Fate in Bleach: Unlimited Blade Works!-Chapter 325: Candidates for Captaincy

"On the other hand, neither the Soul Society nor Hueco Mundo can reclaim the souls that have fallen into Hell. The more souls Hell absorbs, the stronger it grows."

"One day, Hell will expand to consume the three worlds, bringing about the world's destruction."

"We can't stop the world's destruction. But we can establish a system that prevents evil from being born."

"Of course, no matter what system we create, with our limited human wisdom, loopholes will inevitably exist. And those loopholes will give birth to even greater evil..."

"Therefore, Rukia, don't grieve for those nobles. Millions of years in the Seireitei have corrupted them, making them breeding grounds for evil."

"In recent years, over ninety percent of the souls that have fallen into Hell after death were from noble families. Your actions have destroyed the source of those evil souls, minimizing the possibility of their creation within the Seireitei.

Therefore, Rukia, hold your head high! You've extended the world's lifespan! Of course, you must maintain this state.

Otherwise, if another group like the nobles emerges, perhaps in a few thousand or even tens of thousands of years, the Seireitei will become a breeding ground for evil once more, and your efforts will have been in vain."

"Yes, I understand, Teacher. Then, what should I do to maintain this state?"

Rukia looked up at Ailin, her eyes clear.

Unlike those Shinigami who sought revenge, Rukia didn't believe she had the right to take a life.

Every soul she killed was a burden she carried.

Killing was wrong.

But for the sake of some things, some people, she had to kill.

Now, Ailin had given Rukia something to guide her.

It was the "belief" in protecting this world.

However, for now, she didn't know what to do.

"Become a captain, Rukia! The Seireitei currently has three vacant captain positions. The Ninth Division is the detention unit. They are responsible for apprehending those who violate the Seireitei's laws and imprisoning them."

"At the next captains' meeting, I'll recommend you for the position of Ninth Division captain. By then, you'll know what to do."

"Yes, Teacher."

This time, despite her timid nature, Rukia didn't refuse Ailin's arrangement.

It was clear that, after the events of three days ago, even she had changed.

Rukia sat with Ailin by the pond for a long time, her mind finally calming down. She bowed to Ailin and left his residence.

After that, Rukia visited the Kuchiki Clan. It seemed she had a long conversation with Byakuya before returning to the Thirteenth Division.

...

Clank, clank, clank, clank...

The sound of the captain summons echoed from the First Division barracks.

The captains, accompanied by their lieutenants, headed towards the First Division.

Even Ailin was no exception.

While the Seireitei was currently without a Central 46, the remaining nobles had no intention of reforming it.

Well, the primary reason was that any noble who suggested it would mysteriously disappear the next day.

Initially, some nobles didn't believe it. But after the number of disappearances exceeded ten, they had no choice but to accept it.

Even a fool could tell that there was someone in the Seireitei who didn't want the Central 46 to be reformed.

Anyone who tried would be silently eliminated.

Now, the nobles had to acknowledge that the era of noble rule was over.

The Gotei 13 was in control.

They, the nobles, had been swept aside by a more powerful force. Perhaps they would become the last generation of nobles in the Seireitei.

The "last generation" of nobles.

How ironic!

But they had no choice but to accept it. If they accepted, they could at least enjoy some privileges during their lifetime.

If they refused, they might even lose their lives.

Without the nobles' interference, the Gotei 13 easily took control of the Seireitei.

This time, not only the captains, but even the ordinary Shinigami knew the content of the captains' meeting!

The Shinigami from other divisions excitedly discussed the meeting.

In contrast, the Shinigami from the Third, Fifth, and Ninth Divisions remained silent, their heads bowed.

It was as if the meeting had nothing to do with them. freewebnøvel.coɱ

However, everyone knew they were simply deceiving themselves.

The absence of three captains was detrimental to the Seireitei's operation.

Especially now that the Gotei 13 was in control, each division's duties were crucial. If even one division's responsibilities were neglected, it could lead to unforeseen consequences.

It was clear that Yamamoto wouldn't allow such a loophole to exist within the Seireitei, now that peace had finally been restored.

After this meeting, their three divisions would likely welcome new captains.

...

Bang!

"Captains, thanks to your efforts, the Seireitei has returned to peace. This brings me great comfort."

Yamamoto's deep voice echoed through the meeting chamber.

"Ichigo Kurosaki and his companions, who were granted "Substitute Shinigami" status, have been safely returned to the World of the Living.

However, the absence of three captains is a matter we must address. Now, captains, do you have any candidates to recommend?"

Yamamoto looked at his captains with a sharp gaze.

Soi Fon, the captain of the Second Division, folded her arms across her chest, tapping her finger against her elbow. She didn't speak.

It was clear that she didn't have any candidates.

Retsu Unohana, the captain of the Fourth Division, still wore her usual smile.

She didn't have any candidates either.

Byakuya Kuchiki of the Sixth Division had an impassive expression, his thoughts unreadable.

Sajin Komamura of the Seventh Division lowered his head.

While his lieutenant was quite strong, he was still far from reaching captain-level.

