Restricted Death

Chapter 226 Confession
Not long after returning to the 10th Division barracks, Shin was summoned to the 1st Division by the Captain-Commander.

The atmosphere inside was far more somber than expected. Not only was the Captain-Commander seated in the main seat, but veteran Captains Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro were also present. All three wore solemn expressions, with Captain-Commander Yamamoto's face ashen, his invisible pressure emanating from him as if it were tangible, enveloping the entire space.

Such a serious display of force was the last time a letter was treated this way, when it was involved in a conflict with Retsu Unohana.

Xin walked steadily to the center, bowed to the three men, and then sat down in front of them, calmly meeting the scrutiny of the captain.

"I wonder why the Captain-Commander has summoned me here?"

Hongen Ryusai Shigekuni's gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed on Shin. Without any preamble, he asked in a deep voice, "Tachikawa, do you know your crime?"

Upon hearing this, Xin hesitated for a moment before asking in return, "Commander-in-Chief, what crime have I committed?"

"He smuggled himself into the human world without permission and deliberately reported false information about his Zanpakuto to the Soul Society."

The moment the Captain-Commander sternly pointed out the truth, Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro instinctively exchanged a glance, a hint of helplessness flashing in each other's eyes. Their Captain-Commander was always known for his forceful and direct style, but to immediately lay bare all his cards and question them like this was tantamount to telling the other side—that the evidence they possessed was limited to the two surface-level points, and they had no further concrete proof?
At this moment, the shock in Tachikawa Shin's heart far exceeded the surprise and doubt he showed on his face.

Only Rukia knew about his smuggling through the Gate of Life, and only Retsu Unohana and Gin Ichimaru knew the true information about his Zanpakuto. It's impossible that Yamamoto obtained the information from all three of them at the same time.

In an instant, Xin's thoughts raced, countless clues collided and combined rapidly in his mind, and finally a clear and astonishing answer gradually became clear.

"How did the Captain-Commander find out?" Xin asked instead of defending himself.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's lips tightened, clearly displeased with Shin's attitude of pressing him for answers instead of directly admitting his mistake. He snorted coldly, "So, you're admitting your guilt, is that it?"

Xin lowered his head slightly, but the insistence in his tone did not diminish: "Please give your instructions, Captain."

Seeing that the situation was about to reach a stalemate, Kyoraku Shunsui coughed lightly at the right moment, breaking the delicate tension. He looked at Shin, his tone carrying a complex mix of reproach and sigh: "Captain Tachikawa, what you did was really too much. As a captain, the Captain-Commander warned you on the day you took office to be self-disciplined and cautious when alone. Have you forgotten?"

Ukitake then added, "Indeed, you must be severely punished for the mistakes you have made."

Xin glanced at the two captains. They seemed to be speaking up for him, but they were also covering something up.

"Captain-Commander," Shin continued, looking at Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, "I will not evade the mistakes I have made. Please tell me, Captain-Commander, how you came to know all of this."

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni said with a deep gaze, "What you did was indeed concealed so perfectly that it could be called flawless, but it cannot escape the power of the Great Spiritual Book Corridor."

really……

The last trace of doubt in his heart vanished, replaced by a cold clarity: "I was previously refused entry to the Great Spiritual Book Corridor, and now the Captain-General is using it to search for my faults? This approach is indeed convincing."

This undisguised sarcasm instantly ignited Captain-Commander Yamamoto's anger. His face darkened abruptly, and his voice rose sharply: "You're not convinced, are you?"

Xin said expressionlessly, "Your subordinate wouldn't dare. However, I wonder what people will think if word gets out that the Captain discovered my mistake in the Great Spirit Book Corridor. I happen to know an old saying, 'If the water is too clear, there will be no fish.' I will not shirk the punishment I deserve, but I will not accept your previous refusal to let me enter the Great Spirit Book Corridor."

“Captain Tachikawa,” Kyoraku suddenly spoke up, “This was my idea, and it has nothing to do with the Captain-Commander.”

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni retorted angrily, "What are you explaining to him for?!"

