The Ferris wheel turned slowly.
Only Byakuya and Senna sat inside. Byakuya had used the power of money to make the amusement park, which had already closed for the day, light up once more.
The two sat facing one another in silence.
Byakuya quietly watched Senna, while Senna stared at the colorful world outside the window with sparkling eyes.
When the Ferris wheel cabin slowly rose into the air, Senna looked toward the direction of the river they had come from and said, "You know, I really like high places."
"Because I always felt that when I looked down from somewhere high, all those messy, tangled things in my head—the things I didn't even know what they were—would become clear."
Senna turned to look at Byakuya.
"It wasn't until we were at the temple fair that I finally understood. Those weren't messy things at all. They were all precious memories."
"Even though they didn't belong to me…"
"I'm sorry…"
Byakuya did not know what to say.
Only after seeing Senna's gaze just now did he understand. Senna had always wanted to find the entrance to the Valley of Screams. Her so-called desire to stand somewhere high had merely been part of her search for herself.
Senna smiled beautifully. Two crystal-clear drops shimmered dazzlingly under the lights.
"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault."
The one at fault was her.
And this world.
She was unfortunate. She had appeared as a Memory Rosary, and her world was even more unfortunate. It had clearly been an independent Valley of Screams, yet it had been used by others, leading to its final destruction.
And yet, she was also fortunate.
As a Memory Rosary formed within the Valley of Screams, she had been given the chance to come to the World of the Living, see the scenery she wanted to see, and meet the person she wanted to meet.
It was just a shame that her time had been a little too short.
The connection between the Valley of Screams, the Soul Society, and the World of the Living had already been completely severed. It was now entering its self-destruction process.
The time left to Senna was almost gone.
Looking at Byakuya's rigid, conflicted face—the face of someone who wanted to comfort her but did not know what to say—Senna laughed even more happily.
She clutched her stomach and laughed for quite a while before finally stopping. Then she wiped away tears that were not there and said,
"Byakuya, thank you. I had a really happy day today."
"I was happy that when I first woke up in the World of the Living and was running around like a headless fly, I met you."
"I was happy that you went shopping with me, went to the places I wanted to visit with me, and let me experience the life of an ordinary girl in the World of the Living from my memories."
"I was happy that I could fight alongside you and not let down the combat skills of those Shinigami in my memories."
"I was happy that I went to the first temple fair of my life with you, even if it didn't end quite as perfectly as I hoped."
"And most of all, I was happy that I could ride this Ferris wheel with you and reach the high place I love most together with you."
"Look! The night sky of Karakura Town is so beautiful!"
Following Senna's words, Byakuya turned his face toward the window.
It was the first time since boarding the Ferris wheel that he had looked away from Senna's face.
Beautiful.
It truly was beautiful.
The night of the World of the Living had a beauty the Soul Society did not possess.
Perhaps being able to see this sight with her one last time was not so bad.
Thinking that, the knot in Byakuya's heart eased slightly.
But just as his mind drifted, he suddenly felt something touch his face.
When Byakuya turned back, what he saw was Senna smiling at him, as though nothing had happened at all.
An illusion?
Impossible.
With all his years of combat experience, Byakuya would never believe he had simply imagined it.
Looking at the girl's faintly pursed lips, Byakuya, as someone who had been through such things before, naturally understood what she had wanted.
But what had been missed was missed.
From the very beginning, when he had approached this girl, his intentions had not been entirely pure.
Since Senna had chosen to hide it, then he would let her.
Let everything be buried deep in his heart.
He only hoped that his memories of her would fade more slowly.
Just a little more slowly.
Seeing Byakuya's still-heavy expression, Senna knew that although their time together had been short, she had still made her way into Byakuya's heart.
That was enough.
Leaving behind even a small trace meant she had not come to this world for nothing.
The Ferris wheel cabin had already passed the halfway point and was rising toward the top.
Specks of starlight began to rise from Senna's body. It was a sign that her body was beginning to transform into Reishi.
The Valley of Screams had already been destroyed.
Now, it was Senna's turn.
"Is it time?" Byakuya asked, his voice slightly choked.
Now that parting was right before his eyes, no matter what he did, he could not appear calm and composed.
