"Huh?!" Araki's eyelids twitched slightly. "What kind of 'Pirate King' line was that?! Fine, Old Man Yama! I'll treat you like a true tyrant this once! Just give me a few hundred years—after that, I'll kick you off your throne as Captain-Commander!"

"Alright!"

Of course, Araki wasn't acting on impulse. He only played along out of respect for Yamamoto Genryūsai's seniority. Araki had every intention of settling the score once he had grown stronger. For now, the priority was the situation in Hueco Mundo.

Letting go of Sasakibe, Araki strode up to the massive podium in front of the Crossgate. He cast his sharp gaze over the 11th Division gathered before him and called out:

"Do you all know why you were summoned here?!"

"Eliminate the Hollows! Eliminate the Hollows! Eliminate the Hollows!"

The response from the 11th Division was thunderous.

"That's right!" Araki continued, his voice like a blade drawn from its sheath. "We have one mission—descend upon Hueco Mundo and annihilate the Hollows! All lands beneath heaven belong to the Soul King! His radiance shines across all three realms! And yet—an audacious Hollow dared not only to repel Captain-Commander Yamamoto but even launched an assault on the Soul King Palace!"

"Though subdued by the Royal Guard—'Squad Zero'—this Hollow did not yield. After a millennium of confinement in the Soul King Palace, he escaped during a moment of their laxity. He then went on to obliterate the Central 46! A traitor to the laws of the Soul Society! A challenger to the Gotei 13! A blasphemer against the Soul King's will!"

**"Today, we take the offensive. We will show him: those who defy Soul Society, who scorn the Central 46 and spit on the Soul King's name—will be hunted down to the edge of Hueco Mundo and beyond!"

On either side of Araki stood Unohana Retsu, silent as death, and Saitō Furobushi, his eyes burning with purpose. Before him stood five veteran captains: Shijima Chigiri, Kadori Taketsuna, Kumen Enei Tetsu, Zenjōji Arihime, and Nikotsu Saizō. Behind them, the entire might of the 11th Division stood at the ready.

And just to twist the knife into his old mentor's pride, Araki had intentionally reminded them of Yamamoto's past defeat at the hands of Jijiba. Through the Tenteikura network, he made sure every captain and soldier in the Gotei 13 heard that little piece of Soul Society's forgotten history.

"Araki… you really are my fine disciple~" muttered Genryūsai inside the 1st Division barracks. No one dared ask why he was scowling so deeply today.

"Ohhh!"

The barracks trembled as the soldiers roared in unison. The loudest were the executive officers: Taketsuna, Zenjōji, and Kumen. Shijima covered her ears, looking utterly miserable, while Saizō smiled with eerie satisfaction.

"All expeditionary members, follow me through the gate! Our march begins now—into Hueco Mundo!"

As their momentum reached its climax, Araki unsheathed his Zanpakutō, its blade shimmering with a radiant glaze. Without hesitation, he stepped into the Crossgate.

"OHHH!!"

The entire force surged forward after him.

In truth, Soul Society's current technology couldn't create a stable interdimensional gate capable of safely transporting captain-class Shinigami to Hueco Mundo in such short notice. Under noble control, such gates normally required 3 to 5 years of preparation.

But Araki? His "gate" was nothing more than a massive wooden frame. Behind it was a lingering black cavity—a scar left by Jijiba's earlier path into Hueco Mundo. With no technical expertise, Araki had simply taken advantage of what the Hollow had left behind.

With Araki's departure and the five additional captains from Divisions 4, 7, 9, 12, and 13, alongside the entirety of the 11th Division, and 6th Division scapegoated, the Gotei 13 had suddenly lost seven captains. Their front-line fighting force was halved.

Seireitei couldn't afford such a vacuum. To prevent instability, Genryūsai moved swiftly to appoint new captains.

Newly Appointed Captains (by Genryūsai):

Division 4 – Kirinji Tenjirō, famed for his Hot Spring of Blood and White Bone Hell. A former Royal Guard member, now appointed to create a genuine medical corps capable of battlefield response.

Manga Reference: Bleach Ch. 516

Division 6 – The Kuchiki Clan reclaims its seat. The acting clan head takes the position, symbolizing the nobility's renewed investment in Soul Society's military stability.

Manga Reference: Bleach Ch. 116 (Byakuya's captainship); lore expansion

Division 7 – Given to the Tsunayashiro Clan, the foremost of the Five Great Noble Houses. In return, Tsunayashiro will offer their ancient archives and forgotten techniques to support Genryūsai's educational vision.

