[BiTPR2] Renewed Revolution: Spirit World V

[Frozen_Feet]

Senshi slumps a little in his seat. "I sort of expected you to say that, Captain." He straightens up, pulls up a sleeve and flexes his bicep. "But trust me, physically, I'm better than ever! It's like my body's made of steel! I'm lifting and running at least twice what I was before."

He lets his sleeve drop back down and resumes a more somber tone. "But yeah... a delay sounds fair. So how long are we talking, Captain?"

[Kuroimaken]

[The Conference Room]

"Some five centuries ago, an Italian upstart called Niccolò Machiavelli once wrote that it is best, if you cannot be both feared and revered, to be the former, rather than the latter. Sally Sparrow was undoubtedly feared; Zheng Li Lin, during his short tenure, could be said to have been both. As for young Ishinomori, the casualties of his efforts notwithstanding, he could be said to be so thoroughly loved by his comrades in arms that he has lost use for fear altogether, even if he could, with some effort, exert it.

Machiavelli's name became synonimous with the ways of tyrants, though it is argued to this day whether his words were a scathing satire of the politicians of his time.

Whatever punishment you choose to invite upon the Commander-General... remember he will not be in a position to help you with the reactions that punishment will incite. I, for one, do not desire to evaluate how the Royal Guard is perceived by the average Shinigami today, as painful as that is to admit out loud." Nobutada took a deep bow, and unless he is not excused, he would make towards the door.

[Kuroimaken]

"No, it's not about the spell" , Vern replies. "It's about timing and... motives." His voice is stilted in a manner suggesting he's thinking through something at the same time he's speaking. "Don't you find it at all odd? That neither Zheng nor Kisaragi are here, I mean", he continues. "Think about it. They both were here just before and after the treaty with Las Noches were formed. Out of all people in the Guard, they would be most informed of recent events. Yet, they're nowhere in sight. And Yamamoto pointed out to me that Wan seemed unaware of a lot of things Zheng or Kisaragi could've told them. Suggesting Wan didn't ask and they didn't tell. "

"You raise a valid point. There are any number of reasons they may not have been asked to come down. Seniority for one. Wan Li Lin apparently acted with greater anger in regard to the nature of the treaty itself..."

Koutarou ponders for a moment.

"Right. Suppose that Zheng and Kisaragi had some ulterior motive to stay behind while their seniors were otherwise occupied. What could that motive be, and for that matter, which pieces of information would they need to withhold in order to make sure the events unfolded as they planned?

For that matter, let's assume for a moment that Zheng Li Lin knew the Red Pheasant would activate the spell that transported Soul Society back to the Royal Realm. If that was an intended outcome, what would that accomplish, with Soul Society in its current state?"

[KnightDisciple]

Senshi slumps a little in his seat. "I sort of expected you to say that, Captain." He straightens up, pulls up a sleeve and flexes his bicep. "But trust me, physically, I'm better than ever! It's like my body's made of steel! I'm lifting and running at least twice what I was before."

He lets his sleeve drop back down and resumes a more somber tone. "But yeah... a delay sounds fair. So how long are we talking, Captain?"

"Until the doctors assure me you are well mentally, spiritually, and physically. I have a degree of experience waking up and feeling better and stronger than ever."

His eyes flicker down to his arm, and Senshi likely recalls the period of time where Masaru's arm was pure shadow, put there by...well, by someone big and powerful and scary.

"However good you feel, you have to trust the perspectives of people outside yourself."
================================================== ==================

[The Conference Room]

"Some five centuries ago, an Italian upstart called Niccolò Machiavelli once wrote that it is best, if you cannot be both feared and revered, to be the former, rather than the latter. Sally Sparrow was undoubtedly feared; Zheng Li Lin, during his short tenure, could be said to have been both. As for young Ishinomori, the casualties of his efforts notwithstanding, he could be said to be so thoroughly loved by his comrades in arms that he has lost use for fear altogether, even if he could, with some effort, exert it.

Machiavelli's name became synonimous with the ways of tyrants, though it is argued to this day whether his words were a scathing satire of the politicians of his time.

