SEVENTH ARC

THE LOST AGENT

Chapter Three - House of Tsunayashiro

"Shūhei, are you ready?" Captain Kaname Tōsen asks.

Hisagi, a fresh cadet of the Ninth Division, is on the verge of tears. His Zanpakutō rattles in his grip, his hand quivering.

"No, captain," he answers, infuriated by his own cowardice.

A fatally maimed Hollow writhes on the ground before them, letting out an unbearable screech of fury and pain.

"I have already neutralized this Hollow," Tōsen says encouragingly. "It cannot hurt you."

"I'm not afraid of it attacking me, captain," Hisagi responds. "I… I can't kill it."

"This wretched creature is in pain, and only a Shinigami's Zanpakutō can grant it peace," Tōsen muses, listening passively to the monster's wailing. "What stays your sword, Shūhei? Why won't you release?"

Hisagi gazes down pityingly at the Hollow, recognizing both its anguish and how it desperately clings to life. Its frightening mask shields an expressive face, terrified eyes gleaming through the slits.

"It's afraid of dying," Hisagi answers. "Killing it would… it feels cruel."

Kaname reflects on this for a beat, then observes "You fear what you will become once you've taken a life?"

Hisagi breaks, tears streaming past the 69 tattoo etched into his cheek. "Yes. I don't see the nobility in this – I see only death. I'm sorry, Captain Tōsen. I… I'm afraid."

"Good," Kaname declares, drawing an astonished look from his subordinate. "To not be fearful of the power we exercise when we draw our Zanpakutō is to abuse our strength. When you lose respect for the lines you cross, you become lost. He who fears not the blade he wields has no right to wield that blade."

Tōsen cocks his head, listening to the last tear streaking down Shūhei's face. He gives a nod. "Do not be ashamed of your fear, Shūhei. Respect it, and you will always know yourself."

Shūhei nods to his captain with wide-eyed awe, then returns his attention back to the terrified Hollow. He sucks in a deep breath.

"Reap, Kazeshini."

SOUL SOCIETY - THE PRESENT
NINTH DIVISION BARRACKS
Hisagi fits a belt notched with a roll of parchment and a brush around his waist, cinching it tight. The brush is imbued with the Shinigami technology of Hōfushukketsu (Abundant Bleeding): it will produce endless ink without needing replenishment. The lieutenant plucks up a straw hat, snuffs out a candle with a pinch of his fingers, and exits his quarters.

Captain Kensei awaits him in the hallway, hands on his hips and glaring at him with severity.

"Oh, hey captain," Hisagi mumbles, feeling like he's been caught playing hooky.

"I need you back here before nightfall, Shūhei," Kensei says sharply. "We got some weak-kneed cadets who need rustling up and whipping into shape."

"Nighttime drills?" Hisagi asks, confused. "But… I thought you were already running training trials all day today?"

"That's right – the real training starts after, when they're exhausted and think they got a bed to look forward to," Kensei nods. "I'll need you here to spar with them. Understood?"

"Yessir," Hisagi nods, striding off in a hurry. He'll need to make it to the Rukongai in double time if he hopes to make it back before sunset.

"What's with the hat?" Kensei calls after him.

Hisagi turns around and places the straw hat over his spiky hair, affecting cool poise. "Gonna go incognito – I don't want anyone in the Rukongai recognizing me."

Kensei arches a brow in amusement.

"You don't look malnourished and you're spotlessly clean," the captain observes. "They're gonna know you're from the Seiretei even if you don't have a sword strapped to your hip. But good luck with all that."

WEST RUKONGAI – 42nd DISTRICT
Hisagi wades through a bustling crowd in the West 42nd District's market, blushing as the all the passing locals pointedly swerve away from him. His incognito disguise doesn't seem to be working. Walking past a group of street urchins encircling a makeshift fire, he defeatedly tosses his hat in the flames.

The streets bear the signs of poverty and neglect, with houses missing roofing tile and a casual stench wafting through the markets. It's not nearly as bad as the Rukongai can get, but it's the kind of district that any Soul with prospects aims to graduate from. Hisagi himself grew up in the 16th District, which was close enough to the Seiretei to be routinely patrolled by Shinigami. While many of his peers had viewed them as intrusive law enforcers, he idolized them as a child – especially Kensei Muguruma.

I wonder if Kensei would have rejected me as a cadet, Hisagi reflects. He would have been repulsed by my fear.

Hisagi knocks on the door of Tōsen House, a rather renowned shelter for wayward child-aged souls in the the neighborhood. It was where Kaname Tōsen was raised during the beginning of his afterlife. His time there was so impactful that he made it his namesake.

"Lady Tōsen had known what it was like to be forgotten in the slums of the Rukongai," Kaname told Hisagi years ago. "She took us in, provided safety and warmth, and was a mother to us all."

A squinting child answers the door, her peepers widening at the sight of Hisagi.

"We aren't harboring any criminals here, sir!" she announces, recognizing him as a Shinigami.

"No, I'm not… I've come to speak to Lady Tōsen," Hisagi says, embarrassed. "Is she in?"

The child scrutinizes Hisagi for a beat, then widens the door. "Come in."

Hisagi sits before Ayagari Tōsen, a silver-haired woman who is on the latter side of a millennia in age. Spindly in frame with a kind face, she smiles patiently as her child attendant pours her and Hisagi each a cup of tea.

"I do enjoy my Bancha," she remarks with a quavering voice. "I don't need sustenance like you do, of course. There is no Reiatsu to feed in these old bones. But… flavor is an indulgence I allow myself."

Hisagi lifts his cup of Bancha tea, politely nodding before taking a sip.

"Thank you, Lady Tōsen," he says, setting his cup down. "I'm hoping to ask you some questions. I have to record everything we discuss, if you have no objections?"

Ayagari nods, pursing her lips along the rim of her tea. "You're very polite for a Shinigami," she remarks. "What is it you've come all this way to ask me about?"

"Tōsen Kaname," Hisagi answers.

Ayagari's expression drops. She shakily sets her cup down.

"I was appalled to learn about the trouble he got himself into," she admits. "A plot to kill the Reiō? What blasphemy. It sounded nothing like the Kaname I knew."

Hisagi grasps the hem of the scroll on his hip, stretching out a swath of blank parchment and transcribing Ayagari's words with his brush.

"Can you tell me about him – as you knew him?" the lieutenant asks.

"Kaname was as good a child as any who ever graced my shelter," Ayagari reminisces. "Funnily enough, he actually came to live here by bringing in an injured girl he had rescued from a mugging. When I saw that he was blind, I insisted he stay as well. He was contemplative, quiet. I cannot recall a more pensive boy. Whatever horrors he endured before, he never shared them with me. Instead, he busied himself with helping take care of the others, even though he was younger than many of them! He was… well, he was a good child."

Hisagi studiously records Ayagari's account, feeling a pang of melancholy with every brushstroke. "How long did he live here, in your care?"

"I daresay it was about twenty years," Ayagari recalls. "He was still a boy when Kakyō took him. I felt as though I lost my –"

"Pardon me," Hisgagi interrupts. "Who is Kakyō?"

"Lady Kakyō?' Ayagari repeats, surprised that Hisagi doesn't recognize the name. "A goddess if ever there was one. She was the only noblewoman from the Seiretei to ever venture out here and meet with the children. A very charitable disposition. I remember the day she met Kaname; she was so taken with how he looked after his peers like an older brother. She took him back with her to the Seiretei, saw to it that he received an education, opportunity. I never saw him again after that. He sent me some money for the children over a few decades, but that was all."

"This Kakyō is a noblewoman?" Hisagi asks, seeking clarification.

"She was," Ayagari answers. "She died over a century ago. Young man, how do you not know of Hosaji Kakyō?"

KARAKURA TOWN - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
XCUTION HEADQUARTERS (IN THE BACK OF THE VAN)
Kūgo Ginjō swivels around in his barstool, cradling a glass of whiskey.

"Nice to have you back, Ichigo."

Ichigo stands awkwardly in the lounge, flanked by a stolid Chad and a visibly irritated Tatsuki. He scrutinizes Ginjō for a beat, sensing something different about his vibe. He seems more… open, Ichigo thinks.

"Can we get you something drink?" Ginjō asks eagerly, motioning to Giriko. "Hey, get this kid an orange juice. You hungry? We got sandwiches."

"You don't have to lay it on so thick," Jackie says saucily, sucking at her gin and tonic through a straw. She shoots Ichigo a sly look. "Ginjō here is trying to overcompensate because you accused him of being creepy last time. It's made him horrifically self-conscious, the poor dear."

Ginjō's eyes narrow. "I'm just being hospitable, Jackie."

"I can go for some orange juice, thanks," Ichigo answers tersely, trying to be a good guest despite his reservations. He sidles up next to Ginjō at the bar and takes a sip of the citrus. "I'm sorry if I was… ungrateful the other night."

"Look kid, I get it – we're shifty," Ginjō smiles softly. "I was straight up with you the first time, and I'll be straight up with you now: we want to help you because we need your help in return. This is transactional, but we don't need to be suspicious of each other."

Ginjō holds up his glass of whiskey for cheers. Ichigo's eyes the alcohol, then looks to his orange juice, becoming self-conscious that he is dealing with a proper adult – and a cool one at that. He begrudgingly clinks glasses with Ginjō and sips his orange juice. He looks over to Giriko, who is minding a glass with a reserved countenance.

"I don't know who to trust anymore," Ichigo admits, swirling his drink. "I figure I ought to take a chance on someone who hasn't had the chance to stab me in the back, yet."

