4th Division Headquarters.
The atmosphere here was a stark contrast to the 11th Division, where shouting and the clash of blades could be heard from blocks away. In the 4th, it was… too quiet.
A faint herbal scent lingered in the air, mingling with the crisp smell of sun-dried bedding.
The corridors were bright and spotless. Occasionally, a few squad members passed by in their Shihakushō, walking on tiptoe and speaking in hushed tones.
Then came Kuruyashiki Kenpachi and Ashido—two towering figures who, just by standing at the entrance, disrupted the entire aesthetic.
One boisterous and loud, the other as silent as a stone—neither fit in at all.
"Oh my, it's Captain Kuruyashiki from the 11th Division! And Lieutenant Ashido!"
A man quickly approached—Yamada Seinosuke, the 4th Division's lieutenant. His tone was respectful. "What brings you both to the 4th today?"
"Oh!!" Kuruyashiki's voice boomed as he slapped a hand to his chest with a resounding thump.
"Just here for a checkup! Wanted to see if anything's wrong with me!"
Yamada Seinosuke waved his hands quickly. "Captain Kuruyashiki, you overestimate me. With your level of Reiatsu, my Kaidō can't even penetrate your spiritual body."
He was being honest. A captain's Reiatsu was like an iron wall to ordinary Shinigami—attempting to probe it by force might even result in backlash injuries.
"Please wait a moment, I'll go fetch Captain Unohana immediately!"
He bowed slightly to the two, then jogged deeper into the division quarters, his back looking hurried.
Kuruyashiki scratched his head and casually found a bench to sit on, while Ashido remained standing quietly by his side.
Before long, soft footsteps echoed from the corridor.
A figure appeared at the far end, slowly making her way forward.
She wore a captain's haori over her Shihakushō. Her long black hair hung gently down her back, her steps calm and graceful, and her face bore a gentle smile that put others at ease.
Unohana Retsu, Captain of the 4th Division.
"Captain Kuruyashiki, Lieutenant Ashido. Welcome."
Her voice was soft, as warm as spring water melting in the sun. "Please, have a seat."
She gestured for Kuruyashiki to remain seated and sat gracefully on the bench opposite him.
A gentle green aura of Kaidō radiated from her, not blinding, but carrying a warmth unique to life itself.
She looked at Kuruyashiki with a smile. "Are you experiencing discomfort somewhere, Captain Kuruyashiki? Please, do tell."
Kuruyashiki scratched his head again, a little embarrassed, then took a moment to organize his words. He briefly recounted their recent trip to the Zaraki District.
He focused on that chilling sensation that had run up his spine the moment he first laid eyes on the youth there—and the overwhelming sense of dissonance he felt after felling him with a single strike.
"Something just felt… wrong," he summarized, brows furrowed. "My instincts don't usually fail me, especially about an opponent's strength. But this time… I was way off."
Throughout his story, Unohana listened with her usual warmth, her green Kaidō aura enveloping him steadily as she performed a detailed spiritual scan.
Yet when she heard the words Zaraki District, black-haired youth, and sparked my fighting spirit—
Her fingers, which had been gently guiding Kaidō into his body for examination, paused—just for a brief moment.
And with it, the stable, serene green glow flickered subtly.
Still, her smile didn't waver in the slightest. Her voice remained as soft as ever, as if she were merely confirming a detail:
"Captain Kuruyashiki… did you kill the youth?"
"Huh? No, no!" Kuruyashiki waved his hands quickly, his movements large and animated.
"I was riled up and hit him pretty hard—cut pretty deep. But luckily Ashido reacted fast and stopped the bleeding. Shouldn't be fatal."
He paused, then added, "And by law, we're not supposed to kill those kinds of 'major criminals' in Rukongai without due process anyway."
"I see." Unohana nodded lightly. Her Kaidō stabilized once more, the green light growing denser and more refined.
