Standing at the end of the line, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's face, painted with black and white makeup, twisted the moment he saw Kisuke Urahara.
Those eyes, brimming with madness and neurosis, narrowed slightly. His gaze, like a poisoned blade, pierced straight toward Urahara.
"...Do some people really have no sense of propriety? To not realize that Captain Kyoraku was merely being polite, and actually have the audacity to appear before our eyes."
His voice was somewhat sharp and grating as he unceremoniously blocked Kisuke Urahara's path. "Apologies, my memory is failing me a bit. May I ask which division you belong to?"
"My, my, Director, it truly has been a long time." Urahara used his fan to push aside Mayuri's pointing fingernail and smiled. "I heard your Nemuri Hachigo had a bit of a malfunction? Is everything alright?"
On the other side, the reaction of the Captain of the Second Division, Soi Fon, was evidently far more intense.
Her originally perfectly straight posture became noticeably stiff in that instant.
Her beautiful eyes widened in anger, glaring fixedly at Yoruichi Shihoin, her eye sockets turning slightly red from extreme emotional turbulence.
She wanted to step forward several times, but ultimately held herself back, her fists clenched tightly.
Yoruichi calmly met Soi Fon's gaze, a complex flash of apology in her eyes, but she said nothing.
She understood what this little girl Soi Fon was thinking, but today was simply not the occasion to talk.
Only the steady and honest Grand Kido Chief, Tessai Tsukabishi, maintained the proper etiquette after entering the meeting room.
His gaze swept over the crowd, finally resting on Shunsui Kyoraku and Jushiro Ukitake, who was still covering his mouth and coughing lightly. He gave a slight nod and greeted them in a deep voice.
"Captain Kyoraku, Captain Ukitake, it has been a long time. I hope everyone has been well."
Jushiro Ukitake suppressed the itch in his throat. Looking at his former colleague, a trace of emotion flashed in his eyes. "Sir Tessai... you have all finally returned."
Shunsui Kyoraku let out a soft, ambiguous chuckle. "Heh, now then, it seems the old acquaintances of our Gotei 13 are just about all gathered together..."
Forced into a corner by Mayuri's murderous glare, Kisuke Urahara swept his gaze around the room and quickly locked onto Asuka, who was standing by the corner of the wall.
Kisuke Urahara put on an extremely enthusiastic expression, raising his folding fan from afar and waving it vigorously in Asuka's direction.
"Yo! Asuka!"
It was as if the two of them weren't in the solemn and dignified First Division meeting room, but had bumped into each other in some noisy vegetable market in Karakura Town.
This also caused the others to turn their gazes toward Asuka.
Asuka looked at the profiteer, his mouth twitching slightly. Just as he was about to tell him to shut up...
Before Kisuke Urahara could even open his mouth to utter his next polite greeting...
A lazy, dragging voice, carrying a heavy Kansai dialect and filled with extreme impatience and mockery, suddenly rang out from behind Kisuke Urahara.
"That's why I'm saying... Old man Yamamoto couldn't even see through that brat Aizen's disguise, getting played for a fool by him..."
"Ending up banished in the end is purely what he deserves."
The moment those words came out, the powder keg within the entire meeting room was instantly ignited.
All the Captains, including the perpetually expressionless Byakuya Kuchiki, had slight changes in their expressions.
They simply could not believe their ears.
At this critical juncture, when Head Captain Yamamoto had just met with an unforeseen disaster and the entire Soul Society was tottering in the midst of a storm...
Someone actually dared to publicly mock the Head Captain in the First Division's meeting hall with such a contemptuous and treasonous tone?!
Who was it?!
"Who dares to spout such arrogant nonsense!" Sajin Komamura let out an angry, cold shout, glaring out the door.
"Whoa, whoa, don't be so hot-headed, big doggy."
Accompanied by this lazy teasing, three figures slowly strolled out from behind Kisuke Urahara.
