Night.
The faint moonlight spread like mist, casting a pale yellow glow over the quiet Seireitei.
Under the management of the Gotei 13th Division, the entire Seireitei thrived in prosperity and peace.
However...
Beneath this bustling facade, a darkness lingered, one that could not easily be ignored.
---
Inside the Shin'ō Academy.
"Finally gone…"
In a small dormitory shared by two, the young woman who lived alone now suddenly opened her eyes, sensing the fading presence of Aizen from Seireitei.
Moonlight poured through the window, pooling onto the wooden floor.
A pair of slender, jade-like legs stepped softly into the pale light, carrying their owner to the window.
Though she appeared to be a young girl, her true age was closer to seventy or eighty. With a small smile tugging at her lips, she gazed at the serene view outside.
Raising her hand, she summoned a cluster of reishi, the spiritual particles gathering effortlessly in her palm.
If her Kidō instructor had seen this display of precise control, they would have been both astonished and humbled.
With a casual wave, she directed the reishi(spirit particle) into a small rabbit doll sitting on the table, a glimmer of expectation lighting her eyes.
The doll was unremarkable in appearance, not unlike the plush rabbit Nene carried in 'Crayon Shin-chan'.
[Note: Reference.]
But for Rukia, it had been special.
The doll was the first gift she had bought for herself with her earnings from working odd jobs at the academy. It held deep sentimental value.
Unfortunately, the strict rules of the Kuchiki family prohibited such "commoner" pastimes.
In the eyes of nobles, anything associated with commoners was considered vulgar and lowly.
As a result, Rukia had reluctantly handed the doll over to her friend and roommate.
Yet Rukia could never have imagined...
That one day, her beloved doll would come to life.
The reishi the woman injected into the doll began to work.
The lifeless plush suddenly stirred, its two fabric feet stepping lightly onto the floor.
Without a sound, it walked up to her, bent down on one knee, and bowed.
"Good evening, Mother!"
"Good evening… Hermes."
A gentle smile spread across her face as she named her creation.
She reached into the dimensional merchant's space and pulled out her 'Rotom phone'. Unzipping a hidden pocket on the rabbit doll, she tucked the phone inside before continuing with a mysterious smile.
"From today onward, you shall serve as my avatar. Seek out suitable traders here in Seireitei and trade with them."
"With pleasure, Mother. I exist to serve you."
Hermes—now officially named—smiled, though the expression was unnervingly strange for something that was only moments ago a doll.
Hermes was no ordinary creation.
He was the purest form of life born from a Devil Fruit power. Spiritual particles served as his essence, and Linlin's own soul fragments formed the framework of his consciousness.
Because he bore numerous imprints of her soul, Hermes was naturally accepted by the dimensional trading system as a qualified entity to conduct transactions.
With his unique soul and the support of the 'Rotom phone', Linlin had no doubt that Hermes would help her realize her vision for dimensional trade.
"Then, I leave everything to you, Hermes."
Linlin smiled with satisfaction.
As a red light flashed, a massive, otherworldly creature appeared outside the girls' dormitory at the Shin'ō Academy.
It was Linlin's Pokémon—Darkrai.
"Darkrai, please escort Hermes to infiltrate the Kuchiki household and find Rukia for him."
"Darkk... (No problem...)"
The dutiful Darkrai replied in a low, rumbling voice.
Without hesitation, it extended its broad, shadowy arms to lift Hermes.
Then, its eyes gleamed red, and thick black mist billowed out, enveloping both the creature and Hermes. The shrouded pair dissolved into shadows and began gliding toward the Kuchiki family estate, following the traces of darkness.
Like Linlin herself, Darkrai could keenly sense the reishi fluctuations in the air and exploit the surveillance gaps within Seireitei's defenses.
For Darkrai, who had nearly regained its full strength and possessed ghost abilities, infiltrating the Kuchiki residence was a trivial task.
Thus, under the cover of night, it became a shadow, rushing stealthily toward the Kuchiki mansion.
---
Meanwhile...
Inside the Kuchiki family's mansion, in a dim and empty room, Rukia lay on a simple mattress placed in the center of a tatami floor.
