Cough, cough...
A series of dry, ragged coughs broke the silence within the quiet halls of the Kuchiki Manor.
Hearing the sound, Byakuya pushed open the sliding door and walked in, finding his wife sitting up in bed with a handkerchief pressed to her mouth.
Her face was as pale as paper, her dark eyes looking exhausted and sunken.
Byakuya's brow furrowed as he walked over, sitting on the edge of the bed and he speak with a soft voice.
"Hisana, your health has worsened. Did you go out to the Rukongai again?"
Ever since Hisana married into the clan five years ago, she had obsessively searched for the younger sister she abandoned.
However, her frail health prevented her from scouring the massive districts of the Rukongai every day.
Yet, whenever her condition improved even slightly, she'd set out into the slums without hesitation.
To this day, she had found absolutely no trace of the infant.
Hisana lowered her head, looking at her pale hands as she answered. "I'm sorry, Byakuya. I just wanted to go and look..."
Byakuya sighed, squeezing her cold hands.
He wasn't blaming Hisana, he was terrified for her.
He knew the crushing guilt driving her search, so he never formally ordered his guards to stop her.
But he watched her spirit body physically deteriorate with every trip she took into the outer districts.
"Byakuya, I might not be able to accompany you for much longer," Hisana whispered, her voice trembling.
"This body of mine has almost reached its limit. If I still haven't found my sister before I fade... can you help me continue the search?"
Hisana knew the state of her own soul.
She didn't have much time left.
Byakuya held her hands tighter, his usually stoic eyes filled with raw pain and helplessness.
He wanted to comfort her, to tell her that everything would be all right, but he refused to lie.
"Don't worry," Hisana said, offering a weak smile to ease the terror in her husband's heart. "No matter what happens, I'll always be by your side. If one day I'm no longer here, I believe you'll be able to live on strongly."
Byakuya closed his eyes and pressed her hands to his forehead.
He knew that even if she faded into Reishi, his heart would forever remain locked away with her.
He'd gladly sacrifice his own life to protect her, but against the natural decay of a weak soul, his blade was useless.
Seeing Byakuya's pained expression, Hisana sighed.
She knew her dying request was a heavy, cruel burden to place on him, but she truly didn't want to give up hope.
"Byakuya, I know this request is difficult for you. But please, promise me you'll find my sister. She's my only blood.... abandoning her to survive the winter by herself is the greatest sin of my life."
Byakuya sat in silence for a long moment before finally nodding. "I promise."
It was her last wish, and his sacred vow to her.
No matter the cost, he'd find the girl.
...
As the weeks passed, Hisana grew weaker.
Byakuya barely left her side, personally taking care of her daily needs, desperately hoping to bring her some warmth and comfort in the end.
One afternoon, Byakuya sought out his uncle, Kōga, who was handling clan affairs in the main study.
Byakuya knelt on the tatami mat, his expression heavy as he spoke.
"Uncle. Hisana's condition is deteriorating rapidly. I've tried every healing Kidō and called every physician, but I can't stop the collapse of her spirit body. I've sent the clan's private guard to scour the Junrinan District and all adjacent sectors, but there's been no trace of her sister. She hasn't found peace, and I refuse to let her die with regrets."
Kōga set his brush down, letting out a deep, bitter sigh. "Byakuya, I warned you of this five years ago. Hisana is just an ordinary soul. She would've survived a normal lifespan in the Rukongai, but living in an environment like the Seireitei... an area of intensely compressed spiritual pressure... the ambient Reishi is literally crushing her fragile soul. It's only hastened her demise."
Byakuya lowered his head, clenching his fists so tightly against his thighs that blood trickled from his palms.
"Is there really no other way?"
Seeing his nephew's agonizing state, Kōga felt a pang of deep sympathy. "The spiritual density here is poison to commoners. If she were still in the slums, she might've lived another thirty years. But now... the damage to her core is irreversible."
Byakuya looked up, his eyes filled with absolute despair. "But I brought her here. I'm the reason she's dying! Can I only watch helplessly as she fades?!"
Kōga shook his head. "Byakuya, you must accept reality. Her physical condition can no longer be changed. All we can do is alleviate her suffering with medicine. As for her sister... if they're fated to reunite, she'll be found eventually."
Byakuya stared at the floor for a long time before finally giving a numb nod.