"Oof, sounds like you're having a rough go of it," Ginjō mutters, slinging back his booze and slamming the glass on the counter. He hops off the stool, striding over to a massive bookcase sandwiched between the couches. One of the titles catches his eye: he plucks it out, then another tome, and swaps their slots on the shelf.

"Darling, what are you doing?" Jackie asks, slightly alarmed.

"These are out of alphabetical order," Ginjō answers distractedly, swapping some more books between shelves. "What the hell – who organized this? It's friggin' sloppy."

"Master Ginjō, can we focus on the matter at hand?" Giriko pipes in, sounding as alarmed as Jackie.

Ginjō casts his two cohorts an irritated look, then returns his attention to Ichigo.

"Look, kid – you're not the only one worried about trust," the XCution leader says, digging his hands in his pockets. "We've been hunted, stalked, and most of our friends have been murdered. We banded together because we all share the same desire – we don't wanna be screwed with anymore. If you feel like the world's conspiring against you, then you're in good company."

Ichigo softens, feeling himself being won over. Deep down, he can tell that Ginjō is being sincere. He flinches when Jackie claps her hands together, rubbing her palms in excitement.

"So, shall we begin?" the posh Fullbringer asks, casting Ichigo a flirtatious look.

Right on cue, Riruka kicks open the backroom door, carrying a hefty dollhouse into the lounge. "Yes, lets!" she concurs, slamming her box onto a table. "Yasutora and doll-face, you're up!"

Ichigo looks befuddled. Who's doll-face? he wonders, looking to Tatsuki.

"Not her – you!" Riruka barks, pointing directly at the strawberry.

"I'm doll-face?" Ichigo asks blankly.

"Yeah – you're cute until you open your mouth," Riruka pouts, slapping her hand atop her pink dollhouse. "Just like this box – it's hella cute, don't you agree?"

"Uh, what?" Ichigo stammers back, eyeing the hot pink box.

"My Fullbring is Asobudōrahasu," Riruka explains. "My totems are my dollhouses. I build them up real cute, and I can enlarge anything I find adorable. What's more, I can let people into them."

"I didn't realize they had to be cute," Tatsuki interjects, her brow arched in skepticism. "How was the Shiver Timber bar 'cute', exactly? It had the decor of a pirate ship."

"A pirate ship with hearts carved underneath the floorboards," Riruka snipes back. "So long as I add a sweet little flourish, it counts, okay? Look up real quick."

Riruka juts a thumb up, prompting everyone to glance at the ceiling: a smattering of bunny rabbits punctuated with polka dots are etched into the foundation.

"Dammit," Tatsuki mutters. "That is really cute."

"Now, if you'll allow me to do my thing, Tatsuki-chan," Riruka continues snippily, fishing a notebook from her blouse. She clicks a pink pen open, scribbles something down, and slaps the note on the table. "This is your password, Yasutora and doll-face."

"Password for what?" Ichigo wonders.

"For your training ground," Ginjō answers, his tone almost apologetic. "You'll understand soon enough."

Chad strides forward, plucking up the note. He looks to Ichigo: "Let's try and say it at the same time."

Ichigo leans over, embarrassed by what he reads. He and Chad summon their most masculine of voices and simultaneously utter "Just a pigtailed girl in the big city / Feed me a cupcake / And I'll be a piggy!"

There is a pause, followed by… nothing. Ichigo shoots Riruka an irate look. "Okay, are you pranking –?"

His words trail off as both he and Chad morph into shapeless light, shoot down into the dollhouse, and land with a crash. Ichigo groggily rubs his head and surveys his surroundings. They're inside a toy box, an array of stuffed piglets lining the walls like suits of armor.

"Where the hell are we?" he asks, looking to Chad – who also looks a little woozy after their discombobulating trip.

"You're inside my dollhouse!" a booming voice thunders from above.

Chad and Ichigo look up to see the ceiling slide off, revealing Riruka's giant face gazing down at them. "This is where I keep my piggy dolls – dont'cha just wanna eat them?"

"These are just your pig dolls?" Ichigo asks bemusedly, observing the dozen porcine plushies. "How many stuffed animals do you own?"

"More than the amount of yen in your bank account," Riruka retorts, her brow furrowed. "Just be grateful that I've placed you somewhere soft to cushion your falls while Yasutora slaps you around."

"What?!" Ichigo exclaims, looking to Chad. "You expect me to fight you?"

"What's the problem?" Chad replies, his right arm hardening into Brazo Derecha Del Gigante. "Remember when we used to go a few rounds just for fun?"

Chad launches forward, swinging his fist towards Ichigo. The strawberry leaps aside with a yelp, eyes wide with panic.

"Hold on, Chad – that was when we were on the same level!" Ichigo protests, watching his friend's hardened fist bury into the springy floor, nearly puncturing it. "You're gonna kill me if you get a direct hit!"

"We weren't on the same level then, Ichigo," Chad replies, rising to his full height and swinging a kick that Ichigo evades with a duck. "You were always above me. You hit harder and could take more punishment. But that just encouraged me to get stronger. I'm returning the favor!"

A flummoxed Riruka watches as the miniaturized Chad chases Ichigo around the toy box, the strawberry practically bouncing off the walls as he struggles to evade the Gigante's punches. She looks back at Ginjō with alarm.

"You sure Yasutora's not gonna kill this guy?" she asks.

Ginjō shrugs.

Ichigo jumps up from the bouncy floor, springing up and narrowly evading another swing from Chad.

"How do you expect me to fight back?" he asks as he lands back down.

"By activating your Fullbring, Ichigo!" Chad declares. "You already have everything you need, you just need to use it!"

Chad charges at Ichigo like a bull seeing red. Ichigo flees to one of the piglet plushies, hoists it up, and flings it at the incoming bruiser. Chad nonchalantly punches the incoming doll and sends it flying back at Ichigo like a missile. The strawberry is struck by the piglet and launched back against the rubbery wall, bouncing off from it and flopping onto the ground.

"How the hell am I supposed to learn how to use Fullbring if you're not gonna tell me how it works?" Ichigo grits, picking himself back up.

"You learn through instinct," Chad answers. "Remember what's important to you and channel that feeling into the item you treasure above all others. Do you want to know what my totem is, Ichigo? It's my medallion!"

Chad lifts the Mexican coin necklaced around his throat, brandishing it before Ichigo.

"This coin is over a century old, gifted to me by my grandfather, Oscar Joaquín de la Rosa!" Chad declares. "It symbolizes my promise to him never to raise my fists unless it was to protect those who cannot defend themselves. I've worn it every day since, and I realize now that it is the totem that has helped me uphold my vow."

Ichigo listens in wide-eyed awe, reminded that Chad lived a complicated life before they ever met.

"My Fullbring is Armadura Satánica!" Chad roars. "It turns my skin into the shield that guards my friends! I've wanted to protect you ever since you lost your powers, but I knew you wouldn't accept my help."

He crashes his fist into the ground, setting off a tremulous pulse throughout the plush toy box. Ichigo feels the shockwave seep beneath him, launching him up like a trampoline. He lands back down with a buoyant bounce, feeling pissed off.

"You're angry because I didn't want you babysitting me, Chad?!" he barks. "Is that why you're lording over how much stronger you are than me, now? You think I'm jealous of you?!"

Chad pauses, looking wounded. "No," he answers. "I think you've lost who you are, Ichigo. You've always been the one putting yourself on the line for everyone else, because you've been the strongest among us. Whenever we weren't up to a challenge, you pushed yourself to meet it. I can't convince you to accept my protection because that's just not who you are. The best I can do is remind you of why you became a Shinigami to begin with!"

Chad's left arm hardens into Brazo Izquierda del Diablo, giving him dual fists of destruction. He claps his hands together, sending forth a pulse of kinetic energy that knocks Ichigo back against the wall. The strawberry slides down with a squeak, dazed. He watches numbly as Chad launches forward, swinging a devastating punch. Unable to defend himself, Ichigo braces himself for impact, only for Chad's fist to halt within an inch of his face. There is a long pause shared between the two friends.

"Accept how powerless you are now, Ichigo," Chad advises gravely. "We've all felt this way – Tatsuki, Orihime, Uryū, and me. Now it's your turn, again. The question is: what are you going to do about it?!"

Something lights awake in Ichigo's eyes. He springs up, taking advantage of the opening Chad's given him. The Gigante lunges his armored arm upward, only for Ichigo to swerve past it.

"I'll just need to get stronger!" the strawberry roars, landing a punch against Chad's chin. The Gigante slides back. He rubs his jaw, pleased to learn that Ichigo's punches haven't lost their intensity. He looks over to see his friend looking excited.

"Thanks, Chad," Ichigo smiles, his appetite for battle reignited. "I think I know what you meant when you said I already have everything I need."

He reaches into his back pocket and produces his Shinigami Substitute badge. Chad smiles.

"I've got my totem right here!" Ichigo declares triumphantly. He summons all of his focus, pride, and spirit – and pours them all into his badge. Suddenly… nothing happens. The pendant just remains a hunk of wood. Ichigo, confused, tries to focus harder.

Riruka frowns, watching Ichigo strain every muscle in his body.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asks. "You look constipated."

"Stop breaking my concentration!" Ichigo barks up at her.

"It's not going to work," Tatsuki remarks, drawing looks from her XCution cohorts. "I appreciate what Chad's getting at, but it isn't battle pride that drives Ichigo. It's his desperation to protect the people he cares about. Trust me, if love of fighting was what made him strong, then I wouldn't have kicked his ass a hundred times when we were kids at the dojo."

