The moment Kazuma gave the order, the Gotei 13 came alive like a war machine.
"Everyone, I'm counting on you to deal with the Tsunayashiro Clan."
Standing at the head of the room, Kazuma offered a few appropriately stirring words before making what, for him, was a painful sacrifice: he brought out several jars of wine he had been aging for years.
Shunsui took one look at the dried earth still clinging to them and whistled.
"He's really going all out."
Anyone who knew Kazuma understood how reluctant he was to share his private stock.
"These have been in my collection for years," Kazuma announced. "Today, I thought I'd—"
"Please wait, Captain-Commander."
Kōga interrupted him before he could finish.
"We appreciate the gesture, but drinking before a battle could affect the operation. Why not save the wine until the Tsunayashiro Clan has been dealt with? Then everyone can celebrate properly."
Kazuma blinked.
For once, this treacherous student was talking sense.
Rukia immediately joined in. "Captain Kōga is right. Save it for the victory celebration, Sensei. You can stay here and wait for the good news."
Kazuma nodded approvingly.
See? When it mattered, his students could be dependable.
Being openly respected and supported like this felt rather nice, and for a moment, he even wondered whether he should recruit someone whose sole job was to flatter him.
Imagine starting every morning with a steady stream of compliments.
Then he dismissed the thought.
Was he really the sort of man who enjoyed shameless flattery?
"..."
Yes.
Absolutely!
...
"Who are—?!"
The shout ended with a flash of steel.
A Shinigami guarding the outer perimeter of the Tsunayashiro estate felt a sudden chill across his throat and instinctively raised a hand, only to find his fingers covered in warm blood.
His eyes widened as he tried to focus on the blurred figure standing before him, but his strength was already draining away, and moments later, he collapsed.
He was far from the only one.
Across the estate perimeter, dark figures slipped through the night, eliminating sentries before most of them could make a sound.
The Onmitsukidō moved quickly and efficiently, killing visible guards and hidden watchers one after another, and it didn't take long for Suì-Fēng and Yoruichi to dismantle nearly the entire outer security network.
At the same time, the Kidō Corps moved into position and began erecting a barrier around the Tsunayashiro grounds, sealing the estate off from the rest of the Seireitei.
Then—
"Enemy attack!"
The warning shattered the silence.
The Onmitsukidō had expected another clean kill, but this time their target survived just long enough to raise the alarm.
"Hmph."
The Shinigami facing them tightened his grip on his Zanpakutō.
"You've got some nerve attacking members of the Tsunayashiro Clan."
His eyes swept across the masked operatives.
"Who sent you? Who gave you the courage to trespass here?"
His name was Tsunayashiro Ishidō, one of the most talented members of the clan's younger generation.
Barely a century old, his reiatsu was already approaching the fourth tier, making him an exceptional talent by ordinary standards.
The Onmitsukidō said nothing.
They simply watched him.
There was no point explaining anything to a man they had already marked for death.
Their silence only enraged him further.
"Fine." Ishidō raised his sword. "If you won't talk, then die."
He lunged, bringing his Zanpakutō down in a killing stroke—and stopped.
A smaller figure had appeared between him and his target.
Steel crashed against steel, scattering sparks through the darkness.
Ishidō's eyes widened. "Captain Suì-Fēng?!"
That was impossible.
Why was the captain of the Second Division personally leading an attack on the Tsunayashiro estate?
Suì-Fēng gave him no answer.
Her expression remained cold, and before Ishidō could recover from the shock, she drove a kick straight into his chest.
The impact launched him backward. He hit the ground hard and rolled several times before finally stopping, but Suì-Fēng was already moving.
A single Shunpo brought her directly in front of him.
Crack.
Pain flashed through Ishidō's neck before his head sagged at an unnatural angle.
Suì-Fēng had broken his neck with one clean motion.
"Why…?"
The word barely escaped his throat.
One of the Tsunayashiro Clan's most promising young talents died without ever releasing his Zanpakutō.
Even as his vision faded, Ishidō still couldn't understand what was happening.
Why had a Gotei 13 captain personally led troops into the Tsunayashiro estate? Why were they killing without hesitation?
With the last of his strength, he looked up.
More Onmitsukidō operatives emerged from the darkness around him, and among them was another woman dressed similarly to Suì-Fēng.
She walked forward at an unhurried pace, yet even through his fading vision, Tsunayashiro Ishidō could tell immediately that she was no ordinary member of the Onmitsukidō.
...
"Commander, do we continue the assassinations?"
