A familiar ceiling.
When Fujimiya Makoto woke up, his eyes once again reflected a somewhat familiar scene.
However, this time, it wasn't in Tenjiro's large bathhouse, but in his own small room.
"Are you awake, Makoto-kun?"
"What's one plus one?"
Just as he opened his eyes, he heard Takitori Bakusai's gentle voice by his ear.
As he turned his head, he saw the considerate Bakusai holding up three fingers with a small hand.
Fujimiya Makoto gave her a look as if she were a fool:
"Two."
"Captain Bakusai, I stopped falling for this trick when I was seven."
"Clap."
Takitori Bakusai clapped her hands in delight, her face still bearing that signature gentle smile.
"It seems Makoto-kun has regained consciousness."
"Though you're still quite irrational."
She softly complained, "With Makoto-kun's personality, to actually challenge Captain Yachiru… and to that extent."
"Do you know, Makoto-kun? Nearly one-twentieth of the West 79th District is destroyed."
"It'll probably be uninhabitable for at least fifty years."
"Ah?"
Fujimiya Makoto was stunned, his mind still a bit numb and slow to react.
It can't be that bad, right?
"It can't be that bad… that's what you're thinking, right?"
Takitori Bakusai immediately saw through Fujimiya Makoto's thoughts and chuckled, "What level of power do you think you two are at now?"
"And Captain Unohana even used her Bankai."
"Your two Bankai domains completely destroyed the surrounding spiritual particles—the Soul Society is very fragile."
"I heard that most of the Kidō Corps had to mobilize to repair the damage from your battle."
"Captain Yachiru was even scolded by the Captain-Commander for using Bankai in the Soul Society without permission."
"Wow, that's scary!"
Though Bakusai said this, her unhidden excitement showed she was clearly enjoying the drama.
"..."
Fujimiya Makoto was momentarily speechless, just staring at her with wide eyes.
He only remembered fighting at the time.
He had no recollection of the surroundings at all.
"Is… is it that serious?"
Fujimiya Makoto awkwardly tugged at his lips.
"Normally, it wouldn't be."
Takitori Bakusai leaned forward, her pretty face almost touching his, but the gaze behind her plain glasses betrayed her true nature.
"But… you're special, Makoto-kun."
Bakusai said, the corners of her mouth unconsciously curling into a smile of great interest: "According to the Great Kidō Master, Makoto-kun's Zanpakutō has a very special and powerful rule-based ability."
"Because of your Zanpakutō, a large area of spiritual particles around you was 'infected' into another form."
"It's as if a piece of Hueco Mundo was forcibly inserted into the Soul Society."
"..."
Fujimiya Makoto couldn't help but startle at her words, his pupils instinctively contracting.
So, it was because the script world invaded the Soul Society?
Though he felt this 'invasion' the moment his Shikai fully manifested, he hadn't expected it to have the power to alter the essence of the world.
"Right, how is Teacher Unohana?"
"What happened to her?"
Fujimiya Makoto suddenly realized.
Though his memory was a bit fuzzy, he remembered his final strike should have hit her neck.
At his question, a faint glow flashed in the lenses of Takitori Bakusai's glasses.
Her face also couldn't help but smile.
"It's because of Captain Yachiru that I'm here watching over you."
Takitori Bakusai asked gently, "How did you do it?"
The girl sat by his bed, leaning toward Fujimiya Makoto and lowering her voice: "How did Makoto-kun's Zanpakutō manage that?"
"To actually leave a scar on that person."
"This is truly…"
As she spoke, Bakusai reached out and unconsciously gripped Fujimiya Makoto's wrist.
A curious light flickered deep in her eyes.
"...unbelievable!"
Fujimiya Makoto was momentarily stunned by her words, then looked at Bakusai, unconsciously tugging at his lips.
Then, he heard the immature voice of the Little Broken Sword from the bedside.
[Fujimiya! Let her try!]
[Don't stop her, please!]
[I've been wanting to properly ○ Bakusai's Yukiko!]
[Watch me ○○ first, then ○○, and then prprpr...!]
Just from the sound of it, the Little Broken Sword's saliva seemed about to drip from its sheath, sloshing around.
Bakusai's gaze lingered on the Little Broken Sword for a few seconds before returning to Fujimiya Makoto, seemingly a bit surprised.
So confident?
Fujimiya Makoto waved his hand with some effort: "Anyway, that's basically it."
"I don't think Captain Bakusai would want to know."
He was telling the absolute truth, without a shred of falsehood.
The Exorcism Play is a Zanpakutō that plunges both the user and the target into social death.
Fujimiya Makoto had already deeply experienced this.
Did Teacher Unohana not tell anyone about his ability?
He suddenly felt a bit worried.
If one day they had to declare their abilities in front of others.
Everyone else would say things like, "I can spit fire," "I can spit water," or "I can perform martial arts."
And he'd have to say, "My Shikai ability is a special domain with various fruit girls, and those defeated become star efforts…"
If he said that in front of everyone, just imagining the scene…