Before the Fog Lifted

After rushing out of the Lieutenant's waiting area, Renji sprinted along the stone path. He ran all the way to the entrance of the Senzaikyū. A thick fog hung over the area today, making it difficult for Renji to see the other side of the path, but he knew very well that Ichigo Kurosaki would eventually come here.

Ichigo Kurosaki! The culprit who pushed Rukia through the Gate of Death! Things were finally looking up, and the Lieutenants were all willing to step forward, but you're here to ruin it all?!

Then, the sound of straw sandals scraping against the ground came from the mist, and the place was getting closer and closer to the Senzaikyū. What came into view next was a head of particularly eye-catching orange hair, and the ridiculously large Zanpakuto carried on the person's shoulder.

"Ichigo Kurosaki! Do you still remember me?" Renji asked, looking at the boy in front of him.

"If I could forget, I'd love to forget. But..." Ichigo put Zangetsu off his shoulder, "I still have a score to settle with you, how could I possibly forget, Renji Abarai!"

Renji slowly walked towards Ichigo: "I was really surprised to hear that you were still alive and had even made it into Soul Society. I thought you had already died at Captain Kuchiki's hands."

Ichigo, carrying Zangetsu, walked towards Renji.

"It doesn't matter. I will kill you for taking Rukia's power. Only when you die can Rukia live!"

Renji drew his Zanpakuto, and the two quickened their pace, eventually charging directly at each other. Ichigo also unwrapped the bandages binding Zangetsu: "You bastard who took her away to kill her in the first place, what nonsense are you spouting now! Get out of my way!"

"Then we'll see if you have the ability!" Renji, facing Ichigo who was charging with immense Reiatsu, also unleashed his own Reiatsu, drawing his Zabimaru and clashing fiercely with Zangetsu.

The intense clash of Reiatsu between the Lieutenant was felt by all the other Lieutenant.

"This Reiatsu is... Has Abarai already started fighting with the Ryoka? Judging from the Reiatsu, the opponent is not weak either!"

"The Seireitei is in turmoil right now. A confrontation with our allies at this time wouldn't be a good thing!" Marechiyo Ōmaeda worriedly. Ever since discovering yesterday that his head had been tampered with, he had abandoned his usual procrastination; a sense of crisis had kept him from even sleeping.

"Is this the direction of the Senzaikyū? Could it be that the Ryoka is really going to break us out of prison? If they succeed, it will be terrible!" Marechiyo Ōmaeda took out his Denreishinki, sent a message to Amber, and then used Shunpo to rush towards that direction.

Meanwhile, at the Lieutenant's waiting area, Kira felt the Reiatsu of the Ryoka still subtly weighing on Abarai: "I'll go check on him too; Abarai might need some help."

Exit of the Senzaikyū

"You're the one who pushed her into this prison—and now that things are finally looking up, you're ruining it all!" He drew the Zabimaru, the blade arcing through the air. "The Roar, Zabimaru!"

The moment the Shikai was completed, Zabimaru transformed into several sections of a snake-belly sword, coiling towards Ichigo like a living python. Ichigo to the side, and Zabimaru's blade grazed past his clothes. He gripped the door-sized Zangetsu with one hand and forcefully parried Renji's second strike.

"Destruction? What do you mean by destruction! I'm here to rescue her! What do you think I'm here for, sightseeing?"

Renji's sword was stuck in Ichigo's Zangetsu, and the two faced each other, yelling at each other across the blades, "If you hadn't taken her Soul Reaper powers, she wouldn't have been sentenced!"

Renji's third strike was surprisingly powerful, pushing Ichigo and carving two deep furrows in the ground.

"I know!" Ichigo deflected Renji's sword, the hissing sound of the blade cutting through the air masking the hoarseness in his voice. "That's why I came! Don't block my way!"

Ichigo seized the opportunity during Renji's triple attack, leaped forward with his sword raised, and slashed down at Renji's shoulder.

However, another Zanpakuto blocked Zangetsu, and the sparks from the collision exploded in the setting sun.

"Marechiyo Ōmaeda!" Renji exclaimed in surprise.

