In Squad 8, after compiling the investigation results into a bound report, Ise Nanao slammed it heavily onto her captain's tea table.
Kyōraku Shunsui was as unreliable as ever—suddenly ordering her to investigate the recent activities of the noble families, then just as suddenly halting the investigation and telling her to return to the squad on standby.
A lieutenant's life was still a life. If that bastard captain of hers weren't her uncle, she would've seriously wanted to punch him.
Now that she had stayed up all night organizing the documents, she didn't even have time to go home. She might as well spend the night in the squad barracks.
The environment in Squad 8's quarters was quite decent. As the intelligence division, pulling all-nighters wasn't uncommon. As long as one didn't collapse asleep at their desk, it was already considered good.
As lieutenant, Nanao had her own room. It wasn't large, but it was perfectly adequate for resting.
Along the way, she nodded to the squad members greeting her as she headed to her room. This was Squad 8's daily routine—no distinction between day and night, constantly processing and organizing intelligence.
Originally, Squad 8 hadn't been this serious. With an easygoing captain at the helm and a former lieutenant who wasn't exactly strict either, the overall atmosphere had been rather relaxed.
But after Nanao became lieutenant, she took on nearly all of the squad's work. With her meticulous and serious attitude, Squad 8 finally began to resemble a proper intelligence unit.
Kyōraku had no objections. The more capable Nanao was, the more relaxed he could be. The only restriction was that he couldn't drink during work hours.
If Nanao caught him, she wouldn't show him any respect as her uncle—she'd drag him from one end of the barracks to the other, making every squad member watch.
Ever since that incident, Kyōraku had grown particularly wary of Nanao. He could never have imagined that the gentle girl at home could exude such terrifying authority within the squad.
When she reached her door, Nanao paused.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
A faint light seeped through the crack in the door. Forgetting to extinguish a candle was something that would never happen to her.
Which meant—something was wrong inside her room.
A trace of Reiatsu gathered at her fingertips as she prepared to act at any moment. She didn't carry a Zanpakutō—her abilities were entirely focused on Kidō.
The advantage was that her combat strength didn't diminish without a weapon. The downside was that in close quarters, Kidō wasn't as fast as a blade.
Gently pushing the door open, she silently condensed a spell in her hand. The moment she created space, she would unleash a stronger Kidō against whoever was inside.
As the door creaked open, a female voice came from within:
"Didn't I say just leave it at the door? Put it down and close the door—I'm busy organizing documents!"
Nanao froze.
She could hardly believe what she was seeing.
A figure that looked almost exactly like her was lying sprawled inside the room, flipping through pages as if reading reports.
I'm… looking at myself?
Just as Nanao wondered if she had fallen under some kind of illusion, the figure turned her head impatiently.
"Didn't I tell you to leave? Why are you just standing there?"
The moment Nanao saw her face, she knew—
That wasn't her.
Although they shared the same hairstyle, wore glasses, and had delicate features—about seventy percent similar—no one knew her better than herself.
This wasn't an illusion.
Someone was impersonating her.
"Who are you?"
As she spoke, Hadō #1: Shō shot from her fingertips—a small shockwave. Its power wasn't great, but it was enough to create space for her next move.
Unexpectedly, the woman's face lit up with joy upon seeing Nanao.
With a single hand on the ground, she flipped up and lunged toward her.
"Nanao-chan!"
Midair, she casually swatted the Kidō aside, leaving only a small finger-sized dent in the floor.
Called out like that, Nanao halted her follow-up attack—and allowed the woman to latch onto her like an oversized cat.
At that moment, Nanao realized who it was.
That familiar way of addressing her… the unmistakable softness pressing against her chest… and those wandering hands…
From instinctive physical reaction to delayed recognition, everything aligned.
The person before her was none other than Squad 8's former lieutenant—
Yadōmaru Lisa.
Nanao was very familiar with Lisa. When she first joined Squad 8, Lisa had taken good care of her. They used to read together—though Lisa's smug expression back then always made Nanao suspect the books weren't exactly proper.
Later, due to the Hollowfication incident, Lisa was forced to flee Soul Society.
When Nanao later learned Lisa might be in the Human World, she had once wanted to go find her—but Kyōraku stopped her.
According to him, Lisa didn't want to drag them into her situation. The best choice was for both sides to stay out of each other's way. With Lisa's abilities, she would live just fine even in the Human World.
After Nanao was promoted to lieutenant, she didn't think she was qualified purely in terms of strength. Kyoraku's decision was likely influenced not only by their familial ties, but also by his desire for someone serious to manage the squad.
Since then, Nanao had become even more meticulous in her work, gradually changing the entire squad's atmosphere. The single room symbolizing her position as lieutenant had also been handed over to her.
She never changed the lock.
From the moment she received the key, she had held onto a small hope—
That one day, Lisa might return.