Whatever punishment you choose to invite upon the Commander-General... remember he will not be in a position to help you with the reactions that punishment will incite. I, for one, do not desire to evaluate how the Royal Guard is perceived by the average Shinigami today, as painful as that is to admit out loud." Nobutada took a deep bow, and unless he is not excused, he would make towards the door.

"I've read his works, youngster. Interesting stuff. There's some other words I read a while ago that come to mind, though...."

He got a bit thoughtful.

"Your eyes cannot simply tell your hands 'I don't need you!'. The head cannot tell the feet 'I hate you and don't want you!'. Not in a healthy body. All parts of the body form the whole."

He stood and began walking out.

"It sounds to me like much of Soul Society has failed to grasp the simple truth that we Royal Guard are more than mere 'senior officers' for the rest of the Gotei. We, both the Guard and the Gotei, are part of something greater. All of it balanced on a knife's edge. Ponder that tonight, if you might, Young Nobutada-san. Good day."

And he was simply gone. Just raw speed.
======================================
Less than 5 minutes

Masamune appeared near Rin, walking with careful purpose, the simple stick in his hands making a *tap tap* sound as he went.

"Your work was fruitful, then?"

[Dorizzit]

[Seireitei]
Crater

Aoi nods an affirmation.

"Acknowledged."

Extending both arms towards the crater, Aoi slowly disintegrates the dirt and stone from the ground up before reconstituting it as smooth earth. By the time she is finished, it is as if there had never been an explosion in the first place. She is also noticeably out of breath, and her usually flawless posture is beginning to bend.

"I will require some time to rest before I can continue to assist with the reconstruction of the hospital."

Naito has disappeared.

Forest

Rin has situated herself in the forest surrounding the Sōkyoku. Masamune passes through three layers of wards before he reaches her, each tuned to allow him through. Rin is sitting at the center of a large clearing, surrounded by a small maze of grooves carved into the ground that lead to each of the trees that make up the clearing's perimeter. Rin herself is sitting in a lotus position, her shihakusho pulled back from her shoulders and removed down to the waist. In addition to the covering undergarment preserving her modesty, Rin's upper body is painted in an intricate web of red lines. On closer inspection, Masamune can see that the pattern is actually made with still flowing blood originating from Rin's wrists. As he approaches, Rin opens her eyes and meets his own.

"Since you are here, I can perform the simpler version of the ritual. When I finalize the process, I will become a conduit for the 'will' of the Soul King. Ask questions as directly as possible, and answers will be provided, at least in some capacity. I believe our primary questions were to ask permission for closer contact between the Royal Guard and the Seireitei, to temporarily station one of our number here to help repair the current damage to the Soul Society, and to sanction this...treaty with the Arrancar. Am I missing anything?"

[Frozen_Feet]

[Over the phone]

"I'm not sure if Zheng and Kisaragi were the ones with a plan" , Vern replies. "Wan made it sound like all of the Guard's in on moving Soul Society. But there's a lot there that doesn't add up, even if you only consider Wan's words."

"Firstly, Wan acted like he'd been authorized by the King, but he also made it sound like the plan to move Soul Society was something the Guard was trying to work under the King's nose. Secondly, he spoke as if Izanagi-no-Mikoto has risen to the throne, but at the same time, his ramblings of the past establish a prior King and a messenger of the King independent of the current Guard. "

Vern pauses for a moment to give Koutarou a chance to absorb all this, then continues: "So okay, let's take Wan's words at face value. Let's suppose Izanagi now sits on the throne. Let's suppose most of the Guard is loyal to him. So, what then happened to the prior King? What happened to servants loyal to him?"

"Thirdly, Izanagi went up before Kisaragi came down. Just by timing alone, it's pretty certain Kisaragi would've known if he'd claimed the throne. So why didn't Kisaragi initiate the plan? Why didn't Kisaragi oppose the treaty with Las Noches, or Zheng, or the Central 46? Kisaragi would've had largely the same legal authority as Wan did, but did nothing."

