The Moment the Calm Heart Was Broken

East Rukon District, District 32.

Shantei Temple.

The sides of the road were lined with flat, tidy houses, with occasional undulations in the terrain.

As one of the more forward-reaching districts of the Soul Society, the commoners of Shantei Temple were ruddy-faced and robust; though their clothing was slightly plain, it was neat and orderly.

Compared to the districts further back, the lives of the people here were quite fortunate.

However, the faces of the passersby were all etched with expressions of terror.

They hunched their shoulders, stooped their bodies, and hurried their steps, glancing back and into their blind spots from time to time.

The slightest rustle of wind or movement would startle them, causing them to subconsciously quicken their pace.

A bizarre scene unfolded in the residential area of the Shantei Temple district.

Two youths wearing the blue and white Zhenyang Spiritual Arts Academy uniforms walked along the street.

"The density of reishi in the air is normal."

Aizen's gaze was calm, his hands hanging at his sides, his indifferent voice sounding as if he were stating the most mundane of facts.

"The lingering scent of blood has not dissipated; the number of deceased should be between twelve and fourteen."

The slightly chaotic scene on the street could not affect his thinking, nor would it cause him to make any form of misjudgment.

Upon arriving at the location provided by Kaede Junya, Aizen determined the current situation immediately.

"The buildings are intact, without any traces of a violent struggle."

He stared expressionlessly at the tidy house before him, observing the crime scene inside through the window:

"Analyzing it from this point, the perpetrator's strength..."

"What are you doing?!"

Aizen, whose heart was usually like still water, instantly broke his composure upon noticing the actions of the person beside him.

Kisaragi Akira, who was acting alongside him, had somehow changed into a set of Shinto priest vestments.

The primary tone was white, with ink-colored accents forming the emblem of the One-Eyed Great Deity, reflected on the collar and hem, appearing both eerie and sacred.

The only drawback was that this priest's attire was slightly loose, making movement somewhat inconvenient.

Of course, what caused Aizen's emotions to fluctuate was not that Kisaragi Akira had changed clothes at a crime scene.

It was that he had brought over a wooden table from somewhere and set up incense, candles, and teacups.

"Performing a ritual."

Kisaragi Akira cast a sidelong glance at Aizen, not understanding why such a clever person would ask such a foolish question.

Wasn't his intent already obvious?

Aizen felt his temples throb and his blood pressure soar.

He certainly knew this was a sacrificial ritual.

Even if he hadn't looked into it much before, having spent so much time with this guy, how could he not be familiar with the process of a ritual?

What he didn't understand was what kind of madness this guy was indulging in now.

Performing a ritual at a crime scene—could he actually communicate with the dead and find the real killer?

"Nikkotsu Shrine is different from other shrines."

Kisaragi Akira said with a grin, "The most straightforward point is that in other shrines, even those worshipped by the Ise Clan, the deities within are fictional."

"But the One-Eyed Great Deity in Nikkotsu Shrine is truly real."

"In our local parlance, those who offer everything except their own 'eyes' to Him will receive protection."

"Just like this."

Under Aizen's astonished gaze, Kisaragi Akira snapped his fingers with a light, nimble motion.

The next moment.

The surface of the water in the teacup began to tremble, ripples spreading out in circles, eventually reflecting one face after another.

"They've appeared."

Kisaragi Akira smiled, "Those who died unjustly today."

Aizen's brows furrowed, his confusion deepening.

In his understanding, beings who died in the Soul Society would be decomposed into their basic units, reishi, by the Soul Society itself.

The textbooks of the Spiritual Arts Academy even mentioned that death was merely a cycle.

People from the living world died and were reborn in the Soul Society.

The existence of the Soul Society was the same.

The cycle of reishi would transform into kishi, to be reborn in the living world.

But what was going on with the scene before his eyes?

Reborn from the dead, decomposed into Reishi?

Countless questions welled up in the depths of his heart. Every time Aizen tried to resolve one using his own knowledge, even more questions would emerge.

Just as he was struggling with this, Kisaragi Akira had already dipped his finger into the teacup.

His expression was slightly solemn, and from time to time he would utter phrases like "Hmm," "I see," "Is that so," or "What a pity," as if he were truly conversing with the deceased.

Aizen, standing to the side, watched this scene in astonishment, gaining a brand-new understanding of his eccentric friend.

When Kisaragi Akira pulled his finger out, he looked at Aizen with a grave expression and said earnestly:

"The culprit has been identified."

"Given our strength, we are likely no match for him."

"Let's return to report this to Teacher Kaede first, and once he informs the Gotei 13, we can leave it to the Shinigami to handle."

Aizen's pupils flickered with an imperceptible ripple, and he nodded gently.

Just as the two were tidying up the offering table, preparing to leave, the density of the Reishi in the air changed abruptly.

A heavy pressure descended in an instant, and an aura of despair erupted from the house behind them.

"Leaving?"

A hoarse, overlapping voice echoed through the empty street, and a figure slowly emerged from the house.

Black Shihakusho, medium build, an ugly face crisscrossed with scars, and a Zanpakuto slung across his waist—all these conditions already made the individual's identity clear.

A rogue Shinigami.

"Two brats who haven't even graduated from the Spiritual Arts Academy, since you've discovered my secret, then go to hell," the scarred man said viciously.

However, to his surprise, the two youths in front of him showed no sign of panic upon seeing him; in fact, one of them even wore a playful smile.

It was as if he were a hunter who had just trapped his prey!

"I once heard a theory: the culprit who creates a tragedy often returns to the scene of the crime to admire their own masterpiece."

Kisaragi Akira smiled, "And you, you just happened to confirm that theory for me."

The scarred man's expression froze, and he immediately realized he had been played by the youth before him.

The resurrection of the dead, the identity of the culprit—it was all a lie!

He had been hiding in the house just moments ago, clearly hearing their conversation. He had thought it was some new investigative method, but it turned out to be a complete and utter deception!

In an instant, the scarred man was consumed by shame and anger, letting out a roar:

"Hmph, then don't even think about escaping; go be buried with the fools here!"

Hearing this, Kisaragi Akira raised an eyebrow, surprised:

"Escape? Why would I escape?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the scarred man's heart skipped a beat.

BOOM!

Violent Reiatsu vented wantonly, and materialized light burst forth from Kisaragi Akira's body, resonating with the Reishi in the air and transforming into a surging current of wind.

The pressure, powerful to the point of being incomprehensible, caused the scarred man's pupils to shrink, suffocating him instantly as blood rushed to his face.

"Try this."

Kisaragi Akira had a sudden inspiration; he raised his right hand, forming a shooting gesture:

"Hado #4: Byakurai."

As if countless birds were emitting ear-piercing shrieks, a blinding white light exploded from his fingertip, transforming into a brilliant bolt of lightning that streaked across the empty street.

The next moment, the black-clad body ahead had its heart pierced through, and the skipped beat would never have the chance to recover.

Aizen had little interest in such a one-sided battle; the culprit was merely an ordinary Shinigami.

He looked with mild curiosity at Kisaragi Akira, who was still holding his gunslinger pose, and asked:

"The information you claimed to have obtained from the deceased earlier—were you just tricking the culprit, or can you actually do it?"

Hearing this, Kisaragi Akira glanced sideways, the corners of his mouth curling up into a cryptic smile as he replied:

"Guess..."