Crimson Edge Arc: Sealing The Edge [Event 6] [CLOSED]

“Are you sure it has to be you?”

“Do you know anyone else that has my energy reserves?”

“No.”

“Then it has to be me.”

Days of researching the Edge, digging through files and old records out of the Vault, left little time to rest. Finally, the answer came with an old kido-sealed scroll, located up high on some back shelves. The three present when finding the information were Head Captain Saionji, Captain Makabe, and Captain Blake. It took some time to figure out what they were going to do with what they found, but after some debate, they settled on a decision… and no one liked it. Before the Hell Butterflies went out, Captain Blake received a message. “Yeah, I’ll take care of it.”

All but two captains received notice for the upcoming Captain’s meeting. The message urgently requested immediate arrivals and warned that once the majority arrived, there would be no waiting. The fourth day after the breaking of the Edge had come, and Head Captain Saionji discovered the method to reseal the barrier. When captains began arriving, they found the Head Captain sitting with his back against one of the large pillars that decorated the meeting room. He was silent, deep in thought, and looked distraught. No one else is present.

Once everyone arrived, Captain Saionji stood at the front. He let his gaze move along those present. Two he expected were missing: his brother and Isamu. Captain Hayashi had fallen at the Edge and Captain Asami had been absent, and apparently likely a traitor… J sighed, “After the Edge went down, we worked to figure out a way of closing it, and after a few all-nighters, we found the method that it’s done. As we speak, Captain Makabe and Captain Blake are activating the mechanism, at the middle of the Soul Society. In three hours, Captain Blake will have the Edge resealed.”

This had been the worst week Ryōtarō could remember. Even during the bloody Gotei Civil War, no single week was as bad as this week. One Captain dead. Two Captains missing. Two Lieutenants dead. And that was just the high-ranking officers. Numerous other seated officers and even more unseated were just gone. It was hard to keep track of who was missing and  who was dead at  this point. Just like during the bloody war, Ryōtarō did not carry his Zanpakutō disguised as a cane. The battered tachi was held in a white-knuckled hand as he moved with the kind of urgent haste many didn't  think he had in him anymore.

Ryōtarō had also been doing research in his off hours. In four days, he likely had thrice as many hours sleeping. His eyes were dark and sunken, tiny beads of red peering at the door to the meeting hall. With a grim resignation, he opened the door and took his place. As others assembled, he took notice of the openings left by the third that was no longer with them. He grimaced. "There are too many gaps in this room," Ryōtarō resigned, shaking his head.


Toshizō Hōzōin had been busy in his own way this week. Rarely seen in public or the frontlines, he was busy securing the next generation of Shinigami. A few promising students were graduated early and were temporarily assigned to his Division to act as evacuation group leaders. Toshizō had also been working with his family, mobilizing their full might to the defense of the family's main property and Shin'ō Academy. One of the most protected locations within the Seireitei was the now-locked-down school. He took pride in only one thing—how efficiently this had run.

The Hell Butterfly that summoned him wasn't expected. In a tactical decision, his Lieutenant was kept on the opposite side of the complex from him. He sent her a Hell Butterfly as he walked away. "Haruna, I've been summoned to an emergency meeting at the First Division. You have control while I am away.  Try not to let it go to your head." Toshizō did not wait for her response. Flanked by Hōzōin honor guards, he was on his way without delay.

If he were more of a conniving man,Toshizō would use these opportunities to seize power for himself and his family. However, the man who played with those weaker than him had no interest in doing so right now. One of the only people Toshizō had any respect for was J. Saionji—which was the only reason he did not plot against the man. In his eyes, they  were equals in many aspects and both were what Shinigami—especially those of noble blood—should  strive to be. Toshizō arrived squarely in the middle of the other groups. The one who was always first, Kazuo, was still absent. The man would be missed, of course. However, he could not focus on those  who would not return. Toshizō had  to focus on the ones to come and the ones there already...

Both Captains stood silently at J's explanation. Ryōtarō's eyes went hard and his grip tightened on his Zanpakutō. ". . ." In a move like he had not done before, the eldest Captain took a step  forward and turned to J., staring into the Captain-Commander's eyes. "J," he said without honorifics or title,"what do you mean by 'Captain Blake will have the Edge resealed?' I pray you are not saying what I think you are saying." There was an edge of a threat in his voice, but it wasn't a threat at  J. Who was it for then...?