Ginjō considers this for a beat, then grins mischievously.

"Then I guess we just need to put one of his friend's in danger if we're gonna get this party started," the XCution leader concludes. "Riruka – unleash the pigs."

Riruka huffs haughtily and turns back to the toy box.

"Alright, new plan!" she announces, raising her fingers like a puppeteer manipulating strings. "Yasutora – sorry, honey."

Ichigo and Chad look on in alarm as one of the piglet plushies springs to life, morphing into a jumbo-sized monstrosity.

"Meet Mr. Pork," Riruka says. "He'll be your new sparring partner."

"How… how'd you do that?" Ichigo stammers, staring at Mr. Pork with equal parts fear and incredulity.

"Everything I build into my dollhouses is under my control," Riruka explains. "I stitched together every doll I own – meaning I can control them, too. Now, Mr. Pork – kill Yasutora."

"What?!" Chad exclaims, assuming a guard stance as Mr. Pork lumbers forward. The plushie swings down its rotund fists, only for Chad to deflect them with his right arm. The Gigante counters with a strike of his own left fist, but the punch slides ineffectually off from Mr. Pork's bulbous belly. The oversized pig snatches Chad up in a bear hug and squeezes him tight.

"What the hell, guys!" Ichigo exclaims, looking up at Riruka's looming face. "I thought Chad was part of your team! Is this how you treat your own?!"

"Yasutora signed up to help you realize your Fullbring," Riruka frowns. "If putting him in mortal danger gives you the kick in the butt you need, then I got no problem with that. Now hop to it, doll-face."

Riruka tenses her fingers again, prompting the remaining piglet dolls to morph into a swarm of Mr. Porks. They all pile onto Chad, forming a mountain of plushiness. Ichigo watches in a panic, then looks back to his badge. He squeezes it, desperately trying to figure out how to channel his Reikyō or whatever the hell Ginjō called it. He can barely concentrate, his eyes drawn back to the wriggling mass of pigs burying Chad.

"Come on!" he screams in desperation, breaking into a cold sweat and shaking the badge around. "Wake up, dammit!"

"Ichigo!" Tatsuki's voice booms overhead.

Ichigo looks up to see Tatsuki looming above, squeezing beside Riruka cheek-to-cheek and glaring down at him.

"It's unacceptable if you let Chad die!" Tatsuki asserts, her eyes severe. "I won't forgive you! And what's more, you won't be able to forgive yourself!"

Ichigo tenses, gazing wide-eyed up at Tatsuki. She's like a god passing judgment on him from the sky. His mind goes back to what Chad told him earlier: "The best I can do is remind you of why you became a Shinigami to begin with!"

I only became a Shinigami because Rukia was there to give me her power, Ichigo thinks, flustered. I didn't do anything!

Suddenly, he remembers the exact words he exchanged with Rukia the night they met, when the Hollow was trudging up to kill his sisters.

"Do you want to save your family?" Rukia asked. "There is a way… No, to be exact, there is only one way… You become a Shinigami."

He remembers when Rukia stipulated that the ritual of transferring half her power to him could backfire.

"The percentage of success is not high," Rukia warned. "If it fails, you die! However, there is no other way!"

Ichigo's eyes widen with epiphany. That's right, he realizes. I chose to be a Shinigami… because there was no other way!

There is flash, and suddenly four curved blades of black energy sprout from the Substitute Shinigami badge, radiating around Ichigo. This is… Zangetsu's guard? he thinks, recognizing the shape.

Riruka and Tatsuki look down in astonishment as Ichigo's Fullbring manifests in the form of a tsuba, crackling with Reikyō.

"Very good, Ichigo," Ginjō grins.

Feeling a burst of exhilaration, Ichigo looks determinedly at the herd of Mr. Porks. They all rear up and glare at him, threatened by the weapon he's awakened.

"Mr. Porks, new plan!" Riruka announces, curling her fingers. "Attack doll-face!"

The plushies all launch forward. Ichigo assumes a guard stance, cracking a grin. He holds his tsuba like a discus and flings it at his attackers – only for the black energy fringing it to dissipate immediately upon leaving his fingers. The badge bounces ineffectually off of the leading pig.

"Oh, shit," Ichigo gulps, leaping out of the way to dodge the stampeding dolls. They smash into the wall, bouncing off of each other, causing the entire toy box to shake.

"And here I was starting to think he was slick," Riruka remarks.

Ichigo runs for his life, dodging swipes from the chasing Mr. Porks. He runs past Chad, then halts with a double-take: Chad doesn't have a scratch on him.

"I thought you were getting mauled!" Ichigo exclaims.

"They're made of stuffing, Ichigo," Chad replies, dusting himself off. "It was like I was being smothered by marshmallows."

"Did you really think I'd try and kill Yasutora?!" Riruka asks indignantly, scrunching her face.

"Well, that was kind of the impression we were trying to give," Ginjō mutters.

The Mr. Porks charge Ichigo in unison, prompting him to flee again. Chad picks up the Substitute Shinigami badge off the ground and tosses it over.

"Ichigo – don't drop it this time!" he shouts.

Ichigo leaps up to catch the whirring badge, grasping it right before he is tackled by a pig plushie. He reignites his tsubai, the blades repelling the doll like an unfurling umbrella. Backflipping into a crouch, Ichigo assesses his options.

So the badge loses the shape of Zangetsu's guard when I let go of it? he realizes. Then I guess I need to wield it like a –

There is a kinetic pulse that shoots up Ichigo's arm, startling him. His eyes widen with excitement. This sensation – I know this feeling.

Ichigo looks at the incoming horde of Mr. Porks. He rears his tsuba back, channeling his Reikyō into his badge until the Fullbring is glowing hot. Chad looks on in astonishment, wondering Is Ichigo really going to? –

"Getsuga Tenshō!" Ichigo roars, whipping his tsuba forward and unleashes a spinning, wheelbarrow-shaped projectile straight at the incoming array of piglets. Stuffing flies into the air as the missile rips through the herd of Mr. Porks, slicing them all in half before crashing into the other end of the dollhouse, leaving a smoking imprint on the wall.

Chad, Riruka, and Tatsuki are stunned into silence by the feat. Ichigo looks down at his tsuba, marveling at the energy he's conjured. He instinctually deactivates it, shutting off the faucet of Reikyō he was feeding into the badge.

"You… you asshole!" Riruka exclaims, furious. "Now I have stitch them back together!" She angrily shakes the table and causes an earthquake inside of the toy box, sending Ichigo and Chad crashing around.

Tatsuki allows herself a soft smile. He really did it, she thinks. Nice to see you in action, Ichigo.

KUROSAKI HOUSE – OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
Karin's Shinigami form slips into her room through a window, only to be confronted by a horrific sight: her human body playing "tea time" with Yuzu. The two sisters are giggling together, clinking empty teacups with an array of dolls joining them at the plastic table. It's like a socialite brunch played out in their imagination.

"I didn't think you'd go for this at all, Karin!" Yuzu laughs. "I figured you were too cool for it, now. That voice you keep doing is so funny!"

"What, this voice?" Kon responds through Karin's lips, passing off his whiny male voice as a put-on. Yuzu giggles into her teacup in response.

Dammit, Kon, Karin fumes, her eyebrow twitching in agitation.

Kon looks up and sees that his vessel's rightful owner has returned. His eyes widen with surprise.

"Uh, I'll be right back, Yuzu – I gotta hit the can!" he says hurriedly, ducking out of the room. Yuzu watches her sister scamper away, confused. "The can?" she repeats.

Kon shuts the bathroom door behind him and turns on the sink. He flinches when Karin phases through the door, arms crossed.

"What the hell are you doing?" she asks.

"I'm maintaining my cover," the mod soul whispers, knowing his voice can be heard by Yuzu in the other room. "She looked sad – I figured she could use some sister time."

"Playing 'tea time' will only encourage her," Karin grits. "We're too old to be playing with dolls. You do understand I wouldn't be caught dead doing that, right?"

Kon frowns, striking a haughty pose.

"Look, with your brother all pissed off, somebody's gotta be instilling some harmony in this household," he protests. "Yuzu feels neglected. You understand that, right?"

"I've been busy!" Karin hisses, clasping her Zanpakutō hilt. "Slaying Hollows isn't exactly a hobby I can just put off, OK?"

"Your sister's a good kid!" Kon pushes back, letting his voice rise. "She's kind and real patient with this crazy family of yours. Why do you think she's playing with her dolls again? Because her brother and sister keep ignoring her."

Karin's eyes widen. She sighs.

Yuzu patiently waits for her sister to return, pretending to pour a fresh cup of nonexistent tea for her duck plushie. Karin reenters the bedroom, begrudgingly plunking herself down in a chair.

"So, where were we?" Karin asks, awkwardly plucking up her teacup.

"Hm?" Yuzu murmurs, looking up distractedly from her imaginary pour. "Why'd you stop making the voice?"

"I lost it," Karin grumbles. "Can I get refill, or are you gonna leave me thirsty?"

XCUTION HEADQUARTERS - OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
"So can we get out of here?" Ichigo asks, rubbing his head after ping-ponging around the dollhouse. "I've had enough of this box already."

Riruka jots down a new password on her notepad, tears off the page, and drops it into the dollhouse. As it enters her domain, the leaflet shrinks down until it's to scale with Ichigo and Chad. The strawberry snatches the note from air, reads it, then looks angrily up at Riruka.

"I'm not saying this," he says flatly.

"Those are the rules, doll-face," Riruka retorts, turning her nose up. "When the dollhouse is activated, you need a password to get in, and you need another password to get out."

