"Tap, tap…"
"Tap, tap…"
Rikichi Yuki of the Sixth Division hurried to the Kuchiki estate's head chamber. With a thud, he dropped to his knees and called into the room:
"Captain, report—"
"What is it?" Byakuya Kuchiki asked without even lifting his eyelids.
"It has been confirmed that Vice-Captain Abarai has defected. Currently, Eighth Seat Akechi and other division members are engaging him in the Northern District of the Seireitei. No casualties so far!"
"Oh."
Byakuya slightly raised his gaze toward Rikichi outside the door and said calmly,
"Notify the other seated officers of the division to proceed to the Northern District and apprehend Abarai. If there is no confidence in bringing him back… he may be executed on the spot."
"And—" Rikichi's face flickered with hesitation, unsure whether to continue.
"If there is more, say it."
"Yes!"
Cold sweat dripped down Rikichi's forehead as he carefully added,
"Additionally, someone reported seeing Rukia-senpai in the Northern District… it seems she—"
"I see… so that's how it is."
Byakuya slowly rose to his feet and walked toward the door.
"This cannot be allowed to continue as childish nonsense… I will personally bring them back. Let's go, Rikichi."
…
At the same time, in the Fifth Division barracks, a worried Kasumiōji Hoko arrived outside the captain's office. She saw Hinamori Momo standing guard alone and asked:
"Momo, is the captain still inside?"
"Yes. Since returning from outside, Captain Aizen has remained in his office and hasn't left."
"That's good. I have something to report—"
Kneeling outside the office, Hoko called softly,
"Captain Aizen, this is Vice-Captain Kasumiōji Hoko. May I enter?"
But after a long while, the room remained completely silent. There was no reply from Aizen… as if no one were inside at all.
"Captain!" Hoko raised her voice slightly. "Captain Aizen, this is Vice-Captain Kasumiōji Hoko. I have a report—"
Still no response.
An indescribable unease crept over both Hoko and Hinamori. They exchanged a glance, and Hoko stepped forward to slide open the wooden door.
Inside the spacious room, Aizen lay slumped over his cluttered desk as if asleep. Several poetry books were scattered at his feet—but their title pages were already soaked crimson with blood.
"W-What—? Ai... Captain Aizen..."
Hoko stared in horror at the Zanpakutō stabbed into Aizen's back, her voice trembling.
"The Captain... has been... murdered!"
"Captain Aizen—!"
Hinamori screamed and rushed forward. Her hands hovered over his body, afraid to disturb the scene. She collapsed to the floor, trembling uncontrollably.
"Damn it!"
Hoko snapped back to her senses first. She lunged forward and grabbed Hinamori by the collar.
"Momo, are you certain Captain Aizen was alone in the room before he was attacked?!"
"Y-Yes… yes…"
Hinamori was utterly shaken, her eyes vacant and unfocused.
"N-No… Captain Shiba came here earlier. It seemed they argued over the 'warrant for Fūjin Taichi'…
Then Captain Shiba left angrily… and after that, the captain never came out again!!"
"Captain Shiba of the Tenth Division?"
Hoko's brows knit tightly together. She glanced at the Zanpakutō piercing through Aizen's body, feeling that something was off—yet unable to pinpoint what.
She helped Hinamori up and forced herself to remain calm.
"Momo, go report Captain Aizen's death to the Captain-Commander immediately… and then bring Captain Unohana of Fourth Division here!"
"B-but... Captain Aizen... he's..."
Hinamori seemed to have lost her soul entirely, limp like dough in Hoko's grip.
"Momo, pull yourself together!"
Hoko shouted,
"Captain Aizen has been killed; you cannot afford to fall apart now!"
"W-What?"
"If you truly trust Captain Aizen, then at a time like this, you must stay calm more than ever!"
"Our top priority right now is to find the murderer who killed Captain Aizen and bring them to justice!"
"But Captain Aizen…" Hinamori Momo began to cry again, tears streaming down her face as she sobbed softly.
"Stop crying!" Kasumiōji Hoko, though she had once admired Aizen as well, clearly had far stronger composure than Hinamori.
When she saw Aizen murdered, she had indeed panicked—but she quickly suppressed her emotions and responded decisively:
"Momo, before the Central Investigation Unit releases its findings, you must not tell anyone that Captain Shiba came here—
Because I don't think this is that simple! It feels as if someone deliberately arranged all of this! And think carefully… Captain Shiba had no reason to kill Captain Aizen!"
"No…"
Hinamori gradually regained some clarity. Through tearful eyes, she looked at Hoko and said,
"Captain Aizen once told me… that Captain Shiba had been acting very strangely ever since returning from the Human World!"
"What?"
After hearing that, Hoko recalled that Captain Aizen had indeed mentioned Captain Shiba recently following him, as if plotting something…
"That's it! That must be it!"
Hinamori now seemed fully awake, her voice rising with agitation.
"Not long after Captain Shiba returned from the Human World… the Ryoka began invading Soul Society… If there's no connection, that makes no sense, right?!
And… Fūjin Taichi, who went to the Human World with Captain Shiba, has now been officially confirmed by the Seireitei to have colluded with the Ryoka—
That only proves… Captain Shiba was secretly orchestrating this entire conspiracy to achieve some unspeakable goal—
And Captain Aizen must have discovered his plot, which is why he was murdered by him!!!"
"Is that so…"
Hoko pondered silently for a moment before replying,
"It's still too early to draw that conclusion… I think we should wait for the Central Investigation Unit and Captain Unohana of the Fourth Division to arrive before making any judgments."
"Yes! Understood! I'll head to the Head Division immediately—"
Hinamori had finally regained her usual composure. She glanced at Aizen's body and solemnly said to Hoko,
"I'll leave things here to you."
"Mm."
Hoko gave a firm nod. After Hinamori left, she walked alone to Aizen's corpse, slowly drew her zanpakutō, and murmured:
"I'm sorry, Captain Aizen… In order to find the murderer, please forgive what I'm about to do to your body. Now—Infuse the Incantation, Higanbana!!"
Whoosh—
Her Zanpakutō transformed into a gigantic red spider lily. Countless petals drifted down, settling gently over Aizen's body.
Kasumiōji Hoko's Zanpakutō, Higanbana (Crimson Wish Flower), possessed an independent consciousness. Once released, it would instinctively seek out and absorb the spiritual energy of Shinigami.
And as its wielder, Hoko could use its unique ability to identify the residual spiritual pressure left on Aizen's body by his killer.