Over the expanse of the Soul Society, as if signaled by the anger of The Tower's realization, a low rumble shook the ground beneath the feet of every single soul. Like ripples caused by drops in still water, an energy pulsed over the land as what had lied dormant for hundreds of years was being woken up. The three hour window the Captain Commander spoke of rapidly shrank. His eyes expressed surprise for only a moment before it faded, the shock rationalized away by some unknown calculation. He looked to both Ryotaro and Kaito, barely able to look either of them in the eye.

"It is as I said. Myself, Captain Blake, and Captain Makabe discovered the method to reconstruct the Edge if a pillar falls, and so they have gone to where the ritual can be done. It takes the sacrifice of an immense amount of latent reiryoku and a powerful zanpakuto. Captain Blake has insist-... volunteered her own energy and zanpakuto for this mission. She has made up her mind; I could not stop her."

Those tiny beads of red closed. He breathed in. Out. In. Out. He's not one that could stop her anyway, so don't get mad at him. Not. At. Him. Ryōtarō bellowed "Such insolence!" There was a brief second rumbling—not unlike the pulse that just washed over the meeting. This came from something only one person in the room had seen before. This was the same anger that the eldest Captain used during the Great Civil War nearly two thousand years ago. This was the same anger that left the Seireitei smoldering.

Ryōtarō re-opened his eyes. He spoke once more, his voice tight and clipped as he tried to rein in his anger. "Lilith spoke false to you. She likely intimidated Captain Makabe into doing the same. The process does not take three hours—it takes one." He pointed to the north, where the pressure had come from. "That was the start of it." As he stared J down, Tōshizō spoke up to try to calm Ryōtarō. "Captain Fujisaki, I understand that Captain Blake is a dear friend of yours, but don't you think th—" He was quickly interrupted. "Silence, Hōzōin."

However, Ryōtarō took the meaning of the message to heart. He took a few more deep breaths, calming himself down—and thinking. "J. Where is she? Those that wish to say their goodbyes should be able to."



Out at the overgrown platform, Kei Makabe was busy sorting through old scrolls as the wave of energy washed over her. She sighed. The jig would be up soon. "I had hoped 'quaking of the sky and ground' was just a metaphor. They're going to be coming here, likely to stop you from doing this, Captain Blake." Kei briefly glanced up at the crimson-haired Captain. "Once we reach stage four, raw strength won't be able to remove the key at that point. It'll take... frankly? A miracle. So I suggest getting your goodbye speeches in order."

The eyes of a woman knowing her coming end stared at the platform at her feet, the pillar in the middle where she knew to soon insert her zanpakuto. The energy that washed over the land was the beginning. Once Kei got it started, it would be over quickly. "I know, but..." Lilith took a deep breath and hung her head back to look up at the blue sky of the Soul Society, "I'm not saying goodbye. I... don't know how to. Normally, we die in battle, and those who didn't just... left." Her words became heavier and streaks of wet fell down the right side of her face. "In the centuries I've lived, I... have never said goodbye." She reached up, wiped her cheek, and looked at the shine on her skin. "Put a barrier up, or three."


It was a lie... J shouldn't have been shocked by that, but he was. His heart raced. His eyes focused on a random spot on the ground, thinking. He knew that taking too longer to answer the question would anger everyone, but if he let them leave too soon, they would try to stop her. With each moment that went by, J's stomach warmed more and more. He felt sick. He knew this wasn't right. A single glance to the face of the youngest Captain destroyed all will he had left. "She and Captain Makabe ran to the center of the Soul Society." J spouted and quickly provided more specific details on their location. "Know that she's adamant, but I'm sure at least one of you could change her mind. Especially if you get there quick enough..." A single glance to that young Captain and J turned away from the group.

Kei wanted to comfort Lilith at this point. There was a sadness there, even if Lilith herself didn't express it. It was the kind of sadness that Kei understood. She sighed after thinking for a moment. "You don't always get a chance to say goodbye to the people that matter to you. It can be sudden, even if it's long and drawn-out. You think 'what's one more day going to hurt?' because you don't want to admit that they'll be gone." Kei finished the scroll she was reading, tucking it back into the protective case. She pursed her lips when she saw the tear. "So when you get the opportunity, you have to. It's a finality that only a few get the privilege of—so for your sake and theirs, say it."

"I'm doing everything I can to keep this thing stable. Any barrier I put up right now would just slow them down. This thing was not designed for a single person to perform." Kei did, however, comply the best she could. With a wave of her wrist, an orange cube formed around the platform. After a pause while reading the next scroll, Kei spoke up. "I know we never really... were exactly friends, but you're one of the three women I've looked up to. You've been a beacon for us to strive to be like. Thank you for that." And without another word, Kei went back to preparing the platform's other mechanisms.


Toshizō was taken aback by this revelation. He began thinking of what to do while Ryōtarō acted. Immediately upon hearing what J had to say, the old man had a plan. It was the type of thing that he'd have to not only keep secret, but he'd have to rely on one person for it to work. This person was not J, who he was suddenly  standing behind. With the tug of a once-abusive father, Ryōtarō spun the Captain-Commander around. His face was inches away from J's. There was a fire there. "I will throw you there if I have to. Go." Whether he got a reply or not, the eldest turned away from J and towards Kaito and Genpaku.

"Young Arishima, Kaito. Go on ahead. I will catch up." He nodded towards Kaito. "Make sure he doesn't get lost." This was the Ryōtarō from many years ago—the one that could have led the Gotei. With fire in his step. "I'll go tell Captain Ishizaki of this. I know the two of them are friends." Toshizō spoke up next, he had bode his time. "We should not empty the Seireitei of Captains for something so... personal. I shall remain here. Captain Mifune, would you care to join me?" He called out to the only one that had remained silent. "Pass along that Captain Blake has been an inspiration to many students and her legacy shall live on at the academy." Ryōtarō was already out the door without beind dismissed. "Noted."


Ryōtarō did not immediately find Captain Ishizaki. Instead, he tracked someone else down. "I know your skill in these matters." He handed a bundle to the individual. The individual looked them over, seeing the identifying marks, then raised a questioning eyebrow. "Be discreet, be quick, and most importantly, do not give them directly under any circumstances. Leave them on the desks. Understood?" The figure hesitated, then shrugged. "Ya ain't my Cap'n, but I see no harm in it. If someone asks, I'm blamin' you though." The eldest Captain chuckled. "I'll accept any and all fault. Thank you." It was then time to break it to Captain Ishizaki... And then to go out to witness a sacrifice.

Ryotaro's insistence on J being there was confusing. J had no reason to be there. He could not stop Lilith. They were not that close. And as the Captain Commander, he was needed in the Seireitei moreso than on what was technically an emotion-based trip to stopping the resealing of the Crimson Edge. Ryotaro knew this, yet still wanted J there. Out of respect for the eldest shinigami, J chose to comply, even though he completely disagreed with the notion. He nodded and decided he would follow Captain Arishima and Captain Toma on the way there. Ryotaro gave himself an extra mission anyway.

On the way out of the meeting hall, the three were stopped by a familiar brown haired shinigami as she called for Captain Arishima. Kaminari hurried up to them, looking between the three. "You three are not intimidating at all." she said. "The girl who likes sneaking into Captain offices..." J added. Kaminari smiled at J. Captain Arishima spoke up and Kaminari quickly noticed a chip in his normal demeanor. His tone, his body language, but especially his eyes... All were strangely faltering. Something was really wrong and a previous guess she had was confirmed. "Then I will not keep you." she said as she grabbed his hand and placed a crumpled piece of paper in it. "Do not let her kill me, okay?" Kaminari  moved to the side, "Explain things when you get back. We're all worried." Kaminari gestured to many shinigami waiting around, mostly Lieutenants and seated officers. "Good luck."

Kaminari hurried to the others that were waiting to calm some worries. J watched her move away. "...Maturity is unexpected from that one." J said before going quiet and then following the two. He was extremely curious about the note, but was not going to pry. Teenager bullshit like 'is that a love letter' came to his mind, but he shook the thoughts form his head, not wanting to be distracted by silliness.

When Genpaku opened crumpled note, he'd recognized Lilith's hastily written handwriting. It stated: "DON'T READ THIS IN FRONT OF HIM, YOU DUMB GIRL. Now, two things: #1, take care of my son in the coming months. #2, tomorrow and tomorrow only, pass this message to Gen: I'm sorry I don't know how to say goodbye. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I love you."

At the sacrificial site...

It was silent for a while as Lilith let herself get lost in thought. Her memories aimed to betray her intentions, but she suppressed them and began focusing on the machine again. The start up was signaled to be complete with the opening of a slot on top of a pillar in the middle of the circular platform. Now that it was open, Lilith unsheathed her zanpakuto for the first time in a very long time. She placed the tip of the blade at the entrance and was ready to get things done when some rising spiritual pressure caught her attention. The moment of hesitation ended quickly though, as she let the blade slid down and click into place. The machine started up and her zanpakuto glowed with a dim red energy. Lilith instantly felt the machine draining her energy away. She took a deep breath as she fought off the weakening state. "That feels weird." she said as she turned her back to the Seireitei.

With Captain Ishizaki in tow, Ryōtarō was on his way to the altar. It made sense with where it was. There wasn't a center of population for miles. He was silent the entire trip, not answering any of Tōko's questions or replying to any of her comments. He had much to think about, and much more to say. However, any words would come out with the flame his Zanpakutō held within it. When he arrived, he expected fists to be flying already. He was wrong... for once.

Kei positioned herself between the group of Captains and the altar. "I know you're likely all upset, but I think we've got one shot at this." Kei held up a hand in warding. "If any of you try to stop her before the time is right... I'll be forced to respond in kind, and I really don't want this to be bloodier than it's meant to be." Unbeknownst to them, they had already fallen under Kei's spell once they stepped within twenty yards. Thanks to what a certain not-Lieutenant had devised, time was flowing... slower around the pillar. It was almost imperceivable—and it was getting worse by the second.

Ryōtarō stood motionless, hands crossed over his stomach. "Lilith, do you actually understand what you are doing?"

"Do not let me slow you down." J said, but it came out almost like a command. The activation of Captain Arishima's bankai came at a slight surprise, but J marked it as an understandable decision. He had no qualms against it, for now. The three were off and J did his best to keep up. Captain Arishima was impressively quick. It took J a bit to realize how he was going to have to keep up. He managed to shunpo well enough that, as long as Captain Arishima did not start shunpo'ing himself, he could stay within the thirty meters Gen requested. The three hurried out of the Seireitei toward Lilith.

Lilith was not the best with energy, but she could tell when someone popped bankai, especially when that someone was her marked one. Sweat dripped down her face. Lilith kept rushing Kei. Every second, they got closer and her heart raced. She blinked away unwanted tears. A pit formed in her stomach. And the worst part of this, none of this was her. When they arrived, Lilith kept her eye on the platform, the pillar in the middle, her back to the three.

As the pillar came into view, the barrier acting almost as a bullseye, Genpaku actually accelerated his pace.  He didn't give Lilith much of a choice about not facing him about this, however.  With a step he vanished, appearing on the other side of the barrier, floating just off the ground and staring at her through the barrier.
"Really not cool of you Lilith.  Not even a heads up?" he said, tone carefully restrained even as his hurt glared out of his eyes.

Lilith's eyes instinctively met Gen's as he appeared before her. She forced down his emotions and her own. Looking over her shoulder, enraged eyes met that of the Captain Commander. "I asked one thing of you. One. And you could not have even done that?" Lilith's anger came out with a leak of her reiatsu, though the pressure was unexpectedly low. The pillar she was connected to, that her zanpakuto was in, kept using her energy to power things up. "I asked for two hours, and you didn't even give one." J stared at Lilith, tense and still. He said nothing.

"No offense to the Captain Commander, but he couldn't have stopped me anyway," Genpaku said, dragging her attention back to him.  "Not exactly hard to figure out what was going on after the shaking started.  If I hadn't been dragging them along, I could have been here faster," he said without an ounce of boasting.  He waited to see what she'd say.

Lilith kept avoiding eye contact with Gen. She kept her head down, glared at J, or focused on the pillar. "Gen, I need you to go. Now." She looked at him for only a moment, refocusing her gaze on the pillar.

"I hardly think that's fair," Genpaku said, a hint of his old defiant self rising up.  After a moment he spoke again, and the air seemed to shudder in response to his call, "Look at me Lilith!"

Lilith calmed herself and turned her eyes to meet Gen's, her stare hard... piercing even. Though she could hardly bare the look in his eyes, she stayed strong.

While there was anger when he called out, if she did bring her eyes up to meet his she would surprisingly find little of it still in his features.  There was sadness, which was to be expected, but also something else.  He let out a breath.
"You don't get to go through all you did to adopt me, just to then not give me the chance to say goodbye.  I've been through that once already," he said, not looking away from her.
"Is this really the only way?"

Lilith nodded. "Yes. It is."
"She's not lying." J spoke up from the other side, behind Lilith.
"You keep yourself quiet, boy." Lilith snapped back and J went quiet.

Genpaku stared back at Lilith as she spoke, sparing a glance off towards J when he spoke up.  He took those answers in, taking a breath and looking down as he came to some decision.  He gave a nod.
"Then you do what you have to do," he said, looking back up at her and giving a soft, sad smile.  Before there could be much in the way of disagreement Genpaku took a step, using his Bankai to shift into air and pass through the barrier.  He reformed in front of Lilith, and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.
"Goodbye, and thanks for everything. Mom."

There was surprise in Lilith's eyes when Gen let her go, but it was washed over by pride. A moment later, he was in front of her and in unison, the two embraced. She held on tight, knowing this would never happen again. Her own tears formed and fell down her face. She placed both hands on either side of his face and made him look up at her. "If only words could express how much I care for you." She kissed his forehead. "Goodbye, my son." Taking a step back, she ruffled his hair and returned to the platform before glancing to Kei. Soon, this would all be over. She took a deep breath and waited.

Which was when another voice called out, anger tightly leashed with years of experience.
"I gave the boy his piece, which was well deserved.  And while that was very beautiful, I think it was for naught," Kaito said, taking a step forward and past J.
"You're in my spot, Lilith," The Tower said, looking past Kei and her barrier at his friend, his one time lover.  He didn't ignore Kei, or her comments.  He simply turned his eyes towards her, old and weathered and angry and perfectly sane.
"Take this barrier down Captain Makabe, or I will rip it apart myself."

The anger in the voice that struck her ear raised old memories. She had not entirely ignored his presence as it was always in her mind, but her focus was not on Kaito in those moments, but her son. She took a deep breath, a different demeanor taking over as she lightly backed Gen's chest to gesture for him to move back. "Back up." she whispered before turning around and facing the Towering man that, to this day, she holds love for. "Don't do this." she shook her head at him as she placed a hand over her eye, both a threatening gesture and a method of defense. "Please."

"This task is NOT yours to uphold, Lilith.  The Edge is my responsibility, its fall is my failure.  Like hell will I sit by while you try and pay that debt.  Stand aside.  This last act of service mine to give," he responded, conviction deep as bedrock in his voice.  His voice softened slightly though after a moment.  "Please," he echoed.  The Old Man had shown up, asking Lilith if she understood.  That seemed redundant to Kaito, but he waited for her response instead.  He didn't want this to come to conflict, he didn't want to fight her.  Not like this.  Which was why he hoped she'd listen to reason.

An almost desperate expression came to her eyes, one of fear. She couldn't say yes. "Kai... I can't." she said with something extra trickling into her tone. When he showed up, Lilith looked to Ryotaro. Her hand never moved. She was ready if needed. "I do, and I understand why both of you would rather take my place, but I'm not letting that happen." Her eyes focused on Ryotaro, "You have a wife, a granddaughter that needs you, and by doing this maybe I can make up for what I did... to your son." She looked to Kaito. "And you have a vision, a goal you have been charging towards for so long. It has not stopped, and you have not wavered in its completion once. The Soul Society can only go on knowing that you are the one guarding its borders. No one would feel safe otherwise." Looking to Ryotaro again. "I can do this." Back to Kaito. "Let me do this." Lilith sighed and dropped her hand, turning to the platform and stepping back on it, placing her hand around her zanpakuto's hilt.

"Everything will be okay."

