boom.
The sound was like a thunderclap splitting the sky.
It exists only in the minds of people with low Spiritual Power, such as Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko.
Someone of Shiraishi's caliber wouldn't hear that kind of sound; they would only sense a heavy, profound Reiatsu rapidly filling the room from above the stairs, like two millstones pressing down on their shoulders.
What's going on?
To call it intimidation would be going too far.
A thought flashed through Shiraishi's mind. He rushed to the stairwell, but then stopped. Going up now would only cause more trouble.
Just then, a little boy rushed out of a door, shouting, "Big sister, what happened?"
A childish voice drifted through the passageway, only to be met with a stern reply, "Don't come any closer, Ganju!"
The Reiatsu receded.
The Ganju did not obey.
A child's curiosity always surpasses that of an adult, and he continued running upwards.
Should we stop them or not?
Shiraishi stood at the top of the stairs and thought for a moment, but ultimately decided not to block the way and made way for them.
The Ganju ran up the stairs, took in the situation outside, and froze.
Under the cold moonlight, the black-haired female Shinigami trod across the grass, her beautiful face stained with blood, devoid of any human vitality, like a demon from Hell.
She silently dragged one person forward.
"Brother Kaien..." Ganju murmured.
Kūkaku Shiba had no time to blame his younger brother for being disobedient. He was trying his best to suppress his violent Reiatsu and killing intent. His Riot Games were clenched, and the veins on the back of his hands were throbbing.
"I killed him."
Without a word of explanation, the female Shinigami tossed the body to the ground, her deep purple pupils filled with deathly stillness.
They seem to care nothing about their own lives, and are even prepared to die.
Kūkaku Shiba didn't make a move. Beneath her bold exterior lay a delicate heart. She noticed that the expression on her older brother's face wasn't anger or resentment at being killed by his comrades.
The faint smile seemed to convey both relief and a hint of apology.
The eldest brother harbored no resentment towards Shinigami until his death.
Why?
The reason is unclear, but she chose to respect her elder brother's choice rather than vent her grief and anger indiscriminately.
"Get out." She uttered a single word.
The female Shinigami raised her head and said indifferently, "You can kill me."
"I told you to get out! Didn't you hear me?"
Kūkaku Shiba repeated the sentence irritably, a violent killing intent flashing in his olive-green pupils, which he forcibly suppressed with reason.
"... You can come and kill me anytime."
She left those words behind, turned around, and dark clouds obscured the stars and the moon, creating a thick, inky darkness that swallowed her departing figure.
Young Ganju, recovering from his shock, ran to his older brother's side. His mind still reeling from the shock, he knew this was a bad thing and cried out, "Big brother, wake up! I promise I'll listen to you from now on and never argue. You can even make me the Shinigami!"
" Ganju... like my elder brother, father, and mother, he will never wake up again."
"No, big sister, I don't want that, boohoo."
The Ganju cried loudly. Children don't need to worry so much; if you want to cry, just cry as much as you want.
Kūkaku Shiba pursed her lips, not stopping him, and squatted down, her face showing an unprecedented tenderness, "Big brother, welcome home."
"Lord Kūkaku, please accept my condolences."
Shiroganehiko offered these words of comfort, but tears were already welling up in her eyes.
The warm-hearted and ambitious Lord Kaien said just a few days ago that he wanted to inherit the position of Thirteenth Division.
And now they're going home like this.
His untimely death at such a young age—is the Shiba Clan cursed?
One by one, geniuses are dying.
" Shiroganehiko, prepare some water. I need to tidy up my brother's appearance."
Kūkaku Shiba gently picked up her older brother's body, giving herself no time to grieve; she had to get her brother out of this wretched state.
She wasn't in a hurry to investigate the cause of death; someone would come and tell her the details.
Even in its decline, the Shiba Clan remains one of the Five Great Noble Clans, their status and position are undeniable.
With the death of the family head, neither the Central 46 Chambers nor the Thirteenth Division could remain silent indefinitely.
Otherwise, there would be no need for her to make a fuss.
My uncle, who is the Tenth Division, is Isshin to turn the Seireitei upside down.
Kūkaku Shiba walked down the stairs, glanced at Shiraishi, and said, "Sorry, find an empty house to stay in. I don't have time to entertain you right now."
"Hmm, you..." Shiraishi wanted to comfort him, but swallowed the words back silently. "Don't worry about me. I've never been one to stand on ceremony."
Kūkaku Shiba nodded, an overwhelming sadness shrouding her face, making one deeply nostalgic for her earlier smile.
Shiraishi exhaled, feeling the air grow somewhat cold.
In my past life, I was an orphan who transmigrated while playing video games. I didn't end up in anyone else's body; I still look like myself, just a bit younger and thinner, and I have a Prestige Edition Yasuo outfit.
Therefore, he couldn't understand the grief of losing a loved one. Judging from Kūkaku's expression, he must be in great pain.
However, Kaien Shiba just died, so how many years are left before the main story begins?
Shiraishi tried hard to recall, but found that he couldn't find any specific references.
It's all because '98 handled the timeline too vaguely; to piece together a specific timeline, readers have to fill in the gaps with their own imagination.
If I remember correctly, the story takes place sometime between twenty or thirty years ago.
During this period, Kūkaku Shiba will lose an arm, becoming a one-armed swordsman like Yang Guo.
He's here; we must take good care of him and prevent a similar incident of severed arms from happening again.
Shiraishi still has a lot of affection for Kūkaku Shiba, perhaps based on her looks and figure.
But isn't that how relationships are?
From physical attraction to inner attraction.
If someone doesn't like another person's appearance, how can they have the patience to understand what's inside them?
Shiraishi was thinking about all sorts of random things. He walked down the corridor, chose a room without even a blanket, and casually slept on the floor.
I tried to doze off for two or three hours, but I couldn't fall asleep at all. How can anyone sleep without a blanket or pillow?!
Shiraishi inwardly groaned, but reluctantly got up, not to ask Kūkaku Shiba for a pillow and blanket.
Instead, they went to find the toilet at the Shiba Clan.
Spirits do not have a formal human name, but they do have a informal human name.
You have to use a water dispenser to drink water.
This is a principle that must be followed throughout Soul Society.
Opening the sliding door, the glow of fireflies illuminates the corridor 24 hours a day; there is no one else there.
He walked to his right and saw a door ahead, so he quickly ran over and opened it.
It's not a toilet, but a room where the Kūkaku Cannon is stored. It's circular inside and very spacious.
A thick, black cannon barrel pierced through the central ceiling, extending into a massive, chimney-like structure outside.
Kaien Shiba's coffin was placed on the gun emplacement.
Kūkaku Shiba was sitting in front, with Ganju, who had cried himself to sleep, on her lap. Hearing the door open, she turned around and said, "You're still awake?"
"Um, I need to use the restroom."
"Turn right after you exit, and walk straight to the end."
After saying this, Kūkaku Shiba continued to stare blankly at the coffin.
Shiraishi scratched his head, didn't leave, walked forward, unzipped his leather jacket, reluctantly took out his treasured possession from his crossbody bag, and placed it next to her. "This is the special spicy senbei from the Aoi Family in West District Three, the only one of its kind in Rukongai. You should try it."
"Guaranteed to be so spicy you'll cry."
"Really? I'd like to try it."
Kūkaku Shiba accepted the senbei.
Shiraishi left quickly.
The crunching sound of chewing filled the air, and tears silently streamed down her cheeks. "It's so spicy..."