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Bleach—
Soul Society — Seireitei
In the 12th Division, Shinigami Research and Development Institute. Orihime Inoue hoisted her packed travel bag onto her shoulder and stepped out of the temporary room she'd been staying in.
Out in the corridor, she tilted her head up toward the sun hanging over the sky and listened to the birds and cicadas calling from the nearby forest. She murmured to herself, "It's already been twenty days…"
Twenty days since the Aizen incident.
The Human World was already well into September sixth, the new school term having started days ago.
Even though Uryū Ishida and Yasutora Sado had helped excuse her absence, she'd pushed it long enough. If she stayed any longer, her schoolwork would definitely suffer. And really… she didn't have a reason to remain in Soul Society anymore.
"Thinking about going back to school feels so strange now. I'm probably gonna have to cram all night just to catch up…"
Just the thought made her shoulders slump.
She let out a small sigh, paused, and then glanced around at the quiet world of Soul Society.
"Am I really prepared for this…?"
Her mind drifted back to that moment twenty days ago — the black-haired man with the proud, striking features, and the words he'd told her. Her expression dimmed.
"Soul Society…" she whispered, the corners of her lips tugging into a faint, bitter smile.
Just twenty days here made her see the truth. From the quiet, suffocating luxury of the nobles' Seireitei, to the Rukongai districts where souls fought each other over a trickle of clean water.
Only after walking through all of it herself did she begin to understand what Ryo Yagami meant by "decay."
Compared to the Human World, Soul Society felt heavier, more stagnant, more hopeless.
"So… that's why he wants to overthrow it."
Orihime felt a vague sense of what Ryo was trying to do. Even Aizen's actions, in hindsight, felt a little more comprehensible.
If she compared it with the fragments of history she remembered… Ryo and Aizen resembled the "reformists" of the modern era.
No — "revolutionaries" fit them better.
And faintly, Orihime found herself… understanding the path Ryo intended to take.
"I think I know what I should do…"
"Oh? What should you do?"
The sudden voice made her jump. She turned, blinking up at a wall of… person.
Only after lifting her gaze did she finally find Isane Kotetsu's face.
"Miss Isane— what brings you to the 12th Division?"
"I heard you were leaving, so I came to see you off." Isane gave a small smile, followed by a sigh. "And… the captain wants to start treating the patients here."
The 12th Division still held countless "experimental samples" from Mayuri's old research.
After his death, the subjects had caused chaos — unpredictable, unstable, often dangerously flawed.
For the past several days, Orihime had been the one treating them. That was the entire reason she'd been staying in the 12th Division dormitory.
But now that she was heading back to the Human World, 4th Division — under Unohana — would take over the work.
Hearing this, Orihime bowed apologetically. "I'm really sorry. Because of my personal circumstances, I can't stay until everyone's fully healed."
"It's not your fault. No one knew the former captain had this many experiments tucked away. And you're not even part of Seireitei — if anything, we're the ones being helped."
Isane grumbled under her breath.
Ever since Urahara had returned, it felt like every few days another hidden lab would be discovered… each one filled with dozens, sometimes hundreds, of patients.
Orihime's willingness to treat the worst of them had taken a massive weight off the 4th Division. They could hardly ask for more.
Orihime gave a small smile. "If things get really difficult… I can come back during my breaks and help."
"You should rest. You've been treating patients nonstop and running around the Soul Society helping everyone like some kind of volunteer. I honestly don't know where you get all that energy."
"I'm not sure either…" Orihime rubbed her head, puzzled.
The motion made Isane's gaze flick down briefly — to a very specific part of Orihime's anatomy — and her mouth twitched.
…Was this why I, Isane, always tired? Did people with big chests just have extra stamina? And did that mean I was exhausted for the opposite reason…?
Isane quickly pushed the thought away and remembered something more important.
"Right — when you get back to Karakura Town, please be extremely careful."
"Huh? Did something happen?" Orihime blinked, confused.
Isane hesitated, then spoke gravely.
"According to the 2nd Division's analysis of Ryo and Aizen's movements… their goal might be to create the Ōken. To reach the Soul King's Palace and assassinate the Soul King."
She paused, voice growing even heavier. "To forge an Ōken, you need a special spiritual land. And an enormous number of human souls."
Orihime's face drained of color.
"So… you're saying Karakura Town might be their target?"
Her hometown — used as material to create an Ōken? A sacrifice?
"It's a strong possibility." Isane nodded reluctantly.
"I understand, Miss Isane. I'll be careful."
Orihime bowed deeply, lifted her bag, and hurried toward the Senkaimon.
Isane stepped aside to let her pass. Only after Orihime's figure vanished did a troubled expression surface on her face.
"Captain… is this really okay?"
From the shadows beside her, Unohana had appeared without a sound — likely standing there far earlier.
Hearing her vice-captain's guilty whisper, Unohana answered in her gentle voice,
"Isane, there's no need to burden yourself. You simply carried out the Head Captain's orders."
"But Orihime… she's innocent. We leaked information about the Ōken just to nudge her into contacting Ryo herself. That kind of tactic— the Head Captain's command honestly scares me. What if she gets killed through all this…"
After twenty days with Orihime, Isane knew the girl was painfully pure-hearted.
To deceive and manipulate someone like that — possibly into danger — was something Isane could barely stomach.
Unohana let out a quiet sigh.
"The fact that she's alive at all is only because the Head Captain acknowledges her value as a healer."
She paused, then continued in a soft, almost wistful tone. "These twenty days of investigation revealed almost everything about Aizen — his objectives, his plan, his powers. Even the Hōgyoku is no longer a mystery thanks to Urahara."
"But Ryo… that man alone remains a complete mystery. His origin, his history, everything about him is hidden."
"And of everyone here, Orihime has spent the most time with him."
"That's why the Head Captain allowed her to wander Soul Society freely — hoping she'd unknowingly reveal something about Ryo's background."
"To fight one threat, we manipulate someone innocent… lie to her… use her… just so we can prepare to destroy another. Is this what Soul Society really is? Is this the dark side of the Gotei 13?"
A chill ran through Isane's body.
Unohana smiled — warm, gentle, and horrifying. "The dark side? Isane, you misunderstand."
She turned her head slightly, still smiling.
"Something that's already dark… doesn't have a 'dark side.'"
"Isane, perhaps you've forgotten — the original, fundamental purpose of the Gotei 13 was simple."
She leaned in ever so slightly, her smile serene.
"To kill."
Isane's breath caught. She stared at the woman before her — graceful, soft-spoken, and smiling like a saint —
— yet more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
---
Hueco Mundo — Las Noches
Aizen Sōsuke stood with his calm, elegant smile as a faint silhouette took form within the glowing array at the center of the hall.
He dipped his head slightly.
"Welcome back… my friend."
In the center of the formation, Ryo Yagami slowly opened his pitch-black eyes.
.
.
.