The room basked in the afternoon glow. A single patterned glass window was wide open, letting the sunlight streak across the writing desk and all the way to the entrance door. The side walls from floor to ceiling were carved cubic shelves. The vertical bamboo separators cast shadow on the color-coded scrolls and stacks of paper within. The room had just enough space for one person sitting behind the desk and the other standing in front. One more would make it feel a little too crammed, a little too personal.

Sui-Feng could feel the frontal edge of the desk with the back of her thigh. She fidgeted with her fingers, trying to look at the woman an armlength away from her. Her gaze kept falling to the floor, and she kept forcing it back up.

Captain Yoruichi was leaning against the shelf. Her slender fingers twirled a lock of short black hair. In her left hand she held an opened letter. Her eyes, two yellow suns, blazed through the inked words. Suddenly, the suns flared at Sui-Feng. She broke eye contact instantly, hiding behind her bangs, her face burned. She heard a melodic giggle.

"She's threatening you with an arranged marriage citing your lack of military advancement in last four years," said Yoruichi. "It says here that you're the recipient, but I wonder if it was intended for me."

"The matriarch wouldn't dare to demand of you," Sui-Feng rattled off.

"Of course she wouldn't, that's why she sent it to you. She knew you'd have to show it to me." Yoruichi used her mocking voice, "Make my daughter a lieutenant or I'll take her away." She continued normally, "That's how it reads."

Sui-Feng was at a loss for words. She stared at the floor in the general direction of her captain.

"So," Yoruichi went on, "want me to give Kisuke a boot?"

Sui-Feng felt words of approval steering inside of her. She quickly squashed the impulse.

"Yoruichi-sama, it was not my intention to coerce you into anything. I just wanted to inform you that I might not be able to stay here anymore. I apologize if it seemed like something untoward. I'm willing to take any punishment you deem—"

"Stop, stop, stop," Sui-Feng heard the floorboards creaking. She felt Yoruichi's arm wrapping around her waist. A hand slipped under her chin and gently lifted her head. "It was a joke," Yoruichi stared in her eyes, "I know that you had nothing to do with that petty scheme. You're my best friend, practically a family." The sun orbs felt warm on her face.

"Yes," Sui-Feng mumbled. She looked past her captain. The paper along with the envelope lay on the floor, forgotten.

Sui-Feng felt Yoruichi letting go of her chin and wrapping her into a tight hug. She reciprocated instinctively and felt the warmth of Yoruichi's breath with her ear.

"There will be a banquet tonight at our clan's compound," she heard Yoruichi's hot whisper. "Fifty years since the patriarch died. Lots of nobles will pay respects. The eleventh division captain, Kuruyashiki, won't miss it. He'll probably come with half of his men in tow. They currently don't have a lieutenant."

Sui-Feng felt her heart drop. She broke free of the embrace, prompting a playful wrinkle on a delicate olive brow.

"Yoruichi-sama, if I had wanted the position of second officer, I would have left years ago when Hikifune-sama offered."

"Did she really? Kisuke will die of envy when I tell him."

"A year ago, Kyoraku-san also offered his squad's lieutenant badge," Sui-Feng forced herself to look Yoruichi in the eye. "I turned down both of them because I wanted to stay here, with you."

"I did not mean to imply permanent transfer, let alone diminish your sacrifice," she paused "I'll arrange for you to stay there as a stand-in for three months. Afterwards I might be able to offer you a lieutenant's badge of my own."

"Why would captain Kuruyashiki agree for a stand-in?"

"Even if Kuruyashiki refuses," Yoruichi said, "I'll raise the issue at the captain meeting tomorrow morning. He won't have a choice if the Commander agrees."

But will the Commander agree? Sui-Feng couldn't fathom why anyone would accept a stand-in. Nevertheless, seeing how eager her captain was, she reluctantly nodded.

"Alright, I'll do as you say. I'm sorry for causing trouble."

"Never mind, that's what friends are for," Yoruichi closed the distance again and held Sui-Feng's hands. "You should attend too, you know?"

