The Day of Execution (1)

The moment Renji Abarai collapsed, Liu Hao stopped in his tracks. He closed his eyes, his spiritual senses spreading out like a spider web, capturing the Reiatsu fluctuations in every corner of the Seireitei.

In that direction, a familiar Reiatsu was rapidly weakening—like a candle flickering in the wind, threatening to go out at any moment. It was Renji. That kid had been fighting relentlessly in his Hollowfication state, exhausting all his strength, and was now teetering on the brink of life and death.

Liu Hao's fingers tightened slightly. He was almost about to open a spatial passage and teleport directly there. The passage of time became incredibly clear at this moment; every second could potentially become eternity.

"Hmm?" Momo Hinamori's voice interrupted his thoughts, "Captain Unohana and Vice-Captain Isane Kotetsu seem to be heading towards Abarai."

Liu Hao suddenly opened his eyes and sensed again. Sure enough, two gentle yet powerful Reiatsu were moving at an astonishing speed toward Renji Abarai —that was the Fourth Division's rescue team. Retsu Unohana, the Fourth Division Captain, was the most outstanding medical expert in the entire Soul Society.

His tense shoulders relaxed slightly, but a complex mix of emotions still welled up inside him.

[Sigh, I told the Captain before that I need to stay calm in the face of problems... Looks like my composure still isn't quite there.]

Taking a deep breath, Liu Hao turned to Momo Hinamori and nodded, his voice regaining its calmness. "Don't worry, our Captain will help treat Renji. Let's continue."

The two continued to follow Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto, navigating the intricate streets of Seireitei. The morning light had fully illuminated the sky, but for some reason, the air felt unusually oppressive, like the calm before a storm.

Sudden--

A terrifying surge of energy erupted from a certain direction within the Seireitei. It wasn't Reiatsu, but rather some ancient, primordial power, as if a god had opened its eyes and was gazing upon the insignificant beings within.

Liu Hao suddenly looked up, gazing in the direction of the Sōkyoku Hill. He could sense that the space there was violently distorting, and some long-dormant behemoth was awakening.

"The Sōkyoku Release," he said softly, his voice tinged with solemnity.

Momo Hinamori's face turned deathly pale. "Rukia's execution has begun! Aren't you going to save her?"

"I don't need to," Liu Hao said, his gaze still fixed on the distance. "The people who rescued her have already gone there."

"But there are so many Captains and Vice-Captains there!" Momo Hinamori exclaimed anxiously, "Can they save them?!"

Liu Hao finally withdrew his gaze and looked at Momo Hinamori. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, but there was no smile in his eyes, "Don't worry. My purpose now is to let you see the truth."

Before the words were even finished, Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto suddenly changed direction. They stopped heading towards Sōkyoku Hill and instead turned towards the core area of Seireitei —the location of the Central 46.

Liu Hao and Momo Hinamori exchanged a glance and followed silently.

The Central 46, the highest legislative and judicial body in Soul Society, consists of forty sages and six judges. In theory, it is one of the safest and most sacred places in the Seireitei.

But at this moment, as the two followed Tōshirō Hitsugaya to the heavy door, an ominous premonition enveloped everyone.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya stood in front of the door, his brow furrowed. He didn't knock or announce his arrival, but simply stood there quietly for a while, as if sensing the situation inside. Then, he drew Hyōrinmaru.

"Captain?" Rangiku Matsumoto looked at him in surprise.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya did not answer. He raised his Zanpakuto, cold energy gathering on its blade, and then swung it down fiercely.

The ice blade sliced through the heavy wooden door as easily as cutting through paper. The door tilted to the sides, revealing a deep, dark corridor inside.

There were no guards, no servants, and no sound.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya went in first, followed closely by Rangiku Matsumoto. Liu Hao and Momo Hinamori remained hidden in the shadows, peering inside through the broken door.

The corridor was lined with forty-six meeting rooms, each with its doors tightly shut. But the air was thick with a smell—not of blood, but of something older and more decaying.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya pushed open the first door.

Then, his body froze.

Rangiku Matsumoto peeked out from behind him and then let out a suppressed gasp.

Momo Hinamori almost rushed in, but Liu Hao reached out and pressed her shoulder, gently shaking his head. They remained hidden in the shadows, waiting.

After a long while, Tōshirō Hitsugaya slowly withdrew. His face was as pale as paper, and a cold flame burned in his icy blue pupils.

"They're all dead." His voice was soft, but each word pierced the heart like an ice pick. "They've been dead for a long time... at least a month."

Rangiku Matsumoto stood behind him, covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"How could this happen..." Momo Hinamori's voice trembled as she spoke in Liu Hao's ear, "Then who sent that message about Rukia's execution?"

