Chapter 38: The Reincarnated Soul

“Do you remember the first time you came to Squad 1?” Mirumaru asked with her tone shifting into a nostalgic one. “Probably not, huh? You’ve had a lot on your plate since then.”

Soujin furrowed his brows. “I don’t really...”

Mirumaru chuckled softly. “Yeah, I didn’t think so but it was quite the day for you. It was that day you were appointed as Captain of Squad 3. You were ‘eager’ to meet All the Captains for the first time. So eager, in fact, that you arrived at squad 1 and barged right in, shouting that you needed help, that you were just reincarnated and had no idea what you were doing.”

Soujin’s eyes widened. “Wait... you’re talking about ‘that’ time?”

Mirumaru’s lips curled up into a sly grin. “Yeah, that time. You were so desperate, but the reception you got was… probably not what you expected.”

Soujin looked down at the table and ran a hand through his hair. He tried to recollect the details. It was a blur to him now but he vaguely remembered the frustration. “Yeah… I tried to meet the Captain but they... didn’t exactly roll out the welcome mat.”

Mirumaru’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “That’s an understatement. One of my squad members took one look at you, heard your whole ‘I’m just reincarnated’ spiel and kicked you right out. He practically booted you out of the building.”

Soujin chuckled sheepishly. “Now that you mention it... I do remember a swift kick to the rear.”

Mirumaru’s smile softened. “Yeah, I was there. I saw the whole thing. That was your first impression of Squad 1. Kicked out before you even had a chance to speak to me.”

Mirumaru leaned back in her chair and spoke just above a whisper. "You know, if you’d pulled that reincarnation story in front of anyone else, they would’ve laughed you off—or worse, assumed you were making excuses to dodge your responsibilities. Except maybe Muffet." She leaned forward slightly and spoke in a conspiratorial murmur. "Though, between you and me... she’s already crazy."

Soujin stifled a laugh. "You’re not wrong there.”

"But me?" Mirumaru straightened up and tapped a finger thoughtfully against her lips. "I heard it, and... I’ll admit, I was curious. Interested, even. Sure, it sounds like a fairy tale, but something about it caught my attention."

"Well, I wasn’t lying," Soujin said firmly. "It’s the truth. I was reincarnated."

Mirumaru's gaze lingered on him for a moment. Then, she shrugged with a smile. "Maybe it is. Maybe it isn’t. But I’ll tell you one thing, Soujin. You’ve been... surprisingly well-behaved lately. It’s very different if I compare you now to the first time I saw you."

That caught Soujin off guard. His brow furrowed. "Wait, hold up. What do you mean by that? How was I before?"

Mirumaru chuckled. "Oh, you were a mess. Cocky, loud, and flailing around like you were trying to convince the world you belonged here. It was... entertaining, to say the least."

"Great," Soujin muttered, "so I was a complete idiot back then…That’s... fantastic."

Mirumaru’s smirk softened. She rested her elbows on the table. Her gaze shifted downward for just a moment. "It wasn’t all idiocy, you know. There’s one thing I remember... something that stuck with me."

Soujin raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what’s that?"

Mirumaru’s tone grew solemn. "For years, Soujin, you were trying to get Head Captain Will to approve you as the Captain of Squad 3 after your predecessor passed away. You’d push and push, insisting you were ready and even showed off the Sword god power and yet, every time Will said you weren’t. He kept saying you still had a lot to learn."

Soujin blinked. "How long did that go on?"

"Too long. It wasn’t until that last mission—the one where we all thought you were dead—that things changed. Everyone mourned you, Soujin. We even buried you."

Soujin’s chest tightened. He hadn’t thought much about the past of this person he reincarnated as. It left him astounded with how much seemingly went on and the pieces of the puzzle to his quick Captainship was becoming clearer.

"And then...?"

Mirumaru’s lips pressed into a thin line before curving into a faint smile. "And then you clawed your way out of the grave." She tilted her head slightly and studied him. "That’s when it must’ve happened, right? Your... ‘Reincarnation.’"

