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Fate In Bleach (353)
🕑 Added 2024-11-25 17:00:04 +0000 UTCChapter 353 - Gyōkaku Kumoi
Despite knowing the risks, Shusuke Amagai wouldn’t abandon his plan. That night, two centuries ago, he had lost everything. If not for his vigilance, his quick thinking in adopting an alias, he would have perished alongside his family, forgotten, unnoticed. But he remembered. He would avenge them.
Having confirmed the absence of surveillance, Amagai, following the trail left by Makoto Kibune, infiltrated the Kasumiōji estate under cover of darkness. He met with the estate’s steward, Gyōkaku Kumoi, unsure if this signified trust or a trap. He wouldn’t gamble. He had to accelerate his plans.
“While we anticipated your arrival, Captain Amagai, it still fills us with immense joy,” Kumoi said, bowing deeply. “With you here, the Kasumiōji family can finally rest easy.”
“Enough pleasantries. Take me to it,” Amagai said impatiently.
“As you command, Captain.” Despite the curt dismissal, Kumoi’s expression remained placid. He led Amagai through a series of winding corridors, finally arriving at a hidden chamber.
“Legion Commander,” Makoto Kibune, waiting inside, greeted Amagai with a respectful bow.
“Report.”
“Legion Commander, according to Steward Kumoi, the Bakkōtō is complete. It took over two centuries, but they finally finished it. Fortunately, before the head of the Kasumiōji family perished during the noble purge, he informed Kumoi of its location.”
Kibune led Amagai to the back of the chamber, where an ornate wooden box, over a meter long, lay on a pedestal. He opened it, revealing a peculiar weapon. The blade itself was unremarkable, but the tsuba was a pulsating, purple, octopus-like creature.
“Yes. This is it.” Amagai stared at the weapon, memories of that night flooding back.
He had run away, angry at his father for breaking a promise. He had found him later, mortally wounded in a secluded forest, clutching this very weapon. When his father’s body had been returned, the weapon was gone, only the bloody holes in his arm remained. And then, the fire…
“Captain Amagai, I don’t know how you learned of his fate, but please, avenge him!” Kumoi cried, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief, his performance impeccable.
“Shinetsu Kisaragi was a dear friend of our late master. They often spent hours discussing… well, I wouldn’t presume to understand their conversations. But that night, the Gotei 13, for reasons we still don’t comprehend, attacked the Kasumiōji estate. If not for Kisaragi’s intervention, our family would have been annihilated. We managed to repel the attackers, but Kisaragi… he was killed by the Captain-Commander himself. We later learned that Yamamoto had also… dealt with Kisaragi’s family. Our late master, fearing for their safety, sent me to protect them, but we were too late. When we arrived, their home had been reduced to ashes.”
Kumoi’s words were a masterful manipulation of the truth. The Kasumiōji family, in their pursuit of perfecting the Bakkōtō, had forced Shinigami to wield the incomplete blades, resulting in their deaths as their reiatsu was devoured. The Central 46, citing a lack of evidence, had prevented Yamamoto from investigating. Yamamoto, in turn, had sent Shinetsu Kisaragi to gather evidence.
Now, however, Kumoi painted Kisaragi as a friend of the Kasumiōji family, killed by Yamamoto while defending them. He even claimed the Kasumiōji family had tried to protect Kisaragi’s family.
Amagai, unaware of the true circumstances, believed Kumoi’s lies. His own investigations into the events of that night had corroborated Kumoi’s account: the Kasumiōji attack, Yamamoto’s assault, and Shinetsu Kisaragi’s death.
“Captain Amagai, the Kasumiōji family stands ready to assist you in any way we can,” Kumoi said. “This Bakkōtō, our greatest creation, can seal a Zanpakutō’s release. With it, you can avenge Kisaragi. You can kill Yamamoto.”
“Kill Yamamoto…” Amagai drew his Zanpakutō, its tip resting on the Bakkōtō within the box. The purple, octopus-like creature on the Bakkōtō’s tsuba flowed onto Amagai’s blade, merging with his own Zanpakutō.
“Steward Kumoi, while this Bakkōtō can seal a Zanpakutō’s release, I’m not confident I can defeat the remaining Gotei 13 captains alone. I need a distraction.”
