With Yoruichi, Yūshirō, Ginrei, and Sojun now gone, the weight of the day's formalities seemed to lift slightly. The mansion returned to a quieter state. Yuichi turned toward Byakuya, "Lord Byakuya," Yuichi began respectfully, though part of him inwardly sighed at the necessity of continued formality. "Is there anything you would like to do now?"
Byakuya's gaze, calm and distant as ever, turned to Yuichi. "I will return to my room," he said plainly, his tone measured and unemotional, as if the answer had been inevitable from the start.
Mei, ever mindful of protocol, followed up with another question. "Shall we call for you at lunch, young master?" she asked, her posture straight and composed.
Byakuya shook his head. "No. I will not require lunch. Do not disturb me until dinner," he replied, his words final, leaving no room for further inquiry.
Both Yuichi and Mei bowed deeply in response, showing the proper respect due to the head of the Kuchiki clan, even if he was still so young. Byakuya turned on his heel and made his way back to his quarters, his strides graceful and calculated. Mei slid the door closed behind him with a soft thud, and for a moment, silence filled the hall.
Once they were alone, Yuichi let out a long breath, feeling the stiffness in his neck and back from all the bowing. "I really hate all this stiff politeness and bowing," he muttered, rolling his shoulders and trying to shake off the formal atmosphere.
Mei, still composed as ever, gave him a sidelong glance. "It's normal for me," she replied simply, her tone calm, as if such rigidity was second nature.
"Really?" Yuichi raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the wall. "I doubt Lady Yoruichi would request this kind of formality from you."
Mei shrugged slightly, her eyes briefly glancing toward the direction of Yoruichi's earlier departure. "Whether Lady Yoruichi requests it or not is irrelevant. As her servant, I will do what is proper. It's a matter of duty."
Yuichi let out another sigh, shaking his head slightly. "Duty... I guess that's one way of looking at it," he said, his tone thoughtful. He glanced toward Byakuya's room, wondering how someone so young could carry the weight of nobility so effortlessly. "But it's not for me."
They exchanged a quiet look of understanding before turning back to their task. For the next few hours, they would guard Byakuya's room, ensuring his safety until dinnertime. As guards, they couldn't afford to be distracted or careless, but there was an understanding between them that today was unlikely to see any significant threats. After all, Lady Yoruichi and the Kuchiki family had only just departed. No one would be foolish enough to launch an attack with such high-profile figures still close by.
Yuichi leaned against the wall next to the door while Mei took her usual position sitting in seiza on a cushion nearby, her eyes half-closed as she quietly monitored their surroundings. Despite her calm appearance, Yuichi knew she was fully alert, her senses tuned to detect even the slightest disturbance.
When evening finally approached, it was time to escort Byakuya to dinner. Mei stood gracefully, her movements fluid and precise as she approached Byakuya's door. Knocking lightly, she waited for a response before sliding the door open.
"Lord Byakuya," she called softly, bowing as she entered. "Dinner is ready."
Byakuya, seated in meditation once again, opened his eyes slowly, his zanpakuto lying next to him just as it had earlier. Without a word, he rose from his place, his movements calm and unhurried. He followed them silently as they led him to the dining room, where he would dine alone this time, the formalities of the earlier breakfast no longer needed.
The evening meal passed much like the earlier one—quiet, formal, and respectful. Byakuya ate in silence, his attention focused inward as always, while Yuichi and Mei stood at their usual posts by the door, waiting until the meal concluded. Once Byakuya finished, they escorted him back to his quarters, where he would spend the rest of the night in solitude.
With their duty temporarily concluded, it was now time for Yuichi and Mei to take their own meal. However, they couldn't afford to relax entirely. One of them needed to stay behind to guard Byakuya's room, as the young heir's protection was still their top priority.
"I'll take the first watch," Mei offered as they returned to the hallway outside Byakuya's room. "You can eat first."
Yuichi nodded, grateful for the offer. "Thanks," he said before making his way to the dining area where the staff had prepared a modest meal for them.
Once he had eaten, he returned to relieve Mei, who then went to have her own dinner. The night had settled in, bringing with it a sense of calm. With the mansion's high-profile guests gone, the atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed, though their duty remained the same.
As they stood guard outside Byakuya's room, the stillness of the night set in. With no immediate threats to worry about and nothing else to occupy their time, both Yuichi and Mei turned to a familiar practice they often engaged in during these quiet moments—absorbing reishi from the environment.
Yuichi had introduced Mei to this technique a while ago, knowing it would help her refine her external reishi manipulation and increase her reiryoku absorption. It was a useful exercise for moments like this when they had little else to do but wait. The technique involved drawing in the ambient reishi from the surrounding air, focusing it inward until their bodies reached the limit of how much they could absorb. It was a slow but steady process, one that pushed the boundaries of their reishi capacity each time they practiced it.
As Mei sat in seiza once more, her eyes closed in concentration, Yuichi stood with his back against the wall, his hands loosely at his sides as he focused on drawing in the reishi around him. The subtle pull of energy filled him, strengthening the flow of reiryoku within his body as he absorbed more and more. He had shared this technique with Mei willingly, knowing it would be beneficial for her training.
What he hadn't shared with her, however, was the more advanced technique he had developed—one that allowed him to temper his reishi body into a reiryoku-type body. That technique was far more dangerous, painful even, and Yuichi had reserved it for himself and Miel, his hollow servant. He didn't see the need to share such a thing, especially since it involved transforming one's very spiritual structure. It was a power he was still refining himself, and he preferred to keep it as a personal advantage, something he could rely on when the time came to face more dangerous threats—like Aizen or the Quincy.
Still, Yuichi saw no harm in sharing the reishi absorption technique with Mei. In fact, he knew that by doing so, she would eventually inform Lady Yoruichi, who in turn would likely pass the information along to Urahara. Yuichi had no illusions about keeping secrets from someone like Urahara, and in truth, he didn't mind if they knew. After all, the more Yoruichi and Urahara abilities grew, the more they could be of use to him in the future—especially when the real battles with Aizen and the Quincy began.
Yuichi's thoughts drifted as he considered the future. Aizen's plans were still in their early stages, but Yuichi knew that eventually, the Visoreds would come into existence—former Soul Reapers corrupted by hollowfication. He had long considered bringing someone along to that fateful event, someone if hollowified could become a huge asset to him in the future. At first, he had considered Kira, but she had long since perished, making her an unlikely candidate.
That left Mei.
She was strong, dedicated, and her ice-elemental zanpakuto made her a deadly force in battle. If anyone could survive the chaos that would come in a hundred years, it was Mei. And with her at his side, Yuichi could ensure that they both came out of it stronger.