Higashino Shuuichi went in at last—into that place that had always been used to imprison those whom the Second Division deemed potential threats to Soul Society's safety, the Maggot's Nest… the very same Maggot's Nest that had once held Urahara Kisuke and the former Kidō Corps Commander, Tessai Tsukabishi.
Higashino Shuuichi walked in openly, without the slightest fuss.
Quietly cooperative—almost unnervingly so.
"This is only the beginning."
Standing on the balcony ledge, Kisaragi Shūsuke looked down at the noble below—someone who, over some trivial nonsense, was now spewing abuse at a Gotei 13 seated officer.
Under the noble's nonstop tirade, it was easy to see the ordinary Shinigami's cheeks flushing red—yet he didn't dare offer a single word of rebuttal.
Not every Shinigami had the fearless nerve of Higashino Shuuichi, and not every Shinigami had the courage to defy the nobility.
Accepting noble rule, obeying noble rule—this was the "education" that Shinigami, and even the commoners of Rukongai, had been fed for centuries.
It wasn't something that could be corrected overnight.
Kisaragi Shūsuke was furious… and, in his own way, lucky.
He was deeply grateful that back then, he had chosen the right teacher.
And he had no regrets about following Shuuichi-sama down this road to the very end.
"Quit standing there getting emotional," a voice shouted from inside. "If you've got time for that, read us the letter Shuuichi-sama left behind!"
In the room, Matsumoto Rangiku—also under surveillance, her Katana-gari-shū (Blade-Hunting Corps) duties temporarily stripped away, now a shut-in "unemployed" like the rest—called out at Kisaragi Shūsuke on the balcony.
If Higashino Shuuichi hadn't given them a warning in advance, then the moment the news came back yesterday that he'd been locked in the Maggot's Nest, the three of them would have stormed the place and dragged him out by force.
In the eyes of Kisaragi Shūsuke and Matsumoto Rangiku—people who had already "betrayed" Soul Society once—Soul Society's laws were basically meaningless.
Worst case? They'd just go back to the Human World and hide again.
And for them—people who had already seen how vivid and dazzling the Human World could be—that wasn't even unacceptable.
"Shuuichi-sama said we're not to act rashly. If anything happens to him, everything has to wait for the Tsunayashiro clan's arrangements… or…"
Kisaragi Shūsuke stopped mid-sentence.
It made Matsumoto Rangiku feel like ants were crawling under her skin.
"Or what? Say it!"
"…Or we wait for another person to tell us what to do next."
Kisaragi Shūsuke still didn't say that person's name.
Because that person was someone he truly disliked.
That Twelfth Division vice-captain—Yushima Ōko.
Not long after Kisaragi Shūsuke returned from the Human World, that guy had quietly sought him out. And every single time, he'd attack without warning, while mouthing off about how he was Shuuichi-sama's "number-one senior disciple"—like a brat throwing a tantrum.
At first, Kisaragi Shūsuke beat Yushima Ōko easily every time, so he never even spared the fool a glance. He didn't even bother reporting such a trivial matter to Shuuichi-sama.
But this time… Kisaragi Shūsuke felt a small, ugly emotion stir inside him.
Why did it have to be that guy who came to notify him?
Was Shuuichi-sama looking down on him?
Or… in Shuuichi-sama's heart, was that guy really stronger than him?
Otherwise, why would that guy be the messenger—rather than Kisaragi Shūsuke notifying him?
Jealousy warped his thinking.
In truth, Higashino Shuuichi had done it for a far simpler reason: Yushima Ōko's one-of-a-kind ability to manipulate space.
Even a special place like the Maggot's Nest crushed any Shinigami who entered it—Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) and Reikaku (spiritual sense) were suppressed so brutally that forget communicating with your Zanpakutō. Inside the Maggot's Nest, even using Kidō (Demon Arts) became extremely difficult.
Back then, even Tessai Tsukabishi—the former Kidō Corps Commander—couldn't cast so much as the lowest-level Kidō (Demon Arts) in there, let alone anyone else.
But after testing, Yushima Ōko could "walk" through an alternate space to reach the interior of the Maggot's Nest. And with the help of a special device—reverse-engineered specifically for the Maggot's Nest based on Kurotsuchi Mayuri's work after he'd once walked out of the place—Yushima Ōko could briefly manifest inside the nest.
It didn't last long. And it couldn't bring anything—objects or people—other than Yushima Ōko himself back into that alternate space.
Still, even if he couldn't simply extract Higashino Shuuichi and vanish, passing a message in or out was easy for Yushima Ōko.
And he could also bring certain "special items" from outside into the Maggot's Nest for Higashino Shuuichi.
That—was the backup Higashino Shuuichi had left for himself.