He had been trained by a mysterious figure in Hueco Mundo, a master of all four Shinigami arts. Even without their Zanpakutō abilities, the captains, if they possessed similar skills, would be formidable opponents.
“If you want me to avenge Kisaragi, show me your commitment. Create a diversion, something to draw the other captains away, giving me a chance to face Yamamoto alone. Then, I’ll kill him.”
“That… might be difficult, Captain Amagai.” Kumoi’s face creased with concern. “The Kasumiōji family is… diminished. Only a young princess remains.”
“I don’t care. Find a way.” Amagai sheathed his Zanpakutō and turned to leave.
He knew the Bakkōtō’s creation had been fueled by death and despair. If not for his desire for revenge, he wouldn’t have considered working with the Kasumiōji family. His father’s loyalty to them had been misplaced, his death a consequence of his misguided allegiance.
But his family, those who had perished in the fire, what had they done to deserve such a fate? Why had Yamamoto targeted them?
As Amagai and Kibune left, Kumoi smiled coldly. He turned and walked out of the chamber, his back straight, his demeanor confident.
The Kasumiōji servants, seeing him, bowed respectfully. He moved through the estate with the authority of a lord, as if he, not the young princess Rurichiyo Kasumiōji, was the true head of the clan.
He entered a small, heavily guarded room. A dozen guards in dark purple ninja garb stood watch, protecting the occupant within.
“Steward Kumoi,” a young girl with long, golden hair said, opening the door. “Has the… unrest ended? Can I leave now?”
“Princess Rurichiyo, while the immediate danger has passed, we cannot be certain of the current… tranquility. For your safety, you must remain here.”
“So, if it takes a hundred years to confirm my safety, I’ll be trapped here for a hundred years?”
“Indeed, Princess.” Kumoi maintained a respectful tone, but his words were chilling.
“Damn it!”
“Princess, you are the last of the Kasumiōji line. For the sake of the family’s continuation, I have arranged a marriage for you. Once you are wed and have produced an heir, you will be free to go wherever you please. My loyalty is to the Kasumiōji family, not to you personally.”
“Damn you! Damn you!” Rurichiyo flew at Kumoi, kicking him repeatedly, but only succeeding in hurting her own foot.
“Princess, please be patient. If those Shinigami, those who targeted the nobles, discover you, even I cannot protect you.” After a brief conversation, Kumoi left the room, whispering instructions to one of the guards.
…
“Princess Rurichiyo Kasumiōji of the Kasumiōji family has gone missing, presumably kidnapped and taken to the World of the Living through a Senkaimon. The Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth Divisions are to investigate.”
Ailin rubbed his temples, groaning. He had just arrived at his office when he received Yamamoto’s summons. He found Soi Fon, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Rukia Kuchiki already assembled in the First Division’s meeting chamber.
“Captain-Commander Yamamoto, isn’t mobilizing three captains for a missing noble a bit… excessive?”
“It’s four captains, Ailin,” Soi Fon said, her arms crossed. “You three will search for the princess in the World of the Living. I’ll remain here, investigating any potential leads within the Seireitei.”
“The recent noble purge has left the surviving families on edge,” Byakuya added. “We must demonstrate our commitment to their safety, reassuring them that we won’t abandon them. Otherwise, their… anxieties could become a distraction, hindering our preparations for the upcoming conflicts with Hueco Mundo and the Vandenreich.”
“We were specifically requested by the Kasumiōji steward,” Rukia explained. “He insisted on Ailin, the ‘Strongest Captain,’ Byakuya, the ‘Model Noble,’ and myself, the ‘Leader of the Purge.’ He believes that only our combined efforts can convince him that the Gotei 13 isn’t orchestrating the nobles’ disappearances.”
“He suspects we’re… eliminating them one by one,” Ailin finished, impressed by Kumoi’s cunning. He knew the truth, but he had to admire Kumoi’s manipulation. He must have rallied the remaining noble families to pressure Yamamoto.
Even if Rurichiyo perished in the World of the Living, Kumoi’s actions might secure his position as the new head of the Kasumiōji clan.