"Fourthly, I doubt Zheng knew of or would've been happy to be part of any such conspiracy. Zheng chewed me up pretty badly about whether I was on their side, or Eibon's."

Koutarou can't see Vern shrugging, but that's what he does.

"Wan's actions would've made sense if they were a reaction to the King deeming Kisaragi's and Zheng's actions invalid. But it didn't sound like Wan consulted them, much less the King. This isn't enough to prove Wan was acting on their own, but it's one of the better defenses you could raise before the Guard. To me, the more I look at this, the more it looks like Wan jumped the gun. "

---

[Combat Division]

Senshi grimaces. " I was actually hoping the Hellpath would help with that mental part. Or spiritual, what have you. Feel like there's too much going on in my head and thought heavy exercise would help clear it."

Masaru's meaningfull glance at his artificial arm was completely lost to Senshi. Masaru was mostly hospitalized between his fight with Izanami and start of his Bankai training. Senshi might have seen him briefly with the shadow arm, but he doesn't actually have any insight to what Masaru went through.

Senshi looks aside and then resumes, a bit nervously: "Can I talk to you for a moment? Not as Captain and subordinate, but just two guys who used to both be in the guerilla squad."

For Senshi, that was some months ago. For Masaru, it has been years.

[Kuroimaken]

"Hang on. Let me... try to make sense of what you're saying.

First, there is the claim that Izanagi-no-Mikoto, the first Commander-General of Gotei, has replaced the Soul King. The question then becomes to what end, and what part Eibon played in this debacle. Further, if the plan to move Soul Society under the Royal Realm is somehow against Izanagi's wishes--"

Koutarou pauses for a moment as something clicks on his brain.

"Von Geister...

His motives notwithstanding, I seem to recall the Ghost King saying something to the effect of Soul Society's position being a means to fulfill some kind of a 'pact to a dead goddess'. I didn't make much sense of it at the time, but if that 'dead goddess' is Izanami, that would mean whatever transpired between her and her husband has resulted in our previous position.

But if that's the case, then in all likelihood Izanagi took the Soul King's place possibly as far back as a millenium or two ago. Without us knowing what his methods were meant to accomplish, we can't tell Eibon's motives, much less the involvement of the current iteration of the Royal Guard.

And there is also the question of why this plan wasn't put in motion sooner. Were they expecting someone that would stand up to Izanagi?"

[Frozen_Feet]

"I wouldn't try to figure out how the Ghost King factors into any of this. It complicates things too much" , Vern replies. "That stuff about Soul Society's predicatement being a result of a pact between Izanagi and Izanami... frankly, I wouldn't pay attention to it. It sounds like it's ripped off a myth, but the problem with that is that Izanagi never confirmed any part of that. Izanagi and Izanami, in the books of Soul Society, have never been known as anything more than two Shinigami. Powerfull Shinigami, yes, and ones that codified the idea of being a Shinigami and founded the Academy, but that's it. Even as a young man, Izanagi was known to be subservient to the King. "

" Which brings us back to Wan's ramblings. From them, we know Izanagi taking the place of the King is recent. If it indeed happened, it happened when Izanagi left in the aftermath of the Scarlet Garden. Wan even made it sound, at times, like they were trying to delay it happening. That's another thing that just doesn't add up. As a King, Izanagi would've just been able to command the moving of Soul Society... so why delay? Why the conspiracy? Wan also called the position the 'lynchpin of existence'... we all know the King is supposed to uphold all existence, that's why we serve him. But Wan made it sound like a bad thing. I admit this is where my knowledge ends. You will have to ask the Royal Guard what that's supposed to have meant. As the Commander-General, I suspect you're the only one who can ask. "

Vern pauses again to let Koutarou gather his thoughts. " So... yeah. That's my subjects one and two. You have something before I get to the third? "

[Kuroimaken]

"I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the connection between Von Geister and Izanami, at the very least. Momoka-san brought a number of disturbing implications to his defeat at one point - there was even suggestion he might have been her Zanpakutou, and that his defeat could lead to her awakening. We have since discarded the possibility, but between his age and the evidence of her madness at hand, we can't discard his words completely. And the fact remains that he did somehow dislodge Soul Society from its previous place of rest, using the souls of dead people in order to do so.

