In the heart of the Seireitei, within the Soul Society.
In a room inside the Information Bureau—an intelligence facility adjacent to the Great Spirit Book Archive—a group of Soul Reapers had gathered.
Their eyes, sharp and analytical like those of researchers, remained vigilant. The Kenseikan hairpieces and the Ginpakukazahana no Usuginu scarves they wore were proof of their noble status.
"We equipped the surveillance system thinking it might be useful someday, but I never imagined things would go this smoothly."
The Soul Reapers were staring at a wall of monitors. The screens displayed a house in the World of the Living from every conceivable angle. Inside, a group of humans with spiritual abilities was conversing with a man dressed in the black robes of a Soul Reaper.
They were the targets of the operation: a group of rare spiritualists.
"As expected, using powerless humans is the most efficient way to flush out the 'possessors.'"
"We must ensure their existence remains a secret. If we dawdle, the Gotei 13 will catch the scent."
A middle-aged woman spoke with a hint of impatience, and the others nodded. Everyone in the room understood that given the Soul Society's current technological advancement, a World of the Living operation of this scale could not be hidden forever.
Bearing the crest of the "Four-Pointed Star," these were the men and women of the Tsunayashiro family. They were the heads of the Four Great Noble Houses, the keepers of the Soul Society's history, and they possessed a fanatical obsession with gathering and controlling information.
The current plan involved one of the most high-level secrets in existence: the recovery of the divine factors scattered across the realms.
The Soul King Fragments.
"Patriarch, it is time."
"Indeed."
The elderly man at the head of the table nodded as he watched the black-haired Soul Reaper and his companions on the screen.
The Soul King was the pinnacle of all spiritual beings, the lynchpin of existence. To possess even a single fingernail of that entity was to obtain the power to command all souls and nurture an astronomical spiritual pressure. While those fragments were proof of the Great Noble Houses' original sin against the ancient hero, they were also, ironically, the ultimate toys to satisfy their bottomless hunger for knowledge.
"Commence the operation to eliminate the dangerous elements known as 'Fullbringers' and recover their souls. Act swiftly for the eternal peace of the Soul Society."
"Understood!"
Orders were dispatched to a hidden private militia. As reports of success flooded back into the video room, the nobles' smiles deepened. When the report finally came in detailing the deaths of their own soldiers during the clash with the target...
The nobles broke into a round of applause for their successful mission.
"Now then, everyone, a tragedy has occurred. Our precious private soldiers were attacked by that Soul Reaper-imposter and his faction during a training exercise in the World of the Living."
"Unforgivable. We must report this to the Central 46 immediately and take appropriate legal action."
"At once."
"I will send the edited footage to their guarantor, Jushiro Ukitake. If possible, secure permission for a retaliatory strike against the ringleader. Our family must avenge our fallen soldiers."
The elderly Patriarch watched the junior members leave the room, calmly lighting his pipe. His quiet mumble spoke volumes of the darkness hidden within his clan and the Soul Society itself.
"Your efforts have given new value to the system created specifically for you. You should be honored to become a footnote in the history of the Soul Society..."
***
Somewhere in the World of the Living.
In a humble house built far from prying eyes, nearly ten people had gathered, their cheeks flushed with excitement. It was a strange group—men, women, children, and the elderly—yet they had all come here with a single, desperate hope.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
Shortly after the midnight bells rang, the door opened. A young man in black robes appeared, wearing a bright, sincere smile. Drawn to his warmth, the crowd spoke up all at once.
"Is it true? Can you really take this power away!?"
"Does this mean I won't be bullied anymore?"
"Those monsters won't attack us, will they? You promise?"
"Finally... my wife might actually come back to me!"
Listening to the pleas of the suffering people, the young man placed a hand on their shoulders to comfort them.
"It's okay. I've already shown a few of you what I can do. They know I'm not lying."
"Oh...!"