In Yamamoto's view, Shin is clearly guilty, yet instead of admitting his guilt and repenting, he aggressively questions the "fairness" of the process, which is putting the cart before the horse and is utterly absurd!
"Master Shan," Jing Le called out helplessly, signaling the other party to let him finish speaking.

He looked at the letter again, meeting those clear yet unusually stubborn eyes. He couldn't help but sigh inwardly once more. This young man was so young, yet his stubbornness and sharp edges were truly rare.

Kyoraku said, "The reason I entered the Great Spiritual Scripture Corridor was not to investigate your mistakes. It's just that Captain Tachikawa's sudden interest in the Quincy seemed strange to us. Therefore, I went into the Great Spiritual Scripture Corridor to carefully examine all the records about the Quincy, based on your purpose. As for your smuggling across the Transcendental Gate and the information about your true Zanpakuto..."

He shrugged, his tone quite helpless, "I noticed these related records while researching; they just appeared in front of me like that, it wasn't intentional."

Kyoraku's explanation cleverly reshaped the motivation for the investigation, focusing on "concern" and "clarification" rather than "surveillance" and "conviction."

Upon hearing this, Xin could only say, "In that case, I have nothing more to say."

“No.” Kyoraku shook his head. “You have a lot to say. Why are you suddenly interested in Quincy? And what was the purpose of your contact with that Quincy named Ishida Muneaki?”

Shin frowned upon hearing this: "You've met Ishida Sogen?"

"I did go to look for him," Kyoraku frankly admitted, and then added, trying to dispel Shin's doubts, "but I only chatted with him briefly."

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni said no more at this point, letting Kyoraku take the lead in the questioning.

At this moment, Jushiro Ukitake spoke up gently, adding and reassuring, "Captain Tachikawa, we have no intention of harboring any ill will or suspicion towards you. It's just that the words 'Queens' are associated with the deepest and most tragic historical memories and taboos of Soul Society. Once we are involved with them, out of our responsibility to the safety of all Shinigami and even the entire Soul Society, we have to pay extra attention and be more cautious. We hope you can understand our good intentions."

This argument is somewhat untenable, since Ishida Sogen and the other Quincy are now living peacefully in the human world, which shows that the Soul Society doesn't care much about them.

“I know,” Shin said frankly. “If you really knew anything from Ishida Sogen that I was doing something detrimental to Soul Society, you wouldn’t be treating me like this now.”

Captain-Commander Yamamoto's anger was reignited by this nonchalant attitude: "You seem to have no conscience about this!"

“I haven’t done anything to wrong Soul Society, so of course I have a clear conscience,” Nobunao said.

Kyoraku felt a headache coming on. He felt that Shan Ye and Xin were like a stubborn elder encountering a rebellious child.

He pressed his temples hard, forced himself to intervene again, and said, "So, Captain Tachikawa, could you provide a detailed explanation of this matter?"

Xin's gaze slowly swept across the faces of the three captains. The room was silent, save for the faint, intermittent chirping of cicadas outside the window. The silence lasted for dozens of breaths, so heavy it seemed as if water could be wrung out of it.

Without any warning, a peculiar spiritual pressure suddenly emanated from Xin, spreading out with extreme secrecy and speed. It wasn't an aggressive pressure, but rather formed an almost invisible, precisely controlled membrane of spiritual particles. This membrane, like an inverted, translucent bowl of light, silently yet exceptionally firmly enveloped the entire meditation room, even enveloping Vice-Captain Chojiro, who stood like a shadow at the doorway.

"What is this?" Jushiro Ukitake raised his hand slightly with a look of surprise.

Faced with Shin's sudden action, none of the three captains, including Yamamoto, showed any instinctive vigilance, because they knew that with the strongest Shinigami present, Shin would never, and could not possibly, intend to attack. More importantly, Shin's actions were not a prelude to an attack.

Shin simply said, "My Zanpakuto's ability can ensure that our conversation will not be overheard by outsiders. Please, Vice Captain of the Sparrow Division, come in as well."

eavesdropping...

