Elsewhere, Ōmaeda, who had been dismissed, was just about to go to the 4th Division to get his wounds treated. But as soon as he left the 2nd Division barracks, he ran into three Captains.
White haori, powerful Reiatsu... they walked out of the darkness, their presence more oppressive than any Adjuchas. Ōmaeda was so scared he snapped to attention, cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead.
"C-Captain Aizen? Captain Kyoraku? And Captain Kurotsuchi?"
"My, my, Vice-Captain Ōmaeda. Good evening," Kyoraku Shunsui said, giving a lazy wave.
"Good evening... wait! What are you three Captains doing here?"
"A mere Vice-Captain wishes to probe the private plans of Captains? If your curiosity is that 'vigorous,' perhaps you'd like to accompany me back to my lab," Kurotsuchi Mayuri said, his tone dripping with contempt. But Ōmaeda didn't dare say a word.
"Captain Kurotsuchi, please don't be so harsh on a colleague who has just returned from the battlefield and is still busy with his duties. Vice-Captain Ōmaeda meant no disrespect."
Aizen stepped in, playing the good guy as always. He'd done it so many times that even Mayuri had implicitly accepted it. He just snorted and didn't argue.
But before Ōmaeda could even feel grateful, Aizen's next words cornered him.
"Although our purposes are different, we are all here for those involved in the recent incident, who were just detained by the Onmitsukidō."
"?!"
Ōmaeda's expression froze. He wanted to cry.
He had just brought them in, and not five minutes later, three Captains were at the door asking for them.
He knew it would be trouble, but he didn't think it would be this much trouble.
Aren't Shigū and Kurosaki just students?
Or... are they here for the Shiba family?
Aizen's eyes were deep, as if seeing right through Ōmaeda's thoughts. He smiled. "Please, don't misunderstand. I have no intention of interfering in another division's internal affairs. It's just that Shigū-kun and Kurosaki-kun are both my students at the Academy. I've been guiding their training recently, so I am... concerned."
The subtext was: My relationship with these two is excellent, better than a normal teacher. I just want to 'understand' the situation. No other motives. You do what you think is best. Don't mind me.
Even if Soi Fon herself were here, she'd have no grounds to get angry at such a flawless statement. She'd just be left wondering if she should make an exception.
Faced with the "Good Guy's" ultimate sincerity attack, Ōmaeda felt ashamed. He, who had just been saved by them, had only offered a few weak words in their defense. Look at what this man was doing for his promising juniors.
And his own Captain...
Compared to other Captains, she was just too unreasonable!
At that thought, a strong sense of indignation welled up in Ōmaeda.
"Captain Aizen, if I may be blunt, I also think Captain Soi Fon has gone too far! Those kids did nothing wrong! They even saved my life! Even if it's to get firsthand intel, you can't just drag them back here and interrogate them with such a cold, brutal attitude!"
"If I may ask... is there a woman from the Shiba family among those arrested?" Kyoraku interrupted.
"Yes! Is she an acquaintance of yours, Captain Kyoraku?"
Ōmaeda felt bold enough to ask Kyoraku, who was known for being easy-going.
As he asked, he was sweating bullets. After all, his relationship with Kūkaku wasn't great. And he had just been badmouthing her to Captain Soi Fon...
"That young lady's older brother was Ukitake's former Vice-Captain. So when Ukitake heard she was involved, he wanted to come himself. But he fainted while he was in a hurry to change clothes, so I had to come in his place."
"My, my. I really should have gone back to my barracks. I was just tipsy enough to get a good night's sleep for once. Nanao-chan has been working me to the bone lately... Ah, sorry, got a bit sidetracked."
"Not at all! You work hard, sir," Ōmaeda simpered, wishing he could slap himself.
He only remembered that the Shiba were a fallen noble family. He'd forgotten that the 13th Division's martyred former Vice-Captain was a Shiba.
If you looked at it that way, Kūkaku had at least two Captains, Ukitake and Kyoraku, backing her. While not as strong as a student-master bond, the backing of two Captains was a heavyweight.
"Captain Aizen is Shigū and Kurosaki's teacher. Captain Kyoraku is friends with Shiba Kūkaku. Then, Captain Kurotsuchi... are you, perhaps, a relative of Yayahara or Rindo?" Ōmaeda asked instinctively.
He realized his mistake too late, but Mayuri didn't mock him. He just gave a sinister laugh and shot a look at Aizen.
"I am not here to be a 'good guy.' I am here because I heard the assessment equipment the Academy purchased from the SRDI had... an 'issue'."
"Out of curiosity, I retrieved the device and extracted the data. I found... some interesting things. And it just so happens that the two who provided that data have been arrested."
"Rather than let the 2nd Division execute them, I thought they would make... better experimental material."
"—That was my thinking."
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere changed.
Ōmaeda regretted asking, but he knew Mayuri would have said it anyway.
Being stuck between these two Captains was worse than facing the Adjuchas.
Under Ōmaeda's terrified gaze, the smile on Aizen's face faded slightly.
"Captain Kurotsuchi, I respect your scientific spirit. However, I must ask you to abandon that idea. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise, what?" Mayuri was unafraid, even eager.
"I will use my methods to obstruct all of your research projects. That is the most I can do. After all, as Captains, we must set a good example. Coming to blows or using more... heated words... is not permitted."
Aizen sighed, his voice full of helplessness.
It was as if he was admitting he had no real way to stop Mayuri, a sign of weakness to ask the other to "back off."
But Mayuri's expression became even uglier than Aizen's. It was obvious even through his mask.
"Aizen Sosuke... One day, I will have you in that chair instead of your student!"
With that, he turned and left.
"Eh?"