"Looks like I'm not too late, Abarai." Marechiyo Ōmaeda said, holding off Ichigo's Zanpakuto. "And you, you Ryoka, calm down!"

"How can I remain calm when you're going to execute my friend!" Ichigo pushed Marechiyo Ōmaeda Zangetsu into the ground, unleashing a burst of Reiatsu.

The shockwave spread outwards from him, cracking the stone slabs on the ground. Marechiyo Ōmaeda and Renji were thrown back. Amidst the billowing dust, the orange-haired boy stood there, carrying a sword, panting heavily.

"I told you—don't block my way!"

"Tch, you don't want to hear anything from here? Well then, I'll just have to teach you a lesson!"

"Smash his head, Gegetsuburi!"

Marechiyo Ōmaeda's Shikai, his Meteor Hammer hurtled straight at Ichigo's side with a sharp whistle, the spikes on the hammerhead grazing past Ichigo as he shielded himself with Zangetsu.

Ichigo was jolted two steps to the side by the blow. Before he could regain his footing, Renji's Zabimaru was already closing in from the front. Ichigo gritted his teeth and held Zangetsu horizontally in front of him. Zabimaru's segmented blades wrapped around Zangetsu's blade, while the Meteor Hammer came crashing down from behind. The double attack greatly stimulated Ichigo's potential.

He grabbed Zangetsu, pulled Zabimaru along with Renji, and flung them towards Marechiyo Ōmaeda.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda and Renji tumbled together, even crashing into a wall.

"What kind of damn power is this?!" Marechiyo Ōmaeda crawled out of the ruins, his head spinning.

Renji wasn't much better off; his sunglasses were shattered, his hair was disheveled, and he crawled out of the hole with his hair all over his face.

"I don't care how many of you Lieutenant are or how many captains are. If you dare to stop me, I'll wipe you all out." Ichigo hoisted Zangetsu onto his shoulder, his Reiatsu pressing down on Marechiyo Ōmaeda and Renji.

Renji and Marechiyo Ōmaeda felt that Ichigo was simply arrogant. He was already barely managing to handle the attacks of the two Lieutenant, yet he wanted to take on several more. He was really overthinking it...

The two rallied and launched another attack:

Renji used the Zabimaru to constantly block Ichigo's movements, while Marechiyo Ōmaeda used the Meteor Hammer to launch a heavy attack. Ichigo, relying on his Zangetsu, managed to block the Zangetsu.

Even though each time he deflected the Zabimaru, he suffered a new injury, and each time he used the force to push away the heavy Meteor Hammer, he felt his internal organs tremble.

However, the more Ichigo's Reiatsu was suppressed, the higher it rose.

It's unclear when exactly, but under the combined pressure of the two, he was no longer just passively taking hits; he gradually began to fight back.

Renji retrieved the Zabimaru, tightening the blade once more. He slightly bent his knees, and Reiatsu surged from the blade towards the tip, the edge suddenly becoming translucent at the last moment. All the blades converged simultaneously, transforming into a vertical slash that concentrated all his power.

Ichigo stood before the descending blade of light, and Ichigo lightning speed, he dodged it the instant the vertical slash came down.

When you dodge, you should think about how to avoid getting hit.

At the same time, Marechiyo Ōmaeda had already channeled all his Reiatsu into the Gegetsuburi. The Meteor Hammer drew a heavy arc in the air, and the hammerhead smashed towards Ichigo from the side.

Ichigo had already made up his mind to take the hit head-on.

When protecting others, remember to consider the possibility of your own death.

Renji knelt on the ground, Zabimaru was stuck in the crack of the floor tile, and he was trembling all over as he pulled the knife out of the crack.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda gasped for breath, desperately trying to lift the Gegetsuburi.

Ichigo also raised Zangetsu high. "When you attack—you have to slash with all your might!"

The three figures crashed into each other almost simultaneously, and the immense pressure they unleashed knocked over Ganju Shiba and Hanatarō Yamada, who were watching from the sidelines.

As the final flashes of light overlapped, a blue beam of light shot between the three blades—it was a Summoned Swords —and then a figure appeared in that spot.

