Forbidden History
Rukia clutched Renji's kimono as he carried her away from the execution grounds. Although she had resigned herself to death and accepted the punishment for breaking the foundational law of the Gotei 13, the fact that Ichigo, Renji, her captain, and her friends had come to save her made her cling to life—even though it felt like a sin.
Suddenly, she looked over Renji's shoulder and saw Byakuya watching her—stoic and unreadable as ever.
Since the first time she met him at the academy until now, he had never looked at her directly. It was as if he always looked past her, even when their eyes met, like now.
Why?
She asked herself.
Why did you adopt me as your sister, only to never treat me as family? If I reminded you of your deceased wife—if I was just a painful memory—then why keep me close, yet so distant?
Rukia felt her heart tighten. Even after all these years, she still didn't understand him.
If only he had mistreated her, then maybe she could have hated him for everything. But instead, he remained distant and unapproachable, treating her like something he had picked up… only to forget about it.
And still, in her heart, she couldn't muster the strength to hate him—even if he had stood by and let her be executed.
How could she, when even now, he just stood there, watching her as Renji carried her away?
Rukia turned her head and remained silent, nestled in Renji's arms, listening to the frantic beat of his heart.
Unbidden, she remembered how she used to wonder who sat on the futon beside her bed after nightmares haunted her night after night. The futon had always felt warm… as if someone had been sitting there for a long time.
Byakuya…
She thought. Though it seemed unlikely, the thought lingered.
Even though she had brought shame to the Kuchiki clan, he had never disowned her…
Why? she wondered again, tightening her grip on Renji's kimono, aware now that she was very far away from Byakuya.
If you were truly determined to let me die… why did you let us escape, Niisama?
Renji smiled down at Rukia, safely tucked in his arms, grateful that they had escaped the battlefield with her. He began to tell her about Ichigo—how hard he had fought to save her, no matter the cost.
Rukia felt tears welling up in her eyes. Grateful. And guilty.
Ichigo…
A long, long time ago, when the world was still unified, there emerged entities who sought to advance it into the most powerful civilization in the universe. Their technology led to the rise of immortal-like beings.
To protect the weak and maintain balance, these entities created Hell—to restrain the dangerous and powerful beings. And yet, chaos still unfolded.
The Soul King emerged to separate the world into three realms in order to restore balance. But because of his immense power, he had to sacrifice his life to keep the realms intact. As a result, those ancient technologies were banished and locked away forever.
It was only because the Kuchiki clan preserved the history and records of Soul Society that Byakuya even had an inkling of what had happened in the void of forgotten millennia.
Though the lineage of those ancient entities had been diluted through generations, some souls still carried the ability to manifest their ancestral spirits.
But there was one particular lineage that had been cut off from the start—the one responsible for the original chaos. The emergence of hollows… and of other races.
And though he refused to believe that Rukia carried that cursed bloodline—one that had ultimately killed Hisana, whose weak body couldn't bear the burden—he could no longer deny the truth.
As he looked at the chaos engulfing Soul Society, he couldn't escape the fact that Rukia was the cause of the imbalance. No matter how much he denied it or tried to protect her from her fate.
Because she was the bringer of death and chaos, as foretold in the forbidden histories.
Standing bloodied with his kenseikan destroyed, Byakuya looked at the corrupted hollow-Shinigami.
Ichigo suddenly removed his mask and turned to him. "I'm sorry," he said, apologizing for the destruction the hollow had caused.
Byakuya remained silent. This has to end, he thought, as his energy drained away.
His gaze locked onto the Ryoka boy—the one who had led the rebellion, the one responsible for Rukia's downfall, and the one who had thrown Soul Society into disarray.
"I will kill you," he declared, gripping his sword. "And I will kill Rukia with my own hand."
He had always known that Rukia was a curse from the past. Yet he had protected her all these years.
Because he had loved her.
And now, he had to be the one to end her—before Soul Society collapsed.
"You bastard!" Ichigo shouted. "You're going to kill your own sister because of a stupid law?!"
Byakuya remained silent. He lifted his blade and prepared for their final battle.
"White Emperor Sword."
At his whispered command, his Zanpakutō transformed him into an angelic figure, his body surrounded by radiant white energy.
Ichigo released his Bankai.
Then—light and darkness clashed atop Sōkyoku Hill. The sheer force of their battle shattered the cliff beneath them.
Byakuya's sword broke, signaling his defeat. Yet he felt no anger. Instead… he felt relief.
"You have defeated me," he said, catching Ichigo's attention. "I will no longer pursue Rukia." With that, he vanished.
Ichigo let out a breath, feeling both relieved and victorious. Byakuya wasn't a bad person—just a conflicted man, torn between duty and love.
He had felt it in Byakuya's blade.
Because if Byakuya had truly intended to kill Rukia, his sword would not have crumbled.
"I won!" Ichigo exclaimed in triumph, knowing that he had changed Byakuya's heart.
to be continued...