Wait. What if they didn't so much delay the plan, as they needed an opportunity to put it into practice? The spell Momoka and Saruhiko used to keep Soul Society from crashing into Earth was something they had supposedly been researching before that event. Wan Li Lin descended upon Soul Society after we sent part of the Shakonmaku wall up to contact the Royal Guard - to see if there was still a connection between us and the Royal Realm. At that point, we had been floating in space. And one of the first things Wan Li Lin did upon arrival was the lobotomization of Central 46 - the only entity apart from my office that had the authority to contact the Royal Realm and that might be privy to that plan! It might even explain why they took so long for Izanagi to take the King's place - at that point, the King would be made aware of Soul Society's predicament!

As for his words regarding the 'lynchpin of existence'... from a certain point of view, he might not be referring to existence as a whole, but rather the existence of the spirit realm and its inhabitants, but that's just a hunch. As with so many things in this situation, I don't have any proof we can use.

I think that's it before we address the third point you were about to bring up."

[Frozen_Feet]

"I have a lot of issues on using Von Geister as source of information on anything, but let's leave that for another day" , Vern's voice echoes through the phone. "Can't say if you're right about the opportunity part, but if you are, that would paint Wan Li Lin, and possible the entire current Royal Guard, as traitors to the former King. I'll leave it to you to think what that should mean."

Vern coughs a little. "Anyways, the third issue... well, I thought, even if your actions regarding Wan Li Lin will be deemed flawless, could there still be something to hang you by the nuts? Just in case the Guard wants to make themselves look better."

"So, Yamamoto brought up Shen Yi. She was of the opinion that Shen Yi might be a defector from the Royal Guard, or at least, a defected apprentice to one of them. Disturbingly enough, I could not find anything to disprove that."

"So... letting him go might have been a mistake. Technically, exile to Earth is a valid legal punishment, but looking it up, you sort of botched the execution. The Royal Guard could use that as proof that your legal expertise is not sufficient for your position and you just do whatever suits your whim. That would undermine your case with Wan pretty bad. Like, even if Wan was deemed guilty of every misdemeanor possible and executed, you could still be sued for vigilantism. "

Such a charming thought, that. Sadly, Vern is not done: " But beyond just the legal brouhaha, there's a potential second reason. You see, we got to thinking... how exactly does one defect from the Guard? If Shen Yi was up in the Royal Realm, how did he get down?"

"That's another thing you'll have to ask the Guard itself, because me and Yamamoto don't know enough. But what we could figure out is that entering the Realm needs a Royal Key. Now, I don't know what that is, but it doesn't matter, so forget about the details. Just... think of a key. Any kind of key. And then a door. "

" So. There are two kinds of doors which need a key. The sort which is locked from one side and can be freely opened from the other, and the sort which needs a key going both ways."

Vern stops to take a deep breath. " You with me so far? So, if the Royal Realm's defenses are like the first kind of door, fine, Shen Yi just sneaked out one day. Sucks for the Guard, but not particularly noteworthy. "

" But if it was the second kind of door... he would've needed a key. So either someone used their key to let Shen Yi out, meaning there could be another defector within the Guard. Or, Shen Yi had a key of his own... which might mean he still had it when you exiled him to Earth. Which, consequently, might mean his key is now in the hands of the enemy. You did send him to those Rukon fragments and things have been kinda wild down there... "

[Kuroimaken]

"I am under no illusions of how my actions will be regarded. I can't be excused if anything on principle alone, it'd make the Royal Guard look toothless. As one of the strongest ruling bodies of Soul Society, it does not bode well to have a defeat on their record. I'm lucky enough I survived Wan Li Lin while trying not to kill him."

There was any number of reasons for him to be concerned, but Shen Yi was technically not one of them.

