Golden morning light gently pulled back the curtain of night, much like the opening of a stage play, yet the Kamiya estate was as noisy as a rowdy crowd leaving a theater.
To an ordinary person, the man in black's skills were remarkable. Had he been after money, Taichi was certain the intruder could have easily kidnapped him even after being discovered. Yet, the opposite had happened.
It was glaringly obvious: the man's goal was something far more sinister than simple wealth.
Watching the Soul Reaper his family had hired—a middle-aged man—investigate the courtyard, Taichi let out a frustrated sigh. His irritation stemmed not just from the lack of clues, but from his own staggering weakness.
This was a world he had seen in an anime in his past life. After hearing Gin Ichimaru's account of the night's events, Taichi already had a primary suspect. All he needed now was for Rangiku to wake up so he could verify his theory.
In truth, from the moment Taichi had first met Rangiku and Gin, he had worried they might be targeted. He had specifically asked his family to bolster their security, hiring several retired Soul Reapers and even increasing the number of guard dogs.
He hadn't expected the enemy to be so bold as to strike here, in the heart of the capital's outskirts, nor did he expect them to be so powerful that ordinary people were left utterly defenseless.
Taichi found himself thinking of Colonel Gaddafi from his previous life. You might think you have a decent level of strength, but in the face of a true powerhouse, you're nothing but a joke.
As a wise man once said: Having a sword and not using it is one thing; not having a sword at all is another. The weak are destined to be trampled. If he hadn't been crushed yesterday, it was only because the timing wasn't right. Today, that timing had arrived.
People say a thief only needs to succeed once, while a guard must be lucky every day. It was true; otherwise, dark jokes about the likes of Kennedy or Abe wouldn't exist.
But Taichi had no intention of following in their footsteps.
He recalled his experience playing MOBA games. When the game was going south, he always trusted himself over his teammates. Those four "allies" would usually do nothing but dive towers and get the team wiped.
"This is a world where the strong prey on the weak, only here, it's much more literal," Taichi muttered, clenching his fists. "Power is something that's better to hold in your own hands than to rely on your parents for!"
A gentleman's revenge is never too late, even after ten years. Taichi was fortunate; he had the talent, the opportunity, and the capability to eventually settle the score.
While he was brooding over his lack of strength, Gin Ichimaru knocked and entered the room.
"What is it?"
"Taichi, I don't think that man in black was just a thief."
Gin had frozen for a few seconds before calling for help because he had seen Rangiku collapsed on the floor. Although he was young, Gin had already witnessed the cruelty of the world. He had worried that if he shouted, he would be killed just like her. Neither the Kamiya family nor Taichi had treated him poorly, but Gin wasn't one to risk his life recklessly.
It wasn't until he noticed Rangiku's chest rising and falling—and heard the man in black muttering strange things about "experiments"—that he felt safe enough to raise the alarm. As he expected, the intruder had focused solely on making an escape.
Hearing Gin's assessment, Taichi was slightly surprised. "Why do you say that?"
Gin frowned as he recounted what he had seen and heard. "I saw him holding a strange device. I think I heard words like 'experiment' and 'blue'..."
Blue... as in Aizen?
"I understand." Taichi rubbed his temples. "Have you told anyone else about this?"
"No," Gin shook his head.
Gin had chosen to tell Taichi first partly because they were peers, but mostly because he instinctively felt Taichi was sharper than the adults.
"Don't mention this to anyone else. Not my uncle, not my grandfather—no one!"
Gin nodded. "Understood."
He didn't ask why Taichi wanted him to keep quiet. He was a smart boy; he knew when to stop asking questions.
Unlike Taichi, who had woken up early, Rangiku remained in a deep slumber until well past noon.
When she finally opened her eyes in the airy, comfortable room, she felt feverish. Her head was heavy, as if filled with a thick fog, and her consciousness was blurred.
Feeling uncomfortable, Rangiku rolled over in bed. Through her hazy vision, she saw a dark-haired silhouette sitting by her side.
"...Oh? You're awake. How are you feeling?"
Hearing her stir, Taichi looked up from the book he was reading. He was sitting right by her bed. Rangiku didn't know what was in the book, but she was certain it was far beyond her understanding.
