Swish! Swish! Swish!
More than a dozen black-clad figures appeared, surrounding Fūjin Taichi once again.
Then a Shinigami wearing a standard uniform with a camellia embroidered on the left side of his chest—Sixth Division Eighth Seat, Akechi Dokushū—drew his Zanpakutō and pointed it at Taichi.
"Fūjin Taichi, you can't escape!"
"Stop!" Renji Abarai immediately frowned and shouted when he saw that they were members of the Sixth Division.
"Vice-Captain Abarai? What did you say?" Akechi Dokushū turned toward him, his handsome face full of confusion.
"I said… all of you, stand down!"
Renji barked impatiently. "Didn't you hear me, Eighth Seat Akechi?!"
"Tch…"
Akechi clicked his tongue and replied in a low voice, "What are you saying, Vice-Captain Abarai? The order from above was made very clear!
All members of the Gotei Thirteen are to immediately pursue the criminal Fūjin Taichi. If he resists, he may be executed on the spot!
And furthermore… anyone who shows favoritism toward the criminal will be treated as an accomplice and punished accordingly!"
"Hmph, is that so…"
The corner of Renji's mouth twitched slightly as his right hand gripped the hilt of his Zanpakutō.
"In that case, forgive my rudeness, Eighth Seat Akechi. Roar, Zabimaru!"
His Zanpakutō transformed once more into a long segmented snake-blade. Under Renji's control, it lashed forward toward Akechi Dokushū, its flexible blade sweeping up the surrounding Sixth Division members as well!
"Vice-Captain Abarai! What are you doing?!"
Akechi blocked with his Zanpakutō while shouting, "A Shinigami aiding a criminal is committing an even graver offense!"
"Hmph, spare me! Ever since I became Vice-Captain of the Sixth Division, you arrogant noble brats who don't respect your superiors have been making things difficult for me at every turn. I've wanted to teach you a lesson for a long time!"
After saying that coldly, Renji shouted to Taichi:
"Hey! Why are you just standing there? Go do what you need to do! I've got this!"
"Renji…"
Taichi silently thanked Renji for his help, then looked toward the towering Hill of Penitence and thought to himself:
Since the storyline is already in chaos, one more change won't matter. Rather than passively waiting for Aizen's 'betrayal,' I might as well strike first—take down one of his subordinates before the plot even unfolds—
With that thought, Taichi called out again:
"Renji, don't forget our promise to drink together! So don't you dare die here!"
"Bah! Against weak-kneed noble brats like these, I could take on a hundred alone!"
Renji shouted excitedly, completely ignoring the increasingly dark expressions of Akechi and the other Sixth Division members.
"You're the one who better not get yourself killed!"
"Tch."
Taichi rolled his eyes at Renji and resumed running toward Hill of Penitence.
But as soon as he turned onto another street, he saw Izuru Kira leaning alone against a red torii gate by the roadside, as if he had been waiting there for quite some time.
"Kira…"
"This is as far as you go, Taichi."
Kira stepped forward and slowly drew his Zanpakutō.
"No matter what you intend to do, do not take another step. Otherwise… I will kill you here."
"Kira… I thought you were here to help me, like Renji."
Taichi stopped walking and looked at Kira, who was already poised for battle.
"Taichi! Precisely because of the deep bond between us, I cannot stand by and watch you make mistake after mistake!"
A trace of pain flashed in Kira's eyes as he tried to persuade him softly:
"So stop now, Taichi! Don't continue down this misguided path… I truly don't want to raise my blade against you!"
"Kira…"
Taichi sighed and shook his head.
"Even though you've drawn your sword against me… I still understand that, like Renji, you consider me a friend.
It's just that Renji chose the same path he did back in our academy squad days—standing by my side without hesitation.
And you chose loyalty to the Seireitei. That's why you came here alone… to personally bear the pain of erasing a friend who you believe has gone astray. Isn't that right?"
"Taichi!"
Kira gripped his Zanpakutō tightly with both hands. His entire body trembled slightly from tension and guilt.
His blue eyes locked onto Taichi, his face carrying an indescribably complex expression.
"I won't blame you, Kira."
Taichi smiled faintly.
"I know you've always considered me a friend… it's just that you desperately need the Seireitei's recognition to restore your family's former glory."
So, I understand your feelings and your choice, Kira! Whether in the past or in the future, you will always be my friend—now then, Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"
"Whoosh!"
From the tip of Fūjin Taichi's left index finger, six beams of yellow light shot out instantly, pinning Kira Izuru firmly in place so he could no longer move at all!!
"W-What?!"
Kira stared at Taichi in shock, a complex expression surfacing in his eyes—part astonishment, part realization, and perhaps even a trace of relief…
"Kira… trust me. In just a few days, the truth behind this will come to light. So… until then, please be patient."
After saying that, Taichi brushed past Kira. Just as he was about to continue searching the Seireitei for that person's whereabouts, Kira suddenly called out:
"Taichi!"
"What?"
"Your Kidō… back in the Academy, you were already capable of casting without incantation, weren't you?"
Kira recalled the scene in Kidō class when Taichi's Shakkahō had "missed the target," and murmured the question.
"Oh… that? If you hadn't brought it up, I almost would've forgotten!"
A rare look of embarrassment appeared on Taichi's face as he chuckled.
"Actually, a lot of people hiding behind the screen think I'm shallow, ignorant, just some comic relief character—
Like Harry Potter getting dumbed down by plot armor. But what I want to say is… I never claimed to be some genius full of grand wisdom and lofty ambitions.
On the contrary, I was just an ordinary person. When I first came to the Soul Society, I was confused and helpless… I chose to scrape by just to survive, like a weed growing out of a crack in the wall.
But in the end, I couldn't just stand by and watch the people around me die the way they originally did… So I took risks again and again to change the storyline—until now, when I've been framed…"
At this point, Taichi lowered his head and looked at his own hands.
"Fortunately, I've gained power of my own… and that allowed me to step out from that person's shadow.
In short, I'm going to use this opportunity to strike back at him. No matter how it ends, no matter how the story changes in the future—this is my own choice…"
"Taichi…" Kira strained to turn his head toward him. "What exactly are you talking about…? I don't really understand."
"Heh, Kira. Those words weren't for you—they were for the people behind the screen."
After saying that, Taichi lifted his gaze to the blue sky and sighed softly.
"Anyway… just like Yasuo from League of Legends—being carefree is what matters! So, everyone… stay tuned."