Ichigo sighs, handing the paper to Chad. The Gigante reads it, then blushes. They summon their breath and simultaneously chant the password aloud.

"So sad to hear that doll-face is taken / If he were single / I'd have me his bacon!" they roar, followed by an unenthusiastic "Oink, oink… sigh, oink!"

The toy box rattles around, a beam of light shooting out from it and depositing Ichigo and Chad into the lounge. They both look like they're going to puke.

"I feel… queasier than usual," Chad grumbles.

"Of course you do – you were just in a dollhouse within a dollhouse," Riruka explains, gesturing to the room surrounding them. "The more levels you go down, the more compacted you become. Transitioning back comes with more kick. Both of you are gonna be really feeling it when you exit headquarters."

"Great," Ichigo pants, turning a shade of green. He notices the dark bruises materializing around his wrists. "I guess I got pretty beat up back there."

"Giriko – help him with that," Ginjō orders.

Giriko strides up to Ichigo, studying his injuries. He delicately places his fingers on Ichigo's chest, intoning "Tanshin no Tokei."

A wreathe of green energy encircles Ichigo, the flickering ribbon swirling around his wrists.

"Whoa!" Ichigo gasps. "What is this?"

"It is my Fullbring, Mr. Kurosaki," Giriko answers ceremonially. "Jikanwa uso Tsukanai. I just set a short-hand timer on your injuries, accelerating their period of recovery. How fortunate that you have only harnessed a fraction of your Reikyō so far. The more powerful an individual, the more Reikyō I have to expel when setting a timer on them. Given your power now, you will be right as rain shortly."

Ichigo looks on in awe as his bruises recede, his skin returning to a healthy glow. He looks up at Giriko with a smile.

"You can screw with time?" he asks. "That's pretty cool."

Giriko's mustache twitches as his lips curl into a smile. He parts his vest, revealing his totem: a pocket watch ticking away in his breast pocket.

"I create a contract with Time – it is not to be trifled with," Giriko clarifies. "I determine the finishing point of an inevitability and choose to either accelerate or slowdown how soon that action completes itself. Such power carries consequences. Should I try and end a condition prematurely, Time will reap a heavy toll."

"This was a helluva good start, Ichigo," Ginjō interjects. "We'll continue tomorrow."

"What, but I just got patched up," Ichigo protests. "I can keep going."

"Doesn't work like that," Ginjō says. "You've only broken the seal on your Reikyō – you need to give your body time to adjust. Remember that you're not wearing a Shinigami suit anymore – you're putting a strain on your human bones and tissue. Look at it like this: you've already spent over a year powerless – what's another day gonna do?"

SOUL SOCIETY – THE NEXT MORNING
THE SEVENTH DIVISION BARRACKS
Captain Sajin Komamura of the Seventh Division strides along the courtyard of his barracks, joined by Captain Love of the Third Division. Sajin has invited Love over for a chat and a stroll, hoping to ease any tension between them. The matter is delicate: Love was the captain of Seventh Division before he was banished when Aizen used him as a Hollowfication experiment a century ago. He made no attempt to reclaim the Seventh Division when the Gotei invited him and his fellow Visoreds to rejoin, but Sajin wants to clear the air as a gesture of respect.

"I would understand if you hold some resentment towards me, Captain Aikawa," Sajin admits. "I am carrying on the title that was wrongfully ripped away from you."

"You've headed Seventh Division for decades now, Komamura," Love replies, waving away the wolf's concerns. "I'm not the sentimental type – Third Division will do just fine."

"Well then I shall not press the matter further," Sajin concludes. "How is Kira Izuru faring under your command?"

Love thinks back on the disastrous encounter he had with Kira their first week of serving together, when he had given him homework:

Kira's eyes widen with surprise as Love slams a stack of mangas on the table.

"This is your assigned reading!" Love announces. "I want a report on the entire of oeuvre of Otomo Katsuhiro by the end of the week. Start with Dōmu – that's his masterpiece, no matter what the Akira heads would have you believe. After you've finished with him, move on to Dragon Head, then 20th Century Boys. When you make your way through all that, you can read Dominion Tank Police. That'll be dessert."

Kira, completely baffled, picks up a manga from the stack and flips through it.

"Uh, captain… why do these books have so many pictures?" he asks.

Love bristles at the memory. "The kid's a little uncultured, but I'll get him there."

Sajin's ears perk up, detecting the unique patter of Hisagi's footsteps. He turns to see the Ninth Division lieutenant entering the courtyard. Hisagi halts, looking sheepish. Love lowers his sunglasses, scrutinizing Hisagi from afar.

"He looks like he just got caught with his dad's Playboy Magazine," Love whistles. "I'll let you two hash out whatever he's got going on. Appreciate the call, Komamura."

Sajin stokes the fire-pit at the center of the balcony extending from his quarters, gazing out at the Plum Blossoms blooming in the garden below. He smiles, then turns his attention to Hisagi, who sits cross-legged across the crackling flames.

"I'm investigating Captain Tōsen's life," Hisagi discloses. "The Captain-Commander has sanctioned it."

"So I've heard," Sajin replies gruffly, setting down the fire-poker. "I was wondering why you hadn't come to me first."

"I didn't want to upset you," Hisagi says earnestly. "I know his death still… weighs heavily on you."

Sajin studies Hisagi for a beat, then replies "I think it weighs heavily on the both of us. I've already told you not to blame yourself for what happened."

Hisagi tenses up, eyes wet. "I don't," he asserts, sounding like he's trying to convince himself more than reassure Sajin. "I just… I can't accept him only being remembered as a traitor. I need history to understand the man he was."

"The man he was," Sajin repeats wistfully. "Well… what have you discovered so far?"

"First, I visited where he grew up in the Rukongai –"

"Tōsen House?"

"That's right," Hisagi continues. "Lady Tōsen was kind enough to grant me an interview. She mentioned that he was brought to Soul Society by Hosaji Kakyō –"

Sajin's eyes widen. He shifts uncomfortably, visibly unnerved. Hisagi pauses, wondering if he's overstepped.

"Captain?"

"What do you know of Kakyō?" Sajin asks.

"I had never heard of her before, which surprised Lady Tōsen," Hisagi admits. "After I submitted my report to Captain Ukitake this morning, I searched for her in the archives. I could only find a birthdate, confirming she was royalty. There was nothing else."

Sajin nods, unsurprised.

"What… do you know of Kakyō, Captain Komamura?" Hisagi asks.

"She was very dear to Tōsen," Sajin answers. "He did not speak of her often, but when he did – I never heard him sound so passionate otherwise. She was his benefactor and mentor. I suspect many of the lessons he taught you were learnt from her. I'm not surprised he never told you about her. She… apparently committed suicide long ago. Her death weighed heavily on Tōsen. It was a deep wound."

Hisagi scoots forward in interest, feeling the fire warm him. "It's irregular for a noblewoman to have such scant records in the Grand Archive," the lieutenant says. "Why do you think hers are practically blank?"

"Because of her husband," Sajin says with a heavy sigh. "Kakyō was the first and last wife of the Tsunayashiro Tenrai-chō – Tokinada."

Hisagi's eyes widen. A Tenrai-chō? he thinks. Heads of the four Shisonka families, the Tenrai-chō are together the most authoritative political power in Soul Society.

"The moment when Kakyō married into the Tsunayashiro lineage, all recorded history of her belonged to their House," Sajin continues. "Her records are kept by Tokinada, not the Grand Archive."

There is a long, agonizing silence shared between captain and lieutenant. Hisagi clears his throat.

"Well then I guess I need to ask the Tsunayshiro Tenrai-chō to give them to me," he muses.

"Beg pardon?!" Sajin exclaims, his ears twitching in agitation. "Shūhei, it would be presumptuous for even a captain to request an audience with a Tenrai-chō! They are the most powerful people in Soul Society. Even Captain-Commander Yamamoto answers to them. Do you understand?"

"I do," Hisagi nods. "But the Captain-Commander has granted me permission to investigate the origins of Captain Tōsen. If what you're saying about Kakyō is true, then… I need to learn about her if I'm to understand him."

Sajin's expression softens. He sighs, accepting the wisdom of Hisagi's argument.

"You will need a captain escorting you, at the very least," the wolf concludes. "I can see if he will grant you an audience. Do not expect him to entertain any questions, though."

"You can do that, captain?" Hisagi asks, his curiosity piqued.

Sajin nods, his eyes reflective.

"I have… a unique relationship with Tsunayashiro House," the wolf answers cryptically.

KARAKURA TOWN - THAT MORNING
KUROSAKI CLINIC
There is a thunderous pounding against the door of the Kurosaki household. Ichigo jerks awake, wiping spittle from his mouth and rubbing a hand over his bedhead hair. He feels exhausted despite getting a full night's sleep.

The hell? Ichigo wonders. Is this what Ginjō meant when he said drawing out a Fullbring takes a lot out of a person?

The impatient rapping at the front door intensifies. Isshin strides across the living room, mug of coffee in hand, and answers. It's Ikumi Unagiya.

"Where the hell have you –" Ikumi barks irately, already launching into her tirade against Ichigo. She halts when she's received by Isshin, her scolding completely derailed. "Oh, um… are you Mr. Kurosaki?"

Isshin hoists up his coffee mug as an affirmative gesture.

"Doctor Kurosaki, but call me Isshin," the patriarch answers. "So, what has my dumbass son done this time?"

"Dad, who's beating down the door?" Karin asks, stomping down the steps. She clocks Ikumi and halts. "Oh, hello."

