"Captain Kuchiki! We've just received an urgent report from the reconnaissance unit!" A Soul Reaper rushed into Kuchiki Kōga's tent, his voice frantic. "Large-scale Reiatsu has been detected in the forest across the river, suspected to be traces of the rebel main force."
Kōga, who had been dealing with tedious paperwork, stood up abruptly upon hearing this, a gleam of excitement flashing in his eyes. The Reiatsu unconsciously leaking from him scattered the papers on his desk. At last! After all this time, we've finally tracked down the rebel main force. As long as we eliminate them, this war will be over, and the Soul Society will return to peace.
A great merit like leading an army to quell a rebellion... perhaps it will earn Father-in-law's recognition...
"Where is the exact location? I will personally verify it!" Although Kōga desperately wished to end this war quickly, he hadn't completely lost his reason. "You go notify Captains Kyōraku and Ukitake. Have them organize the troops. I'll take a squad ahead. This time, we absolutely cannot let them escape again."
"Yes, sir!"
The messenger Soul Reaper vanished from the tent. Kuchiki Kōga took a deep breath, calming his heart which was racing with excitement.
"Muramasa," he whispered his Zanpakutō's name, as if infusing himself with confidence. "This is the final battle."
Kōga lifted the tent flap and headed for the coordinates in the report. Several elite Soul Reapers who had been waiting outside silently followed. The group sped towards the target location, disappearing from the base in a few breaths.
"Heheh, the show begins."
The messenger Soul Reaper who had so urgently rushed into Kōga's tent now slowly emerged from a patch of shadows. The anxiety that had been on his face was gone. He stared in the direction Kōga had vanished, a cold, mocking smile curling his lips.
"Enjoy the show."
The surrounding light and shadow distorted for an instant. The messenger Soul Reaper now wore a different face and hurried off to notify Captains Kyōraku and Ukitake. How can there be an "accident" later without any witnesses?
Crossing the rushing river, Kōga and his men stopped at the location mentioned by the messenger. Seeing the rebels already engaged in combat with the Soul Reapers he had brought, Kōga couldn't help but frown.
This isn't right. How could the rebel main force have so few people? Are they lying in ambush?
"Captain Kuchiki! The enemy is too strong! We can't hold them off!"
Many Soul Reapers were being pushed back by the rebels, sustaining numerous wounds. Though worried about an ambush, Kōga couldn't ignore his subordinates' pleas for help. He drew Muramasa and joined the fray.
With Kōga's participation, the tide of battle quickly reversed, becoming one-sided. The rebels who had appeared were swiftly eliminated.
"Captains Kyōraku and Ukitake are approaching. We'll rendezvous with them here."
Kōga turned to give the order to his subordinates while wiping the blood from his face. His Zanpakutō had not yet been sheathed when he saw the subordinates beside him raising their swords and attacking him.
"Muramasa!"
The sudden turn of events made Kōga frown. He called upon Muramasa for defense. The Zanpakutō in the hands of these subordinates carried terrifying killing intent, each slash aimed at his vital points, determined to kill him on the spot.
Responding to the call, Muramasa's materialized form appeared beside Kōga. Seeing the Soul Reapers attacking Kōga like madmen, his eyes emitted a purple light that covered their Zanpakutō. Instantly, the Zanpakutō flew from the hands of the Soul Reapers, their materialized spirits autonomously attacking their original masters.
Thud. Thud.
The sounds of bodies hitting the ground rang out one after another. But each Soul Reaper wore a look of terror in their final moments, as uniform as actors on a stage.
"Captain Kuchiki! Did you find the rebel main force?"
A voice from the distance snapped Kōga out of his daze. Kyōraku and Ukitake, leading a large contingent of Soul Reapers, were rapidly approaching Kōga's location.
The newcomers barely had time to ask about the rebels before they saw the pool of blood behind Kuchiki Kōga and the materialized Muramasa beside him, controlling Zanpakutō to attack the few remaining Soul Reapers. Kyōraku drew the twin swords from his waist, parrying the attacks and rescuing several survivors. Kōga also ordered Muramasa to temporarily cease the assault.
"Captain Kyōraku! Kuchiki Kōga's Zanpakutō went out of control and attacked us mercilessly!"
Listening to the survivors' tearful accounts, the others pointed their weapons at Kōga as if facing a formidable enemy. Countless suspicious gazes, like arrows, shot towards Kōga and Muramasa, now reverted to sword form in his hand.
