The moon hung high above Seireitei, veiled in a thin layer of mist. Below, nestled against the curvature of the protective walls, loomed one of the Tsunayashiro clan's lesser-known branch estates — grand in architecture, discreet in purpose.
Akira and Aizen stood atop a distant, shadowed roof, surveying their target.
"We're certain the records are inside?" Akira asked quietly, eyes narrowed, his hand resting loosely on the hilt of Zhuoyin.
"Yes," Aizen replied, voice calm and assured. "According to the intercepted correspondence and the ledger we recovered, this estate acts as a conduit. A relay node in the information web of the Four Great Houses. If there's evidence, it's here."
Akira nodded, then reached inward.
[SYSTEM NOTICE: Infiltration Protocol Engaged. Skill Set Loaded: SHADOW BLADE, SILENT TRACE, DARK VEIL. Detection Suppression Active.]
Aizen pressed his fingers together, murmuring under his breath.
"Shatter, Kyōka Suigetsu."
The world rippled. Reality bent. And then, they vanished into the dark.
Inside the Estate – Outer Perimeter
The estate's defenses were formidable. Layered Kidō wards shimmered faintly over doorways and walls. Guards, clad in ceremonial dark armor, patrolled silently in practiced formations. They were not Shinigami — not in the traditional sense — but trained enforcers bred for loyalty and silence.
Akira slipped between them like a ghost, Zhuoyin's dark Shikai form sheathing him in swirling shadows. His presence dimmed to a flicker.
[System Enhancement: DARK VEIL suppressing reiatsu output. Visibility reduced to near-zero. Enemy detection probability: <3%.]
Above, Aizen moved like a wraith, using misdirection rather than concealment. One guard turned suddenly, eyes widening at a shadow that darted across his vision — but it was a false image, a trick of Kyōka Suigetsu.
"Must be the wind," the man muttered, turning back.
Aizen and Akira moved deeper.
Mid-Corridor – Hidden Traps
Zhuoyin pulsed in warning.
[ALERT: Layered entrapment Kidō detected. Bakudō-linked spatial warp nets. Initiating counter-analysis... Disruption field available. Deploy LIGHT PULSE?]
Akira paused and looked to Aizen. The elder brother nodded slightly.
"Disrupt, but only for five seconds. I'll guide us through."
Akira whispered the activation.
"Illuminate, Zhuoyin."
A pulse of soft golden light flickered from his fingers, warping around their feet, dissolving the trap temporarily. Aizen led them between the gaps like threading a needle through shifting blades.
Moments later, the trap reset behind them, undisturbed.
The Hidden Chamber
Behind a false wall lined with tapestries bearing the Tsunayashiro crest, they found it — a reinforced vault door etched with old Soul King symbols. Not meant to be seen, much less opened.
"This is it," Aizen said.
Akira's hand extended.
[SYSTEM OVERRIDE: Initiating precision barrier unweaving. TIME TO BREACH: 9 seconds.]
The seal flickered, pulsed... then gave way with a soft exhale of spiritual pressure.
Inside lay a circular room, cold and humming with latent power. Shelves lined with scrolls, old records, and data cores filled the space. At the center stood a pedestal holding a small crystalline object — faintly pulsing with energy.
"A fragment," Aizen murmured.
They approached.
[IDENTIFICATION: Inert Soul King Fragment (Sealing Variant). Potential use: spiritual suppression, resonance tracking. Threat level: UNKNOWN.]
Beside it, scrolls detailed procedures, historical targets, records of fragment-bearers — dissected, rewritten, vanished from public record.
Akira's jaw tightened. "How many...?"
Aizen flipped through the parchment. His eyes narrowed.
"Too many. And they're planning more."
Alarm Triggered – Confrontation
A pressure spike.
Then —
"Intruders!" a voice barked from above.
The far wall exploded inward as five guards burst in, their spiritual pressure sharp and heavy. Behind them, a man in black and crimson robes entered slowly, calmly. His eyes gleamed with noble arrogance.
"I wondered when you two would arrive," he said.
Akira turned to Aizen. "Plan?"
"Buy time. Misdirection. And if necessary — break everything."
Kyōka Suigetsu shimmered.
Zhuoyin's light and dark flared in tandem.
The vault erupted into battle.