Kuchiki Rukia had always been an exceptionally serious person.
No matter what she faced, she threw herself into it wholeheartedly and held nothing back.
Even as a child she'd been fiercely independent and strong-willed, yet beneath that stubborn exterior lay a delicate kindness and remarkable intelligence that surfaced when she least expected it.
That unusual combination was why even Abarai Renji once remarked that no matter what Rukia did, she always carried herself with a certain natural grace.
If one word could sum up Rukia's life, it would be heart.
From the moment she began walking her path, Rukia had always followed what she believed in.
She pursued the desires buried deep inside her with honesty and determination, never pretending to be someone she wasn't.
Across that long journey, she preserved the strength and purity within her heart.
Like a bright star shining on the darkest night, she refused to let hardship put out her light.
No matter how many obstacles stood in her way, she never truly surrendered to fear.
She turned her courage and resolve into action, moving step by step toward the future she wanted.
The feelings held within Rukia's heart were just as rich.
There was her deep sense of belonging to Soul Society, the place she'd come to regard as her true home.
There was her sincere concern for Ichigo, a bond formed in a short time but strengthened by everything they'd endured together.
There was her endless longing for her late friend Shiba Kaien, whose memory still came back to her in vivid flashes whenever she looked at those days.
There was also the hard-to-describe reliance she felt toward Kazuma.
It wasn't weakness, but trust born from closeness and the certainty that he'd be there when she truly needed him.
Most important of all was her refusal to bow to fate and her determination never to abandon the beliefs that had guided her from the beginning.
"Sensei, I finally understand what my original purpose was!"
Understanding broke over Rukia all at once, and her entire presence seemed to change in that instant.
The mischievous girl who usually spent her days laughing, arguing, and causing trouble vanished as though she'd never existed.
In her place sat a graceful, composed young woman, her quiet bearing carrying an unmistakable dignity.
Rukia slowly crossed her legs and closed her eyes, letting her consciousness sink into her inner world.
A powerful force had always lain hidden there, something she'd possessed since birth but had never truly learned to control.
She'd only begun to understand it now, but fortunately, it wasn't too late.
Kazuma watched every change taking place in her, and relief rose in his chest.
He understood how important this moment of clarity was, so he quietly placed a barrier around the captain's office. He wouldn't let anyone interrupt his precious student.
One moment of true realization had stripped away all the confusion clouding her heart.
When Rukia opened her eyes again, she would be reborn.
"Finally. My foolish student has figured it out at last."
Kazuma sighed with feeling.
For a while, he'd genuinely feared he'd ruined one of the story's main heroines.
Thankfully, he'd managed to drag her back onto the right path before it was too late.
"Hmph. Renji? That walking cheat code Ichigo? You two had better start trembling!"
A smug smile appeared on his face.
"Rukia's future achievements will be so far beyond yours that you won't even be able to touch them."
Without quite realizing it, Kazuma had set himself an ambitious new goal.
He intended to raise Rukia all the way to the very top.
Someone might argue her natural talent wasn't enough, but that was nonsense.
Did they think Kazuma had been pouring star power into her for nothing?
While cleansing and rebuilding Rukia's body, Kazuma had made one small additional adjustment.
He'd fused the fundamental power of this world's Hokuto Kyūsei — the Nine Stars of the Northern Dipper — into her.
It could fairly be called changing her fate.
Under ordinary circumstances the difference was impossible to see.
But now that Rukia had sunk completely into her inner world, the power of the stars manifested outside her body in a terrifying display.
The first was Tensū, the Star of Virtue. It stood for rightful authority and carried the majesty of a sovereign.
The second, Tensen, was the Star of Law. It governed punishment and embodied the decisiveness and impartiality of a queen.
The third, Tenki, was the Star of Calamity. Though the name sounded ominous, its true purpose was balance, restraint, and control.
The fourth, Tenken, was the Star of Punishment. It upheld heavenly law and brought judgment on those who'd abandoned righteousness, granting justice the power to act.
The fifth, Gyokkō, was the Star of Slaughter. It governed the center, supported every direction, and carried out sentence on the guilty. Its killing force alone was enough to chill the heart.
The sixth, Kaiyō, was the Star of Peril. It governed the heavenly granaries and the five grains, tying it to the very foundations on which all living things survived.
The seventh, Yōkō, was the Star of Command. It ruled warfare, armies, and military authority.
Beyond those seven were the two assisting stars.
The Left Assistant, Dōmei, governed wisdom, inspiration, and creation.
The Right Assistant, Ingen, stood for the future, uncertainty, and endless possibility.
As the power of the Hokuto Kyūsei poured out of Rukia's body, an aura strong enough to make anyone's heart tremble filled the room.
The Northern Dipper governed death, while the Southern Dipper governed life.
Now that Rukia held the power of judgment and slaughter, her future had become dazzlingly bright.
There was almost no limit to how far she could go.
"Captain, what is this…?"
Tetsuzaemon pushed open the door.
He'd seen stars shining in broad daylight from outside and assumed Kazuma was experimenting with another strange technique.
Instead, he found Rukia sitting cross-legged while an endless stream of star power radiated from her body.
"Why are you making such a fuss? Rukia is working hard to understand the secret of her Shikai."
Kazuma rolled his eyes as though there were nothing remotely unusual about the scene.
Tetsuzaemon looked anything but calm.
His mind was practically ringing from the shock.
How was this not extraordinary? It was completely absurd!
He didn't know the exact abilities of Rukia's Zanpakutō, but there was no way it should have anything to do with the stars.
His gaze swung back and forth between Kazuma and Rukia like a pendulum.
Could spending so much time around Kazuma have somehow influenced her Zanpakutō and caused it to take on star power?
But if that were true, Tetsuzaemon had spent far more time beside Kazuma than Rukia had. Why had his own Zanpakutō shown no sign at all of turning toward a stellar ability?
None of it made sense.
That left only one possible explanation.
Rukia might publicly bear the name of the Kuchiki Clan, but in truth, she had to be Captain Kazuma's secret daughter!
How else could anyone explain why her Zanpakutō carried the same star power as his?
Yes.
That had to be it.
After carefully weighing every clue, Tetsuzaemon became completely convinced his conclusion was correct.
"Oh. So that's how it is."
An enlightened expression appeared on his face, practically announcing that he'd uncovered the great secret behind everything.
"If you understand, then understand. What's with that disgusting look on your face?"
Kazuma stared at him in confusion.
"When did you start acting like this too?"
What exactly did this idiot think he'd figured out?
Had he somehow noticed that Kazuma had altered Rukia's body?
Had Kazuma known what Tetsuzaemon had actually concluded, he might have dropped dead on the spot.
---------
Read 30 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator