"What did you just say?"
Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's eyes widened in shock, his deep voice carrying a rare trace of disbelief. He turned toward the speaker, his aged yet imposing face dark with incredulity.
Unohana Retsu—one of the oldest captains of the Gotei 13, a warrior he had personally recruited centuries ago—was the last person he expected to disobey orders.
Yet she had just done so.
"Captain Unohana, explain yourself," Yamamoto demanded, his tone edged with restrained fury.
Unohana raised her head, her expression unreadable yet resolute.
"Captain-Commander, I have no intention of becoming an enemy of Captain Akira." Her voice was calm but firm. "Because he is the great benefactor of Soul Society."
"Nonsense!" Yamamoto's spiritual pressure surged, the air around him distorting with heat. "Are you telling me you would turn against the Gotei 13?"
Flames crackled in the air, the oppressive heat of Ryūjin Jakka making the very atmosphere tremble.
Akira, watching the escalating tension, merely chuckled. "For someone so stubborn, I suppose showing you the truth is the only way."
With a flick of his wrist, black flames—Amaterasu—ignited, surging toward the Central 46 Chambers like a devouring tide.
"You dare?!"
With a single step, Yamamoto moved. The moment the flames leapt forward, an inferno of his own erupted in response—a roaring tsunami of fire sweeping out to intercept Akira's attack.
"Mirror it, Hikari no Kagami."
Akira did not retreat. Instead, he raised his Zanpakutō and murmured the command.
In an instant, a second Akira materialized, clad in the same black flame battle suit, wielding the same terrifying Amaterasu fire. The doppelgänger unleashed a dragon of black flames, clashing violently with Yamamoto's fiery wave.
"What?!"
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. "A clone? No… This isn't an ordinary illusion or double technique."
The second Akira radiated the same power, his spiritual pressure indistinguishable from the original. Even for a mere Shikai ability, it was unsettling—no, absurd—that a mere projection could rival the real Akira in strength.
But now was not the time for contemplation. Yamamoto was nothing if not a warrior of instinct honed over millennia. Even as his flames clashed with the clone, he had already moved, his Shunpo slicing through the battlefield like a lightning strike as he pursued the real Akira.
And then—
CLANG!
A blade intercepted him.
Unohana Retsu, the First Kenpachi, stood before him, her Zanpakutō raised.
A veteran of countless battles, her power far exceeded the average captain. Though she could not match Yamamoto outright, she was formidable enough to halt him, even if only momentarily.
"Unohana! This old man will not hold back!" Yamamoto growled, his grip tightening around Ryūjin Jakka.
Yet, even for a man of his overwhelming strength, fending off Unohana while simultaneously battling Akira's clone left no opportunity to strike at the true target.
And then—
"Black Flame Dragon's Wing Strike!"
BOOM!
The uppermost structure of the Central 46 Chambers exploded. Charred debris rained down, the once-sealed chamber now exposed to the outside world.
Amidst the dust and flames, the grim scene below was revealed.
Unohana turned toward Yamamoto, her voice ringing clear. "Captain-Commander… Look for yourself!"
Yamamoto's sharp eyes scanned the devastation—then froze.
His pupils contracted to the size of pinpoints.
"What…?!"
With a single powerful swing of his blade, he forced Unohana back and, in a flash of Shunpo, descended into the Central 46 hall.
Moments later, his grim conclusion matched Unohana's words.
"They've been dead for some time," she stated solemnly. "Yet orders have continued to be issued all these days."
Unohana Retsu landed gracefully beside Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, her sharp eyes scanning the battlefield. "The conspiracy behind this is already clear," she stated calmly.
Yamamoto remained silent for a moment before exhaling deeply. With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the lingering flames of Ryūjin Jakka, and the oppressive heat in the air vanished instantly.
Lifting his gaze to Akira, who hovered mid-air, Yamamoto's expression was unreadable. After a brief hesitation, he asked, "So, are you truly innocent?"
Akira responded curtly with two words: "Ridiculous."
Yamamoto's brows twitched slightly, but he held back his frustration. It wasn't the time for unnecessary conflicts. Taking a deep breath, he steadied himself.
"It seems," he said at last, "that the events unfolding now lend weight to your accusations against Aizen..."
Akira interjected sharply, "I was framed, then condemned by countless voices, and finally hunted down like a criminal!" His voice carried a sharp bitterness. "I barely survived countless encounters, and now, even if the Gotei 13 wanted to compensate me, could they?"
Yamamoto narrowed his eyes. The old man, though stoic, felt an urge to sigh in exasperation. Indeed, most of what he said is true... but the ones who nearly died were the captains who chased him!
After a pause, Yamamoto spoke gravely. "This matter will be discussed later. Rest assured, you will not be falsely accused, Captain... Akira."
More pressing matters were at hand. He continued, his voice firm: "Right now, our priority is stopping Aizen Sōsuke's scheme. Do you have any leads?"
"A lead..." Akira's gaze turned toward Sōkyoku Hill. "As far as I know, Aizen's true objective is the Hōgyoku hidden inside Rukia Kuchiki—sealed there by Urahara Kisuke."
He paused briefly before continuing, "If we want to stop him, we only need to head to Rukia. If the Sōkyoku fails to execute her, Aizen will intervene personally."
Akira clenched his fists slightly. Though he knew the future course of events—that Urahara Kisuke's method for extracting the Hōgyoku would leave Rukia unharmed—he couldn't suppress a lingering sense of unease. Aizen had spared her in the original timeline, but now, with his presence disrupting events, could that still be certain?
A fleeting thought crossed his mind: I can't afford to take that risk.
"There's no time to waste," he said, his voice resolute. "Let's go!"
Without hesitation, Yamamoto surged forward, leading the charge toward Sōkyoku Hill. His remaining frustration with Akira had largely shifted toward the true enemy—the mastermind, Aizen Sōsuke.
Unohana and Akira quickly followed. The three of them moved swiftly, and Akira's keen senses stretched outward, searching.
"There!"
He pointed toward the execution grounds—where Aizen Sōsuke stood before Rukia Kuchiki, completely unscathed.
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