Ōmaeda was stunned. He's... leaving? Just like that?
"Well, those kids didn't commit any great crime. On the contrary, they did a service. So, no matter how unreasonable Captain Soi Fon is, Mayuri's wish would never come true. And with Sosuke-kun here... hahaha. If anyone else had said that, Captain Kurotsuchi might have ignored it. But with Sosuke-kun's 'influence'... that's a fatal blow~"
Kyoraku's smile was full of teasing.
"But speaking of which, I also heard a little about the Academy's entrance exams. The equipment Captain Kurotsuchi sold them was supposedly based on his own parameters. So if it 'failed' or 'malfunctioned'... it must mean the test subjects surpassed Captain Kurotsuchi's own limits in some way. That's why he's so interested."
As he spoke, Kyoraku looked west, toward the Seireitei's edge, and mused, "That's a scientist's sensitivity for you. No wonder the SRDI is always making such strange things. Not like us laymen. We'd heard the rumors, but we still just saw them as children who needed protecting."
"But in reality, even from this distance, we could faintly feel that Reiatsu from the Rukongai. It was like a hole was punched in the sky. That's not something a child can do."
"Before we knew it, they've already protected the Seireitei for us."
"So... I can understand Captain Kurotsuchi's curiosity, and I can understand Sosuke-kun's protectiveness."
"The future of the Seireitei and the Gotei 13... is tied to what you two do. I have a feeling."
Aizen pushed up his glasses and replied earnestly, "Thank you for your kind words. I hope they can truly bear that future on their shoulders. If so, my wish will have come true."
"'Your wish'?" Kyoraku's eyes glinted. "You have other ideas, Sosuke-kun? I didn't take you for a schemer."
"It's nothing worth mentioning. Please don't tease me, Captain Kyoraku."
Kyoraku didn't press the joke. He turned to the dazed Ōmaeda. "Well, let's go, Vice-Captain Ōmaeda. Time to take us to Captain Soi Fon."
"Oh! Right! Please, follow me! The Captain is in a really bad mood, and she's interrogating Shigū right now. If he's not careful, and says the wrong thing like that orange-haired brat, he'll get thrown in a dark cell... That would be terrible!"
Ōmaeda quickly led the way.
"They weren't injured, were they?" Aizen asked, concerned.
"They were, but just minor wounds... It's a miracle, really. To fight that thing and not end up in the 4th Division for days. Thank goodness."
"But that's why it's so wrong if the Captain tortures them!"
"Vice-Captain Ōmaeda, you seem to have a strong 'opinion' of Captain Soi Fon."
"It's not an 'opinion,' it's a complaint!"
"Oh? Is that so? Do tell..."
Ōmaeda's body froze. His raised foot stopped in mid-air. He wished time would stop.
But... that cold, murderous aura mixed with Reiatsu was washing over him, stabbing him like little knives.
"C-Captain...?"
Ōmaeda, ignoring the other two Captains, mechanically turned his head. He saw the very person he was complaining about, standing with Shigū Takeru at the cell door. The interrogation seemed to be over. There was no sign of conflict. In fact, judging by their proximity, they seemed to be... getting along?
"Heh."
Soi Fon's lips twitched into a chilling smile.
But she said nothing.
She just moved her gaze from Ōmaeda to Kyoraku and Aizen.
"I know why you're here. Don't worry. I've cleared everything up. You can go back."
"They can't leave yet?" Kyoraku, all business, tipped his hat low.
Soi Fon raised an eyebrow, annoyed. "Do you want them to drag their tired, injured bodies all the way back to their dorms? It's not like the 2nd Division only has prisons. We can spare a few rooms for them for one night. Besides, they helped me. If I can't even do that, someone might say I'm being unreasonable."
Aizen and Kyoraku instinctively looked at Ōmaeda.
"?!?!"
Ōmaeda's jaw dropped. He was in despair.
No, don't look at me now! What is this? You don't remember him saving my life, but you remember that one thing I said?
"Heh."
Soi Fon smiled coldly again. Still, she said nothing.
This reaction was so unsettling that even Takeru felt a shiver. He could only look at Ōmaeda—the man who had "called for backup"—with pity. 'If you survive tonight, we'll be friends.'
Yes. After tonight.
Not now.
So I don't have to help him.
"In that case, Captain Soi Fon, we'll be going," Takeru said.
"Hmph."
Toward Takeru, Soi Fon's attitude was noticeably softer. It was just a huff, but there was a clear goodwill behind it.
She then arranged for her men to host the entire group.
It was full VIP treatment.
The guest rooms didn't have soft beds, but they had soft pillows. They could use the baths and were even served a late-night meal.
As for Ōmaeda... he was kicked out to do the night patrol. He wouldn't be sleeping tonight. He couldn't even slack off, as someone was watching him. It was a miserable fate.
The stark contrast left Aizen, and a newly-"released" Ichigo, completely baffled.
What on earth did Shigū do?
"Nothing much. I just gave her a detailed report of the intel I had, and then offered... some hypotheses."
"That's it?" Ichigo didn't believe him.
"Of course, I didn't just 'casually talk.' That would be an insult to Teacher Aizen."
As Aizen's student (publicly), he couldn't fail at "verbal communication."
"My hypotheses were based on actual folklore case studies from the human world... At the Mountains of Madness, The Dunwich Horror, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, The Dreams in the Witch House, and so on. I offered her new lines of thinking from the perspectives of anthropology, psychology, micro-expressions, forensics, and detective work. It set the tone for her future investigations and gave Captain Soi Fon a lot of... professional inspiration."
"I may not be an expert, but I could tell she was very satisfied. Especially after I explained the methods for 'dealing with outsiders.' She had a look of... hmm, vindication?"
-------
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