A black Shihakusho, a dark red scabbard, and half-black, half-white hair—it's Koko!

Beowulf withstood the full force of the three weapons, remaining completely unmoved.

"Stop!" He pushed all three weapons away, as if drawing the last breath from the battlefield.

Ichigo looked at Koko, his hand holding the sword drooping, panting heavily. Renji looked at Koko who had suddenly appeared, then at Ichigo, who was leaning on Zabimaru to keep from collapsing.

He looked at Ichigo's face, wanting to say something, but his strength was no longer enough to keep him conscious. His clenched fingers loosened one by one, and he fell straight forward.

"Renji- senpai!" Koko reached out and hugged Renji. Marechiyo Ōmaeda rushed over and supported Renji.

There seems to be some movement over there.

Kira's shouts echoed from the distant alleyway, followed by the hurried footsteps of several squad members. Marechiyo Ōmaeda looked up, supporting the unconscious Renji: "Quick, go. Take Ichigo Kurosaki with you. I'll handle things here."

He put away the Gegetsuburi and gently leaned the unconscious Renji against his shoulder. "I'll handle Kira's situation."

Kou draped Ichigo's arm over his shoulder, supporting him as he retreated deeper into the alley. Ichigo's body grew heavier and heavier until he finally collapsed completely. Just then, a head peeked out from the shadows at the corner of the alley.

Ganju Shiba waved his hand and shouted, "This way!" He stepped aside, revealing a dug hole behind him. "Quick, quick! There's a sewer entrance here!" Hanatarō Yamada stood at the edge of the tunnel, clutching a first-aid kit, his body trembling, but he remained crouched there waiting.

The group jumped down. To prevent anyone from chasing them all the way from the exit, Ganju blocked the way at the end. Hanatarō carried the medicine box and stayed in front, finding a relatively clean spot. Kou carried the unconscious Ichigo in the middle.

In the darkness of the sewer, only the gradually calming breaths and the soft sound of blood being slowly absorbed by a rag remained.

Meanwhile, on Marechiyo Ōmaeda's side, as night fell, they still hadn't subdued or arrested a single Ryoka, prompting the Captain-Commander to convene another meeting with all the captains.

The Lieutenant gathered together once again. By the time Kira and Marechiyo Ōmaeda took the injured Renji to the waiting area, the meeting was almost over.

After being put down on the stretcher, Marechiyo Ōmaeda was exhausted and slumped against the wall.

Momo Hinamori looked at the badly injured and unconscious Renji and the slumped Marechiyo Ōmaeda to the side, and was very surprised. "How could this be?"

Kira felt a pang of guilt. "When I arrived, I only saw Marechiyo Ōmaeda carrying Abarai; I didn't even see a trace of the Ryoka. I was too late."

"This isn't Kira's fault," Hinamori, looking at Abarai's injuries. "Anyway, hurry and contact the Fourth Division..."

"There's no need for that!" Byakuya appeared silently behind Hinamori, looking down at Renji lying on the stretcher.

"Captain Kuchiki..." Kira and Hinamori turned around and saw Byakuya.

Byakuya's expression was utterly cold. "Lock him up!"

"But... Lieutenant Abarai was injured because he faced the Ryoka alone," Kira explained.

"No matter the reason, he disobeyed orders and went to fight the Ryoka alone, so he must win. That's the rule. And this fool who doesn't even understand this principle is an eyesore to me. Take him away." With that, Byakuya turned and left.

Hinamori wanted to say something, but Kira stopped her. Kira felt that Byakuya Kuchiki wasn't in a good state right now and didn't want to provoke him.

After watching Byakuya leave, Kira said, "Send Abarai to jail."

"Why?" Hinamori, puzzled.

"Because that was Captain Abarai's decision~ But that decision is really outrageous." Gin appeared on the wall at some point, Hinamori was startled by the sudden voice. "Captain Ichimaru!?"

Gin continued, "The Sixth Division captain is as cold as ever. No wonder he's the captain who values rules the most. Don't worry, I've already called the Fourth Division. Let's go, Kira."

After watching Kira leave with Gin, Hinamori finally breathed a sigh of relief, but then another sound came from behind.

