Ōmaeda had barely managed to shuffle toward 4th Division for treatment when his luck betrayed him. The second he stepped out of the barracks, he nearly collided with three captains on the mountain path.
White haori. Overwhelming reiatsu. They strolled out of the night like it belonged to them. The pressure alone dwarfed any Adjuchas, and Ōmaeda froze stiff, sweat breaking instantly across his brow.
"C-Captain Aizen… Captain Kyōraku… Captain Kurotsuchi?!"
"Evening, Vice-Captain Ōmaeda," Shunsui Kyōraku said with a lazy wave.
"Good eve—wait, no! What are you three doing here?"
"Oh? A vice-captain curious about captains' personal business?" Mayuri's lip curled. "That eagerness might be better suited in my lab."
The contempt stung, but Ōmaeda didn't dare talk back.
"Don't be so harsh," Aizen chided smoothly, smile warm. "Vice-Captain Ōmaeda's just returned from the battlefield and still tending to duties. He meant no disrespect."
Coming from anyone else, it would've sounded patronizing. From Aizen, it sounded like gospel. Even Mayuri swallowed the rebuttal and gave a dismissive huff.
Ōmaeda barely had time to feel grateful before Aizen's next words gutted him.
"Our purposes differ, but we're all here for the same reason: to see the ones the Onmitsukidō detained earlier."
"…?!"
Ōmaeda's face froze, stomach plunging. He'd just dragged them in—and now three captains had come knocking for them. He knew it would be trouble. He didn't think this much trouble.
Soma. Kurosaki. They were just students, weren't they? Or… was this about the Shiba?
Aizen's eyes caught his panic. His voice was velvet. "Don't misunderstand. I don't intend to interfere with another division's work. But Soma Kiryu and Ichigo Kurosaki are my students at the academy. I've been guiding their training. Naturally, I'm concerned."
The meaning was obvious. A teacher looking after his pupils. Nothing more. But the subtext? They're under my wing. Treat them carefully.
Even if Soi Fon herself stood here, even she would pause. The phrasing left no cracks to argue with.
The man was untouchable.
Ōmaeda burned with shame. He'd been saved from Mayuri's bite with a few kind words, and here Aizen was, stepping in personally for his disciples. His own captain? Cold as stone.
The thought lit something ugly in his chest.
"Captain Aizen," he blurted, "forgive me, but I agree. Captain Soi Fon went too far. Those kids did nothing wrong—they even saved my life! Grabbing them like criminals just to wring them dry for intel? That's too much!"
"Speaking of," Kyōraku cut in lightly, "wasn't a Shiba girl taken too?"
"Yes, sir. Do you know her, Captain Kyōraku?" Ōmaeda asked, cautious but curious—this captain never lorded his rank the way others did.
He regretted it the second it left his mouth. He'd never exactly been on good terms with Kūkaku Shiba. He'd even bad-mouthed her earlier…
"Her brother was Ukitake's former lieutenant," Kyōraku explained. "When I heard she was caught up in this, I figured I'd step in. Poor Ukitake was halfway out the door himself before his health dropped him again. So—here I am."
He sighed, tugging his hat brim down. "Damn. Should've gone back to the barracks early. With a little sake haze, I might've actually gotten some real sleep. Nanao-chan's been running me ragged…"
"Of course, of course—you work so hard, Captain Kyōraku." Ōmaeda scrambled to agree, hating himself for forgetting: the Shiba weren't just fallen nobles—they had ties. Powerful ties. At least two captains willing to cover their backs.
"Captain Aizen claims Kiryu and Kurosaki as students. Captain Kyōraku has connections to Kūkaku. Then… Captain Kurotsuchi, maybe you're here for Koyanagi or Rindō?"
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Mayuri chuckled, mask twisting. He flicked a glance at Aizen.
"I'm no one's babysitter. I came because the academy bought equipment from the SRDI for their entrance evaluations. I heard some… discrepancies. I recalled the units, ran the data. Found some fascinating anomalies. And wouldn't you know it—the culprits happened to get arrested."
His grin stretched thin.
"Better they become my test material than get executed by the 2nd Division."
The air curdled.
Ōmaeda cursed himself. He hadn't even needed to ask—the man would've said it anyway. And now he was stuck between titans, the tension suffocating.
Aizen's smile thinned. "Captain Kurotsuchi. I respect your dedication to science. But I must insist you abandon this thought. Otherwise…"
"Otherwise?" Mayuri leaned in, eager.
"I'll obstruct every one of your projects. It's the most I can do. As a captain, I can't indulge in open conflict or harsh words before the troops. But I won't allow you to proceed."
