𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄 | 𝐁𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 [MINOR EDITING]

²¹ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴄᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ

On my way to the Head Captain's office in the First Division, I'd stopped to think about what Sir Ginrei had said.

"Bringing the two clans together would indeed give them reason to rejoice, considering the pretenses."

Would it really? Does marriage truly make people rejoice? Had it been that way when Sōjun had gotten married? Were people truly that happy? For some reason, I can't bring myself to come to that belief. Marriage is overrated. Marriage is...

I begin overheating. "... embarrassing."

I then begin to wonder: Why had my mother turned down Sir Ginrei in the first place? Was she already in love with someone? Perhaps she didn't believe in arranged marriages, like me.

I scoff and shake my head in disgust. If that were the case, then she wouldn't have arranged for me to get married when I was still alive. How foolish of me to think that.

-

A good assumption on my part; I'd had a feeling that the headquarters and barracks belonging to the First Division would be the largest out of the lot of them. With the greatest number of members, it eventually becomes more and more difficult to navigate through the sea of Soul Reapers. I begin to grow impatient, after about ten times that I'd been pushed and jostled around.

"Move it!" I end up shouting, unable to control myself. I'm sure that if Inari or Yin had been with me, this would have earned me a smack to my skull.

All the Soul Reapers had stopped in their tracks before scampering to the sides of the long stone staircase, shuffling quickly past me, and I find myself grumbling during my ascent up the stairs.

The moment I make it to the top, the supposed Head Captain's quarters came into clear view off to the right, the number one sticking out like a sore thumb over the long bridge leading to it. It's very sudden how my heart starts to beat out of control. The Head Captain is the most powerful and influential Soul Reaper within the entire Soul Society, so I can't help but wonder... just what it is he wants to talk to me about.

-

After knocking on the entrance to the First Division, I'm asked to wait by one of the division men to wait for their Lieutenant to be able to escort me to the Head Captain.

I don't say it out loud, but I'm tired of waiting, for Inari and Yin to come to a decision, for having to wait for Sir Ginrei to drop his bombshell on me, and now, having to wait for Chōjirō Sasakibe to arrive.

I sigh in relief when the doors swing open toward me.

"I apologize for having you wait so long," a tall, gray-haired man tells me. "I am Chōjirō Sasakibe, the Lieutenant of Squad One."

"It's no trouble, Lieutenant," I say to assure him. I, myself, am especially frustrated.

"Very well then; please, follow me." He gestures for me to follow him along the inner corridors.

"Say, Lieutenant, do you the reason why the Head Captain summoned me?" I say. "It's not like I'm a subordinate, or even a Soul Reaper, and when I received his message this morning, it hadn't come with any explanation, so I was hoping you might know something about it."

"Unfortunately, I cannot say. The Head Captain Yamamoto has not confided in me the purpose of your meeting. However, I can say that it regards the former Captain of Squad Five, Kayanara Kaoku."

"My mother?" I exclaim. He nods.

"Yes. Since Captain Kaoku's execution, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads have yet to replace her. I, myself, am curious as to what his summons request pertains to."

I sigh. "You and I, both."

-

"Head Captain, Lady Abaron Kakaku—""—Abaron is fine—""—of the Kaoku Clan has arrived."

"She may enter," the Head Captain replies from within his quarters. Chōjirō pushes against the one door, which swings open with a heavy creak.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Sasakibe," I say to him before entering. He nods once more, and disappears behind the large door. I find myself tiptoeing further into the Head Captain's chamber, where the Head Captain, himself, stands out on an open balcony. I stand behind him, and bow my head, the way Inari had instructed me, despite him not physically seeing me. "Good evening, Head Captain. You wished to see me?"

The Head Captain hums deeply in response. "Join me, Abaron Kakaku," he says. Gingerly, I step up onto the higher platform of the balcony, refraining from sounding heavy-footed—but before I can do as he'd requested, I'm forced to avoid a swing of his thick wooden cane by jumping away from him.

"Head Captain?!" I exclaim, both confused and scared at the same time.

"Hm... It seems that Jūshirō and Shunsui were correct in assuming you have inherited Kayanara's abilities," he says. I grit my teeth.

"So you invited me here to test me?" I growl.

"That, and push forward your entrance into the Academy," he says. My eyes automatically widened.

"S-Sir?"

"Due to your mother's treasonous actions, the Thirteen Court Guard Squads is now without a Captain. This has only ever happened one time before. However, as per her duties and millennium-long service to the Soul Society, I have granted her request to spare the lives of both you and your siblings."

So, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here right now, I think bitterly. Great.

"This puts us at a disadvantage!" the Head Captain announces. "Should an event occur where the Soul Society is threatened, we have therefore lost a truly terrible warrior, and that warrior's power! Am I to understand your mother had you inherit her Zanpakutō?"

"Yes, Sir," I answer. "While I am in possession of Nōten Bōkyaku, in this moment of time, I am unable to wield it."

"Which is why I have called you here today, Abaron Kakaku."

"... Sir?"

The Head Captain, cane in hand, retreats to the seat behind his desk and leans forward into it.

"Well over two thousand years ago, I was your mother's teacher. I know the workings of her Zanpakutō like my own." I narrow my eyes at him. "

"Head Captain, what are you saying?" I ask. To my surprise, he opens his eyes at me.

"I'm saying it is only fitting that I be your teacher, as well!"

"W-What?!?"