"You're just not getting enough exercise!"

Hinamori turned around. "Captain Soi Fon!?"

Fon Shaoling dragged the already collapsed Marechiyo Ōmaeda past Hinamori, nodding to her as she did so.

Hinamori watched another captain leave, thinking that this time no one would suddenly appear...

"Wow, he got beaten up pretty badly, that Abarai guy."

Hinamori screamed in fright, turning around to exclaim, "Little White? Seriously, don't scare me! Why are the captains walking so quietly?!"

Tōshirō frowned. "Why is everyone else a captain, but I'm Little White? I'm a captain too!"

Hinamori muttered, "Because Little White is just Little White..."

Seeing that Hinamori Tōshirō a little aggrieved, Toshiro stopped gossiping and said, "More importantly, you should be careful of the Third Division."

Hinamori asked in confusion, "The Third Division? Is it Kira?"

"I was talking about Gin Ichimaru..." Tōshirō scratched his head, "But Kira, you should also be careful."

At night

Second Division Captain's Office.

Fon Shaoling sat behind the table. After being dragged back, Marechiyo Ōmaeda was given a simple bandage and then came in. Cilian leaned against the window. When Amber pushed the door open, her sleeves were still wet.

Marechiyo Ōmaeda spread a stack of meeting minutes on the table, reviewed the attitudes of the Lieutenant one by one, then stopped his finger on the edge of the minutes and said in a low voice, "If this continues, if even a few captains are persuaded and then raise objections, I'm afraid the Captain-Commander won't be able to suppress them forcefully."

Fon Shaoling nodded gently, "Then let's check on the Lieutenant's results tomorrow. Hu, what about you?"

"Today I met Orihime Inoue, Uryū Ishida, Ichigo Kurosaki, and a guy Ganju Shiba. The first three are Rukia- senpai's friends from the World of the Living, while Ganju Shiba is an accomplice they found in Rukongai."

"Shiba? If it's that Shiba, then it's not surprising that he was able to break into Seireitei. Although I'm curious why they helped Ichigo Kurosaki, now is not the time to investigate. What about their means of communication?"

"The Denreishinki we found in the warehouse, their frequency is..."

"Denreishinki? You idiot!" Before Hu could finish speaking, he was interrupted by Fon Shaoling.

Hu was a little confused. What was going on? Fon Shaoling said with a serious expression, "Hu, do you know that all the Denreishinki come from the Department of Research and Development?"

"Of course I know that... Oh no!" Kou then realized the problem. The Department of Research and Development was now in Mayuri Kurotsuchi's hands, and that guy couldn't possibly not have left a backdoor for himself.

At this time, within the Twelfth Division,

"Hello? Can you hear me, Ishida?"

"I can hear you here, Kurosaki, where are you? The echo is really strong."

"I don't know. We're currently hiding in the sewers, and we don't know our exact location. Where are you? We'll come find you after we get out of the sewers."

"That's fine too."

We are at...

Hearing Ishida reveal his location himself, Mayuri Kurotsuchi flashed a smile that was both dazzling and chilling...

Inside the Sixth Division's cell

Renji lay on the hospital bed, his eyes closed. Kira sat beside him, reaching out to feel his forehead; it was burning hot. He had rushed out like that, facing the Ryoka alone, and if Marechiyo Ōmaeda hadn't arrived—he really would have collapsed there.

The door was gently pushed open, and Hinamori walked in carrying a basin of freshly changed water. She placed the basin on the bedside table, wrung out a towel, and carefully placed it on Renji's forehead. "He's still the same as always."

Kira stepped aside. "He's pushing himself too hard. Chasing Rukia, chasing the captain, and now chasing the Ryoka. He's always pushing himself too hard."

Hinamori didn't answer, only staring at Renji's still tense face in his sleep. It had been so long since they'd sat together as classmates; she wondered if they'd ever have the chance again...

Fifth Division Barracks

After taking care of Renji, Hinamori rushed back to the Fifth Division. Carrying a tea tray, she gently pushed open a door. Aizen was sitting at the table, a half-open document in front of him. Hearing the door open, he looked up.

