Thud.
The ancient scabbard struck the wooden floor with a deep, resonant sound.
The dojo doors slowly closed behind Kyōraku and Shunsui as they pulled them shut. The instructors, all clad in pure white haori, sat formally on either side of the hall. This time, however, each was flanked by sharp-eyed, disciplined figures standing at attention.
Only fujimiya , unfamiliar with the protocol, had casually taken a seat beside Unohana. By the time he noticed he was the only one sitting, it was too awkward to stand back up.
Occasional puzzled glances were cast his way, but no one openly criticized him.
Unbeknownst to fujimiya , his reputation had long preceded him. Rumors swirled about the monster who had been personally brought into the Genji School by Unohana herself, personally trained by Genryūsai, and who had single-handedly breached three battlefronts, even intercepting the heads of the Shiba and Shihōin clans. Some whispered he had three heads and six arms.
Only those who had recently spent time at the school occasionally mentioned the truth—that he was a petty, grudge-holding, kidō-illiterate, randomly violent lunatic...
But few believed them.
Now, seeing him seated beside Unohana, the instructors assumed it was a special privilege granted by the masters.
Still...
He doesn't look that strong.
His face is all swollen from getting beaten up.
Many of the instructors couldn't help but think so.
But soon, their attention was drawn by Genryūsai's words.
"This instructors' meeting is primarily to invite the head of the Shihōin family to answer our questions and share certain intelligence regarding the nobility of the Seireitei."
"If any of you have inquiries, you may voice them later."
Yamamoto Genryūsai's tone was calm, leaving no room for debate.
As his words faded, Kyōraku emerged from the inner dojo, leading a dark-skinned young man—Shihōin Senju, dressed just as he had been during their first encounter. His wounds had clearly been treated, but his wrists and ankles were bound with kido-treated sekkiseki shackles.
Though the old man spoke politely, he made no effort to hide the fact that Shihōin Senju was a prisoner.
Yet Senju himself seemed utterly at ease, wearing a confident smile as if completely unbothered by his predicament. He took a seat in the center of the instructors and turned to Yamamoto with a nod.
"Genryūsai-dono?"
The old man paused briefly before speaking. "Let us begin with what you mentioned earlier—the 'sacred treasure' of the Tsunayashiro family."
"A 'sacred treasure' is a bit of an overstatement," Senju mused. "More like an inherited legacy."
"As you all know, the Five Great Noble Families of the Seireitei have existed since ancient times. The power of each generation's heads is immense, and their high-density spiritual particles cannot simply dissolve into the Soul Society. Over time, a custom emerged—sealing their zanpakutō within their families after death, passing them down to descendants."
"What the Tsunayashiro call their 'sacred treasure' is the most formidable among these inherited zanpakutō."
Here, Senju's gaze swept across the instructors.
"The most infamous among them is one called Enrakyōten."
"Its ability is deceptively simple—it can mimic any zanpakutō the wielder has knowledge of."
Gasps rose from the younger instructors.
A zanpakutō with a unique ability was always a rarity, even in the Genji School. Most here only achieved transformations in form or elemental attributes.
But the veteran instructors remained unfazed.
"Mimicry, huh?"
Gen'ō Kinroku took a sip of sake. "Then... the effectiveness of the copied abilities must depend on the user's strength, no?"
"Moreover, zanpakutō are fundamentally manifestations of the soul—does using such an ability come with no cost?"
His reasoning was sharp.
If there truly existed a zanpakutō with no restrictions, the nobles would have long since bred assassins wielding copies of Ryūjin Jakka to burn them all alive. After all, Genryūsai's blade had been witnessed more than once.
"Correct."
Senju raised an eyebrow, smiling. "That blade imposes severe limitations on anyone who isn't its original wielder."
"The most critical being—each use shaves away a portion of the user's soul."
"It's a blade meant only for life-or-death battles."
The room collectively exhaled in relief.
Of course.
No zanpakutō in this world was truly invincible.
Yamamoto remained silent, waiting.
But then—
"However—"
Senju's tone shifted. "The Tsunayashiro have long since devised a solution to this flaw."
"Have any of you heard of the Kyōgoku?"
The instructors exchanged confused glances. None had.
The current instructors were a ragtag group from the Rukongai, their knowledge far inferior to the nobles'.
Senju continued, unfazed.
"The Kyōgoku is a gathering place for lost souls in the Dangai—a space formed from condensed spiritual particles."
"Countless souls that missed their chance to 'pass on,' yet didn't become Hollows, lose their memories and become kegare. These kegare accumulate, eventually forming spaces called Kyōgoku."
"Within the Dangai, countless Kyōgoku exist like bubbles scattered through the black void connecting the three worlds."
