CHAPTER 459: CHAPTER 459: TOOK THE BAIT

The Central 46’s sweeping actions sent shockwaves through Seireitei like never before.

Yet to the nobles’ dismay, this was only the beginning.

Shortly after the execution of Judge Takeaki, the private military forces secretly raised by the major noble houses—comprised of family warriors and hired muscle—were arrested one after another by the Gotei 13.

News came from all corners, and what they learned left them stunned:

The one behind all of this was none other than Masatsuki Aozaki—the Captain-Commander who was supposed to serve the nobles!

They all knew just how powerful Masatsuki had become, both in force and influence.

But this level of audacity? It was like being slapped in the face in front of the entire Soul Society—no, it was as if their faces were being trampled on.

This state of affairs dragged on for days, and the nobles could finally take no more.

Furious, they stormed toward the 1st Division, demanding an explanation.

Amid the clamor, Masatsuki Aozaki stepped slowly out of the 1st Division barracks.

The moment they saw him, the nobles instinctively swallowed hard, some even wanting to retreat.

But then they came to their senses.

They were nobles—what could Masatsuki possibly do? Kill them all?

Even if he dared, would Yamamoto allow it?

"Captain-Commander! You’ve gone way too far this time!"

"Our subordinates did nothing wrong, yet you had them arrested! The Gotei 13 doesn’t have that kind of authority!"

Masatsuki glanced at the angry crowd before him, inwardly amused.

These pompous fools threw their weight around every day thanks to their noble titles. If he hadn’t also held high-ranking noble status, they’d probably treat him like a servant.

Now they were trembling because their interests had been touched—furious and humiliated.

But Masatsuki didn’t take them seriously.

He spoke slowly.

"My lords, I trust you’re all aware—I have my reasons for doing what I did."

At that, the nobles erupted.

"What reasons?! Our men are innocent!"

"You’re abusing your power!"

Masatsuki only smiled lightly at their outcry.

He wasn’t about to waste time bickering. Instead, he cut straight to the point.

"Tell me, do you really think I’d arrest people without cause? If your subordinates were truly innocent, would I have taken action so easily?"

That silenced the nobles.

Of course, they knew their subordinates had suspicious behavior to some extent, but they hadn’t expected Masatsuki to bring up the matter of Reigai.

For a moment, none of them knew how to respond.

Seeing their silence, Masatsuki continued,

"Let me remind you: as Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, I have the authority to investigate any actions that threaten the safety of Soul Society."

"Whether your subordinates are innocent—or even whether you yourselves are—isn’t up to you to decide. That will be determined through a proper investigation."

He turned to the guards.

"Take these people. They’re obviously impostors daring to pose as noble lords. That’s an unforgivable crime. Arrest them all."

With that, Masatsuki turned and walked back inside, leaving the stunned nobles staring at one another.

What did he mean by that?

They realized then—Masatsuki Aozaki wasn’t bluffing. If they kept pushing, they’d only bring more trouble upon themselves.

Left with no choice, the nobles slinked away from the 1st Division in disgrace.

...

But even if they wanted to leave, it was already too late.

Looking around, they saw both sides of the street packed tight with people, shoulder to shoulder, sealing off every exit.

In that instant, the noble lords stood frozen, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

"Lieutenant-sama, Lady Aozaki, Captain Zaraki—what exactly are you trying to do?" one of them asked, his voice trembling.

"Did none of you hear what the Captain-Commander just said? You’re not clean yourselves. You’ll have to undergo inspection."

Aizen Sōsuke responded calmly, standing beside Rangiku Matsumoto, while on the other side of the crowd, Kenpachi Zaraki was already poised to strike.

The nobles, aware of the war in Hell, were chilled to the bone at the sight of the three gathered here.

"Lieutenant, this isn’t funny! We used the Shinigami Research and Development Institute’s equipment for testing. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with us—"

Before he could finish, a sharp pain tore through his chest as a blade ran him through.

"Utter nonsense! The Institute’s tools are tightly regulated—where did you even get access to them? Guards! Arrest them at once!"

Although Aizen said "arrest," his subordinates drew their gleaming blades and charged straight into the crowd.

The nobles immediately realized—they weren’t here to arrest anyone. They were here to kill.

This was a trap. Carefully laid out. A setup from the start.

Tomorrow’s 9th Division newspaper would likely read:

"Last evening, a group of brazen criminals recklessly impersonated nobles and even dared to storm the barracks of the 1st Division. Audacious beyond belief! Fortunately, our brave and fearless members of the Gotei 13 dispatched them on the spot!"

The once arrogant, fearless nobles were now shaking with fear and despair.

No one wanted to die here.

But the 11th Division didn’t care how scared they were.

Zanpakutō in hand, they charged like starving beasts into the crowd, cutting the nobles down without hesitation.

In the blink of an eye, the pristine white street was soaked in blood, as if covered by a crimson carpet.

...

With the nobles dealt with, Masatsuki Aozaki turned to see Nemu Kurotsuchi entering through the doorway. She immediately clung to his arm.

Her enthusiastic gesture sharply contrasted with the stern expression on her face, stirring curiosity.

Masatsuki asked, "How did today’s mission go?"

Nemu calmly nodded. "According to Central 46’s orders, everyone has been executed."

The bloodshed didn’t seem to disturb her at all.

Masatsuki took a list she handed over—over a dozen names, each marked with a bold red X.

Then, he passed her a new list.

"This is the next group to be eliminated. Just follow the plan."

These lists had all been prepared in advance by Masatsuki Aozaki. The fate of everyone on them had already been sealed.

Whether or not they were Reigai—he didn’t know, and it didn’t matter.

The girl glanced at the blood-soaked scene outside, screams still echoing in the air, and looked thoughtful.

"How many of them had been replaced with Reigai?"

"About one in five," Masatsuki replied with a smile.

His tone was casual, as if discussing something utterly trivial.

But for those caught in the middle of it, this was nothing short of a living nightmare.

"Kagerōza Inaba’s pretty efficient. Give him a few more months, and there might not be any real nobles left." Masatsuki added, still smiling faintly.