"Captain Kyōraku! A message has arrived!"
The battle had barely ended when Nanao hurriedly ran toward Shunsui. She never expected something so severe to happen.
"What is it?"
"Captain Aizen... he has unfortunately passed away!"
Even with Shunsui's composure, this news left him utterly astonished. Even though Aizen had only been a captain for a century, there were certainly people capable of killing him. However, the number of people in the Seireitei who could kill him secretly, without anyone noticing, could be counted on one hand!
Head Captain Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, or the retired former heads of the Kuchiki and Shihouin clans? He couldn't even say for sure if those two could pull off such a feat. *Oh, right, there's also Captain Unohana. Almost forgot about her.*
Aside from them, Shihouin Yoruichi, who was currently in the Seireitei, and that little guy he could never quite see through, Kōe Shihouin, might also be able to do it—but that was only a *maybe*.
Beyond these known figures, another possibility was that a powerful individual had been hiding within the Seireitei all along, much like Azashiro Sōya a century ago.
*But what would be the motive for killing Aizen?*
"Is there any more specific information?"
"The cause of death was a Zanpakutō extracting his Saketsu and Hakusui, and his heart was also attacked. It was absolutely not an accidental death." Nanao's complexion was poor. Usually calm, her mind was currently a blank slate, and she was merely answering Shunsui out of habit. "The killer is still unknown. The above is a first-class martial law order issued jointly by Head Captain Yamamoto and Captain Hitsugaya."
When Lord Kōe was severely injured yesterday, the idea that captain-class individuals were no longer safe had begun to spread. She just hadn't expected that idea to become reality in a single night. On a night that seemed no different from any other, the Seireitei had silently suffered a massive loss.
Shunsui's angle of thought was completely different. The intelligence was issued through Old Man Yama, which was highly uncharacteristic of the Seireitei's usual style. Stating that the killer was still unknown was a clear indication that the Seireitei was currently not a unified front.
*While that is the truth, directly handing the judgment of the killer's identity over to everyone... does this represent a certain stance from Old Man Yama?*
*Of course, there's no need to be too tense right now. Aizen's death isn't entirely a bad thing. No matter how many undercurrents are flowing through the Seireitei at this moment, Aizen was definitely one of them. That guy was never as simple as he appeared on the surface.*
"Sōsuke, huh..." Shunsui paused. It was best not to stick his neck out right now; the time wasn't right. "I'll go see him one last time."
"Mhm..." Nanao nodded. For a man as gentle as Captain Aizen to die like this was truly heartbreaking.
*I should go check on Hinamori while I'm at it. Given how much she looked up to Captain Aizen, an ending like this will be far too difficult for her to accept.*
Just as Nanao was thinking this, she suddenly noticed Chad lying on the ground. He had clearly been slashed by Captain Kyōraku, yet it seemed...
"This Ryoka seems to still have a breath left. Shall I eliminate him?"
*Almost forgot about that kid!* Shunsui tried his best not to show any abnormality and promptly stopped Nanao from taking action.
"No need. This isn't the sort of thing a girl should be doing."
"But Captain Aizen's death was very likely the work of his accomplices..."
*This is exactly why we can't stick our necks out right now.* The Gotei 13 was no longer a unified front. Right and wrong, reasonable or not, were no longer important. What mattered was who everyone individually perceived as the enemy.
*If we force a unified opinion right now, it will only cause those with dissenting views to band together, while simultaneously interfering with the judgment of the few—the judgment of the truth.*
*Once it reaches that point, right and wrong will truly lose all meaning.*
"Perhaps. But it might also not be what you think."
"Huh?" Nanao was a little surprised. *If it wasn't the Ryoka, wouldn't that mean the killer is... How is that possible?!*
"Oh my, I'm just saying it's a possibility." Having said that much, Shunsui didn't want even Nanao to know too much. "Anyway, there's no need to deal a meaningless killing blow. Just have the Relief Squad lock him up in a cell. If he really is the killer, then we definitely can't kill him. Understand?"
*Intelligence. The person capable of killing Captain Aizen is definitely not the guy in front of us. The fact that the enemy has been hiding in the shadows is undoubtedly dangerous. Right now, letting go of hatred to extract crucial intelligence is the most beneficial course of action.*
But the Captain's thoughts didn't seem to be that simple. Nanao gazed at Shunsui's back. He was clearly more serious than ever before, yet she actually felt a bit afraid of this version of her captain.
Afraid that one day, he too would suddenly... suddenly disappear without a trace.
The guy named Ichigo seemed to have disappeared. Zaraki Kenpachi stared at the Ichigo swinging a blade at him; it was still the same person, but the feeling was completely different.
*Frantic, chaotic attacks. Only knowing how to attack. And that bizarre mask on his face... That's definitely not that brat.*
*Actually, none of that matters. Whoever it is, as long as they can make me bleed, that's fine! This is great!!* Kenpachi laughed maniacally as he tore off his eyepatch. Compared to the piece of trash from earlier who couldn't even manage to cut him, this was much more interesting.
In a city where rain drifted from the sky—this was the world where Zangetsu resided—two figures, one black and one white, darted between the high-rises, dueling for an unknown reason.
Ichigo stared at the person opposite him, who was gripping the bandages on the hilt and spinning Zangetsu like a fan. The figure was completely white and looked exactly like him. He never knew such a person existed within Zangetsu's world.
And then there was the Zangetsu in the other's hand. Its Reiatsu seemed capable of scorching and tearing apart the surrounding air. *Is this really Zangetsu? Is this really my Zanpakutō?!*
"You're wondering, aren't you? Is this really the sword you've been using?" White Ichigo disdainfully pierced through Ichigo's thoughts, mocking him, "I just don't get it. Holding such a powerful blade, how can you be so embarrassing?!"
"Or did you think that just by calling out the name Zangetsu, you'd become inseparable partners?" Another slash came down, the mere wind from the blade tearing at his skin painfully.
But what hurt even more were the other's words: "Don't treat it like a kitchen knife you use to chop vegetables at home. Its inherent power requires you to draw it out. You have to do everything you can to understand it, open your heart to trust it, and only then can you become stronger! If you just treat it as a tool and always think about facing everything alone, do you even consider it a comrade at all?!"
*He's right. I really haven't tried to understand Zangetsu. When it comes down to it, I'm not much different from that Zaraki Kenpachi who doesn't even know his Zanpakutō's name. And he's even stronger than me...*
"Can't be helped. Giving it to an idiot like you is a complete waste! Leave it to me!"
White Ichigo kicked Ichigo to the ground, pointing at himself as he arrogantly declared, "Let me show you how Zangetsu is pushed to its absolute limit by me."
*Can I become even stronger? Can I?*
Watching from afar, the long-haired, middle-aged man who was Zangetsu could feel Zaraki Kenpachi's madness outside. If this continued, even a Hollowfied Ichigo would be hacked to death by him.
Zangetsu could only—and must—be pushed to its absolute limit by Ichigo.