"Her physical injuries aren't serious, but she's suffered severe mental shock. She'll need a long period of rest." Retsu Unohana withdrew her hand. "Let her sleep."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya clenched his fists. "Thank you, Captain Unohana."
Retsu Unohana shook her head. "It's my duty. There's no need to thank me."
"The message from the Jigokuchō just now…"
"It's been moved up again." Retsu Unohana wrapped white bandages around Rangiku Matsumoto's arm. "The execution is confirmed for tomorrow at noon."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya's brows knit tightly together. "Captain Unohana, what do you intend to do?"
"Continue treating the wounded…" Retsu Unohana's expression remained calm. "And attend the execution on time."
"You're not going to do anything?"
Retsu Unohana carefully tied off the bandage. "And what are you planning to do?"
"If Ichimaru's goal is the execution… then I have to stop him!" Tōshirō Hitsugaya didn't know how much of Sōsuke Aizen's letter Gin Ichimaru had altered. He didn't know the full extent of the other man's plan, but as long as he stopped him from succeeding, that would be enough.
"I see…" Retsu Unohana gently patted Rangiku Matsumoto's hand to signal she was finished. "Do your best."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya was unwilling to give up. "If two captains were to submit a joint appeal…"
"You haven't been a captain for very long. It's only natural you still hold onto certain unrealistic notions." Retsu Unohana smiled faintly, her gentle eyes curving like crescent moons. "I won't stop you. But there's no reason for me to help you either."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya understood what she meant.
If he wanted to stop the execution, he would have to go to the Central 46 Compound, the body that had issued the verdict.
But Central 46 only handed down judgments. It did not entertain appeals.
Retsu Unohana considered his idea meaningless and had no intention of involving herself.
Tōshirō Hitsugaya, however, didn't see it that way.
At the very least, he had to try.
"Come with me, Matsumoto." Tōshirō Hitsugaya turned and walked out.
"Yes." Rangiku Matsumoto bowed to Retsu Unohana before following her captain.
Her fingertips brushed over the bandages on her arm, her gaze complicated.
Even a casual strike from Shinsō had sent a shock through her arm.
Once again.
Gin Ichimaru had disappeared without a word.
Gin… where are you going?
And what are you planning to do?
...
"I want… to act together with you!" Ganju Shiba's eyes were red and swollen. "I want to see what you're doing—what you'll uncover!"
If things were truly as Muten Natsu had said, then there had to be more to his brother's death.
The Hollow with its strange abilities, Kaien Shiba's sudden tragedy just as he began helping Muten Natsu, and Central 46's subsequent accusations against Muten Natsu—there had to be something hidden in the shadows.
Ganju Shiba didn't blindly accept Muten Natsu's side of the story. But if it were simply betrayal, that wouldn't explain Kūkaku Shiba's reaction.
He knew he wasn't the sharpest, but he trusted his sister's judgment.
"I'll avenge Aniki!" Ganju Shiba forced his face into a hard expression, refusing to look weak. "But I won't let anyone use me to take revenge on the wrong person!"
The light of Sōten Kisshun scattered as Orihime Inoue's Reiryoku ran dry, and she stopped healing.
Muten Natsu caught her as she swayed. "I came here to settle everything once and for all—both what happened in the past and what's happening now."
To heal him, Orihime Inoue had poured out her Reiryoku without holding back. Now she couldn't even stand steady.
Muten Natsu lifted Orihime Inoue onto his back and led the group toward the Senzaikyū.
Muten Natsu's back… was so broad.
Orihime Inoue's arms tightened slightly around his neck. She felt the pressure against her chest and flushed, loosening her grip just a little.
In the vast underground waterway, the only sound was the steady rush of water. Muten Natsu held her legs, clad in denim, as he silently considered their next move.
Their top priority was to rescue Rukia Kuchiki. Once she was taken out of the Senzaikyū, they would use the severed fingers to activate the Reishi Convergence Device, gather a high-density Reishi cloud, and ignite it to gain tremendous power. After that, everything else would be much easier.
As they neared the Senzaikyū, the group climbed out of the underground waterway and emerged onto the surface.
A sprawling mass of buildings clung to the mountainside before them. In the distance, densely packed towers spiraled upward in height, coiling around the Senzaikyū.
Encircling it all stood a towering octagonal wall. The only way into the complex was a long, endless staircase.
The underground passage could only bring them this far. They climbed the steps and advanced toward the buildings.
"Muten," Orihime Inoue called softly from Muten Natsu's back. "You can put me down. I can walk."
"You just exhausted your Reiryoku. Get some rest," Muten Natsu replied, taking the stairs two at a time. "If I get hurt, I'll be relying on you to heal me. Don't waste your strength here."
"If it were me, I wouldn't put you down either," Ririn said, glancing downward. "Who'd be willing to let go?"
As Muten Natsu climbed, Orihime Inoue inevitably swayed on his back.
He paused mid-step and shot Ririn a look before reminding Orihime Inoue, "Hold onto my shoulders."
"Ah… okay…" Orihime Inoue moved her arms from around his neck to rest on his shoulders, her soft body shifting slightly away from his back.
Ririn's eyes drifted aside.
Now that there was a bit of space between them… it seemed like she was swaying even more.
They finally entered the inner complex. Night had fallen, and as far as they could see, there were no guards.
Muten Natsu set Orihime Inoue down and prepared to activate Hell's Eye to check their surroundings.
Ichigo Kurosaki and Ganju Shiba were both out of breath. The sheer length of those stairs had been brutal.
"Finally…" Ganju Shiba braced his hands on his knees. "We finally—"
His voice cut off abruptly as everything went black.
A piercing roar rang in his ears. The buildings around him blurred and seemed to dissolve. An invisible force crashed down onto his shoulders, and he could hear the unsettling creak of his own bones grinding under the pressure.
The world trembled.
So did his body.
This was… Reiatsu.
A crushing Reiatsu so overwhelming it left him unable to move.
Ichigo Kurosaki struggled to keep his footing. "What kind of Reiatsu is this…?"
"Damn it…" Ganju Shiba forced himself upright. "Where is it…?"
"Run." Muten Natsu pulled Orihime Inoue into his arms and turned toward the figure standing atop the wall, backlit against the night sky. "You two go first!"
"Been a while…" Kenpachi Zaraki grinned savagely. "Muten Natsu!"