Division 9 – Transferred to the Shiba Clan, marking their reentry into prominence. Although Genryūsai had initially considered giving them Division 10, he respected Araki's trust in Odukawa Amaeki, a stable member of the expeditionary force, and let Odukawa retain his post.

In return for their captaincies, the noble houses provided:

Manpower for the Soul Academy

Knowledge from their ancient tomes

Resources to maintain Soul Society's technological and spiritual edge

Political legitimacy to the restructured Gotei 13

Genryūsai, with a long-term vision, was not just rebuilding the Gotei 13—he was reshaping Soul Society's very foundation.

Counting the 2nd Division, where Shihōin Chihiro resided, a full four of the Five Great Noble Houses had now joined the Gotei 13. As for the last and most mysterious among them, in their eyes, everything was to be prioritized beneath the affairs of Hell. They held no interest in Soul Society's politics and would not interfere—unless the very destruction of Soul Society loomed. Thus, they sent no representatives to serve as captains within the Gotei 13.

In an astonishingly short span of time, Genryūsai had secured the Shihoin family's divine weaponry, the Kuchiki family's manpower and governance, the Tsunayashiro clan's peerless archive of knowledge, and the unwavering support of the Shiba family—who stood in prestige equal to the other three. It seemed Genryūsai had gathered all the pillars he needed to found his dream institution.

Thus, the Shinigami Tong Academy, the forerunner of the modern Shinō Spiritual Arts Academy, was officially established...

As for the vacant 12th and 13th Divisions—Yamamoto Genryūsai appeared to have already chosen their future captains.

"Main Division."

"Special Ops."

"Support."

"Medical."

"Rescue."

"Nobles..."

The Gotei was beginning to evolve—into a true thirteen.

And for a moment, both the concept of "13 Divisions" and "Seireitei" itself felt like they were undergoing a grand reconstruction.

Hueco Mundo

"Las Noches."

More of an open-air terrace than a true palace, yet it bore a throne—a towering, skeletal figure clad in jet-black robes and crowned with gold sat upon it.

But this was no corpse.

This black-robed skeleton was the ruler of Hueco Mundo, an embodiment of "aging" itself.

He had survived since antiquity, existing across millennia—the Hollow King, a Vastolorde, Baraggan Louisenbairn.

Baraggan had a dream...

A memory, hazy and ancient. Whether it was a thousand or two thousand years ago, he could no longer tell.

In that dream—he had not yet been king of Hueco Mundo.

Back then, in the endless expanse of white sands, there existed another being—a monstrosity capable of endless evolution. Though only a Gillians-class Adjuchas, it wielded power that eclipsed even the High-Class Menos!

Perhaps it was a rivalry for dominance, but he and the white beast clashed countless times, their battles shaking the sands until they ended in a stalemate. In time, they forged a non-interference pact.

(*This is taken directly from the official novel Can't Fear Your Own World.)

And then...

One day, the white beast vanished.

Before its departure, it had declared that it would go to Soul Society—to devour every last Shinigami.

But now, Baraggan thought grimly—it must have failed. After all, Soul Society still stood.

And as for the price of failure? Baraggan didn't need to guess.

"Foolish beast."

Baraggan muttered with contempt, arrogance filling the hollow sockets of his skull. It was he who had remained—the one with power and intelligence. He was not that fool...

He was the one who sat on the throne now.

He was the true King of Hueco Mundo.

"Baraggan!! Your grandfather's back!!"

Just as Baraggan basked in his own glory, a thunderous voice shattered the silence.

A colossal spiritual pressure surged from the direction of the Great Hollow Forest, sweeping through the dense reishi of Hueco Mundo and echoing across the palace.

"W-What?!"

Baraggan flinched.

That voice—he recognized it.

The golden crown slipped from his throne, crashing onto the cold stone beneath.

"Those useless Shinigami! You couldn't even kill him?! He went to Soul Society and survived?!"

Baraggan shook with fury—not just at the voice, but at the realization that the beast had not only returned...

It had grown stronger.

Great Hollow Forest

"Baji, baji, baji..."

The sound of bones snapping and flesh being torn echoed through the trees.

Jijiba—the white beast of legend—was back.

It devoured Gillians one after another like they were mere snacks, snatching them up by the handful and stuffing them into its massive, grotesque maw.

"Mmm... delicious."

It murmured, its eyes glowing with hunger—and vengeance.

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