Clad in modest long-sleeved pajamas, she stared blankly at the ceiling, her thoughts heavy and sleep elusive.
It had been over ten days since she became a member of the Kuchiki family.
Though the transition had been jarring at first, Rukia gradually adapted to the rigid expectations of noble life.
Many of the rules seemed absurd to her, pointless constraints imposed for the sake of tradition.
Still, recalling the promises she had made in the cafeteria, she gritted her teeth, hypnotized herself into compliance, and made every effort to act the part of a proper noblewoman.
Her determination bore fruit.
Within a week, Rukia had won over the elder members of the Kuchiki family, silencing their initial skepticism about an outsider like her.
She was officially recognized as Kuchiki Rukia.
But…
Pretending could only take her so far.
Deep inside, she still yearned for Renji, Linlin, and all her other friends.
This longing kept her awake at night.
"..."
"I wonder how those guys are doing without me," she murmured softly.
"How long will it take before I gain the strength to rise above all these rules...?"
Unable to suppress her frustration, Rukia pouted and continued talking to herself—an uncommon habit she indulged in to ease her solitude.
However, her private musings were interrupted by an eerie voice.
"Do you desire power?"
"Do you want to truly live?"
"Who's there!?"
Startled, Rukia sat upright, her body tense and her eyes darting toward the source of the voice.
The moonlight streamed into the room, casting soft illumination.
From the shadows, a figure emerged—a rabbit doll.
It wore a top hat, a red tie around its neck, and held a small cane.
Rukia froze in disbelief.
Her wide eyes stared at the animated figure as recognition hit her like a lightning bolt.
"Mr. Rabbit… You… you're alive!?"
The doll tipped its hat politely, revealing a mischievous grin.
"Ah, hahaha! Good evening, my dear lady."
Hermes, now embodying a gentlemanly persona, performed an elegant bow.
"Though I once served as your beloved rabbit doll, I must inform you with great regret…"
"…I am no longer simply 'Mr. Rabbit.'"
The doll straightened, its voice resonating with an odd authority.
"I am now Hermes, a dimensional merchant of the prestigious and sacred Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce."
"Her… Hermes? Dimensional merchant?"
Rukia's eyes widened in confusion.
Perhaps it was the familiar appearance of Hermes, resembling the rabbit doll she once treasured, that gave her an instinctive sense of comfort and intimacy.
As a result, she showed little vigilance or hostility toward him.
Hermes smiled and began to explain:
"Dimensional merchants are entities that travel across various dimensions, collecting unique items and powers from each and then trading them in other worlds."
"Does that make sense, my lovely lady?"
Hearing this, Rukia blinked in surprise and asked instinctively:
"Traveling through different dimensions? You mean… the real world, the virtual realm, and Soul Society?"
"No, no, no..."
Hermes shook his head repeatedly, his mysterious smile widening.
"The dimensions I'm referring to are far beyond the simple realms of this world and Soul Society."
"For example..."
"Just as commoners are governed by nobles, and nobles are ruled by royalty…"
"In the grand hierarchy of dimensions, worlds like Soul Society and Hueco Mundo are merely the [commoners] subordinate to higher [nobles]."
"As for the World Chamber of Commerce, it represents the true [royal power], wielding the authority to rule over both [nobles] and [commoners]."
"Do you understand, my dear lady?"
"...I don't," Rukia replied bluntly.
However, after a brief pause, she raised her head, curiosity and anticipation flickering in her eyes.
"But it sounds like Mr. Rabbit—uh, Hermes—has gained some incredible abilities... Can these abilities help me obtain power from these dimensions?"
"Well... you could put it that way," Hermes replied with a nod.
"However, whether or not that power is truly great depends entirely on you."
"On me?" Rukia echoed, puzzled.
Hermes adjusted his top hat, stepping out from the shadows into the moonlit room. Resting his hand on his elegant cane, he said:
"As I mentioned before, I am merely a businessman."
"The extent of power you can obtain from me will naturally depend on what you can offer in return."
"But… but I don't have anything to give..."
Rukia's voice dropped as she spoke, her expression dimming with disappointment.
