CHAPTER 12

　　"All Gotei 13 shinigami in the vicinity—disperse!"

　　"The next battle is not one you can simply watch from the sidelines."

　　Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's voice was hoarse, yet firm. His aged eyes, usually calm, now glinted with murderous resolve, tempered only by solemnity.

　　As Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto had clearly foreseen what was to come.

　　"As the leaders of your respective divisions, your duty is to protect your subordinates. Return to your barracks at once. Leave this to me. I alone will deal with what lies ahead."

　　Though Yamamoto was never one to speak of "protection," the weight of his role as Captain-Commander demanded it. Without hesitation, he issued the order to the assembled captains.

　　"Yes, Captain-Commander!"

　　The captains responded in unison, their voices resounding with reverence.

　　Despite their own formidable power, none of them dared oppose Yamamoto's will. His strength towered above them all—undisputed. Even beings as fearsome as Unohana Yachiru and Araki were adversaries few among them would dare confront.

　　"Captain Yamamoto..."

　　"Come on, Little Saitō! Let's go!"

　　"Damn you, Shihōin Chihiro! Don't call me 'Little Saitō'! I just need to ask Captain Yamamoto something!"

　　"Do you think he has time for your questions right now? Be smart and follow orders, or you'll be the one suffering later~"

　　"Ugh... fine..."

　　Saitō, clearly reluctant, was dragged away by Shihōin Chihiro, casting one last glance back—first at Yamamoto's retreating back, then at the fierce battle still raging between Araki and Unohana Yachiru.

　　With that, the last of the captains withdrew under Yamamoto's command.

　　Now, only two figures remained atop the wide rooftop:

　　Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni and his loyal vice-captain, Sasakibe Chōjirō. The two watched in silence as spiritual pressure clashed violently in the distance, where Araki and Unohana's battle continued.

　　A kilometer away from the battlefield—

　　Several 5th Division shinigami stood, hesitant and uneasy. They lacked the power to draw near the clash of titans and could only observe from afar.

　　"What now? The captain's missing, and we can't even contact him. We're too weak to interfere…"

　　Their voices trembled with frustration and helplessness.

　　"Oi! Quit yappin' and follow me back to the barracks~"

　　Obana Danjirō, the 5th Division captain, suddenly appeared behind them, barking orders.

　　"Captain, you're back!"

　　"Where were you?!"

　　"Captain, we're the Gotei 13! Can we really ignore what's going on out there?!"

　　A flood of voices crashed toward Obana as his subordinates rushed him with questions.

　　"Alright, alright, enough! Shut your mouths and listen."

　　At once, the shinigami went silent.

　　"The Captain-Commander gave a direct order: we're to return to our divisions with our men. That's what we're doing. As for that fight—"

　　Obana scratched his clean-shaven chin and shrugged. "Leave it to the boss. Those two maniacs are way above our pay grade~"

　　"Wait—Captain Yamamoto's there too?!"

　　Shock rippled through the group. None of them had imagined that a battle between Unohana and Araki would warrant the personal attention of Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.

　　"Isn't he... right up there watching?!"

Obana Danjiro pointed to the figure standing like a statue on the rooftop behind him.

"Since Captain-Commander Yamamoto is here, this farce should be ending soon, right?"

The shinigami of the 5th Division looked toward the shining figure bathed in sunlight in the distance and felt a sense of relief.

Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni was the backbone and guardian of the Gotei 13. As long as he remained, the shinigami under his command would never fall into disorder.

"Captain, now that the Captain-Commander is here, could we be lucky enough to witness the might of the strongest Shinigami in Soul Society today? If we could see him fight... it would be worth dying here!"

Upon learning from their captain that the revered Yamamoto Genryūsai had arrived, excitement surged through the shinigami of the 5th Division.

They felt a fierce longing — to see truth in the morning and die in the evening — if it meant witnessing the Captain-Commander unleash his power.

"No... even if you stay, you likely won't see him fight."

"The monsters over there — they haven't even gotten serious yet. Once they do, you might not survive the aftermath."

Obana Danjiro shook his head, stepping forward to shield his subordinates. He raised a spiritual barrier to suppress the overwhelming pressure.

"What?!"

"They've already fought to this point... and they weren't even serious yet?!"

The shinigami were stunned by their captain's words. The depth of the battle before them was far beyond what they could comprehend.

Meanwhile—

Araki and Unohana Yachiryu stood locked in a standoff. They watched as the captains of the original Gotei 13 returned to their posts, escorting their squads to safety.

Finally, the two raised their Zanpakutōs.

Now, they had no more concerns.

And at the exact same moment, their voices rang out.

"Bankai!"

The moment Araki and Unohana unleashed their Bankai, an overwhelming wave of spiritual pressure engulfed the entire Soul Society.

Every Shinigami across the realm felt a chill pierce their hearts — as if a torrent of murderous intent had swept through the air itself.

Those who had lingered to watch, unable to retreat in time, collapsed under the sheer force of it. The pressure was like a hammer descending from the heavens.

"—The World of the Medicine Master's Lapis Lazuli Light!"

"—Minazuki: All is Gone!"

As the names of their Bankai echoed across the battlefield, brilliant lapis lazuli light and a vast, blood-colored sea materialized around them — clashing, expanding, and threatening to consume everything in sight.