While they were listening to Kisuke Urahara tell them the path to escape the Kyogoku, Hisagi stood in front of Kyoraku. Hikone had lost consciousness at that point and was being treated by Nanao using kaido.
“What a surprise. I had no idea you had learned how to use bankai, Shuhei.”
As though Kyoraku’s words had cut the thread of nerves stringing Hisagi up, he peered away in embarrassment.
“Well…I’m not sure how to say this, but today was the first day I could use it.”
“What? Really? Wait a sec! How did you make it manifest and submit?”
“Apparently, that happened before I realized it…”
Though he hadn’t been worried about it while using his bankai, when Hisagi realized he didn’t fully understand Kazeshini himself, he apologetically reported the truth to Kyoraku.
“Then, basically, you just had to go straight to using it? Well…I’m glad that Captain Zaraki didn’t kill that child and that Karakura Town wasn’t slowly wiped off the map.”
When Kyoraku considered what he saw of Hisagi’s bankai, he questioned something about its ability. “It looked as though that bankai were the culmination of bakudo. Though it seems it’d be difficult to use.”
Hirako, who had been standing off to the side, shrugged as he blurted out, “Better than my bankai, at least. It seems that you’re able to choose who you connect using the chains, at minimum. At worst, if we end up in a fight, Shuhei will be able to drain the spiritual pressure from the enemy, though he’ll sacrifice himself.”
“Uh…but if I don’t have any allies nearby, all I’d be able to do is hope for a draw…”
“Well, I understand the feeling.”
Kyoraku, whose own bankai had an element that required him to share pain, thought over the future suffering that Hisagi would have to endure and silently prayed for him.
Then, as Hisagi worried over Hikone’s well-being, Kyoraku told the Soul Reaper something that he felt he needed to say sooner rather than later. “It seems that you’ve become a candidate for captain as well, I suppose?”
One of the absolute conditions of becoming a captain in the Thirteen Court Guard Companies was the ability to use bankai. Along with the Thirteenth Company, there were currently several openings for the position of captain in many different companies. Given that situation, there was a possibility that Hisagi could become one of those captains…
“About that…could I just continue being the editor-in-chief of the Seireitei Bulletin for a while?”
“Hmm…well, we still have to deal with Tokinada, so I’m not sure what will happen to my position or how the Court Guards will fare from here on. But there are many who can use bankai right now, so I suppose it’s all right.”
“I see… Thank you very much.”
“So you’re choosing a path in which you can continue to be a reporter.”
Hisagi noticed that those words were filled with complex significance.
He glanced at Hikone.
“I decided that I’d show Hikone all kinds of worlds. And it’s not just Hikone. I want to expand the world for the readers in the Rukongai and the Seireitei who can’t go to other places on their own two feet.”
“I don’t mind that, but…there may be some things that are better left in the dark.”
“So the things that Tokinada said were actually…”
Kyoraku purposefully refused to confirm Hisagi’s suspicion. However, when Hisagi looked at Kyoraku with determination in his eyes, Hisagi told him, “Captain General Kyoraku…if you’ve decided that keeping the truth hidden forever is best for this world…then kill me and leave me behind before we depart this place.”
“We can’t assume the truth will save the world. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes, so I won’t do anything specific immediately. I will research it for years or even decades if necessary in order to figure out what happened in the shadows. If I just accepted Tokinada’s words without questioning them, I’d be a failure as a journalist.”
When he heard that, Kyoraku smiled gently and put a hand on Hisagi’s shoulder.
“Be careful. If you decide to delve into the Soul Society’s past, there are still many, many more enemies out there. Even if the Kuchiki and Shihoin family heads say that it was wrong, there are a mountain of other relatives that won’t allow things to be put right.”
Then he looked around at the Soul Reapers, Arrancars, Quincies, and Fullbringers as he gave some advice. “If you plan on fighting the world, make more allies. Just as Ichigo did.”
“Like…Kurosaki?”
“At the very least, I intend to be your ally. But just as you yourself said, no need to do anything right away.”
Kyoraku thought quietly for some time, then pointed out a concrete time frame.
“Right… At least now there is a possibility that the dregs of Yhwach are still wandering about somewhere in the world. I think it won’t be too late to wait and see whether those get up to something wicked.” Then he considered the history Tokinada spoke of and said thoughtfully, “No…maybe I can’t call it ‘wicked’ anymore.”
“If…if the same thing happens again, I’d definitely fight for the Soul Reapers. But if there’s something I can do before that happens, I’d like to increase the number of paths we can take.”
What was hidden in Hisagi’s words wasn’t a reference to the war with the Quincies, but to Kaname Tosen. Kyoraku seemed to realize that and intentionally didn’t mention it.
They watched Urahara work at removing the barrier for a while.
Once Urahara had released several barriers, Kyoraku received a communication from his Soul Pager. When Kyoraku realized it was a message from Assistant Captain Okikiba, he took it and spoke with a solemn expression for a while.
Kyoraku hung up, and with a complicated look on his face he informed the Soul Reapers, “They found Tokinada.”
A shiver ran through the group as they tensed, but Kyoraku went on, seeming baffled. “I have no idea who did it, but…apparently he has already died.”
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