"What?"

"The banquet."

"Oh… if you want me to."

"I do," she said. "I also want you to find some pretty boy there and have your way with him," before Sui-Feng could say a word Yoruichi added, "I'll even let you use the shrine. You can do it right there on the offering table."

"Yoruichi-sama! That's your father's grave!"

"Who cares," Yoruichi shrugged, "it's purely symbolic, they've never found the body… that's a clan secret by the way," she winked.

"I won't tell a soul."

"I know," Yoruichi walked away, sliding-open the door, and exiting into hallway. She was shutting it but stopped at the last moment, leaving a thin opening for her golden irises to peek through. "So, I'll keep the shrine open tonight, yes?"

"Yoruichi-sama!"

The door clicked-shut, and she only heard fainting giggles. Sui-Feng stood alone at her office listening to the sound of steps growing quieter and quieter until she heard only silence. She waited a little more, just to be safe.

A grimace crossed her face. She unsheathed her sword and stabbed it into her desk. With a pathetic crack, the wood yielded. Half of the blade pierced right through.

Sui-Feng took a deep breath and let go of her sword. She walked up to the letter on the floor. She picked it up, dusted it off, and put it back in the envelope. She then walked to the barely filled shelf with the label "personal correspondence" and put it there. Satisfied with herself, she sat behind her writing desk. The sword was still stuck in the tabletop.

Sui-Feng saw her reflection in the polished steel. Ordinary looking brown eyes on an ordinary looking face framed by an ordinary looking mop of long black hair stared back at her.

That's what friends are for her captain's voice sang in her head.

"Yoruichi-sama, I don't want to be just friends…" she heard herself saying, "no that's not right."

"Yoruichi-sama, ever since the Shinigami academy…" she tried again, "no that's too far back."

"Yoruichi-sama, when I'm with you I feel…" she trailed off, the correct words wouldn't come out.

"I can't even say it." She let out a deflated chuckle. Her reflection smiled back sadly.

Sui-Feng looked at the pile of yet to be read reports. Maybe she should just get back to work. She picked up the inkstone and filled it with fresh water. She grinded an inkstick and dipped-in her brush.

The first report was a complaint from the unit under direct command of the second division lieutenant. It was directed at the said lieutenant and condemned his prolonged absence. Sui-Feng wrote dereliction of duty and put it on the pile to be delivered to the captain's desk. She moved to pick up the next one but halted at a sudden realization: she could just write it down.

Instead of the next report she grabbed an empty piece of paper, and with an expert hand, she inked the words Yoruichi-sama, I love you. It felt startlingly easy, and her lips stretched into a tiny smile. The words poured in, and the letter kept filling with I felts, and I could nots. And then by the very end there was even one I expect nothing which she added just to feel safe.

Once she finished, she quickly put it into an envelope and slipped it on the inside of her kosode. She didn't read it for fear of wanting to burn it. She didn't sign or seal it. Why would she? She was going to give it in person anyway. Now, having what felt like the most important conversation in her life to look forward to, she grabbed the next report. If she wanted that conversation to happen tonight, she needed to be done with work early.

Night came quickly. The moonlight was dim and unreliable. The common folk had to use candles and torches. Seireitei, the central city of Soul Society, was different. The insides of the buildings were illuminated by spiritual lamps, a device only available to those with ample spiritual energy to waste. Some nobles even put them outside their compounds, lighting up the street, showcasing their might and wealth.

Under the cold white light of spiritual lamp Sui-Feng signed off the last report, putting it onto the finished pile. She then reclined into her pillowy chair, stretching and yawning. She turned and looked through the closed window. Her gaze glued to the luminous dot on the horizon where she knew the Shihoin compound was. A sudden worry rose inside of her, but she squashed it immediately. Treat it like a mission, she thought.

She adjusted the badge on her shoulder and tightened the sash around her waist. She finally dislodged her sword from the table and sheathed it. She checked the inside of her kosode. The letter was still there.