Soujin nodded slowly. "Yeah, that must’ve been it. That’s when I came back."

Mirumaru leaned back with her smirk returning. “After that, it didn’t take long. Will promoted you to Captain almost immediately when he saw you. Guess rising from the dead was enough to convince him you were ready."

Soujin chuckled dryly. “That’s one way to prove a point, I guess. Now some things are starting to make sense to me…"

Mirumaru grinned. "You’ve always been dramatic, Soujin. Even when you don’t remember it."

Mirumaru’s demeanor was suddenly replaced by a rare seriousness. Her violet eyes bore into Soujin's. "So, if you’re really reincarnated like you say... then you must’ve had a life before all this, right? Do you remember it? Or your name back then?"

Soujin frowned. "My name? My past...?" He closed his eyes and tried to dig into the depths of his mind but the effort was like trying to grasp smoke with his hands. He strained only to get flashes of something starting to take shape.

A Street. Cobblestone, faintly wet which reflected a dim orange glow from the streetlights above. A figure appeared in his mind. It was blurry at first but slowly gaining clarity. A girl with red hair. She smiled warmly. Her laugh was faint but familiar. ‘Who is she? ‘he thought. ‘Girlfriend... no, sister...no… both feel right... but how can that be?’

He gritted his teeth. Her hand reached out toward him but her face became obscured by something he couldn’t see. He couldn’t reach her or even call out her name but it danced at the edge of his tongue.

And then there was a word. A name. His name.

"Soujin," he muttered aloud.

Mirumaru tilted her head, puzzled. "What?"

He opened his eyes slowly. "My name... before all this... it was Soujin." He let out a short, incredulous laugh. "The same as it is now. How’s that even possible?"

Mirumaru looked skeptical. "Reincarnated with the same name, huh? That’s either a cosmic joke or... something else entirely."

But Soujin wasn’t listening anymore. His mind had wandered back to the street, the girl and the nagging feeling that he should remember more. The scene shifted violently to a flash of red with the feeling of being slashed through, followed by the sound of glass breaking and the distant roar of something unnatural. He clenched his fists with sweat forming on his brow. He whispered, "What the hell happened that day?"

Mirumaru’s broke through his thoughts with concern. "Hey, Soujin, you okay? You’ve gone pale."

He blinked. Then, he shook his head. "Yeah... yeah, I’m fine. Just... remembering’s harder than I thought."

Mirumaru’s lips pressed into a thoughtful line. "Whatever it is, it sounds like it’s still in there. Maybe you’ll remember it all someday."

Soujin exhaled slowly. "Maybe. Or maybe some things are better left forgotten."

Mirumaru sened the tension lingering and said, "Alright, alright," while waving a hand. "Enough about reincarnation for now. There’s something else I’ve been dying to ask."

Soujin looked up at her. "What’s that?"

Mirumaru rested her chin on her hand. "Well, since I called this little ‘date’—and yes, we’re calling it a date, so don’t you dare argue—I figured I’d be the one taking the lead, dragging you out of your brooding little corner." Her lips curved into a teasing smirk. "But you, Soujin, showed up at Squad 1 in a suit and everything, like you were planning to sweep me off my feet."

Soujin’s face flushed slightly. "Yeah, right. You practically dragged me here and suited me up yourself, remember?"

"Oh, details, details," Mirumaru waved dismissively. Her gaze narrowed and she spoke sweetly. "What I want to know is... what do you think of me?"

Soujin was taken aback by the sudden shift in tone. "What do I think of you?"

"Mm-hm," Mirumaru said. "You’ve got plenty of thoughts in that head of yours, I’m sure. So, spill it. What’s your grand opinion of me, Captain Soujin?"

Soujin leaned back in his chair and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I mean... you’re strong. Everyone knows that. You’re the Captain of Squad 1, for crying out loud. You’re... confident, sharp, and... well, beautiful."