"Hello!" Ikumi says with singsong sweetness, effortlessly shifting into the motherly demeanor she normally reserves for Kaoru. "You must be Ichigo's sister. He speaks very highly of you! Yuzu, right?"

"Wrong sibling," Karin grumbles.

Ichigo comes following down the staircase, looking groggy as a drunk. His bleary eyes widen when he sees Ms. Unagiya.

"What are you doing here?" he asks, trying to suppress a yawn.

"The more appropriate question is: what the hell are you doing not showing up to work?!" Ikumi roars, snapping back into her disciplinarian rage. "I've got a mountain of orders stacking up and you've been completely M.I.A."

"I've been… yawwwwwwn… busy," Ichigo replies, sounding much more laidback than he intends. "I'll knock them all out next weekend, okay?"

"Next weekend?!" Ikumi snaps back, pushing past Isshin to point an accusing finger at her employee. "You left my lawnmower on Mr. Yamashita's lawn with only half the job done, and then ignore all my calls?! What kind of bum are you?! WHY SHOULDN'T I FIRE YOUR LAZY ASS?!"

"Good question," Karin mumbles under her breath, drawing an annoyed look from her older brother.

"I apologize for my son's unprofessionalism," Isshin says casually, playfully waving a hand to draw Ikumi's gaze. "I try to instill a work ethic into him, but kids these days would rather be chasing clouds, y'know? How about we discuss his overdue tasks over breakfast and hash out a punctual-enough schedule?"

To Ichigo and Karin's mutual shock, Ikumi immediately softens. She gives the slightest of smiles, nodding to their dorky father. "I can eat."

Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu all glare down at their plates of Nattō with stupefaction. This may be the first breakfast that Isshin has prepared for them that doesn't consist of cereal. They're also unnerved by how not embarrassing their dad is being while engaging in conversation with Ms. Unagiya.

"… So after I discovered mistress number two, I divorced his sorry ass," Ikumi explains between mouthfuls. "This is fabulous," she adds, pointing her chopsticks down at her plate. "It's so nice to see a family enjoying a proper breakfast. You're a very good cook, Isshin!"

"Who would have thought?" Ichigo mutters. He flinches when his father gives him a rueful kick beneath the table.

"My children's mother taught me how to cook, actually," Isshin offers. "One of the many blessings she gave me."

The Kurosaki siblings all look at their dad with surprise: they didn't know that about their mother. Ikumi places a hand over her heart, deeply moved.

"It must be so difficult, raising three children on your own," she muses.

"Being a single parent brings many challenges," Isshin nods sagely. "But also yields many rewards."

Karin notices that Miss Unagiya is twirling a finger through her hair. What the hell is going on? she wonders, completely flummoxed that her dad would ever hold any semblance of charm for a member of the female gender.

Yuzu, meanwhile, is staring at Miss Unagiya with moony eyes, elbows on the table as she props her chin in her hands. Ikumi notices the teenager's stare and becomes self-conscious.

"What's wrong – did I get food on my shirt again?" Ikumi asks, inspecting her t-shirt.

"You're sooooooo beautiful," Yuzu coos. "It's like we have an angel in our home."

Ichigo and Karin are both bug-eyed with confusion. Miss Unagiya smiles broadly, flattered by the praise.

"I haven't heard that in a while," she admits. "Thank you, young missy."

Ichigo and Karin watch in astonishment as their father continues to chat with Miss Unagiya as he sees her out. He actually looks suave for once.

"You are welcome to drop by any time," Isshin reassures her. "Whether it's to give my son a rightful kick in the ass or to enjoy some more of my cooking."

"Oh yes, I almost forgot," Ikumi says, drawing a crumbled list from her pocket. She shoves it into Ichigo's chest, reverting back to her stern demeanor. "Finish these five tasks before tomorrow or you're fired. For real, this time."

"You want me to do them tonight?!" Ichigo exclaims. "But I'm –"

"Busy?" Karin cuts him off. "With what? Orihime's not even in town…"

Ichigo glares down at his little sister. They have a tense stare-off until Ikumi interrupts.

"Have I made myself clear?!" she asks, hands on hips.

"Yeah, crystal," Ichigo grumbles, stuffing the list into his pocket.

"Don't make me regret giving you another shot," Ikumi says tersely before shifting back into wide-eyed sunniness to Isshin. "Thank you for a lovely breakfast, Isshin! Even if I have to fire Ichigo, I might just take you up on another meal – dinner, perhaps?"

Isshin imperceptibly blushes before giving a nod. "It would be my honor – and treat."

"Ta-ta!" Ikumi waves as she exits. Isshin shuts the door behind her, then turns to see the flummoxed frowns on Ichigo and Karin's faces.

"What?" the doctor asks innocently.

KARAKURA TOWN – THAT EVENING
"This feels hazardous!" Keigo whines, hanging over a residential rooftop. He digs his hand into a gutter, pulling out a sopping wet clump of leaves.

"You're the one who volunteered us," Mizuiro chides from the safety of the lawn below, looking up at Keigo with annoyance. He pulls out the crumpled list of Ichigo's tasks for Miss Unagiya. He crosses off the second of five bulletpoints.

Keigo loses his balance, nearly teetering over the rooftop. He regains his grip, sighs with relief, and catches Mizuiro's irritated glare.

"What?"

"It's nothing," Mizuiro answers tersely. "I'm just busy imagining doing literally anything else with my night."

XCUTION HEADQUARTERS (IN THE BACK OF THE VAN)
"Eh?" Ginjō asks, having not been listening. He moves his Bishop across the chessboard, cornering Giriko's Queen, and then returns his attention to Ichigo. "What are you confused about?"

"Why does my Fullbring mirror the powers of Zangetsu?" Ichigo asks, holding up his Shinigami badge. "That was a Getsuga Tenshō I fired the other night. How's that possible?"

"I already told you: Reikyō echoes the Reiatsu residue your soul's been accruing after countless reincarnations," Ginjō explains impatiently, leaning back into his leather chair. "The more resonant the clap, the farther the echo travels. You were a Shinigami less than two years ago; it stands to reason that those powers are what's reverberating the most loudly inside of you. Hell, it's technically possible that your Fullbring evolves to a point that it's near-identical to your Shinigami power."

"What?" Ichigo gasps, his curiosity piqued.

"It's called Zengakusōki," Ginjō continues, his voice edged with ominous import. "The peak of a Fullbring's evolution, when it crystallizes your Reikyō to the point of perfectly replicating the most powerful form your soul has ever experienced. However..."

Ginjo returns his eyes back to the chessboard, shifting a pawn to box in Giriko's King. Checkmate.

"Only the most gifted of Fullbringers can harness this power. You will never be able achieve Zengakusōki using a totem. You must draw forth the Reikyō directly from your soul. If you can do that, then you can marshal all the trace memories of Reiatsu you've accumulated over millennia. A Fullbringer with that kind of power would be able to stand toe to toe with any Shinigami."

Ichigo's eyes widen. Chad and Tatsuki are also at full attention – they didn't know about this evolution, either. Ginjō studies his three acolytes' astonished faces for a beat, then grins.

"But why fantasize about flying when you're still learning to crawl?" the XCution leader asks rhetorically, sliding up out of his chair. Giriko finishes assessing the chessboard, giving up. He delicately lays his King onto its side, conceding defeat.

"Arisawa – you're on bat, tonight," Ginjō announces with a nod.

Tatsuki grimaces, clutching at the satchel notched around her waist. She looks at Ichigo with uncertain eyes. He looks back at her, not sure if he's more nervous about fighting her or simply talking to her. This is a confrontation that's been brewing, and it's about to pop.

"Alrighty, let's get this party started!" Riruka announces, slapping a new dollhouse onto a table, the box obscured by a blanket. She whisks off the tarp, revealing a glass prism with sandy pebbles and a thin veneer of water at the bottom. A pair of adorable Googly eyes have been glued onto the face of the pane.

"You're fighting in a fish tank this time!" Riruka gloats, turning to Ichigo and Tatsuki for approval. She frowns when she sees their flummoxed faces. "Okay, so I hit a wall when it came to creative inspiration and I improvised, okay?! It's not like I don't already have a bunch of other projects I'm tending to."

"The fish tank will do," Tatsuki says curtly, shooting Ichigo a contemptuous glare. He nearly flinches from the daggers she's throwing at him, then gives a concurring nod.

Riruka irritably scribbles down a password and hands the note to Ichigo. He awkwardly leans over to Tatsuki so she can read it, too. They both sigh and announce the password together:

"We'll Huff, we'll Puff, and we'll Blow Fish your aquarium down!"

They shape-shift into a conjoined blob of light and fire down inside the tank, the glass rumbling when they land. Chad looks to Ginjō with a skeptical look.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but Ichigo and Tatsuki haven't been on good terms, lately. This could be messy."

"I've noticed," Ginjō replies. "That's what I'm banking on."

Ichigo stands ankle-deep in filtered water, staring down Tatsuki across the shoals.

"Not feeling queasy this time?" she asks, hand on her hip.

"I adapt fast," Ichigo responds tersely. He studies her, unsure of what comes next. I have no idea what her totem could be, he thinks. Is it her ribbon?

Tatsuki tries to discern why Ichigo is staring at her chest. She realizes that he's scrutinizing the bow tied between her collar.

"That's not my totem, Ichigo," Tatsuki sighs with exasperation. She points down to her satchel. "I keep it in here."

Ichigo blushes, averting his eyes. "Well, are you gonna show me or what?"

"Fine," Tatsuki smiles cockily. She unzips the satchel and rests her hands back on her hips. After a beat... Ringo the weasel pops out from the pouch, snout twitching as he sniffs his new surroundings.

