Your True Nature

Seiya pushed open the door and stepped inside.

Two steps forward, and the entire room was within his view.

A simple setting—

A table by the window, a few scrolls hanging on the walls, and an aged figure resting on the bed, watching him with calm eyes.

This bedroom was modest in its furnishings.

With just a glance, Seiya focused on the man before him.

Kuchiki Ginrei.

The current head of the Kuchiki clan.

Seated within the layered bedding, draped in a pure white robe, his eyes sunken and devoid of light.

Forty years of seasons had left deep lines upon his face.

If Yamamoto was an unyielding, ancient pine, then Ginrei was a withered, dying branch.

His frail body radiated exhaustion.

Yet even so, his dry, thin lips twitched slightly, forming a strained smile.

"It has been a long time, Seiya."

Seiya returned a respectful bow.

"As you say, Lord Ginrei."

Since the retirement ceremony of Ōmaeda Marechiyo's father,

"Two years have passed since we last met."

"Yes… time truly flies."

Their meeting began with pleasantries, neither rushing into the main topic.

This, too, was a matter of etiquette.

Seiya kept his expression calm and composed.

Choosing his words carefully, he asked—

"Captain Unohana examined you recently, correct? How is your condition?"

Ginrei shook his head lightly, his face void of emotion.

"Still no answers."

No clear diagnosis.

No clear treatment.

"Would you hand me the tea, Seiya?"

Seiya complied without hesitation, passing the cup over.

"Thank you."

As the elderly noble carefully sipped the tea, Seiya couldn't help but feel a pang of helplessness.

"I'd tell you to avoid strong tea while ill, but… whatever."

At this point, his comfort mattered more.

Ginrei's lips twitched in what seemed to be amusement.

"Your concern is appreciated."

"No problem~ but don't blame me when the acidity upsets your stomach later."

Ginrei chuckled, setting the cup down.

"Aging truly is troublesome. One can't even enjoy food as they used to."

"I came across a new tea blend recently—said to aid digestion. It's purple when brewed. Want me to bring you some?"

"That's from the Technology Development Bureau, isn't it? I'd rather not risk it."

Forty Years of Bonding

Despite their age gap, their relationship had become deeply rooted over the decades.

A genuine camaraderie, formed over years of mutual respect.

Ginrei gazed out the window, his eyes filled with nostalgia.

"The weather… is nice today."

Seiya followed his gaze and suggested—

"Shall we go for a walk?"

Even a withered tree, when bathed in sunlight, might regain a trace of vitality.

However, Ginrei only smiled faintly and declined.

"No need. A rat like me has no place in the light."

At that moment—

A soft thud came from beyond the door.

Seiya subtly glanced toward the source of the sound but did not react outwardly.

Instead, he let the matter pass without comment.

"Then I won't force you, Lord Ginrei."

"Mm. Let's get to the real discussion."

Ginrei carefully set down the tea and slowly lifted his gaze.

His clouded yet resolute eyes locked onto Seiya.

"Seiya, why have you come today?"

A direct question.

The air grew heavy, pressing down on Seiya.

Even he couldn't help but feel a slight sense of discomfort.

Ginrei had never been one for idle words.

He spoke with purpose, without embellishment.

Seiya exhaled lightly and replied—

"I came for Byakuya."

Ginrei, unmoved, merely studied his teacup as he responded.

"I expected as much."

That much was obvious.

The real question was—

"What exactly do you wish to say?"

Seiya didn't hesitate.

"Would you allow Byakuya to make his own choice?"

Silence.

Ginrei's fingers stilled.

The room grew eerily quiet, time seeming to freeze.

Then—

The old noble lifted his gaze, staring at Seiya with absolute neutrality.

"Do you realize the weight of what you're asking?"

A question, answered with a question.

If spoken to the wrong person, such words would be seen as deeply offensive.

Yet Seiya remained calm.

"Of course I do."

He knew exactly what it meant—

"You would have to abandon tradition."

"Betray your own beliefs, your ancestors' teachings."

"Endure the disgrace and slander that will follow."

The history of Soul Society was long.

But the history of the noble houses was even longer.

The rules they followed were not so easily broken.

Ginrei's gaze sharpened, his voice carrying undisguised weight.

"Are you asking me to break tradition?"

The pressure in the room intensified.

But Seiya had faced worse.

He exhaled and smiled faintly.

"Tell me, Lord Ginrei…"

"Do you honestly still care about those traditions?"

Ginrei's expression shifted almost imperceptibly.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said, Lord Ginrei."

Seiya turned his gaze toward the sunlit window.

"Is something truly right just because it is old?"

"Does tradition equal righteousness?"

"Haven't you questioned this yourself?"

Ginrei remained silent.

Because the answer was obvious.

Forty years ago, they had a similar conversation.

But back then, Ginrei had dismissed it outright.

Now—

It seemed his perspective had begun to waver.

"I understand why you cling to these values, Lord Ginrei."

Tradition was not inherently evil.

In fact, it was often necessary.

"Your opposition isn't out of cruelty."

"You are not trying to punish Byakuya."

"You are trying to protect him."

The weight of family reputation, the whispers of nobility, the rivalries that lurked beneath the surface—

Ginrei wanted to spare Byakuya from it all.

He wasn't being heartless.

He was simply being a grandfather.

A dying tree, trying to shield the young sapling for just a little longer.

At that moment—

Another soft thud sounded from behind the door.

Neither of them reacted.

Ginrei remained deep in thought.

Seiya continued—

"But Lord Ginrei…"

"Saplings don't remain small forever."

"Byakuya is already grown. He may not be ready to lead the clan, but he has the potential."

"Trust him. Because—"

"He is the future of the Kuchiki family."

Ginrei's face twitched slightly.

His exhaustion became palpable.

The once-proud noble seemed to shrink before Seiya's eyes.

"Is that so…"

Ginrei turned back to the window.

"I… no longer know…"

"What is right anymore."

His voice was soft, like the whisper of an autumn breeze.

"I raised one child with discipline—he died young."

"I raised another with warmth—he lost his way."

"I thought I had finally learned the correct path."

"But now… I see I was wrong again."

A bitter, self-deprecating chuckle escaped his lips.

"And once more, I realize it too late."

After a long pause, Ginrei looked at Seiya.

He sighed and smiled wearily.

"Seiya… may I ask something of you?"

Seiya tilted his head.

"I will do what I can."

Ginrei chuckled.

"How cautious."

Then, he spoke with earnest sincerity.

"Watch over Byakuya."

"Until the day he can stand on his own."

Seiya crossed his arms, tapping his fingers against his sleeve.

"You asked me the same thing forty years ago, Lord Ginrei."

"The circumstances are different now."

Yes.

This was no longer just a favor.

It was a dying man's final wish.

Seiya sighed.

"Very well."

Ginrei's eyes softened.

"I trust your character, Seiya."

"I have made many mistakes in my life."

"But this time, I choose to believe in my judgment."

"Will you take care of him?"

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Powerstones?

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