It was going to be a quick job; she was not planning to stay at the feast. She would go in, find her captain, give them her letter, and then quickly get rejected. No, she slapped her face lightly, don't think about it.

She gave her office one last customary look. The pile of the finished documents, someone would pick them up tomorrow morning. She eyed the crack in the table regretfully, and then the shelves where she'd organized everything scrupulously. She would still need to come back to turn her badge in, maybe even give instructions to whoever would use this place while she's gone. She'd be back tomorrow, there was no need to say goodbye. She slid open the door and entered the hallway.

Three people greeted her in unison, startling her a little. They wore the same black kosode and hakama along with the face-covering masks, the standard uniform of the second division. She recognized her personal assistant immediately and then the other two who assisted lieutenant Urahara and captain Shihoin. These people were responsible for managing the subdivisions: detention unit, patrol unit, and execution unit respectively. Why were they looking for her? How long did they wait?

"What is it? Why are you here?" asked Sui-Feng. She saw them shooting each other hesitant glances until her personal assistant, Chika, stepped forward.

"Lady Feng, is it true that you're transferring to the eleventh division?" she asked.

Sui-Feng felt her eyebrows rising. Who tattled? But then, she knew the answer, after all she only talked about it with her captain. Nevertheless, she still asked.

"Who told you that?"

"It, uh," Chika stuttered, "it was in the report from the internal investigation unit."

There was no internal investigation unit. It was a polite way to say: gossip. It all but confirmed that her captain talked, someone overheard, and it spread. No matter.

"It's true," she said.

"Lady Feng, we beg you to reconsider," said Chika. "Graduates from the Shinigami Academy end up at eleventh when no one invites them elsewhere. All that waste collector does is patrol the far regions of Rukongai or the World of the Living. They don't need a lieutenant, certainly not one as capable as you are. And if it's the position of second officer that you want, then we can prove to the captain how incompetent lieutenant Urahara has been, especially during the last two months," she fired off as if it was a well-honed tongue twister. Chika then bowed down deeply, and her companions followed.

"Lady Feng, we beg you to reconsider," they said in unison.

It felt good to have her work recognized even in such a roundabout and rebellious way. That said, she had to cut it off at the root.

"Get up," she said, and they obeyed her. "First of all, badmouthing eleventh division, a distinguished part of Gotei-13, is unbecoming. You ought to be punished for that alone. Secondly, there's an official process for badmouthing a higher standing officer, one you've already started," she looked pointedly at Kisuke's personal assistant. They did not meet her eye.

"Finally," she continued, "the need for transfer has arisen due to my clan's internal reasons. I, personally, do not have any aspirations regarding 'that waste collector'," she said as Chika shrunk under her gaze. "If all goes well, then for the next three months I am to act as a temporary lieutenant of the eleventh division."

"Then you'll come back," Chika blurted out.

"That's what 'temporary' means," Sui-Feng mocked.

"That's great, then we won't be imposing on you anymore," they bowed and were about to leave.

"Not so fast," Sui-Feng stopped them. "Seeing as you gossip and sniff around my office deep into the night, you must not value your time. Chika," Sui-Feng opened the door, "fetch those documents."

Her secretary went in and soon emerged from her office holding a fat stack of papers.

"You'll be delivering these tonight. You may start now," said Sui-Feng.

Chika leafed through some of the papers. Sui-Feng knew that, excluding herself, all 19 officers were among the recipients. There were some even for Chika and her two co-conspirators.

"But, Lady Feng, most officers have retired for the night," said Chika. "Their offices are locked."

"Good thing you're in second division," Sui-Feng mocked again. "I heard it specializes in covert operations."

"But if we get caught breaking in, we'll get severely punished," Chika pleaded.

"Then don't get caught," Sui-Feng was unrelenting.

"We'll deliver them," Yoruichi's assistant stepped in.

"Good," said Sui-Feng. "You may go now."

The trio left and Sui-Feng let out a tired sigh. She checked if she still had her letter. It was there, secured on the inside of her kosode. She locked the door to her office and left the barracks.

Once outside, she leapt on the roof of the nearby building, and using Shunpo, moved in the direction of the Shihoin compound. A warm night air grazed her skin. The sky was overcast. She heard thunder rumbling far away. It was going to rain soon.

She thought about the guests at the compound. The Shihoin were likely hosting them at the inner courtyard under the open sky. They would need to activate the barrier to prevent rain disrupting the feast. She remembered seeing it once during the downpour a long time ago. The raindrops had formed a shining water dome, descending all the way to the ground, cutting the compound away from the outside world with a translucent wall of water. People had gotten drenched instantly going through it. It had been an overcast day back then. She wondered how it'd look at night.

The Shihoin compound from up top had a rectangular shape. The inner space was surrounded by walls made of spirit reducing stone with black ceramic tiles at the top. The manor was at the center, facing the gilded gates of the entrance. To the sides of the manor the flowery gardens separated the inner territory into two. At the back of the manor stood houses where the clan members and servants lived. The front was largely empty and was sometimes used as a training ground or, like now, to host many guests.

Sui-Feng approached the entrance of the compound. The hexagonal crest on the gates was split in two. The lookouts were unseen, but she knew they were there. No one stopped her as she entered, likely because she didn't change from her second division uniform. The sound of pipa music reached her ears. She entered the inner courtyard.

The feast was ongoing, the space was lined with tables filled with delicacies. As Sui-Feng moved through, she smelled fried fish and roasted pork. Hundreds of nobles were present. They ate, and danced, and drank but they also sorted themselves into two groups, those of higher standing and of lower standing. The former sat closer to the mansion, while the latter feasted closer to the exit.

Surprisingly, she noted, a big group of people wore the same clothes she did. They must have attended as an entourage of their captains.

Sui-Feng halted when she spotted white haori with number eleven dyed on the back. The captains had to always wear them. Kenpachi Kuruyashiki, a burly man with a mane of messy black hair and scarred face, drank rice wine directly out of a jar. Next to him sat a man with long wavy brown hair tied into a ponytail. He wore a pink flowery lady's kimono, but Sui-Feng knew that underneath he had the same haori with the only difference being number eight on the back. Captain Kyoraku sipped at the same drink. He, however, used a cup.

Walking past them, she glanced around, looking for Yoruichi, but she couldn't find her, nor any other captain for that matter. She was about to move further and check the mansion when she heard captain Kyoraku speak.

"My lieutenant, Lisa, has been beekeeping recently," he said, "and I just thought how sad it is that bees never rest. They work themselves to death. How very sad."

"That might be sad, but their discipline is commendable, especially when put next to kids nowadays," Kuruyashiki responded. "Take for example my lieutenant."

"Oh? When did you get a new one?" asked Shunsui.

"Just tonight Yoruichi asked me to take in her third officer, and I agreed. But get this: when they saw me tonight, they didn't even greet me. Can you imagine?"

"Tsk," Shunsui shook his head, "how disrespectful."

"Exactly," said Kuruyashiki, "and so I'm thinking if they're this undisciplined, why should I accept them as my lieutenant?"

When she realized they were talking about her, she approached them from the back. And when Kuruyashiki let his question hang in the air, she took it as her invitation to speak.

"Third officer Sui-Feng greets captain Kuruyashiki and captain Kyoraku," she bowed respectfully. They both turned to face her.

"What a surprise," said Kyoraku. "Fancy seeing you here, lady Feng," he saluted with his cup.

"Third officer?" she heard Kuruyashiki echoing her words. "Does it mean you reject your captain's orders and my generosity? How disrespectful," he took a swig from the jug.

"With all due respect, sir," Sui-Feng look him straight in the eye. "We have yet to formalize anything at all."

"Formalize? Heh," he rose from his seat and stepped to her. He was two heads taller than her and twice as wide. She had to look up to match his gaze. He bent until only a palm width separated their faces, and then he asked in a low voice, "You want to formalize something with me?"

