Hirako Shinji was in a hospital room. No, he wasn't sick or wounded, at least not physically. He was just visiting his lethally wounded 3rd Seat. Emmalin Niagra. She had been in hospital for 4 days. The old man had tried to keep it secret. Everything had happened so quickly. A year ago he didn't even know her name or who she was. No, scratch that. She was Senkai. The leader of the Central 46. He couldn't not know about her. He just didn't give a shit about her, or her two step brothers for that matter. Now, here he was. Worried sick about her. The irony of the situation was sadistic, at least. Who would have thought that Hirako Shinji would genuinely fall in love? Nobody, and yet…


The door opened, revealing an aggravated Kensei, along with Love and Rose.

"How could you? How could you let her get like this, bastard?" Kensei yelled. Shinji's eyes widened. He gulped, looking away from his friend, guilt flashing through his eyes.

"I couldn't…" Kensei didn't give him a chance to finish.

"Don't you give me that crap! You're a Captain, she's a 3rd Seat! You're far stronger than her! Did you just watch…" Love covered his mouth.

"Oi, Kensei, chill out. I'm sure Shinji did everything he could."

"Yeah, why would he want Niagra-san hurt anyway? She's his girlfriend, after all." Rose completed. Shinji looked at them for a while. Rose and Love were shocked to see the guilt in his eyes, more than they have ever seen.

"Let him talk. He's right, after all. I could've done more…" Kensei's eyes widened. He broke from his friends' grip and aimed at punch at Shinji.

"Son of a bitch! Then why didn't you?..." His arm was caught from behind. All eyes widened.


"No fuckin way." Shinji whispered. The white haori was still moving from the momentum. Kensei's fist was slightly trembling. He didn't know the man, but he was wearing a captain's haori and emanated power. Love and Rose were dumbstruck from the number written on the back. 0. The Captain of the secret Division 0 had come to visit the 3rd Seat of the 5th in person. "Good to see you dropped by, Ayazomi-Taicho." Shinji said. He had expected the man to come. After all, Emmalin had been his sempai over 100 years ago and their bond was still pretty strong. Ayazomi Kye, the Captain of Division 0. He looked at Kensei.

"Muguruma-Taicho, as much as I share your anger, I must inform you that this is a hospital room, not a fighting ground." He said. Kensei palled. Kye let go of his arm. "I must ask you three to leave this room for a few moments. I need to talk about something important with Hirako-san." Rose, Love and Kensei left. Kye turned towards Shinji. "Well, now, I'd love to blame you for what happened, but…" he sighed "…this is my sempai we're talking about and I'm pretty sure there was nothing you could have done. Was it?" he asked. Shinji avoided Kye's eyes on him.

"I don't know. I'm pretty sure there was." Kye rolled his eyes.

"Then tell me what happened, who was the enemy and I'll decide that." Shinji sighed.

"Fine. The enemy was the King of Hueco Mundo…"

"You're kidding me!" Kye yelled, shocked.

"Nope. The old man told us all not to go there. But there were already shinigami fighting him. People we knew and Emily was friends with. She didn't give a shit about his orders and told me to go with her. I did as she said, but on our way there… she asked a favor." Shinji stopped, thinking of a way to explain everything.

"What kind of favor?"

"Once we got there, I was supposed to take all the others and get them to safety. I told her I'd come back to help her and she agreed. When we got there… she got that wound." Shinji said, pointing towards her chest. "She still told me to do as we had decided. When I got back she was barely able to move. I distracted the hollow and she sent him to Hueco Mundo."

"What did you do after?"

"I took her to the 4th as quickly as possible. That's all."

"Well, fuck, there was nothing more I would have done." Kye said. "She was going all-out, right? Mask and all." He whispered. Shinji nodded. "Then you did all you could. How is she, by the way?"

"Still alive." Kye smirked knowingly and prepared to leave. He first walked up to Shinji, placing a hand on the other man's shoulder.

"It's not your fault. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." He said before leaving. The other three Captains weren't on the hall. Kye sweat dropped. 'They eavesdropped then ran away like chickens. Cowards.'


Emily was surrounded by a mass of darkness. 'Am I dead?' The darkness started to absorb her, as she felt panic surround her. 'Jyubi! I need you, where are you?' she tried to yell, but couldn't. Then she saw it. Jyubi was watching her, surrounded by his yellow reiatsu. 'Jyubi… please.' He sighed. The darkness stopped advancing, but didn't pull back. 'I can save you, but the price is…' he trailed off, almost afraid to continue. 'What is it? Jyubi, I'm running out of time here!'

'The price is your Senkai power. You will lose all the power you have as Senkai, being left only enough to be a 3rd Seat. However, your power will slowly return. In 100 years it will all be back. So, do you wish to give it up?'

Emily closed her eyes. 'Losing my power…' Her mind filled with her memories with Shinji. 'I never really needed it. I accept.'

'Then so be it.'