The journey to the Seventh Division barracks was swift and silent, the urgency of Captain Unohana's summons hanging heavy in the air. Kisaragi walked alongside her and Lieutenant Kotetsu, the rhythmic shunpo a stark contrast to the disquiet churning within him. The description of the Seventh Division officer's injury, "a localized disruption of the spiritual fabric," resonated with a chilling familiarity, stirring dormant memories of his past life and the insidious machinations of Sosuke Aizen.
Upon arriving at the Seventh Division, they were met by a tall, lean shinigami with striking reddish-brown hair styled in a high pompadour and distinctive sunglasses perched on his nose. This was Love Aikawa, the Captain of the Seventh Division. Kisaragi's Six Eyes, even in a casual glance, registered the man's potent and somewhat flamboyant spiritual pressure. A future Visored, a victim of Aizen's treachery. The realization sent a subtle shiver down his spine.
"Captain Unohana," Love greeted them, his voice surprisingly mellow despite the gravity of the situation. He offered a respectful bow.
"Thank you for coming so quickly. We're at our wit's end here."
Unohana returned the bow with her usual serene grace. "Captain Aikawa. We understand the severity of the situation. This is my Lieutenant, Kotetsu Isane, and my Sixth Seat, Kisaragi Shiba. Kisaragi has a… unique perspective on spiritual anomalies."
Love's gaze shifted to Kisaragi, his sunglasses obscuring his eyes, though Kisaragi could sense a keen curiosity beneath. "Sixth Seat Shiba, huh? Heard whispers about a prodigy in the Fourth. Hope you've brought some of that miracle-working with you."
"I will do my utmost, Captain," Kisaragi replied, his voice calm and steady, masking the unease that gnawed at him.
Love gestured for them to follow. "He's in our main infirmary. Poor Tatsufusa… tough as nails, that one. Took down a whole pack of Hollows like it was nothing, then… this."
They were led through the bustling corridors of the Seventh Division barracks, the atmosphere noticeably more rugged and boisterous than the quiet diligence of the Fourth. Finally, they arrived at a secluded treatment room where a shinigami lay still and pale on a healing cot. Several Seventh Division healers hovered around him, their expressions a mixture of frustration and worry.
Kisaragi approached the cot, his Six Eyes immediately activating. The sight that greeted him sent a cold dread through his core. There were no visible wounds, no lacerations or spiritual burns. Yet, the flow of the Third Seat's reiatsu was disturbingly erratic, fractured and unstable in a way that defied conventional understanding. It pulsed with an alien rhythm, a subtle disharmony that felt… wrong.
He leaned closer, his Six Eyes focusing on the intricate pathways of the officer's spiritual body. It was as if sections of his reiatsu were being… eroded from the inside, replaced by a foreign, almost corrosive energy. It was subtle, barely perceptible to the naked eye, but Kisaragi recognized the insidious pattern. It was a nascent form of Hollowfication, but without the external manifestations – no mask fragments, no violent outbursts, just a silent, internal decay.
This… this is too similar, Kisaragi thought, his mind racing. The hollowfication incident in the Rukon District, the one that had created the Visored… that was supposed to happen decades from now, orchestrated by Aizen. Could this be an earlier experiment? A test run? The growing reports of disappearing souls in the outskirts of the Rukon District, dismissed by many as natural attrition, suddenly took on a sinister new meaning.
A cold dread washed over him. If Aizen was already experimenting with Hollowfication on this scale, so early in the timeline… the implications were terrifying.
"Lieutenant," Unohana's calm voice broke through his tumultuous thoughts, "what do you observe?"
Kisaragi took a deep breath, forcing himself to maintain composure. He couldn't reveal his suspicions, not yet. Not without concrete proof. "Captain," he addressed Love, his gaze returning to the unconscious officer, "the flow of his reiatsu is… highly irregular. It's fractured and unstable in a way I haven't encountered before. There are no visible injuries, but there seems to be a… internal conflict within his spiritual structure."
He turned to Unohana and Isane. "Captain, Lieutenant, if you would allow me, I believe my experimental kidō might be effective in stabilizing his reiatsu."
Unohana regarded him with a thoughtful expression. "Are you certain, Kisaragi? This man's condition appears… unique."
"I believe the principles of reiatsu manipulation are applicable, Captain," Kisaragi replied, his voice firm. "My kidō focuses on harmonizing and reinforcing the natural flow. It may be able to counteract this… internal disruption."
Love, who had been observing the exchange with a mixture of concern and curiosity, interjected, "You got something that can fix this, kid? Because our best healers are stumped."
