We reached 100 power stones ! Huge thanks to y'all, let's get to 200 now !!
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Near the center of Shin'ō Academy's festival grounds stood the performance stage—where all the class presentations were set to take place.
Kyoraku Shunsui and several other captains had already gathered there, forming a casual circle and chatting among themselves. Beside them, a notice board had been posted listing the performance schedule and times.
"The first act is by the Student Council," Kyoraku murmured, rubbing his chin. "Kezawa, Hinamori, and Rukia… those all sound like very cute girls."
Luckily, Ise Nanao wasn't nearby—otherwise he'd have earned another eye-roll of disdain.
"I've met Rukia before," said Shiba Kaien with a small smile. "She really is quite cute."
That caught Kyoraku's attention. Admiring beautiful girls was one of his greatest joys in life.
"I'm starting to suspect that Tachikawa's real reason for not graduating," Kaien added with a sigh, "is that he wants to enjoy a long reign in the student council surrounded by pretty girls."
His grumbling revealed just how sore he still was about Shin's refusal to join his division.
Nearby, Ukitake Jūshirō and Aizen Sōsuke were making casual conversation, while Kuchiki Ginrei, ever serene, stood quietly to one side. He was no longer the eldest present, but certainly the most senior—his own grandson had long since married. He had little interest in cultural festivals but had shown up today as a favor to Kaien. His grandson and Kaien were close in age and likely to work together in the future.
He'd originally hoped to bring his grandson along, but ever since that incident, the boy had become more withdrawn, avoiding others altogether. Ginrei carried quiet worry for him—his own son had died in the line of duty, and all his hopes now rested on the next generation.
A crowd had already begun to form near the stage, buzzing with anticipation for the first performance. As expected, people stepped aside to make room for the captains and vice-captains.
Kyoraku, standing with Kaien and Kaien's uncle Shiba Isshin, caught sight of Ise Nanao and Matsumoto Rangiku arriving. He waved cheerfully.
"Nanao-chan!"
Nanao pretended not to see him, engrossed in conversation with Rangiku. Kyoraku clutched his chest in mock heartbreak. Kaien snorted out a laugh.
"Already here?" someone asked from behind.
Unohana Retsu had arrived, accompanied by Isane and Tachikawa Shin.
"Captain Unohana," Aizen greeted politely.
"How was the stroll through the festival?" Kyoraku asked.
"It's surprisingly lively," Unohana replied with a gentle smile. "Everything is quite well put together."
"It really is," Kyoraku agreed. "If only we'd had this kind of thing back in our school days."
He and Ukitake had been part of Shin'ō Academy's first graduating class. At that time, the academy was still just a freshly converted offshoot of the Genji School run by the Head Captain himself—crude and austere.
As the captains chatted among themselves, Shin stood quietly nearby, saying little.
Soon enough, a young student—the head of the Cultural Committee—stepped to the center of the stage to deliver an opening speech.
"Welcome, everyone, to the first-ever Shin'ō Academy Culture Festival! Up next are performances prepared by students from every class. We hope you enjoy the show!"
He stepped aside and announced, "Opening performance: a dance theater presentation by Student Council members Kezawa, Hinamori Momo, and Rukia…"
Among the students, Hinamori and Rukia might not have been particularly famous yet—but everyone knew Kezawa. As the head of the Disciplinary Committee, she was known for her strict, no-nonsense demeanor.
Which made everyone all the more curious: What the hell would a Kezawa dance look like?
The crowd erupted with excited murmurs as the curtain parted, revealing three girls stepping onto the stage.
Leading the group was Hinamori, dressed in a brilliant pink kimono and adorned with carefully applied makeup, giving her a surprisingly mature appearance.
Rukia followed behind her. Compared to Momo, she still wore a veil of shy hesitation, clearly uncomfortable in such a flashy outfit on such a public stage.
Kezawa, naturally, wore her usual stone-faced expression—but even her rigid steps betrayed her unease.
"…Now that's something," Kyoraku Shunsui murmured, smiling broadly. If these lovely girls all graduated into the Eighth Division, I'd die a happy man.
The crowd fell into a hush. The quiet only made the girls on stage feel more nervous. From behind the scenes, the band began to play.
Shin watched them with an easy smile, until he noticed something odd.
Kuchiki Ginrei was staring intently at Rukia.
The stoic old noble, who rarely revealed anything, was now visibly shaken.
She looks just like her…
That girl on the stage, that petite student with such striking features—she looked almost identical to the Kuchiki family's estranged would-be daughter-in-law.
"Rukia! You got this!"
A loud, poorly timed shout broke the silence, making several in the audience frown. They turned to see a red-haired boy grinning and waving wildly.
Rukia flushed crimson, cursing Renji under her breath.
Shin observed Ginrei again, gaze thoughtful.
It was bound to happen sooner or later. Rukia being noticed by the Kuchiki Clan—this was just happening earlier than in the original timeline.
Still, no matter what happened, Kuchiki Byakuya would genuinely care for Rukia. Of that, Shin had no doubt.
But living under the Kuchiki name wouldn't be easy. That cold, perfect brother of hers was both her greatest support and her most oppressive shadow.
The dance began.
The three girls moved gracefully in time with the music—a slow, flowing choreography like a soft tale being told without words.
They weren't professionals, far from it, but there was a sincerity to their performance that made it captivating.
For most of Soul Society, entertainment like this was a rarity. Outside of the noble clans, most had never seen a proper stage performance at all.
And these three—so distinct, so elegant—each had their own charm.
By Shin's standards, the performance wasn't even average.
But this was a school festival. He wasn't here to judge.
A few minutes later, the dance ended.
The three girls bowed, and the audience exploded in applause.
"Bravo!" Kyoraku clapped enthusiastically.
But then Ginrei suddenly spoke.
"Apologies, everyone—I just remembered something urgent. I must take my leave."
The other captains looked up in surprise. Kaien wondered aloud if the performance had somehow offended the old noble.
But Ginrei said nothing more.
He simply turned… and walked away.
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For this week I will do more release depending on the power stones !
100 Power Stones = 1 chapter (in addition to the daily update)
So give stones if you want mooooar !