"Hey, hey, have you heard? Rukia Kuchiki of the 13th Division has been sentenced!"
In the Seireitei, the arrest and upcoming execution of Rukia Kuchiki spread like wildfire. It wasn't just gossip—it involved one of the Four Great Noble Houses, the Kuchiki clan, which made it impossible to ignore. Whispers and debates buzzed through the barracks of every division, questioning the fairness of the Central 46's ruling.
Meanwhile, inside the Fourth Division barracks, Kotetsu Isane couldn't stop herself from teasing Aoki.
"Hahaha, you were actually ignored by both Captain Kuchiki and Vice-Captain Abarai? Hah! That's priceless…"
Ever since Aoki joined the Fourth Division, his presence had become a phenomenon. In just a year, he'd gone from a mysterious outsider to the backbone of the team. His strength, precision in healing, and composure earned him both admiration and reverence. Rumors within the ranks described him as a 'combat monster wrapped in a healer's robe.'
His popularity had skyrocketed, especially among the female members, some of whom openly vied for his attention. Yet despite all that, Aoki remained grounded. His years of solitude in Hueco Mundo left a lingering quietness in his heart—though the warmth of the Fourth Division was beginning to thaw it.
"Okay, okay, I get it. You're enjoying this way too much," Aoki muttered, rubbing his neck as he looked away. His deep voice remained calm, though there was a hint of resigned amusement in his tone.
"Snap!"
Kotetsu Isane slapped a hand on his shoulder, her eyes gleaming with mischief. She only acted this casual around Aoki.
"If I leak this to the rest of the squad, your perfect little image will crumble overnight! So, what'll it be? Bribe me? Run my chores for a week? What's your counter-offer?"
Just as she leaned in closer, Unohana Retsu walked in, serene as always, yet with a rare sparkle in her eyes.
"Include me in this blackmail plan too," she said softly, her tranquil tone laced with mirth.
Before Aoki could offer a snarky comeback, a Hell Butterfly fluttered in, silencing the banter. A captain's meeting had been called.
As Unohana and Isane departed, Aoki remained behind, smiling faintly. The Fourth Division was nothing like the hostile world he came from, and even with its occasional chaos, it felt like a home he never knew he needed.
But the peace wouldn't last.
The ruling of the Central 46 sent shockwaves through the Gotei 13: Rukia Kuchiki was sentenced to a double execution—an unprecedented and brutal decree.
"What the hell?! Are those old fossils insane?! Sure, Rukia broke some rules, but a double execution?!"
Renji Abarai's voice thundered through the 6th Division barracks. His fury was palpable.
Byakuya Kuchiki, arms crossed and eyes closed, replied coldly, "Control yourself. This is the will of Central 46."
"Captain! That's Rukia! She's your sister—at least by law! How can you be so detached?!"
"I forbid you from interfering," Byakuya said flatly, his spiritual pressure flaring just enough to halt Renji in his tracks.
Behind the scenes, Captains Ukitake Jūshirō, Kyoraku Shunsui, Unohana Retsu, and even Byakuya himself attempted to appeal the verdict. All were denied.
"This isn't right…" Unohana murmured in the First Division chamber. "It smells like a fabrication."
And it was. A shadow moved behind the scenes: Sōsuke Aizen.
Soon after, the corpse of Aizen was "discovered," pinned gruesomely to a wall in the 5th Division. Yamamoto Genryūsai personally issued an investigation order. The corpse was sent to the Fourth Division for analysis.
Out of curiosity, Aoki joined the examination team.
"It's too clean…," he muttered, examining the wounds. "The spiritual flow is disrupted unnaturally. This isn't a corpse—it's a puppet."
But his insights were drowned by chaos elsewhere.
Rukia's execution date loomed closer. Meanwhile, Kurosaki Ichigo and his allies had infiltrated Soul Society through the Senkaimon, courtesy of Yoruichi Shihōin and Urahara Kisuke. But as the spotlight remained on the Ryoka, another confrontation flared.
"Boom!"
The Fourth Division, ill-equipped for combat, was overwhelmed by Ichigo and his group as they mistakenly broke into the healing center.
Without Unohana or Isane present, panic spread quickly.
"Stand down, this isn't your battlefield!" Aoki's voice cut through the noise as he stepped into view.
"Three-Seated Officer Aoki!"
The medics breathed a sigh of relief as their strongest member arrived.
Ichigo, wary of the man's calm yet overwhelming aura, unsheathed Zangetsu.
"Who are you?"
"Someone you don't want to fight," Aoki said softly.
Tension built like a drawn bowstring—until Yoruichi appeared behind Ichigo in a blur of movement.
"Sorry! Borrowing this guy again!" she quipped before vanishing with Ichigo in tow.
Aoki watched them disappear with a sigh. "Tell Kisuke to check the new soul-thread stabilizer. I left it in the lab."
He turned and resumed tending to the injured, just as Unohana returned silently, her eyes observing everything. No words were exchanged—but she understood what had happened.
The morning of the execution came.
In front of the Sōkyoku Hill, Renji stood tall against his captain.
"BAN-KAI!"
Renji's Hihiō Zabimaru surged forth, a massive baboon-fanged beast made of spiritual energy, its howl echoing across the hill. Byakuya replied with Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, filling the sky with a torrent of razor-sharp cherry blossom blades.
The clash of steel and ideals filled the square with awe.
Aoki watched quietly at first, knowing none of this mattered in the long game. It was all part of Aizen's labyrinthine scheme.
But then—something changed.
From atop the Sōkyoku platform, the execution construct activated prematurely. The twin-bladed Sōkyoku, said to have the power of a million zanpakutō, flared with heat and fury.
And instead of Rukia—it turned on Aoki.
The massive spiritual entity descended like a burning meteor. Ukitake and Shunsui moved at once. With their ancient knowledge, they activated the Jōkaishō—a counter-system tied to the Shihōin family seal. But they were too late.
"Is this a joke?!"
Aoki's spiritual energy erupted. Thousands of years of silence turned to fury.
"You think you can erase me like a pawn?"
His eyes flared, and he roared:
"Hadō #88: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!"
A beam of destructive lightning ripped through the sky, obliterating the execution construct mid-descent. The sky split with thunder.
From the shadows, Aizen's illusion wavered—but not for long.
Aoki stood amidst the smoke, cloak billowing, his aura terrifyingly stable.
Let them come. Let the pieces fall. He would no longer be a silent observer.