"I believe so, Captain," Kisaragi said, stepping closer to the cot. He focused his reiatsu, the familiar hum resonating within him. He began the incantation for his newly developed healing kidō, a technique he had tentatively named Rengoku – Purgatorial Restoration.
The kidō manifested as a swirling vortex of intense, yet controlled, spiritual energy that enveloped the injured officer. Unlike his previous experimental kidō, Rengoku focused not just on cellular regeneration but on the very fabric of the spiritual body, seeking to mend tears and re-align chaotic flows. Kisaragi's Six Eyes worked tirelessly, guiding the energy, pinpointing the areas of greatest disruption, and gently coaxing the reiatsu back into its natural pathways.
A faint golden light emanated from the vortex, bathing the room in a soft glow. The erratic pulsing of the officer's reiatsu gradually began to even out, the fractured rhythms finding a semblance of harmony. The tension in the room was palpable, the Seventh Division healers watching with a mixture of hope and apprehension.
After several tense minutes, the golden light subsided. Kisaragi withdrew his hands, a slight sheen of sweat on his brow. The Third Seat's breathing was deeper, his complexion less ashen. The chaotic energy signature that had plagued him was significantly calmer, though not entirely normal.
A collective sigh of relief swept through the room. Love Aikawa removed his sunglasses, his reddish-brown eyes narrowed in surprised admiration. "Well, I'll be damned. Kid, you actually did it."
Unohana approached the cot, her gentle healing kidō flowing over the officer, confirming the stabilization. "Remarkable, Kisaragi. His spiritual energy is still weakened, but the internal disruption appears to have been… quelled."
Kisaragi nodded, a wave of exhaustion washing over him. "It was a delicate process, Captain. His spiritual structure was under considerable strain." He hesitated for a moment, carefully choosing his words.
"Captain Aikawa, Lieutenant Kotetsu, Captain Unohana… what I observed in his reiatsu was… unusual. It wasn't a typical injury. It felt… almost like a foreign influence, disrupting his natural flow from within."
He dared not use the term "Hollowfication" outright, not without more evidence and understanding of how far Aizen's experiments might have progressed.
Love's gaze sharpened. "Foreign influence? What are you saying, Sixth Seat?"
"I cannot say for certain, Captain," Kisaragi replied, his voice carefully neutral. "But the nature of the disruption was… unique. It wasn't a direct attack, but more like an internal erosion. I would… recommend a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding his injury when he regains consciousness. Perhaps he encountered something… out of the ordinary."
A thoughtful silence descended upon the room. Unohana's expression was serene but held a hint of concern. Isane's brow was furrowed in contemplation. Love, however, looked deeply troubled, his gaze fixed on the still form of his Third Seat.
"Out of the ordinary…" Love repeated slowly.
"They were on patrol in the outskirts of the Rukon District. Said they encountered a large group of unusually aggressive Hollows. Tatsufusa took the brunt of it, protecting the others. But he wasn't directly hit by am Attack or anything like that. He just… collapsed afterwards."
Kisaragi's unease intensified. Aggressive Hollows in the outskirts of the Rukon District. The disappearing souls. This was all starting to paint a disturbing picture.
"Captain Aikawa," Kisaragi said, his voice earnest, "when your Third Seat awakens, please… ask him for every detail he can recall. The exact nature of the Hollows, any unusual sensations he experienced during the fight… anything could be crucial."
Love nodded slowly, his usual laid-back demeanor replaced by a grim seriousness.
"You think… something else was at play here?"
Kisaragi hesitated. "I cannot speculate, Captain. But the nature of his spiritual disruption warrants a thorough investigation. If there was a foreign influence, understanding its source could be vital for the safety of others."
Unohana stepped forward, her presence radiating calm authority. "Captain Aikawa, we will remain here until your officer regains consciousness. Kisaragi's insights may prove invaluable in understanding this… anomaly."
Love let out a long sigh, running a hand through his pompadour. "Alright, Captain Unohana. Whatever you think is best. Something about this whole thing has been eating at me. Tatsufusa is a tough bastard. He doesn't just… unravel." He looked at Kisaragi, a newfound respect in his eyes. "You keep an eye on him, Sixth Seat. Let me know the second he stirs."
Kisaragi nodded, his Six Eyes already scanning the subtle fluctuations in the Third Seat's recovering spiritual energy. The unease within him remained, a cold premonition of a darkness stirring beneath the surface of Soul Society, a darkness he now suspected had begun its insidious spread far earlier than he had ever imagined. The whispers of corruption had begun, and Kisaragi Shiba, with his unwanted knowledge of the future, found himself standing on the precipice of a terrifying revelation.