White plum blossom petals danced in the still-dark garden. It was far too early for dawn. Among the squad barracks, where not a single light was lit, only one room leaked the pale glow of a spirit-particle lamp. The Sixth Division Third Seat's office. Akagi Ren sat at his desk, surrounded by mountains of documents. But his amber eyes weren't following the words on the pages. His fingertips tapped the edge of the desk, unconsciously. (*Hakuran... of all people to be there, that's the worst.*) The end of the affair in the underground archive—the iron door opening. Those silver vertical-slit pupils had seen everything. Rukia's black beast ears, the tail extending from her waist, Akagi's naked body. He hadn't slept a wink since last night. Hakuran was the Tenth Division's Twelfth Seat, but she had clearly been infiltrating the Sixth. Why was she investigating the Sixth? And—what did she intend to do with this information? The moment Akagi closed his eyes— "[excited]Senpai! Good morning!" *Bang.* The door flew open with force. Along with a voice loud enough to shatter the morning silence, a boy with bouncing purple bedhead burst in. His odd eyes—gold on the right, purple on the left—shone with an innocence that couldn't possibly be more genuine. "[cold]At least knock, Rengen." "[surprised]Huh? But senpai, you're already awake! And I've got a super important report!" Rengen flipped through the bundle of patrol records in his hand, standing before the desk without a trace of guilt. "[serious]Make it quick." "[excited]Hehe, so actually, during last night's patrol, I detected some weird reiatsu disturbance around the underground archive. But y'know, the only people down there at that hour would be the lieutenant or you, senpai, so was it training or something? Well, either way, I didn't put it in the records! I mean, it's internal training and all!" A beaming smile. Akagi's finger stopped tapping the desk's edge. (*This guy... of all people, he was on patrol.*) "[cold]...Write the report. Now." "[surprised]Huh? But it's not really a big dea—" "[angry]Write it." Rengen flinched, his shoulders jumping, and hurriedly pulled out his notebook. "[scared]Y-yes sir... you're kinda scary today, senpai." Akagi's amber eyes fixed steadily on Rengen. "[cold]You saw nothing. You heard nothing. Understood?" "[scared]...Huh? What's that supposed to—" "[cold]Remember it." Akagi said it curtly and stood up. Rengen blinked his odd eyes rapidly, tilting his head. "[confused]? Senpai, you're kinda weird today. Not enough sleep? Want a white plum manjuu? They're already out in the mess hall." "[cold]Don't need it. Get out." "[sad]Okaaay... ah, but if you're ever in trouble, tell me, okay! I owe you a lot, senpai!" Those guileless words, just this once, stabbed heavily into his chest. Akagi didn't even manage a wry smile as he watched Rengen leave the room. The door closed. Alone in the room, Akagi slowly steadied his breathing. (*Hakuran is already making her move.*) Rengen's report had driven the point home. The reiatsu disturbance in the underground archive—during that affair, Rukia's beast-soul phenomenon had leaked outside. There was no way Rengen was the only squad member who had sensed it. And there was one witness far more dangerous than Rengen. Mizuki Hakuran. Akagi let his fingers trail lightly over the hilt of the Zanpakutou at his waist. (*What's your play... Hakuran?*) Morning roll call had ended, and the presence of squad members was returning to the barracks corridors. As Akagi passed by the records room, a voice suddenly called out from behind him. "[cold]Good morning, Akagi Third Seat." He turned around. Long white hair accented with blue mesh highlights. Silver vertical-slit pupils, smiling coldly. The dragon tattoo on her left shoulder peeked out from the collar of her uniform. "[cold]Hakuran... why are you here?" "[gentle]What a greeting. I've come to examine the Sixth Division's documents. Preparations for joint training with the Tenth. Were you not aware?" With a smile still on her lips, Hakuran smoothly opened the records room door. "[cold]Could you spare a moment? Akagi Third Seat." It was phrased in a way that left no room for refusal. Akagi entered the room without a word. Hakuran locked the door behind them. "[cold]I'll be direct." She pulled a notebook from her breast pocket and slid it across the desk. "[cold]Last night, in the underground archive, I witnessed you and the lieutenant." Akagi's fingers unconsciously touched the hilt of his Zanpakutou. Whether she noticed or not, Hakuran opened the notebook with a cool expression. "[cold]Black beast ears manifesting on Lieutenant Kuchiki Rukia's head, a tail extending from her waist. This is the 'Beast-Soul Phenomenon'—a type of spiritual anomaly whose existence the Central 46 does not officially acknowledge." She turned the page. "[cold]And the person present at the scene was you, the Sixth Division's Third Seat. In a naked state, engaging in sexual contact with the lieutenant—" "[angry]Shut up." A low voice shook the air of the records room. Hakuran smiled. "[cold]I will not. What do you think will happen if I submit this notebook to the Captain-Commander's Council?" She opened the notebook to the last page and pushed it before Akagi. There, the signatures of five noble-faction members of the Sixth Division were lined up. "[cold]Five witnesses have already corroborated that the contents of this notebook are true. No matter how much you deny it, it's futile." Akagi's amber eyes narrowed sharply. "[cold]...What are you after?" "[cold]Two things." Hakuran raised her index finger. "[cold]One. At the next regular personnel review, the Sixth Division's key seated officer posts will be handed over to my faction. The lieutenant may remain as she is. I will take the authority over personnel from Third Seat down, Fourth Seat through Twentieth Seat." She