One of the Onmitsukidō operatives stepped forward hesitantly, wearing the earnest expression of someone who had somehow missed the obvious.
The others stared at him.
They had already been discovered.
What exactly were they supposed to assassinate now?
Did he think the Tsunayashiro were going to forget there were intruders and politely return to their guard posts?
Suì-Fēng gave him a flat look. "Do you think there's any point?"
Yoruichi sighed. "We've already eliminated most of the outer sentries, and Captain Ukitake's group has the barrier in place. Send word to Captain Unohana."
She glanced at the operative again.
Had the standards of the Onmitsukidō really fallen this far?
...
Unohana stood waiting outside the estate, almost unrecognizable from her usual appearance.
Her braid had been undone, leaving her long hair loose over her shoulders, while the new power Kazuma had given her was still difficult to contain completely, causing traces of her reiatsu to leak continuously into the air.
The captains behind her felt every bit of it.
Some quietly checked their Zanpakutō, while others stood with their eyes closed, conserving their strength.
Kenpachi was the exception.
He looked delighted.
His grin kept widening as he ran his tongue along the edge of his blade, barely able to wait for the order to charge in.
A black-clad Onmitsukidō operative appeared before Unohana and dropped to one knee.
"Captain Unohana. The enemy has detected us. Awaiting further orders."
Unohana nodded. "You held the element of surprise long enough. Well done."
The operative straightened slightly at the praise, while behind Unohana, hands tightened around Zanpakutō hilts.
So the covert phase was over.
Now came the assault.
Unohana gave the order without hesitation.
"Proceed as planned. Have the Eleventh Division begin the frontal attack. Third and Ninth Divisions will remain ready to reinforce them."
Then she turned toward the captains behind her.
"The rest of you are with me. We go in through the front, find their strongest fighters, and eliminate them."
Her smile sharpened.
"Tonight, the Tsunayashiro Clan ends."
Before anyone could respond, Unohana vanished.
Byakuya, Shunsui, Komamura, Kenpachi, and Mayuri followed her straight into the estate.
...
"Clan Head! We're screwed! We're completely screwed!"
A bloodied Tsunayashiro Shinigami stumbled into the council chamber, barely managing to stay on his feet.
"The Gotei 13 has broken into the estate!"
Silence followed.
Every elder in the room stared at him. They had already heard the alarm, but until now, no one had known who was attacking them.
One elder slammed both hands against the table and shot to his feet.
"The Gotei 13?! Impossible!"
Teacups rattled from the impact.
"How dare they attack the Tsunayashiro estate!"
Another elder immediately joined in. "This is outrageous! Completely unacceptable! I'll go straight to Kazuma and demand an explanation!"
The Tsunayashiro had spent generations at the top of Soul Society's aristocracy, and the idea that anyone would openly assault their estate had simply never occurred to them.
Least of all the Gotei 13, an organization many of them still regarded as little more than armed servants of the noble houses.
A scornful huff came from the entrance.
"I warned you."
The doors opened, and Tsunayashiro Tokinada walked inside.
His expression was dark, but the contempt in his eyes was unmistakable.
"I told you not to play games with Kazuma." He looked around the chamber. "You ignored me, and now you're surprised he came for you?"
Tokinada gave them a mocking smile. "Did you honestly think he would tolerate your nonsense the way Genryūsai did?"
One of the elders immediately rounded on him. "Watch yourself! This is the clan council chamber. You have no right to barge in here!"
His voice thundered across the room.
"Get out!"
Even with the estate under attack, some of the elders still clung to their titles as though rank alone could protect them.
Tokinada simply stared at them.
Pathetic.
That was all he saw: a collection of spoiled, decaying parasites who had spent so long believing themselves untouchable that they no longer understood danger even when it stood at their door.
If he wanted, he could kill half of them before they finished shouting their own names.
"Shut the hell up!"
The roar came from the head of the Tsunayashiro Clan himself.
He slammed a hand onto the table and stood, causing the entire room to freeze.
The clan head was usually restrained and mild-mannered, and few of those present had ever seen him this furious.
"Can none of you understand what's happening?"
His glare swept across the elders.
"Kazuma has already ordered the Gotei 13 to attack us! Do you seriously think he gives a damn about our noble status?"
He pointed toward the doors.
"You're standing here talking about demanding explanations while enemy forces are already inside the estate!"
The elders fell silent.
For the first time, the reality of their situation began to sink in.
The Gotei 13 wasn't outside asking permission.
They weren't negotiating.
They had come to kill them.
And at a moment like this, being one of Soul Society's oldest noble families meant very little.