Ichigo nearly falls over in surprise.

"Ringo?!" he exclaims, eyes bugging out. "Is this a joke, Tatsuki?"

"Whoever said totems had to be inanimate objects?" Tatsuki replies slyly, a twinkle in her eye. Ringo crawls out from the satchel and scampers up to sit on her shoulder, munching on a pellet. "Ginjō explained it to me: animals have souls, too. Except, instead of going to Soul Society when they die, they reincarnate into the Beast Realm."

We see a wild and unruly world of towering, snow-capped mountains and endless jungle. Beneath the canopy, a monkey with six arms swings from vine to vine. Below it trudges on an impossibly huge oxen, its horns flaring out with the wingspan of 12 meters.

"A Beast Realm?" Ichigo repeats, taken aback.

"Your Shinigami friends never told you that?" Tatsuki taunts. "It's where the yōkai roam. Ringo was a Kamaitachi ('Sickle Weasel') in a past life. That means he's carrying around Reikyō – just like you and me!"

Tatsuki extends out her arms and roars the name of her Fullbring: "Dōshikawa!"

Ringo morphs into an elastic pelt, swirling around like a veil and wrapping around Tatsuki's limbs. There is a flash of brilliant green light, a concentric pulse ebbing across the shallow water. Ichigo looks on in amazement as Tatsuki reemerges, her body swathed in the russet hue of Ringo's fur. A dark red tattoo rings around her right eye, mirroring the same flourish from the weasel's face. Her pixie cut has lengthened out into a long, feathered mane. She assumes an animalistic crouch, her eyes narrowed and full of malice.

"If you don't arm yourself immediately, you won't last long," she seethes.

Ichigo instinctually leaps aside, narrowly missing a kick from Tatsuki's clawed foot as she zips past him, a trace of green light following in her wake like a jet stream. What is that light? Ichigo wonders. He yelps in surprise when Tatsuki spins around, unleashing a fierce torrent of twisting wind with her next kick. Ichigo crosses his arms to brace himself, the pulse of kinetic energy nicking tiny cuts into his limbs. He feels his feet leave the ground as the air-current launches him skidding back across the shoals. He lands with a splash several yards away, dazed.

"My Fullbring binds Ringo and I together," Tatsuki declares, striking a stance of domineering poise. "Through him, I gain the power of the Kamaitachi."

Ichigo scrambles back up, inspecting the cuts on his forearms. He's unnerved by how imperceptible they felt.

"It didn't hurt, did it?" Tatsuki asks, gazing at him imperiously. "The wounds inflicted by my Jinkaze ('Swift Wind') are discrete, completely painless. It just unravels the knitting of your skin. But don't worry – those cuts are gonna really hurt soon enough."

Ichigo glowers at Tatsuki, tightening his grip around the Shinigami badge. He ignites his crackling tsuba and casts a spinning wheelbarrow of Getsgua Tenshō. Tatsuki cockily waits until it is within a meter of her before launching up into the air, a ripple of green luminescence pulsing from the ground beneath her. She neatly somersaults over Ichigo's attack, the projectile whirring up and crashing into the glass pane. The entire fish tank wobbles, but the surface doesn't crack.

"That's a condition I created for this dollhouse," Riruka explains to Chad as they watch the training unfold from above. "It'll take a lot more than that to break this glass."

"Well that's good," Chad mumbles. "I wouldn't want it raining down on them."

Tatsuki lands nimbly back down onto the shoals, hands on her hips.

"I'm a little harder to hit than a conga line of plush toys," she quips with a smug grin.

"That technique you keep using to leap around," Ichigo asks. "What is it?"

"They call it Bringer Light," Tatsuki replies. "We snap back the Reikyō residing in the ground to give our movements an extra spring. It's an advanced Fullbringer technique – too sophisticated for you to pull off anytime soon."

Ichigo frowns, just about fed up with Tatsuki's taunting. He swings his badge around, letting loose three more rings of Getsuga Tenshō. Tatsuki nimbly dashes between the trio of spinning blades, punching forth a pulse of Jinkaze towards Ichigo. He leaps aside, narrowly missing the surging air pocket. Tatsuki Bringer-Lights beside him, backhanding a swish of Jinkaze at point-blank range. Ichigo shields himself with his arms again, this time screaming in pain as the sharp air invades his open cuts. He is thrown tumbling back across the shoals, blood dripping from his forearms.

"Told you it would start to hurt," Tatsuki remarks, watching him struggle back to his feet. "Throwing around your frisbees isn't going to work. You need to take your Fullbring to the next level if you want to stand any chance."

Ichigo grimaces as he feels the biting sting emanating from his wounds. He's furious. Roaring with frustration, he unleashes another Getsuga Tenshō at Tatsuki.

BŌNHŌKU HEADQUARTERS – OCCURRING CONCURRENTLY
The gathered Bōnhōku members all sit at makeshift feast tables, digging into their dinner. The warehouse is now immaculate, per Tsukishima's orders. Several gang members glance around, weirded out by the new order of things and wondering how their organization had turned into this overnight. Nobody voices their concerns, however.

Shūkurō Tsukishima sits at the host seat, flanked by Moe Shishigawara and Abanji Hotoro. He picks at his plate, reading a book titled Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima.

"So what I've been trying to say is that we ID'd two of those punks from the Shiver Timber," Hotoro says between mouthfuls of veal. "Get a load of this: they're students. Names are Yasutora Sado and Tatsuki Arisawa."

"Excellent work, Hotoro!" Shishigawara shouts over the din. "We corner them and rough 'em up, and they'll give up the rest of XCution."

"You will do no such thing," Tsukishima interjects, not looking up from his book. "We'll leave them be for now."

"What?!" Shishi exclaims disappointedly. "But Tsukishima-sama, I can take 'em. I swear you won't even have to lift a finger. They just got lucky last time. Give me a chance, and I'll –"

"Moe-sama!" Hotoro angrily interrupts. "Tsukishima-sama has ordered us to stand down! Do not question his command."

"Don't scold me!" Moe snaps back indignantly. "I outrank you!"

Tsukishima's brow furrows as he struggles to maintain his focus on Mishima's prose amidst the melee of his subordinates' argument.

"I insist as a dutiful pupil of Tsukishima-sama that you will stand down!" Hotoro declares, slapping the table.

Tsukishima nonchalantly stabs his fork down into Hotoro's palm, pinning it to the table. The entire hall falls into hushed silence, only Hotoro's howls of pain audible as all eyes turn to Tsukishima.

"You broke my concentration, Hotoro," Tsukishima says with a voice like oil seeping over ice. He snaps his book shut and casts a withering glare to the chastened Moe. "None of you will take any action until I say so, understand? Now, enjoy your dinner."

XCUTION HEADQUARTERS
INSIDE THE FISH TANK
Ichigo is on his knees, panting. His shirt is in tatters, blood seeping from the cuts along his arms and chest. His wounds are getting progressively more painful, the air creeping into his gashes and scalding them. Tatsuki stands several yards away, showing no sign of fatigue.

"We're done here, Ichigo," she sighs. "I kept telling you to harness more Reikyō and evolve your Fullbring, but clearly you weren't listening."

Ichigo struggles back up to his feet, reigniting his tsuba.

"I said you're done, Ichigo!" Tatsuki yells, impatient. "You're not fighting with a Shinigami body anymore! That's your human flesh and bone getting knocked around. You get that, right? If I keep hitting you, you could die!"

"I'm not stopping, Tatsuki," Ichigo huffs. "I'm not stopping until you tell me!"

He unleashes another Getsuga Tenshō. Tatsuki leaps forward in a spring of Bringer-Light, veering beside the projectile and punching it down with a blast of Jinkaze. The Getsuga smashes into the shoal, whirring around and kicking up pebbles before dissipating meekly.

"Tell you what?" Tatsuki asks impatiently.

"Why you keep looking at me with so much hate in your eyes," Ichigo pants, nearly buckling over from exhaustion. "We're friends, Tatsuki," he says softly. "You were my first friend."

Tatsuki is taken aback, her eyes widening with surprise. Ichigo casts his forlorn gaze down at his own reflection in the water.

"There was a time when you understood me better than anybody, and I understood you," he continues. "I know… that it's my fault. I hid things from you. I hid everything. I thought I was protecting you, but at some point I lost sight of what was protection and what was just a lie."

"I'm not angry at you for lying to me, Ichigo," Tatsuki says hoarsely, gazing at him with wet eyes. "I understand why you did what you did."

Ichigo looks up to meet her stare, confused.

"These last couple of months have given me perspective," Tatsuki continues. "I learned what it means to be powerful, and what that means for my friends. I realized that I couldn't tell the others because it'd only make them feel useless. I know that's what you were shielding me from, Ichigo."

"Wait… so you're not angry at me?" Ichigo asks.

"No, I am angry at you!" Tatsuki retorts irately. "Just not about that. I'm angry on behalf on Orihime."

"What?!" Ichigo exclaims, completely perplexed. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"You're my first friend, too," Tatsuki continues, her voice flinty. "But Orihime is my best friend. She's a good-hearted person. The best one I know. And it makes me very, very angry to see you using her."

"I'm using her?" Ichigo repeats, indignant. "How is our relationship your business?!"

Riruka peeks into the fish tank, her nose nearly pressing against the glass. "Dang, this has gotten juicy," she murmurs.

