– – –
[1/2]
『Group Chat』
[Members]: Grayfia Lucifuge; Boa Hancock; Aizawa Shota; Zen'in Maki; Ayano Keiji.
『New Messages』
[Zen'in Maki: What is it with some old men always handing out death sentences to others?]
[Aizawa Shota: I have to agree. A final sentence like that… is a bit over the top.]
[Boa Hancock: Tch. No matter the world, those at the top do not care at all about anyone else.]
[Grayfia Lucifuge: There are always more radical beings who try to control the people with an iron fist. The original Satans were not much different.]
[Ayano Keiji: For our forty judges and six sages to be compared to "Satans" kekeke~]
[Aizawa Shota: And what do you intend to do about it?]
[Ayano Keiji: I am still thinking about it.]
[Zen'in Maki: The blindfolded idiot in my world was enough to make those old men stop Yuta's sentence. Can't you manage something similar, "Shinigami"?]
[Ayano Keiji: I could try. But that would make me have to face the entire Gotei 13 and the Noble Clans. As interesting as it sounds, my soul would explode from overload before I could defeat all the Captains and the Captain-Commander.]
[Aizawa Shota: … "soul exploding" does not sound like something you should consider a viable option.]
[Zen'in Maki: What about the missions? That system still exists, does it not? You have a better option than getting yourself killed for nothing.]
[Ayano Keiji: Oh? Would Maki-san risk her life for someone she barely knows? That does sound like pure heroism~]
[Zen'in Maki: … you are irritating.]
[Aizawa Shota: Being realistic, I do not have the strength to challenge anyone at the level Ayano described. If the Captains are that powerful, I would not be of much help.]
[Boa Hancock: They would all let me win, because I am beautiful!]
[Zen'in Maki: … do you really believe that?]
[Grayfia Lucifuge: The best option is that if Ayano-san wishes to save the girl, he should find another way.]
[Ayano Keiji: Saving Kuchiki-san is a simple matter; dealing with the one causing these problems is more complicated.]
– – –
After all, he already had Yoruichi's own example of how to save people condemned by Central 46. He just had to decide whether he really wanted to do that.
[——]
At the Thirteenth Division Barracks, Keiji was guided through the corridors accompanied by Kotetsu Kiyone, the Third Seat of that division.
She was the younger sister of Kotetsu Isane, Keiji's Lieutenant in the Fourth Division. Despite the shared surname and a certain air of gentleness the two shared, the differences between them were striking.
Isane was tall, serious, and almost always shy, especially when Keiji was not teasing her on purpose. Kiyone, on the other hand, was the opposite of her sister — always talkative, full of energy, and much shorter than her older sister.
She also always seemed to walk in a hurry, as if she had extra energy to spare, and she talked far too fast when she got excited about something.
The Thirteenth Division itself had its own peculiarities. The Captain, Ukitake Jūshirō, suffered from an incurable illness that left him constantly debilitated.
He rarely managed to take command actively, being known for constant coughing and bouts of weakness, although his presence was still respected by everyone.
In addition, the division had been without a Lieutenant since the death of Shiba Kaien.
In his place, two Third Seats shared responsibilities: Kiyone and Kotsubaki Sentarō. The two, however, spent more time arguing with each other in silly disputes than actually cooperating.
It was common to hear their shouting down the corridors about who served the Captain better or who would be more reliable.
Keiji could not help thinking that something similar had almost happened in the Fourth Division when he was accepted by Unohana.
The then Third Seat, Iemura Yasochika, tried to challenge him to keep his position after Unohana promoted Keiji. The outcome did not end as well as he had initially imagined.
After the defeat, Iemura yielded his seat and ended up dropping to the lower seat, making it clear he did not have the strength to rival Keiji.
Iemura was still a far more competent administrator, but whether in personal power or in the use of Kaidō, he was easily outclassed.
"The Captain is waiting."
