Retsu Unohana extended a pale, slender hand and asked softly, "May I take a look?"
Yamada Kiyonosuke hurriedly handed her the novel with both hands, his manner respectful.
Unohana Retsu took the little booklet that exuded an ominous air and slowly opened it to the first page.
Her gaze fell upon the opening poem titled "Blood Blossom"—
Part one · Blood Blossom
At the end of a river paved with bones
I heard
The sound of the first flower bud blooming
It was the soft note of a throat bone shattering
—Shu Hua
The instant her eyes touched those few short lines!
Buzzz—!
Unohana Retsu's pupils contracted violently!
Her body went rigid for one ten-thousandth of a second!
These words... this imagery!
"A river of bones," "Blood blossom," "the soft note of a throat bone shattering"...
Those words became a key, unexpectedly prying open memories she had sealed away for a thousand years!
Countless bloody scenes and cries of battle from the days of "Unohana Yachiru," long buried beneath the passing years, nearly shattered the gentle facade she had maintained for a millennium!
This was...?!
Fortunately, those thousand years had granted her not only strength, but absolute control over her emotions and reiatsu.
Before the ripples of that momentary lapse could spread, she forcibly suppressed them beneath a deeper calm.
Not even the slightest crack appeared in her expression. She remained as gentle and serene as ever.
Her fingertip brushed lightly over the two characters at the end of the poem, and she murmured in a voice only she could hear:
"Shu Hua...?"
Others might merely find the name poetic and beautiful, but how could she, Unohana Retsu, fail to understand?
"Shu hua" was precisely the delicate flower with white, serrated petals that bloomed in April, the month of the hare.
And the name "Shu Hua" alluded to none other than—Unohana, the flower of April!
She narrowed those perpetually smiling eyes slightly.
Among the Thirteen Court Guard Squads today, only a handful of captains knew of my past.
And those nobles who knew the truth...
With their courage and their way of conducting themselves, they could never—and would never dare to—put such things into writing and reveal them to the public.
She gently closed the novel with a snap, her gaze settling on the two boldly flowing characters of the author's name on its cover—"Zhi Ge."
She raised her eyes to Yamada Kiyonosuke. Her voice remained gentle, but held a note of inquiry that brooked no refusal:
"This 'Zhi Ge'... who is he?"
Before Yamada Kiyonosuke could answer,
a female squad member beside him, clearly a fan of "Zhi Ge," could no longer contain her excitement and spoke first, her voice brimming with admiration:
"Captain! Master Zhi Ge is Fifth Seat Yan Si, the man hailed as 'Soul Society's foremost noble son,' who also has 'the most beautiful Zanpakutō'!"
"Yes, yes! He's currently the Ninth Division's Fifth Seat, Siwei Yan! But we're all used to calling him Master Zhi Ge. His writing and stories are just wonderful!"
"Oh? Is that so..."
As Unohana Retsu listened to her squad members chatter, that perfectly gentle, ladylike smile returned to her face, and she nodded along.
Yet beneath her lowered eyelids, an exceedingly dangerous gleam flashed and vanished.
Siwei Yan... the Ninth Division's Fifth Seat... the Most Beautiful Noble Son of Soul Society... Zhi Ge...
Hehe, it seems... I'll have to find some time to pay him a "visit" myself.
So she whispered within her heart.
Humming a little tune all the way to the Maple Pavilion tavern, Siwei Yan still had no idea that the "Killer" he had written into his book had already turned her attention toward him, the "author."
And that she intended to find some time to come over for a chat.
The moment he stepped across the tavern's threshold, he felt two intensely conspicuous gazes lock onto him.
He turned toward that familiar corner seat and, sure enough, spotted Kyōraku Shunsui and Hirako Shinji.
Both were glaring at him, their sidelong looks saying, You finally showed your face, brat.
Yan Si instantly plastered an enthusiastic smile across his face and strode over:
"Well, well! Shunsui, my friend! Hirako, my friend! What a coincidence! You two are having a drink here too?"
As he spoke, he pulled out a chair and sat down with perfect ease, then called toward the counter in a strong, ringing voice:
"Shopkeeper! Two flasks of your finest Spiritual Intoxication first! And settle my old tab while you're at it!"
He took out his money pouch and dropped it straight onto the table, declaring with swagger, "Take it all. Keep whatever's left here, and let me know when it runs out!"
With his nose stuck in the air like that, he showed not a trace of a "noble son's" refinement. Had a screen not concealed their table, no doubt plenty of rumors would have spread by the next day.
"Certainly! Just a moment, Master Yan Si!" The shopkeeper's voice carried unprecedented enthusiasm. Not only did he swiftly bring over two flasks of the precious Spiritual Intoxication, but he also served several extra plates of exquisite side dishes.
After arranging the food and wine, he took a brand-new copy of The Killer of Meteor City from inside his clothes and respectfully offered it to Yan Si with both hands:
"Master Yan Si, um... sorry for the trouble, but could I have your autograph? These dishes are a little token of appreciation from our humble establishment. Please do accept them!"
"No problem!" With a grand wave of his hand, Yan Si took the book and pen and, in a few swift strokes, signed the flowing characters "Zhi Ge," his manner effortless and dashing.
After seeing off the profusely grateful shopkeeper, Yan Si finally picked up a flask of Spiritual Intoxication and filled his own cup. Then he smiled and raised it toward the two captains, who wore different expressions:
"Come on, you two, don't just sit there watching! Drinks are on me today! We're not leaving until we're drunk!"
"Hmph!" Hirako Shinji unceremoniously snatched up the other flask of Spiritual Intoxication and filled his cup, curling his lip as he drawled:
"I thought you'd made a fortune and gotten too full of yourself, deliberately avoiding the tavern and not even dropping by to see us... Do you look down on me as a captain now?"
Kyōraku Shunsui also smilingly took the flask Yan Si had just opened and poured himself a cup. His eyes narrowed slightly as he remarked, seemingly in passing:
"Speaking of which, Killer has been selling quite spectacularly lately. You've really gained both fame and fortune, young Yan Si~"
He gently swirled his cup. His voice remained languid, but held a barely perceptible gravity:
"But, you know, I am rather curious... Did a 'Killer' that terrifying really exist in the 'Meteor City' you wrote about?"
Just as he finished speaking, the wine in his cup reached the brim.
Then, as though nothing were amiss, he gently set the flask back on the table, naturally turning its spout toward Yan Si and pushing it over.
He simply watched Yan Si with a smile, waiting for an answer, his forefinger rubbing the rim of the cup he held.
Beside him, Hirako also raised his cup to his lips and cast a sidelong glance over.
Before you continue