The greatest villain in Soul Society's history, without precedent or equal.
The title alone conjured the terrifying image of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.
Even Muten Natsu, who had maimed nobles, massacred the Central 46, escaped prison, resisted arrest, and received a sentence of over ten thousand years, was only known as an extremely vicious criminal.
That was frightening enough, but it still fell far short of being without precedent or equal.
Hanatarō Yamada could not imagine how Retsu Unohana had transformed from the greatest villain into the kindest of people, but now was not the time to dwell on that.
What mattered was the message Seinosuke Yamada had been trying to convey.
Nobles had been involved in the recent Reigai incident, and those nobles, driven into a frenzy, would undoubtedly take further action. Even the relatively safe and peaceful 4th Division might be dragged into it.
Retsu Unohana had most likely left Soul Society because her presence would only make matters worse.
According to Seinosuke Yamada, the nobles had sensed a threat and were becoming increasingly extreme.
Things they had once wanted to do but lacked the courage to attempt had now, in their madness, become things they wanted to do and simply had yet to carry out.
Now that Retsu Unohana had lost her power, the nobles who held grudges against her might seize the opportunity to take revenge. The members of the 4th Division would probably be caught up in it as well.
By leaving Soul Society and remaining beside Muten Natsu, Retsu Unohana could minimize the chances of that happening.
At first, Seinosuke Yamada's words had sounded as though he were saying that since even the Captain had fled, there was no reason for a mere Seventh Seat to remain at his post.
Only after thinking it through did Hanatarō Yamada realize that his brother had actually been explaining why Captain Unohana had chosen to leave at this particular time.
Nii-san still respects Captain Unohana as much as ever.
Hanatarō Yamada sighed inwardly, then considered the situation further.
Captain Unohana's departure from Soul Society only reduced the chances of the 4th Division being targeted directly. As long as the nobles remained consumed by madness, no one in the Gotei 13 would be safe.
The safest choice would still be to follow Seinosuke Yamada's advice and leave the Gotei 13.
After sorting through everything in his mind, Hanatarō Yamada steadied himself. "I'm sorry..."
Even though Nii-san had explained the seriousness of the situation as clearly as circumstances allowed, Hanatarō still did not want to leave the Gotei 13.
Unlike Captain Unohana, his departure would do nothing to improve the situation. It would only deprive the 4th Division of a healer.
Hanatarō Yamada would not leave.
"There's no need to apologize." Seinosuke Yamada rose to his feet. "I knew you wouldn't."
"Huh?"
The resolve on Hanatarō Yamada's face was instantly replaced by confusion. Had Nii-san only come here to explain why Captain Unohana had left Soul Society?
"Watching you get dragged into this without knowing anything would be amusing, but watching you understand everything and still be unable to escape is even more entertaining." Seinosuke Yamada ruffled his younger brother's hair. "Seeing that conflicted expression on your face has put me in a much better mood."
Hanatarō Yamada fell silent.
My own brother...
...
"We're back."
Muten Natsu opened the front door and immediately heard Orihime Inoue's voice.
"Welcome back!"
With a delighted cry, Orihime Inoue threw herself into Muten Natsu's arms and hugged him tightly. "Were you hurt?"
"Of course not." Muten Natsu stroked her hair. "Don't worry."
"Hehe~" Orihime Inoue nuzzled into his palm, her beautiful eyes curving into crescents.
She's hugging him so tightly...
Rukia Kuchiki watched their bodies pressed together. From where she stood, she could clearly see Orihime Inoue's soft curves being compressed against Muten Natsu, changing shape in a most remarkable way.
She could hardly imagine how comfortable that must feel.
The thought had barely crossed Rukia Kuchiki's mind when Orihime Inoue came over and hugged her too.
"Welcome home~" Orihime Inoue gave Rukia Kuchiki a huge hug. "I made stuffed cucumbers!"
It really is comfortable...
Feeling the soft yet overwhelming pressure and the unfair disparity between people, Rukia Kuchiki said, "I brought you some dessert."
"Let's have it after dinner." Retsu Unohana smiled as she watched the harmonious scene. "Orihime made plenty of delicious food."
…
"...And that's more or less what happened." Muten Natsu briefly recounted everything that had happened after they went to Soul Society.
Rukia Kuchiki added, "Her abilities were troublesome, but she had almost no combat experience. Dealing with her was much easier than I expected."
"What about Nozomi?" Ririn asked anxiously. "What happened to her?"
Muten Natsu answered truthfully, "She and Inaba were both Reigai born from Ōko Yushima's Reishi. Although they never fused, Inaba's death still affected her."
Ririn stared blankly at him. "She... She died too?"
"No. The stability of the Reishi composing her dropped dramatically, so she could no longer maintain her Reigai form." Muten Natsu continued, "Kisuke helped turn her into a Gikon Pill. You should be able to see her the next time you visit the Urahara Shop."
"...You scared me." Ririn glared at him, then asked in confusion, "I thought Soul Society would keep her there."
Muten Natsu spread his hands. "How could they keep someone who's gone?"
Ririn froze. "Didn't you just say she wasn't dead?"
"She disappeared in front of countless Shinigami, so it looked as though she had died." Retsu Unohana held her cup of hot tea. "By letting Soul Society believe she was dead, we could avoid a great deal of trouble and bring her back to the World of the Living."
"You can do that?" Orihime Inoue exclaimed around a bite of dessert. "That's amazing!"
Rukia Kuchiki reached out and wiped a crumb from the corner of Orihime Inoue's mouth. "It's more accurate to say that we had no other choice. Given how the Central 46 operates, she would otherwise have ended up either in the Nest of Maggots or the Research and Development Institute."
Although the situation had been resolved quickly enough to prevent serious consequences, Kagerōza Inaba had still endangered the safety of Soul Society.
As a Reigai born alongside him, Nozomi Kujō would inevitably have been investigated and detained.
It had nothing to do with whether Nozomi Kujō was innocent. That was simply standard procedure.
However, considering that the Central 46 had yet to change completely, it was better to prevent Nozomi Kujō, who possessed the technology to create Reigai, from coming into contact with them.
"Good work~" Orihime Inoue scooped up a spoonful of dessert and held it to Rukia Kuchiki's lips. "Ah~"
Rukia Kuchiki opened her mouth and ate it. Her eyes immediately lit up. "Huh? This is surprisingly good."
"You didn't know?"
"This is my first time trying this flavor too..." Rukia Kuchiki beckoned to him. "Muten, try it. Doesn't it taste a little different from before?"
Muten Natsu leaned closer. "Ah~"
Orihime Inoue fed him a large spoonful.
"It's delicious. I like it." Muten Natsu carefully savored the flavor. "There's an ingredient in it that wasn't there before."
"Remember to brush your teeth after eating dessert," Retsu Unohana reminded them. "Before you go to sleep."