Mirumaru raised an eyebrow though smirked. “Go on,"

Soujin groaned. "Goddamnit , you’re gonna make this easy, are you?"

"No chance, lance" she said with a grin.

"Fine," Soujin sighed and crossed his arms. "You’re... intimidating, alright? But not in a bad way. You’ve got this... aura about you. Like, you walk into a room and everyone knows you’re in charge. It’s impressive, honestly. And yeah, you can be a little... much sometimes."

Mirumaru laughed melodically. This gradually faded and soon she gave a small nod of approval. "Alright, I can accept that".

Soujin leaned back in his chair. "Glad I passed your test."

Her grin lingered for a moment before demeanor cooled. She straightened up. "Now, as much as I’d love to keep poking at you, I think it’s time we talked some business."

Soujin blinked. "Business? Didn’t think this ‘date’ came with an agenda."

Mirumaru tilted her head slightly. "Every encounter with me has an agenda, Soujin. Surely you’ve figured that out by now."

"Fair enough. What’s on your mind?"

Mirumaru tapped her fingers lightly against the table,. "The case with Cera."

Soujin stiffened. "Cera? What about her?"

"Don’t play coy," she said, her gaze narrowing. "You’ve been paying close attention to her situation, haven’t you? Not just as Squad 3’s Captain, but... personally."

Before Soujin could form a reply, Mirumaru’s sharp tone cut through the air like a blade. "Don’t bother denying it. I already know."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Know what, exactly?"

Mirumaru sighed and studied him carefully. "Cera’s execution. It’s happening tomorrow, Soujin."

The words hit him like a thunderclap. She knows…Mirumaru continued. "Will told me himself. I’m probably the second person he’d confide in after making the decision. She’s still possessed and every attempt to remove the Senodokidatsu from her has failed. At this point..." She hesitated for a fraction of a second before continuing. "She’s more a threat to us than an ally."

Soujin’s chair screeched and he stood abruptly with one fist slamming down on the table. "This is bullshit! I just can’t let them execute one of my lieutenants like she’s just some disposable trash! Cera is stronger than this, okay?! She can overcome it!"

Mirumaru’s gaze remained steady, though a flicker of surprise crossed her face at his outburst. For a moment, neither spoke. Then she leaned back slightly with her arms crossing over her chest. She spoke softly. "You’re serious about this.”

Soujin met Mirumaru’s gaze head-on with fire in his eyes. "If Cera’s going to fight this thing, then I’m going to fight for her."

Mirumaru kept a serious stare towards him. “If you’re going against Will’s decision, then you’d better be prepared to take him on. You could be putting yourself up for execution, Soujin."

"I know what I’m saying," Soujin replied firmly. "Cera is my responsibility. My lieutenant. If everyone else has given up on her, then it’s up to me to prove them wrong."

A slow smile crept across Mirumaru’s lips. “You’ll need more than just your determination to pull this off. You’ll need a plan."

Soujin nodded. "Then I’d better start figuring one out. Because I’m not letting her go without a fight."

Mirumaru tapped a finger against the table thoughtfully. "You’re either incredibly brave or incredibly stupid. Maybe both. Still, I’d be ‘lying’ if I said I wasn’t curious to see how this plays out."

Soujin’s eyes narrowed. For a moment, his gaze flickered to Mirumaru’s movements—subtle but deliberate. A glint of metal caught his attention. It was barely visible beneath her perfectly tailored attire.

‘Wait a second... Is that—?’

His thoughts sharpened. ‘That’s a sword sheathe!’ It was expertly concealed but not hidden well enough to escape his notice.

Mirumaru’s hand hovered near it as if she weren’t preparing to draw at a moment’s notice.

Soujin’s pulse quickened. ‘This isn’t going to end well…’

He shifted ever so slightly. His hand dropped near his own blade. The sword sheathe was cleverly integrated into his outfit but drawing it would still take precious seconds. Seconds Mirumaru might not give him. “Mirumaru…is there something you’re not telling me?"