Shiki Mirai maintained his flawless smile as he gently rotated his wrist, refilling his cup with a smooth motion.
The clear liquid rippled in the glass, reflecting a composed, almost serene expression.
"Killer?" He let out a chuckle, downed the entire cup in one go, and with a casual tone tinged with amusement, replied:
"Of course there is. If Meteor Street didn't have at least a few of its 'specialties,' the story would be terribly dull, wouldn't it?"
"Ooooh~ How scary~" Kyōraku Shunsui responded in his signature drawl, even shrinking his shoulders slightly in mock fear.
But in his eyes—there was a faint shadow.
"Tch." Hirako Shinji drained his own cup, then slammed it onto the table with a thud, his dead-fish stare fixed firmly on Shiki.
"Cut the crap. The way you wrote 'Meteor Street'—so detailed, so bleak, so brutal… If that's not based on the 80th district, Zaraki, then I don't know what is."
He grabbed the wine jar again—this time, not only refilling his own cup but, "generously," filling Shiki's as well.
The gesture looked casual… but the pressure was real.
"When'd you sneak off to a hellhole like Zaraki District, huh?"
His tilted head and casual tone sounded like idle curiosity, but his eyes were clearly saying, Fess up.
Still smiling, Shiki raised the cup Shinji had filled for him and replied with feigned innocence:
"Come on, Shinji-nii, you give me too much credit. I've been in Soul Society for what—decades? I haven't wandered beyond Kofuzan in District 3.
Zaraki? Just hearing the name makes me feel like my Reishi's being tainted by the miasma over there. No way I've ever been."
"Oh? That's curious~" Kyōraku finally lifted the cup he'd been caressing for so long and raised it for a toast.
"If you've never been… how'd you capture Zaraki's 'atmosphere' so perfectly? That iron-rust smell in the air, even the Reishi feels corroded—hard to get that right from imagination alone."
Clink. The three cups met with a crisp chime.
Shiki took the first drink, downing it with satisfaction and exhaling in delight.
"Haah! Honestly, most of it's just bits and pieces I picked up from Academy lectures and old Division files. As for the rest…"
He set his cup down and flashed a modestly proud smile.
"Imagination, of course. I distilled all the rumors of 'evil' I could find, refined them, dramatized them a little.
After all, evil's pretty universal—plunder, murder, survival of the fittest… it's always the same old tricks. Different faces, same core."
He said it like it was the most natural truth in the world.
"Can't argue that," Shinji grunted, grabbing a bit of food with his chopsticks.
"People like that are all the same. Either they're scheming how to kill others or worrying how not to be killed."
"Right, right," Kyōraku nodded along, lazily returning to his usual half-lidded eyes.
"I was starting to think you really had some kind of 'fateful encounter' in Zaraki and met this killer of yours~ What a letdown."
As he spoke, an image floated into his mind—one of a certain gentle, ever-smiling senior.
If she got the wrong idea…
Shiki might be in serious trouble.
Of course, Kyōraku Shunsui had no intention of getting involved in anything so… flammable.
Shinji, unaware of the precise image Shunsui was conjuring, nevertheless played the perfect partner, instinctively matching every jab with practiced ease.
"Speaking of which," Shinji suddenly pointed a chopstick at Shiki, "if this book gets into the hands of those battle maniacs in the 11th Division…
I'll bet anything Kuryashiki will rally his squad and charge straight into Zaraki to hunt down your 'killer' for a duel."
"Exactly~" Kyōraku chimed in with a grin, eyes gleaming with delight.
"Captain Kuryashiki is very direct like that. To him, a strong opponent is far more tempting than a fine vintage."
"Eh?!"
Shiki's smile froze on his face.
"Y-You mean… 11th Division Captain Kuryashiki Kenpachi?"
His voice turned dry. "Why would he go to Zaraki?!"
Kyōraku explained with that same cheerful tone:
"Because your writing was too vivid. Sure, to ordinary people, 'The Killer' is terrifying. But to the 11th Division, who worship power and live for battle?
He's like a lighthouse in the dark—shining and irresistible."
He twirled his fingers before adding:
"Even if they don't find your 'Yachino,' Zaraki's still the birthplace of countless 'big bads.'
For the 11th Division, it's like a treasure hunt. They always come back with a few fine 'local specialties' for the squad."
"Exactly," Shinji added, mouth full, "Wouldn't be surprised if they come back and open up a few new sub-squads afterward."
"O-oh! I see… That's how it is…" Shiki nodded stiffly, trying to get his expression under control.
Shit. I forgot about that bunch. You can't use logic on the 11th Division psychos!
Right now, there really was a killer in Zaraki.
The very one who drove Yachino to study medicine—that monster.
But… in his current self-restricted state, surely he wouldn't go full rampage and kill Kuryashiki Kenpachi… right?
Wait! Kuryashiki's Bankai—Gagaku Kairō—that technique is banned from use within Seireitei by Central 46!
But Zaraki isn't under that jurisdiction… If he goes all-out there…
Would Kuryashiki actually use his Bankai and kill that monster prematurely?!
Hiss—!
Shiki sucked in a cold breath.
Without a word, he snatched up the wine jar and downed two more cups of Spiritual Intoxication in a row.
"Hmm? Shiki-kun, you're looking a little pale there," Kyōraku leaned in with feigned concern, voice gentle as silk.
"One mustn't drink too fast, you know~ Did something cross your mind? Feel free to share, maybe your two big bros here can offer some 'insight'?"
"N-nothing at all!" Shiki forced a crooked smile.
"Just realized that Captain Kuryashiki really is a… bold, decisive, remarkably action-oriented man! Truly admirable!"
He quickly picked up the wine jar and refilled both captains' cups in an attempt to shift the topic:
"Come on, now! Enough gloomy talk. With fine food and drink before us, how can we not indulge? Let's eat, drink, and be merry—no regrets tonight!"
Please… let Captain Kuryashiki be lucky enough not to actually find the real 'Killer' in Zaraki.
Shiki silently prayed, then drained his cup once more.