A safeguard, in case the Tsunayashiro clan's next move didn't go according to his original expectations.
Of course, none of this preparation had existed in Aizen's original design.
"It seems, Shuuichi… you've been secretly planning something big behind my back~"
Sitting across from Higashino Shuuichi, Aizen Sōsuke smiled softly.
It sounded like a complaint, yet there wasn't the slightest trace of reproach in his tone—only admiration.
"Just like Aizen-sama enjoys surprising me," Higashino Shuuichi replied, rolling his shoulders and stretching his body, "I was thinking I'd surprise you too, when the time came. I just never imagined the one assigned to watch me would be Aizen-sama himself."
Behind him lay countless unconscious criminals from the Maggot's Nest.
These were people the Second Division's Punishment Force had judged capable of becoming major threats to Soul Society. Yet for Higashino Shuuichi—who was bored and wanted a few punching bags—none of them could last even two exchanges.
Usually, he walked up, threw one punch, and that was it. Next. Efficient to the extreme.
"It can't be helped. Considering who you are, the Shinigami guarding you has to be at least taichō-class (captain-class). But in the current Soul Society, those with taichō-class strength who aren't hiding it… there are only a few. Remove the ones who don't want to come, the ones afraid they'll be suspected of colluding with you, and the ones who might take advantage of your sealed strength to settle personal grudges…"
Aizen continued, smiling as he spoke—still calm enough to lift the steaming red tea on the table and take a small sip.
But his gaze never left the Zanpakutō at Higashino Shuuichi's side—wrapped tightly in bandages.
There was no doubt: that was Higashino Shuuichi's own Zanpakutō.
To slip an item like that into the Maggot's Nest—without anyone noticing—without even Aizen noticing…
Wasn't that its own kind of "muscle-flex"?
Even if Aizen understood that probably hadn't been Higashino Shuuichi's intent.
"What a shame. I thought the taichō watching me would be that big doggy~"
Higashino Shuuichi laughed as he teased.
Even as a prisoner, his tone and posture made it painfully clear: he didn't care about his situation at all.
"Don't tell me you planned to use this chance to make Soul Society run with blood."
The moment Higashino Shuuichi deliberately mentioned that particular taichō, Aizen's brow lifted. Several of Higashino Shuuichi's "misdeeds" immediately sharpened in his memory.
It was exactly the kind of thing Higashino Shuuichi could do.
"Of course not, Aizen-sama. Am I that kind of Shinigami?"
Higashino Shuuichi shook his head and denied it at once—while quietly adding in his heart: Not now. In the future~
For now, Higashino Shuuichi was simply waiting for one specific thing to happen.
Meanwhile, elsewhere—
Kisaragi Shūsuke and Matsumoto Rangiku, in the Katana-gari-shū (Blade-Hunting Corps) hall, received a guest who was unexpected—yet also inevitable.
Tsunayashiro Kamihara.
Why did Tsunayashiro Kamihara come personally?
Simple:
Higashino Shuuichi was being framed. This Zanpakutō materialization incident had nothing to do with him. It was a smear orchestrated by the Shinigami of the Gotei 13—together with Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—against Higashino Shuuichi.
But after reviewing the case file carefully, Tsunayashiro Kamihara had to admit something: the chain of evidence was far too unfavorable to Higashino Shuuichi.
Especially Higashino Shuuichi's "emergency reaction" in front of the captains at the end—he might as well have written I'm the mastermind across his face.
So if they still wanted to protect Higashino Shuuichi under those circumstances… there was only the old method.
Cool it down. Let time wash the scandal away. Once most Shinigami in Seireitei had forgotten the event, bring Higashino Shuuichi back and reuse him.
Which meant: Higashino Shuuichi could not simply sit obediently in the Maggot's Nest and wait for his final verdict.
Tsunayashiro Kamihara understood perfectly: that verdict would definitely be extremely unfavorable to Higashino Shuuichi.
Because even though the Tsunayashiro clan was blazing at its peak right now, Tsunayashiro Kamihara's hand still couldn't reach into Central 46's membership.
Every time he thought about it, Tsunayashiro Kamihara clenched his fists so hard they trembled. It was precisely because Central 46 existed as it did—and because Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni stood as he was—that Tsunayashiro Kamihara had led the Tsunayashiro clan, and so many nobles behind them, onto this road of no return.
"So now, I'm giving you a task. Rescue Higashino Shuuichi from the Maggot's Nest, and help him flee to the Human World for refuge. Of course, you can also tell him everything I told you before. And you can tell him this as well—this time, I won't make him hide in the Human World for long!"
In the end, Tsunayashiro Kamihara issued the order to Kisaragi Shūsuke, Matsumoto Rangiku, and Nagasawa Satomi—whose presence was so faint she was usually treated as nothing more than Kisaragi Shūsuke's "appendage."