Liu Hao turned his head and looked into Momo Hinamori's eyes. The morning light slanted in through the broken door, illuminating the expression of shock and confusion on her face.

"That's why I said," Liu Hao's voice was eerily calm, "that Rukia's execution was a conspiracy."

Just then, a figure appeared at the end of the corridor.

It was Izuru Kira, the Vice-Captain of the Third Division. He stood in the shadows, looking at Tōshirō Hitsugaya and Rangiku Matsumoto with a complicated expression.

"Captain Hitsugaya, Vice-Captain Matsumoto," Izuru Kira began, her voice tinged with suppressed emotion, "Please come with me. There are some things you need to know."

Tōshirō Hitsugaya stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded. He exchanged a glance with Rangiku Matsumoto, and the two followed Izuru Kira out of the Central 46.

Watching their departing figures, Liu Hao said to Momo Hinamori, "Let's go, we'll follow the Doll."

"Don't we need to follow Shiro-chan anymore?" Momo Hinamori asked.

"No need," Liu Hao replied briefly. "We already know what will happen next."

The two left the Central 46 and rejoined the streets of Seireitei. Momo Hinamori's Doll — the Substitute who looked exactly like her—was waiting in a secluded alley.

They had just approached the entrance to the alley when a figure suddenly appeared in front of the Doll.

A white haori, eyes narrowed to slits, and a perpetually enigmatic smile playing on her lips.

Gin Ichimaru.

"Vice-Captain Hinamori," his voice was light, yet tinged with a strange pleasure, "Please come with me. I will take you to see the person you most want to see."

Deep in the alley, the real Momo Hinamori suddenly shuddered. She turned her head to look at Liu Hao beside her, her eyes filled with questions and unease.

"What is Captain Ichimaru planning to do?"

Liu Hao didn't answer immediately. He stared at Gin Ichimaru and the Doll, at the unfathomable light in Gin Ichimaru's eyes. After a long while, he slowly spoke:

"What's coming next might be too much for you to handle. But I still hope you can see things clearly—only then can you break free from your current predicament."

Momo Hinamori's heart pounded. She understood the implication in Liu Hao's words and realized the possible identity of the "person she most wanted to see." But it was precisely this understanding that filled her with a dizzying fear.

If that person is still alive... if all of this really was a conspiracy...

Then what about everything she went through before—the pain, the struggles, her longing for Captain Aizen, her doubts about Tōshirō Hitsugaya?

"I..." She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

Liu Hao reached out and gently placed his hand on her shoulder. A gentle force emanated from his palm, stabilizing her chaotic Reiatsu.

"Whatever you see," his voice was soft, yet unusually firm, "Remember, the truth will never hurt those who truly seek it. What hurts is always a lie."

Momo Hinamori took a deep breath and nodded.

In the alley, the Doll had already left with Gin Ichimaru. Liu Hao and Momo Hinamori remained hidden and quietly followed.

At the same time, at Sōkyoku Hill.

When the Sōkyoku Spears transformed into the Kōkō Ō, a colossal being possessing the power of a million Zanpakuto, charged towards Rukia Kuchiki, everyone thought the outcome was already decided.

But then an orange figure descended from the sky.

Ichigo Kurosaki, wielding an enormous Zanpakuto, stood in front of the Kōkō Ō. The moment the blade collided with the spear of light, a shockwave powerful enough to tear the sky apart erupted.

Below, the Captains and Vice-Captain observing the execution had varying expressions.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, Captain of the First Division and Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, had a barely perceptible glint in his aged eyes. He turned his head slightly and exchanged a glance with Retsu Unohana in the distance.

Neither of them spoke, but a tacit understanding had been reached.

Just then, two other figures moved simultaneously.

Jūshirō Ukitake, Captain of the Thirteenth Division, drew his Zanpakuto. At the same time, Shunsui Kyōraku, Captain the Eighth Division, did the same.

"Sōgyo no Kotowari!"

"Katen Kyōkotsu!"

Both Zanpakuto were unleashed simultaneously, their two forces intertwining and surging towards the Kōkō Ō. The divine weapon, said to possess the power of a million Zanpakuto, began to show cracks under the combined attack of the two Captains.

Finally, with a deafening explosion, the Kōkō Ō shattered completely, turning into countless points of light and dissipating.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's lips curled slightly upward. He didn't stop Ukitake and Kyōraku's actions, but simply watched calmly as everything unfolded.