Kei was about to put a barrier around Lilith at this point. It was going to be the only way this would work. She had half of the formation in her mind when he resigned to her fate. That was a relief. And then, Kaito spoke up. This man was the problem she was expecting. "You can certainly try, Captain Toma. By the time you're through it, my part in this will be done and I can focus my efforts on preventing you from stopping this." There wasn't a challenge in Kei's voice as her words might betray. She wasn't wanting to do this, and she definitely didn't want Kaito to do this. Kei looked up at the fast-moving birds and trees that swayed like a metronome. "But I will lower it once one more arrives. I think it's only fair if he's here, don't you?"

Although this conversation had seemed to only take a couple of minutes at most, in fact it took about an hour. Kei had warded the area with a single Kidō trap. It was a concentrated version of Jikanteishi. From outside, everyone affected looked to practically be stationary they would be moving so slow. From inside, the area unaffected was moving at ludicrous speed—birds should be breaking the sound barrier, trees would have long-since flung their leaves off, and clouds would be nothing more than streaks. This was how Kei bought time—the shape of the trap was a doughnut. The central mechanism still ran at real time while everyone else ran slow.

Once Ryōtarō arrived, however, Kei let it lapse. As promised, the barrier was dropped too. It was at that time the pillar began to emit a soft hum—indicating it had reached Stage Four. Kei stepped aside to let Kaito run past if he wanted, but it didn't matter now. Kaito couldn't stop her. Ryōtarō stared with the same kind of intensity that he gave J. Lilith... how naive. However, it was her choice. "If that is your choice." He held a warding hand out to Kaito. "Let her do this." Ryōtarō walked up to Lilith. There was a sad warmth to his face.

Still gripping his Zanpakutō, he wrapped his arms around the woman he viewed to be a daughter and embraced her tight. From the explosive firecracker she was when they first met to the protective mother she now was, Lilith had grown. "Lilith... I am proud of you." A warm tear fell down his wrinkled cheek. For a brief moment, he saw himself two thousand years ago. With already-balding black hair and only a thick mustache, he stood beside both Kaito and Lilith. The three of them stood silently over carnage that they had stopped. Their fists were bloody and expressions grim. He stared into his own eyes. That was the conviction he needed.

The eldest Captain leaned in to Lilith's ear. "I'm sorry." And with the swiftness of a man a quarter of his age, Ryōtarō gripped Lilith's shoulder and tossed her to Kaito. Within the same breath, his now-fire-wreathed hand grasped Lilith's Zanpakutō and tossed it at Kei. Kei, taken aback, was sent sprawling to the ground. "Bankai." The flames that covered his hand raged and surrounded his body like a funeral robe as he stepped onto where Lilith's Zanpakutō would have been. "En'netsu Kasōgi."

In response to his resolve, the altar's glow increased. From the heavens above, a translucent white pillar enveloped Ryōtarō. Any protestations would be met with a barrier even the Kidō master before them couldn't break. "Shit on the gods—you crafty old bastard!" Kei spat the words as she thought it began to fail. All this work—all this preparation—was for naught. But not because the ritual failed. No, it was succeeding. Unlike before where Lilith's energy poured in like a broken spigot, this was more fluid and controlled. It was... right. Realization dawned quickly. Kei began chuckling before bursting into laughter for a moment—completely ruining the mood. "You are crafty. You're able to synchronize with it. Oh I wish you were to live because I have so many damn questions..." Ryōtarō, with a smile as warm as the nicest summer day, shook his head to the incoming swearing and pleading. "Consider this the privilege of being old." The eldest Captain slowly began to ascend, drawn up by an unknown force...

The battle that threatened to occur as Kaito and Lilith argued for the spot was cut short when Ryotaro handed it to Lilith. A tension in her chest faded with what she thought was his understanding. The embrace Ryotaro offered was welcomed and graciously returned. Lilith could not remember the last time she was confident enough to do such a thing. Tears threatened to soak her cheek again, but two words triggered a realization. Before she could react, her body was drifting threw the air and slammed into Kaito. She struggled to get out of his grasp, he struggled to get past her; and neither of the managed it before Ryotaro sealed his fate with the release of his bankai.