That night, the moon was beautiful—so shy that it hid behind the clouds.
Dealing with the Second Division Punishment Force Shinigami patrolling outside the Maggot's Nest took little effort for Kisaragi Shūsuke.
Because they already knew what the result would be after tonight, they didn't all come together to rescue Higashino Shuuichi. Instead, Matsumoto Rangiku and Nagasawa Satomi went to contact Yushima Ōko of the Twelfth Division and prepare the route to the Human World—just like that day, decades ago.
Only…
Standing outside the gates of the Maggot's Nest, Kisaragi Shūsuke looked back at the Punishment Force bodies strewn across the ground.
Back then, he had been a useless Shinigami who had only just grasped Bankai (Final Release)—beaten senseless by an old veteran taichō (captain), unable to protect even his own Zanpakutō.
Now, he would prove himself.
He had grown into the sharpest blade in Shuuichi-sama's hand!
And with a whetstone meant to hone that blade—
Kisaragi Shūsuke shoved open the Maggot's Nest doors… and saw, seated in the very center of the hall, calm as drifting clouds—
The current Fifth Division taichō (captain) of the Gotei 13.
Aizen Sōsuke.
"Today, no one will stop me from rescuing Shuuichi-sama from here—even if it's a taichō!"
"Hm~ Is that so? You seem a bit too confident in your strength, Shūsuke-san. Don't forget—I'm a taichō. And you… at best, you count as a fukutaichō (vice-captain)~"
Aizen rested one arm on the chair's armrest, tilting half his head lazily against it.
Facing Kisaragi Shūsuke's killing intent, Aizen didn't even bother to stand—didn't even bother to draw his sword. He was acting out contempt and disdain to the absolute extreme.
"Arrogance will be your epitaph, Fifth Division taichō, Aizen Sōsuke!"
Thankfully, Kisaragi Shūsuke was battle-hardened enough now not to crumble under Aizen's provocation. Still, this couldn't drag on.
Kisaragi Shūsuke knew time wasn't on his side.
So, against that prideful Aizen Sōsuke—
Kisaragi Shūsuke struck first!
"Bankai (Final Release): Raihi • Gōenkaku (Thunderfire: Karma Flame Shell)!"
Against a taichō (captain), Kisaragi Shūsuke had no illusions—and no intention of testing the waters. That was all vanity.
For him, against a Shinigami—
One move was enough.
"Donka (Dulling)!"
From the tuning-fork-shaped tip of the Bakkōtō, soundwaves carried outward. Wherever the sound reached, all formed Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) lost its shape, dissolving into nothingness—erased into the void.
"You're lucky, because after my return to Soul Society, you're the first Shinigami to witness my Bakkōtō's Bankai (Final Release);
But you're also unlucky, because the Bankai (Final Release) Shuuichi-sama used in front of you before—the one that 'sealed' Zanpakutō abilities—was actually borrowed from my Bakkōtō's Bankai (Final Release)!
If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for not—"
Seeing Aizen Sōsuke react as if he didn't understand at all—taking Donka (Dulling) head-on—Kisaragi Shūsuke gripped his Bakkōtō and charged straight at Aizen to finish him cleanly.
But before his words even fell—and before he could reach Aizen—
Aizen, who had been more than ten meters away, suddenly appeared right in front of him.
And Kisaragi Shūsuke felt something hard press against his chest.
A clenched fist.
"Mm. An ability that seals Zanpakutō… truly is quite impressive~"
Aizen's voice came from in front of him—near, then far.
Not because Aizen had retreated.
Because Kisaragi Shūsuke was the one flying backward.
It felt like every bone in his chest had shattered into powder in that instant. Even after he crashed down and lay still for dozens of seconds, he couldn't feel anything returning.
"How is this possible…? Your Zanpakutō ability—your Kidō (Demon Arts)—
They should all be impossible to release!
Unless you…"
Kisaragi Shūsuke thought of an explanation—one he had once believed only Shuuichi-sama, and the legendary Sōtaichō, could achieve.
"Shūsuke… your ability is indeed strong. You could call it a Shinigami killer. I can say responsibly that ninety-nine percent of Shinigami in Soul Society absolutely could not survive even one exchange with you."
Aizen strolled closer, still unhurried.
"But there are always exceptions in this world. For example—someone who can beat you into the ground while you're using Bankai (Final Release), using nothing but Zanjutsu (Swordsmanship) and Hakuda (Hand-to-Hand Combat)!"
Kisaragi Shūsuke remembered that day.
