Karakura Town.
Kūgo Ginjō, tightly bound by glowing yellow Kidō chains, was tossed into the corner of the safehouse's living room.
He looked as pitiful as a lamb waiting for slaughter.
On the other side of the room, Kazuma, Batsu'unsai, Saitō, and Hiyori were feasting on a massive spread of sushi, ramen, and fried chicken.
They chatted and ate, the atmosphere light and cheerful, completely ignoring Ginjō's longing gaze.
Suddenly, Ginjō's stomach let out a loud, drawn-out grumble. The sound was exceptionally clear in the quiet room, drawing everyone's attention.
Kazuma and the others stopped eating and looked over.
Ginjō's face flushed bright red.
He lowered his head, trying to hide his embarrassment!
'Damn it! How could I be so pathetic?' he cursed inwardly.
He tried to flex his abdominal muscles to quiet his stomach, praying no one would mention it.
Clearly, his wish was not granted.
Kazuma raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Well, well, looks like our guest is hungry. Care to join us for a bite?" He deliberately picked up a piece of fried chicken with his chopsticks and waved it in front of Ginjō.
Ginjō's eyes narrowed, glaring angrily at Kazuma. "You bastard, just wait until I break out of this! I won't let you off!" His voice was filled with resentment, but it couldn't hide his deep-seated fear.
After all, he was just a powerless prisoner facing the monster who had pinned him to a rooftop with a mere fraction of his strength.
When first captured, Ginjō had refused to answer any questions.
Kazuma hadn't coddled him, he'd simply tossed him into the corner and started eating.
But hunger is a powerful motivator.
A little temptation, and he finally broke.
"I want some ramen," Ginjō muttered.
Looking at his pathetic state, Kazuma's lips curled into a teasing smile. "You were so stubborn just a moment ago. Why are you willing to talk now? You want ramen? Sure, no problem. But on one condition: you answer my questions truthfully. Otherwise... I'll have no qualms about chopping you up and adding you to the broth!"
Faced with such a ridiculously comical yet entirely plausible threat, Ginjō couldn't laugh.
His eyes widened as he carefully sized up the man before him—the one wearing the haori that represented his absolute status as a Captain of the Gotei 13.
'Weren't Captains supposed to be serious figures like Ukitake?' he wondered. 'But this guy is a complete goofball!'
If it weren't for the crushing Spiritual Pressure Kazuma had released earlier, Ginjō wouldn't believe this man was a Captain even if the Soul King himself declared it.
Kazuma couldn't care less about the thoughts running through Ginjō's mind.
He snapped his fingers, undoing the binding Kidō, and handed the boy a bowl of steaming ramen.
"Eat up. Don't worry, I still respect human rights. I treat my prisoners quite kindly."
With that, he sat back down and waited quietly.
Ginjō stared at the food, fell silent for a moment, and then began to wolf it down. After draining the broth, he let out a contented burp.
Seeing that Ginjō had finished, Kazuma leaned forward, his casual demeanor vanishing.
"Let me formally introduce myself. I am Kazuma Satou, Captain of the Seventh Division. Now, tell me the reason for your betrayal."
A bitter smile appeared on Ginjō's face. "Captain Kazuma, what you saw earlier is the truth. The reason I lost contact was because of that Shinigami, Tokinada Tsunayashiro. I absolutely did not betray you."
His expression was one of utter helplessness, like a man wrongfully accused.
Kazuma was clearly not satisfied with this answer.
He frowned, his tone hardening. "Ginjō, Tokinada's obstruction was indeed a factor. But why did you break away from Soul Society's control to establish a Fullbring organization before that? How do you explain that?"
Faced with Kazuma's questioning, Ginjō grew agitated.
He slammed a fist on the table. "If Soul Society appointed me as a Substitute Shinigami, why did they secretly monitor me with that damn Substitute Badge?! That is clearly a sign of complete distrust!"
His eyes burned with anger and betrayal.
Kazuma couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He found Ginjō's outrage utterly ridiculous!
He spoke mockingly while shaking his head, "Monitoring you was for your own good. After this incident, you should understand just how weak you really are! With your insignificant strength, if Soul Society couldn't keep track of your whereabouts, you wouldn't even know how you died! As for your privacy? Soul Society has no interest in what you do in your free time. We simply don't want the power of a Shinigami to fall into the wrong hands."
Kazuma looked at Ginjō with disdain.
His gaze was sharp, filled with a cold indifference.
This invisible pressure sent a chill up Ginjō's spine, making him feel as though a predator were staring him down.
"Also," Kazuma continued, "you attacked the squad member who came to investigate your disappearance. You can't deny that, can you? As a Substitute, raising a blade against an official Shinigami constitutes armed rebellion. How do you explain that?"
His voice was low and severe.
Ginjō opened his mouth but found himself unable to refute the accusation.
The facts were laid bare, he had indeed attacked the Shinigami who came looking for him.
No matter how he tried to argue the context, his words would sound pale and feeble.
The air grew thick with tension. Ginjō fell into silence, a look of despair crossing his face.
He knew that this time, escaping punishment would be impossible.
After a long while, Ginjō finally broke the silence, his voice trembling slightly. "Captain Kazuma... what kind of punishment will Soul Society give me?"
His eyes revealed a trace of deep unease.
Kazuma frowned, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
He didn't answer directly. "I was only ordered to arrest you and bring you back to the Seireitei," he said slowly.
"As for your final charges and punishment, I don't know, nor do I wish to be involved."
Kazuma's gaze remained calm.
He had to uphold Soul Society's stance. Even when facing a manipulated pawn like Ginjō, he could not waver.
It was the only way to maintain order.
From a human perspective, Ginjō's actions might have been justified paranoia, but from Soul Society's absolute standpoint, he had violated martial law.
Kazuma was still a Captain of the Gotei 13.
"Let's go. We're heading back." Kazuma drew his Zanpakutō and sliced open a Senkaimon. "My love, Saitō, Hiyori. See you next time!"
"Captain, aren't you staying a little..."
Before Hiyori could finish her sentence, Kazuma had already dragged Ginjō through the portal.