Love seeketh not itself to please, nor for itself hath any care

Love seeketh not itself to please, / Nor for itself hath any care; / But for another gives its ease, / And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair.

--William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell (1790)

In the dense forest surrounding the Twelfth Division's base, moonlight was fragmented into countless pieces by the layered tree canopy, dappling the ground. A hunt was silently underway amidst this elusive interplay of light and shadow.

Fon Shaoling leaned against the trunk of an ancient tree, her chest heaving violently. Her backless black outfit was soaked with sweat and clung tightly to her skin. Her two long ponytails swayed slightly in the night breeze, with bits of grass and dust clinging to the ends.

On her left arm, a butterfly pattern unfolded from the wound, imprinted on her skin like a tattoo.

Bee-Crest Flower.

That's Suzumebachi's ability after her Shikai; it leaves a death mark on the target's location where it was hit. If the marked location is hit again, the target will be killed.

This used to be Fon Shaoling's most prized killing move, but now it has become her death warrant.

And this isn't the first one.

Fon Shaoling raised her hand and gently touched her cheek with her fingertips. A Bee-Crest Flower Bee-Crest Flower had been engraved on her porcelain doll-like face, spreading all over her body like a painted decoration on porcelain.

"How embarrassing!"

Her fingers slid down her face and pressed against the Bee-Crest Flower on her left arm, stopping the bleeding from the wound.

To understand why things have developed to this point, we need to go back to the beginning of the battle...

The Suzumebachi hovered in mid-air, its golden dot, no bigger than the palm of a hand, emitting an ominous glow in the night.

She wore a black and yellow patterned outfit, with two long brown braids hanging down her sides, and the golden finger-shaped blade on her right arm gleamed coldly in the moonlight.

"Soi Fon..."

Suzumebachi looked at Fon Shaoling standing in front of her, and a look of utter disgust appeared on her disproportionately small face.

Fon Shaoling didn't respond, but simply turned her head slightly and said to the black cat on her shoulder, "Oren, find a place to hide."

Oren couldn't speak, he just nodded, nuzzled his head against Fon Shaoling's neck, jumped off her shoulder, and darted into the bushes nearby, leaving only his bright silver eyes peeking out as he blinked at Fon Shaoling in the shadows.

"Is it really a good idea to let it roam free like this?" the Suzumebachi sneered, its rustling like a bell in the night breeze. "You know, felines can't be tamed. Whether it's a cat or a tiger, they'll act on their own and disappear on their own."

She spoke with a pointed tone, her voice trailing off like a needle deliberately piercing the deepest wound in Fon Shaoling.

Fon Shaoling's hand was already on the hilt of her Zanpakuto, her golden pupils shining brightly in the moonlight. "Should you be the one to say those words?"

Seeing that Fon Shaoling's expression hadn't changed much, the Suzumebachi scoffed and sent golden sparks flying toward Fon Shaoling like shooting stars.

As Suzumebachi and Fon Shaoling Aya clashed, the battle between the Onmitsukidō and the Zanpakuto officially began.

As golden light and black figures clashed and darted through the dense forest, a chaotic battle erupted, the crisp sound of clashing blades echoing everywhere, and shockwaves of Reiatsu sending fallen leaves flying everywhere.

Meanwhile, Oren kept moving through the jungle, maintaining a relatively safe distance from Fon Shaoling, observing Fon Shaoling's battle from the gaps between them.

"I can't help at all..."

Oren, one of the fragments of Amber, felt a pang of sadness. He shouldn't have been so weak. Unfortunately, during his time with Fon Shaoling, Oren had tried to see where his limits were, but apart from having Fon Shaoling Shunpo that was no weaker than Aya's, his other abilities were really no different from those of an ordinary cat.

"Damn it, I feel my Reiatsu isn't low, so why do I have no fighting ability at all? I can't even speak; I can only convey vague meanings through my Reiatsu."

The red markings on Oren's body flickered, as if some energy was flowing within them. He lay prone in the grass, his eyes fixed on the battle between Fon Shaoling and Suzumebachi, his tail twitching uneasily behind him.

Fon Shaoling swung her sword at Suzumebachi, the blade slicing through the air, aiming straight for Suzumebachi's body. However, before the sword light could touch Suzumebachi, a golden spot of light flashed past beneath the blade.

That's too fast!

The Suzumebachi brushed past the side of Fon Shaoling's neck like a streak of light, leaving a golden trail in the air behind the finger-shaped blade.

Fon Shaoling jerked to the side, but was still a beat too slow; the blade grazed her skin, leaving a very shallow bloodstain.

Just as the blood began to seep out, the Bee-Crest Flower bloomed from the wound like a flower.

"So fast!"

Fon Shaoling quickly retreated, her toes lightly touching the branches as she walked, until she reached a treetop. Her breathing was slightly rapid, and beads of cold sweat slid down her cheeks from her forehead.

"What's going on? She and I should be about the same speed, but..."