He had been in Bankai (Final Release), and Shuuichi-sama had still beaten him so badly he couldn't tell north from south—using nothing but Zanjutsu (Swordsmanship) and Hakuda (Hand-to-Hand Combat).
But that was Shuuichi-sama!
This Fifth Division taichō, Aizen Sōsuke… how could he possibly be that strong too?!
Or was it…
Were all taichō in the Gotei 13 just this terrifying?
No one could answer him now, because Aizen walked up slowly—carrying a set of Maggot's Nest restraints, as if he intended to lock Kisaragi Shūsuke inside as well.
Even though he'd apparently never done the "Maggot's Nest warden" job before, Aizen handled it with effortless familiarity. Maybe—perhaps—that was simply something people like him had in common.
After all, the previous Maggot's Nest supervisor had been named Urahara Kisuke.
Kisaragi Shūsuke wasn't about to let Aizen have his way.
Even if Aizen had only punched him once—leaving half his body numb—Kisaragi Shūsuke could still move the Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) inside him. He could still use the Bakkōtō in his hand.
"Gōen Ryūga: Bakunen (Roaring Flame Dragon Fang: Detonation Burn)!"
The Bakkōtō's tip stabbed into the ground. Cracks spread like a spiderweb, and then—towering pillars of fire erupted upward like a labyrinth. Flame wove into a net, shaping a dragon's head that roared into the night sky.
Kisaragi Shūsuke thought this would at least slow Aizen down long enough for his body to recover a bit.
But instead, Aizen moved through those fire pillars as if Kisaragi Shūsuke were watching an elegant noble at a dining table—using knife and fork to peel open the hard shell of a giant prawn, slice by slice.
Inside the flames, Aizen used both hands—wrapped in pitch-black Reiatsu (spiritual pressure)—to peel away the fire between himself and Kisaragi Shūsuke layer by layer.
Each step pressed directly onto Kisaragi Shūsuke's nerves.
The steady thud of footsteps, mixed with the crackle of bursting flame, sounded like a countdown to death.
Regular.
And unstoppable.
Fire fissures, waves of flame, intermittent geysers of fire…
Kisaragi Shūsuke tried many things.
And despaired many times.
Those techniques Shuuichi-sama had always called "flashy but useless"…
He couldn't even make this taichō pause for an instant.
"So in the end… decades ago, a taichō crushed me completely. Decades later, I thought I'd grown so much… but I still can't even scratch a taichō, not even a little…"
In the burning light, Kisaragi Shūsuke laughed bitterly.
He remembered how he used to not understand—why Shuuichi-sama, already so strong, still spent so much time every day training Zanjutsu (Swordsmanship), practicing Kidō (Demon Arts), and deepening his understanding of his Zanpakutō's abilities.
Now he understood.
If you weren't improving, you were falling behind.
And because he'd spent all his time thinking only about "proving himself" to Shuuichi-sama, rather than truly raising his own strength…
The result was this.
Just like before.
Unchanged.
And even now—at his most desperate moment—the figure who appeared before him was, again, the same as always.
Only, back then, he'd been beaten to a pulp, barely able to stay conscious.
But now—
"I'm sorry, Shuuichi-sama…"
Every time, Kisaragi Shūsuke told himself it would be the last time he said those words to Shuuichi-sama.
Yet he still said them again… and again.
And Shuuichi-sama's answer was still as gentle and tolerant as ever:
"Not being able to beat him… isn't your fault, Shūsuke!"
Higashino Shuuichi held his Zanpakutō upright before Kisaragi Shūsuke.
"Now—use your Bakkōtō's power and break the seal on this!"
"???"
But the development… seemed a little off.
Kisaragi Shūsuke stared at the Shihōin clan's divine artifact "Bandage" wrapped around Shuuichi-sama's Zanpakutō.
Since when did his Bakkōtō have that kind of ability?
Seeing Kisaragi Shūsuke standing there in a daze, Higashino Shuuichi figured time couldn't be wasted any longer, and simply shortened the process.
"Fine, fine—let's just say you touched it!"
And then, right in Kisaragi Shūsuke's view—
The bandages on Higashino Shuuichi's Zanpakutō shattered with a crisp sound, revealing the full visage of Heisha.
The flames around them gradually died out, and the moon quietly peeked back out from behind the clouds—eagerly watching from above.
Higashino Shuuichi bared his teeth at Aizen across from him and grinned.
"Then, Fifth Division taichō, Aizen Sōsuke… are you ready to fight me?"
"Heh. It certainly won't satisfy me… but as an appetizer, it will do~"
Aizen Sōsuke tossed aside the restraints he'd prepared for Kisaragi Shūsuke, looked at Higashino Shuuichi, and smiled.
Still that confidence.
Still that contempt.
Still that absolute, unrivaled arrogance.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 20 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810.