Seireitei, Second Division, in Kisuke's lounge.
The mood wasn't great.
For Kisuke, lending Mayuri wasn't a problem; even if he loaned him to Higashino Shuuichi, Mayuri's current status meant he could only experiment inside the Maggot's Nest.
So he didn't refuse Shuuichi's not-so-excessive request.
It was the next wave of intel from Shuuichi that stunned him.
The high noble Kasumiooji were secretly developing weapons that defied heaven?
They already had dozens of such blades?
They were still kidnapping Shinigami to perfect them?!
The seriousness went beyond what Kisuke had imagined.
Back then, after sensing something off about Raika (Thunderfire), he'd mentioned it to Yoruichi.
Given the short contact, he'd only judged it a "cursed-ish" sword. Not like he hadn't seen worse—Shunsui's wife's clan, the Ise family, had one nastier than Raika:
The divine blade Hachigyōken.
It curses every man who marries into Nanao's family, dooming them to die young.
By comparison, Raika merely devours its wielder's reiatsu—almost "gentle."
But by Shuuichi's description, Kisuke realized he might have made a grave mistake.
This new class called Bakkōtō actually corrodes the user's soul?!
If the user's reiatsu is lacking, it can even swallow their soul outright.
Good thing he told Yoruichi; she, in turn, told the Captain-Commander, Genryūsai Shigekuni.
Kisuke remembered Yoruichi mentioning one day that the Captain-Commander had found something and warned her to keep an eye on Higashino Shuuichi.
Because of Shuuichi's status and ability, Yoruichi didn't deploy Second Division to tail him—she only shadowed him on occasion herself.
After discovering Shuuichi was working for the Kasumiooji, she mostly stopped following him.
Still, her view of Shuuichi had grown complicated.
She never told Kisuke that part.
All he knew was the Captain-Commander asked Yoruichi to keep watch on Shuuichi.
Was this all part of the Captain-Commander's plan?
Kisuke couldn't tell—but it didn't stop him from taking Shuuichi straight to First Division.
Shuuichi, meanwhile, was baffled. How did the Captain-Commander end up in this?
Were those undercover Shinigami all placed by Genryūsai?
Whatever—there's no getting around Genryūsai in the end.
Kisuke and Yoruichi's circle weren't like Retsu and Shunsui, who prefer to poke around on their own.
Because of their positions, they'd loop in Genryūsai.
As expected, those undercover operatives had been sent by him.
Just as Shuuichi had guessed before—only swap "Kisuke" for "Genryūsai" as the lead.
Genryūsai had started investigating twenty years ago, in secret.
But despite being the strongest Shinigami in history, holding the Gotei's "military" in his hands, he remained blindly loyal to that ridiculous noble order and refused to rip the mask off the Kasumiooji.
Add to that Gyoukaku's harsh internal control—every undercover agent sent in never came back out.
The only possible breakthrough was Higashino Shuuichi; but Genryūsai couldn't read where Shuuichi stood and feared spooking the prey.
So the investigation crawled.
Now, with Shuuichi bringing news of two dead undercover operatives, Kisaragi Qin'yue's mind fully corroded, and the critical physical evidence—Raika—coming in to "defect," Genryūsai was suspicious, but on reflection it seemed plausible.
After all, from Retsu he'd already heard of Shuuichi's sweeping ambition.
"To fight until death"—how many Shinigami could hear that and not feel ashamed?
It was thanks to Retsu's "guarantee" that Genryūsai had allowed Shuuichi to run wild till now.
He'd only asked Yoruichi to keep an eye on him.
But that was all.
With key physical evidence and witnesses in hand, Genryūsai should have had this in the bag.
In reality, he still chose not to order a direct search of the Kasumiooji.
Instead, he sent Yoruichi with Second Division to secretly assault the workshops Shuuichi had exposed as the original Bakkōtō forges.
Just as Masasuke was certain, Genryūsai wanted the classic red-handed capture.
He was doomed to be disappointed.
The raids found nothing.
After that, knowing they'd likely alarmed the Kasumiooji, Genryūsai set up comprehensive "covert" surveillance of the clan.
Yes—still "covert": on the surface, songs and dances, peace and calm.
"That's why I say it—Genryūsai, you've grown old."
When Shuuichi heard, he'd already been laying low in East Rukongai for days, completely outside the blast radius.
If it were the younger Genryūsai, he wouldn't care if the target stood just below the Five Great Noble Houses. He wouldn't need evidence—suspicion alone, and he'd flatten the Kasumiooji.
But the man today wasn't that one. Having lost the will to resist the current order, he was a mountain riddled with holes.
After shooting Gyoukaku a quick reply—"I'm at a critical moment investigating Kenpachi Ward"—Shuuichi sat on a rooftop, watching a silver-haired boy and an orange-haired girl in the distance.
Second Division's raids couldn't possibly be hidden from the Kasumiooji. Right now, both Masasuke and Gyoukaku had to be ants on a hot pot.
The Bakkōtō coming to light was only a matter of time. Either they abandon years of blood and sweat, or they go all in and forge the Bakkōtō wielders into a masterpiece that shocks Soul Society.
Could it be the latter?
"Sōsuke-dono, at this point Gyoukaku will be desperate to drink the 'nectar' you're about to offer, won't he?"
Shuuichi smirked.
"You've made quite the ruckus."
Sōsuke dropped beside him, gaze following Shuuichi's to the two teens in the distance.
He didn't answer directly, but Shuuichi could hear it in his tone—Sōsuke was in a good mood too.
Shuuichi stood, spreading his hands, helpless. "That just shows your subordinate's wits are lacking. Speaking of which, I've watched them for hours. That silver-haired boy takes our target with him everywhere. They're practically inseparable."
"That close?"
Sōsuke folded his hands inside his sleeves and narrowed his eyes.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 20 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[email protected]/Razeil0810