"The Central 46 Chambers have issued an arrest order."
Shimo crushed the sealed directive between his fingers. The parchment disintegrated into fine dust, which he casually dropped into the trash.
Unohana's eyes flickered with amusement but she said nothing.
To most Shinigami, the Central 46 were untouchable—an absolute authority. But in Shimo's eyes, they were little more than paper idols. Unohana, however, shared his sentiment.
She, too, had long since ceased to care for the council's decrees. Monsters of their level didn't need to bow to bureaucrats.
Shimo brushed the dust from his hands.
"I was stationed in the Human World for years to suppress Hollow outbreaks. Strictly speaking, the Hinamori incident falls partly under my responsibility. Therefore, this time, the Central 46 has assigned Captain Aizen Sōsuke and myself to conduct her arrest personally."
Unohana smiled gently.
"Then I'll wait for your safe return, Shimo-kun."
Just then—
Thud!
The office door slid open. Kotetsu Isane, clutching a stack of reports, froze in the doorway. The documents scattered to the floor like snow.
Both turned their eyes toward her.
"I—I didn't hear anything!" Isane stammered, her face flushing bright red. She scrambled to collect the papers, piled them on the desk, and fled the room in a fluster.
Outside, she leaned against the corridor wall, gasping for breath.
"I didn't imagine it this time… My hearing's perfectly fine—I just had it checked this morning."
Her eyes widened as the realization dawned.
"Wait—does that mean… Captain Unohana was serious?!"
A terrifying thought crept into her mind.
...
Back inside, Unohana's serene smile never faltered.
"Lately, Isane seems rather distracted at work. Perhaps it's time she took a short vacation."
---
Fifth Division – Captain's Office
Aizen sat calmly before his subordinate, Kira Izuru, whose posture was perfectly straight but whose trembling hands betrayed his unease.
"Kira," Aizen said gently, "this isn't something I can change. The order comes directly from the Central 46."
Kira bowed his head lower. "I understand, Captain. I… I would never ask you to defy the council. I only beg that when you find Lieutenant Hinamori… please, don't harm her."
Aizen smiled, his tone kind and measured.
"Of course. Momo may have erred, but she is still my lieutenant."
"Thank you, Captain Aizen," Kira murmured, his voice thick with relief.
---
Shimo, meanwhile, had no illusions.
He knew perfectly well the "Central 46's order" was Aizen's forgery.
What puzzled him was why Aizen chose to lead the mission himself—and why he had selected him as his partner.
It wasn't fear that stirred in Shimo, but curiosity.
What exactly was Aizen planning?
---
After finishing his daily duties, Shimo made his way to the Fifth Division headquarters.
Inside the captain's office, Aizen awaited him with his usual polite smile.
"Captain Aizen," Shimo greeted with a brief nod.
"Shimo-kun," Aizen replied warmly, his voice as smooth as ever.
"When do we depart?" Shimo asked, skipping any pleasantries.
Aizen blinked once before replying with his trademark composure.
"No need to rush. The Research Bureau has already pinpointed Hinamori's location. We'll head to the Human World at dusk."
Shimo inclined his head. "As you command, Captain. I'm ready whenever you are."
The conversation paused for a moment. Then Aizen adjusted his glasses, his tone turning thoughtful.
"Shimo-kun, may I ask your opinion on something?"
"Go ahead."
"What do you think of this decree from the Central 46?"
Shimo's eyes remained steady. "Naturally, I intend to carry it out."
"The Central 46's orders," he added lightly, "aren't something a Gotei officer can openly defy, after all."
Aizen's expression faltered for half a second before the smile returned.
That answer was… typical of Shimo—obedient on the surface, unreadable beneath.
Even now, Aizen couldn't quite see through him.
"You're right," Aizen said quietly, turning his gaze toward the window. The last rays of sunlight bled across the sky.
"Time flies so quickly, doesn't it?"
He rose, smoothing his haori.
"Come. Let's report to the Head-Captain and depart."
"As you wish, Captain Aizen."
---
Their briefing with Yamamoto Genryūsai was brief and formal. The Captain-Commander seemed unsurprised by their request to enter the Human World.
When the sun finally dipped beyond the horizon, a single Hell Butterfly guided them to the Senkaimon. The gate opened, bathing the chamber in pale light.
---
Human World — Karakura Town
In the haze of city lights, the stars were almost invisible.
A simple doorway shimmered open in the sky, and two figures stepped through.