When the faces of these three people were completely exposed to everyone in the meeting room...
Even the most composed Captain Retsu Unohana had a flash of surprise in her eyes.
Walking at the very front was a man with straight blonde bangs, his face carrying a bit of wickedness and indolence.
He was not wearing a Shihakusho, but rather a World of the Living style shirt and tie. A wicked smirk stretched across his mouth, revealing somewhat stark white teeth.
"Shinji... Hirako?!"
Shunsui Kyoraku's bamboo hat, which had been kept low, suddenly lifted. Those eyes that always carried a bit of drunkenness and laziness instantly widened into perfect circles.
Appearing next was a melancholic man with wavy, long blonde hair, wearing a shirt with gorgeous ruffles, dressed like a medieval noble.
Beside him was a muscular man with short silver hair, wearing a sleeveless tank top and cargo pants, looking like someone with an extremely explosive temper.
"Rojuro Otoribashi... and, Kensei Muguruma?!"
Jushiro Ukitake also cried out in shock.
How was this possible?!
...Weren't they already dead?!
It should be known that the reason Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihoin were sentenced as wanted criminals and fled the Soul Society...
Was precisely because of the [Hollowfication Incident] that Shinji and the others had encountered.
Although it now seemed highly likely that this matter was Aizen's doing, and preparations were being made to clear Kisuke and the others' names...
But Shinji and the rest, according to the official records of the Seireitei, had long since perished without a trace in that turmoil a hundred years ago!
How could this be? They were actually still alive?!
"What exactly is going on..." Toshiro Hitsugaya looked at the three of them in astonishment. He did not sense any Hollow aura from them, his emerald green eyes filled with shock and incomprehension.
Facing the shocked, puzzled, and even somewhat guarded gazes of the Captains, Shinji Hirako appeared completely unbothered.
He seemingly had no intention of explaining to these former colleagues why he was still alive, nor did he plan to denounce the heartless verdict of Central 46 from back then.
Those lazy sanpaku eyes merely swept casually around the meeting room.
"Tch, still the same boring faces. You all look even more rigid than a hundred years ago."
Shinji Hirako muttered, and then, his gaze stopped at the corner of the wall.
His eyes lit up.
Still wearing his wicked smirk, Shinji completely ignored all the Captains present, walking straight across the hall and swaggering right up to Asuka.
"Yo."
He tilted his head, leaning in close to Asuka, his gaze continuously sizing him up. "I heard from that guy Kisuke."
"I heard you're the kid who shattered a Menos's Negacion with a single slash on Sokyoku Hill, and even managed to cut a gash into that scumbag Aizen?"
Shinji reached out his hand, wanting to pat Asuka's shoulder.
But after his gaze lingered on Kakudatsu at Asuka's waist for a few seconds, his hand paused in mid-air.
Seemingly sensing the dangerous aura exuding from Kakudatsu, he withdrew his hand extremely naturally, taking the opportunity to stroke his own chin.
"You did a fantastic job! It's simply incredibly satisfying! To be honest, I've been wanting to tear that guy's hypocritical face to shreds for a long time!"
Shinji Hirako grinned widely, his eyes flashing with undisguised appreciation.
"I really like your personality, kid! How about it? Wanna tag along with me?"
"Come be my Vice Captain! I promise it'll be way better than following these rigid guys..."
"Shinji Hirako."
Before Shinji Hirako could finish his sentence, a cold voice forcefully cut off his recruitment pitch.
Byakuya Kuchiki took a step out from the line, staring calmly at Shinji Hirako.
"In the verdict of Central 46, you, like the other Hollowfication test subjects, are to be disposed of according to the protocols for handling Hollows."
"I do not know how you survived, nor do I know what kind of deal you struck with the Hollows inside your bodies."
"But I must remind you, not only do you lack the qualifications to step foot into the First Division's meeting hall, you also hold no so-called Captain position."