"At this very moment?"
Naraku Sora looked down from a height at Shihōin Buji, who was collapsed on the ground, stripped of all his former dignity. Naraku's gaze was calm, as if he were looking at a dead man.
"You aren't joking, are you?"
Hearing this, Shihōin Buji grew even more sluggish, his face turning ashen. Subconsciously, he looked toward his only remaining life-saving straw.
However, Yoruichi remained equally expressionless, her eyes devoid of any wavering.
Setting aside the fact that these elders had played dirty behind her back after she succeeded the position of Head, their actions of supporting other nobles and privately researching taboos involving souls were things she could not tolerate.
Moreover, things had already progressed to this stage. Was there really any room left for reconciliation?
"Naraku, he is your trophy. I'll leave him to you to handle."
Yoruichi patted the boy's shoulder generously and stepped aside, completely ignoring Shihōin Buji's pleading eyes.
Just as Shihōin Buji tried to grasp the last shred of hope for survival—his face contorting into an unprecedented expression of flattery and his eyes full of fawning intent—he spoke.
"Lord Naraku, we can actually talk..."
Boom!
In the next instant, that aged face shattered.
A brilliant, dazzling white bolt of lightning, accompanied by a thunderous roar, instantly pierced through Shihōin Buji's head, leaving a bright spray of blood on the clean walls of the alley.
The sentence he was halfway through came to an abrupt end.
The corpse fell heavily to the ground, his luxurious robes covered in dust. Only a deathly silence remained.
From beginning to end, Yoruichi did not interfere with Naraku Sora's actions.
In her eyes, the boy before her was not only a victim of this incident but also the sole contributor who had completely overturned the situation within the Shihōin family.
"Alright, this matter has come to an end."
Yoruichi clapped her hands and walked to Naraku Sora's side.
"Clean yourself up and get ready to come back to the Shihōin manor with me."
"Huh?" Naraku Sora was dazed.
The matter was over, so why go back to the manor? Was she planning to make him pay for the structural damage?
"Aren't you my fiancé?"
Yoruichi grinned. "You have to meet the family eventually, right? Otherwise, you won't even recognize everyone. It would be embarrassing if some conflict broke out later because of that."
Naraku Sora: "..."
'Didn't we agree this was just a performance? After it's over, you were supposed to find a random reason to kick me to the curb. At most, you'd get a reputation for being fickle.'
For the Head of the Shihōin family, that wouldn't hurt at all.
Seemingly seeing through the boy's thoughts, Yoruichi narrowed her eyes like a cat that had discovered its prey.
"I've changed my mind."
With that, she reached out, grabbed Naraku Sora's wrist, and without allowing any room for argument, pulled him toward the manor using Flash Step.
Inside the manor, near the ruins of the study, a burly man stood quietly, seemingly having waited for a long time.
"Marechinmoshin, you finally decided to show up."
Yoruichi waved a greeting. "The matters over there are completely settled. Although the Shihōin house will be in chaos for a while, there won't be any major lingering threats."
"By the way, let me introduce you. This is the greatest contributor who helped us deal with those old fogies, the one the Shino Prison Warden holds in high regard, the rising genius of the Soul Society—"
"Naraku Sora!"
Ōmaeda Marechinmoshin walked over, flashing a kind smile. "It's all thanks to Lord Naraku. Otherwise, I don't know how much longer Lady Yoruichi would have been restrained by those old fossils."
Naraku Sora looked at the man before him with curiosity.
Compared to the "Great God" Marechiyo in his memory, Marechinmoshin looked significantly more reliable. He was tall and muscular, and the Reiatsu he faintly radiated was thick and solid.
Even without showing any hostility, he still gave off a dangerous feeling.
It was said that before Yoruichi became the Captain of Squad 2 and the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō, both organizations were managed by this man, Ōmaeda Marechinmoshin.
He not only withstood the pressure from within the Shihōin family but also kept the two major organizations in perfect order. His competence was clear.
And when Yoruichi grew up, he showed no desire for power, choosing to step down directly.
Now, during the factional disputes within the Shihōin family, he stood unwaveringly by the side of the relatively weaker Yoruichi.
Such a person was truly worthy of being called a hero.
After a few brief, empty pleasantries, both parties were satisfied.
Naraku Sora took his leave from the Shihōin manor amidst flattery and disappeared into the night.
Watching his departing back, Marechinmoshin suddenly sighed with emotion. "Lady Yoruichi, it's been a long time since you've laughed this happily."
Yoruichi: "?"
'Did this Ōmaeda misunderstand something?'
...
Life in the upper districts of Rukongai was always bustling and noisy. Izakayas, pleasure districts, night markets, and street performances were constant, with a wide variety of choices available.
Of course, most of those enjoying these were nobles, followed by the Soul Reaper class.
But compared to the colorful nights of others, in a remote area on the outskirts of the district, a certain person appeared quite quiet and composed.
Hijikata Mine looked around the environment in terror.
Inside the bright, clean room, sophisticated equipment and instruments he couldn't understand were arranged in an orderly fashion.
In a massive container filled with deep green liquid, a figure with eyes tightly shut floated within, seemingly having completely lost consciousness.
Hijikata Mine recognized him. That was another retainer who served under Shihōin Buji—Ishikawa Sosuke!
His body was covered in cracks, like broken porcelain that had been forced back together with some powerful adhesive.
Such a horrifying scene dealt an unprecedented shock to Hijikata Mine's fragile mind.
"Who... are you really..."
His trembling gaze turned toward the other person in the room.
A brown-haired youth who looked harmless and wore a pair of plain glasses.
Aizen lifted his gaze, glancing at him indifferently without responding.
But that simple action made Hijikata Mine instinctively shut his mouth, trying his best to curl his body into a corner, suppressing his instinctive tremors of fear.
The scene that had occurred not long ago was practically etched into the depths of his soul.
It made it so that Hijikata Mine couldn't even summon a single thought of resistance when facing the youth before him.
Casually reinforcing the binding spell on the burly man, Aizen carried his Zanpakutō to another vacant room in the secret base.
This was a training ground, specifically used to test abilities that were not suitable for public display.
Looking at the thick, wall-like metal pillar in front of him, Aizen hesitated for a moment, then slowly drew the Zanpakutō from his waist. His silent Reiatsu flowed like water, wrapping around the blade.
The air suddenly became heavy, like mercury.
He raised the blade and slashed.
A pitch-black sword pressure swept forward. In an instant, it was as if all sound in the world had been stripped away.
The next moment.
The indestructible metal pillar was erased out of thin air. No trace remained; one couldn't even find fragments of it being cut or torn.
It was as if that part of matter had vanished eternally.
Looking at the masterpiece before him, a complex expression appeared on Aizen's face.
Although he had easily obtained something he had been pursuing for a long time, the thought that he owed it to a certain person...
He found it a bit difficult to maintain his composure.
---