The Suzumebachi landed a short distance away, its golden light flickering faintly in the night. She tilted her head, looking at Fon Shaoling Aya's bewildered face. "You're so surprised you can't catch me?"

"What did you say?"

"Haha, are you thinking that, as one of the most agile people in Soul Society, you and I, as your Zanpakuto, should be about the same speed?"

But I can easily attack you, while you can't catch me."The Suzumebachi began to circle around the Fon Shaoling, its circling trajectory gradually getting closer and closer to the Fon Shaoling, like a golden bee drawing strange shapes beside a flower.

"You've never fought an opponent smaller than yourself before, have you?" Suzumebachi's voice swirled, sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, using sound to probe Fon Shaoling spots. "At the same speed, the smaller you are, the more agile and nimble you are. So... the advantage is mine!"

Before she finished speaking, the Suzumebachi shot towards Fon Shaoling like a golden bullet, heading straight for the Bee-Crest Flower on her neck.

"Shaoling!"

When the Suzumebachi brushed past the Fon Shaoling and knocked her off the treetop, Oren's tail bristled, and she leaped out of the grass.

The small, black and red figure shot out like a dark lightning bolt, baring its fangs at the mid-air Suzumebachi, letting out a low hiss, and the red markings on its body were more pronounced than ever before.

"Oren, I'm fine, step back." Fon Shaoling got up from the ground, and another Bee-Crest Flower appeared on her right arm.

"I felt like I couldn't dodge it, so I blocked it with my hand in desperation?" The Suzumebachi was slightly annoyed at missing, but looking at the newly blooming Bee-Crest Flower on Fon Shaoling's arm, she quickly adjusted her mindset. "However, now there are more targets."

The Suzumebachi looked at Oren, who burst out of the grass and bared his fangs at it.

"Your cat seems quite concerned about you." Suzumebachi was intrigued by the red and black kitten before her, her gaze lingering on the flickering red markings on its fur. "This little guy is quite interesting. I wonder what breed he is. His Reiatsu is considerable, yet he managed to keep up with our battle all the way here."

She smiled and said, "You were able to pull through after Yexing Hu died thanks to this little cat."

At this point, Suzumebachi's previously calm voice suddenly turned cold. "It's really annoying!"

The black and red cat-like shadow trembled slightly, its silver vertical pupils and exposed sharp fangs revealing an barely suppressed rage.

"How dare you hurt Shaoling! I'll make you pay!"

Although the Suzumebachi couldn't hear what Oren was thinking, seeing Oren's fierce appearance aroused its own ferocity. "Oh ho, just a beast, daring to bare its teeth at me!"

Golden sparks shot toward Oren like arrows released from a bow.

Oren also became fierce. He had no intention of dodging at all. Instead, he lowered his body, kicked off with his hind legs, and intended to collide with the Suzumebachi.

However, Fon Shaoling Suzumebachi managed to pull Oren away before he could collide with Oren.

The price, however, was that Fon Shaoling was struck from behind by Suzumebachi. Bee-Crest Flowers bloomed from her shoulder blades, spreading along the muscle lines of her spine, like a butterfly spreading its wings.

"Shaoling!"

Oren saw that Fon Shaoling had been hit again because of him, and he felt an indescribable frustration. His claws stomped on Shaoling's chest, the red lines on them throbbing violently with anger, as if something was trying to burst out of his body but could not find an outlet.

Fon Shaoling gently patted Oren's head, her hand still damp with the sweat of battle, and said softly, "I'm fine. It's too dangerous here. You should leave quickly."

She put Oren on the ground, gently nudged him, then turned back to fight the Suzumebachi again.

Seeing this, Suzumebachi felt even more disgusted. "Soi Fon! Look at yourself! As the Second Division Captain, you're far too sentimental! You cherish a mere substitute so much, and you're so nostalgic for those few months!"

Her words pierced like knives, but Fon Shaoling didn't respond. She simply swung her Zanpakuto even faster, her golden pupils burning with fighting spirit.

The attacks from the Suzumebachi grew increasingly fierce; the golden dot of light constantly changed speed and direction in the night, forcing Fon Shaoling to retreat repeatedly.

The more this happened, the more reluctant Oren became to leave, watching from the sidelines, ready to rush in and interfere at any moment. This forced Fon Shaoling to forcibly send him away.

Just as Suzumebachi launched another surprise attack, Fon Shaoling suddenly raised her left hand, palm facing forward. "Hadō #31: Shakkahō!"

A crimson energy blast shot from her palm, but it wasn't aimed at the Suzumebachi.

The energy blast exploded on the ground in front of Oren, and the shockwave, carrying dirt and grass clippings, blew Oren and the ground beneath his feet away.

Oren was sent off the battlefield in such a brutal way, while Fon Shaoling took advantage of the opening to retreat in Shunpo, taking Suzumebachi further and further away.

Oren, who had been thrown far away, tumbled several times in the air before landing on all fours. His ears were ringing and he was covered in mud and grass, but he didn't care about that. He immediately ran back to his original spot to look for Fon Shaoling.