"Starting today, you won't be jerked around by ghosts, and those monsters won't hunt you anymore. You won't be reported or treated like freaks. You're going to be 'normal humans' just like everyone else!"
The room erupted in cries of joy and relief. Some wept, others cheered, and one clutched a cross necklace tight. Watching their smiles, the young man felt a surge of pride.
He had once been just like them. He had been unable to live as a human because of the special power he was born with. But then he awakened to the power of a Soul Reaper, learned about their society and his role, and finally came to terms with his misfortune. After a certain experience, his powers fully awakened, and when he realized their true nature, he made a vow.
I want to free people like me from their suffering. I want to give them the ordinary, commonplace happiness that I could never have.
He believed this hateful power had been given to him for that exact purpose.
"Wait...!?"
Suddenly, the air grew thick with spiritual pressure. The young man's skin crawled.
"What was that?"
"Stay here and keep quiet. I'm going to check it out."
"Okay!"
He expanded his spiritual sensing and detected several large presences. Confused by the heavy atmosphere, he stepped cautiously out of the house.
"Soul Reapers...?"
Standing in the darkness were several men in black robes. They weren't the ones usually assigned to this town.
He hadn't heard anything from the Soul Society about a meeting, but he suppressed his tension and held up his badge.
"I'm the Substitute Soul Reaper, Kuugo Ginjou. I don't recognize you. Which squad are you from?"
His only answer was the sound of multiple Zanpakuto being drawn. Startled by the sudden hostility, Ginjou raised his hands.
"Whoa, hey! Didn't Captain Ukitake tell you about me? That's strange, he said if I showed this, there wouldn't be any—"
Before he could finish, a chorus of screams erupted from the house behind him.
"What!?"
Ginjou spun around and froze. Nearly ten more Soul Reapers had appeared and were slaughtering the people he had gathered.
"What are you doing!? Stop it! STOP IT!! What the hell is wrong with you!? Why are Soul Reapers attacking humans!?"
"Kuugo Ginjou."
Ginjou turned toward the speaker, his feet rooted to the spot.
"We appreciate your work in collecting these Fullbringers. The Soul Society speaks very highly of your efforts."
"Fullbringers... collecting...? What are you talking about!? Why are you doing this!?"
The nonsensical praise overlapped with the horrific massacre unfolding before his eyes. As Ginjou stood paralyzed by confusion, the situation spiraled further into hell.
"Ginjou...! Was this your plan all along!?"
A pained voice pierced his ears. It was a woman who had come to the meeting because she wanted to be normal for the sake of the man who had proposed to her.
"They're wearing the same black clothes as him...!"
"You gathered us just to kill us!"
"Liar! Traitor!"
"You promised to help us! You promised to make us normal!!"
Watching his comrades being murdered by enemies wearing the same uniform as him, and hearing their screams of hatred directed at him, Ginjou stood in absolute shock.
"No... that's not it! I... I would never..."
What is this? What is happening? Even as his mind was overwhelmed by the blades of those who should have been his allies, Ginjou's brain finally forced him to look at reality.
Collecting. Efforts. The Soul Society appreciates you. The words pointed to a single, horrific conclusion.
"I was... used..."
I was the bait. Ginjou finally understood. Whether it was for some cosmic balance or simple xenophobia, the Soul Reaper faction wanted these "inconvenient" humans gone, and they had used him to round them up.
Looking back, there had been signs. Ginjou was a "Triple Hybrid"—a human who had attained Bankai, Hollow powers, and a mysterious spiritual ability. There was no way the "Balancers of Souls" would ever leave such an anomaly to roam free in the World of the Living. Yet all they had done was give him some rules about Hollow hunting and told him to carry a badge. It was far too lax for an organization like the Seireitei.
Ginjou asked himself: How did they send me signals for Hollow appearances? How did the Squad 13 members who contacted me always know exactly where I was?
And most importantly... how did they know I was gathering people here tonight?
"Ah..."
Slowly, Ginjou looked down at his Substitute Badge. A pentagonal piece of wood engraved with a skull emblem representing death.