"Captain Kuchiki, I must ask you to temporarily relinquish your Zanpakutō and cooperate with the investigation."
The lazy smile vanished from Kyōraku's face. His twin swords pointed at Kōga as he spoke gravely. Though he felt there was more to this story, an investigation of Kuchiki Kōga was undoubtedly necessary for now.
"No, it's not like that..."
Kōga looked at his former colleagues who had once respected him, seeing the fear, alienation, and deep suspicion in their eyes towards him now. A dry sound escaped his throat, but to the others, it was just a pale excuse.
He realized no one would believe him. At least, not here, not now.
Kuchiki Kōga silently loosened his grip on Muramasa. The Zanpakutō fell, embedding itself in the ground. He had completely given up explaining himself. Shunsui Kyōraku sighed inaudibly. Several chains of Reiatsu firmly bound Kōga's body as he was escorted back towards the Seireitei.
Kōga was like a lifeless puppet, imagining the treatment he would receive in prison. Despair threatened to swallow him whole, but then the image of Kuchiki Ginrei suddenly appeared in his mind.
That's right! Father-in-law! He will surely believe I was framed. He will ensure justice is served and find the real culprit.
Father-in-law will definitely save me!
For Kuchiki Kōga now, Kuchiki Ginrei was the last straw to clutch at, bringing a glimmer of hope back into his hollow eyes. Unable to help himself, he straightened his spine slightly. Holding onto his trust in his father-in-law, Kuchiki Ginrei, Kōga was escorted to prison.
The Central 46's judgment on Kuchiki Kōga had not yet formally begun, so he was locked in a sunless dungeon. Sitting against the wall, Kōga stared fixedly at the corridor beyond the iron bars, hoping to see the figure of his father-in-law.
You'll never believe why I moved to… Makassar
Steady footsteps sounded in the corridor. The figure Kōga longed for stopped before him, separated only by an iron-barred window.
"Father-in-law!" Bound, Kōga could only shuffle forward on his knees to press his face against the cold iron bars, his voice trembling with emotion. "I was framed! At that time—"
Kōga's voice gradually weakened. He saw the expression on his father-in-law's face. It held none of the concern or scrutiny he had anticipated, only a disappointment so profound it felt almost tangible.
"Kuchiki Kōga, your punishment has been decided."
Hearing that icy voice devoid of any familial warmth, Kōga understood. In his father-in-law's eyes now, he was merely a criminal. He no longer had the heart to listen to the specific terms of his punishment. His body slowly went limp. If even my own father-in-law doesn't believe me, what's the point of arguing?
The last shred of hope in his heart was utterly extinguished. As the sound of Kuchiki Ginrei's retreating footsteps faded away, Kōga curled his body into the shadows, feeling no different from a dead man. The words of the shadowy figure from his tent echoed in his ears once more, and Kōga fully understood now what that "betrayal" had meant.
"Do you like my arrangements, Kuchiki Kōga?"
The familiar shadowy figure reappeared before Kōga, but he no longer had the will to engage with it. Finding it boring, the shadow also lost interest in conversation. It tossed Muramasa, which it had been holding, in front of Kōga. Its seductive voice wormed its way into Kōga's heart once more.
"Only your Muramasa will never betray you. Since the others don't trust you, why should they be allowed to exist?"
"Take your revenge on this Soul Society that doesn't trust you."
Taking out the wooden box Tsunayashiro Jin had given it earlier, the shadow opened it and forcefully embedded the bead inside into Kōga's chest. Kōga screamed in agony as an astonishing Reiatsu erupted from his body. The vengeful thoughts constantly being fed to him by the shadow took over his mind.
Reaching out to grasp Muramasa, Kōga, his eyes now crimson, whispered: "Bankai—Mukagari Jōshu Muramasa!!!"
A massive purple Reiatsu, accompanied by a purple mist, blanketed over half of the Seireitei. The materialized Muramasa appeared before Kōga.
"Kōga, I can feel the anger in your heart. Follow your instincts and act without restraint," Muramasa said, standing beside Kōga like a most loyal guard. "There is no need for us to cater to this world that envies and despises our power. Grasp me. Let us change this world together!"
Feeling the endless stream of spiritual power within him, Kōga wordlessly took Muramasa's hand. In his heart, he resolved to make these Soul Reapers pay.
That night, the Zanpakutō of countless Soul Reapers in the Seireitei began to act strangely, materializing one after another and attacking their masters.
***
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