Soul Society, Seireitei, Central 46.
For over a thousand years, countless trials had been held here; today was no exception.
On the dais sat forty sages and six judges.
At the side stood the Gotei 13's head captain, Genryūsai Shigekuni, the 4th Division vice-captain Higashino Shuuichi, the 8th Division captain Shunsui, and the 9th Division captain Kensei.
Below the dais stood Tokinada, alone.
To be honest, looking at this lineup, Higashino felt it was a bit excessive.
Genryūsai's presence wasn't strange—he attended almost every Central 46 trial; his mere attendance gave the forty-six above the courage to judge.
Kensei's presence wasn't strange either; after all, once the incident happened, it was the jail-division captain who led his men to arrest Tokinada.
But Shunsui being here—Higashino couldn't quite understand.
You're the intelligence captain… was it really necessary for you to attend this trial?
Fine. That question could stay in Higashino's heart; he certainly wouldn't ask Shunsui directly.
Soon, as the proceedings advanced, Higashino learned why.
Seeing the murderous look Tokinada cast toward Shunsui, Higashino could only give a silent thumbs-up in his heart.
"Bro, you're truly bold."
Originally, through the Kuchiki family's mediation, Tokinada had been deemed not guilty; Kensei was already preparing to release him. Then Shunsui submitted a formal accusation to Central 46—and suddenly Central 46 had a headache.
Give face to one of the Five Great Noble Houses, the Kuchiki?
They had to.
Give face to the 8th Division captain, Genryūsai's prized disciple, Shunsui?
They had to.
Either way, they would offend the other side.
Thus came a trial that, to Higashino, felt neither fish nor fowl.
They brought Tokinada in and gave him "charges," but listen to them:
"Unintentional manslaughter," "excessive self-defense"—all charges that skirted the real issue and avoided the pain point.
One of the sages on the dais even shot Shunsui a pitiful look, as if to say, "We've already done our best."
And the result? Tokinada was sentenced to five hundred years of house arrest—deferred for six months.
Supposedly to give him time to hand over his current responsibilities.
Other punishments such as compensation were not even mentioned.
Even Higashino, who didn't consider himself particularly moral, found it excessive.
This ruling was worse than no ruling at all; at least then people could still cling to an illusion.
Sure enough, after hearing the result, Higashino glanced at Shunsui and saw only disappointment in his eyes.
"If Shunsui hadn't been born into an upper noble house, he might have followed Sousuke without hesitation," Higashino thought, suddenly understanding.
As a Shinigami with a sense of justice, Shunsui was fated to be a man of contradictions—most people were simply fooled by his carefree exterior.
In Higashino's eyes, Central 46's trial was a complete failure. It seemed to balance both sides but actually offended both.
Worse, Central 46 lacked even the awareness of that failure: once the trial ended, they ordered Kensei to lead Tokinada out and announce the verdict to all of Seireitei, to "demonstrate Central 46's justice."
Following Kensei along the corridor, Higashino looked down and saw a man below with clenched fists and gritted teeth—blind in both eyes. In that instant, Higashino understood.
He had misread Sousuke.
Sousuke hadn't sent him here to prevent accidents during the trial—he had sent him for that man.
Kaname.
In the original course of events, Sousuke personally recruited Kaname. But now that Sousuke had a capable subordinate in Higashino, there was no need to appear in person and risk exposure.
The reason Sousuke reminisced last night, most likely, was to make Higashino recall his own starting point—so he would see his former self reflected in Kaname.
Then, even without Sousuke saying a word, Higashino would recruit Kaname on his behalf.
Thus Sousuke remained, in Higashino's eyes, as always: mysterious, powerful, aloof.
"Impressive."
Having reasoned it out, Higashino couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
No wonder—Sousuke was the ceiling of intellect in this world. If not for foreknowledge, Higashino might have been led around by the nose.
While he pondered, Kensei finished announcing the verdict.
The ordinary Shinigami, ignorant of the truth, cheered. Higashino only shook his head.
They didn't even notice that after the announcement Kensei left with the 9th Division, leaving behind Tokinada—completely free.
Yes, that too was absurd to Higashino.
Even with a suspended sentence, shouldn't there be some restrictions on Tokinada's person?
At the very least, assign someone to keep watch?
Unfortunately, that was wishful thinking.
Reality remained absurd.
But not everyone missed it.
Though blind, Kaname possessed an extra sensitivity to spiritual power. In that other kind of sight, he fixed on Tokinada, who had not left.
And Tokinada clearly recognized Kaname—his late wife Kakyo's dearest friend.
Unhurried, Tokinada walked toward him.
Kaname demanded to know why he killed Kakyo; Tokinada responded by arrogantly boasting of his "exploits" from days prior.
He dwelled especially on his disdain for his own wife.
Kakyo's kindness, her dream of a world without conflict, filled with love and care—none of it mattered to Tokinada; it even disgusted him.
At the end, he took the Asauchi clutched in Kaname's hand and set the blade against his own neck.
"Do it. If you bring your arm down now, you can avenge your dearest friend—my wife, Kakyo. So what matters more to you? Kakyo's dream, or avenging her?"
Staring into Kaname's unfocused eyes, Tokinada grinned hideously.
Was he betting Kaname wouldn't strike?
Watching from afar, Higashino shook his head.
He knew Tokinada simply didn't care. He cared nothing for his own life; if it amused him, he'd throw it away.
More than anything, he wanted to savor Kaname's pain.
The moment he lifted the blade to his own neck, his goal was achieved. Whatever came next, he didn't care.
Fate favored him again: after a long hesitation, Kaname still could not swing.
One stroke—he could have avenged Kakyo. But when he thought of her dream of love and peace, he couldn't bring the blade down.
"If I swing… if I meet Kakyo after death, how could I face her?"
Kaname suffered.
His suffering delighted Tokinada.
Tokinada began striking him—fists, elbows, knees—urging him to fight back.
Kaname never resisted, enduring in silence.
When Tokinada finally tired, he looked down at the barely breathing Kaname and lost interest.
"If you insist on that disgusting dream, then go join Kakyo."
With that, Tokinada turned away.
A mere commoner wasn't worth personally executing.
The Kuchiki retainers nearby could finish the job.
At that point, it was finally time for Higashino to act.
"Bakudō #62, Hyapporankan (Hundred Steps Fence)!"
Dozens of pale rods manifested in the air and crashed down, blocking the Shinigami who were moving in on Kaname.
"Vice-captain Higashino?!"
One of them recognized him.
"I don't know what just happened, but this is Seireitei. A commoner appearing here is already suspicious, to say nothing of the Asauchi of unknown origin in his hand. This man cannot 'accidentally' die now. I'm taking him to the 10th Division for questioning. Any objections?"
Higashino landed between Kaname and the others, letting his Reiatsu (spiritual pressure) unfurl just enough to kill any thought of a cheap shot.
"But he's with the Kuchiki—" one started, only to be silenced by a look from Higashino.
"I haven't heard of any noble who can, without trial, pass arbitrary judgment on life and death. Not even Central 46 has that authority."
He wasn't making that up; in principle, it was true. In practice, if the party protected was a noble and the victim a commoner, things were swept under the rug.
But once placed openly on the table, they couldn't brazen it out—just like Shunsui's report this time.
In the end, the blocked Shinigami could only grit their teeth and watch as Higashino gave Kaname basic treatment and took him away.
And the first stop certainly wouldn't be the 10th Division's public safety desk for commoners—it was the 4th Division vice-captain's private rest room.
There, as expected, Higashino found Sousuke waiting, having arrived long ago.
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