After the door closed, Unohana Retsu lifted her right hand and quietly began an incantation. A golden barrier shimmered into being, enveloping the entire captain's room in silence.
"Captain Unohana, what is this?" Ukitake asked, his brows furrowed at her uncharacteristic solemnity.
"Shiraha, Captain Unohana—may I tell Jūshirō?" Kyōraku asked, tipping his hat lower. He still trusted his old friend completely, but even so, he had waited for Shiraha and Unohana's agreement before revealing anything of what they knew.
"Of course," Shiraha replied with a faint smile.
Unohana gave a small nod.
Ukitake looked from one to the other, clearly lost, until Kyōraku began explaining what they had discovered about Aizen. The more he listened, the more his face darkened, until even gentle Jūshirō, known for his calm nature, could not restrain his anger.
"Aizen… to do something like this… What is he aiming for?" His tone held none of his usual warmth, only steel.
Kyōraku sighed, voice stripped of its usual lightness. "Shiraha, Unohana—you've noticed too, haven't you? Central 46's rulings have been too strange. I think Aizen has already bent them with Kyōka Suigetsu."
Unohana's eyes lowered, her voice soft but firm. "I had the same thought. Since Rukia's capture, every order issued by Central 46 has grown more suspicious."
Ukitake nodded gravely. "It troubled me as well. I've been sending petitions daily, begging them to reconsider Rukia's execution. Not once did they reply." His voice carried both frustration and exhaustion, the weight of a captain who had tried every avenue only to be met with silence.
Unohana turned toward Shiraha, her gaze sharp beneath her calm surface. "You already know the truth, don't you?"
Shiraha set down his teacup slowly. "Captain Unohana, you're correct. Central 46 isn't under hypnosis. They're already dead. Every single member was killed. Since then, every order we've heard has been Aizen disguising himself as them."
The room froze. Unohana, Kyōraku, and Ukitake stiffened, their eyes wide with disbelief. Horror flickered in each of them, the weight of Shiraha's words impossible to dismiss.
"All of them… killed?" Kyōraku muttered. His usual ease was gone, replaced by a hard glint in his eyes.
Unohana's lips thinned, her anger tightly leashed. "Shiraha, did you know this all along?"
"Yes. But you should understand why I kept it quiet. Aizen's Zanpakutō ability is too dangerous. If we confront him directly, almost every soul in Seireitei would fall under his complete hypnosis. Only if he leaves the Soul Society can we hope to strike."
His words hung heavy. They all knew the truth of it. Only Yamamoto Genryūsai or Unohana herself might stand a chance of resisting Kyōka Suigetsu's power. The rest, captains and lieutenants alike, would be helpless once drawn into Aizen's illusions.
After a long silence, the three captains exchanged looks. Unohana exhaled softly, Kyōraku chuckled without humor, and Ukitake gave a faint, bitter smile. Shiraha was right. They had no option but to wait.
"Then we trust you," Unohana said at last, her voice steady. "Do as you must."
The next day arrived.
Shiraha stepped out of the captain's room, Observation Haki brushing the area and catching sight of Tetsuzaemon waiting respectfully outside. Komamura, however, was absent.
"Captain Shiraha," Tetsuzaemon said with a bow, "Vice-Captain Komamura has gone with Captain Tōsen to intercept Captain Zaraki. He asked me to convey his apologies."
"It's fine. I'll go alone." Shiraha's smile was calm, though his thoughts were sharp. He knew perfectly well what Tōsen's real aim was—stalling Zaraki Kenpachi and preventing Ishida Uryū and the others from reaching Sōkyoku Hill.
With a flick of Kidō, Shiraha vanished in a flash of Cang, reappearing at the hill.
The towering execution grounds loomed, the Sōkyoku pike glittering ominously in the sky above. Several captains and lieutenants had already gathered.
Yamamoto Genryūsai stood at the front, his vice-captain Sasakibe at his side. To his right, Unohana with Kotetsu Isane, Kyōraku with Ise Nanao, and Ukitake alone without a vice-captain. Omaeda Marechiyo fidgeted beside his captain, the Second's presence austere as ever.
Of thirteen captains, only five had come. Even considering guard posts and duties, the absence was striking.
"The curtain rises," Shiraha murmured under his breath as he stepped forward, joining Kyōraku and Ukitake.
Heads turned toward him. Surprise flickered in their eyes when they noticed he had come alone.
"Ah, Shiraha," Kyōraku asked lightly, though his gaze was sharp, "what about Komamura? Why are you the only one here?"
"Vice-Captain Komamura left with Captain Tōsen to handle other matters," Shiraha answered evenly.
"Tōsen…" Kyōraku repeated softly, a faint crease in his brow, though he said nothing more.
Before further questions could rise, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed across the stone. Four white-clad guards appeared, escorting a slim figure in a pure white prisoner's robe.
Rukia walked with her head bowed, each step heavy with inevitability. The silence of the captains followed her as she was led onto the raised platform beneath the towering Sōkyoku.
The execution was moments away.
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