When news broke that Fujimoto Tōma and Kurosawa Kenpachi had completely leveled Squad Eleven’s headquarters, most people assud the matter was already settled.
The Supre Commander had spoken.
Punishnt had been issued.
End of story.
Whether people thought it was too light didn’t matter.
Until the Central Noble Council decided to get involved.
Their official stance was blunt.
Tōma and Kenpachi had shown open disregard for law and order.
They had caused catastrophic infrastructure damage.
The Commander’s punishnt was "laughably insufficient."
They demanded harsher sentencing.
When the ruling reached the Supre Commander... he was furious enough to shake the room.
It was easy to issue orders from a council chamber.
But who exactly was supposed to enforce them?
The Council knew Kenpachi’s strength.
Which ant they had a rough idea what defeating him implied.
But they still issued the ruling anyway.
Because in their eyes, they stood above the Defense Corps.
The Corps existed to protect the realm.
Which ant protecting them.
Even if Tōma and Kenpachi were monsters individually, the Council believed multiple captains plus the Supre Commander could subdue them if needed.
So the verdict ca down.
Both were to be imprisoned in the maximum-security underground prison for decades.
And then...
Nothing happened.
Because no one wanted to be the poor idiot tasked with arresting Squad Eleven’s captain and soone even worse.
Shock spread across the Corps.
This was the first ti the Council had directly sentenced soone at captain-combat level.
Technically, Tōma was still a vice-captain.
Technically.
—
"Central Council, huh..."
Inside dical Corps HQ, Tōma said it like he was comnting on weather.
Takeda Retsu stood nearby.
"Their rulings outrank the Commander," she said calmly.
"So... you’re here to arrest ?" Tōma asked lightly.
Truthfully, he’d always wondered why so many higher authorities existed above the Defense Corps.
The Royal Guard was understandable.
The Council?
That part always felt... decorative.
He never cared.
As long as they didn’t interfere with him.
Now?
Tōma rembered Aizen’s smile earlier.
Maybe he’d predicted this entire chain of events.
"I’m a dical unit captain," Retsu said with a soft smile. "I don’t handle arrests."
"Strongest sword user alive... dical captain," Tōma said dryly.
She didn’t answer.
Then a presence entered dical Corps HQ.
An elderly man with a staff.
Long white beard tied neatly.
Scarred forehead.
Eyes that felt like standing in front of a volcano.
Supre Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai.
"Oh? Commander himself ca to arrest ?" Tōma said, smiling.
His hand tightened subtly around his blade.
Strongest opponent he’d seen so far.
If his original body were here? Probably manageable.
Current soul-state version?
Winning would be... unlikely.
Escaping?
Easy.
And honestly?
Part of him wanted to test it anyway.
"Relax," Yamamoto said. "I ca to tell you not to act yet."
He explained quickly.
He’d already contacted Kuchiki clan leadership to pressure the Noble Council through aristocratic channels.
If the nobles understood that imprisoning Tōma and Kenpachi could destabilize the entire realm...
They might reverse the ruling.
Which wasn’t exaggeration.
Kenpachi alone was a walking natural disaster.
Tōma?
More controlled.
More dangerous.
The Commander had also noticed sothing else.
dical Corps was already on edge.
Squad Eleven was ready to riot.
Squad Thirteen owed Tōma personal debts.
Very few captains would agree to arrest him.
And if Yamamoto hadn’t co personally...
Tōma might already be on his way to the Council chambers.
If Tōma knew that thought?
He’d probably laugh.
Because yeah.
He had absolutely considered that.
"Will it really change?" Tōma asked.
"Yes," Yamamoto said. "Stay in dical Corps for now."
"...Fine," Tōma said. "Hope I’m not walking into a trap later."
The Commander nodded once and left.
Retsu exhaled slightly.
"The Commander’s influence still carries weight."
Tōma nodded.
Then glanced toward the distant direction of the Council.
Even if this ended quietly...
They’d still crossed a line.
Decades of imprisonnt?
For him?
He’d barely lived that long across both lives combined.
Yeah. Not happening.
—
anwhile, Squad Eleven was already in full war-mode after hearing the ruling.
Blades out.
Defensive positions set.
Anyone coming to arrest their captain was getting a battlefield.
Eventually, Captain Kyōraku Shunsui stepped in and cald them down.
Barely.
—
Days passed.
Tōma continued sparring Retsu like nothing had happened.
"You’re improving too fast," she admitted one day.
"Feels normal to ," he said.
With ikyō Shisui state, his learning curve was absurd.
Lately, he’d been experinting with sothing new.
Reaching that state... without the blade.
If it was truly his own power, he should be able to enter it ntally.
So far?
No success.
Still working on it.
His current path was clear:
Chakra energy saturation was already maxed.
So now he compressed it. Increasing density. Increasing pressure.
Maybe eventually it would break his current limit.
Sword skill was nearing technical perfection thanks to fighting Retsu constantly.
Ninjutsu? Fully learned. Still polishing.
Binding techniques actually felt more useful than raw destruction techniques.
"...Ti," Tōma muttered.
Plateau phase.
Inevitable.
But if his soul advanced...
Maybe his original body would benefit too.
Worth trying.
—
Then the Noble Council’s final ruling arrived.
Decades-long imprisonnt?
Canceled.
Instead:
Tōma and Kenpachi would be stationed in the Human World for several years as a "deterrence example."
Normally, that duty went to mid-ranking officers.
Now?
Certain regions would be under their supervision.
Tōma didn’t mind.
Training was training. Anywhere.
And since the Commander had negotiated this outco...
He’d accept it.
Kenpachi, though?
...Yeah. Good luck making him do escort duty.
But technically, they were just stationed there. They could delegate routine work.
So in reality?
Still mostly symbolic punishnt.
"Acceptable?" Retsu asked.
"Yeah," Tōma said. "But visit sotis. Human World gets boring solo."
She smiled.
"I will."
Tōma felt approaching chakra signatures.
ssenger squad.
"...Guess it’s ti to go," he said.
And with that...
A new Chapter of his path began.
...
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