The One Being Protected! (3)
The Inner World.
Kaien Shiba Zanpakutō to the ground by his Zanpakuto, his blue-green eyes appearing empty and lifeless, his face blank.
He saw many things, all of them his past: his birth, his sister's birth, his brother's birth, and the deaths of his father and mother.
There are many more. His name is Kaien Shiba. His father chose this name because he hoped that when he grew up, he would be able to shoulder the burden of the declining Shiba Clan, like a swallow that is not afraid of the wind and waves on the sea, and become the most outstanding man. Because he is the eldest son, he has to protect his younger sister Kūkaku Shiba and his younger brother Ganju Shiba.
Then, to protect his family, he became Bleach, the rare genius people talked about, and he also made many friends...
He'd known him since childhood: Yoruichi Shihōin, who always teased him with her sister; the perpetually stern-faced Shadow; Kensei Muguruma, his worthy opponent; the hot-tempered Hiyori Sarugaki; the seemingly serious but actually Lisa Yadomaru; the childlike and willful Mashiro Kuna; and the Kisuke Urahara, whom he remembered constantly patting his head. Oh, and he also had an equally unconventional uncle, a sickly captain who always caused him trouble, his juniors who followed him, and his gentle wife...
There were many more, many more, and then he died, killed by Rukia Kuchiki's sword.
Oh right, I'm dead. I'm already dead, so there's no trace of my existence left!
As he thought of those two words, Kaien Shiba's body began to weaken from his feet upwards. Seeing this, a smug look appeared on "Hollow's" face.
That's it! Just disappear like that! I'll take your place. I am Kaien Shiba...
Kaien Shiba seemed oblivious.
His bluish-green eyes remained empty and lost. In a daze, those memories began to gradually fade away. Then, from some unknown point, a slight difference began to appear. Those memories, both true and false, confused Kaien Shiba. He could no longer distinguish which was real, or rather, whether they were all fake, even his own existence was fake, and that there was no Kaien Shiba in this world.
The swelling gradually moved to the waist, then to the chest...
"You solved it so easily?! Kaien Shiba, you're something else!"
"Hypo" laughed smugly, pulling out the Nejibana that had been stuck in Kaien Shiba's chest. There wasn't even any blood, and he couldn't even feel any pain!
"As a form of repayment, disappear in regret! Kaien! Vanish completely along with your wife!"
With the eerie tremor of the word "empty," Kaien Shiba's blank face revealed a look of pain, and his bluish-green eyes were stained red—the red of blood.
A jumbled jumble of memories, memories that blur the lines between truth and fiction, suddenly, Kaien Shiba sees a scene from over fifty years ago, the scene of his deepest regret: his wife, the howling Hollow, his dead subordinates, the terrified Rukia Kuchiki, and the man who died for his dignity, his blood-stained back...
"All······"
The pain spread to his neck; just a little more, just a little more, would be enough. "Xu" gradually became excited, his hand holding the Nejibana trembling slightly. He could leave this damned place soon.
······
Outside, within the barrier formed by the condensation of Shade.
"Roar!!!"
Countless cyan Reishi rapidly converged within the ferocious maw, the intense pressure and violent Reiatsu nearly crushing the entire barrier, forcing Shadow to reach out and reinforce it.
"This power..."
A helpless look appeared on Shadow's lips. Although the power was strong, he was not afraid.
"Hey!" Eroding Wolf's lips twitched. "They've even mastered Cero so quickly. There's no way around it. If Dead Bird can't do it soon, it'll probably fall completely into nothingness in a little while! Shadow..."
"I know you're holding on for ten more minutes!" Shadow frowned and said in a deep voice, "The last ten minutes..."
"Okay, I understand!"
Nodding slightly, Eroding Wolf understood the unspoken words of Shadow. He drew his Zanpakutō from his back, took a deep breath, and black energy rapidly gathered.
Ten minutes, the final stretch. If Kaien Shiba fails, this time, neither long nor short, is enough for him to fall into nothingness. In that case, he will have no choice but to be killed.
The Eroding Wolf grinned maliciously, its hand gripping the knife trembling uncontrollably—not from fear, but from its unwavering dedication to battle and its thirst for blood.
Cero!!!
The cyan and black clashed violently.
"Boom! Boom!"
······
The Inner World.
The discoloration had spread to the chin, then to the mouth...
Do you all know? I truly regret not insisting on going with you back then. I've been such a failure as a husband! I couldn't even protect my wife, nor could I protect my respected subordinates. Just like back then, I accomplished nothing...