"The fact is that his claims could not be proved either way at the time. If his possession of the Royal Key were to be a threat to the Royal Realm either way, it is on the Royal Guard to inform us that he's a person of interest, not on us. My decision at the time was brooked on the potential of eliminating the problem under that particular solution versus seeking an alternative. Back then, I figured that Shen Yi's self-imposed exile was preferable to a bloodbath at Seireitei's doorstep, because short of nuking them on the spot, there was no way to guarantee the elimination of his criminal force." Koutarou speaks rather matter-of-factly, rather than as a means to justify his choice. "That's the simplest available defense. The finer points of it are debatable, but the fact they haven't moved yet means we are still free to deal with Shen Yi at our leisure."

[KnightDisciple]

[Seireitei]Forest

Rin has situated herself in the forest surrounding the Sōkyoku. Masamune passes through three layers of wards before he reaches her, each tuned to allow him through. Rin is sitting at the center of a large clearing, surrounded by a small maze of grooves carved into the ground that lead to each of the trees that make up the clearing's perimeter. Rin herself is sitting in a lotus position, her shihakusho pulled back from her shoulders and removed down to the waist. In addition to the covering undergarment preserving her modesty, Rin's upper body is painted in an intricate web of red lines. On closer inspection, Masamune can see that the pattern is actually made with still flowing blood originating from Rin's wrists. As he approaches, Rin opens her eyes and meets his own.

"Since you are here, I can perform the simpler version of the ritual. When I finalize the process, I will become a conduit for the 'will' of the Soul King. Ask questions as directly as possible, and answers will be provided, at least in some capacity. I believe our primary questions were to ask permission for closer contact between the Royal Guard and the Seireitei, to temporarily station one of our number here to help repair the current damage to the Soul Society, and to sanction this...treaty with the Arrancar. Am I missing anything?"

Masamune has enough self-control to not wince at the blood. But he never likes when she has to do this.

"We should probably ask about the disposition of Soul Society. Make it a matter of the King's will, whatever it may be. Beyond that, there is nothing immediately pressing."

He sits upon the ground in the designated spot, laying his walking stick across his knees as he does. His energies shift, aligning with what is necessary for this ritual.

"Ready to begin whenever you are, dear Empress."
================================================== =========

[Combat Division]

Senshi grimaces. " I was actually hoping the Hellpath would help with that mental part. Or spiritual, what have you. Feel like there's too much going on in my head and thought heavy exercise would help clear it."

Masaru's meaningfull glance at his artificial arm was completely lost to Senshi. Masaru was mostly hospitalized between his fight with Izanami and start of his Bankai training. Senshi might have seen him briefly with the shadow arm, but he doesn't actually have any insight to what Masaru went through.

Senshi looks aside and then resumes, a bit nervously: "Can I talk to you for a moment? Not as Captain and subordinate, but just two guys who used to both be in the guerilla squad."

For Senshi, that was some months ago. For Masaru, it has been years.

"I'll consider it once we've talked to the medical professionals about the matter."

At his next question, Masaru blinks, then evaluates the man in front of him. He seems to not be laying a trap.

"As much as we're able to, yes, you may. What's on your mind?"

[Frozen_Feet]

[ Over the phone]

"I wouldn't wait for the Guard to bring it up before looking into it" , Vern replies. "Even if you don't bring up Shen Yi directly, try to confirm whether leaving the Royal Realm needs a key. Yamamoto was still too chill to talk about worst case scenarios, but I wasn't. And they're pretty bad."

"Just to mention one, and this ties to the prior subjects: what if Shen Yi had inside help and was left with a key? Wan Li Lin is imprisoned and, what did you say, three other members of the Guard are down here? If Shen Yi's partner in crime is among those left up, now'd be almost the perfect time to pull something off. I'll leave it up to your imagination what and why, the point is, we have some reason to think members of the Guard are working at cross purposes and these things might be connected. "

"So I don't think we can look at this at our leisure. On the contrary, I'm almost certain we're running against some invisible deadline here."

---

[Combat Division]

Senshi opens and closes his mouth without a word couple of times, as if he's still thinking of what to say. After a while, he settles on a question: "If it'd been just your decision, would you have let Jehoel Yurius into Seireitei?"

[Kuroimaken]

"Yet, at the same time, Soul Society is on a delicate enough situation at this point that this might be less than perfect timing.

