"What…?"
"You're telling me… you actually have a way to cure this body of mine?!"
The moment he heard Bai Chen say it—and saw the seriousness on his face—Jūshirō Ukitake froze.
His first instinct was disbelief.
But the instant he thought of the true root of his "illness," the light in his eyes dimmed again.
Cure him?
That was impossible.
If it were an ordinary disease, Ukitake would've exhausted every method long ago. He would've found the best healers, the rarest medicine, the deepest Kidō.
But this wasn't "sickness."
This was the price of a miracle.
When Ukitake was three, he had been struck by a fatal illness and was already at death's door.
In desperation, his parents carried the child to a certain shrine—
a shrine dedicated to a mysterious deity known as the One-Eyed Great God.
There, in exchange for taking his lungs…
that "god" granted him life.
And not only life.
It granted him a power tied to the Soul King himself—
a force capable of acting as a substitute.
From that day onward, Ukitake lived.
But because his lungs were gone, his body became weak, fragile, constantly coughing—centuries of sickness that never truly eased.
Even in the original flow of fate, he never once displayed his full strength before the very end.
So even though Ukitake was grateful for Bai Chen's concern…
he still forced a gentle smile and refused, as tactfully as he could.
"Bai Chen… forget it."
"Your kindness is enough. I appreciate it."
"My condition… isn't something that can be healed."
He thought that would end it.
But Bai Chen simply looked at him—calm, unshaken.
His gaze lowered, lingering on Ukitake's chest, and he said meaningfully:
"You misunderstood."
"What I mean by 'healing' isn't ordinary treatment."
"It's… expulsion."
Ukitake's breath stopped.
Bai Chen's voice remained steady.
"Even if you agreed, the being inside you would likely oppose it."
"That deity you call the One-Eyed Great God…"
"—the legendary Mimihagi."
The words hit Ukitake like a bomb.
"…W-What?!"
"Bai Chen… you… you know about Mimihagi?!"
Ukitake's expression snapped from pale to flushed in an instant—his blood surging from shock.
That secret had accompanied him for an entire lifetime.
He had never told anyone.
And now it was being spoken aloud—so casually—from Bai Chen's mouth.
Then his mind caught up.
Bai Chen had just visited the Great Spiritual Library Corridor.
If anyone could dig out buried truths from the depths of Soul Society…
it would be someone who had stepped into that forbidden archive.
Beside them, Shiba Kaien was completely stunned.
"'Mimihagi'…?"
"The One-Eyed Great God…?"
He'd never even heard the name before.
Bai Chen smiled faintly.
"Captain Ukitake, we've already come this far."
"If you trust me…"
"Then stop carrying it alone and tell us the full truth."
Bai Chen hadn't brought up "healing" on a whim.
In fact, long ago—back on the day he chose which squad to join—
he had selected the Thirteenth Division for one reason above all:
the Soul King's right arm.
He hadn't spoken then because the timing wasn't right.
But now?
The opportunity was right in front of him.
As he said—
this was healing… and also expulsion.
Meaning that during the process, he would inevitably clash with the will of the Soul King's right arm.
In the past, Bai Chen might not have had complete confidence.
But now?
He had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
And with spiritual power, he could now use genjutsu.
Bai Chen had absolute certainty that in a battle of pressure and will, he could use that ocular power to confuse, suppress—perhaps even temporarily control—Mimihagi's intent.
And when that moment came…
Even if he couldn't seize that power entirely—
taking even a portion of the Soul King's force would be enough to wash his soul, reshape his foundation, and push him toward forging an Ōken.
Ukitake fell silent.
In the past, no matter who asked, no matter when—
he would never have revealed the truth of Mimihagi.
But when he met Bai Chen's eyes now…
and thought of the "impossible" miracles that had already happened around this young man…
and felt the sincerity in Bai Chen's gaze…
Ukitake finally made his decision.
"Bai…"
"As you said…"
"I believe you."
"And I believe you truly can do it."
His eyes were complex—hope and fear tangled together.
"So even if the process may offend Lord Mimihagi…"
"For the sake of ending this once and for all…"
"I'll gamble."
Then, right there—before Bai Chen and Kaien—
Ukitake told them everything.
His childhood.
His death.
The shrine.
The bargain.
And the true identity of the "One-Eyed Great God" that lived within him—
Mimihagi, the Soul King's right arm.
When he finished, Kaien sat there as if struck by lightning.
"Captain…"
"Even hearing it from your own mouth… I still can't believe it."
Kaien's expression was heavy, shaken to the core.
As the current head of the Shiba clan, Kaien had long known the Soul King existed.
But in his imagination, the Soul King was supposed to be holy, complete, perfect.
So how could a part of the Soul King—
a right arm—
be separated, fall into the world, and end up in the slums of the Rukongai thousands of years ago?
Just thinking about it made his scalp prickle.
Ukitake exhaled quietly.
"I've asked myself the same thing for a long time."
"I suspect it has something to do with the ancestors of the Five Great Noble Houses…"
"But that's ancient history."
"And not what matters right now."
What mattered was the present—
and what would happen once Mimihagi reacted.
Bai Chen asked carefully, "There's a suitable hidden place in the Thirteenth Division, right?"
Bai Chen remembered that every squad compound had a sealed, old training hall built with Sekkiseki (spirit-pressure-blocking stone), often layered with Kidō barriers to isolate spiritual fluctuations.
If Mimihagi's will descended and things exploded—
they couldn't let the disturbance spread and shake the Seireitei.
Ukitake nodded and stood.
"Of course."
"Come."
"We'll go to the deepest part of the squad compound."
"There's an old sealed hall there…"
"It's the best place. No one outside will notice anything."
Thirteenth Division — Sealed Hall
The ancient hall was massive and completely enclosed.
Walls of Sekkiseki rose high on all sides, and Kidō barriers were embedded into them like veins.
Only air circulated.
No spiritual ripple could escape.
At the center of the hall, a ten-layer Kidō barrier stood like a white tower.
Inside it sat Ukitake.
Bai Chen stood behind him, the fiery fan strapped across his back—yet in his hand, he held his Zanpakutō:
Mokuryū.
The tension in the room thickened instantly, pressing down on everyone's chest.
Outside the barrier, Kotetsu Kiyone looked pale with worry.
"Is this really going to be okay…?"
"I don't know why, but it feels… dangerous."
Kiyone was here because Ukitake had personally called her.
Along with her, Kaien was present…
and Kaien's companion as well.
Ukitake had gathered the people he trusted most.
If something unexpected happened—
if Kaien alone couldn't handle it—
they needed backup.
Kaien placed a steady hand on Kiyone's shoulder.
"Trust the Captain."
"And trust Bai Chen."
"My instincts say… after this…"
"Captain Ukitake will be cured."
"And once his lungs are restored and his weakness is gone…"
"He'll finally return to his true peak."
While Kaien spoke, the two inside the barrier began the final preparations.
Bai Chen's expression was solemn.
"Captain Ukitake…"
"Please remove your upper uniform and haori."
Ukitake didn't hesitate.
"…I'm counting on you."
He repeated a few quiet reminders, then reached up and untied the cords.
Shhk—
The cloth slid down.
And Ukitake's back—fully exposed—made everyone's breath catch.
There, centered between his shoulder blades, was something unmistakable:
A massive, glaring mark—
like a black shadow, like ink that refused to fade—
like an eye.
A single, pitch-black eye-shaped presence—
as if something inside him was about to awaken.
The room went dead silent.
Because everyone understood what it meant.
The Divine Oracle ritual…
was about to begin.
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