While the two were immersed in the joy and bitterness of their reunion, another strange encounter was unfolding on the other side.
"Pant... pant..."
Ichigo Kurosaki gasped heavily for air as he rushed toward the shattered execution stand.
He was in a terrible mood.
His Bankai had been effortlessly blocked by Aizen, and he had nearly been shredded by Kurohitsugi, making him feel his own insignificance all over again.
Moreover... He stared at the figure collapsed in the ruins ahead.
"Rukia..."
'Is she okay? She looks heavily injured...'
But just as he was a few meters away from Rukia, a white silhouette beat him to it, appearing beside her as if by teleportation.
It was Byakuya Kuchiki.
The Captain of the Sixth Division had long lost the unhurried composure typical of the head of the noble Kuchiki family.
His breathing was somewhat erratic, and a corner of the Kenseikan on his head had been shattered during his battle with Gin Ichimaru.
The pristine white haori symbolizing his captaincy was riddled with cuts from Shinso and covered in shocking bloodstains.
Byakuya crouched beside Rukia, looking at his adopted sister who had fallen into a deep coma after the Hogyoku was extracted from her.
His eyes were incredibly complex.
Within them lay the guilt of a brother who had failed to protect his sister, as well as the anger of being played for a fool by Sosuke Aizen.
But more than that, it was a sense of bewilderment following the sudden shattering of the shackles of rules he had suppressed in his heart for so long.
The noble family traditions he had always upheld... the laws of the Seireitei... had nearly gotten Rukia killed...
Speaking of which, Rukia, much like Renji, actually hailed from Inuzuri, the chaotic district where Asuka used to live.
She was adopted into the Kuchiki family entirely because of the dying wish of her long-lost sister, Hisana, who had pleaded with her husband, Byakuya:
"Please forgive my selfishness... On behalf of this unfit sister, please take good care of my younger sister and let her call you brother..."
Byakuya Kuchiki had agreed to his wife's request, adopting the girl who looked exactly like his late wife.
Byakuya reached out, seemingly wanting to check on Rukia's injuries.
But his hand stopped in midair, hesitating for a moment.
Ultimately, he just gently pulled together the messy white execution robes on Rukia, covering the bloody hole Aizen had pierced through her chest, planning to carry her over to the Fourth Seat, Shinobu Kocho, for treatment.
"Hey! Let her go!"
Seeing Byakuya's actions, Ichigo immediately grew anxious and pointed the tip of his blade at him.
Even though he already knew the Sokyoku execution was Aizen's conspiracy, and even though he knew Byakuya was Rukia's brother, the memory of Byakuya mercilessly piercing him in the World of the Living and personally dragging Rukia back to the Soul Society...
It still filled him with hostility toward this cold-hearted noble.
Byakuya quietly gazed at Ichigo with those aristocratic eyes.
He didn't seem angered by the boy's offense.
"Kurosaki... Ichigo."
He muttered the name, his voice lacking a bit of its usual arrogance.
His gaze lingered for a long time on Ichigo's orange hair, his stubborn eyes, and the black Zanpakuto in his hand.
Then, his line of sight moved past Ichigo's shoulder, looking toward a certain direction behind him.
Sensing Byakuya's odd reaction, Ichigo subconsciously followed his gaze and looked back.
On the ruins not far from them.
A man in a tattered Shihakusho with black spiky hair, looking seventy to eighty percent similar to Ichigo Kurosaki... was scratching the back of his head, walking over with an awkward expression.
Kaien Shiba.
Earlier, due to the chaos when the Spirit Orb Core crashed through the sky, coupled with the blinding battle between Asuka and Aizen, not many people had noticed Kaien falling alongside Asuka.
It wasn't until the battle subsided just now that Kaien hurried toward Rukia's direction to check on the situation.
But as soon as he looked up, he met Byakuya Kuchiki's gaze, which looked as if he had just seen a ghost.
"Uh... well..."
Kaien smiled awkwardly and raised a hand in greeting. "Yo, Captain Kuchiki, long time no see. You've... gotten more handsome."
Eighteen years ago, it was through the mediation of the Kuchiki and Shihoin families that Kaien took on the role of Captain of the Tenth Division.
Now, times had changed; the Captain of the Tenth Division was Toshiro, and the Shiba family had been banished from the Seireitei.
Therefore, Byakuya was in no mood to entertain Kaien's teasing.
He only wanted to interrogate Kaien about what he thought the responsibilities of the Five Noble Families were, considering he had just disappeared for eighteen years.
Furthermore...
He shifted his gaze back and forth between Kaien Shiba and Ichigo Kurosaki.
Similar... too similar.
The image of the black crescent moon Ichigo Kurosaki had swung in the sky earlier suddenly flashed through Byakuya's mind.
Getsuga Tensho... that was a sword technique of the Shiba family.
Initially, Byakuya only thought this human named Ichigo Kurosaki was somewhat naturally gifted to be able to take Rukia's spiritual power and become a Substitute Soul Reaper...
But looking at it now...
He remembered another former captain from the Shiba family whose whereabouts remained unknown and whose body was never found: Isshin Shiba.
"Kurosaki..." He repeated the surname. "Or rather... Ichigo Shiba..."
"Hey! Byakuya Kuchiki! What are you spacing out for?!"
Seeing Byakuya ignoring him, Kaien stepped forward in dissatisfaction. Just as he was about to say something, he spotted the unconscious Rukia.
"Rukia?!"
Kaien quickly crouched down and inspected Rukia's injuries. "What kind of wound is this... She was pierced through, yet there's no Reishi leaking... but we still need to treat this immediately!"
"That Aizen, he really has a whole set of crooked tricks..."
Saying that, he ignored Byakuya Kuchiki's cold stare and forcefully hoisted Rukia onto his back. "Stop dawdling. While the Sixth Seat Kocho is here, let's hurry and get her treated!"
"...She's already the Fourth Seat," Byakuya corrected calmly.
Listening to their exchange, Ichigo grew somewhat confused.
'Is this ice-block face a good guy?'
Noticing Ichigo's bewildered gaze, Kaien grinned. "Yo, kid! You must be Ichigo Kurosaki, right?"
Carrying Rukia on his back, he walked up to Ichigo and unceremoniously reached out to ruffle his orange hair.
"You did pretty good! Managing to master Bankai and fighting alongside that... reckless guy." He leaned in a bit closer, carefully scrutinizing Ichigo's face, and sighed. "This temper, it's exactly like Uncle Isshin when he was young..."
"Uncle... Isshin?!" Ichigo stared in shock at this older guy who inexplicably looked just like him. "You know my stupid old man?!"
"Hahahaha! More than just know him!"
Kaien burst into laughter and patted Ichigo heavily on the shoulder. "Technically, you should be calling me cousin!"
"Remember it, my name is Kaien Shiba!"
"Cou... cousin?!"
Ichigo's brain, which wasn't exactly top-tier to begin with, completely crashed at this moment.
'Are you telling me that goofy doctor dad of mine who giggles all day and loves launching sneak attacks like an idiot... is a Soul Reaper?!'
'Has the world gone crazy, or am I hallucinating?'