Renji Abarai, Momo Hinamori, and Kira Izuru had agreed today to go find Moriyasu Tokoyo and Rukia.
They’d just come from the Advanced Class next door, stepping into the corridor outside the Regular Class.
Right away, they spotted Moriyasu standing with his arms crossed, leaning back against a pillar at the edge of the corridor.
Not far off, Rukia was giving a small bow to a striking, black-haired man in noble attire.
Behind him stood a gray-haired old man.
One glance at either of their clothing was enough to tell they were both of very high status.
“Whoa, what’s going on?
Why would some noble come all the way to the academy looking for Rukia?” Momo was the first to stop walking.
The air over there felt oddly cold, and her body came to a halt on its own, unwilling to get any closer.
Kira felt the same, though he walked over to stand quietly beside Moriyasu instead, waiting.
Renji tried to close the distance, but after only two steps, a massive weight of reiatsu slammed down on him.
His eyes went wide instantly.
He bent his knees, bracing with everything he had, staring at the young black-haired man in open disbelief.
How could anyone put off a presence this powerful?
Who the hell was this guy?
It felt even heavier than Captain Aizen’s had, that first day.
He was barely three meters from Rukia now, but he couldn’t take another step no matter how hard he tried.
He could only stand frozen where he was.
“Moriyasu, is Renji going to be okay?” Kira asked, a note of worry in his voice.
It was obvious the reiatsu was aimed specifically at Renji, meant to keep him from getting any closer.
Moriyasu let out a light laugh.
“It’s fine.
As long as Red Baboon doesn’t crack under it, this isn’t a bad thing at all.” Kira nodded, only half following.
A moment later, the striking black-haired man said quietly, “Hurry and finish up your business at the academy.” With that, he walked past Rukia and left down the corridor, the old man following behind him.
Passing Renji, he didn’t so much as glance his way, ignoring him as completely as a stone on the roadside.
But as he passed Moriyasu, he turned his face slightly, his eyes landing on the crest at his side.
It was an eye without an eyelid, an unusual thing to look at.
He didn’t stop to make conversation.
The man simply kept up his measured, disciplined stride and left.
Beside them, Renji still couldn’t move at all.
Even with the reiatsu withdrawn now, his body was still locked rigid.
Only once the man was fully gone did he snap out of it.
He hurried forward two steps and asked Rukia, “Who in the world was that?” Rukia smiled.
“That was Byakuya Kuchiki.
Head of the Kuchiki clan, foremost of Soul Society’s nobility, and Captain of the Sixth Division.” Renji’s eyes went wide.
“Why would someone that important come looking for you?
What’s going on?” “The Kuchiki family wants to adopt me.” Rukia’s smile faded.
“From now on, I’m Byakuya Kuchiki’s sister.” “Whoa, congratulations, Rukia!
That’s the top house among all the nobility.
Get in there and you won’t have a single worry for the rest of your life!” Momo and the others had caught up by then, and hearing Rukia’s news, she burst out with it happily.
Kira added his congratulations too.
“Congratulations, Rukia!” Moriyasu said quietly, “Thanks for doing this.” Rukia gave a small shake of her head, as if to say it was nothing.
Because if it weren’t for wanting to help Moriyasu, she wouldn’t have wanted to become the Kuchiki family’s adopted daughter at all.
She had no complaints about her life as it was.
Sure, being split into different classes meant she couldn’t see the others as often anymore, maybe once or twice a month at most.
But with Moriyasu in the Regular Class, training alongside him every single day, her life now was already so much better than before.
But after everything Moriyasu had done for her all this time, now that she had a real chance to pay him back, she had to at least try.
Renji stood frozen for a long moment before it finally sank in.
He reached out and clapped both hands on Rukia’s shoulders, laughing.
“Isn’t this great?
The whole reason we wanted to become Shinigami in the first place was to live a good life.
That’s the Kuchiki family we’re talking about, a mega noble house that even most Shinigami could never dream of joining.
You’ve got to seize this chance!” The corner of Rukia’s mouth curled up.
She swatted Renji’s hands away, crossed her arms over her chest, straightened up, and smiled.
“I’ve already accepted.
From now on, watch how you talk to me.
You’ll address me as Miss Kuchiki Rukia.
Understood?” There was a new distance in her voice now, a coolness, even a touch of arrogance, every bit the noble scion already.
“Huh?” Renji’s hands froze mid-air.
He said nothing, just stood there, stunned.
“Sorry for the intrusion, Miss Kuchiki Rukia.” Momo bowed at once, smiling sweetly.
“Hahaha, at ease, Peach.
I’ll let you keep calling me Rukia.” Rukia patted Momo’s shoulder, not a trace of that act left in her.
She spun around and drove her right foot hard into Renji’s shin.
Renji yelped, hopping up onto his toes from the pain, both hands clutching his shin.
“What was that for?” “Idiot, what was that look on your face just now?
So what if I’m a noble now?” Rukia snapped at him.
Only once Renji’s expression was back to normal did she turn to Moriyasu and say, “I need to go pack up my things at the dorm in a bit.
The Kuchiki family’s carriage will come for me later tonight.
You’ll be the only one left in the Regular Class.” Moriyasu answered with a smile.
“Don’t worry.
I’ll come by the Kuchiki estate to see you every now and then.” “Moriyasu, the Noble District isn’t somewhere we can just walk into.
Even as a seated officer in the Gotei 13, visiting the Noble District, let alone calling on a great house like the Kuchiki, means filing for approval well in advance, and there’s no guarantee it’ll even go through.” Kira’s own family had had Shinigami in it before, so he knew more about this sort of thing than the others.
Renji’s face darkened the instant he heard it.
In that moment, he understood: he and Rukia belonged to two entirely different worlds now.
If he wanted any chance of staying close to her, he’d need to become a captain-level Shinigami at the very least.
The thought made him grit his teeth, fists clenching, but then it struck him that he and Moriyasu were standing at the same starting line right now, and his mood lifted again.
He looked up and found Moriyasu had pulled back his sleeve, revealing the crest on his arm guard.
At the sight of that eyelid-less pupil crest, his heart gave an inexplicable lurch.
Moriyasu said with a smile, “Turns out I’m from a great noble clan too.” …