raised her middle finger. "[cold]Two. Through Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, the Sixth Division's operational policy will be changed from noble privilege to meritocracy. Specifically, in the coming season's recruitment, the ratio of Rukongai-born recruits will be raised to thirty percent—that is the pretext. In reality, I will be sending in personnel who are easy for me to control." Akagi snorted. "[sarcastic]I thought this was rebellion against the noble system, but in the end, it's just your own lust for power." "[cold]Call it what you will." Hakuran was unshaken. "[cold]I will effectively control the Sixth Division. That is my objective. And you have only two choices: comply, or watch the division be destroyed." Closing the notebook, Hakuran turned her back. "[cold]I'll give you half an hour. Make your decision." The records room door opened, and she vanished into the corridor. Akagi looked down at the notebook on the desk. His hands were trembling. Anger—or was it fear? (*I... might not be able to protect Rukia.*) That thought stabbed coldly deep into his chest. White Cherry Blossom Hall, second floor, the guest room. Rukia had come to this room after being summoned. Hakuran had said she had "something important to discuss." The door opened, and Hakuran entered. *Click.* The door was locked. "[suspicious]...What do you want to talk about?" Rukia braced herself. Her silver eyes narrowed with wariness. Hakuran stood before Rukia and spoke in a detached voice, as if reading from a document. "[cold]Last night, in the underground archive, I saw them. Your beast ears and tail." The blood drained from Rukia's face. "[scared]...What are you talking about?" "[cold]There's no need to play dumb. The 'Beast-Soul Phenomenon'—a spiritual anomaly with only a handful of confirmed cases in Soul Society's history. A phenomenon that, according to the Gotei 13's official stance, does not exist." Rukia stepped backward. But her back soon hit the wall. "[cold]If I submit this to the Captain-Commander's Council, and further to the Central 46, you will be expelled from the Gotei. At worst, execution is a possibility." "[angry]...You don't have that kind of authority—" The moment she tried to argue, Hakuran took half a step closer. She raised her right hand and gently touched her index finger to the top of Rukia's head. "[scared]What are you—" The instant she was touched, a faint reiatsu flowed from Hakuran's fingertip. It was different from what Akagi had used in the training grounds the other day—colder, a pressure that scraped away at her. *Slowly.* From between Rukia's white hair, black beast ears seeped into existence. "[scared]N...no..." Rukia tried to hold them down with her hands, but every time Hakuran's reiatsu fluctuated, the ears stood up on their own. From beneath the sash at her waist, a black tail slithered out as well. Hakuran observed the sight carefully with her silver vertical-slit pupils. "[cold]They're rather cute, aren't they? These." Hakuran's finger traced the tip of a beast ear. "[crying]Stop... please..." Rukia's body jolted sharply. Her face flushed bright red with humiliation, and tears welled up in her silver eyes. "[cold]If you wish to protect Akagi Third Seat, I shall present these adorable ears and tail to the captains. The lieutenant of the prestigious Kuchiki family, sprouting beast ears and being embraced by a man—it will make for a most amusing story." Rukia's knees trembled. "[scared]...Don't lay a hand on Ren." Her voice was shaking. Even so, she glared back at Hakuran. "[cold]Then you will be the one to sacrifice yourself." Hakuran stated it coolly and withdrew her finger. As she stepped back, the reiatsu binding loosened, and the beast ears and tail gradually retracted. "[cold]Make your decision. I will hear it in half an hour, along with Akagi Third Seat's answer." Hakuran turned her back and left the guest room. Rukia, still leaning against the wall, slid down and crumpled onto the floor. "[crying]...Ren." A voice that couldn't form words leaked from the back of her throat. Akagi found Rukia collapsed on the floor in front of the guest room. "[serious]Get up, Rukia." "[crying]...Ren, that woman—" "[serious]Talk later. We're leaving here right now." Akagi grabbed Rukia's arm without waiting for a response and pulled her to her feet. There was still time left in the negotiation window, but he had already abandoned all calculation. The moment Hakuran had humiliated Rukia, there was only one choice left. Run. "[surprised]Our things—" "[cold]Don't need them." The two hurried toward the back entrance of White Cherry Blossom Hall. They slipped through deserted corridors, avoiding the eyes of squad members, and emerged into the white plum garden. It was the shortest route to the outer wall. The garden was bathed in morning light, the white plums glowing quietly. Petals danced down like snow—a beautiful morning. But— "[cold]That's far enough." Hakuran's voice echoed through the garden. From between the trees, silent men emerged. One, two, three—five. They wore Sixth Division uniforms, but their hands were already on the Zanpakutou at their waists. The five from the noble faction. Akagi hid Rukia behind him and drew his own Zanpakutou. "[cold]Move." "[cold]We refuse. We have orders." The men closed in from three directions. Akagi poured reiatsu into his Zanpakutou. "[angry]'Tear apart—'" The incantation of Shikai. *Whoosh.* Reiatsu exploded outward, and the white plum petals scattered all at once. Akagi's Zanpakutou blade branched out into countless thorn-like segments, becoming spiritual chains that moved to intercept the men. The first one. The chains entangled his Zanpakutou and blasted him away. The second. "[angry]In the way!" A dull sound. Chains pierced the man's chest and slammed him into the stone paving. The third. "[cold]With this—" But the four