The Kōkō Ō was interrupted by the destruction of the execution rack. Ichigo Kurosaki seized the opportunity, cleaving the execution rack in Sōkyoku with a single strike and rescuing Rukia Kuchiki. He hoisted the weakened Rukia onto his shoulder and threw her downwards—

A battered but still standing figure caught her.

It was Renji Abarai. After receiving emergency treatment from Retsu Unohana, he had barely regained his mobility and was now standing in the ruins, holding Rukia in his arms.

Second Division Captain Soi Fon immediately ordered, "All Vice-Captain, pursue the Ryoka!"

However, the response to her was somewhat awkward.

Isane Kotetsu stood motionless—as the Vice-Captain of the Fourth Division, she wasn't responsible for combat. Chōjirō Sasakibe, the Vice-Captain of the First Division, took a few symbolic steps forward, but his movements were as slow as a stroll. Marechiyo Ōmaeda, the Vice-Captain of the Second Division, was sent flying by a casual slash from Ichigo Kurosaki as soon as she rushed out, and lay on the ground for a long time, unable to get up.

The only one who actually made a move was Byakuya Kuchiki.

He Shunpo in front of Ichigo Kurosaki, Senbonzakura already drawn. There were no words, no warnings, only pure, cold killing intent.

Ichigo Kurosaki gripped Zangetsu tightly and charged forward.

Soi Fon frowned and looked at the Vice-Captains behind Jūshirō Ukitake — Kiyone Kotetsu, Sentarō Tsumikawa, and Kaien Shiba standing a little further away. She was about to order them to take action when Jūshirō Ukitake stepped forward.

"Captain Soi Fon, about this—"

"Captain Ukitake," Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's voice interrupted Ukitake, "This is a case of intrusion by the Ryoka, and it is to be handled entirely by the Second Division. You and Captain Kyōraku have interfered with the execution; now, please step down."

Jūshirō Ukitake wanted to say something, but Shunsui Kyōraku pressed down on his shoulder and shook his head.

"The old man has spoken," Shunsui Kyōraku said in a low voice, "We need to leave here first."

The two Captains exchanged a glance, then turned and left. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto watched their retreating figures, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes. Then, he turned to Retsu Unohana and nodded slightly.

Retsu Unohana understood and led the members of the Fourth Division to begin their retreat.

Now, only Soi Fon, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Ichigo Kurosaki on Sōkyoku Hill, along with the Vice-Captains watching from afar.

Soi Fon looked at Kaien Shiba: "Vice-Captain Shiba, you guys—"

Before he could finish speaking, a dark shadow flashed by.

Yoruichi Shihōin, the former Second Division Captain, appeared silently like a true Black Cat. She didn't attack; she simply grabbed Soi Fon's arm, and then—disappeared.

The Shunkō and Shunpo creates a speed so fast that even an afterimage is left behind.

An eerie silence fell over the Sōkyoku Hill.

Kaien Shiba breathed a sigh of relief and said to Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Tsumikawa, "You two should leave here with Captain Unohana first."

"Vice-Captain Kaien, is there anything else you need to do here?" Kiyone Kotetsu asked, puzzled.

Kaien Shiba's gaze fell on Kurosaki Ichigo, who was Ichigo Kurosaki in fierce combat with Byakuya Kuchiki in the distance, and a wry smile appeared on his lips, "The person fighting Captain Kuchiki... is my cousin. I have to keep an eye on him here."

"Huh?!" Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Tsumikawa's eyes widened simultaneously. "Vice-Captain Kaien's cousin? How could that be..."

"Alright, you guys can go back now." Kaien Shiba waved his hand.

Isane Kotetsu walked over and pulled his still somewhat dazed sister and colleague away from Sōkyoku Hill.

Now, only three people remain: Ichigo Kurosaki and Byakuya Kuchiki, who are engaged in fierce combat, and Kaien Shiba is watching from a distance.

The intensity of the battle exceeded everyone's expectations. Although Ichigo Kurosaki was clearly at a disadvantage, his resilience and rate of growth were astonishing. Every time he fell, he rose even faster; every time he was injured, his Reiatsu would rise again.

Byakuya Kuchiki's Senbonzakura is like a cherry blossom storm, but Ichigo Kurosaki's Zangetsu always manages to find an opening and launch a counterattack.

Kaien Shiba watched the battle, a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.

[Liu Hao said Ichigo will definitely win... I wonder if that's true or not. How could he possibly defeat Captain Kuchiki?]

[But Captain Kuchiki, why did you say such heartless things to provoke Ichigo... making that fool fight him so desperately?]

The battle reached its climax. Ichigo Kurosaki unleashed his Bankai, and Tensa Zangetsu's black trench coat fluttered in the wind. Byakuya Kuchiki also activated Senbonzakura Kageyoshi's final form, the Imperial Sword.