As someone who had grown up in the Rukongai, she felt helpless in matters involving wealth or trade, let alone something as fantastical as dimensional commerce.
However...
Hermes fixed his deep, obsidian eyes on her and spoke firmly:
"No, you do."
"As the sworn sister of the Kuchiki clan head, you already possess a significant amount of assets—more than you may realize."
"Even if you haven't seen or touched them yet, the Kuchiki family has prepared such things for you."
"Huh? But... those are the Kuchiki family's belongings. I can't just use them," Rukia stammered, suddenly grasping what Hermes was implying.
Though she wasn't related to the Kuchiki family by blood, her status as Byakuya Kuchiki's adopted sister granted her considerable influence within the family hierarchy.
Technically, only Byakuya and the elders held more authority than her.
Of course, this power was mostly symbolic.
A family as vast and traditional as the Kuchiki clan wouldn't entrust genuine authority to an outsider.
Even so…
The symbolic assets and status conferred upon Rukia as a show of goodwill were already enough to place her above 90% of the Shinigami in Seireitei.
Hermes's voice rang in her mind again, smooth and persuasive:
"So what?"
The moment she heard these words, Rukia's thoughts flashed back to her Linlin's scolding in the cafeteria that day.
Linlin had used the exact same tone, the same phrasing.
Looking up at Hermes, Rukia saw him smiling knowingly.
"To the Kuchiki family, such assets are a mere drop in the bucket," Hermes said, his tone gentle but convincing.
"But to you, they are a treasure trove—a colossal fortune."
"After all, these resources will belong to you sooner or later. You're just… using them a little earlier than planned."
"Besides," he continued, his voice smooth as silk, "once you've exchanged these assets for power and earned a solid reputation..."
"What you bring back to the Kuchiki family will far surpass what you took."
"Is that… really how it works?" Rukia murmured, her gaze flickering with uncertainty.
Hermes' words echoed in Rukia's mind like the insidious whispers of a devil.
No matter how she tried to rationalize it, his argument felt undeniably convincing.
What's more…
She desperately needed power—power to free herself from the constraints of the Kuchiki family's stifling rules.
Driven by this urgency and the logic of Hermes' words, Rukia unexpectedly nodded in agreement.
"Alright, let's make a deal!"
---
The night passed in silence.
As the first light of dawn broke over the horizon, a slight chill lingered in the air of Soul Society.
The sun slowly rose, casting its warm glow across the Seireitei, marking the start of a new day.
At the Shin'ō Academy, a kendo class was underway.
Snap!
The sharp sound of wooden swords colliding echoed through the dojo.
"Ugh!"
A wooden training sword stopped just a hair's breadth away from Renji's neck.
"You've lost, Renji," Rukia declared with a mischievous yet triumphant smile, standing over him as he lay sprawled on the floor.
The dojo fell into a stunned silence.
Every student, including the kendo teacher, stared at the scene in disbelief.
Except for one person—Linlin standing at the back, her lips curling into a knowing smile.
Moments passed before the teacher seemed to recover, hurriedly raising the flag to declare:
"The winner is—Rukia Kuchiki!"
Woah—!!!
An uproar erupted across the dojo.
Everyone began whispering and murmuring, their voices filled with awe, confusion, and disbelief.
"Oh my god! Did I see that right?"
"Rukia, the one who's always been at the bottom of the kendo rankings, just defeated Renji—the best in our class? No way! Did Renji let her win on purpose?"
"Let her win? Are you serious? Rukia's sword was so fast it left afterimages! Go ahead, try to block that!"
"This is insane... She was already top-ranked in Kidō in 2066, and now she's taken down Renji, the kendo champion?!"
"Is Rukia aiming to become a god or something?!"
"No way. I bet the Kuchiki family secretly arranged for her to learn advanced swordsmanship techniques. There's no way she was this powerful before!"
The dojo buzzed with a mix of admiration and envious murmurs, filling the air with chaos.
Meanwhile, Rukia walked over to Renji, extending her hand to help him up.
Ignoring the commotion around her, she thought to herself:
'"So this is the power of swordsmanship from another world… It allowed me to defeat Renji in an instant!"'
'"Dimensional trading… It's truly incredible!"'