Hearing this voice, everyone present was shocked.
"Akira!"
Soi Fon gave Akira a complicated look.
Although Akira had not only been proven innocent but also commended for his achievements, Soi Fon still found it difficult to forgive the man who had humiliated her in battle.
"Oh? Isn't this Akira, the famous dual-division captain? Your presence has truly illuminated the halls of the Technology Development Bureau."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri clapped his hands, his tone dripping with sarcasm, though his expression betrayed little actual concern.
Soi Fon quickly composed herself, her gaze sharpening. "Captain Akira, I am issuing orders to my unit. You have no right to interfere."
"Is that so?" Akira replied coolly. "Then, tell me—are you familiar with the latest regulations issued by the Head-Captain regarding dual-division captains?"
Soi Fon's expression stiffened, a flicker of irritation crossing her face.
Akira continued, his tone measured but firm. "If you've read it, then you should know—what distinguishes a dual-division captain from a standard captain?"
Soi Fon grit her teeth. "The captain of a dual-division…" She hesitated but forced herself to continue. "First, they hold the authority equivalent to that of two division captains, so… therefore—"
"So what?" Akira hummed, arms crossed. "Go on."
She clenched her fists, but Kurotsuchi Mayuri, ever the opportunist, spoke up instead.
"Therefore, in theory, the orders of a dual-division captain take precedence over any other captain's—except for the Head-Captain's. This is known as the 'Dual-Captain Priority Order.'"
He smirked, adjusting his hat as he continued. "Furthermore, if two or more captains oppose the decision of a dual-division captain, the principle of 'quality over quantity' applies—the dual-division captain's command takes precedence."
Even Kurotsuchi Mayuri, as calculating as he was, found himself surprised by the sheer authority Yamamoto Genryūsai had granted Akira.
With these two regulations alone, Akira's power within the Gotei 13 was second only to the Head-Captain himself. Even if captains wished to overrule him, they would need the opposition of at least three captains to counteract his authority.
Kurotsuchi chuckled. "Quite the unprecedented level of power you've been given, hmm?"
Akira turned his gaze back to Soi Fon. "So, Captain Soi Fon—do you still object to my decision?"
Soi Fon exhaled sharply through her nose. "The Head-Captain giving you such authority is a mistake."
"I'm not asking for your opinion on right or wrong," Akira interjected sharply. "I'm asking if you acknowledge my command."
A tense silence followed. Soi Fon took several deep breaths, her chest rising and falling before she finally responded.
"…Understood. The Dual-Captain Priority Order takes precedence. The Covert Ops investigation order is hereby rescinded."
Despite her words, she understood why Yamamoto had bestowed Akira with such power.
Beyond compensation for past injustices, the true reason was simple—Yamamoto wished to secure Akira's loyalty.
A warrior of his caliber, one who defied all conventional classifications, could be either an invaluable ally or an insurmountable enemy.
To ensure the former, Yamamoto had granted him authority and trust.
"I'll prove that you're unfit for such power," Soi Fon thought to herself.
Ignoring her, Akira stepped toward Kurotsuchi Mayuri, shifting his attention to the data displayed on the screen.
"A massive spatial anomaly has appeared between Soul Society and the Human World?"
"Hmm… This should be referred to as 'Gu,' correct?"
"Gu?" Kurotsuchi raised an eyebrow. "You mean a space formed by the dense accumulation of spirits?"
"Yes," Akira nodded. "The Gu phenomenon's interference between Soul Society and the Human World is creating this lens-like distortion."
"I see… So that explains why we can directly observe the Human World from Soul Society."
Kurotsuchi Mayuri mused thoughtfully, "But the Kōryū normally wouldn't be this large… and wouldn't it be possible for something to get stuck in the middle of the Dangai?"
"It's just a naturally formed valley, so normally no. But what if human interference is involved?"
Akira's words made Kurotsuchi Mayuri's eyes gleam with interest. Without hesitation, he walked over to his console and entered a new set of commands.
Akira's certainty came from recognition—upon witnessing this scene, he finally recalled what was about to unfold.
"Ganryū of the Ryūdōji Clan is about to attack…" Akira thought to himself.
The Ryūdōji Clan was once a powerful noble house in Soul Society, but they were exiled to the Dangai by Central 46 thousands of years ago after a failed coup attempt.
Now, its surviving head, Ryūdōji Ganryū, had returned—undoubtedly seeking vengeance.
"What did you just say?!"
While Akira and Kurotsuchi Mayuri were analyzing the Kōryū, Soi Fon had secretly been using Kidō to communicate with the outside world. But upon hearing his words, she couldn't help but exclaim.
The entire Bureau of Technology and Development turned to look at her. Embarrassed, she quickly tried to regain her composure and said anxiously, "Hey! Say that again!"
"…" Zzt… zzt… The entrance… has been sealed… zzt… We can't get out!
The voice from the Kidō communication abruptly cut off, replaced by a scream—followed by a loud explosion!
"What's going on?! Report back! What happened?!"
Soi Fon called out repeatedly, but there was no response.
She raised her head, her face pale, only to meet Akira's icy gaze.
"I told you not to send anyone…" His voice was chilling. "So, in order to challenge me, you disobeyed the priority orders and secretly dispatched operatives to infiltrate the Dangai—just to prove me wrong?"
Soi Fon's face turned red with shame, but she knew there was no excuse.
"For violating your order, I will personally report to the Commander-in-Chief and accept my punishment."
"What good will your confession do? Will it bring back the Shinigami who just died?"
Akira's sharp words struck deep, and Soi Fon remained silent, gritting her teeth in regret.
He didn't reprimand her further. Instead, he began issuing commands.
"Everyone in the Technology Development Bureau, continue monitoring the Kōryū and report all data directly to Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
Then, turning to Rukia, he said, "You and I are going to the Human World to investigate a disturbance in the souls."
"…Okay," Rukia responded blankly, following him out of the Bureau's facility.
It wasn't until they were outside that she hesitated and asked, "Ah Chen, why did you insist on coming with me?"
"Because," Akira replied, his gaze sharp, "if my intuition is correct, a Hollow has appeared in the Human World searching for the Reihō no Magatama… and I already know its true nature."
His next words made Rukia's breath catch.
"Before you came to me, you encountered a girl named Senna, didn't you?"
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