Aizen and Shimo landed lightly, their feet supported by threads of condensed reishi.
"The Research Bureau has confirmed Hinamori's location," Aizen said softly. "We'll proceed directly."
Shimo nodded once, and both vanished in a blur of shunpō.
---
Elsewhere, not far from Kurosaki Clinic, a lone figure walked the quiet streets.
Hinamori Momo.
Since losing her spiritual power, she had lived within an artificial body. No matter how much time passed, her reiryoku refused to return.
Every night she prayed for recovery — not for herself, but so she could stand beside her captain once more.
Then she felt it — a faint but familiar spiritual pressure behind her.
Her steps froze. Slowly, she turned.
"S–Shimo-kun…?"
Shimo smiled gently. "Found you, Hinamori."
Her lips trembled as she tried to respond. "Shimo-kun, I can expl—"
Her words died as a second wave of spiritual energy descended — powerful, refined, unmistakable.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as another figure appeared behind Shimo.
"C–Captain Aizen…?!"
Joy flooded her face.
She had dreamed of this moment — to see her captain again, safe and composed.
She took a step forward, but the overwhelming pressure that followed made her body lock in place.
Aizen's calm smile was gone. His voice was quiet, almost cold.
"I'm sorry, Hinamori. I've come to return you to Soul Society — as a criminal."
Her heart stopped.
The man before her — the one she had idolized — now looked at her as though she were a stranger.
Her world shattered.
Aizen's tone carried no emotion. "Your actions have violated Soul Society's laws. You'll be judged upon return."
She opened her mouth to protest, but her voice broke. The disappointment in Aizen's eyes pierced deeper than any blade.
"Shimo-kun," Aizen said evenly, "prepare the Senkaimon."
Shimo sighed softly and drew his Zanpakutō, ready to open the gate.
But before the Kidō seal could form, a blue streak of light shot across the street.
Ting!
Shimo raised a finger, dispersing the spirit arrow into particles of reishi.
From under the streetlight, a young man in a school uniform stepped forward — Ishida Uryū.
Bandages wrapped his hands; his bow, Seele Schneider, glowed with pale energy.
"Two men with weapons ganging up on an unarmed girl?" he said coolly. "That doesn't sit well with me."
He lifted his bow. "I don't like your kind."
Before Shimo could reply, Aizen spoke.
"And you are?"
"Ishida Uryū," he answered, pushing his glasses up. "Her friend — and someone who despises Shinigami."
Aizen glanced down at Hinamori, still trembling on the pavement. "It seems you've made some loyal companions, Hinamori."
Then, to Shimo: "I'll leave this to you. I'll take Hinamori back myself."
Shimo blinked. "You're in a hurry, Captain?"
Aizen's smile returned — faint, courteous.
"I only wish to report to the Central 46 quickly… and perhaps plead for leniency on her behalf."
Hinamori's eyes brightened at those words, fragile hope flickering anew.
"In that case," Shimo said, stepping forward and turning his back to them, "I'll handle this one. Go ahead, Captain."
Aizen nodded, helping Hinamori to her feet before opening the Senkaimon.
"Wait! What are you doing?!" Ishida shouted, drawing his bow again.
But before he could fire, Shimo's voice cut through the air.
"Who gave you permission to draw?"
The moment he spoke, a crushing wave of spiritual pressure descended.
The air itself warped. The spirit particles surrounding Ishida collapsed under the weight. His bow dimmed, his knees trembled, and the street cracked beneath him.
He couldn't breathe. Couldn't even think.
The sheer force of Shimo's spiritual pressure pinned him like a puppet with its strings cut.
"Such overwhelming pressure… I can't even lift my arm…"
He collapsed to his knees, then to the ground, unconscious before he hit the pavement.
Shimo exhaled quietly. "Perhaps that was a bit much. Ah well… Ryūken won't take it personally."
But as he glanced toward the closing Senkaimon, his eyes hardened.
"So that's how you play your game, Aizen… give her hope, only to drag her deeper into despair."
He shook his head, almost amused. "As expected of you."
Then—
Boom!
A surge of raw spiritual pressure split the street. A massive slash gouged the pavement beside Ishida's fallen body.
Shimo turned, sighing.
"My, my… the youth these days really do have temper issues."
A tall teenager stood a few meters away, clutching an oversized Zanpakutō — rough, unrefined, yet blazing with will.
Kurosaki Ichigo.
"Hey!" Ichigo shouted, glaring at him.
"What the hell did you do to Uryū?!"
---------------------------///
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