"The Tsunayashiro control one such Kyōgoku—an exceptionally vast one."
"And within that world, they have cultivated it for tens of thousands of years."
The instructors still didn't grasp the connection between the Kyōgoku and zanpakutō.
Senju smiled.
"Though it's unclear how the Tsunayashiro achieved it, ancestral records confirm they've developed an ability to replenish themselves by absorbing special souls."
"Using this, they've survived at least three certain-death crises in history—and killed foes far stronger than themselves in the process."
A chill ran through the instructors.
No wonder.
Over millions of years, who knew how many heroes had risen in the Soul Society?
Yet the Five Great Noble Families endured...
So they did have their tricks.
"Wait a second."
fujimiya raised his hand. "If they really have such an ability, how do the Tsunayashiro lure their enemies into the Kyōgoku? And why didn't they use it earlier?"
"The Seireitei must have known about Genryūsai-dono's strength for a long time, right?"
Senju's eyelid twitched at the sight of fujimiya , but he remained composed.
"That brings us to another of the Tsunayashiro's 'sacred treasures.'"
"Unlike the ancient zanpakutō, this is a unique existence in all of the Soul Society."
"An infinite library that records everything that has ever happened in the Soul Society."
"—The Great Spirit Book Repository."
"Ambushes, schemes, manipulation, even poison."
"Infinite information means infinite possibilities—combined with the Kyōgoku and Enrakyōten to eliminate enemies... Only when all these elements come together do you see the Tsunayashiro's true trump card."
The instructors stiffened.
Shigyō Take no Mikoto sucked his teeth, muttering, "What the hell is all this? Since when did they have so many insane things we've never heard of?"
Gen'ō, however, was practically glowing with interest.
Senju sighed.
"Honestly, if you hadn't breached the Seireitei, the Tsunayashiro wouldn't have resorted to using it."
"But now, an exceptional situation has arisen."
He pointed at himself, then outside.
"With two of the Five Great Noble Family heads captured, the Golden Seal Noble Assembly and Central 46 have lost their legal means of operation."
"By law, the Seireitei itself is now on the verge of collapse."
"Under these circumstances, even if it means depleting their precious 'origin,' the Tsunayashiro have no choice but to act."
Huh?
The Seireitei could collapse just like that?
The thought flashed through many minds.
Only Gen'ō caught a key detail.
"What the hell is inside you Five Great Noble heads?"
"Just being 'captured' causes such catastrophic consequences?"
"And why is it the Tsunayashiro paying the price? Where are your own families? What is this 'origin'?"
Senju smiled mysteriously.
"Because the 'Soul Society' itself is the Tsunayashiro's responsibility."
Silence.
He continued.
"The Five Great Noble Families oversee the Soul Society, the human world, Hueco Mundo, the Dangai, and most importantly—Hell."
The sharpest among them realized—
This conversation had veered into entirely unfamiliar territory.
"As for 'origin'..."
Senju's mouth closed, then reopened, as if testing something.
"Apologies. You aren't qualified to know."
"After all, in this world, there exist things whose mere 'names' can unleash power."
"I hope you understand."
His smile was faint.
But the instructors couldn't ignore the way he had hesitated before speaking.
Some felt an involuntary chill.
Shihōin Senju might be weak—but he was still a third-level reiatsu user.
What had just... happened?
Then fujimiya raised his hand again.
"Head of the Shihōin family."
He sounded more curious than alarmed. "You... don't actually see us as enemies, do you?"
"..."
The instructors snapped back to attention.
Right.
Hadn't this man divulged far too many secrets?
They were still struggling to digest how a war between the Genji and the Seireitei had suddenly escalated to a discussion about the three worlds.
"Ah, was it that obvious?"
Senju scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Truthfully, even before Central 46 and the Noble Assembly passed the war resolution, orders had already come down from above."
"Orders?"
Another jolt.
Who could possibly issue commands to the Five Great Noble Families?
Today had been full of too many shocks.
"Yes."
Senju shrugged. "The order we received was—[Assist in establishing a new order]."
"But the Tsunayashiro head overruled it."
"Not only that."
"To bribe the other families into passing the war proposal, they paid an exorbitant price."
He smiled faintly.
"After all, the 'nobles' you seek to eradicate are, in theory, the Tsunayashiro's most prized assets."
"Though only theirs."
Senju sighed.
"Well, my family has done enough to earn our keep."
Then, as if remembering something—
"Oh, right!"
He clapped his hands.
"If I join you now, is it too late?"
"..."
For a moment, the dojo was dead silent.
They had just realized something crucial.
The goal the Genji had fought so desperately for...
In this man's eyes, it meant...
Absolutely nothing.