Suppose there is an accomplice, however, and he needs to be here instead. Or that there is more than one. My asking the Guard any questions would tip them off immediately. We don't have the means to ascertain who is who since we do not have any measure of the scope of this situation. If I'm going to be asking any questions, the smart move would be to ask Wan Li Lin, because of how isolated the others are right now."

[Dorizzit]

[Seireitei]
Forest

"So let it be written. So let it be done."

Not an arbitrary choice of words, as Masamune should know. It's the finalizing incantation of the spell. First the patterns of blood around Rin's body begin to glow, before the light flows down into the grooves along the ground and finally into the trees around them, creating a pulsing spectacle of golden radiance. When Rin's eyes open, however, they are consumed entirely by black pools of energy.

"Speak."

It is a thousand voices, and none. And it sounds very little like the Ki-Rin Empress.

[Frozen_Feet]

[Over the phone]

"... didn't I just spend ten minutes explaining how what Wan says doesn't add up?" , Vern asks with a bemused and mildly irritated tone. "Without a second source of information, they might spout complete rubbish and you couldn't tell. I wasn't joking when I said you need to ask from the other Guard members. You'll have to pry any information you can from them. The gains far outweigh the risks, because the alternative is to stay in the dark and reactive. In addition, I'd at least send someone looking for Shen Yi. "

[Kuroimaken]

"Yes, what he says doesn't add up, yet we've discovered plenty just from looking into what doesn't make sense in his words. Either way, at least as far as Shen Yi is concerned, he could point us in the right direction. And he's the only Guardsman who's not in a position to say no.

It might be worth considering which of the Royal Guardsmen to ask, as well. I have a feeling Masamune-dono might be more... amenable to offering information, whereas the Ki-rin Empress would prove more uptight. If I'm to accuse either, or both, of treason, it would be best not to ask both at once."

[Frozen_Feet]

"I'd say get them all together and mention the name off-handedly, then see who reacts and how" , Vern replies, "But I'm not going to spend the whole evening giving you conversation pointers. As for Wan... it's not one or the other. Go ahead, have someone interrogate them if you feel like it. But don't leave the other things undone. Plus... Wan is allegedly founder of Onmitsukido. All we've gotten out of them has been their own voluntary ramblings. We don't really know how they'll react to an interrogation, but I'd not be very hopefull of the results."

"In any case, that's all I have for now. I'll leave you to it."

[Kuroimaken]

"That's why we won't bother with subjecting them to an interrogation."

______________________

[Five minutes later, Wan Li Lin's holding cell]

"You know, the stories honestly don't do you justice. Your successors and coworkers had a number of choice words for you, most of them unkind on the best of days."

Setsurou appears like he's been there all along. Of course, to Wan's trained eyes, subtle as his entrance was, he simply settled in a way like he's emerged out of the shadows themselves. The Royal Assassin recognizes minor tweaks in the technique that makes it more effective under the circumstances, not that their pride would allow them to recognize it, most of the time.

"I have to say, I didn't think the Commander-General had a prayer against your blade. But then, he's made it a habit to survive the unsurvivable. Relax though, I'm not here to gloat on his behalf.

I'm here to ask about someone called Shen Yi."

[Frozen_Feet]

Ever since their capture and imprisonment, Wan Li Lin has just sat slumped in their bindings, barely showing signs of consciousness. Even now, their milky white eyes just stare into emptiness, their lower face obscured by a scarf. They resemble an ancient mummy more than the handsome assassin they once were. In some way, they are.

Setsurou's arrival triggers no unusual reaction. At first, it appears his words have gone to deaf ears. But then, the ancient assassin twitches. "Shen Yi. That Yamamoto girl also had undue fascination with that name" , Wan Li Lin muses in a hollow voice. "This one is confused why you would show interest in it as well."

[Kuroimaken]

"He is, or was, a big name in the criminal element of Rukongai. Sometime before you arrived, but after Soul Society bounced across the cosmos and nearly crash-landed into Earth, he actually requested to be let through a Senkaimon to Earth. Something about Soul Society being suddenly too small for him. We had enough on our plates as it was at the time, so the Commander-General obliged him under the guise of exiling him and his cronies to the Mortal Realm.

