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"Captain Shiraha," Iba Tetsuzaemon began, his tone laced with unease as they stood just outside the treatment room.
Shiraha turned slightly toward Kotetsu Isane, his gaze steady. "Vice-Captain Kotetsu, did Captain Suì-Fēng mention why the Stealth Force is looking for me?"
The presence of the Onmitsukidō was never coincidental, especially not when its captain personally led the operation. If they had come here, of all places, it could only mean that something serious was brewing beneath the polished surface of Seireitei's order.
Isane shook her head, eyes lowered. "Captain Suì-Fēng said only that your cooperation is needed for an internal investigation."
Shiraha's expression remained unchanged. "Very well, let's hear what they have to say."
"I'm going with you," Komamura Sajin said, voice steady despite the bandages binding his chest. With calm deliberation, he reached for the iron mask resting nearby and secured it over his face before standing tall.
Nodding once, Shiraha stepped forward, flanked by Komamura, Isane, and Iba. As they exited the hallway, his Observation Haki swept outward like a radar pulse, instantly identifying the dense cluster of spiritual signatures waiting beyond the courtyard walls—stealth operatives, perfectly disciplined, cold and alert. Suì-Fēng stood at their head, arms crossed, gaze sharp and unblinking.
"Captain Suì-Fēng," Shiraha said smoothly, his calm smile unreadable, "such an escort for one man. I assume something significant has happened?"
"There are matters requiring your cooperation in an official investigation," she replied, tone clipped.
"And the subject of this investigation?"
"Roughly an hour ago, you dispatched two members of your division to escort former Fourth Seat Ichikanbanchibō to the First Division for formal trial. Can you confirm this?"
"Of course," Shiraha answered without hesitation. "He abandoned patrol duty, was found drinking, and even attempted to attack me. I believed proper reporting procedures were followed."
"They were," Suì-Fēng admitted, "but shortly after leaving the Seventh Division grounds, the Reiatsu signatures of all three vanished. Ichikanbanchibō is dead."
Her tone was ice as she stared him down. "There was no body, no garments, no Zanpakutō. His spirit form was utterly eradicated, leaving nothing behind. That sort of destruction only occurs when the killer's spiritual pressure completely overwhelms the soul."
Only two individuals in the Seventh Division possessed the strength to annihilate a soul to that degree—Komamura, who remained under medical supervision with severe injuries, and Kuchiki Shiraha, who had motive, opportunity, and power.
"What? Even Matsushita Kasuke is dead?" Iba's voice cracked, fury and disbelief flaring in his chest. "Who the hell would do that?!"
As Komamura's former lieutenant, he'd memorized every spiritual presence in the Seventh Division. Losing two members under such mysterious circumstances hit him like a physical blow.
"Captain Shiraha," Suì-Fēng said again, firm and composed, "where were you one hour ago?"
"You're accusing me," Shiraha stated, voice void of emotion.
"You had motive. Ichikanbanchibō had a known grievance against you and even attempted to strike you. The deaths occurred mere minutes after they left your custody."
Shiraha remained still, eyes narrowing slightly as he began piecing the threads together. Aizen. Gin. Tōsen. Any of them could have pulled the strings behind this. The style matched—clean, silent, and impossible to trace. The question wasn't how. It was why. What did they gain by framing him? Certainly not his removal, not without more concrete evidence.
"It couldn't have been Captain Shiraha!" Iba stepped forward, voice rising. "He's been with me the entire time since we left the division compound!"
"I'll vouch for him too," Komamura said. "He never left our sight."
Suì-Fēng's expression didn't budge. "Captain Shiraha," she repeated, "I require your answer directly."
"I would appreciate it if you didn't address me like a criminal," Shiraha replied, his voice now sharpened with warning. "I was with Third Seat Iba. He will testify on my behalf."
As his words fell, a storm of violet Reiatsu erupted from him like a tidal wave, dense and suffocating, rolling outward across the courtyard and making several of the surrounding operatives falter. A show of force—measured, but unmistakable.
Suì-Fēng responded in kind, golden Reiatsu exploding outward and slamming into his. The clash of energies crackled like lightning in a thunderhead, rattling windows and drawing stunned gasps from the Fourth Division medics nearby.
Even the hardened agents of the Stealth Force couldn't hide their discomfort. Several went pale, knees bending instinctively under the pressure.
Captain Unohana's voice cut through the tension like a whisper through silk, yet the weight it carried was undeniable. She stepped into view, her usual tranquil smile in place. "This division cannot sustain the spiritual pressure of two captains posturing at once. Please, restrain yourselves."
Shiraha inhaled once, then calmly withdrew his Reiatsu. Suì-Fēng followed with a soft scoff, her own pressure vanishing.
"Captain Suì-Fēng," Shiraha said, cool and composed, "you mentioned this was under the orders of the Commander-General. Do you have a formal directive?"
"I do not," she replied tersely.
"Then on what authority do you intend to confine a captain of the Gotei 13 to the Maggot's Nest?" Shiraha's tone dropped, sharp enough to cut steel.
Before the silence could stretch too long, a new presence arrived—calm, formal, irrefutable. Chōjirō Sasakibe stepped through the ranks with his usual measured gait. "The Commander-General authorized this personally," he said without preamble. "I was tasked with delivering his order. Captain Shiraha is to be temporarily confined until the investigation is concluded."
Shiraha paused. So Yamamoto Genryūsai himself had allowed this. That fact changed everything. It meant the enemy—whoever they were—had influence that reached the highest chambers. The game was changing.
And just then, the system chimed within his mind.
Check-In Task: Maggot's Nest – Template Progress +5%
Check-In Task: Endless Hell – Template Progress +3%
The timing was no coincidence.
He smiled inwardly. Maggot's Nest is manageable. But Endless Hell? That's where Aizen was locked away... What kind of future are they steering me toward?
Still, the system placed no time limit. He had options.
"Why are the rewards shrinking?" he asked silently.
As your template nears 90% completion, gains from tasks reduce accordingly.
Of course, Shiraha mused. Just like any game: the closer you got to max level, the more grind you had to endure. If he had hoped the next task would close the gap to 100%, this proved otherwise.
Still, the Maggot's Nest might yield information. If someone wanted him cornered, he'd learn why—from the inside.
Shiraha looked up, gaze calm. "Very well. If this order comes from the Captain-Commander, then I will comply."
Without waiting, he turned and walked past Suì-Fēng, his every movement a calculated display of composure. Behind him, her eyes followed his back, expression tight with irritation.
"Move out," she commanded crisply.
The Onmitsukidō operatives responded immediately, stepping in formation behind Shiraha as he headed toward confinement—not as a criminal... but as a man prepared to turn this trap into his next opening.
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