"Fly in?" Kaien and Asuka were both taken aback.
Kukaku's lips curled into a wild smile. "Of course. Did you think I spent the last dozen years in the Rukongai just messing around?"
"Follow me!"
She led the two of them to the backyard.
In the center of the massive backyard stood a gigantic, cylindrical structure that towered into the clouds.
This was the very culprit that terrified the neighbors and forced Kukaku to move...
"The Flower Crane Cannon!" Kukaku patted the cold metal exterior, her eyes filled with pride. "This is a super cannon I developed and improved by combining the Shiba Family's ancestral launcher, Kido, and fireworks technology!"
"It was originally meant for hosting the grandest fireworks festival in the Rukongai... but no matter! With a few minor adjustments, it can become the ultimate breach weapon!"
Kukaku pointed toward the invisible Reishi barrier above the Seireitei.
"The Shakonmaku of the Seireitei is sturdy, but as long as the instantaneous burst of Spiritual Pressure is strong enough, we can tear a hole right through it!"
"I'll pack you into a specially made Reishi cannonball, and then—"
She made a launching gesture, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Boom! I'll shoot you straight into the very center of the Seireitei!"
"What?!"
Kaien's jaw nearly dropped. "Shoot us out like cannonballs? Kukaku, are you trying to murder your own brother?!"
"Cut the crap!" Kukaku glared at him. "This is the fastest way! Besides, the Seireitei is a complete mess right now. Everyone is focused on the Ryoka and the execution."
"Such a massive commotion will actually catch them off guard!"
"Even if Aizen wants to cover up your existence, he won't be able to do it in front of everyone, not after an earth-shattering explosion like that!"
Listening to this crazy plan, Asuka crossed his arms and nodded seriously.
"I think it's viable."
"Asuka? Are you crazy too?" Kaien asked in disbelief.
"No." Asuka analyzed calmly. "Since sneaking in quietly is no longer an option, we might as well drop from the sky in broad daylight."
"We'll land on Sokyoku Hill for all to see."
"That's the execution grounds, the place where all eyes will be gathered."
"As long as we show up there, Head Captain Yamamoto will definitely see us."
Kaien froze.
He thought about it carefully, and it seemed... it actually made a damn lot of sense!
"Alright!" Kaien gritted his teeth, his heroic spirit returning. "If that's the case, let's go crazy!"
"Kukaku! Prepare for launch!"
"Now that's more like it!" Kukaku burst into laughter.
Just as they were about to enter the cannon, Kaien suddenly stopped in his tracks.
"By the way... Kukaku, is your... sister-in-law's shrine still here?"
At those words, Kukaku, who had just been laughing, paused, her gaze dimming slightly.
"...It is. Follow me."
Asuka followed behind them as they made their way to a dark room.
Inside was a solemn shrine, displaying the memorial portraits of Kaien Shiba and his wife, Miyako Shiba.
"Sorry about this, setting yours up ahead of time," Kukaku scratched her head.
Kaien didn't mind. He stepped forward quickly, stopping in front of Miyako's portrait.
A long silence followed.
Finally, Kaien reached toward the side of the shrine.
Resting there was a slender, elegant Zanpakuto.
It was the relic of his late wife, Miyako Shiba.
Kaien reached out, gently stroking the cold scabbard, his eyes turning incredibly tender.
"Miyako... fight by my side one more time."
He gripped the hilt firmly and tucked the blade into his sash.
"Asuka! Let's go!"
"Coming."
Asuka tightened his grip on his own Zanpakuto, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with Kaien toward the massive Flower Crane Cannon.
Standing at the control console, Kukaku's hands flew through a series of hand seals as she chanted the activation Kido incantation.
"Surging wings, my name is... Shiba!"
"Flower Crane Cannon—Ready!!"
Following Kukaku's instructions, Kaien and Asuka stood inside the specially made Reishi sphere, slowly channeling their Reiryoku into it.