However, the battle here was too intense. The fight between Fon Shaoling and Suzumebachi was accompanied by high-speed movement. Their figures constantly darted through the forest, even crossing several battlefields where the Onmitsukidō and Zanpakuto were fighting.

"Shaoling! Shaoling! Where are you!"

Oren quickly lost track of Fon Shaoling in the chaotic battlefield. He wandered around like a headless fly, rushing across battlefields where the fighting was fierce, but he could not find that familiar figure.

Why do I feel so powerless! Why can't I do anything?!

Oren was enraged by his own powerlessness, and the red patterns on his body became more and more vivid, spreading all over his body like a burning totem, and even his silver vertical pupils were tinged with a red light.

"Power! I need power! The power to fight alongside Shaoling!"

"If you're so eager for power, why don't you come find us?"

The speaker flew over the anxious Oren's head, a few feathers falling and a sound of something landing drew Oren's attention back.

Standing there were Sylvan and Rain. Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the tree canopy, falling on Sylvan's thin shoulders and Rain's Blue-Violet wings, casting long shadows behind them.

"Rain? Sylvan? What are you doing here?"

Oren took a half step back, crouching low, and watched the two suddenly appearing creatures of his kind warily.

Sylvan pointed to his head. "Your thirst for power is about to break the connection between us and you. Since we can sense your location, we naturally found you."

Rain perched on Sylvan's shoulder, his silver eyes scrutinizing Oren, his beak slightly open. "But I don't understand, Oren, if you wanted power, why didn't you come to us first? Only when the soul is whole can power have a foundation."

Oren replied, "No, you won't do. I can feel Rain Shaoling!"

Rain tilted his head. "Me?"

Oren: "That's right! When you came to me before, all you talked about was Integration, you didn't care about Shaoling's situation at all. It's as if nothing is more important to you than Integration!"

"Um..." Rain was taken aback by what he was said. He opened his mouth, wanting to refute something, but looking at Oren's vertical pupils burning with red light, he ultimately swallowed his words back.

Sylvan then slowly walked towards Oren.

Oren took a slight step back, wary of Sylvan: "What are you going to do?"

Sylvan did not answer, but instead raised his jet-black cane and unexpectedly tapped Oren's head lightly with the end of the handle.

"Oren." Sylvan crouched down, trying to look Oren in the eye. "We all come from Amber's soul, each of us receiving a part of him. But you must know, what we received was not just power, but also his emotions, thoughts, and desires."

Oren held his head, which had been throbbing from the blow, with his two front paws, his silver vertical pupils still showing a hint of wariness and grievance.

Sylvan retrieved his cane, twirling it in his hand. Moonlight fell on the cane, giving it a dark luster. "Captain Unohana told me that the five of us soul fragments are equal."

If you, representing one-fifth of Amber's soul, act solely for Shaoling, then it means—at least one-fifth of Amber's soul belongs to Shaoling.

He paused, then slowly reached his hand towards Oren's head. "And..."

"Oren, I feel that what belongs to Shaoling isn't just your one-fifth." Sylvan gently placed his hand on Oren's head, his fingers sinking into his soft black fur. "Come back. Only then can we truly help Shaoling. Compared to fragments like you and me, what Shaoling needs is a complete amber."

As Sylvan's hand touched Oren's head, the blocked connection between them was completely broken.

"Really? So you're one of them too..."

As Oren and Sylvan's souls connected, Oren's body began to emit black and red particles. These particles, like ashes scattered by the wind, drifted slowly in the night, and then, as if drawn by some invisible force, wrapped around Sylvan's other arm.

The moment the particles touched the skin, they began to engrave a tattoo on Sylvan's forearm.

The dark red and black lines spread from the wrist, winding upwards like vines, or like countless butterflies with outstretched wings resting on the skin.

Sylvan closed his eyes, feeling everything coming from Oren. It was a temperature that couldn't be described in words, like frost flowers forming on the windowpane on a winter night, or like the first ray of sunlight shining into the room on a spring morning.

The black and red particles surged out faster and faster, and the tattoo on Sylvan's arm became more and more complete. When the tattoo was finished, Sylvan and Oren slowly opened their eyes.

A faint red halo appeared deep within Sylvan's silver pupils, like a line of blood embedded in a silver plate, adding a touch of wild beast-like sharpness to his originally calm and indifferent eyes.

He looked down at the new tattoo on his arm. Unlike the feather-shaped tattoo on Rain's arm, the tattoo representing Oren was a mysterious feline creature pieced together from butterfly-shaped patterns.

Sylvan squeezed the arm that had just received the tattoo, feeling the power belonging to Oren surging from beneath his skin. "The use of Shunpo, the instincts of a beast, and that obsession with protecting someone—is this your share?"

He raised his head, his silver-red eyes gazing into the depths of the dense forest, where countless Reiatsu were clashing fiercely. "Let's go, it's time to help Shaoling."

Oren nodded, then released another burst of black and red particles, engulfing Sylvan and Rain as they plunged back into the forest.