'Sure enough, Tōsen Kaname is involved too. Is he hiding here in the Seijōtōkyorin right now? Or is he outside?'
'He must be outside,' Unohana thought, stepping forward with her right foot and turning her body sideways as her right hand gripped the hilt of her Zanpakutō. If Tōsen Kaname had been outside this whole time, his target was obviously Kuchiki Rukia. It was already too late to stop him, but stopping Aizen here would achieve the same result.
"Don't move, Sister Hana," Kōe said, grabbing Unohana's wrist. "If you make a move here, I'll have to stop you."
"L-Lord Chōzuka, Captain, you two..." Kōe's actions instantly threw Isane into a panic. She wanted to break up the fight but had no idea how to intervene.
"Do you understand the consequences?" Unohana asked.
"I do, but I don't want any regrets. I want to fight for whatever I can get," Kōe nodded, a smile on his face. "I suppose I'll never be able to fix this bad habit of mine."
'To put it bluntly, he's just greedy!' Unohana shot Kōe a glare. If Aizen's scheme succeeded because of this, Kōe would definitely not get off easily.
"Oh?" Ichimaru Gin felt a faint vibration in his sleeve. Extending his right hand, a strip of white cloth slithered out from his cuff like a white snake, enveloping him and Aizen at an incredible speed. "It's time to go, Captain Aizen."
Noticing the commotion behind him, Kōe turned his head and looked straight at Aizen. "According to our agreement, isn't it time you handed the person over to me?"
"You haven't exactly honored our agreements in the past, but this time, you have indeed shown your sincerity." As Aizen spoke, his expression gradually turned serious. "Farewell, Captain Unohana. And I believe we will be seeing each other again, won't we, Kōe?"
The white cloth swirling around Aizen and Gin spun faster and faster. After a blinding flash of light, only Kōe and the other three remained in the Seijōtōkyorin.
"Meow, meow!"
A mournful cat's cry echoed from above. Kōe looked up to see Shiba Miyako locked inside a cage. Only at this moment did the final weight lift from his chest.
"S-Sayo..." Isane muttered the cat's name foolishly as she watched Kōe leap into the air.
'Everything I'm seeing is fake. I'm still under Complete Hypnosis, right? This is the person Kōe was willing to make an enemy of Captain Unohana for, just to let Aizen go? This is a person!?'
'Even if you love cats, there has to be a limit! Letting such a dangerous enemy escape just for a cat—does he really know what he's doing?!'
'If it really is just a cat, then this is far too absurd. Even Kōe couldn't be greedy to this extent. But because it's Kōe, perhaps this cat isn't as simple as it seems.'
Unohana still remembered Aizen's final words. It seemed there was more than one agreement between him and Kōe...
"Lord Chōzuka, h-how could you..." Kōe ignored the stammering Isane and tossed the cage in his hand toward Kaien. "Catch. I went through a lot of trouble for Miyako's safety, so don't let your hands shake."
"Miyako? Miyako!!" Kaien's hands really did shake. The cage bounced in his grasp a few times before he finally secured it. Inside, the black cat looked up at him with tearful eyes.
"Miyako?" The black cat in the cage nodded frantically, even reaching out a chubby paw as if wanting to embrace Kaien.
'It really is Miyako. It's my wife, Shiba Miyako. But why has she turned into this?!'
"I need an explanation, Chō..."
"There's no time right now!" Before Kaien could finish, Kōe preemptively cut him off, hurriedly walking toward the exit. "I'll leave the cleanup here to you, Sister Hana. I'm going to save someone else."
"Are you really going to save someone?" Unohana asked softly, causing Kōe to pause. "Have you reverted back to your identity as a Shinigami, or have you been one all along?"
"I've always been in the Seireitei. If I'm not a Shinigami, what else could I be?" Kōe turned his head slightly. "Don't worry, I won't let Aizen step out of the Seireitei's gates. Also..."
"Thank you for bringing Kaien here, Sister Hana."
'All along, huh?' The corners of Unohana's lips curled up. No matter what this brat said, it sounded like a lie, yet at the same time, it felt like the truth. She would trust him one more time.
"Captain? What should we do now?"
"Immediately pinpoint the locations of Aizen, Ichimaru Gin, and Tōsen Kaname. At the same time, search for the locations of all captains, lieutenants, and the Ryoka, and relay everything we've learned here to them."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Leave this place to me. I will perform emergency first aid on Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Hinamori right now." As Unohana spoke, she drew her Zanpakutō. Even though her head was lowered, it was as if she had eyes in the back of her head. "And Lieutenant Shiba, who is trying to leave, you will help me too."
"But!..."
"No 'buts'. Your involvement in the upcoming battle will only distract Kōe. Given 3rd Seat Shiba's condition, shouldn't you take her to Squad 4 for an examination?"
"But..." Shiba Kaien seemed to have more to say, but Unohana gave him no chance. "By the way, this isn't a suggestion; it's an order. You just need to say whether you will execute it or not."
"I..." Kaien drew in a sharp breath. What was with this terrifying atmosphere? "I understand, Captain Unohana."
Some partings are only temporary, and people long for reunions. Yet sometimes, they wish the reunion hadn't arrived so quickly.
"Is this... Sōkyoku Hill?" Abarai Renji looked at the desolate clearing. In the distance, the massive execution stand with its broken crossbeam still stood tall.
He had been tasked with taking Rukia and fleeing the Seireitei. But just as they were about to reach the Seireitei walls, they encountered a heavily scarred Captain Tōsen. The man had pulled out a strip of white cloth, wrapping it around him and Rukia, and in the next second, they were unexpectedly brought right back to where they started.
'Did we get hit by some weird Kidō?' Renji warily scanned his surroundings. He had barely turned ninety degrees to his right when he spotted an orange-haired guy staring at him with a look of utter disbelief.
'Since Ichigo, that idiot, is here, we must really be on Sōkyoku Hill. But...'
"Why the hell did you come back, you bastard?!" Ichigo pointed at Renji and roared. He had just gone through the grueling effort of defeating Kuchiki Byakuya and was about to meet up with Renji, only for this guy to suddenly show up right here. How considerate of him—too considerate, in fact!
"You think I wanted to, you idiot?!" Renji roared back. "Do you have any idea how exhausting it was to run that far?!"
"Then why are you standing right in front of me?!"
"I'd like to know that too! Do you think I actually wanted to see your stupid face again?!"
Yet, such a reunion had occurred. Though hard to accept, it was far less heartbreaking than their parting.
"You're as energetic as ever, Abarai."
"C-Captain Aizen." Renji turned around. The face in his memories perfectly matched the voice he just heard. "Why are you here?"
It was clearly a reunion, yet why did it carry an unprecedented sense of unfamiliarity? A reunion like this was far more dangerous than any parting.