"Have you taken a look at yourself in the past two years, Ichigo?!" Tatsuki roars. "You've been a shell of the person you were! Moping around, feeling sorry for yourself. And for what? Because you're not special anymore? Poor Ichigo, just an ordinary person like the rest of us! So you humor Orihime's infatuation with you just to give yourself something to do?"

"It's not like that," Ichigo says softly.

"It looks a whole lot like that," Tatsuki says. "She needs you to open up to her, not just stand around holding her purse. Do you know she blames herself for the shitty mood you're in all the time? She's head over heels for you, but you can't summon any enthusiasm while pretending to be her boyfriend? What kind of a man just soaks up all that boundless love when he has no intention of giving it back?!"

"I want to, but I don't know how!" Ichigo shouts.

"You don't know how?!" Tatsuki fires back in exasperation. "How could it be so difficult to love Orihime of all people?!"

"Because I'm terrified of letting her down!" Ichigo cries out.

Tatsuki halts, shocked as she sees tears in Ichigo's eyes. He wipes a sleep across his nose, struggling to compose himself.

"I let her down the night I met her," he confesses. "I was the one who answered the door. Her brother died in our clinic, and I couldn't do anything to save him."

"You were just a kid, Ichigo," Tatsuki counters gently.

"I promised her that night that I'd always protect her," Ichigo continues, a tear streaming down his cheek. "If I'm not strong enough to do that… then I'm failing her. That's all I can think about whenever I see her. That's why… that's why I need to get stronger!"

Tatsuki doesn't know what to say, so she just smiles. She understands, now.

Riruka watches the conversation unfold from above, eyebrows raised.

"Hey, these two are having a real moment down there," she calls back to Ginjō.

"It should do the trick," Ginjō concludes.

Suddenly, Ichigo's Shinigami badge erupts with black flame. He stumbles back, startled. The heat doesn't hurt, but it's spreading like wildfire. What the hell is happening? he wonders, feeling something surging through him and pouring into the pendant. Is this Reikyō?

"Ichigo!" Tatsuki cries out. "Focus it!"

Ichigo braces himself, locking his knees. He feels something crystallize, and the flame explodes into a torrent of energy. Tatsuki watches the fireball with trepidation. The flame contracts to reveal Ichigo frocked in scribbling plumes of black. It looks like an amorphous replica of his Shinigami uniform. He tries to maintain the armor, but his strength gives out. The black disperses, Ichigo falling forward. Tatsuki Bringer-Lights forward and catches him.

"We've officially entered Phase Two," Riruka remarks, nudging Chad chummily. He gazes down at his miniaturized friends with a smile.

"So… I guess you won that round?" Ichigo whispers to Tatsuki, struggling to stay conscious.

"Don't worry about it," Tatsuki says reassuringly, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "It's not the first time I've kicked your ass."

Tsukishima walks down an alleyway, stopping before a residential building. He fishes out a key and slots it into the doorlock, entering into a quaint apartment. There is a bowl of soba noodles on the kitchen table.

"Shūkurō?" a voice calls out from the other room. A kindly, middle-aged woman enters into the kitchen, smiling at him. "I just set down your dinner, it should still be warm."

"Oh, mother," Tsukishima smiles back. "You spoil me."

SOUL SOCIETY - THE NEXT MORNING
SEIDAHATSUMEI: THE TSUNAYASHIRO MANOR
Hisagi, Komamura, and Kensei stand before the imposing gates of the Tsunayashiro ancestral home, Seidahatsumei. Ensconced within a lush forest, the manor is barely visible behind the brush. Hisagi looks on with overwhelmed awe at the fringes of the castle that he can make out – he's never dared to dream of entering such an opulent corner of Soul Society before.

A masked attendant approaches the gate, studying the trio through the bars.

"State your business."

"Maybe don't be so brusk before knowing who you're talking to," Kensei grits, crossing his arms reproachfully. "We're captains of the Gotei 13."

"And what importance does your rank carry within the blessed confines of the Tsunayashiro domain?" the masked attendant snipes back saucily.

Kensei's temple is ready to burst with indignation, but Komamura places a reassuring paw on his shoulder.

"I am Captain Komamura Sajin of the Seventh Division," the wolf declares. "Beside me are Captain Muguruma Kensei and Lieutenant Hisagi Shūhei of the Ninth Division. The Tenrai-chō granted my request to bless us with his audience today."

The attendant glowers at Komamura for a beat, then nods. He ceremoniously claps his hands together, the gates parting in response. The attendant turns, knuckles pressed together behind his back, and trudges up towards the forest.

"Follow me."

Hisagi, Kensei, and Komamura follow in the masked man's wake. Kensei scans the sprawling 100 acres of land encompassing the estate, noting the babbling brooks and dense swath of trees.

"So this was your best lead?" the Ninth Division captain irritably asks his subordinate. "A friggin' Tenrai-chō? Why couldn't you question some more Rukongai peasants before consulting with the peak of royalty, see where that got you?"

"There is someone in particular I wish I could question," Hisagi reflects, his mind trailing to the endless shadows residing within the lowest level of the Central Great Underground Prison.

"Forget it!" Kensei hisses back, knowing exactly who Hisagi is referring to. "Aizen's completely off-limits. He's gonna rot in the Mugen without seeing another face for all eternity, got it? Sheesh, if that's who you were aiming for, then I guess a Tenrai-chō is settling."

"Please keep your voices down," Komamura suggests, his eyes fixed on the attendant leading them. "It is considered blasphemous to disturb a Shisonka Manor with shouting."

Kensei frowns in agitation while Hisagi blushes. They press on through the forest in silence until they come upon Seidahatsumi in full view. It is an enormous hirayamjiro castle, looming 12 stories tall with a blood-red facing and lavender-colored roofing. A trio of guards await on the staircase leading up to the castle entrance..

Hisagi's eyes widen as he regards the three warriors: they are not just any ordinary Shinigami. They loom large over the steps, each clad in intricate samurai armor, faces shielded by masks. Dense Reiatsu emanates from them.

The lithest and shortest among the trio is bedecked in an emerald green cuirass, the cuisse beneath his plating a deep navy. The front crest sprouting from his Kabuto helmet forks up in the shape of a beetle's antennae, the blue mempo mask concealing his face contorted into a fanged grin. This warrior's name is Sobura Kisada.

To his right stands a muscled guard clad in a canary-yellow cuirass, the complementing black cuisse giving him the appearance of a yellow jacket. The front crest of his helm is shaped like the arching horns of a giant sable antelope. His face is plated with a smoky, orion gray mask that is twisted into a weeping expression of despair. His name is Baiyori Magonyo.

Hisagi's gaze is drawn to the towering guard who stands several steps below Kisada and Magonyo, his gravitas unmistakably distinguishing him as their leader. The hulking samurai is clad in wine-colored spaulders, his cuirass coal gray and cuisse jet-black. Ram horns jut forth from his helmet, his piercing yellow eyes gleaming through a black faceplate and a bright red veil draped around his jaw.

Hisagi gasps when he recognizes the warrior's suit of armor: it bears an uncanny resemblance to Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, the gigantic manifestation of Komamura's Bankai.

"They are the Shikōtai – elite bodyguards assigned to each Shisonka House's Tenrai-chō," Komamura murmurs to Hisagi. "Only exceptional prodigies of the Shin'ō Academy are chosen for this task, their strength comparable to that of a Gotei captain. Each Tenrai-chō is traditionally accompanied by one Shikōtai, but Tokinada was granted three for extra protection after the attempt on his life."

Hisagi remembers that bloody bit of history. Fourteen years ago, the entirety of the Tsunayashiro family was assassinated in a coordinated ambush. Children were among the slain. Tokinada was the sole survivor, stabbed by an attacker before his guard warded them off. The wound was severe, but he recovered – his kin were not so fortunate. As far as Hisagi knew, Soul Society never apprehended those responsible. At least, Captain Yamamoto and Central 46 never disclosed whether the unidentified assassins were brought to justice. Maybe Aizen had a hand in that, too, Hisagi wonders.

Komamura steps forward to the foot of the staircase and gazes up at the guards, regarding them with familiarity.

"Captain Komamura," the Shikōtai leader intones through his veil, his guttural voice inflected with surprising warmth as he addresses Sajin.

Komamura stares up at him for beat, then bows his head in respect.

"Shikōtai Komamura," the wolf responds reverently.

Shikōtai Komamura?! Hisagi looks up surprisedly at the head bodyguard. Is he...?

"Both you and Captain Muguruma must surrender your Zanpakutō before entering," the hulking bodyguard discloses. "It is a security measure that the Tenrai-chō insists upon."

Kensei huffs but complies, irritably retrieving the sheathed Tachikaze from his sash. He nudges Hisagi, grumbling "You too, Shūhei."

"The Tenrai-chō has requested that Lieutenant Hisagi keep his weapon," the Shikōtai leader clarifies.

Kensei frowns, casting Hisagi a quizzical look. He and Komamura stride up to the Shikōtai leader, offering their sheathed Zanpakutō. Kisada and Magonyo descend down the steps, accepting the swords.

"They will be returned to you after your business with the Tenrai-chō has concluded," Magonyo assures them.

"Better be without a scratch," Kensei grumbles.

"That depends on how well it goes for you with the Tenrai-chō," Kisada snickers with a reedy wheeze beneath his helm.

Kensei shoots the Shikōtai guard a venomous look, feeling disrespected. The smug bastard's grinning mask even looks like it's mocking him.

