Play the Game Seriously
Bai Shi didn't reveal his specific plan—it was still too early. For now, the focus was simple: have fun.
He believed happiness was never complicated. It meant doing what you liked, immersing yourself in the moment, regardless of how trivial or childish others might think it.
He bought tickets, and the two of them stepped into Machi Amusement Park. His first target: the roller coaster.
The steel track curved and looped in dizzying arcs. Even watching from the ground was thrilling. Bai Shi claimed the front row without hesitation.
Soi Fon sat beside him, her expression calm and unshaken. She had faced life-or-death battles countless times; what was a toy ride compared to that?
The coaster began its slow climb, then plunged suddenly into a vertical drop.
"Ahhh!"
Soi Fon's scream rang out, sharp and involuntary. The black cat perched on her lap twitched an ear and glanced at her. At the same time, Bai Shi's hand pinched the soft flesh of her waist mercilessly.
Her artificial gigai, crafted by Kisuke Urahara's shop, was top-grade—over 90% synchronized with her spirit body. That also meant pain transferred perfectly.
By the time the coaster screeched to a stop, passengers were laughing and recounting their thrills. Bai Shi stretched with satisfaction.
"Yeah… that was fun."
Soi Fon's face darkened. She punched his arm lightly. "Why do you keep pinching me? My waist is purple!"
He pulled up his shirt, showing the bruise proudly. "Because you always keep that frozen mask. In Soul Society, fine. But on a date? It ruins the mood. Smile a little, or I'll lose my fun."
She rolled her eyes, then—surprising even herself—let a small, sweet smile break through. "Like this?"
"Perfect. Next stop: haunted house."
---
The haunted house was a crumbling building painted blood-red, its walls covered in grotesque patterns. Only four visitors were allowed in at a time.
Inside, shadows swallowed everything, broken only by the occasional sickly green glow.
Bai Shi shrank behind Soi Fon, clutching her arm. "You know, in human terms, we're the ghosts. Why are we even here?"
She gave him a look. "And you're afraid?"
"Humans are scarier than ghosts," he whispered, trembling.
A cold gust brushed his neck. Slowly, he turned—and froze.
A corpse-like specter dangled upside down, pale cheeks lit faintly, eyes bulging grotesquely, tongue draped across its nose.
The eyeballs twitched.
"Ahhh!" Bai Shi bolted forward. Around the next corner, a blood-soaked phantom lurched into view.
"Ahhh!"
His shrieks echoed through the dark halls.
By the time they stumbled out into sunlight, Bai Shi was wrapped around Soi Fon like a koala, shaking uncontrollably. The closeness would have embarrassed her under normal circumstances, but here it was forgivable. After all, even strong men clung to someone when terrified.
And in her heart, she felt smug. I never screamed once.
"There was nothing scary in there," she said coolly.
Bai Shi quickly straightened, pretending composure. "Right. Next stop, the pendulum ride."
"Fine," Soi Fon agreed.
From morning until nearly four in the afternoon, Bai Shi dragged her through every attraction, exhausting the park's offerings. Only then, satisfied, did he finally begin to implement his plan.
---
"When I watched movies back then," Bai Shi said, adjusting the straps of a newly bought backpack, "I always had this urge. I wanted to try something reckless—illegal, even. But alive, I never dared. Now…" He patted the pack, filled with a hammer and fire axe—tools borrowed, rather forcibly, from a rich kid in a luxury car. "Now's my chance to satisfy a regret."
Soi Fon eyed him sharply. "What exactly do you intend to do?"
"Ride the Ferris wheel and watch fireworks."
"That requires kidnapping a tycoon."
Her frown deepened. "The Gotei 13 forbids interfering with humans to this extent."
"I'm not a Shinigami," Bai Shi shot back. "Worst case, just let me handle it."
"Fine. But no killing."
"Relax. I only want to scare him—and get my name in the media."
He grinned. A tiger leaves its pelt; a man leaves his name.
In life, he had dreamed of being famous—hundreds of thousands of fans, a game-streaming career, millions of followers. Reality had denied him even double digits.
But now? He had power. If he couldn't achieve it in life, he'd carve his name into the living world in death. Someday, perhaps, his name would be listed among the strangest criminals in Karakura's history. Or better yet, when he grew strong enough to return, he'd write his own biography.
The thought made his lips curl in anticipation.
His preparations ended at a newsstand. Flipping through a financial magazine, he struck up a casual conversation with the owner, fishing for information.
One name kept surfacing: Taii Group.
From agriculture to minerals, raw goods to consumer products, Taii's subsidiaries controlled vast networks of production, trade, and logistics. The conglomerate hid its core behind layers of front companies, quietly expanding its empire for profit.
Its headquarters rose like a dark pillar in Karakura Honmachi—the tallest building in town.
At the top sat Taii Hideo, a man of discipline and caution. His daily life was shielded by forty bodyguards, all licensed, all trained to the standard of elite martial artists. Eighty more rotated between protection and training, drilled with a rigor close to the U.S. Marines.
No one who had targeted him had ever walked away unscathed.
That day, as usual, Taii descended to his underground garage, flanked by his guards. The elevator doors slid open—
—and revealed the twenty men assigned to guard his car lying unconscious on the floor.
"Quick! Close the door!" he barked.