At that time...
Yoruichi, Shadow, Kensei, Hiyori, Haku, Lisa, Kisuke Hiyori...
Her breathing, which was almost gone, suddenly became rapid.
The nasal congestion suddenly stopped, Kaien Shiba's tightly furrowed eyelids twitched slightly.
The excited smile on Xu's face froze instantly. Then, he sneered, raised his Nejibana, and brought the tip of the blade down hard on Kaien Shiba's head.
"Go to hell!"
······
At this moment, in the Soul Society Seireitei, at the secret base of the Sōkyoku.
The extremely hidden entrance was meaningless to Kūkaku Shiba, because this was the secret base that she and her friends had built together when they were children.
"Ganju!"
Finding the entrance with practiced ease, Kūkaku Shiba stood before the door and called out loudly. It wasn't that she didn't want to go in; to be precise, she couldn't. The door was sealed by a seal that could only be broken from the inside or through special methods. Although she couldn't get in, she wasn't worried about her long-lost younger brother. While she didn't know how to break the seal, she recognized it—it was Reverse Seal unique to the Shihōin Clan.
It must have been set up by the Shadow! To be honest, Kūkaku Shiba was very curious about what the Shadow had taught Ganju Shiba, but no matter how curious she was, she would never ask too many questions.
Seemingly having heard Kūkaku Shiba's voice outside, the seal quickly vanished in a flash of light, the door opened, and a burly man wearing a black headscarf walked out.
"Big sister!"
"It seems Shadow's training is quite effective!"
Looking at Ganju Shiba in front of her, Kūkaku Shiba could sense the immense power hidden beneath his bulging muscles. At the very least, that power made even this veteran captain feel a sense of threat.
"·····"
Ganju Shiba raised the corners of his mouth, smiling confidently, his eyes gleaming. No one knew how much effort he had put in for this power, but fortunately, he succeeded. Having this power made all the suffering worthwhile.
"The real battle has begun! Let's go, Ganju, let's settle the score!"
"Ah!"
Nodding and responding, Ganju Shiba followed Kūkaku Shiba outside. Suddenly, both of them stopped in their tracks, an unknown emotion spreading through their hearts.
"Big brother!"
"Big brother!"
In a daze, both Kūkaku Shiba and Ganju Shiba seemed to see that familiar face from the depths of their memories, those smoky blue eyes filled with gentle longing...
"Big brother..."
······
At the same time, in the World of the Living.
Three figures were rushing towards the battlefield.
Yoruichi Shihōin, with her purple ponytail and a tight-fitting, backless combat outfit from the Stealth Force.
Wearing a black Bleach uniform, with a haori representing his status as the captain of the Tenth Division tied to his arm, Isshin Kurosaki looked Kisuke Urahara, still dressed in green, wearing a hat and carrying a cane.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, the three of them stopped simultaneously, and an unknown emotion welled up in their hearts.
In my mind, a figure long since dead resurfaced—that man, with a sunny smile and a deep, lingering affection...
"Kaien..."
······
Meanwhile, in the World of the Living, at the Visored Base.
After the Shadow left, the place returned to its dark and quiet state. Kensei Muguruma, Hiyori Sarugaki, Shinji Hirako, and the others continued in the same state as before, each of them quiet, thinking about many things, about the past.
As if he had made up his mind, Shinji Hirako suddenly stood up, slamming his Zanpakutō, which he was gripping tightly, onto the ground with a crisp sound.
"Let's go. We'll find Aizen and settle the score. We need to make sure we get to know everything we've suffered over the past hundred years, one by one..."
"Ah!"
The group stood up in silence and followed Shinji Hirako out. Yes! The suffering they had endured for the past hundred years had to be released, for themselves and for their fallen comrades.
Suddenly, Kensei Muguruma, Mashiro Kuna Hiyori Sarugaki, Lisa Yadomaru seemed to sense something, and their steps faltered.
For some reason, the image of the man who had long since died suddenly flashed through their minds; his black, tousled hair still flowed freely, his handsome face bearing the same sunny smile as before, and filled with boundless longing...
"Kaien..."
······
Meanwhile, inside the barrier formed by Shade in the Dark Night Residence.
The Shadow had been maintaining the barrier suddenly raised its head, as if it had sensed something in the darkness. The solemn expression on its angular face turned into a smile.
No one blames you, Kaien. So this is what's been bothering you!
Don't worry, everyone will always be there for you, so you better not lose!
Especially losing to that kind of guy...
Don't get defeated by the same enemy twice! That would be very embarrassing.