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Su Li held Rukia aloft above the shattered Sōkyoku platform, her body limp in his grasp, suspended like a broken doll as the last echoes of destruction faded into the wind. She looked up at him, dazed, her breath catching in her throat as disbelief clouded her thoughts.
"For… why…" she murmured, barely able to form the question.
The young captain, his strength monstrous and his smile almost maddeningly calm, gazed back at her with that same unshakable poise, and in that moment, everything she understood about him—and herself—unraveled. He had no reason to do this. They weren't close. Since their days at Shin'ō Academy, they'd only crossed paths twice—once when a Menos Grande breached the realm, and again in the Palace of Penance. He was a rising star, the youngest to ever wear a captain's haori, a prodigy carrying the expectations of an entire generation. She was a disgraced soul, condemned to execution, her powers stripped, her name soiled. What possible reason could a man like Su Li have to throw his future away for someone like her?
"Have you forgotten, Rukia?" Su Li asked softly, his smile never faltering.
"…What?" Her voice was weak, her heart pounding.
"You're the one-in-a-million Shinigami."
His words struck her like a blade sharper than any Zanpakutō, but she couldn't understand why they were being said to her. "Then… is that really so important?" she whispered, voice shaking. "Even if I was once qualified to be a Shinigami, I'm still just one among thousands. There's nothing special about me. Why would you…"
But Su Li merely shook his head, his gaze unwavering. "You're wrong, Rukia. You're the most unique one among them all."
The conviction in his voice left her breathless. His words echoed in her mind, scattering her thoughts like petals in the wind. "I… the most unique…" she repeated softly. "A Shinigami…"
She didn't understand, not yet—but Su Li knew she would, eventually.
Below, murmurs swept through the gathering crowd as disbelief turned to stunned awe.
"Nanao… did you notice anything strange about Captain Su Li's Zanpakutō?" Isane whispered, eyes wide with unease.
Nanao's expression was just as shaken. "Yes. He never released it."
Both women turned to each other, speaking almost simultaneously: "His blade wasn't even in Shikai."
Kyoraku Shunsui gave a low whistle, arms crossed lazily over his chest, but his eyes sharp beneath the brim of his hat. "Tch. This kid… he did all that with a sealed sword?"
Beside him, Jūshirō Ukitake remained silent, but the shock on his face said everything. There had been no command, no transformation, no telltale change in the Zanpakutō's shape. Lion Singing Annoying Wind wasn't the name of a Shikai—it was simply a sword technique. Su Li had accomplished everything—the severing of the King of Ruin, the obliteration of the Sōkyoku rack—using only a sealed Zanpakutō.
Had someone claimed such a feat yesterday, they'd have been laughed out of Seireitei. But now, all had seen it unfold with their own eyes. It was impossible, surreal, beyond the realm of anything even the most battle-hardened Shinigami could accept.
And then, a deep rumble shattered the silence.
Boom.
A sudden pressure bore down like an avalanche. Yamamoto Genryūsai, no longer hiding his anger, stepped forward, his face cast in shadow. For all of Su Li's brilliance, for all the awe he inspired, it didn't change what he had done. He had interfered with an execution, defied the rulings of Central 46, destroyed sacred ground. No display of power could erase such rebellion.
"Hindering the execution. Destroying the platform. These are acts of treason," Yamamoto said, his voice like cracking stone. "Punishable by death."
His Reiatsu exploded outward like a tidal wave, crushing the air and shaking the sky. Nanao and Isane dropped instantly, overwhelmed, faces contorted in pain. Even the captains braced themselves under the pressure. It wasn't Yamamoto's full strength—but it didn't need to be. His power dwarfed them all.
Su Li didn't flinch, but he didn't raise his blade either. He had no fear, only a deep sense of weariness. Fighting Yamamoto wouldn't solve anything—it would only fracture Soul Society further. He clenched his jaw, silently weighing his options.
And then, a voice cut through the pressure like a breeze through smoke.
"Come on, old man. Can't let the little brother handle all the dirty work," Kyoraku said casually, stepping forward with a grin, his straw hat tilted low. "We seniors have to carry some of the weight."
"Agreed," Jūshirō said warmly as he joined his friend, unsheathing his blade with calm purpose. "He shouldn't have to take this burden alone."
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed as he studied the two men—his students, once his pride.
"You looked cool today, little brother," Kyoraku said with a wink at Su Li. "Let us soak up a few of those consequences for you."
"My body's fragile, but I can still take a hit or two," Jūshirō added, the corners of his lips twitching into a faint smile.
Su Li met their eyes, and despite the gravity of the moment, he felt a surge of something warm—something grounding. "Then I'll leave it to you, seniors," he said softly, grateful.
Yamamoto's voice was a low growl, his grip tightening on the staff he hadn't wielded in years. "Three disobedient brats," he muttered darkly. "Today is a shame upon the school."
The ground trembled once more as a wind swept across the hill.
"Scatter—Senbonzakura."
Thousands of glowing pink blades rose in a tide of light, surrounding Su Li and Rukia like a cocoon of deadly beauty. Each petal shimmered with lethality, cutting off the rest of the battlefield.
"Leave these traitors to us," Byakuya Kuchiki said with cold resolve as he stepped forward, eyes fixed on Su Li.
Yamamoto didn't respond, his gaze inscrutable.
"Perfect," Kyoraku said, adjusting his hat. "It's been ages since we sparred, old man. I've been meaning to ask you a few things."
"And I've still got plenty to learn," Jūshirō said, readying his stance with a quiet confidence.
Yamamoto exhaled slowly, then raised his staff.
"This battlefield's too crowded," Kyoraku said, flashing a grin. "Let's not hurt bystanders."
With a flicker of shunpo, he vanished. Ukitake followed instantly.
Yamamoto paused only a breath longer before disappearing after them.
Ise Nanao forced herself upright, determination hardening her face as she dashed after them.
From another side of the field, a quiet voice called out.
"Yongyin. Don't stand there. Come with me."
Unohana Retsu's tone was calm but urgent, her eyes sharp.
"Captain Unohana, where—?"
"Follow. You'll understand soon enough."
With practiced ease, she unsheathed her Zanpakutō, which transformed into the massive, manta-shaped Minazuki. Isane scrambled aboard, and without hesitation, Minazuki took flight, wings slicing through the air as they vanished into the distance.
Now, only Byakuya, Sui-Feng, and Sasakibe remained on the ruined hill—along with Su Li and Rukia, still hovering within the petals of Senbonzakura.
Sui-Feng's gaze was icy as she stepped forward, her presence sharp as a blade.
"You touched someone under my protection," she said quietly, her eyes locked on Byakuya.
Sasakibe raised his sword, standing between them. "What are you trying to do, Sui-Feng?"
She didn't answer. Her spiritual pressure surged dangerously, the air around her vibrating.
But in a flash, a shadow tore across the field and collided with her. She vanished in an instant, hurled from the cliff's edge.
"What—?!"
Sui-Feng twisted midair, furious and disoriented.
The masked figure removed their disguise and grinned.
"Long time no see, Sui-Feng."
Her eyes widened, the breath catching in her throat.
"Yoruichi?!"
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