He sounded like a Rukongai ruffian and was so close Sui-Feng could smell the stench of alcohol from his mouth.

"Precisely, sir," she answered, unshaken. "If we don't put your agreement with captain Yoruichi into writing, then it will be as hollow as this act of intimidation."

"Hah," Kuruyashiki chuckled in her face, dousing her with the stench of rice wine even more. "Good, keep that attitude," she felt his bear-like hand patting her shoulder. "Tomorrow at sunrise. Come find me."

Sui-Feng nodded and Kuruyashiki turned around and settled himself back into his seat. He took another swig from his jug, seemingly losing all interest in her.

"Captain Kyoraku, have you seen captain Shihoin?" she asked.

He gestured at the mansion behind her. She muttered her thanks, bowed, and walked away from the drinking captains.

"I didn't know you were such a staunch opponent of formal agreements," she heard captain Kyoraku's voice.

"Shut up," said Kuruyashiki and let out a hearty laugh. His chuckles faded as Sui-Feng neared the mansion's entrance.

The building was huge. Each of the five stories had a tiled roof protruding outwards and bending upwards, not unlike the roofs on pagodas. The stairs leading to entrance were made of black marble inlaid with what looked like gold, the colors of the Shihoin. Stone carvings of cats adored the parapets. The heavy wooden door had a chiseled relief of the Shihoin crest, the same as on the entrance gates of the estate.

The servants were coming out, carrying food, and going back in with their hands full of dirty dinnerware. Sui-Feng mixed up with them and entered the manor. No one stopped them. It seemed the first floor was open for anyone who wanted to enter tonight.

Inside, a spacious hall with a grand spiral stairwell at the center gleamed in the subdued lights of the spiritual crystals. A guard was posted at the bottom of the stairs, likely to stop anyone inebriated from going to the upper floors. The servants went along the silk-adorned walls in the direction of the kitchens, and Sui-Feng separated from them and approached the guard. He nodded at her in recognition and didn't stop her as she climbed the stairs.

Sui-Feng knew that her captain was someone who didn't show sentimental feelings outwardly. It made sense to her that Yoruichi would wait for everyone to leave before paying her respects at the resting place of the previous patriarch.

The shrine was on the uppermost floor which connected to the stairwell through a single doorway. Sui-Feng left her shoes outside before sliding-open the opaque shoji doors. The rough wooden boards creaked under her bare feet when she stepped in.

It was dark. The only source of light were glass windows that lined the wall to her left. They faced the inner courtyard. Opposite them were a dozen shoji doors, unlike the entrance, those were transparent but dirty. The whole floor was one big, neglected hallway extending far in front of her and turning sharply to the right.

When Sui-Feng was younger she remembered Yoruichi telling her that this place was originally reserved for the clan head and his personal servants. All the rooms to her right had been his personal facilities, but not anymore. The place was deserted, and the rooms were locked. He had ruled the clan from the furthermost room, the one hidden from her view. It was the last place he'd been seen entering. It now served as his shrine.

Suddenly, a bright flash blinded Sui-Feng. A rumbling thunder deafened her. She moved to the closest window and looked up at the overcast sky. She searched for the edge of the barrier, and she found it almost immediately. The wisps of raindrops were catching highlight from below and danced at the top of the dome. They mingled with one another as the rain intensified, forming a translucent vibrating film. If I don't want to get soaked, Sui-Feng thought, I'd have to stay at the feast.

She reached into her kosode and pulled out the envelope. The coarse paper felt warm to the touch. Her fingers trembled. She clenched them, crinkling the parchment a little. Her faint reflection in the glass urged her to move. The only sound she could hear was her hammering heart. It was so loud that if someone told her it was in her head and not in her chest, she'd believe them.

She took a step forward. She was suddenly aware of how cold her feet were and how wooden her legs felt. She then took another step, and she passed the window. Step by step and window by window she moved forward until she reached the end of the hallway.

