"You saw everything?"
Ishiiwa Kyūsuke's voice was low and cold.
The moment he realized the newcomer was "just" an ordinary Shinigami, his panic vanished.
I must've just failed to notice him because I haven't fully mastered my new Captain-level power yet…He consoled himself with that fragile thought.
Opposite him, Higashi Shuuichi raised both hands, looking utterly unbothered.
"Crystal clear~"
"Then you can follow their example. Kashaen Ryuuga!"
Without giving Higashi a chance to speak further, Ishiiwa Kyūsuke unleashed an attack.
Pillars of flame burst from the ground, waves of heat billowing outward. Ishiiwa sneered as the blaze engulfed Higashi's silhouette.
"Another fool."
Facing an enemy and acting that casually—he had only himself to blame for becoming the second sacrifice to Ishiiwa's newfound Captain-class power.
And then—
Ishiiwa's expression froze.
"You know, under normal circumstances, I wouldn't even bother exchanging words. But this time, I'm curious—what happens when a Shinigami who already wields a Zanpakutō picks up a Bakkōtō?"
The flames dispersed.
There stood Higashi, unscathed within a transparent, circular barrier.
"Impossible! That's Bakudō #39: Enkōsen, isn't it?! How can that block my Kashaen Ryuuga?!" Ishiiwa instinctively stepped back, shouting in disbelief.
"If that's the case… then… Bankai! Raika—Karma Flame Shell!"
The Bakkōtō Raika flared to life again—but compared to when it had been wielded by Sengoku Ryū, this Bankai was far weaker. Its Reiatsu output and overall pressure weren't even in the same league.
To use Higashi's internal measurement:Sengoku's Raika Bankai had about five Kenpachi worth of power.Ishiiwa's? Maybe half a Kenpachi, at best.
Higashi didn't even bother releasing his own Zanpakutō.
He simply took one step—and in that instant, appeared directly in front of Ishiiwa Kyūsuke.
His left hand rose calmly and pressed against the man's forehead.
"Those who can't even walk... shouldn't try running."
BOOM.
A dull impact.
Ishiiwa slammed into the dirt headfirst, half-buried in sand. The flame surrounding Raika died instantly.
"No… Impossible… I'm already a Captain… how could you…"
Even now, muffled from beneath the sand, Ishiiwa's voice quivered with refusal.
"A Captain? Don't make me laugh.""If Bakkōtō could really let any random foot soldier become Captain-tier overnight, the Soul Society wouldn't just have the Five Great Noble Houses—Kasumiōji would've become the Sixth long ago."
Higashi's voice was cold and dismissive.
Seeing Ishiiwa still struggling to rise, Higashi's eyes flashed with a sliver of pity.He swung his blade once, mercifully ending the man's foolish life.
Then, Higashi turned his gaze to Raika, the Bakkōtō that had once again lost its master.Oddly enough, he could feel its anger.
Understandable.
Both its last wielders had died by his hand. Anyone would be keeping a grudge list at this point.
"Man… I was hoping to shadow them discreetly, not end up cleaning up corpses. How the hell do I report this?"
Higashi sighed heavily. He truly was in a bind.
If any of the other Shinigami earlier had done even a passable job, Higashi could've helped out behind the scenes—maybe subtly trip Ishiiwa up with some kidō interference.
But they'd folded like paper bags.
And Higashi couldn't afford to act openly either. Without Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu, he had no way to fabricate a believable excuse for his presence. Worse yet, someone might turn around and pin this entire incident on him.
Letting Ishiiwa live was never an option.The man had openly turned on the Kasumiōji Clan, clearly intending to either go rogue or defect to the Gotei 13 and spill everything.
Either way, he had to die.
Still, this whole mess hadn't been part of the plan.
Now, Higashi had two choices:Wait for the next group that might come for Raika…—or—
Contact Aizen, and ask the boss to clean up this mess.
And hey—why waste free high-IQ support?
"Now this is interesting," Aizen chuckled after receiving Higashi's report. "What a delightful little tale of betrayal."
"Then, Aizen-sama, should I continue waiting here for others to show up?"
Higashi gave up trying to guess the next steps.
Aizen clearly didn't care about Raika's combat function. After all, just now when Ishiiwa grabbed it, his Zanpakutō instantly reverted to an Asauchi—proving once again that Bakkōtō and Zanpakutō couldn't coexist.
That meant Higashi wouldn't be using Raika anytime soon.His own blade, Heibisha, was too valuable to throw away.
So honestly? He'd stopped caring about who picked up Raika next.
"It's not like the blade can be destroyed anyway. As long as I keep an eye on the Kasumiōji, I can always retrieve it later—once I figure out how to resolve the Zanpakutō–Bakkōtō conflict."
That was Higashi's new stance.
Before, he'd been terrified the Kasumiōji Clan would reclaim it, and he'd lose his shot forever.
But after seeing how pathetic Ishiiwa had been with it, he realized : Only rare individuals like Senjo Ryū or the future Amagai Shūsuke could truly master Raika. Whoever inherited it next… might not even pose a threat.
And as for what to do with Raika now?
That was Aizen's call.
Because even he hadn't predicted Ishiiwa's betrayal—this had veered off the script.
"You said they went straight to Raika's location, no hesitation, no searching?"
After a pause, Aizen posed the question.
"Yes, Aizen-sama."
That was all he needed to say.Aizen immediately understood the implications.
Back in the Soul Society, seated comfortably in his private chambers, Aizen's lips curled into a smile.
"Then bring the Bakkōtō back with you." "Stay near it, and guard it. I suspect others will come looking—and those encounters may prove... informative."
Higashi hadn't mentioned that one of the dying Shinigami had accidentally blurted out the Kasumiōji Clan's name, so Aizen hadn't yet connected this to their involvement.
But it didn't matter.
He could already sense the power players behind the blade.
Meanwhile, Higashi wanted to cry.
Didn't the Aizen from my memories handle this kind of grunt work himself ?! I swear, he used to roll up his sleeves just to rip out random Rukongai souls for research!
Why is it that when something shady needs doing now, it's always MY job?!
"It must be because I've been too damn competent…"
After accepting the new task, Higashi swore to himself:
Next time, I'm slacking off. Being a loyal, eager-to-please employee?
Never ends well.
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