Kiyone said, sliding open the door to the Thirteenth Division's main room.
Keiji walked in calmly, finding Captain Ukitake Jūshirō seated near the window. The day's soft light filtered through the curtains, illuminating the man's serene face, but the contrast with his weakened body was impossible to ignore.
Ukitake kept that calm, gentle air, but his loose clothes barely hid the frailty caused by the illness that had followed him forever.
Keiji had been sent many times by Captain Unohana to check on Ukitake's condition and was already well aware that the Captain's illness was anything but simple.
On the other side of the room, lounging in a relaxed way, was Kyōraku Shunsui, Captain of the Eighth Division.
He looked completely at ease, his floral haori open and his straw hat resting over his face. The typical laid-back manner everyone expected from him.
"Well, well…"
Shunsui lifted the hat just enough to reveal a lazy look that was full of curiosity.
"If it isn't our famous genius, Keiji-kun."
"I am glad you came, Keiji-kun."
Ukitake spoke next, his voice calm and welcoming.
Keiji tipped his head in a simple greeting.
"Captain Kyōraku, Captain Ukitake. I did not expect to find you on your feet today, Ukitake-san."
The long-haired, white-haired man only laughed with a hint of effort.
"And he would not be, if he were not as stubborn and worried as always."
Shunsui commented, forming a crooked smile as he adjusted himself in the chair.
Keiji took a few steps and leaned casually against the side of the room, watching the two with his carefree manner.
Both the Captain of the Eighth and the Captain of the Thirteenth Division were among the oldest Captains in the Gotei 13, with both being students of the Captain-Commander, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
If there was anyone who could understand the Captain-Commander, it would be those two.
Which was one of the reasons Keiji had come to the Thirteenth Division.
Ukitake, still keeping his gentle tone, leaned back in the chair and spoke.
"I imagine you are curious about the decision regarding Kuchiki Rukia. Captain Unohana shared some of your thoughts on the matter with me."
Keiji raised an eyebrow, letting a small smile slip out.
"Well… since everyone seems to be talking about it, I figured it was worth hearing the Captains' opinions too."
Shunsui took off the hat and twirled it between his fingers, lifting his free hand in a lazy gesture.
"Ehh, I do not know if my opinion counts for much… but I must say, a sentence of execution? It was unexpected, even for Central 46."
"I agree."
Ukitake added without hesitation, the gentle expression now marked by concern.
"Even if it is a crime, I cannot see Rukia as someone who deserves that fate. She is just a child who tried to do what she thought was right."
Silence hung for a few moments, until Ukitake continued.
"I am still looking for a way to convince the Captain-Commander to reconsider Rukia's sentence. But so far… I have not found a path."
Shunsui let out a deep sigh, his gaze turning more serious for an instant.
"Yama-jii changing his mind? That is a tough one, Jūshirō. You know how he is."
Keiji had already expected that answer. Captain Unohana had said something similar.
Even so, Ukitake turned his eyes directly to him.
"Keiji-kun… if the moment comes, would you help us? If it became necessary to act against this unjust decision?"
Keiji crossed his arms, leaning against the wall, and answered simply.
"People should do what they think is right."
The conversation was dangerously close to being considered treason, but Keiji did not worry about something like that.
Even though almost a decade had passed, he had never thought of Seireitei or the Soul Society as his home.
Even the Gotei 13 was just a "convenient" place.
Truly a soul free of any restraints.
Ukitake let a small smile appear, as if that were the answer he had already expected to hear.
Shunsui laughed loudly, his laughter echoing through the room as he leaned back in his chair.
"This kid has more courage than he looks, Jūshirō."
"It is not a bad thing, is it? To have courage."
Ukitake commented, still smiling.
Keiji turned his idle eyes to Shunsui. The presence of that man was the second reason he had come to the Thirteenth Division today.
"Captain Kyōraku, I have a few questions for you. About a certain incident from a hundred years ago."