The fact that he hadn't been able to help Yamamoto, unable to stop Zaraki, filled Komamura with shame. He felt that he had failed Yamamoto, who had trained him for so many years.

The captains of the Eighth, Tenth, and Twelfth Divisions also remained silent.

They didn't have any captain-level subordinates.

Currently, only the First, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Divisions had potential candidates.

Therefore, after a brief silence, the captains turned their gaze towards Ukitake and Ailin.

They all knew that Chōjirō Sasakibe, the lieutenant of the First Division, was Yamamoto's right-hand man. While he possessed captain-level strength, he had never expressed any desire to lead a division, even during the Gotei 13's most difficult years.

It was clear that he wouldn't become a captain now.

Therefore, they could only choose from the Eleventh and Thirteenth Divisions.

"Head-Captain Yamamoto."

Ukitake was the first to speak.

"Kaien Shiba, the lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division, and Rukia Kuchiki, the Third Seat, both possess captain-level strength and exceptional judgment.

I, as the captain of the Thirteenth Division, recommend both Kaien Shiba and Rukia Kuchiki as candidates for captaincy."

Ukitake paused, then continued, "I nominate Kaien Shiba for the Fifth Division captaincy and Rukia Kuchiki for the Ninth Division captaincy."

The Fifth Division was the rescue squad.

Kaien Shiba had been the lieutenant of the Thirteenth Division for over sixty years. He possessed extensive experience leading rescue missions.

Ukitake believed that Kaien was undoubtedly qualified for the position.

As for Rukia...

As the one responsible for the nobles' slaughter, Ukitake had mixed feelings about her.

However, thanks to his efforts, the Ukitake Clan, being a lower-ranking noble family, hadn't participated in any oppression of commoners. They were one of the few noble families that hadn't been targeted during the rebellion.

On one hand, Ukitake understood the significance of Rukia's actions. He couldn't judge her.

On the other hand, he couldn't help but lament the collapse of the existing order.

As a noble, he knew the flaws of the noble system, but he couldn't change it.

The noble system was based on the concept of "divine right."

They proclaimed that the king of the world was the Soul King, who resided in the Soul King Palace.

The Soul King had granted the nobles the right to rule, allowing them to exploit the common people. And out of fear of the Soul King, the commoners never rebelled.

Even Yamamoto was no exception.

Otherwise, when he had attacked the Seireitei a thousand years ago, he would have eradicated the nobles and established the Gotei 13 as the Soul Society's sole governing body.

For millions of years, most noble deaths had resulted from battles against Hollows or other nobles.

No commoner had ever successfully challenged their authority.

But now, the "noble system" was practically dead, thanks to Rukia. The commoners' fear of the nobles had been shattered.

Ukitake knew that if the nobles tried to oppress the commoners again, they wouldn't be met with resigned smiles and forced subservience, but with blades dripping with blood.

Of course, what truly saddened Ukitake was that the collapse of the noble system would also weaken the Shinigami's faith in the Soul King.

As the vessel for Mimihagi, Ukitake knew the sacrifices the Soul King had made for this world. He didn't want the Shinigami to lose their faith.

However, he couldn't do anything about it.

After all, Shinigami were power-driven. Only by displaying his divine power could the Soul King regain their respect.

Sadly, the Soul King, having been transformed into a "Linchpin" by the four great noble families, couldn't reveal himself. If he did, his appearance would undoubtedly cause a massive upheaval.

Perhaps, even without Yhwach, the Shinigami themselves would launch an assault on the Soul King Palace.

Not everyone could accept the Soul King's "sacrifice."

...

After Ukitake spoke, the captains looked at Ailin.

Two of the three vacant captain positions had been filled by Ukitake's nominations.

Only the Third Division captaincy remained.

However, to everyone's surprise, Ailin didn't nominate any of his subordinates.

"Captains, it's not that I don't want to recommend anyone from the Eleventh Division. However, the only ones who possess captain-level strength are Zaraki, my lieutenant, Kiganjō, my Third Seat, and Ikkaku Madarame, my Fifth Seat.

The Third Division is the support unit. They need to be able to quickly respond to requests for assistance from other divisions. But considering their personalities..."

Ailin shook his head.

"Besides leading the Eleventh Division, I don't think they're suitable for any other captain position."

After considering the three candidates Ailin mentioned, the captains nodded in agreement.

If the Seireitei was still under the joint rule of the Gotei 13 and the Central 46, then all the captains needed was sufficient strength to deter enemies.

The nobles would handle the Seireitei's governance.

However, now, each captain had to be able to fulfill their division's responsibilities, in addition to possessing strength.

They imagined the support unit receiving a request for assistance, then Zaraki, Kiganjō, or Ikkaku Madarame, leading their subordinates to the scene, ignoring all subsequent requests.

They couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Since Ailin stopped managing the Eleventh Division's affairs, leaving everything to Zaraki, practically all the Eleventh Division Shinigami had become like Zaraki.

They were a true "Combat Division."

Besides their passion for battle, they cared about nothing else.