their blades." Yamamoto's tone was measured, but the walls and floor beneath his feet instantly spiderwebbed with cracks. At this moment, he was a volcano shrouded in dark clouds; in the very next second, the flames of his wrath might pierce the heavens.
"There are no signs of Kidō restrictions. Whether they were affected by some sort of sensory-manipulation ability remains unknown."
Kōe paused for a moment before continuing, "Every single one was killed in a single strike. If they were in their normal state of mind before they died, it can only mean the gap in strength between them and the killer was far too vast."
To wipe out the entirety of Squad 10 without leaking a single sound was not something that could be achieved through sheer numbers. The culprit had to be someone of transcendent power—for instance, the captains of the Gotei 13 were capable of such a feat.
However, leaving no trace and facing no resistance were two entirely different concepts. Kōe asked himself honestly, and he knew he could assassinate the entirety of Squad 10 without letting them send out a single message.
But judging by the expressions on several of the victims' faces, they had clearly seen their killer. Yet, let alone drawing their weapons, they hadn't even touched their Zanpakutō. This complete lack of any sign of resistance was the strangest part of all.
There was only one plausible explanation that came to mind, and Yamamoto had thought of this possibility early on, which was why he had immediately sent people to find Shiba Isshin.
Kōe could only hope that Shiba Isshin was still within the Seireitei. That was the only way to potentially prove that the massacre of Squad 10 wasn't Isshin's doing—and even then, it was only a possibility.
But Kuchiki Ginrei's arrival completely erased that possibility.
"Isshin is not at the Shiba estate, though the other direct family members are still there. The Kidō Corps is currently investigating the premises."
Yoruichi, who had arrived with him, didn't say a word, but she pointed in the direction of the Squad 10 barracks and shot Kōe a meaningful glance. From her perspective, as long as nothing had happened to Squad 10, there was still a chance to turn things around regarding Shiba Isshin's disappearance.
Kōe remained silent, merely shaking his head. With this, the suspicion weighing on Isshin was bound to grow heavier.
The fire at the Royal Weaving Facility was unleashed by Isshin's Zanpakutō, Engetsu. At the same time, he possessed the strength to annihilate Squad 10. Add to that the fact that he was their most familiar captain, and it made perfect sense that the squad members wouldn't put up any resistance if he were to assassinate them.
Shortly after, Unohana's group of three returned. Unlike the others, they had someone tied up behind them—someone Kōe was quite familiar with: Kurotsuchi Mayuri.
"Nearly eighty percent of the Royal Weaving Facility has been completely burned down. We have him to thank for the parts that survived." Unohana narrowed her eyes at Mayuri behind her. However, Mayuri didn't look too pleased about it; tethered by Unohana, he looked much like a leashed puppy.
"What about the personnel?" Yamamoto asked flatly.
Unohana shook her head and replied, "Almost all of them were reduced to ash, but I believe they were already dead before the fire started."
"Go to the Squad 10 barracks next. See if there is anything worthy of note."
After giving Unohana her orders, Yamamoto looked down at the now-quiet streets below and continued, "The rest of you will lead your respective squads in a thorough search of the Seireitei. Kōe Shihouin will temporarily take command of Squad 11. Your objective is to locate Shiba Isshin and any potential outsiders."
"Yes, sir!"
Though everyone present moved swiftly, they all knew in their hearts that this was merely a futile effort. Whether the perpetrator was from inside or outside the Seireitei, given how much time had passed, they had likely long since escaped.
At noon the following day, inside the Squad 1 Captains' assembly hall, Kōe attended his first captain's meeting as the captain-in-waiting for Squad 11.
The annihilation of Squad 10. The annihilation of the Royal Weaving Facility. The disappearance of Squad 10 Captain Shiba Isshin.
These events weighed heavily on everyone's minds, dragging the atmosphere in the meeting room down to its absolute lowest point.
"The Kidō Corps reported that the Senkaimon at the Shiba estate had been opened, but there is no way to determine its final destination." Kuchiki Ginrei, who had visited the Shiba estate, spoke slowly. "However, none of the Shiba clan members saw who used the Senkaimon, so we cannot confirm whether Shiba Isshin traveled to the World of the Living."
"And what of the Royal Weaving Facility?" Yamamoto cast a glance at Hikifune Kirio, who stood opposite Kōe. She had been in charge of the detailed investigation of the facility the previous night.
"The spatial fluctuation detection and defense monitoring systems were both disabled from the main control room on the second floor—that is, the control room belonging to the researcher named Kurotsuchi Mayuri." Hikifune Kirio looked at Yamamoto at the head of the room and continued, "However, the core data room and several experimental specimens were protected by him. I do not believe he is the one who destroyed the Royal Weaving Facility; it is highly likely to be an external intrusion."
After saying this, Hikifune Kirio seemed to remember something else and added, "But according to Kurotsuchi Mayuri, his experimental data regarding the Quincy showed signs of being transferred, and it was also deleted from the data room. It is estimated that this person's target was precisely this data. As for who the intruder was, the surveillance records for the Royal Weaving Facility from that day were completely wiped, so it is impossible to determine."
Upon hearing this, Yamamoto shifted his gaze to Unohana on his right.
"The deceased members of Squad 10 were all killed in a single strike. Some were fully conscious, but given their lack of resistance and their facial expressions, it was very likely someone they were familiar with."
"Such as Shiba Isshin?"
"..."
Faced with Yamamoto's question, Unohana did not answer, merely lowering her head in tacit agreement. The rest of the people in the room also wore rather grim expressions.
At present, there were no traces of battle at either the Royal Weaving Facility or the Squad 10 barracks. The same was true for the Shiba estate, where the only clue was the sign that the Senkaimon had been opened. It was hard to believe that anyone could silently abduct a veteran captain like Shiba Isshin without leaving a trace.
Squad 10 Captain Shiba Isshin slaughtered his entire squad, then proceeded to the Royal Weaving Facility to go on a killing spree while stealing Quincy research data, and finally escaped through his clan's Senkaimon—this deduction was the one that best fit the current circumstances.
"Could it be the work of the Quincy?" Kōe spoke up, breaking the deadlocked situation. "Disabling the surveillance was to cover their tracks, and transferring the data was to prevent us from uncovering their secrets."
"Perhaps they are hiding in some unknown corner of the Seireitei right now?"
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