The room went quiet all of a sudden, and even Shunsui's straw hat stopped swaying in his hands.
"… you are not shy with words at all, Keiji-kun."
Ukitake glanced toward the window for a moment, before looking back at Keiji.
"You are talking about the case involving experiments with hollows, are you not?"
Keiji nodded, without moving from his spot leaning against the wall.
"Exactly. Unohana-san told me a few things about Urahara Kisuke. He was the one to blame, and that other Captains and Lieutenants were also affected by that Hollowfication process."
Shunsui sighed, scratching his scruffy beard.
"That is a delicate subject. Even for Captains."
"But it is not a lie, right?"
Ukitake nodded slowly.
"No, it is not. A hundred years ago, some of our own were turned into half-hollows. Among them, Captains and Lieutenants… men and women respected in the Gotei 13. It was so serious that Central 46 forbade any research that involved shinigami and hollows."
Shunsui added, with an awkward smile.
"That day, Urahara Kisuke was caught alongside them and was accused of being responsible for all the experiments. He was declared guilty and sentenced to the loss of his powers and to eternal exile."
"But he escaped."
"He escaped."
Shunsui confirmed, leaning his body forward.
"Shihōin Yoruichi took him out of here with her own hands. If it were not for her, Urahara might not even exist anymore."
"And what do you two think? Would Urahara-san do something like that?"
Shunsui looked at Ukitake, as if leaving the answer to his friend. The Captain of the Thirteenth Division gave a faint smile, but did not speak right away.
"Urahara Kisuke was a good friend of the victims… and even his Lieutenant was dragged into the experiment. But, Keiji-kun… some things are too dangerous to ask out loud."
Keiji let a crooked smile slip.
"Sorry, but it is too much work to go around whispering."
Shunsui laughed loudly this time, shaking the hat.
[——]
Keiji left the Thirteenth Division's gates behind with the same slow, relaxed pace he had arrived with. The sound of gravel under his sandals blended with the gentle breeze that flowed through Seireitei.
{So? Did you find anything out?}
Sora's voice rang clear in his mind, laden with curiosity.
"Kyōraku Shunsui is not who we are looking for."
Keiji answered in a low voice, his eyes wandering across the clear sky.
The Captain of the Eighth Division might have a frivolous reputation, always hiding behind a straw hat, bottles of sake, and lazy lines, but he carried a sharp, analytical mind and could weigh situations with impressive calm.
He had a style similar to Urahara Kisuke's own, always making others underestimate him.
He was not exactly the kind of manipulator Urahara had described.
Besides, the bond of friendship between Shunsui and Ukitake was not something superficial. The two were known as the closest Captains in the entire history of the Gotei 13, companions since their Academy days.
If Shunsui were plotting something, he would never put Ukitake at risk — and not even an officer of the Thirteenth Division.
Keiji had no concrete proof to support that conclusion, but he trusted his own intuition more.
{Then only the final target is left.}
"And also the most 'ordinary', therefore the most 'suspicious'."
The crooked smile appeared naturally on Keiji's face.
But before he could think more about it, a holographic screen suddenly appeared in front of his eyes, completely blocking his view of the Soul Society's sky.
– – –
『Emergency Mission』
Requester: Aizawa Shota
Description: Class 1-A students are on a trip to the Unforeseen Simulation Joint (USJ) facility to train rescue skills. However, the League of Villains appeared unexpectedly, turning the exercise into a real fight for survival.
Objective: Ensure the survival of all Class 1-A students.
Reward: Undetermined.
– – –
Keiji arched an eyebrow, reading it twice to make sure he had understood it well.
"It seems something happened to Aizawa-san."
{Are you going to accept it?}
"Of course I am."
He confirmed without thinking twice, accepting the mission with a simple flick of his hand.
The screen flashed and vanished, leaving only the wind blowing against his face.
Moments later, Ayano Keiji disappeared from the Soul Society.