In the World of the Living, on the streets of Karakura Town.
Some time had passed since the Modified Soul incident. Soul Society had gradually returned to normal operations, and after leaving the affairs of his squad in Renji's temporary care, Byakuya Kuchiki came to the World of the Living once again.
Unless there was a special mission, Byakuya generally would not visit the World of the Living. This time, however, his trip was unusually for personal reasons.
After putting on a Gigai, Byakuya wore a bespoke black-and-white suit. His destination was the luxury hotel where he had stayed during his previous vacation in the World of the Living.
The last time he had come here, Byakuya had ordered an entire set of luxurious Italian-style furniture. As it happened, the house where the Tenth had lived had been burned down, so Byakuya had decided that the newly built residence would adopt a somewhat Italian style.
The furniture, along with the interior design of the new residence, was all meant to help the Tenth live more comfortably and feel more at home.
Since this concerned a rare friend, Byakuya decided to make the trip personally. He would escort all the furniture to the Urahara Shop himself and watch with his own eyes as Kisuke Urahara converted it into Reishi and transported it to Soul Society.
For that reason, Byakuya did not feel that personally making a trip to the World of the Living was troublesome. When it came to giving a gift to a friend, no amount of effort was excessive.
Byakuya did not use his Reiatsu to move quickly through Karakura Town. Instead, he walked along the street like an ordinary person. Even so, the noble bearing he unconsciously exuded always made him the center of attention in the crowd.
Praise and admiration from passersby constantly reached his ears. As the head of the Kuchiki Clan, Byakuya would never lose himself in such words.
Until—
"Byakuya? Excuse me, are you Lord Byakuya?"
A gentle voice sounded from behind him.
The tone of that question felt strangely familiar. There was only one person who had ever spoken to him in such a tone—the person he had long since buried deep within his heart.
With a trace of emotion stirring in him, Byakuya immediately turned around.
Was it you?
Why would you appear in the World of the Living?
Had you not already…
The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.
When Byakuya turned around, he found a girl he had never seen before standing behind him.
Unlike her gentle and refined tone, the girl was dressed in a modern school uniform. Her purple hair was tied into a single pineapple-like ponytail, every part of her radiating youthful energy.
Yet completely at odds with that lively aura were her eyes.
Her eyes were filled with memories and disbelief. Byakuya even saw affection in them.
The girl raised her trembling hand, as though she wanted to touch Byakuya's face. Illusion and reality overlapped before her eyes, and she could scarcely believe that the familiar face in her memories had appeared before her once again.
"Who are you?"
Byakuya's cold voice interrupted the girl's movement.
The hand that had stopped before his face was quickly withdrawn. She clasped both hands before her chest, and the expression on her face swiftly broke free from her memories.
Byakuya's words had not merely stopped her actions. They had also awakened her from that strange state.
Her expression shifted into a mischievous and adorable look. Even her voice was no longer gentle and refined, instead becoming much more lively.
"My name is Senna. My feelings tell me that I seem to know you. Can we be friends?"
The girl, Senna, openly extended her hand toward Byakuya.
Byakuya looked the girl named Senna up and down. He was certain he had never seen her before in his memories.
But since she had accurately called out his name, he had to take that hand in order to understand her purpose.
"Byakuya Kuchiki."
Byakuya very courteously shook only the front half of her hand as a gesture of respect.
"I know, I know," Senna said with a carefree grin. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have called out to you."
Byakuya was just about to ask why Senna knew his name when a strange Reiatsu drew his attention.
What he did not notice was that, at almost the same moment he turned toward the source of that Reiatsu, the girl beside him had already run in that direction before him.
Watching the girl's retreating figure and sensing that bizarre Reiatsu, Byakuya ultimately decided to set aside his current business for the moment. Whether it was the Reiatsu or the girl who had suddenly called out his name, both were far too concerning.
Since he was currently wearing a Gigai, Byakuya did not foolishly run toward the source of the Reiatsu the way Senna had. Instead, he entered an unnoticed alleyway, removed his Gigai, and only then began to pursue her.
In his spiritual body, Byakuya had both Shunpo and human invisibility on his side. That brief delay did not waste any time. After two or three uses of Shunpo, he caught up to Senna from behind.
Only then did Byakuya discover the source of that strange Reiatsu.
It was a massive commercial plaza. Countless ghost-like beings were wandering around the square. They wore red pointed hats and white robes, making them look extremely similar to the ghosts depicted by humans in the World of the Living.
However, as a captain of the Seireitei, Byakuya naturally did not believe these things were truly ghosts.
Rather than ghosts, they were more like living entities—living entities without consciousness.
They wandered aimlessly through the plaza, seemingly searching for something. Yet their disorderly movements made it difficult to believe they were truly looking for anything.
Just as Byakuya finished observing those strange ghost-like entities, he saw Senna, the girl he had only just met, recklessly charging straight toward the center of the group.
Danger.
The thought had only just appeared in Byakuya's mind when he instinctively wanted to help Senna.
