Yan Si stood before the Senkaimon and said goodbye to Kaien and Ginjo.
The doorframe glowed pale blue. Inside it, a vortex of Reishi swirled, and the passage to Soul Society had stabilized.
Yoshiwara's night breeze carried the scent of powder and wine. In the distance, the lights still burned bright.
"Don't worry, Fifth Seat Yan Si," Ginjo said earnestly.
The past few days of training had given him a rough understanding of Soul Society—and a clearer idea of just how extraordinary the man before him was.
"I'll take good care of this place."
Kaien added, "And I'll teach him the rules."
Yan Si shook his head.
"This world..." He looked at the drunken pedestrians in the street, the women forcing smiles behind the railings, and the souls drifting beneath the eaves.
"People don't act like people, ghosts don't act like ghosts. It's an ugly sight."
He turned back to Ginjo.
"Just do what falls within your responsibilities. As for the rest—"
"Follow your own judgment."
With that, he waved, turned, and stepped into the Senkaimon.
The curtain of light swallowed him. The Reishi patterns on the doorframe flickered a few times, then faded, leaving it looking like an ordinary frame again.
Ginjo remained where he was, frowning slightly.
"What did Fifth Seat Yan Si mean by that?"
Kaien reached out and clapped him hard on the shoulder.
"Yan Si is the purest Shinigami I've ever met." His expression was grave. "Remember what he just told you."
Looking Ginjo in the eye, he said slowly, "You're human, but you now have the standing of a Shinigami. That makes it all the more important to know where the line is. Never cross it."
As a former member of a great noble family, Kaien knew all too well how deeply Shinigami affected