Unlike Kaito, Lilith didn't react. She couldn't. As her zanpakuto was pulled from the pillar, her whole body felt an unfamiliar pain as her muscles tensed, her energy snapped back like an stretched rubberband, and her breath caught in her lungs. It was like being hit in the stomach by the punch Kaito tried breaking the barrier with. Sweat soaked her skin within those few seconds, and as she wheezed, gasping desperately for air, she raised her head to face Ryotaro. He started being lifted up as she mouthed two words, unable to let her voice reach him through the immense agony her body was in.

"Forgive me."

Lilith resigned herself; there was nothing she could do. The final stage was set and Ryotaro was officially beyond the reach of everyone. She took a single breath, a tightness in her throat as the sadness overtook her, tears fell down her right cheek, and her body gave in. Lilith couldn't tell what broke her in that moment. The pain? The anger? The despair? The fear? The guilt? She didn't know. With her strength returned, her energy falling back into place, and her regaining control over her body, Lilith struck the ground with a tense fist and screamed. The outcry echoed through the air, drowning in a plethora of powerful emotions and the leaking of her reiatsu. She ran out of air before the whirlpool in her heart diminished, so she threw her head back and yelled again, though it soon turned to sobbing, a single cheek soaked under the downpour.

In response to his best friend, Ryōtarō placed his hand in front of Kaito's fist. "Thank you, my friend." Lilith seemed to recover from whatever shock—likely from her Zanpakutō being thrown out of the altar. He thought that she'd do the same. But she... didn't. If anything, that cemented how proud of her he was. He knelt, as awkward as that was while ascending, to be eye-to-eye with Lilith. "Read the  letter." He wished he could wipe the tears from her eyes. Instead, the eldest stood. He gazed at the gathered Captains and let out a proud huff. "Farewell, comrades. It has been an honor to serve alongside all of you. The same goes for those that could not be here—please pass that on to them. You all have much work to do, but I know that it will be done."

As Ryōtarō ascended higher and higher, he eventually could no longer see the forms of the people below. Trees became indistinct and eventually it was hard to tell tree from grass. Many people thought the Crimson Edge didn't extend further than where they could see at the borders of the Soul Society. This wasn't the case. The energy that made it bright and red just didn't travel all the way to the sky above. This time, however, the sky was turning crimson even as he ascended above the clouds.

What lay before the oldest eyes was a circle of life. From Sayamachi to the north to the Toryōseiku to the south, it looked peaceful. Ryōtarō was an orange star amongst the blue sky. He turned towards the tiny white ring that indicated the Seireitei. "Chinatsu would have loved this sight... I wonder if this is the final sight of all souls." Ryōtarō could feel himself unraveling. He looked down to his fingers, but his finger tips were no longer there. A small, raspy chuckle escaped his weary mouth.

"Kaito, Lilith... I am sorry for deceiving you. You two have more than I do to protect, even if you don't realize it. " Old memories flooded in. He could see his life playing before his eyes. His first bout with Kaito was always a memory that stuck with him. His best friend was behind half of the X-shaped scar on his forehead. He remembered embarrassing himself on his first date with his now-wife. He remembered having to scold Lilith—then sitting her down and trying to talk about her problems. He remembered the birth of his son—and his failures as a father. If there was anything he regretted, it was that. Lilith need not atone—he'd do that.

But one memory stuck fast. It was the night Ryōko said her first word.  Gampa. He ran, holding her to show off to his wife. He was so proud. "Ryōko... Chinatsu... I am sorry that I could not tell you goodbye face-to-face. I wish I could have seen your faces one last time..." And then, the next memory. The day before his son was killed, they had shared a tense lunch. Ryōtarō was trying to mend the relationship with his son... but it was for naught. Fū was having none of it. He reached out with an arm that was no longer there. "Son... your father's coming to you now. We have... a lot... of catching up..." And as the crimson hit its peak, no one was atop the clouds to watch it.

As quickly as it began, the color began to focus into a vast streak of red heading north. At the Edge, the rip began to shrink. It would take time, but... it was healing. The Crimson Edge was saved. History would attribute it mostly to Ryōtarō Fujisaki. However, many had laid their lives down in order to protect the peace that was to come. Their sacrifices mustn't be forgotten. It was a short war, but it would change the Soul Society forever...