"I really never tried to understand Old Man Zangetsu. Even though I know his name, I'm honestly no different from Zaraki Kenpachi, who doesn't even know his Zanpakutō's name."
"I was too arrogant. Now, I want to understand. Even if it's just a little bit, let me step into your world."
"And then... then let us trust each other again and fight side by side..."
In the desolate city, only two figures—one black, one white—stood among the high-rises. One old, one young; one black, one white. They seemed like opposites, yet also like two halves of the same whole.
White Ichigo looked at the katana broken in two in his hand and couldn't help but curl his lips, looking quite dissatisfied.
He was indeed a bit displeased. Just a moment ago, he had been on the verge of cleaving Ichigo in half with Zangetsu, but the blades in their hands had instantly swapped. Ichigo had also vanished from this world, likely having regained control of his body by now.
However, this was destined to happen. White Ichigo glanced at Old Man Zangetsu not far away. How could this guy ever allow him to kill Ichigo?
"Is this good enough?"
"Yes. I'm sorry for making you step in."
*What a sly guy, making me play the villain,* White Ichigo thought.
But this didn't seem too bad either. White Ichigo smiled. "Who asked him to be the king of this world? How could we let him lose? Besides, I don't have the right to choose. Even if I'm reluctant, I still have to do it, don't I?"
Zangetsu's silence served as tacit agreement. White Ichigo couldn't help but click his tongue again. *What a boring guy. Hanging out with him is such a drag.*
"Alright, since what needed to be done is finished, I can go back now, right?"
"Yes."
As Zangetsu spoke in a low voice, the White Ichigo across from him began to gradually fade from this world, like a cloud slowly blown away by the wind.
The rain had also stopped. Clouds drifted leisurely in the sky, spinning like white boats rocking on the ocean. Zangetsu looked up. What a beautiful sight.
"Ichigo, I hate the rain. But it rains in this world. Whenever your heart wavers, the sky becomes overcast with dark clouds. Whenever you are sad, it easily rains."
Zangetsu's voice echoed through the city. No one was there to listen...
"That is what I cannot stand the most. To stop the rain from falling, I will do everything in my power to help you."
Or perhaps, everything here was his audience...
"If you are willing to trust me, I will never let another drop of rain fall in this world. Trust me, you have never been alone, Ichigo!"
*So, why did you leave me here alone? Why?* Suì-Fēng stared at the empty prison cell. The only person capable of pulling off something like this in Squad 2 was Lady Yoruichi.
*So, why didn't you come to see me, Lady Yoruichi?*
"Captain, what should we do next? Let me lead a team to capture them!"
Suì-Fēng's return had helped Omaeda regain his confidence. Having someone by his side made all the difference—he spoke with much more bravado, and his fried rice crackers tasted just as delicious as before!
However, he didn't seem to notice the low-pressure aura radiating from Captain Suì-Fēng beside him, as he fiercely chewed on his fried rice cracker as if it were the Ryoka who had secretly rescued the prisoner.
"I, Omaeda Marechiyo, will make those Ryoka understand! Just how foolish their actions were!! To dare rescue someone right from under our Squad 2's noses, how despicable!!!"
"Captain! Give me half our men, and I guarantee I'll capture all those Ryoka within one... no, three days!"
*Wait, wouldn't such a large-scale operation just prove that something went wrong in Squad 2? No way. If word gets out that someone rescued a prisoner before the captain even realized it—and from Squad 2, the division in charge of assassination and intelligence, no less—where would I put my pride? That sense of mystery I have in front of the other lieutenants would be completely wiped out!*
*No, absolutely not!*
Omaeda's small eyes darted around. After weighing the pros and cons, he immediately changed his tune and advised Suì-Fēng, "But that doesn't fit our Squad 2's style. So, Captain, after calming down, I think we should handle this discreetly. With you in charge and me assisting, we can definitely resolve this quietly without any chance of the news leaking."
"News leaking? You bastard!" Suì-Fēng completely exploded. She grabbed Omaeda by the collar, yanking him close, gritting her teeth with an expression that looked like she wanted to murder him. "Why should we suppress the news? Let everyone know! I will never trust her again, and she will pay the price for her selfishness!"
*It's over, the captain has lost it. She's completely lost it.* Omaeda could already picture the scene of Squad 2 mobilizing in full force. *Onmitsukidō? Sounds so mysterious, but in the end, it's just this!*
"Send a message to the Head Captain immediately! I want the Gotei 13 to know there's an escaped prisoner in the shortest time possible! One day? If I don't see them in half a day, you can throw yourself in that cell! Do you understand me!!!"
"U-Understood." Omaeda felt like crying, but a real man doesn't shed tears easily. He could only let the unspeakable sorrow flow backward into his heart...
He understood every single word his captain said, but strung together, they made absolutely no sense. *Aren't we a covert ops unit? Why are we making such a huge scene?!*
*Why?!!!*
Meanwhile, in the Senzaikyū, Shiba Ganju was also frantically asking *why* in his heart. Although he and Omaeda didn't know each other, if they could meet right now, they would definitely have a lot in common...
Everything had been going so smoothly. Even though there were two Shinigami guarding the entrance to the long bridge leading to the White Tower, thanks to his excellent teamwork with Hanatarō, those two guys were no longer an obstacle.
As for the inside of the White Tower, Hanatarō had been completely right—there really wasn't a single guard. After finding the key, they smoothly opened the Shishinrō and met Kuchiki Rukia.
Ganju had it all planned out. Next, they just needed to take her away and set up some delayed-fuse fireworks. Would those fools in the Seireitei really not fall for it? That guy named Zaraki would definitely give up on attacking Ichigo temporarily, too.
Even if Ichigo unfortunately lost, by using the time difference—as long as it wasn't the worst-case scenario—he could drag Ichigo into the underground sewers as well. Perfect!
*What does it mean to turn the tide? This is turning the tide! The legend of the great Ganju is destined to add another incredibly glorious chapter!*
Of course, accidents could happen. Ganju always understood that this was, after all, the very center of the Seireitei; anything could occur.
However, he never expected the accident to happen so quickly and so unexpectedly. And the cause of the accident wasn't an enemy, but the very person they were trying to save—Kuchiki Rukia!
"I won't leave with you. Even if I go with you now, Brother won't let you off. No one else should get hurt because of me." Rukia's answer was incredibly resolute. "Leave. Don't throw your lives away for me anymore."
*So, saving a life can actually be a mistake?*