Just then, a Hell Butterfly flew over the courtyard wall and slowly alighted in front of Nanao Ise.
Nanao raised her hand. The Hell Butterfly landed on her fingertip, and a new notification reached her ears.
Her expression quickly changed.
"Captain, Central 46 has issued another order. Rukia Kuchiki's execution has been moved up."
Shunsui Kyōraku lowered his straw hat.
"To when?"
"Noon tomorrow."
Hearing that answer, Shunsui fell silent.
A captain had suddenly died, the Ryoka had just broken into Seireitei, and Rukia's execution had been moved up again.
Everything had happened at once.
It was far too much of a coincidence.
So much so that Shunsui found it hard to believe this was all an accident.
It seemed the person hiding in the shadows could no longer sit still.
Continuing to fight Yoriichi here would accomplish nothing except destroying the Eighth Division's grounds. Rather than capture a boy of unknown origins who showed no killing intent, he wanted to learn the truth behind Aizen's death.
"Young man."
Shunsui put away his Zanpakuto, returning to his usual languid manner.
"You can go on ahead."
Nanao abruptly turned her head.
"Captain?"
Yoriichi, however, was not surprised. He simply looked at Shunsui, waiting for what he would say next.
"But I have one condition."
Shunsui touched the brim of his hat and said helplessly, "If you run into people from the other divisions, try to go easy on them. Everyone is just following orders. There's no need to kill anyone."
"I told you, I only came here to save someone."
Yoriichi said calmly, "As long as it's within my control, I won't strike to kill."
"Young man, remember what you just said."
Shunsui smiled, then turned toward the courtyard gate.
After a few steps, he paused slightly, as though he had suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, there's one more thing I should tell you."
"Rukia Kuchiki's execution has been moved up. At noon tomorrow, she will be executed with the Sōkyoku."
A subtle change appeared in Yoriichi's eyes.
"Noon tomorrow?"
"That's right."
Shunsui did not turn around. He merely raised a hand and waved.
"Little Nanao, let's go."
Nanao stood where she was, seemingly still trying to process what had happened.
"Captain, are we really just leaving him alone?"
"If we keep fighting, there won't be anything left around here."
Shunsui glanced at the courtyard, which was covered in cracks, then touched his straw hat, a piece of which had been sliced off.
More importantly, he was not confident he could defeat Yoriichi.
From the beginning of their clash until now, not one of Yoriichi's slashes had been aimed at a vital spot.
Yet even so, he had been forced to retreat again and again.
If this boy stopped holding back, even Shunsui himself could not be certain how things would turn out.
"Besides, I have something more important to do right now."
Nanao adjusted her glasses.
"Investigating Captain Aizen's death?"
"And Rukia's execution."
Shunsui said quietly, "The scheduled time keeps getting moved up. What exactly is Central 46 in such a hurry for?"
Nanao opened her mouth but did not answer immediately.
She, too, felt something was wrong with this.
But letting Ryoka move freely through Seireitei was truly against the Gotei 13's rules.
"But..."
"Don't worry, Little Nanao."
Shunsui interrupted her, his tone as languid as ever.
"The young man doesn't look like a bad person to me. He knows what he should do."
"Making a judgment based on nothing but a feeling is far too hasty."
"Sometimes, feelings matter quite a bit."
Shunsui continued walking.
Nanao glanced at Yoriichi, then finally hurried after her captain.
The two soon disappeared beyond the courtyard gate.
Yoriichi stood where he was, not leaving immediately.
Noon tomorrow.
They had less than a day left.
According to the original course of events, Ichigo should have mastered Bankai before the execution and saved Rukia on Sōkyoku Hill.
But the timeline had already changed.
With Rukia's execution moved up, no one could be certain whether the events that followed would still follow their original course.
Yoriichi did not like entrusting his companions' lives to the so-called plot.
He trusted only the blade in his hand.
At that thought, Yoriichi turned and walked toward a corner of the courtyard.
Several toppled wooden racks lay there, with not the slightest sound coming from behind them.
"They've already left."
There was still no response.
Yoriichi stopped and looked behind the wooden racks.
"Inoue, Chad, you can come out now."
A few seconds later, Orihime Inoue cautiously peeked her head out.
She first looked toward the courtyard gate, then at Yoriichi, before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
"Tsugikuni, have you finished fighting?"
"Yes."
Yasutora Sado emerged from the other side, still carrying a wooden board that had been blown over by the Reiatsu on his shoulder.
During the battle, Orihime had nearly been struck by it, and he had blocked it for her.
"Yoriichi, are you hurt?"
"No."
Yoriichi looked at the two of them and said directly, "Rukia's execution has been moved up to noon tomorrow."
The smile on Orihime's face vanished at once.
"How could it be so soon?"
"Someone wants her dead as soon as possible."
Yoriichi turned to look at the towering white structure in the distance.
That was the Senzaikyū.
Even from so far away, he could still sense the ever-increasing Reiatsu of Soul Reapers around them. After news of Aizen's death spread, every division had heightened its guard.
The road ahead would not be peaceful.
"We have to pick up the pace."
Yasutora set down the wooden board and asked in a low voice, "Are we going to find Kurosaki?"
"We'll go to the Senzaikyū first."
Yoriichi gripped the hilt at his waist and walked forward.
"If Ichigo is already there, we'll join up with him."
"And if he isn't there yet?" Orihime hurried after him.
Yoriichi did not stop walking.
"Then we'll rescue Rukia ourselves."
Orihime froze for a moment, then nodded firmly.
"All right."
Yasutora said nothing, simply following quietly behind them.
The three crossed the damaged courtyard and hurried toward the Senzaikyū.
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