The healing aura seemed to come alive, delicately weaving through Kuruyashiki's meridians and Reishi like water, inspecting every part of him for inconsistencies.
At that moment, Yamada Seinosuke, who had been standing nearby, couldn't help his curiosity. He asked in a small voice:
"Captain Kuruyashiki, what made you suddenly want to visit the Zaraki District? It's… not the safest place."
He recalled a certain book he'd read recently and instinctively shrank his neck a little.
Ashido glanced at his captain, saw that he had no intention of explaining, and calmly stepped in:
"It was because of The Killer of Meteor City. After reading it, Captain became curious about the characters in the story and wanted to investigate in person."
"The Killer?!" Yamada's voice jumped slightly, and a trace of lingering dread flashed across his face. "Th-that 'killer' described in the book was just… horrifying."
He patted his chest to calm down, then frowned in slight confusion.
"But wait… wasn't the killer in the story a woman?"
"Hm?" Kuruyashiki and Ashido turned their heads toward him in unison.
Under the stares of the two high-ranking warriors, Yamada grew a little nervous, but still pointed to his own head confidently.
"Didn't the poem at the end carry a signature? Yachino Unaharu—isn't that clearly a woman's name? It has to be a female warrior who wrote that."
"...Huh?" Kuruyashiki blinked, then suddenly burst out laughing as if he'd just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
"No way! You're overthinking it! That kind of raw brutality and overwhelming power in the story—that kind of pressure? No way a woman could have written or embodied that! Impossible!"
He laughed freely, speaking without restraint.
But before the laughter had even faded—
A sharp, bone-chilling cold surged up his spine with no warning, racing like lightning up to the crown of his head!
Simultaneously, a piercing pain struck the side of his neck.
It wasn't killing intent—no, this was deeper, quieter, a terrifying pressure that felt like it could freeze his soul, pressing tangibly against his vital point.
A voice, soft and gentle, almost playful, sounded just behind him:
"Captain Kuruyashiki…"
Unohana Retsu had, at some unknown point, moved to stand right behind his seat. She leaned down slightly, her whisper like a breeze against his ear.
"Do you… have a problem with women?"
Whatever was pressing against his neck added the slightest pressure.
Every hair on Kuruyashiki's body stood on end.
His grin froze in place. Even his muscles began to stiffen.
Not fear—but the body's pure instinctive reaction to imminent danger.
He could even feel his Zanpakutō humming faintly in its sheath.
"N-No! Of course not!" He replied instantly, with reflexive speed.
"I was wrong! That killer must be an unbelievably powerful woman! Without a doubt!"
The pressure on his neck disappeared.
Unohana straightened and walked calmly back to her seat, her expression as gentle as ever—almost as if that spine-chilling moment had never happened.
She clapped her hands lightly. "Mm. The exam is complete. Captain Kuruyashiki's body is in excellent health. Reiatsu is stable. No abnormalities."
She paused in thought, then offered a calm diagnosis:
"Perhaps it's just that you haven't visited a place like the Zaraki District in some time. The unique atmosphere may have caused a slight 'stress response.' Nothing serious."
Kuruyashiki exhaled in relief and rolled his stiff shoulders.
Unohana continued to smile, her tone light:
"As for whether the 'killer' in that book is male or female—that question is actually very easy to solve."
She turned her gaze to Ashido. "Lieutenant Ashido, you said earlier that it was The Killer that inspired your trip to the Zaraki District, correct? Then, why not go ask the author of the book directly?"
Kuruyashiki's eyes lit up instantly. Of course!
He leapt to his feet with a shout: "Ashido! Let's go! To the 9th Division!"
"Please wait, Captain Kuruyashiki," Unohana said gently.
He turned back.
She also stood slowly, smoothing her sleeves, a touch of polite curiosity softening her already warm smile.
"As it happens, I have a few literary questions of my own I'd like to discuss with this 'Master Shika' myself."
"Why don't we pay him a visit—together?"
...