A sliver of light shone on the wall opposite the shrine room. The shoji doors were not completely closed, leaving a thin slit down the middle, just enough to peep and see what was happening on the inside.

She might still be praying, Sui-Feng thought, I should look before knocking. She moved close to the door and peered inside.

The offering food was splattered on the floor along with tableware. Her gaze moved up and she saw the shrine table. On it, was a naked man lying on his back. His hands held the hips of a naked woman who moved up and down on his crotch. The woman's dark skin glistened with the beads of sweat, with one hand she pinched her nipple and with the other she pushed against the man's chest. Sui-Feng recognized Kisuke and Yoruichi.

Suddenly, she was aware of the sounds around her. The wet slaps of naked bodies, the soft moans, the hot whispers. She saw her captain bending down and kissing him. She heard them moan into each other's lips.

Something dropped inside her chest, and then the sounds were cut off. A ringing resonated in her ears. She moved away from the door and walked back through the hallway. She entered the stairwell and descended it to the first floor. She exited the mansion and walked past the dining tables.

Half the way down the courtyard she realized she was running. She ran from the compound, past the gilded gates. She saw an opaque wall of water, so heavy was the downpour, but she didn't stop. Just when she was about to jump through, man with a golden sash emerged from beyond the wall. She moved too fast to avoid him.

She hit him with her shoulder and tripped, falling through the water wall. The icy rain bit into her body, and the sleet clawed at her face, but she barely felt it. Her whole body felt numb and the ringing in her ears persisted.

She did not remember how she got to her tiny apartment, but when she did, she entered through the window, closed it behind her and slid down below it, her back against the wall. She hugged her knees and rested her forehead against them.

Eventually, she could hear again. The rain still banged against the glass. It was pitch-black. She was cold, the water puddled around her. Her shoulder felt numb, her feet hurt and bled, and the rainwater dripping from her hair and across her face for some reason tasted salty.


Just as Soya pierced the wall of water, he had to immediately cast a barrier. A petite looking woman with long black hair hit it full-speed and tripped, splashing through the wall. The water poured on the ground, and then the wall mended itself, hiding the woman beyond.

He was about to go outside and help her up but felt her spiritual signature moving away. It seemed the rain did little to slow her down.

"She must be in a rush," the wind whispered into his ear. He ignored it and looked at the puddle on the ground. An envelope lay there, half soaked in the rainwater.

He picked it up. It was opened and unsigned. He took out the paper within. It was half-damp and some of the ink was smudged, but all was still readable. The first line made him raise an eyebrow.

Delicate female arms hugged him from behind. He felt her nuzzle the side of his neck. He kept reading, unperturbed. Her whisper felt hot and wet on his skin.

"Poor thing, she must have been rejected," he heard her say, "let's go after her, give it back to her, comfort her."

He put the paper back into the envelope and turned to his right. Her black hair brushed his cheek, and her amethyst eyes peered into his.

"Urozakuro," he began, but she didn't let him finish.

"I was joking," she said and walked right through him, her lavender blue robe fluttered behind. "I'm going to keep it," he saw her waving the love letter.

"Suit yourself," he shrugged and adjusted his kosode.

He saw her dissolve into a gust of wind. The damp paper floated in her place. It lunged at him and slipped under his clothes, rubbing against his bare skin. It felt cold and wet and made him wince. The wind giggled.

He walked onwards. Seeing the gilded gates, he didn't enter, instead, he merged with the wind, dissolving for the naked eye. It carried him inside.

The courtyard was filled with long tables. The ones closer to him were much more densely packed than the ones further away. People feasted and drank. He looked at them closely. More than half wore the standard Shinigami uniform, some even had badges. He felt pleased spotting number eleven on most of them.

His eyes caught captain's haori at the table closest to the mansion, drinking with a thin man in pink kimono. Just then another captain's haori emerged from the building, this time a woman. She towed some unwilling soul behind her as she approached the drinking men. Soya moved along with the wind. He reached them first, materializing out of thin air.

The man in a pink kimono choked on his drink.

