In a blink of an eye, it was the day of Rukia's execution.
Early in the morning, a group of Kidō Corps' member came to the Palace of Repentance and took Rukia to the hill of Sōkyoku.
At the same time, the captains of the Gotei 13 also took actions one after another.
…
Noble Street, Kuchiki House.
The contemporary head of the Kuchiki family, Byakuya, was standing quietly in front of a cabinet.
Inside the cabinet, there was a photo. The person in the photo looked ninety percent similar to Rukia.
It was Byakuya's late wife, Kuchiki Hisana, who was also Rukia's biological sister.
"Hisana, what should I do…" Byakuya murmured. Before his late wife died, he had made a vow that once he found her sister, he would love her as much as his own sister and would always protect her from any kind of danger.
However, he was also the head of the Kuchiki family, and the Kuchiki family, as the head of the Four Great Nobles, must set an example. Since one of their own have made mistakes, they must accept corresponding punishment. After he succeeded the head of the family and adopted Rukia in the Kuchiki family, he also swore an oath in front of his grandfather and father that he will definitely abide by the rules of the Soul Society.
The two vows kept intertwining in his mind, and Byakuya was in great pain.
Suddenly, there were footsteps outside the door.
"Have they already started?"
Byakuya asked a question hearing the footsteps, but when the door was pushed open, it was not a servant of the Kuchiki family who entered the room.
"Father?"
Looking at the person who entered the room, Byakuya was a little taken aback.
After he took over as the head of the family, his father lived mostly in his own building together with his grandfather and they seldom left that place. His grandfather did so because of his old age, while his father did so because of his frail health. Therefore, he didn't expect that his father would come there.
"As a father, I couldn't provide protection for my child and had to let him grow up quickly to take over the burden I couldn't carry. Back then, I couldn't do anything about Hisana. But now in this situation with Rukia, at least let me tell you this, do whatever you want to do, just do it without worrying about Kuchiki family."
Byakuya looked at his father in surprise.
Sojun calmly said, "You are my son, do you think I don't know you well?"
Sojun said to Byakuya, and then he didn't stayed there for too long, and left.
Byakuya's expression was cloudy, not showing his inner thoughts, until a servant arrived and informed that Rukia's execution was about to begin.
"Understood." Byakuya responded, and then he said softly to the photo: "Hisana, I'm leaving."
Closing the cabinet door, Byakuya walked out of the room that was strictly forbidden for outsiders to enter.
He took the silver and white wind flower gauze presented by the servant, wrapped it around his neck, and then walked out of the mansion towards the hill of Sōkyoku.
On the mound directly in front of the Palace of Repentance, stood a huge spear and a huge wooden frame. That is the instrument of death used to execute the notorious felons of Seireitei, the Sōkyoku.
In the past, the Sōkyoku was rarely used to execute any criminal, so the place was usually deserted.
But that day, because it was the day of Rukia's execution, it was extraordinarily lively there.
"Do you have any last words to say? Kuchiki Rukia." Gotei 13's head-captain, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni asked in a deep voice while looking at Rukia who was bound to the wooden frame.
"Yes, there is only one thing I ask." Rukia's voice was unusually calm, she was already prepared to face death, and her only worry was that before she died she could at least make sure that her friends were all right.
"My wish is…" Rukia began to tell.
Moments later, after listening to Rukia's narration, Yamamoto's decisive voice sounded.
"All right!"
"Just as you said, after the execution is over... we will let those Ryoka go back to the world of living."
"Thank you so much." Rukia was slightly relieved.
"It's too much, the head-captain obviously didn't think about letting them go back alive..." Hearing what the head-captain spoke, Isane not far away was quite indignant at the lie of the captain.
"It's not too much, Isane." Hearing what Isane said, Unohana beside her explained, "This is called mercy, since the ending is already doomed..."
"At least the head-captain wanted to let her have nothing to worry about..."
"Wanted to let her... go away with peace of mind."
"Now then, begin the execution." Yamamoto ordered after promising Rukia her final request.
A group of Kidō Corps stepped forward, surrounded the Spear of Sōkyoku, and began to unseal it.
The rest of the people stood nearby and watched from the sidelines.
Because of the continuous chaos in Seireitei, not many people came there today.
The people present were, Head-Captain Yamamoto and his Vice-captain Sasakibe Chōjirō, Second Division Captain Sui Feng and her Vice-captain Omaeda Marechiyo, Third Division Captain Kyo Mazuru, Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana and her Vice-captain Kotetsu Isane, Sixth Division Captain Kuchiki Byakuya, Eighth Division Captain Kyoraku Shunsui and his Vice-captain Ise Nanao, amounting to a total of six captains and four vice-captains.
As for those who did not come, apart from the "late" Aizen Sosuke, the captain of the Fifth Division, and Kurotsuchi Mayuri, the captain of the Twelfth Division who was seriously injured, they were, Hitsugaya Toshiro, the captain of the Tenth Division, and Jushiro Ukitake, the captain of the Thirteenth Division. They were all unable to attend due to their own reasons. As for the captain of the Seventh Division, Komamura Sajin, the Captain of the Ninth Division, Tousen Kaname, and the captain of the Eleventh Division, Zaraki Kenpachi, these three were because of——
"Are you sure you want to block my way, Zaraki Kenpachi?" Sajin snapped at Zaraki ahead.
This morning, Sajin took his vice-captain Iba Tetsuzaemon and Kaname to go to the hill of Sōkyoku, but unexpectedly encountered Zaraki who was blocking the way, and Zaraki was followed by the Ryoka.
"Well excuse me then, I promised someone that I will help him block you guys." Still with his arrogant tone, Zaraki stood firm the road with his rough Zanpakuto on his shoulder.
"Is that person a Ryoka? Did you lose your dignity after losing to a Ryoka, Zaraki Kenpachi?" Although blind, Kaname still accurately sensed that the person behind Zaraki was one of the Ryoka.
"Tch, you can say whatever you want, anyway, don't think about going there today." Zaraki looked indifferent to Kaname's question, and then glanced at Sajin and Kaname with boiling fighting spirit, "I hope you both can let me have a good fight!"
…
On Sōkyoku Hill.
Since it will take some time to liberate Sōkyoku, Shunsui took the initiative to go to Mazuru's side and exchanged pleasantries with him.
The main reason was because Nanao wanted to get close to Mazuru, so Shunsui simply granted her wish.
"By the way, brother Mazuru, where's your vice-captain?"
"For the rest of the teams, either because the captain didn't come, the vice-captain didn't come here, or because the vice-captain was in prison. But I remember your vice-captain Ichimaru Gin, he shouldn't have any of these problems."
"Gin?" Mazuru frowned slightly, "He said he didn't feel well today, so he didn't come."
"I see." Shunsui didn't think much about it.
Although Mazuru and Gin were suspected of killing Aizen, he has known Mazuru for so many years, and he firmly believes that with his character, he would not do such a thing.
*****
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