There was no reason for it. What drove him to act was not rationality, but the emotion of not wanting Senna to be hurt.
But before Byakuya could move, he saw Senna remove her Gigai as she ran.
After becoming a spiritual body, Senna was actually wearing a Shihakushō. At her waist was a Zanpakutō.
A Shinigami?
Someone from Soul Society?
The instant he saw the Shihakushō, countless questions surfaced in Byakuya's mind.
In Soul Society, there were not many people who could directly call him by his given name. That number had only increased after Tsunayoshi appeared in Soul Society.
Most others called him Captain Kuchiki or Lord Kuchiki. Everything was based on the Kuchiki Clan's status as one of the Four Great Noble Clans.
Someone who could directly call him by name, even adding the word "Lord," was undoubtedly someone extremely close to him.
And on top of that, to use such a gentle and intimate tone…
Since Byakuya could remember, there had only been one person like that.
His late wife.
Rukia's elder sister.
Hisana Kuchiki.
Because of her frail body, Hisana Kuchiki had always been in poor health after marrying into the Kuchiki Clan. She had been bedridden year-round and had left Byakuya far too early.
And now, the tone of the wife who had passed away many years ago had appeared before Byakuya once more.
How could he not care?
Not to mention Senna's earlier attempt to touch his face. That had been a small, intimate gesture between husband and wife.
If not for that unfamiliar face, Byakuya might have thought his wife had appeared before him again.
Byakuya did not hurry to make a move.
Senna, who held a Zanpakutō, should not have been charging in recklessly without thought. She should have had the confidence to deal with these ghost-like beings.
Pieces of crimson maple leaves scattered along with Senna's steps.
She drew her Zanpakutō and shouted loudly,
"Call forth the twilight, Mirokumaru!"
The Zanpakutō in Senna's hand transformed into a golden khakkhara. At the same time, her Reiatsu stirred up a whirlwind. The wind wrapped around the maple leaves and carried her into the sky.
As she rose into the air, Senna continued to swing the khakkhara. The whirlwind grew larger and larger. Gradually, all those ghost-like beings were drawn into the storm and eliminated one after another by Senna.
Byakuya's gaze did not remain on Senna for long.
Compared to this strange Shinigami girl, those bizarre ghost-like beings and their Reiatsu concerned him even more.
Suddenly, Byakuya narrowed his eyes.
Among that chaotic mass of white figures, he vaguely saw a person clad in green armor. That person's hand was resting on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
For some reason, Byakuya felt a sense of panic rise within him.
That feeling of anxiety and loss had only appeared once before.
When he had lost the person most important to him.
"Look out!"
Byakuya shouted instinctively.
Then, unleashing the full extent of his mastery, he used Shunpo and appeared beside Senna. He drew his Zanpakutō and struck down a short sword emitting green light.
"Huh? Byakuya, why are you here?"
Senna widened her eyes and asked.
Her tone now was completely mischievous and lively. There was not the slightest hint of respect toward Byakuya in it.
Byakuya did not immediately respond to Senna.
His eyes remained fixed on the group of ghost-like beings below.
Clearly, his guess had been correct. That person had launched a sneak attack against Senna.
But after the attack failed, the other party immediately fled, vanishing into the crowd of ghost-like beings.
"Byakuya, wait for me a moment. I'll be done right away."
Senna seemed not to have sensed the danger at all and continued eliminating those strange beings.
Before long, the entire plaza returned to a clean and empty state. Every last one of the ghost-like entities had been eliminated by her.
Senna leapt back into her Gigai. She clenched both fists and waved them around constantly, full of childish excitement, celebrating the good news of her great victory.
After satisfying herself, Senna flashed a victory sign at Byakuya.
"How was that? Pretty amazing, right?"
The more Byakuya looked at her, the stranger he found her.
Intelligence, decisiveness, courage, childishness, and even a somewhat airheaded nature—these distinct personalities were all concentrated in one person.
This Shinigami named Senna was definitely not normal.
"Which squad are you from?"
Byakuya asked.
He himself did not notice that his tone had softened slightly, though to Senna, it still sounded cold.
"Why so serious?" Senna said unhappily. "I just solved a huge incident! I'm a hero, a hero!"
At that moment, she looked exactly like a child who had just saved the world.
"I apologize. I…"
Byakuya did not know why he was apologizing.
His heart told him that he should maintain respect toward Senna.
After choosing his words slightly, he asked in a gentler voice,
"Can you tell me which squad you belong to? Perhaps I can help you."
"Squad? I don't know. What's that?"
Senna's single sentence caused Byakuya's pupils to shrink.
It was impossible for a Shinigami not to know about the Gotei Thirteen of Soul Society. Even Ichigo and the others, Shinigami from the World of the Living, had been issued Substitute Shinigami badges.
Where exactly had Senna come from?
Or had some incident caused her temporary memory loss?
But even if she had lost her memory, she should not have called him Lord Byakuya…
Question after question sprang up in Byakuya's mind like bamboo shoots after rain.
His conversation with Senna had not resolved his doubts.
Instead, it had only created even more of them.
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789