"All captains are to report to the First Division meeting hall!"
After giving the order, Captain-Commander Yamamoto turned and stormed off.
"Um… I'm not a captain anymore, so I shouldn't have to go, right?"
Kazuma blurted it out without thinking.
He had absolutely no desire to get involved in this sort of thing.
"That includes you."
Yamamoto's ominously calm voice drifted back, nearly making Kazuma jump.
...
Inside the First Division meeting hall, the captains stood in their usual positions.
Kazuma stayed in the middle, glancing left and right. No matter where he looked, there didn't seem to be a proper place for him.
"Yama-jii, maybe I should just leave. There isn't even a spot for me here."
Even now, Kazuma was still trying to weasel his way out of it.
To be fair, he really wasn't a captain.
"Komamura, beginning today, you will take command of the Ninth Division. As for you, Kazuma, get back to the Seventh Division and resume your post as captain."
After only a moment's thought, Yamamoto announced both appointments on the spot.
"Captain-Commander, that won't work! I'm still considered a traitor to Soul Society. How could I possibly serve as a captain? Better forget the whole thing."
Kazuma had no intention of becoming captain again.
Just thinking about paperwork and division affairs gave him a headache — and it would cost him his freedom too.
"Hmm?"
Yamamoto had no intention of letting such a useful workhorse escape.
"In that case, as Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, I hereby clear you of all charges of treason against Soul Society. The order takes effect immediately."
Yamamoto didn't waste even a second.
Kazuma's criminal status was erased on the spot.
Now the brat should have no excuse left!
"Yama-jii, you can't just make every decision by yourself. Besides, doesn't something like this need Central 46's approval?"
Kazuma was prepared to resist to the bitter end.
"All the sages of Central 46 are dead. At present, Captain-Commander Yamamoto holds full authority over Soul Society's affairs."
Unohana Retsu unexpectedly stepped forward to Yamamoto's side.
"Unohana, that's going too far! How can you screw me over like this?"
Kazuma felt the trap closing around him.
Back when he'd decided to use Aizen to wipe out Central 46, he'd never expected it to come back and bite him this fast.
"Kazuma, what did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly. Could you repeat it for me?"
Unohana narrowed her eyes and showed her familiar, quietly terrifying smile.
Every hair on Kazuma's body stood on end.
This was a time to make allies of everyone he possibly could.
Why did his mouth always have to betray him? He wanted to slap himself!
"Since you accuse me of deciding this alone, we will hold a vote. Every captain may now state their position on the two appointments I proposed."
Yamamoto very considerately took Kazuma's suggestion.
"I second the motion."
"Agreed."
"I support it."
"Agreed."
"…"
One voice after another shattered Kazuma's last hopes.
Suì-Fēng was practically glowing with delight.
Kazuma had spent all that time mocking her and dragging up her embarrassing past.
Watching him suffer now felt wonderful!
Kazuma let out a long, helpless breath, as though a heavy weight had settled on his chest.
In the end, all he could do was grit his teeth and swallow the bitter outcome.
His return as captain was already unavoidable.
Since there was no escaping it, all he could do was fall back and look for another opening.
His eyes suddenly shifted as an idea came to him.
"Yama-jii, Komamura has served as Seventh Division captain for quite a while now. Even if you want to rearrange the divisions, shouldn't you at least ask his opinion first?"
He looked to Yamamoto with hopeful eyes, praying this might finally shake the old man's decision.
Yamamoto remained completely unmoved. He merely glanced at Kazuma, then turned to Komamura.
"Komamura, state your opinion."
Komamura bowed respectfully to Yamamoto before answering without the slightest hesitation.
"I will obey any command Lord Genryūsai gives me. Captain Kazuma was already an outstanding leader of the Seventh Division in the past. Now that he has returned and can resume his position, I have no objections whatsoever. In truth, I am deeply pleased and excited."
Komamura had already made up his mind.
To an outsider, his decision might have seemed unexpected, but for him, it was the natural result of careful thought.
He decisively stabbed Kazuma in the back!
As long as Kazuma could return and become captain again, Komamura would gladly step down from the Seventh Division without a single complaint.
Besides, the arrangement wasn't even a loss.
He was simply being moved to the Ninth Division while still serving as captain.
To him, that was practically an unexpected reward.
In fact, even if Yamamoto had never brought it up, Komamura had already planned to publicly request the same thing.
Kazuma was more than the mentor who'd opened his eyes.
He was also the man who'd changed his life. Without Kazuma's appearance and help back then, Komamura might still be hiding beneath a woven hat, ashamed to show his true face.
He certainly never would have had the chance to become a captain and shoulder the duty of protecting Soul Society.
Kazuma now looked like a helpless lamb.
He swept a pleading gaze across every captain in the room, hoping even one of them might offer him some support.
To his despair, not a single captain was willing to lend him a hand.
In the end, he could only walk over in a daze and take his place beneath the emblem of the Seventh Division, looking utterly defeated.
"Very well. We will move on to the next matter."
Yamamoto smiled faintly and nodded in satisfaction.
His sharp gaze passed over everyone before settling briefly on Kazuma.
That troublesome thorn had finally quieted down a little, letting Yamamoto relax.
At least one more headache had been dealt with.
His expression then turned serious.
"The criminals Aizen Sōsuke and Ichimaru Gin openly betrayed Soul Society and committed crimes of the highest order. Both have now fled to Hueco Mundo, and their current whereabouts are unknown.
"However, we cannot allow the poison they left behind to spread any further. Our most urgent task is to thoroughly cleanse the Third and Fifth Divisions of their lingering influence, and to investigate whether any other members took part in this rebellion.
Those found guilty must be punished without mercy. At the same time, the innocent must have their names cleared, so both divisions can restore their honor and reputation.
This matter will be handled by the Second Division. Deploy the Onmitsukidō and conduct a thorough investigation into both the Third and Fifth Divisions. Complete the screening as quickly as possible, and do not let a single conspirator escape justice.
Only then can the Third and Fifth Divisions swiftly recover their former strength and resume their duty of protecting Soul Society."
When he'd finished, Yamamoto turned his gaze toward Second Division Captain Suì-Fēng.
Hearing the order, Suì-Fēng immediately stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Captain-Commander. You have my word. I will begin the investigation the moment this meeting ends, and I will not fail this assignment."