Hisagi, Sajin, and Kensei follow the guards up the steps and enter inside of Seidahatsumi. Hisagi's nose pleasantly singes as a heavy waft of incense sweeps past him. The interior of the castle is just as opulent as its exterior, the jade walls engraved with spectacular artwork and rouge tapestries emblazoned with the history of Soul Society draped across every pillar. Kisada and Magonyo break off from the group in opposite directions as they come upon a forking hallway, their leader continuing to lead the visitors. They come upon the master hall, the Shikōtai leader parting the curtains to reveal a vast, cypress chamber.

Splayed atop a luxurious cushion is Tokinada Tsunayashiro, puffing away at a jade pipe. The smell reaches Sajin's nostrils. He identifies the scent as Honeuta, a very potent and very illegal opiate in Soul Society. Shinigami officers caught with the substance are dishonorably discharged and exiled into the Rukongai as punishment. The Tenrai-chō sits before a low table, two bells situated atop it. One bell is distinguished by a white tassel, the other by a red tassel. Sitting in the corner of the chamber is a dark-haired man wearing an ornate hat, silently writing on a scroll.

Tokinada exhales two thick jets of smoke through his nostrils, casting a glassy gaze at his guests.

"Ah, Komamura Sajin," the Tenrai-chō grins, vapor seeping out from between his teeth. "I almost didn't recognize you without your bucket. You didn't think to conceal that snout before presenting yourself to me?"

Sajin respectfully bows before the royal. Hisagi and Kensei, despite bristling at the insult thrown at their peer, follow suit.

"I no longer hide myself from my comrades, Tsunayashiro Tenrai-chō," Sajin explains.

"I see," Tokinada replies with a hint of displeasure. "What a proud dog you are. How nice to see a captain of the Gotei unafraid to show their face after such spectacular failure."

"What failure would that be?" Kensei asks irritably.

"Why, requiring the assistance of a mortal brat to defeat the traitors in your midst!" Tokinada exclaims with gleeful derision. "Quite a black mark on Shigekuni's record of leadership. I sought his dismissal as Captain-Commander, but alas, my peers continue to make excuses for his incompetence."

Tokinada takes another greedy suckle at his pipe, his eyes widening with delight as he sizes Kensei up.

"It's been a very long time since I've last seen you, Muguruma Kensei," the Tenrai-chō remarks between puffs of Honeuta. "I was disturbed to hear that you and your 'Visored' brethren were allowed back into the Gotei 13, but it makes sense…"

Tokinada casts his eyes back to Sajin, relishing his next words.

"… After all, Shigekuni has always possessed a soft heart for mongrels."

Kensei's face twists with rage, but he keeps his composure. Hisagi is completely flummoxed. This man is royalty? he thinks, incredulous.

"And you must be Hisagi Shūhei," Tokinada continues, scrutinizing the lieutenant. "I hear that it was you who wishes to speak with me? How curious…"

Hisagi clears his throat and steps forward, bowing to the nobleman. "I was hoping to interview you for my investigation into Tōsen Kaname's life, your majesty."

"Kaname, eh?" Tokinada muses, brushing back the taut braid hanging from his otherwise unkempt, clover hair. "How curious indeed, that you would want to dredge up memories of your traitorous captain. I would think you'd want your association with that seditious cripple to be forgotten."

Hisagi's fists clench as he bottles his anger, maintaining his stolid expression.

"Captain-Commander Yamamoto agreed that it would be fruitful to understand why he turned against Soul –"

"He did not just turn against Soul Society, but against his own god!" Tokinada interrupts, his tone more amused than righteous. "He and Aizen Sōsuke sought to assassinate Reiō, the creator of us all. As a direct emissary of our one true God, I take that very personally."

"Of course, your majesty," Hisagi continues nervously. "It's just –"

"Relax, Shūhei," Tokinada hand-waves the lieutenant, setting his pipe down. "I would be delighted to entertain your questions. Even as Tenrai-chō, you'd be surprised how infrequently my opinion is sought. But first I'd like something from you."

"From me?" Hisagi replies. "What would –"

"I am absolutely fascinated by Zanpakutō," Tokinada hisses, leaning forward conspiratorially. "I've never been allowed one, given my station. That is the one, cruel absence in my life. To see your soul reflected in a blade… exquisite. And I have heard that you have a most exquisite Shikai. Can you please demonstrate it for me?"

Hisagi's eyes widen. He's not sure whether this is some sort of trap.

"Oh, do not fret about my safety," Tokinada adds, motioning to the Shikōtai leader guarding the entrance. "Sugai will see to it if you make any unwarranted movements."

Hisagi looks to Sajin and Kensei. They both give him a nod. He sighs, then strides up to the platform across from Tokinada. Drawing forth his Zanpakutō, he takes a deep breath and the intones the release command.

"Reap, Kazeshini."

The katana separates into two Kurasigama blades, linked by a binding chain. He whips around his two scythes in balletic whirls, careful to keep their slicing trajectory contained within the parameters of the platform. It's like a dance. Tokinada breaks out into a delighted giggle as he observes the circular arcs of Hisagi's Shikai.

"How beautifully vicious!" the Tenrai-chō cackles, lifting up his pipe for another puff. "Is cutting all that your blades can do?"

"Yes," Hisagi answers, catching both rods and sealing them back into a katana. "That's all they can do."

"A blunt instrument, but highly effective for killing," Tokinada muses. "Perhaps we should trot out a body for you to cleave through?"

Hisagi, Kensei, and Komamura all give Tokinada apprehensive stares. The Tenrai-cho's lips curl into a grin.

"I am merely jesting, my boy," Tokinada clarifies. "Your Shikai is most impressive. Perhaps there is still hope for the Ninth Division. Now, you had some questions for me?"

Hisagi returns before the Tenrai-chō and kneels down. "I need to record everything that we discuss, if that is fine by –"

"That won't be necessary," Tokinada interrupts, motioning to the man writing in the corner. "Yamada Seinosuke over there has been dictating our every word."

"Seinosuke?" Kensei says, scrutinizing the man from afar. "I remember you. You served under Captain Unohana a century ago."

Seinosuke glances up from the parchment, dictating his own words as he speaks. "I have ascended to a higher station since then, as you can see."

"Seinosuke is my notary," Tokinada explains. "He is seeing to it that every syllable shared between us is preserved for posterity."

"But, Tenrai-chō, I have to submit a written report to Captain Ukitake," Hisagi politely pushes back.

"A copy of any relevant transcript will be shared with Jūshirō," Tokinada asserts impatiently. "Now pose your questions."

Hisagi hesitates, suddenly feeling ill at ease. A creeping terror washes over him. It's not just the Tenrai-chō's ill manner that has him unnerved – he can feel something looming directly behind. He casts his eyes back, seeing nothing. Why does it feel like… someone is breathing down my neck? he wonders, sweat beading down his brow. He looks to Sajin and Komamura, raw fear in his eyes. They give encouraging nods, prompting him to begin.

"I learned that your wife, Tsunayashiro Kakyō, was close with Tōsen –"

"Who told you that?" Tokinada interrupts, arching a brow.

"The woman who raised him," Hisagi answers.

Tokinada takes another suckle at his pipe, his dilated pupils narrowing as his glare grows stern.

"So you've come to interrogate me about my late wife's associations?" the Tenrai-chō simpers. "If she had any relations with that gimp, I was unaware. However, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that their paths had crossed. She always enjoyed adopting pets from the Rukongai. It was an eccentric hobby of hers."

"I'm sorry to hear that she died so prematurely, Tenrai-chō," Hisagi presses on, his jaw clenched tight.

"Yes, it was a pity," Tokinada muses, tapping out the Honeuta embers from his jade pipe. "She committed suicide. Regrettable, but perhaps inevitable, given her persistent melancholy. I concede that it did not reflect well on my charms as a husband."

"I was hoping to review her records, to see if there is any mention of Tōsen within them." Hisagi broaches. "Your House owns all recorded history about her life, correct?"

"Her records?" Tokinada replies bemusedly. "Seinosuke, didn't I have those destroyed?"

"Yes, Tenrai-chō," the notary confirms. "They were burned."

"You burned them?!" Hisagi shouts, unable to contain themself. "But they were the only remaining memory of her!"

Tokinada casts Hisagi a playful scowl, then looks to Sugai. Hisagi tenses as he notices the Shikōtai leader grasp the hilt of his Zanpakutō.

"The memory of her remains safe, Shūhei," the Tenrai-chō coos condescendingly, placing a hand over his heart. "It resides within me. That and the memory of all my slain family members, cruelly ripped from this world by seditious heathens. I have endured tragedy after tragedy, and yet I do not linger on the past. I suggest you do the same."

Hisagi watches as Tokinada packs a fresh batch of Honeuta into his pipe. The Tenrai-chō takes a lit incense stick and presses it into the bowl, gazing up at Hisagi as he sucks at the spout.

"Were those all of your questions?"

Hisagi, struggling to contain his anger, gives a grim nod.

"Very well," Tokinada concludes, reaching for the white-tasseled bell before him. He rings it. "Sugai will escort you out."

Hisagi, Kensei, and Sajin walk back towards the forest, Seidahatsumi looming behind them.

"What a fuckin' creep," Kensei mutters under his breath.

"Kensei, please don't," Sajin sighs, wary of the attendant leading them to the gates.

"I just call it as I see it," Kensei grits, cracking his knuckles to vent his agitation. "How you can be so submissive to that blowhard mystifies me."

Sajin halts, turning back to look upon the entrance of the manor. The Shikōtai leader named Sugai stands atop the steps, staring back and raising a hand farewell. Sajin reciprocates the gesture before turning away to rejoin his comrades.

"Captain Komamura, how do you know that man?" Hisagi asks.

"His name is Komamura Sugai," Sajin answers. "He is my father."