And if that happened, Lisa would still have a place here.
Their relationship had always been close. Nanao even knew Lisa's glasses were merely decorative.
Once, because Nanao thought Lisa's glasses looked nice, she asked Lisa to take her to buy a pair. Lisa had instead brought her to an accessory shop.
Lisa had explained she wasn't nearsighted—the glasses were just to satisfy a certain irresponsible captain's questionable tastes.
According to Lisa, Kyōraku must admire—or have a thing for—women who wear glasses.
Though she often complained about him, the glasses gradually became part of her signature look. She would also frequently warn Nanao to be careful—because their captain had a particular fondness for girls with glasses.
When Nanao became lieutenant, she had even briefly wondered if Kyōraku chose her because of that.
Perhaps… her very existence was a reminder of Lisa.
Nanao never expected that the friend she had missed would suddenly appear in her room.
Then again… she had never changed the lock.
"Lisa, why are you back?"
Snapping back to her senses, Nanao forcefully peeled Lisa off herself, shut the door, and asked.
"Heh, as expected of Nanao-chan—still as cautious as ever," Lisa said with a satisfied nod.
Only then did Nanao notice the mess in her room.
Hot tea, snacks scattered all over the table, and several books Lisa liked strewn across the floor.
Nanao was no longer as naive as before. She now knew exactly what kind of books Lisa liked.
As for how she knew—
After moving into this room, she had found quite a number of Lisa's "collections" hidden under the bed.
That night had left her face burning red.
As for the tea and snacks—no need to ask. Lisa must have used Nanao's identity as lieutenant to order them.
Nanao had never used such privileges in all her years.
She could already imagine the rumors that would spread through the squad in the coming days.
Sensing Nanao's gaze, Lisa quickly gathered the books into her arms.
These were specially brought to pass the time. As for her old collection—Lisa had long outgrown them.
In her view, when it came to that kind of "art," the rapidly developing Human World far surpassed Soul Society, which had remained unchanged for centuries.
"You still haven't answered me. When did you come back?" Nanao asked, looking at Lisa, who had already sprawled comfortably on the floor again.
"A couple of days ago," Lisa replied vaguely.
"You're one of the intruders?" Nanao adjusted her glasses out of habit.
"I know them. But we're not here to cause trouble. There's someone else behind the chaos in the Seireitei this time," Lisa said while flipping through her book.
Thinking about Kyoraku's unusual orders over the past few days, Nanao guessed he probably knew something.
Compared to asking him, Lisa clearly knew more.
"Who is it?"
Lisa glanced at her.
"If Kyōraku didn't tell you, then don't think too much about it. You'll know in a couple of days."
"What are you planning to do this time?" Nanao asked.
"Revenge."
Lisa didn't hide her intentions from her.
"The one behind the Hollowfication incident… you've found them?" Nanao asked in shock. She had never believed Lisa would willingly pursue Hollow power—it was far too troublesome for her.
"The one behind it? We've always known who it was. We just didn't have evidence—or a way to fight back."
Nanao fell silent.
If that was the case, then their opponent was someone extremely troublesome.
She didn't press further. She knew that for her safety, Lisa wouldn't say more anyway.
Though Lisa often complained about Kyoraku's flirtatious nature, Nanao knew the two of them were actually very similar.
They could be carefree and unserious when nothing was at stake—but when it mattered, they were calmer than anyone else.
And when it came to protecting those they cared about—
They wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice themselves.
In a way, those two were the most compatible.
"What will you do after your revenge? Will you come back?"
Nanao didn't doubt whether Lisa could succeed.
As Lisa said, she would only act once she was confident.
As for the rest of the question—Nanao didn't say it aloud.
If Lisa were willing to return… she would even give up her position as lieutenant.
Lisa closed her book.
She understood what Nanao meant.
Come back?
With the Head Captain's uncompromising nature… could the Seireitei truly accept people like them, who had acquired Hollow powers?
Unlikely.
That was also why Lisa had chosen to spread her "art" in Rukongai.
"Coming back? Forget it. I plan to bring the Human World's art to Soul Society," Lisa said seriously, holding up her book.
Nanao slapped her forehead, utterly speechless.
Given her understanding of Lisa, she knew exactly what kind of "art" that meant.
"Don't give me that look. The Human World's art is far more advanced," Lisa said, flashing a mysterious smile. "You found my old collection, didn't you? These are on a whole new level!"
At the mention of that collection, Nanao couldn't help but blush.
Clearly, Lisa had already noticed that the space under the bed was empty.
Nanao decided not to dwell on that topic.
"…Do you want to see Captain Kyoraku?"
At the mention of his name, Lisa fell silent.
She opened her book again, pretending to read.
It wasn't that she didn't want to see him.
But if they met…
What could they even say?
Most likely, Kyōraku would just chat about trivial, meaningless things as usual…
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