Inquiry

Led by a Sage whose face was still pale, Liu Chuan and Isshin Shiba passed through several heavy stone doors sealed by complex Kido barriers.

They finally arrived at a "Chamber of Confinement" deep beneath the Central 46 Chambers.

The walls here were made of smooth, cold special stone that was nearly lightproof. Only a few dim blue Spirit Particle lamps embedded in the walls provided faint illumination, and the air was thick with oppression and loneliness.

At the entrance to one of the cells, the guards stepped back. The door slid open soundlessly, revealing a cramped, simple space within.

A small-statured boy sat on the edge of the bed with his knees drawn up, head lowered as he stared at the cold floor. It was Toshiro Hitsugaya.

Hearing the door open, he showed no reaction, as though he had lost all awareness of the outside world. His entire being was shrouded in a near-desperate gloom and confusion.

That was until a familiar booming voice rang out, filled with undisguised concern:

"Now this isn't the Toshiro Hitsugaya I know!"

Toshiro Hitsugaya jolted and looked up.

When he saw Isshin Shiba standing in the doorway, his face bearing a cheerful yet worried smile, an incredulous light instantly burst from his eyes. It swiftly dimmed again, but the deathly gloom around him had been broken.

His lips parted, his voice somewhat dry. "Captain Shiba? Why are you..."

His gaze then fell on the calm-faced young man in a white haori standing beside Isshin Shiba.

Toshiro Hitsugaya had an excellent memory. He recognized that face. This was someone connected to Momo Hinamori, whom he seemed to have seen a few times before. His name seemed to be... Liu Chuan?

"Senior Liu Chuan?" Toshiro Hitsugaya murmured uncertainly.

"You still remember me, Hitsugaya." Liu Chuan's voice was gentle, dispelling Hitsugaya's surprise and suspicion. He offered no further explanation, merely gesturing to Isshin Shiba.

Isshin Shiba strode into the cell, utterly ignoring the oppressive atmosphere. He dropped onto the bed beside Toshiro Hitsugaya, making its wooden frame creak under the strain.

He vigorously ruffled Hitsugaya's soft white hair and grinned. "So, kid, is the food here any good? Has anyone been picking on you? Tell me, and I'll beat them up for you!"

This greeting was utterly unsuited to the occasion, leaving Toshiro Hitsugaya somewhat at a loss. Yet a faint warmth seemed to seep into a frozen corner of his heart through that rough concern.

He shook his head and said quietly, "No... It's just..."

"Just what? Cheer up!"

Isshin Shiba gave his back a hard slap.

"Let me tell you some good news. I've already prepared your application to join the division! Once you graduate, I've saved the Third Seat of the Tenth Division for you! Don't sit around here looking so miserable!"

"That's enough, Captain Isshin. Don't scare him." Liu Chuan spoke at the right moment, interrupting Isshin Shiba's overly "enthusiastic" encouragement.

He walked to the small table and leaned against it lightly, his calm gaze settling on Toshiro Hitsugaya. "Hitsugaya, we can catch up later. We came to investigate the matter of Twin Hyorinmaru. There are some questions we need you to answer truthfully."

His tone was gentle, yet it carried a persuasive strength that made Toshiro Hitsugaya sit up straight and nod involuntarily.

"First," Liu Chuan said, watching his eyes, "what was your relationship with Sojiro Kusaka?"

At the mention of that name, Toshiro Hitsugaya's body trembled almost imperceptibly, and the pain and confusion in his eyes deepened.

He remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking in a hoarse voice:

"Kusaka was my best friend at Shin'ō Academy."

He paused, as if recalling the past, or perhaps steadying his emotions. Then he continued, speaking slowly, each word carrying unmistakable weight:

"We met not long after enrolling. Unlike many others, he didn't distance himself from me or deliberately approach me because of my hair color or talent."

"We naturally became friends. We attended classes together, trained together, and discussed Kido and swordsmanship together..."

"Training?" Isshin Shiba interjected, his tone turning more serious. "You sparred often?"

"Yes." Toshiro Hitsugaya nodded. "We sparred often. He was the person I trusted most at Shin'ō Academy."

"Then before your Zanpakuto first awakened and you began hearing Hyōrinmaru's call, did either of you ever sense any special connection or abnormality between yourselves, or with your Zanpakuto?"

Liu Chuan pressed on, his question digging deeper.

Toshiro Hitsugaya frowned and thought carefully.

"If we're talking about a connection, our Zanpakuto awakened at the same time."

Liu Chuan listened quietly, rapidly analyzing the information Hitsugaya had provided. Closest friends, long-term training together, Zanpakuto awakening at the same time...

Perhaps under some exceedingly rare circumstances, these factors had unexpectedly combined with the deeper laws governing Zanpakuto awakening?

"Next, we'll see Sojiro Kusaka." Liu Chuan spoke to the Sage waiting outside, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

He was a tall young man, his long black hair neatly tied into a tidy bun behind his head. Several longer strands of bangs fell rebelliously along the right side of his face.

He wore the white student uniform of Shin'ō Academy, now somewhat wrinkled, though his posture remained deliberately upright.

His violet eyes held complex, unreadable emotions beneath the dim Spirit Particle lamps: vigilance, confusion, and a trace of barely perceptible stubbornness.

There was even a faint hint of resentment or grievance.

Liu Chuan and Isshin Shiba asked him similar questions, but the answers they received were largely the same as Hitsugaya's.

By now, Liu Chuan had a vague suspicion, but he needed more intelligence to support it.

Add Bookmark

Return to Contents

Report Chapter Error

Share with Friends: