"I miscalculated…"
Shusuke Amagai muttered, gnawing on his fingernails. He knew Gyōkaku Kumoi had orchestrated Rurichiyo's disappearance. The fact that it had lured three captains away from the Seireitei had been a bonus.
But they hadn't anticipated Ailin's swift action, returning Rurichiyo to the Soul Society within hours, not days, as they had predicted. Furthermore, the assassins Kumoi had dispatched had been thwarted by a… teenager. Their carefully laid plans had crumbled.
Kumoi was scrambling, gathering his forces for a final, desperate attempt. Amagai, too, needed a distraction, something to draw the other captains' attention. A cold glint flickered in his eyes as he thought of what he had uncovered.
…
"You want me to… investigate Third Seat Kibune?" Izuru Kira stared at Shusuke Amagai, incredulous. He hadn't expected this to be his first assignment upon returning to the Third Division.
"Yes, Kira. I know it seems… unusual, but you're the only one I can trust with this." Amagai turned towards the window, his back to Kira. "Kibune wasn't like this in Hueco Mundo. But since our return, he's… changed. He's been associating with certain individuals, and… well, I'm concerned about his recent behavior."
He continued, "You've heard the complaints, haven't you? The squad members who served with him have voiced their… concerns. They say he loses control during combat, using techniques beyond his mastery, endangering his own comrades. At least eighty percent of our recent casualties were caused by Kibune's… recklessness."
Kira remained silent. He had indeed heard the rumors, but Kibune was Amagai's confidant, brought from Hueco Mundo. He couldn't intervene without Amagai's consent.
"Kira, you know I've been busy, trying to maintain the Third Division's efficiency while so many of our members are recovering. I don't have the time to investigate this myself. I need your help."
"Yes, Captain Amagai."
"And Kira… if… if you find any evidence of wrongdoing… well, he was my lieutenant for many years. I… I wouldn't be able to… punish him myself. I'll leave that… unpleasant task to you."
"Yes, Captain."
…
"Captain Ailin, do we really have to attend this… noble council?" Momo Hinamori asked, watching as Ailin lay sprawled on his office floor, seemingly asleep.
The noble council, convened by the remaining noble families, was an attempt to regain their lost power and influence. They had realized that the noble purge hadn't been sanctioned by Yamamoto. While they feared the unknown force behind the purge, they weren't afraid of Yamamoto. They knew his weakness: his desire for order and stability. By threatening to disrupt the Seireitei, they could force his compliance.
Yamamoto had dispatched Shinigami from the Second, Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth Divisions to protect the nobles during the council, and also to monitor their activities. Ailin, however, had refused to participate.
"Hinamori, nobles are the most… troublesome creatures," Ailin mumbled, rolling over. "What have they ever done for the Soul Society? Before Yamamoto established the Gotei 13, they were the ones responsible for maintaining balance, for protecting the world. But look at them now. They're decadent, self-serving parasites, preying on the common folk, even resorting to murder. They've squandered the goodwill earned by their ancestors over millions of years."
He continued, "Whether they accept it or not, the age of nobles is over. They've lost their pride, their dignity. They're nothing more than leeches, clinging to the Gotei 13, draining the lifeblood of the Soul Society. This council… it's nothing more than a gathering of parasites, squabbling over the scraps. The nobles who understand the current situation won't attend. And those who do… they're not true nobles. They're delusional fools, clinging to a bygone era."
He sat up, looking at Hinamori. "Hinamori, the Fifth Division's duty is rescue. We should focus on our responsibilities. This… council… it's a distraction. We shouldn't be involved. It could compromise our objectivity, our commitment to those who truly need our help."
"I… I don't understand," Hinamori said, shaking her head, confused by his words.
"It's better that way," Ailin replied, relieved that she hadn't grasped the full implications of his words.
Not everyone could handle the darkness that lurked beneath the surface of the world. Hinamori, in his opinion, was better off remaining oblivious. She saw the world through rose-tinted glasses, her innocence a shield against the harsh realities. Exposing her to the depths of human depravity would only shatter her idealism.
As Hinamori opened her mouth to ask another question, several powerful reiatsu signatures erupted within the Seireitei, clashing violently.
"What's happening?" she asked, looking towards the source of the disturbance. "Is that… Kira's reiatsu? And who's that other… unfamiliar spiritual pressure?"
"Who else could it be?" Ailin said, standing behind her. "You know almost everyone with that level of reiatsu in the Seireitei. The only high-ranking seated officer you wouldn't recognize is Amagai's lieutenant, isn't it?"
"You mean… Kira is fighting Kibune? Captain, we have to help him!"
"No," Ailin said firmly.
"But Kira is in danger!"
"Hinamori, have some faith in him. If he can't handle someone like Kibune, how will he face stronger opponents in the future?"
"Stronger opponents?"
"Yes, Hinamori. You need to become stronger as well. Being a Shinigami isn't a… peaceful profession. Especially in the coming years. The world is about to change. The Shinigami's authority will be challenged. If we prevail, we will continue to protect this world. If we fail… there will be no place for us."
Hinamori's eyes widened in fear. Ailin placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Hinamori. We're still here. We won't let them win."
"I… I was supposed to say that to Hitsugaya," he muttered, realizing his mistake.
Hinamori's eyes narrowed. "Hitsugaya? Is he facing… a dangerous enemy?"
"Well, it's… dangerous, yes. But Hitsugaya will be fine. Remember, Hinamori, his Zanpakutō is Hyōrinmaru, the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō. This millennium belongs to Yamamoto. The next might belong to Toshiro Hitsugaya."
"Really?" Hinamori felt a surge of… something. Pride? Relief? "So that's why he's always training. He doesn't hate me. He's just… preparing."
…
"How… how could you?"
"Captain Kuchiki, how dare you?"
The nobles and Shinigami attending the council stared at Byakuya Kuchiki in disbelief. They hadn't expected the attack to come from him, the "Model Noble," the one they had assumed would defend them.
A whirlwind of cherry blossoms filled the chamber, a deadly dance of pink and crimson. Byakuya's face was hidden behind a curtain of petals.
"Why not? Millions of years ago, my ancestors established the Noble Order to bring stability to the Soul Society, to guide humanity towards a more civilized existence. But now, that order has become a tool for your petty squabbles, your greed. You're willing to sacrifice anyone, anything, for your own benefit. In your eyes, the lives of commoners are worth less than the dust on your clothes."
He continued, "The Gotei 13's arrival a thousand years ago marked the beginning of the end for your era. You have tarnished the name 'noble.' This… this farce began with the Kuchiki clan. Let it end with us."
"Ailin has already given you a chance to retreat with dignity. Why cling to your power, spreading your filth across the Soul Society? Very well. I'll cleanse this world of your corruption."
"Bankai: Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"
A torrent of razor-sharp cherry blossom petals engulfed the chamber. The screams died abruptly. When the petals settled, reforming into Byakuya's Zanpakutō, the floor of the chamber was a crater, three meters deep.
The Shinigami guards stared at Byakuya's retreating figure, stunned.
"Did he… just kill them all?"
"Yes. He did."
"He did the right thing. Did you hear what they were saying? Manipulating prices, reducing Shinigami benefits, even hiring assassins to target civilians… They spoke of such atrocities so casually…"
"We should be grateful to Yamamoto. If not for the Gotei 13, we might have actually thanked them, unaware that they were the source of our suffering."
"There are good nobles."
"I won't deny that. Kuchiki, Soi Fon, Kyōraku, and Ukitake are all… decent people. But look at those who attended this council. Were any of them innocent? Their words… they were truly… disturbing."