Katori Nanatsuki arrived at the Fourth Division.
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he ran into Hoshino Rie.
When Nanatsuki saw her, she was sweeping the courtyard.
"Rie, is it your turn for duty today?" Nanatsuki asked with a soft chuckle.
"Sensei!" Hoshino Rie was both surprised and delighted to see him.
"Is Captain Unohana here?" Nanatsuki asked. "I have something I need to discuss with her."
"You're here to see the Captain?" Hoshino Rie shook her head. "But she's not here right now. She received a mission and already left."
"A mission?" Nanatsuki caught her choice of words. "Do you know what happened?"
There weren't many assignments that required Unohana Retsu to personally intervene.
Normally, if any Shinigami needed treatment, they'd come to the Fourth Division. It was rare for Unohana to leave on her own initiative.
"I'm not sure either. The Captain didn't take anyone with her. Vice-Captain Sasakibe visited, and she left with him afterward." Hoshino Rie shook her head.
"Then I'll wait here for her in the meantime. Might as well check what you've been learning lately," Nanatsuki said warmly.
"Huh?" Hoshino Rie hadn't expected a surprise inspection. Panic instantly rose in her chest.
After stepping down, former Seventh Division Captain Nobutsuna Shigyō had moved out of the Seireitei to rest at his family home.
Known for his quiet nature, Shigyō was rarely disturbed in retirement—only occasionally visited by former subordinates.
But today was very different. The grounds around his estate were filled with Shinigami.
Kyōraku Shunsui saw Sasakibe Chōjirō arrive with Unohana Retsu and hurried forward.
"Captain Unohana, you're finally here!"
Unohana asked, "Has your Intelligence Squad found anything?"
"Still no sign of Captain Shigyō's whereabouts." Kyōraku shook his head gravely. "The situation doesn't look good. If he were still able to move, he shouldn't be completely untraceable. Either he's trapped somewhere unknown… or he's already… been killed."
Earlier that day, the Seventh Division's Vice-Captain came to visit Nobutsuna Shigyō—only to find him missing. All that remained inside was a pool of blood. Clearly, something had happened.
The disappearance of a former captain was no small matter, and the vice-captain immediately reported it.
However, Kyōraku and the Intelligence Squad hadn't been able to find any leads. They had no choice but to seek help from other divisions.
"There's blood inside. Please, come take a look," Kyōraku said, leading Unohana to the spot where it had been discovered.
The bloodstains were found in the bedroom—the bed soaked red.
"A large amount of blood, but no signs of struggle…" Unohana furrowed her brow.
Although Shigyō's strength had greatly declined, he shouldn't have been completely defenseless.
Judging by the blood pattern and the untouched surroundings, he likely didn't resist at all.
Unohana noticed a teacup on the nearby table. It was empty but had faint water marks left behind.
She picked it up and gave it a sniff. Her expression subtly changed.
"There are traces of some kind of drug in the tea."
After analyzing further, she added, "Preliminary judgment—some kind of powerful sedative."
Kyōraku speculated, "So… the Captain was drugged first, then attacked?"
"That's very likely." Unohana nodded. "It would explain the state of the blood and lack of resistance. He was likely incapacitated before the attack."
"But it's not like just anyone could drug Captain Shigyō," Kyōraku frowned. "He's not that careless. Could it have been someone he knew?"
"Then we'll have to start by investigating people close to him." Kyōraku glanced at the Shinigami nearby. "I've already sent someone to notify Captain Hikifune. She'll be coming shortly to analyze the residual reiatsu in this area."
"By the way, Captain Unohana—how easy is it to get that kind of sedative?"
Unohana thought for a moment. "It's not commonly found. Only three places could have it—Fourth Division, Twelfth Division, and the Shinō Kaido Department."
"That narrows it down quite a bit," Kyōraku murmured, rubbing his chin.
Soon after, Hikifune Kirio arrived with two assistants in white coats.
"Kirio, I found traces of a drug in the tea. It's likely someone familiar to the victim. Can you scan the room for residual reiatsu?" Unohana requested.
Hikifune nodded and turned to her subordinates. "Kisuke, Kazushu, did you bring the equipment? Scan the room thoroughly."
"Yes, ma'am!" Urahara Kisuke and a frog-faced man responded.
They began scanning for residual spiritual pressure.
Hikifune turned to Kyōraku. "Has the Intelligence Squad found any clues elsewhere?"
Kyōraku shook his head. "We searched the entire area but found nothing. This was probably premeditated."
Urahara Kisuke and Kazushu moved carefully through the room, using equipment to collect trace spiritual energy. The residual reiatsu was too faint to be sensed normally—it had to be scanned with specialized tools.
Once spiritual traces were identified, they'd be compared to entries in the spiritual pressure database. If there was a match, the Shinigami behind the residue could be identified.
Kazushu scanned the bed. When he moved to the bloodstains, he paused slightly.
"Kazushu, did you find something?" Urahara Kisuke leaned over.
"Well… the amount of blood is massive. Could it be that the Captain is already… dead?" Kazushu muttered.
"Most likely, yeah. He probably even got decapitated." Urahara Kisuke analyzed the direction and flow of the blood on the pillow and sheets.
"Hm?" Something caught his eye. Among the blood, faint black marks could be seen—but the blood had soaked them, making them hard to discern.
Urahara pulled out a solution and poured it over the stains. As the liquid touched the blood, the color faded, revealing marks beneath.
"Captain, I found writing in the blood. It might've been left by Captain Shigyō!" Urahara announced.
Everyone gathered around and saw words etched with reiatsu on the bed—one name:
Asayu Tetsuya.
Kyōraku's gaze sharpened. He turned to the Seventh Division's Vice-Captain standing nearby. "Vice-Captain Asayu, is there something you're not telling us?"
Everyone turned to look at him.
Because the newly appointed Vice-Captain of the Seventh… was Asayu Tetsuya.
He had previously served as the Third Seat of the Seventh Division. After his brother, Asayu Mitsuya, died in the World of the Living, he'd been promoted.
At that moment, Kazushu added, "Captain, I detected Vice-Captain Asayu's reiatsu on the teacup as well."
"It wasn't me!" Asayu Tetsuya took several steps back, trembling. "Why would I ever hurt Captain Shigyō?!"