Kyoraku residence...
Before Kyoraku's elder brother's memorial hall, a dignified and elegant woman in mourning clothes had knelt there for a long time. Behind her glasses, her eyes had become rivers of tears, with drops constantly sliding down her beautiful cheeks.
"Even men from upper noble martial families cannot overcome the curse inflicted upon us by the 'gods'?!"
"Must every man who marries a woman of the Ise Family be unable to escape the fate of a 'violent death'?"
"O gods! Why are you so cruel? Why?!"
Looking at the portrait of her husband inside the memorial hall, the woman's "beautiful," "bright" eyes had been cried red with grief and resentment. She hated her fate, hated her "surname," and hated those illusory "gods" even more.
Outside the memorial hall, Kyoraku Shunsui, clad in a white haori and wearing a straw hat, silently watched everything before him...
At that moment, even Kyoraku Shunsui, the captain of the 8th Division, renowned throughout the Seireitei for being battle-hardened, felt utterly powerless. Even though he was as strong as a demon god and had never suffered defeat since taking command of the 8th Division, he could not save his already-dead elder brother. He could only silently watch everything unfold.
"Captain Kyoraku, please accept our condolences!"
Behind Kyoraku Shunsui stood Soul Reapers from the Gotei 13 who had come to attend the funeral, as well as noble family heads in the Seireitei who either sought favors from Kyoraku or wished to draw him into their camp.
"Thank you all for coming."
"Today is my elder brother's funeral. Please forgive Shunsui for being unable to entertain you."
Kyoraku merely gave everyone a light nod. His eyes were incredibly deep, holding neither joy nor sorrow.
"Not at all, not at all..."
"Captain Kyoraku, your family matters take