“So this is the Reiokyu.”
“I understand how you feel, your majesty.”
“What are you talking about, Haschwalth? I’m not feeling a shred of emotion from looking at this decaying grave.”
≡
✦ ✦ ✦
When he saw Hisagi swoop down directly into the middle of the battlefield, Kyoraku seemed surprised.
“That couldn’t be…Shuhei?”
Though Kyoraku did not seem fatally wounded to Hisagi, the Captain General had injuries over his entire body and seemed barely able to stand. Beside him, Nanao was holding Kyoraku’s sleeve, and though she was mostly uninjured, she seemed to have consumed most of her spiritual powers, as though she had used kido to the extent of her ability.
The situation around Hisagi was even more confusing to him. He saw Quincies whom he remembered fighting in the past as well as the Corpse Unit that worked for Mayuri. He even saw the Arrancar woman who had fought against Hitsugaya in Karakura Town’s decisive battle. However, none of them appeared to be either the allies or enemies of Kyoraku and the other Soul Reapers; they all seemed to be hesitating over whether to even move, and he didn’t see any sign that they would attempt an attack. If he had to guess what they were doing, it seemed as though they were all devoted solely to defense.
When they saw the bewildered Hisagi, the people at the scene responded.
“Is that Shuhei? Why’re you here?” Muguruma, who was on his knee, asked in shock. Chiming in, Yumichika and Madarame, who were back to back and vigilant of everything around them, also spoke: “Oh, Assistant Captain Hisagi…so you really were here.”
“Hey, wait, Yumichika. We can’t assume he’s real.”
Not understanding why Madarame and the others were casting looks of surprise and caution toward him, for the time being Hisagi looked to the person highest in the chain of command for instruction.
“Captain General Kyoraku! What the heck is…”
Though Hisagi tried to run to Kyoraku, he was forced to stop. That was because the point of Katen Kyokotsu that Kyoraku carried was slowly being turned toward him.
“Captain General…?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry, Shuhei—no, Assistant Captain Hisagi.”
Even as a trickle of blood dribbled from his forehead, Kyoraku wore his usual gentle smile. Still, he did not put down his sword as he continued, “There are a lot of things I’d like to ask about, like why you’re here and what’s going on in Karakura Town. But, I’m sorry; it’s better if neither of us gets close to each other.”
“I don’t understand. Just what is going—”
Hisagi was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice from behind him. “You. Where did you come from?”
“Huh…?”
“Well, well… I don’t think you were part of the lineup that arrived with Kyoraku. I haven’t sensed the barriers or anything beyond them being penetrated, either. How did you break into this place?”
Though he had a Soul Reaper’s spiritual pressure, the bearing of the man Hisagi saw then was somehow ghastly and twisted, which made Hisagi feel fairly sure of the answer when he asked, “Are you…Tokinada Tsunayashiro?”
“Well, what an impolite ape you are. Hm…that company insignia…”
Tokinada looked upon the Ninth Company assistant captain insignia on Hisagi’s arm with some surprise, then his face twisted with delight and pleasure.
“Ah, I see. I’ve only seen you on the footage, but I do recognize you. So the Soul Reaper that Aura spoke of in Karakura Town was you. Well then, so you went ahead and used the Tenkaiketchu, you vile thief?” In direct contrast to the tone of his words, he opened his arms wide as though he were actually welcoming Hisagi. “Then how about I answer your earlier question. You’re right, I am Tokinada Tsunayashiro. What an honor it is to meet a Soul Reaper with such a promising future, Assistant Captain Shuhei Hisagi.”
“…”
“Or should I put it like this…I am so pleased that you are penning an article in praise of me, Shuhei Hisagi, editor-in-chief of the Seireitei Bulletin.”
“You…”
“What do you think? Won’t a description of how the fool Shunsui Kyoraku met his unsightly end while mounting an insurrection with Arrancars and Quincies make for an excellent article? If you’d like, you may even watch from a front-row seat. I may even tip you a coin, depending on how the article turns out.”
Just hearing these words that were dripping with sarcasm made Hisagi realize something.
The man in front of his eyes was an entirely different type of evil compared to Aizen and Yhwach. Since the incident with Tosen, Hisagi had been reluctant to speak of justice and evil as though they were simple dualisms, but Hisagi’s instincts told him this man named Tokinada was quite clearly evil.
He would occasionally encounter such people when covering the felons of the Soul Society—those who had not been warped by some pitiable past, but instead were villains from the outset. He keenly sensed a malice even darker than that from the few words Tokinada spoke.
It was clearly a problem that a man like this was the head of the Four Great Noble Clans, a position within the Soul Society that was on equal footing with the Central 46. And the fact that Kyoraku and the others were confronting Tokinada indicated just how terrible a deed the man in front of him was trying to commit.
“I think the readers would enjoy an article about your downfall much more,” Hisagi answered, spitting the words out as he reflexively reached for his zanpaku-to.
“Hm. But as an agent of the mass media, don’t you think it’s inappropriate to involve your personal grudge? As a bearer of news, shouldn’t you be consistently impartial?”
“Even from an impartial perspective, from what I know about you I doubt you’re a good person.”