Thing is, there was talk of him being an escapee from the Royal Realm of all places. A failed inductee of the Royal Guard if you will. We couldn't find anything in his records that disproved that theory, or anything that could prove he was ever made to ascend to the Royal Realm in the first place." Setsurou replied, his arms crossed over his chest. "We know for a fact he was a Shinigami at some point. But official records on the guy are sketchy. Your knowledge as a Royal Guardsman could probably shed some light on that particular mystery."

[Frozen_Feet]

Wan Li Lin continues staring into emptiness. Not a twitch of emotion passes on their face. "This one is confused. Was there supposed to be a question there?" , they reply. "Or did you come all this way to listen to yourself recounting your failures?"

[Kuroimaken]

"Is the collection of facts not bizarre enough to merit questioning? But yes, there is a question in there.

For one thing, I'm curious as to how Shen Yi was able to escape. Was it just a matter of using a key he already had, or would he have needed help to come to Soul Society again?"

[Frozen_Feet]

"You ask that after this criminal simply asked you to let him pass... and you let him" , Wan says with a hint of mockery. "Since you imagine yourself as the height of competence, would it not be fitting of you to assume that as below, so above?"

[Kuroimaken]

"The Commander had us 'tag' him at that point so we could track his spiritual energy signature at any point as long as he was on Earth." Or rather, Setsurou did that on his own, assuming it might be needed later. "It has since vanished - and we're fairly certain he had not found out the trace. We didn't pay the possibility of him being a Royal Guardsman trainee any mind at the time because, silly us, we assumed that if he was of any import to the Royal Realm, we would have been notified of that fact. With that said, if his disappearance is tied to the possibility of someone else entering the Royal Realm, I believe anyone tasked with preventing that must be rather red-faced right about now.

Of course, that may not be exactly something you're concerned with since Izanagi-dono, one of the most powerful Shinigami in history, happens to be up there, right?"

[Frozen_Feet]

"You make some interesting assumptions" , a dry voice replies. "This one would question them before entertaining any of your questions. You presume Shen Yi escaped, just like you presume your dog of a commander survived intact. But both are false. "

[Kuroimaken]

"So... what, you let him go? 'So long and thanks for all the fish'? It would be strange to think that you simply sent him here to become a criminal overlord.

Also, what do you mean by the commander not having survived intact?"

[Frozen_Feet]

"If you were worthy of your position, you would not need to waste time asking what this one means" , the ancient assassin states. "Instead, you would simply go and find yourself a Commander who is not a dog of the Arrancars."

[Kuroimaken]

"For someone who's so fond of efficiency, you sure waste a lot of time talking about incompetence." Setsurou says, right before his face turns to ink, and then back to normal.

"I'm multitasking here. The reason I'm even bothering to talk to you is because I want to get any last scrap of information out of you before you die. Since, you know, the Royal Guard is pinning this whole mess on you."

At this point, Setsurou perks an eyebrow.

"Oh, the Commander-General got punished, sure. He's stepping down, facing demotion, and the Guard will be appointing someone else to his position after the whole affair with Von Geister is over. Based on qualifications alone, though, there's but a handful of people that can actually take the job and none of them want it. I expect within the next century or so, he'll have worked his way back up the ranks. Possibly as far as the Royal Guard this time.

The Soul King needs people who will not try to sneak things past him, after all."

[Frozen_Feet]

[Underground Prison]

"Doing many tasks at once only ensures one does not do well in any of them. " That might be the most honest thing Hishikawa Setsurou can get out of this discussion. "This one should not even need to recount the reasons why it does not believe you. Surely, your imagination will allow you to come up with them on your own."

---

[Over the phone]

"That's why we won't bother with subjecting them to an interrogation."

"... I don't know what line in the sand you're drawing there. I'm just glad I don't have to spend any time with that ghoul. Vern out."

The head researcher ends the call and leaves Koutarou to think on what's been said.