Seeing Taichi ignoring social etiquette to casually sit by her bed and read, Rangiku felt her eyes well up with tears.
"Master Taichi... why are you here?" she asked, dazed. "Are you hurt?"
"Huh? What? Oh, I'm not hurt at all."
Whether it was because he hadn't heard her clearly or because her question felt unnecessary, Taichi didn't seem to react to the idea of being injured.
"I was waiting here for you to wake up. How are you feeling now?"
As he spoke, Taichi closed his book and helped Rangiku sit up, propping her against the pillows. He poured her a glass of warm water. Startled and touched by his kindness, Rangiku felt even more lightheaded—this time from a sense of pure happiness.
"Master, I can do it myself... I'm fine, really. Just a bit hungry."
The steam from the water and her own bashfulness made her face flush a rosy red. Her watery gaze stole glances at Taichi's face.
"Hungry? I see. Wait here for a moment."
As soon as Taichi closed the door, Rangiku hurriedly set the cup aside and dove under the covers, rolling around with a muffled, giddy giggle.
"Ugh... my Master is so perfect! He's handsome, he knows everything, and he's so nice to us!"
She looked nothing like someone who had been unconscious for nearly twenty hours.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Rangiku immediately stopped her antics and resumed her previous look of frail exhaustion.
Taichi entered with a maid following behind. The maid noticed that Rangiku's hair and the bedding were exceptionally messy, looking as if a gale had blown through the room all night. She instinctively glanced at the closed window.
On a wooden tray, sliced fruit looked vibrant and inviting, and the steam rising from a bowl of meat congee was enough to make anyone's mouth water.
After thanking Taichi and the maid, a ravenous Rangiku began to eat. Taichi took the opportunity to ask her what she remembered seeing.
After hearing her story, though the specifics were still murky, Taichi was now fully convinced: Aizen was having his subordinates collect the souls of children for his experiments, and one of those subordinates had set his sights on them.
Taichi had identified the culprit as Aizen, but the problem remained. At this point in time, Aizen's strength was at minimum that of an average Captain, and at most, second only to Captain-Commander Yamamoto. Combined with Aizen's terrifying special abilities, even ten Kamiya families throwing their lives away would just be suicide.
So, what could Taichi do?
He could only hide his edge and endure for now.
Damn it! Stealing our soul fragments... I'm marking this debt down!
Taichi silently added Aizen's name to a mental list. Even if his own soul wasn't actually missing anything, he would have written the name down regardless.
Still, Taichi realized something was off. If they had both been attacked, why was Rangiku so weak? He attributed it to her being malnourished before joining the household.
Since he had to keep the truth to himself, Taichi simply misled her. "The man was likely trying to kidnap me for ransom. You just got caught in the crossfire."
Rangiku blinked. Is Master being so nice to me because I was dragged into his trouble? Is it just out of guilt?
The thought brought a wave of disappointment, but she didn't show it. She looked at Taichi and said, "It's okay! I'm fine now. That shadowy person was just really mean!"
As she spoke, she shook a small, indignant fist.
Taichi smiled. "I'll leave you to rest then. I'm heading out."
"Ah... Master..."
Seeing him prepare to leave, Rangiku reached out as if to say something, but the words seemed to stick in her throat.
"What is it?" Taichi asked.
Rangiku lowered her head, her cheeks burning. "Could Master... stay here with me?"
"What was that?"
Rangiku answered, but her voice was barely a whisper.
"I want Master to stay here... I'd feel more at ease."
Her entire face was now as red as a beet.
The atmosphere in the room suddenly became awkward. Taichi didn't answer immediately, leading Rangiku to think her selfishness had made him angry.
My Master is such a brilliant, shining person, and I'm just a study companion—I'm stupid, lazy, and I eat too much...
"I'm sorry, Rangiku was being silly—"
Before she could finish, Taichi's voice cut through her panic.
"Sure. I don't have anything else to do anyway."
Rangiku watched with shimmering eyes as Taichi sat back down by her bed. A very strange impulse surged from the depths of her heart.
She had once seen one of the guards grab a maid's hand and pull her into a fierce, affectionate embrace.
Right now, Rangiku felt that exact same impulse.
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