"Kenpachi Kuruyashiki," Soya said, the wind amplifying his voice for everyone in courtyard to hear, "In the presence of more than two hundred of your man, your fellow captains, and the all-seeing Soul King, I challenge you for the title of Kenpachi."

An unnatural silence descended on the courtyard. It didn't last long. The man in the pink kimono kept coughing.

"Kisuke, did I hear that right?" he heard the woman behind him whisper.

"Kid," Kuruyashiki patted the back of his drinking buddy, "someone played a cruel joke on you. Had you not shouted it for everyone to hear, I'd have let you go home and sleep over it. Now though," Kuruyashiki turned and looked him over, "I can't."

"Is it actually happening?" the woman behind him sounded excited.

"Men," Kuruyashiki raised his voice, "give us space."

Most of the lower-standing nobles moved and freed the area where people had danced. They then formed a circle with an opening waiting for their captain.

Kuruyashiki stood up and gestured for him to follow. They entered the hastily formed arena and faced one another.

"I'll give you a chance, kid" said Kuruyashiki. "If you kneel and apologize, I'll forget this has ever happened. If you then tell me who made you do this, I'll hold them responsible."

Soya stayed silent. His eyes wandered from person to person around. He noted the black-haired woman looked disappointed after hearing that.

"Perhaps you need to see for yourself," Kuruyashiki took off his haori and thrown it to the side, he then bared his upper body.

Soya saw countless scars lining his chest and stomach. Some of them crossed all the way to his back. A particularly gnarly one stretched from his navel to the pit of his neck as if someone had tried to gut him.

"I'll give you one free hit, kid," Kuruyashiki said, "and then I'll ask you again. If you don't answer," he let out a dark chuckle, "then I'll have to kill you."

The men around them laughed as if he'd told a funny joke. Only the man in pink kimono frowned at Soya and glanced around as if looking for something. He then licked his finger and put it out, trying to catch the faint wisp of wind.

'Why would there be wind in a closed environment?' that's what he's thinking I bet, Soya thought, Captain Kyoraku has always been observant.

"Whenever you're ready," said Kuruyashiki and puffed up his chest. His sword was sheathed at his belt.

Soya's right hand was slacked over the handle of his sword. He gave his opponent one last look, and then with his nail he hit the metallic pommel.

A soft click turned into a wild gale and lunged at Kuruyashiki. He scrambled for his sword and put it in front just fast enough to block the hit. The wind went past though, it only ruffled his hair. He panicked and quickly turned around, but his men were fine. The attack did seemingly nothing.

He chuckled and was about to speak, but then captain Kyoraku shouted, "Below!"

Soya wasn't sure how tough his opponent was, so he put quite a bit into his attack. He was very precise, cutting exactly along the line.

A glowing clump of air shot up from below Kuruyashiki's feet so high it hit the dome above. The sharp chime reverberated through the courtyard. The gawkers looked up where it collided.

Soya looked at Kyoraku, the man looked down, his lips mouthing a silent prayer. Soya heard a muffled choaking and then a gasp from the audience. He looked back at his opponent.

Kuruyashiki lay on the ground, his body split open from navel to neck. His face sliced in two. His bloody guts spilled out as his barely working lungs tried to draw breath. Finally, they tried for the last time and failed.

"A chance, a hit, and a life. You were generous," Soya said.

He moved to where the discarded haori lay. He picked it up and tried it on. It was way too big, but he had to look the part when giving orders.

"You," he pointed at the man with a badge on his arm, it had number six and a smaller number eleven on it. "Take care of the funeral," Soya said.

The man stared open-mouthed.

A loud crack made Soya look up. A gash appeared on the barrier where it had been hit. It kept growing like a cut on a stretched cloth until it snapped. The water and sleet rushed in tumbling the tables, knocking over food, spilling the drinks, and mixing it with bloody guts and mud on the ground. Everyone scrambled to find cover.

In the midst of mayhem, Soya in an oversized haori stood unmoved, an island of calm. His clothes were dry. The feast was over.