Aizen sighed, weary and sincere. A man bound by duty, powerless but principled.
Mayuri seethed. Even through the mask, the fury was plain.
"Sōsuke Aizen… One day I'll have you strapped in your disciple's place—on my table."
He spun and stalked off.
"…What?" Ōmaeda blinked. Just like that?
Kyōraku chuckled, amused. "Well, those kids didn't commit any great sin. If anything, they did some good. No matter how cold Captain Soi Fon seems, she can't just erase that. And when Aizen's the one making the case? Not even Mayuri would ignore it. That's checkmate."
He tipped his hat. "Besides, I've heard about those exams. The SRDI's devices are built to Mayuri's specs. If they failed, it means those kids surpassed his parameters. That alone would've caught his eye."
His gaze drifted west, toward Rukongai. "Scientists are sensitive like that. No wonder the SRDI churns out so many bizarre things. Meanwhile, the rest of us—well, we still look at them like children in need of protecting. But you and I both felt it, didn't we? That reiatsu tearing a hole in the sky? Not something a kid does. Without meaning to, they protected Seireitei once already."
"So yeah. I understand Mayuri's curiosity. And I understand Aizen's concern."
"The future of Seireitei and the Gotei 13 is going to hinge on kids like them. I can feel it."
Aizen adjusted his glasses, expression solemn. "May your words prove true. If they can shoulder Seireitei's future, then my hopes will be fulfilled."
"Oh? Sounds like you've got more on your mind, Aizen-kun."
"Nothing worth teasing me for, Captain Kyōraku."
Kyōraku smirked, then looked at the vice-captain still standing frozen. "Well, Ōmaeda, time to take us to Captain Soi Fon."
"Oh—yes! Right this way! Though, uh, Captain's not in the best mood. She's questioning Soma right now. If he's not careful, says something dumb like that orange-haired kid, he'll end up in solitary for real."
Ōmaeda hustled them along.
"They're not hurt, are they?" Aizen asked gently.
"Injured, but nothing serious. Honestly, it's a miracle. Against enemies like that, none of them needed more than bandages. If they get roughed up now, it'll be a damn shame."
"You don't think highly of your captain, Vice-Captain Ōmaeda?" Aizen pressed.
"Not bias. Facts!" he barked, too fast.
"Oh? Let's hear them."
Ōmaeda froze mid-step. The air turned razor-thin, killing intent brushing his skin like knives.
He forced his head around.
There she was.
Soi Fon. Standing with Soma at the detention block entrance.
The interrogation was over. No tension lingered in the air. If anything… the distance between them looked almost cordial.
Her lips curled cold.
"…"
She didn't speak. She didn't have to. Her eyes cut past him to Kyōraku and Aizen.
"I know why you're here. Don't worry. Everything's already been handled. You can go back."
"Not yet?" Kyōraku asked plainly, pulling his hat low.
Her brow arched, annoyed. "You'd have them stagger home bleeding and exhausted? The 2nd Division barracks aren't just cells. I'll spare them rooms for the night. After all, they did assist me. If I couldn't manage that much, people might say I'm heartless."
Both captains glanced at Ōmaeda.
"…?!"
He nearly wept. Not like this. Don't pin it on me.
Her cold smile returned. Sharper than steel. She said nothing more.
Even Soma felt the chill. He shot Ōmaeda a look of sympathy that screamed: If you survive this, we'll be friends.
Not now. But maybe tomorrow.
"Then we'll take our leave," Aizen said smoothly.
"Hm."
Her reply to him was softer. Almost kind. She even assigned men to see them settled—pillows, baths, a warm meal.
Ōmaeda, meanwhile, got booted onto night patrol. No breaks, no naps, eyes watching his every step. The bitter contrast couldn't have been sharper.
The whole thing left Aizen—and Ichigo, freshly "released"—wondering.
What the hell had Soma said in there?
"Nothing big. Just gave her everything I knew, plus a few theories."
"…That's it?" Ichigo didn't buy it.
"Of course not. Don't underestimate Aizen-sensei's lessons. Words are weapons."
Soma's smile was faint, self-satisfied.
"My theories drew from real-world case studies—At the Mountains of Madness, The Dunwich Horror, The Shadow Over Innsmouth, The Dreams in the Witch House. Anthropology, psychology, microexpressions, trace analysis, detective reasoning. It set a tone for the investigation. Captain Soi Fon even said my approach to dealing with outsiders gave her a sense of… pride, I think."
Ichigo just stared.
"Pride. From Soi Fon. Yeah, right."
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A/n: If you've been enjoying the story so far, don't forget to add it to your collection!