In the final showdown, both sides staked everything.

When the two forces collided and dissipated, and the smoke and dust cleared, both of them fell to the ground.

Byakuya Kuchiki slowly stood up. His haori was tattered, and he had many wounds on his body, but his expression remained calm. He looked at Ichigo Kurosaki for a long time before slowly speaking:

"I lost."

The words were spoken softly, yet they echoed like thunder across the silent Sōkyoku Hill.

"I will no longer pursue Rukia," Byakuya Kuchiki continued, "But whether you can escape the Seireitei depends on your own abilities."

After saying that, he turned to leave.

"Captain Kuchiki, please wait a moment." Kaien Shiba hurriedly stepped forward.

Byakuya Kuchiki stopped and turned to look at him, his eyes filled with question, "Vice-Captain Shiba, is there anything else?"

"It's like this," Kaien Shiba said carefully, "Please stay here for now and let Orihime Inoue help with the treatment. Someone will come in a little while... and then you'll understand everything."

Byakuya Kuchiki frowned slightly. He glanced at Kaien Shiba, then at Ichigo Kurosaki, who was receiving treatment from Orihime Inoue in the distance, and at Uryū Ishida, Yasutora Sado, Ganju Shiba, and the others who had arrived at some point.

"Okay," Byakuya Kuchiki finally nodded, "But treatment won't be necessary."

"Alright then." Kaien Shiba breathed a sigh of relief. "But Captain Kuchiki, we need to hide our Reiatsu somewhere to the side first. Otherwise, if the enemy knows you're here, they probably won't dare to come over."

Byakuya Kuchiki narrowed his eyes slightly. He stared at Kaien Shiba for a few seconds, seemingly trying to read something from the other's expression.

"The enemy?" His voice carried a chill. "Vice-Captain Shiba, what are you planning?"

Kaien Shiba avoided his gaze somewhat guiltily. "Well... you'll find out soon enough. Anyway, please stay hidden from us for now."

At that moment, Ichigo Kurosaki, who was receiving treatment, shouted, "Kaien- nii, what about us?!"

"You guys find somewhere to hide too," Kaien Shiba replied. "You'll need to go rescue people later. Hurry up and get them treated and recovering."

Byakuya Kuchiki's gaze sharpened further. "Who else needs to be saved?"

Kaien Shiba took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "The Mastermind is about to target Rukia. We're here to save her."

Byakuya Kuchiki's body jolted violently. His eyes instantly turned extremely dangerous, like a drawn blade. "What did you say?!"

"Um... let's make this clear first," Kaien Shiba said, taking a step back under his gaze, "Unless the other side really intends to kill Rukia, Captain Kuchiki, you can't intervene. Otherwise, it will disrupt the plan."

"A plan?" Byakuya Kuchiki's voice was icy. "What did you do to Rukia? Why is she being stared at like that?!"

Kaien Shiba smiled wryly, "I'm not entirely sure about that either. All I know is that this matter is related to that experiment a long time ago where many Captains Vice-Captains Hollowfication Experiment. Beyond that, I don't really understand."

Seeing Byakuya Kuchiki's increasingly grim face, he hurriedly added, "Thanks to the source of the information, my wife and I also survived. If we hadn't known about the modified Hollow's abilities beforehand, even the Captain would have had a difficult time dealing with it, and might even have been devoured if he wasn't careful."

Byakuya Kuchiki fell silent. He recalled the disaster a hundred years ago—several Captains and Vice-Captains suddenly Hollowfication, Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihōin were expelled, and the entire Seireitei was thrown into chaos.

If there's a mastermind behind that...

"Was the information provided by Liu Hao?" Byakuya Kuchiki asked.

Kaien Shiba nodded. "Yes."

Byakuya Kuchiki closed his eyes, seemingly sorting out his thoughts. After a long while, he opened his eyes again, his gaze now clear.

"So it seems," his voice was soft, yet carried a chilling undertone, "That during the expedition to Hueco Mundo, Captain Ichimaru... had a lot of problems."

Kaien Shiba didn't speak, he just nodded.

The two concealed their Reiatsu and retreated to the shadows at the edge of Sōkyoku Hill. Ichigo Kurosaki and the others also recovered quickly under Orihime Inoue's healing and similarly hid themselves.

Time ticked by. Only ruins, bloodstains, and a suffocating silence hung over Sōkyoku Hill.

They were waiting. Waiting for the mastermind who had orchestrated everything, the hidden mastermind, to step onto the stage.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the Seireitei, Momo Hinamori was following Gin Ichimaru towards the person she "most wanted to see."