"Not yet. I moved it forward a little," Senna said.
There was still a little time before the Memory Rosary would be forcibly erased, but Senna herself had released most of the Reishi in her body.
"Why? Wouldn't it be better to stay a little longer?"
"Because the next part of this journey shouldn't be mine to walk with you."
Senna's face was filled with relief.
"Byakuya, do you know what lovers do when the Ferris wheel reaches its highest point?"
Byakuya did not answer.
Nor did he dare answer.
Although this was his first time riding a Ferris wheel, under these circumstances, the answer was not difficult to guess.
But Byakuya knew very clearly that his reason for approaching Senna had not been pure.
He could not respond to her expectations.
"They kiss."
Senna answered for Byakuya.
"They say that lovers who kiss at the highest point of a Ferris wheel will receive eternal happiness, right?"
"That is exactly why the rest of this time should not belong to me."
More and more light rose from Senna's body, and her figure became increasingly illusory.
"I know. You approached me because of one of the memories inside me."
"That memory called Hisana Kuchiki, right?"
"She was given the Kuchiki surname. You must have loved her very much."
Senna tilted her head and smiled. Her originally illusory figure solidified once more at that moment.
"Byakuya, this is the final gift I'll give you. Thank you for keeping me company today…"
Byakuya felt his vision blur.
Senna's appearance changed.
That familiar figure appeared before him once more.
That quiet, reserved, gentle, and considerate woman.
Hisana Kuchiki.
"We meet again, Lord Byakuya."
Hisana's smile was like the warm sun of winter, capable of melting all ice and snow.
Senna had released most of her memories, allowing Hisana's memory to gain dominance. Then, using Hisana's memory as the core, she reformed the Reishi and appeared again.
Byakuya's hand trembled.
He wanted to touch Hisana's face, yet he was afraid this was a false reality.
Hisana's slightly cold hands took the initiative to hold Byakuya's larger hand and placed it against her cheek.
"It's me, Lord Kuchiki. I'm so glad we could meet again. Have you been living well all these years?"
"I… I've been eating properly, sleeping properly… I…"
Byakuya's eyes turned red. Crystal-clear tears slid from the corners of this domineering man's eyes.
The man who had always been strong alone had once again encountered his weakness.
"That's right!"
Byakuya hurriedly wiped his tears. He said to Hisana excitedly,
"Rukia. I found Rukia. I took her in as my younger sister. She's called Rukia Kuchiki now, and she has become an outstanding Shinigami!"
Byakuya spoke very quickly.
He was afraid Hisana would disappear in the next moment.
He knew that only two people had remained in Hisana's heart.
One was him.
The other was her younger sister, Rukia.
Hisana's gaze drifted slightly. It passed beyond Byakuya's shoulder and looked behind him. After one glance, her gaze returned to Byakuya.
"I know. Thank you, Lord Byakuya."
Hisana tightly held Byakuya's hand.
"You've worked so hard."
"It wasn't hard…"
Byakuya still had countless things he wanted to say.
The longing accumulated over countless days and nights turned him into someone who could not stop talking.
And Hisana simply watched him as gently as ever.
Until the Ferris wheel was about to reach its highest point.
A light rain began to fall from the sky.
It pattered softly.
The beautiful golden lights outside became somewhat blurred.
The same glow that had appeared on Senna earlier now emerged from Hisana's body.
The power of the Memory Rosary could no longer hold on.
"You… are leaving?" Byakuya stopped speaking and stared blankly at Hisana.
More and more Reishi light appeared, like countless fireflies circling around Hisana.
Byakuya knew those were Reishi.
Reishi carrying countless precious memories.
Hisana's figure gradually became illusory as well, just like Senna's had earlier.
Only this time, she would not gather herself again.
Her body began to flicker like a dying candle.
"It's time for me to leave, Lord Byakuya."
Hisana's face was filled with a happy smile.
Being able to see Byakuya one more time and listen to him talk was already enough to make her happy.
Byakuya's lips trembled.
He wanted to deny the moment that was about to arrive.
A cool finger gently smoothed away the unease at the corner of his mouth.
A soft warmth brushed against Byakuya's lips.
