The Pig's Rush
The night was beautiful, cloudless, and the stars and moon bathed the world in gentle light. Even the dense forest path was speckled with moonbeams.
Nie Yinmeng stood along the path, dressed in a blue-and-white striped hospital gown. Her long black hair fell freely over her shoulders, framing her agate-green eyes that reflected Bai Shi's figure.
The exertion of her run had brought a faint blush to her snow-white cheeks, like ripe apples inviting a bite.
"Nemue!"
Shiraishi, certain this wasn't a hallucination, ran forward, hugged her tightly, and laughed. "Haha! Why are you here? I thought I wouldn't see you for a long time!"
Nemue returned the hug softly, her voice warm with joy. "If you want to see me all the time, you could become a test subject at the Technology Development Bureau. I'll negotiate with Lord Mayuri to make sure you get the best treatment."
"Uh… forget it."
Shiraishi stepped back, shaking his head. No matter how close they were, he couldn't agree to become a guinea pig—he didn't want tens of thousands of identical brothers roaming around. The thought alone made his scalp tingle.
"Is there anything else I can help with?" he asked, shifting the topic.
"No," Nie Yinmeng said, shaking her head.
Shiraishi blinked, then smiled broadly. "Alright, it doesn't matter if you're busy. You can come anytime you want."
Nie Yinmeng cut to the chase. "I'm not here to play. Mad King Munemasa might be planning to kidnap Shiba Ganju."
Shiba Kūkaku, who had been drinking, froze in shock. "You mean… Mad King Munemasa?!"
Shiraishi, startled, asked, "Is he… famous?"
"Mad King Munemasa—originally Tsunayashiro Munemasa—is the man who almost wiped out the Shiba family nearly two thousand years ago!"
Kūkaku's hands trembled, shattering the bottle she held.
The Shiba family had never been enormous, but it wasn't small either; the main and branch lines combined numbered over a hundred. Two millennia ago, during an ancestral ritual, Tsunayashiro Munemasa ambushed them, annihilating everyone who attended.
Her grandfather, Shiba Shiro, had skipped the ritual due to his unruly nature and became the clan's sole survivor. Even the Tsunayashiro clan considered Munemasa's act excessively cruel.
The current Shiba head expelled Munemasa from their clan and, answering Shiro's call, allied with the other three noble families and Yamamoto Genryusai to finally defeat him.
"My father said the battle lasted a full half-hour," Kūkaku recalled solemnly.
Shiraishi's expression turned grave. Shinigami battles were rarely prolonged. The strongest typically defeated their opponents in mere minutes. Yet this fight endured for half an hour, even with Yamamoto's forces. Munemasa's power was not to be underestimated.
Shiraishi frowned. "But… why target the Shiba clan after all these years?"
Nie Yinmeng explained, "Rangiku said his goal is to kill the Soul King and collapse the Three Realms. To reach the Soul King's Palace, he needs the Shiba clan's ancestral spiritual tools."
"Dream on!" Kūkaku shouted, clenching her fists. Though she bore little love for Shinigami, she respected the Soul King—the supreme ruler of Soul Society. Without him, the realms would cease to exist.
Nie Yinmeng continued, "Captain Kyoraku suspected Munemasa would kidnap Shiba Ganju to threaten you. He proposed to the captain-general a strategy of observing rather than interfering. Captain Unohana and Rangiku, however, felt involving an innocent child went against their principles, so they asked me to inform you."
"Thank you for the warning," Kūkaku said, calming down. She patted Nie Yinmeng's shoulder and promised solemnly, "If you ever need help, contact me."
Nie Yinmeng ignored the gratitude, focusing on the danger. "Munemasa's Zanpakutō negates others' abilities. A head-on fight is nearly impossible. I suggest retreating with your forces."
"Don't worry. It's time to settle this two-thousand-year-old feud," Kūkaku said, her face set in murderous determination. She wasn't one to be intimidated, even by a Zanpakutō that could seal powers—though she never wielded one herself.
"Shiraishi, will you help me?"
"We're friends. Of course I'll help," he said immediately. His Zanpakutō's critical-strike ability was crucial, but even without it, his passive powers could still make a difference.
Nie Yinmeng sighed quietly, realizing words wouldn't deter their resolve. She had only heard tales of Munemasa's strength; she couldn't fully comprehend it.
"I'll head back. Rangiku-nee is waiting," she said.
"Take care. If Mayuri mistreats you, resist. Only by resisting can you earn respect," Shiraishi warned. "And if you're unhappy in Soul Society, you can always come to find me."
"Goodbye," Nie Yinmeng said, bowing lightly before disappearing into the dim forest.
Shiraishi tilted his head. "Do you want to eat first or head straight on?"
Kūkaku shook her head, her mind set firmly on her brother. "Let's go to District 26 first."
"Alright, let's go," Shiraishi agreed, abandoning the meal without hesitation.
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