"Ah... h..."
Within the dark eye sockets of that skull, Ginjou saw the flicker of the malice that had created this hell. The true face of the Soul Reapers who pretended to be the guardians of humanity...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!"
The paralysis of despair was shattered by the heat of his rage. Hollow spiritual pressure filled his body, and as he was stained with the essence of a monster, Kuugo Ginjou transformed into a beast of hatred.
The fallen youth brought his blade down upon the enemies who had murdered his friends.
"Hostile action confirmed from Kuugo Ginjou! Change operation parameters from Beta to Gamma!"
"Start the recording! 'Gah! The Substitute Soul Reaper has gone berserk!'"
***
"Ginjou...!"
A voice from the distance pulled his consciousness to the surface. Kuugo Ginjou snapped awake. He looked at the tall young man staring down at him with concern and let out a heavy sigh.
"Tch. Had a bad dream."
"You were thrashing around pretty hard. Are you okay? We can push the schedule back if you're not feeling up to it."
It was a rare show of anxiety from Shūkurō Tsukishima, a man who usually carried an air of detached, sage-like indifference. Shaking off his partner's suggestion, Ginjou sat up from the sofa.
"Is she really that scary? That woman you saw?"
When Ginjou asked about the primary "unpredictable variable" they had discussed, Tsukishima's expression darkened. Apparently, he had tried several different approaches since their first encounter with the "target," but judging by his face, he hadn't found a way to break her.
"Ginjou, including that woman... won't you reconsider? We don't need him. I can find as many half-Soul Reapers as you want—"
"That doesn't sound like you, Tsukishima."
Cutting him off, Ginjou walked toward the door. The corners of his mouth curled into a dark, savage grin—a far cry from the sincere man he once was.
"Finally, someone has appeared who can flip the board on us when we thought we had the perfect game. That's what makes it a 'match,' isn't it?"
Tsukishima watched him with a look of sorrow. After a moment's hesitation, the tall youth let his shoulders slump in resignation.
"Fine. Since I'm not fond of gambling, I'll practice my prayers to God."
"You? Praying? Hah. Let's hope Giriko doesn't get jealous."
Ginjou let out a dry laugh as he left his gloomy companion behind. To think a man with god-like power was being so humble.
Two things had changed since the day he was betrayed. One was that his Fullbring power had consumed and fused with his Soul Reaper powers. It was a good thing; without it, his hatred might have forced him to throw away his Substitute Badge on that day of tragedy.
The ultimate executioner's blade, Cross of Scaffold. By combining his pendant's cross with his badge, he had finally given a name to his power.
And the second thing that had changed...
"What? Ginjou, are you leaving already?"
The annoyed voice of a woman called out to him. Three other voices followed—two men and another woman.
"Are you sure you'll be okay alone? Take Riruka with you, at least."
"Yeah, having a girl who looks a bit slow with you might make them lower their guard."
"What did you just say!?"
"You have a bad habit of not relying on your comrades, Ginjou."
To varying degrees, they were all worried about him. A group of "weaklings" who planned to tear down this ridiculous, overly-lenient world. They were all madmen with broken hearts, which was likely why they were willing to help a miserable vengeful ghost like him.
So, at the very least...
"This is my responsibility. A duty to my junior Substitute..."
"Pray for my luck," he muttered over his shoulder as he left the loud group behind.
His destination was the neighboring town: Karakura Town.
His target was his successor, the innocent hero who had saved the spiritual realms.
To put an end to his long history of karma, Kuugo Ginjou stepped out of the shadows.
"You're wrong, Ginjou," Shūkurō Tsukishima whispered, his voice too quiet for the departing man to hear.
"—It isn't 'luck' we should be praying for."
"—We, who have humiliated a hero, should be praying for the generous mercy of his Guardian Goddess."
***
10 Advanced Chapters Available on my Patreon!
https://patreon.com/Well_being