Restoring Rangiku's Soul
As the Ninety-Six Capital Fire Frames, sealed by Aizen, Ninety-Six Kyōkakuhō, Liu Hao slowly rose from his Imperial Throne.
His movements were slow, as if every muscle in his body was protesting against them. The golden patterns on the Imperial Robes flowed slightly with his movements, and the pearls on the Imperial Crown gently clinked together, producing a crisp sound.
He walked step by step toward the direction where the Ninety-Six Kyōkakuhō, each step steady and firm, yet carrying an indescribable weariness. When he reached the location where the Ninety-Six Kyōkakuhō, Liu Hao stopped. He raised his head, looking at the Ninety-Six Kyōkakuhō, a complex light flickering in his eyes.
There was emotion, pity, and an inexplicable expectation in his gaze. He was silent for a moment, then spoke softly, his voice not loud, but exceptionally clear in the silence. "I hope that in the future, when you emerge again, you will be able to find your own path."
These words drifted away on the wind and disappeared into the night. No one knew if Aizen could hear them, nor did anyone know if that day would ever truly come. But Liu Hao believed that everyone, no matter how big a mistake they made or how far they went down the wrong path, had the right to choose again.
Sōsuke Aizen, this genius blinded by power, this being who has lost his way in Loneliness, perhaps one day, he will truly find his own salvation.
Just then, the Imperial Guard stepped forward. His steps were silent, appearing beside Liu Hao like a shadow. He reached out and handed the Hōgyoku, which had been separated from Aizen's body, to Liu Hao.
The Hōgyoku emitted a faint light in the Imperial Guard's hand, the light flickering like the breath of a sleeping life. This Hōgyoku, which once carried Aizen's hundreds of years of hard work and was once regarded by Aizen as the key to becoming a god, now lay quietly in the Imperial Guard's palm like an ordinary gem.
Liu Hao took the Hōgyoku, feeling its slight warmth in his hand. The Hōgyoku seemed to still retain Aizen's aura, the genius's obsession and dreams. He lowered his head, looking at the Hōgyoku in his hand, his gaze calm as still water. After a moment, he raised his head, his gaze passing over the crowd and landing on Rangiku Matsumoto, who was standing next to Gin Ichimaru.
"Rangiku, come here for a moment." Liu Hao's voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable force.
Rangiku Matsumoto was slightly startled when she heard Liu Hao's call. A look of confusion appeared on her face, and she blinked her large eyes, subconsciously turning her head to look at Gin Ichimaru beside her. Gin Ichimaru still had that smiling look on his face, his eyes curving into crescent shapes, making it impossible to see his true emotions at this moment.
Rangiku could sense that Gin Ichimaru's body stiffened slightly after hearing Liu Hao's words. The stiffness was so subtle that it was imperceptible to others, but Rangiku noticed it.
She looked at Gin Ichimaru, her eyes filled with questioning, and also with a kind of expectation she couldn't quite explain. Gin Ichimaru noticed her gaze, and the smile on his lips seemed to deepen. He nodded slightly, the movement very soft, as if afraid of disturbing something. Then, he released his hand that had been gently resting on Rangiku's shoulder.
Rangiku Matsumoto took a deep breath and walked towards Liu Hao. Her steps were unsteady, not from fear, but from a premonition—a premonition she had waited too long for, a premonition she almost dared not hope for anymore. She walked through the crowd, past the gazes directed at her, and finally stopped in front of Liu Hao.
Liu Hao looked at her, a hint of gentleness in his eyes. He held the Hōgyoku in one hand, and slowly raised the other, placing his finger on the surface of the Hōgyoku. At that moment, everyone held their breath.
A faint light appeared at Liu Hao's fingertip, a soft glow like the gentlest starlight in the night sky. The light touched the surface of the Hōgyoku lightly, and then a wisp of soul energy separated from the Hōgyoku.
The aura of the soul was faint and light, like the morning mist or ripples on the water. It slowly drifted out of the Hōgyoku, circled once in the air, and then quietly settled on Liu Hao's fingertip. Although the aura was weak, it carried a unique fluctuation, as if calling out to something, as if searching for something.
Everyone was taken aback when they sensed the soul aura emanating from Liu Hao's fingertips. The feeling contained within that aura resonated strangely with the aura emanating from Rangiku Matsumoto. All eyes turned to Gin Ichimaru in unison.
Gin Ichimaru felt those gazes upon him, and the smile on his face seemed to freeze for a moment. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and his fingers unconsciously tightened, but he quickly regained his smiling expression. However, behind his narrowed eyes, something was shimmering slightly.
Seeing Gin Ichimaru's somewhat embarrassed expression under everyone's gaze, Liu Hao smiled slightly and said, "Back when Gin and Rangiku were in Rukongai, Aizen and his men were collecting souls with the potential to become Rukongai. They injured Rangiku and Soul Reaper a portion of her soul."
Liu Hao's voice was calm and slow, as if he were telling a story from long ago. But as he spoke, a long-buried past was slowly unveiled.
"When Gin saw the injured Rangiku and noticed that her soul was incomplete, he began to investigate. When he discovered that those people were Aizen's subordinates, he followed them and found that they were searching for souls with the potential to become Soul Reaper, and were taking parts of their souls and handing them over to Aizen. Aizen, in turn, infused those souls into the Hōgyoku."
At this point, Liu Hao's gaze deepened. He looked at Gin Ichimaru, his eyes holding an indescribable light.
"From that moment on, Gin left Rukongai, entered Seireitei, and became Soul Reaper. His purpose, from beginning to end, has been singular... to take back what Rangiku had lost from Aizen."
As Liu Hao finished speaking, the entire space fell silent. All eyes were fixed on Gin Ichimaru, their gazes filled with admiration, complexity, and some indescribable emotion.
This man, who always seemed to be smiling and unfathomable, this man who once stood by Aizen's side and was an enemy of the Gotei 13, this man who was suspected and accused by countless people—his true purpose was both so simple and so profound.
For a girl, he left his home. For a girl, he stepped into danger. For a girl, he endured for a century. For a girl, he was willing to bear the infamy, willing to be misunderstood, and willing to walk Loneliness in the darkness.
Rangiku Matsumoto stood there, her body trembling slightly. Something glistened in her eyes—tears, tears that had been accumulating for a hundred years. She remembered those days in Rukongai, remembered that always smiling boy, remembered the night he left.
Having said that, Liu Hao said no more. He lifted the wisp of soul that was resting on his fingertip and gently pressed it onto Rangiku Matsumoto's forehead. As his fingers pressed down, the wisp of soul seemed to be summoned, like a drop of water seeping into sand, like a stream flowing into the sea, slowly entering Rangiku Matsumoto's body from her forehead.
In that instant, Rangiku Matsumoto's body trembled violently. She felt a warm power surge into her forehead, a gentle power that carried an irresistible impact.
That force coursed through her body, searching for an empty space, a space she had waited for far too long. Her consciousness began to blur, the world before her eyes became hazy, and her body seemed to have lost all its strength.
Rangiku Matsumoto swayed and fell backward.