"Captain Aizen, are you still working? It's very late." She placed the tea tray on the table, her voice filled with concern.

"Hinamori- kun." Aizen smiled gently. "I've been very busy lately, I'm sorry to have worried you." He closed the document and gestured for her to sit down opposite him. "You seem to have something to say?"

Hinamori relayed Ōmaeda and Renji's analysis from Marechiyo Ōmaeda that day—the suspicious points surrounding the execution, the anomalies of Central 46, and the Lieutenant who were willing to step forward. She finished, her eyes filled with anticipation, "Captain Aizen, everyone knows you've opposed executions from the beginning. Now that so many Lieutenant are willing to step forward, if they unite, the Captain-Commander should reconsider—what do you think? Isn't there really hope?"

Aizen looked at her. The candlelight flickered on his glasses, reflecting no emotion.

"Hinamori- kun, you've worked very hard." His voice was soft, "But now is not the time to unite. The things behind the execution are more complicated than you think. If we unite now, someone will get hurt."

"Will someone get hurt?" Hinamori repeated.

Aizen didn't answer directly. He picked up his teacup, looking down at the gently swirling tea. "I still have things to verify. Let's wait until tomorrow. If everything goes smoothly, tomorrow will be crucial."

"Captain Aizen? What do you mean by that—"

"It's nothing." He looked up, his smile returning to normal. "It's late, you should get some rest. Tomorrow will probably be a long day." Hinamori looked at his always gentle face, seemingly wanting to press for more information. But in the end, she simply nodded. "I understand, but I want to wait until the captain finishes work before I rest."

The office of the captain of the Tenth Division.

Rangiku Matsumoto leaned against Tōshirō Hitsugaya's desk, unusually without her sake bottle in her hand. "The Ryoka group, not a single one has been captured yet. The Second Division's investigation and Captain Aizen's analysis basically match up—the execution procedure was wrong from the start."

"Captain Aizen?" Tōshirō flipped through the documents in front of him, all of which were about the execution.

"Captain Aizen seemed to be against execution from the beginning. Renji conveyed many of the doubts raised by Captain Aizen at the vice- Captains' Meeting, such as: the disposal of Gigai, the shortening of the buffer period, etc."

Marechiyo Ōmaeda also provided data on the Second Division, and multiple pieces of evidence point to something amiss with the Central 46.

Tōshirō's finger stopped on one of the pages. "Central 46?"

"Look at this." Rangiku picked up a piece of pastry from the plate, took a bite, and pushed the document in front of him. "The members of the Central 46 haven't appeared in public for a long time, but government orders are still being issued as usual."

Tōshirō stared at the data, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper. "This is all under the surveillance of the Department of Research and Development, why didn't anyone notice?"

"Marechiyo Ōmaeda said it's not that we didn't discover it—it's that someone made everyone who handled this data overlook it. Someone who could simultaneously fool the Second Division's intelligence system, monitoring procedures, and all levels of reviewers..." Rangiku stuffed the remaining half of the pastry into her mouth, mumbling, "I'm afraid it's not just one or two people."

Tōshirō stood up and opened the window. Outside was the Seireitei in the dead of night, and the wind blew in.

I'll go see the Captain-Commander tomorrow.

Third Division Barracks

Gin Ichimaru sat alone on the rooftop of his office, a bottle of bamboo sake beside him. He slowly turned the bottle towards the moon, his fingertips occasionally touching the lingering warmth of Still Water in his arms. He lowered his eyes at the edge of the rooftop, the tassels of his persimmon-colored bracelet swaying gently between his fingers.

Fifth Division Captain's Office

Aizen remained seated at his desk, and Hinamori had already fallen asleep beside him, aided by the Kidō he had secretly unleashed.

On the desk in front of him, closed documents lay to the side, the teacup had gone cold, and in the center was a letter he had written himself; all preparations were complete.

Aizen took off his glasses and placed them on the table. He looked up and admired the moon; the lenses on the table reflected the moonlight slightly.

After a long while, a very soft sigh echoed in the office, as if it were a sigh of regret, or perhaps an anticipation of something to come.