"Ready, Kaien?" Asuka asked.
"Yeah, anytime." Kaien grinned, a raging fire burning in his eyes. "Let's give that bastard Aizen..."
"One massive surprise!!!"
As the concentration of Spiritual Pressure grew higher and higher, the massive barrel began to vibrate, and a blinding light gathered at the muzzle.
"Fire!!!!"
Boom—!!!!
Accompanied by an earth-shattering roar, a brilliant pillar of light tore through the sky above the Rukongai.
Like a meteor streaking across the heavens, it smashed ruthlessly into the unreachable Seireitei!
Target—Sokyoku Hill!
A little earlier.
Seireitei, at dawn.
Captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyoraku, pulled down his bamboo hat, walking with a solemn expression along the stone-paved path leading to Central 46.
Beside him was the slightly pale Captain of the Thirteenth Division, Jushiro Ukitake.
Without a word, the two passed through layers of corridors, finally arriving before the grand doors of the Central 46 assembly hall.
It was a magnificent yet oppressive structure. The towering stone walls completely isolated the interior from the outside world, symbolizing the highest authority in the Soul Society.
In front of the doors, two rows of guards dressed in Executive Militia uniforms stood like statues.
"Halt."
As the two approached the perimeter, the guards raised their spears in unison, issuing a cold command.
"This is a restricted area. No entry without a summons! Even Captains are not permitted to cross!"
Shunsui Kyoraku stopped, revealing the eyes beneath his hat.
"Oh my, don't be so serious." He tried to ease the tension with his usual lazy tone. "We just have some details regarding the Sokyoku execution that we'd like to discuss face-to-face with the honorable sages. After all, moving up an execution is a major event; there should be a formal process, right?"
"Step back."
The guard's response left no room for negotiation, without even a single fluctuation in tone.
"Violators will be executed without mercy."
Jushiro Ukitake frowned, sensing that something was wrong.
As a good-natured Captain, he frequently interacted with these guards.
Normally, when facing Captains who wished to see Central 46, the guards would block them out of duty, but it was usually a polite, procedural refusal. They were never this rigid.
But today...
Ukitake carefully observed the guard in front of him.
Although the man's eyes were open, his pupils were somewhat unfocused, and the whites of his eyes were covered in eerie, blood-red veins...
Even his breathing pattern was extremely mechanical, almost like...
"...A puppet," Shunsui Kyoraku voiced Ukitake's exact thoughts.
Bang!
Shunsui's figure vanished from his spot, appearing behind the guard captain in the next instant.
With a seemingly gentle yet swift Hakuda strike, he chopped precisely at the back of the man's neck.
The guard captain didn't even grunt before collapsing limply to the ground.
At the same time, Jushiro Ukitake also moved.
Despite his poor health, he was still a veteran Soul Reaper who had served as a Captain for over a century.
Their movements were fluid and seamless. With just a few flashes and palm strikes, they knocked out all the guards blocking their path.
"Forgive me," Ukitake said, a flash of pity in his eyes as he looked at the unconscious guards scattered across the floor.
Together, the two pushed open the heavy bronze doors.
Creak—
The doors slowly opened.
A stale, cold draft carrying the faint scent of blood wafted out from within.
"This smell..." Shunsui Kyoraku's expression changed, and he immediately covered his nose and mouth.
The interior of the assembly hall was pitch black, with only a few faint rays of light filtering in through the high ventilation shafts.
The two walked down the long staircase. The deeper they went, the stronger the stench became.
Finally, they reached the core conference room at the bottom.
"..."
When they clearly saw what lay before them.
The usually laid-back Shunsui Kyoraku furrowed his brows deeply, and Jushiro Ukitake was so shocked he couldn't speak.
On those towering seats arranged in a circle, the forty-six seats that symbolized the highest wisdom and power of the Soul Society...
There were no sages or judges sitting upright.
There were only rotting corpses.