"Thank you, Uncle. I understand."
He stood up and turned to leave, his posture rigid and incredibly desolate.
Seeing Byakuya's broken state, Kōga couldn't bear it and slammed a hand on his desk.
"Wait, Byakuya!"
Byakuya stopped and turned back, his face blank.
Kōga stood up, adjusting his sword at his waist. "Come with me to the Seventh Division. Perhaps he can heal Hisana."
A frantic glimmer of light flashed in Byakuya's eyes, as if he'd just been thrown a lifeline in a storm.
"Who? The Captain of the Seventh? Can he heal her? As long as there's a sliver of hope, I'm willing to try. I'll trade everything I have, my own life, if he can save her!"
Kōga shook his head. "Just come with me for now. I'm not certain if he can cure Hisana, but he's currently the only entity in the Soul Society who might be able to pull off a miracle."
Byakuya nodded, his heart pounding in his chest, and quickly followed his uncle.
Even if it was just a small chance, he'd seize it.
....
Seventh Division.
Kōga brought Byakuya to Kazuma's office.
Kazuma was lounging behind his desk, sipping sake from a small ceramic cup.
"Isn't this the man who casually officiated my wedding?" Byakuya murmured to Kōga, his voice tight with disbelief.
"He's the Captain of the Seventh Division?" The moment Byakuya saw Kazuma's relaxed, lazy posture, the desperate hope in his heart seemed to shatter, replaced by heavy distrust.
Seeing Byakuya's hesitation, Kōga clapped a hand on his nephew's shoulder.
"Byakuya, Captain Kazuma is my Master. A monster like him will definitely have some method to save hisana. Show some respect."
Hearing his uncle's firm endorsement, Byakuya nodded, though a trace of doubt lingered.
Hisana's illness was fatal, and Kazuma didn't look like a highly skilled Fourth Division doctor in any capacity.
But since he was already here, he had to try.
Kazuma looked at Kōga, rolling his eyes as he took another sip of sake.
"Is that any way to talk about your Master, you brat?"
Kōga ignored Kazuma's reaction and bowed deeply. "Master, I've come to you today to beg a favor..."
Kazuma cut Kōga off, waving his sake cup nonchalantly. "It's about Hisana reaching her limit, isn't it?"
Kōga froze for a second.
He didn't expect Kazuma to know the details of the Kuchiki clan's internal crisis so well.
But he quickly recovered, since Kazuma seemed to know everything anyway.
Byakuya stared at Kazuma in astonishment, his distrust wavering.
He stepped forward, dropping to his knees. "Can you heal Hisana?"
Kazuma poured himself another cup of sake, pondering for a moment as he looked down at Byakuya.
"I've got no confidence in curing Hisana completely. A soul's lifespan is fixed by its capacity. But I do have a way to artificially prolong her life by several decades."
Byakuya's face lit up with overwhelming excitement, and he immediately pressed his forehead to the wooden floorboards, kowtowing deeply.
"Kazuma-senpai, I beg you! Please save my wife!"
Kazuma took a slow sip of sake. "I will. But I have a small condition I need you two to handle first."
Byakuya didn't hesitate for a single second, keeping his head bowed. "As long as you can save Hisana, I'll agree to any of your request. I'll give you anything you desire."
Hearing Byakuya's intense, dramatic reply, Kazuma nearly spat out his sake.
He coughed, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You don't think I'm going to propose some harsh condition, do you?"
He pointed at the two noblemen. "Kōga, you go to the Twelfth Division and drag Captain Mayuri here immediately. And you, Byakuya. Go back to the manor and carefully bring Hisana to my barracks. That is the 'condition'."
Byakuya slowly raised his head, blinking in confusion.
He didn't expect the demand to just be fetching the patient!
Kōga, however, broke into a wide smile.
His eccentric master was as unexpected and reliable as ever!
He bowed to Kazuma, then turned to his nephew. "Byakuya, hurry back and fetch your wife. I'm off to invite Captain Mayuri."
With that, Kōga walked out of the room, and Byakuya quickly stood to follow.
As they stepped into the courtyard, Byakuya glanced at Kōga with lingering hesitation.
Kōga gave him a reassuring, confident look. "Since my Master said he has a way, it's an absolute certainty. You can rest assured, Byakuya."
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