"This afternoon, the Soul Reapers stationed in Fuyuki City sent an emergency report. A Garganta appeared in the sky above Fuyuki City."
"A Garganta? Did a Menos cross over?" Kyoraku asked, somewhat surprised.
Fuyuki City had just experienced a Spiritual Disaster eighteen years ago, how could it...
"No, no Menos appeared. That is the strange part about this report."
Ukitake's voice was somewhat distant as he pulled a crumpled spirit wave record sheet from his robes and handed it to Kyoraku.
Shunsui Kyoraku took the record sheet. With just a single glance, his expression instantly changed.
"This is..." His hand trembled, spilling the sake from his cup.
"You recognized it too, didn't you."
Although the Spiritual Pressure waveform recorded on it was faint, that frequency... that unique, surging frequency like ocean waves...
Ukitake closed his eyes, the corners of his eyes slightly moist. "Kaien... It is Kaien Shiba's Spiritual Pressure."
"Even though it was only for a brief moment before the Spiritual Pressure quickly disappeared, Fuyuki City had installed more monitoring equipment due to the Spiritual Disaster, so it still managed to capture its appearance."
"I absolutely would not mistake it."
Shunsui Kyoraku looked at the record sheet and muttered to himself, "Fuyuki City... That is the place where Kaien went missing all those years ago."
If it were just ordinary residual Spiritual Pressure, it would be impossible for such a strong fluctuation to suddenly appear eighteen years later.
Unless...
'Is he still alive?'
'This is massive news.'
Although the Shiba Family was currently being heavily suppressed due to the consecutive disappearances of two Captains from their family...
They were, after all, one of the original Five Noble Families.
If he returned and decided to investigate this matter as the head of the Shiba Family, it would cause an upheaval across the entire Seireitei.
And right at this critical juncture, no less...
"I am not entirely sure." Ukitake shook his head, his gaze turning resolute. "That is why I must go to the World of the Living to investigate."
"According to my confirmation, there was another very strange power that appeared alongside that Spiritual Pressure..."
"It felt like a Soul Reaper, yet also like something far more ancient."
Shunsui Kyoraku poured himself another cup of sake, but this time he did not drink it, instead pouring it onto the ground.
"Now... things have become even more complicated."
"Jushiro, who else knows about this?"
"Only me." Ukitake shook his head. "I locked down the information and suppressed the report."
"Well done." Kyoraku nodded in agreement. "The current situation is too chaotic, making it difficult to distinguish friend from foe... If the news of Kaien being alive spreads, I am afraid it will attract unnecessary trouble."
"Especially... now that there is a problem with Central 46."
"You also think there is something fishy going on with Central 46?" Ukitake asked in a low voice.
"...It is too deliberate." Kyoraku narrowed his eyes, gently tapping his fingers against the table. "Using the Sokyoku to execute little Rukia was already strange enough, and now they want to move the execution forward..."
"It is as if they are intentionally drawing all our attention to this matter."
"If Kaien has truly returned... perhaps he can bring us some different clues..."
Kyoraku stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the pitch-black night.
"...Tomorrow morning, come with me to check on the situation at Central 46, Ukitake."
He crushed the record sheet in his palm, turning it into Reishi that dissipated into the air.
At the same time, in the dense forest outside the Fifth Division barracks.
Boom—!
With the final loud crash, the crumbling wooden cabin finally collapsed completely into a pile of ruins.
Amidst the billowing dust, Omaeda panted heavily as he leaned on his massive spiked flail, his face covered in blood.
He stepped on the corpse, wiped the blood from his face, and roared excitedly, "I won! This bastard has been completely taken down by yours truly!"
However, the only response he received was the sound of synchronized footsteps, and...
The metallic scrape of Zanpakuto being drawn from their sheaths.
"My, my, how tragic."
Omaeda whipped his head around, the smile vanishing from his face.
Unbeknownst to him, the ruins had been surrounded by Soul Reapers.
They wore black Shihakusho, with the Third Division's marigold embroidered on their collars.
Standing at the very front was the Third Division Captain, Gin Ichimaru, smiling like a fox.
Beside him, his own Captain, Soi Fon, was staring coldly at Omaeda.
"C-Captain Soi Fon? And Captain Ichimaru?"
Omaeda froze, then began waving his arms in wild ecstasy. "You're just in time! I've achieved a great merit!"
"Look! I killed an assassin who tried to assassinate Captain Aizen! Captain Aizen was just here, I don't know where he went..."
"Omaeda."
Soi Fon cut him off. "Shut your mouth!"
"Eh?" Omaeda was stunned.
"Hehe..."
Gin Ichimaru stepped forward with a grin and gently nudged Omaeda's foot away with his own, revealing the corpse that had been trampled beneath it.
It was not some mysterious assassin cloaked in a cape.
Instead, it was a Soul Reaper wearing a white haori and a mask over his face—a member of the Kanritei, specifically tasked with guarding the Central Great Underground Prison.
His chest was caved in from being smashed, his limbs twisted at unnatural angles. He was clearly dead.
"..."
Omaeda's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He stared at the corpse beneath his feet in disbelief, his mind going completely blank.
"Impossible... It was clearly a guy in a cloak just a moment ago! How did it turn into a member of the Kanritei?"
Gin Ichimaru shrugged, his tone light and airy. "We would like to know that too, Vice Captain Omaeda..."
"Why are you in the back mountain of the Fifth Division when you should be executing a mission in the Junrinan District? And why did you brutally murder a colleague responsible for guarding the prison?"
"I heard that the Kanritei guarding Muken were all murdered. Could it be that you were involved in that too..."
"No! It wasn't me! I was trying to save Captain Aizen!" Omaeda defended himself in a panic, looking around frantically. "Where is Captain Aizen? He was just here! He can testify for me!"
"Captain Aizen has been directing support operations at the Fifth Division barracks the entire time. He hasn't taken a single step outside," Izuru Kira, the Vice Captain of the Third Division, stated with a frown.
"I... It's not like that, it's not..." Omaeda was unable to defend himself.
Looking at the pairs of guarded eyes surrounding him, he suddenly felt a chill run through his entire body.
Soi Fon turned around, not sparing Omaeda another glance, and coldly issued an order.
"Take him down."
"Wait! Captain! I'm innocent! I'm truly innocent!!!"
Amidst Omaeda's pleas for mercy, several Onmitsukido members swarmed forward, pinning the wealthy Vice Captain to the ground and binding him with ropes that restricted Spiritual Pressure.
"Take him away," Soi Fon waved her hand impatiently.
Gin Ichimaru watched Omaeda being dragged away, tilted his head, and spoke softly to Soi Fon. "It seems the internal management of the Second Division has some significant issues as well, Captain Soi Fon."
"Even the most loyal Vice Captain of the Onmitsukido has betrayed you... Do you plan to interrogate him yourself, Captain Soi Fon?" Gin Ichimaru tilted his head. "This is the severe crime of murdering a colleague, and it even involves Muken. Central 46 and the First Division..."
"I will report to the Head Captain personally." Soi Fon ignored his provocation, turning and vanishing into the dense forest.
Although she often emphasized to Omaeda that [the Onmitsukido has no concept of right or wrong, or justice, only the execution of orders], and usually beat or scolded him on a daily basis...
She knew better than anyone.
This fat man, though he was indeed as timid as a mouse at times, and sometimes a bit repulsive in appearance...
He would absolutely never murder a fellow comrade of the Second Division.
'...There is something fishy going on here.'
Soi Fon glanced back in the direction of the ruins, the confusion in her heart lingering.
This matter could not be handed over to anyone else for interrogation. She had to personally confirm the issue with Omaeda.