Byakuya could only stare blankly as Hisana's figure became fainter and fainter.
He could do nothing.
"Farewell, Lord Byakuya."
It was still that gentle smile.
She always left all her tenderness for Byakuya Kuchiki.
Only after Hisana called to him did Byakuya foolishly come back to his senses.
He lunged forward, wanting to pull Hisana into his arms.
But his body passed straight through hers.
With a gentle smile, Hisana felt Byakuya's unreachable body and vanished completely.
Only a single Reishi particle remained in Byakuya's embrace.
Only then did Byakuya realize why he had foolishly told Hisana about everything he had experienced over the years, yet had not immediately pulled her into his arms.
Did he regret it?
He did.
But Byakuya had no way to stop Hisana's departure.
The Reishi particle Hisana had become slowly floated out of his arms. It was about to enter reincarnation according to the order of the three worlds.
From this moment on, both Hisana and Senna would disappear.
Although Byakuya had already experienced this once before, the pain of regaining something only to lose it again was even more heartbreaking.
Byakuya clutched his chest tightly.
Pain.
He could not breathe.
He could only stare blankly as the Reishi drifted away.
Bang!
Suddenly, every pane of glass in the Ferris wheel cabin shattered.
Rainwater poured through the windows and struck Byakuya's face.
The cold rain seemed to pass through Byakuya's body and reach straight into his heart, adding another layer of chill to that already battered heart.
At that moment, a mature male voice entered Byakuya's ears.
Just from the voice alone, one could feel both gentleness and strength.
"Shigure Sōen-ryū…"
"Frozen Rain!"
Author's Note
P.S. Let's talk a little about my approach to adapting the movie Memories of Nobody. The greatest highlight of this movie is Senna as a character, and I also saw some readers wanting to save her.
Because I placed the Reigai Uprising Arc and Memories of Nobody very close together, I naturally thought about the two heroines side by side. After considering it, I realized that Senna and Nozomi are different.
Although Nozomi was born as a Modified Soul, she is an individual who truly exists in the Soul Society. You can tell from her Shinigami form and her Zanpakutō.
Nozomi Kujō's past comes from Yushima Ōko, but after spending time with Ichigo and the others, she becomes filled with longing for the life ahead of her. She has a future, and she can be saved.
But what about Senna?
She has no past. Or rather, her past consists entirely of other people's memories.
And her future?
The Valley of Screams is destined to be destroyed. The Memory Rosary is destined to disappear. Senna never had a future.
All Senna had was the one or two days she spent after coming to the World of the Living. Yet after the Memory Rosary disappears, even those one or two days of memories will vanish from people's minds.
The highest form of death is being forgotten.
Senna, as a character, is destined to have never appeared in the world of Bleach. That is why she is a memory of nobody.
I believe Senna has no anchor in the Bleach world at all. This story of mine is not some magical system novel either, so I cannot just issue a mission and make her survive.
Therefore, in my plan, there is no way for Senna to live.
Since that is the case, I wanted to find a way for Senna's character to have greater value. Then, combining that with the regrets of certain characters in Bleach, Byakuya's name appeared in my mind.
I believe that with Byakuya's personality, he probably would not find another partner. And Rukia and Renji's child is named Ichika Abarai, so she cannot inherit the Kuchiki family name.
In that case, wouldn't the Kuchiki Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Clans, end with Byakuya Kuchiki?
Although the nobles of the Seireitei do not have particularly good outcomes in this book, because I like Byakuya Kuchiki, I still rather wanted to see a little Byakuya appear.
And so, the deceased Hisana Kuchiki was brought into the story.
Naturally, Byakuya's longing for Hisana was connected to Senna's true form as the Memory Rosary, and Hisana's memory was blended into the Memory Rosary.
Adding in the foreshadowing I previously planted with the Tenth (Vongola Decimo )about memories and Reishi, Byakuya became the protagonist of this Memories of Nobody movie arc.
Readers who have made it this far probably already know what I intend to do.
The power of the Dying Will Flames cannot turn the Memory Rosary, an aggregation of memories, into an independent individual. However, it can make a small effort when it comes to the memories of an individual.
That is all.
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