This crucial word, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, stirred ripples of doubt in the hearts of Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Yamamoto. The three exchanged glances, all seeing seriousness in each other's eyes. What kind of being, what kind of force, possessed, or might possess, the ability to "eavesdrop" on the confidential conversations of the core high-ranking members of the Gotei 13, personally overseen by Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni?

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni glanced at the letter with a deep look in his eyes, asked no further questions, and simply nodded and called out softly towards the door, "Chōjirō".

"Yes, Captain-Commander." Chojiro Sasaki entered quickly and quietly, kneeling properly to Ukitake's left.

Without any beating around the bush, the letter directly presented a startling question to the four highly influential listeners: "Commander-in-Chief, you know that Yhwach is not dead, right?"

A name resounded like a thunderclap in Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's mind.

The letter continued, “Or perhaps I should put it another way: why didn’t you kill Yhwach back then?”

Yhwabach...

Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro certainly knew this name as well: the King of the Quincy, the emperor of the Empire of Light a thousand years ago, and the most powerful enemy the Shinigami had ever faced. The threat he posed even surpassed that of any Hollow.

However, for the two of them, this name was mostly hearsay and records in textbooks; they had never actually met this person in person.

When they turned their attention to Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, they discovered that the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years was now looking utterly shocked and furious.

Not only him, but Chojiro Sasakibe, who was standing next to him, was also extremely shocked.

After a long silence, Captain-Commander Yamamoto finally spoke: "How much do you know?"

Shin said, "If you are asking about things from a thousand years ago, I naturally don't know much. The only thing I can be sure of now is that the Quincy King is now in some dark place unknown to us, where his heartbeat has been restored and he is waiting for the opportunity to return to the Three Realms."

"..."

The King of Quincy has been resurrected?!
Kyoraku and Ukitake could not hide their surprise and were deeply shocked. They had never heard a word of this from Ishida Sogen.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni took several deep breaths and then asked, "How did you determine that?"

"Among the Quincy, there is a prophecy in the Holy Emperor's Hymn."

Upon hearing this, Ukitake immediately said, "I know this prophecy, but..."

"But I didn't expect it to be true, did I?" Shin asked rhetorically. "Apart from the Quincy, no Shinigami took this prophecy seriously. If you want to talk about it, it must be because of their trust in you, Captain-Commander. Everyone thought that you had completely defeated Yhwach back then."

"..."

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni remained silent, his gaze deep. He sensed the underlying questioning in the letter's words.

But he didn't offer any further explanation.

"Did that Quincy named Ishida Sogen tell you all this?" he asked.

“The Quincy will not betray their emperor,” Shin said.

"Then how did you find out?"

"guess."

The answer was too absurd. Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni wanted to scoff coldly, but he seemed to remember something and fell silent again.

The room was filled with an extremely oppressive atmosphere. What was originally an interrogation about the wrongdoing committed by Xin had now been abandoned by everyone.

Kyoraku and Ukitake remained silent, waiting for the Captain-Commander's reaction.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's aged face was now cold and hard. He closed his eyes, seemingly lost in thought.

"Captain-Commander..." Chojiro Sasakibe called out softly with a worried expression.

"Ah," Yamamoto replied casually.

"He did reappear after all."

His words were hard for Ukitake and Kyoraku to understand. Wasn't this just Shin's guess? How did it suddenly become a given fact in Captain-Commander Yamamoto's mouth?

Upon hearing this, Shin frowned deeply. "What do you mean? Captain-Commander already knew that Yhwach would be resurrected?"

"Do not."

Yamamoto said indifferently, "I didn't know that before."

"I was just thinking about something someone once said to me."

The letter pressed further: "What did you say?"

"..."

Yamamoto did not give any further reply; instead, he looked at Ukitake and Kyoraku.

"You two are lucky; you didn't experience that era."

Kyoraku and Ukitake remained silent.

"But you two are also unfortunate, as you are about to experience an era that is just as tragic as it was a thousand years ago."

Yamamoto's gaze finally settled on Shin, flickering uncertainly.

(End of this chapter)