2-6...

Look, I appreciate that you're willing to talk seriously with us. But then again, it's not like you'd trust everything I say, me being a wanted man and all.

So why don't you go ask your Head Captain?

I could, but that's not all that fair either. The Head Captain's not the type to tell lies, but I'm a journalist after all.

I have to hear both sides of the story to have a full understanding.

I never thought I'd hear a Soul Reaper call himself a journalist.

Besides, there's no rule that says a journalist has to be fair.

The Seireitei Bulletin values fairness above all. The previous editor in chief made sure of it, and that's the policy we stick to.

You're a strange one. At first glance, you looked like any other Soul Reaper with your average Soul Reaper mentality.

I'll try to take that as a compliment.

So, if I tell you the reason for my betrayal and you aren't convinced, then what?

You know what. If that were to happen...

Hey, look here. I don't plan to butt in on this squabble between our freeloader and a Soul Reaper, but if you're gonna fight, do it outside.

Right.

I know. I won't cause you any trouble.

So it turns out, I was deceiving Ichigo Kurosaki.

Yeah, that's my understanding.

See, I had Tsukishima alter my own past.

In that version, there was a human who was half Soul Reaper, and he was helping us Fullbringers to eliminate our Hollow powers.

Tsukishima killed that half Soul Reaper along with all of my old friends. That's how that story went.

But going back to reality, in my original past, things were a little different.

There was no such thing as a half Soul Reaper like Ichigo. Suffice it to say I was there acting as Substitute Soul Reaper.

So then, going back to my memory, who was it that killed my old friends?

Hold on. I thought that was part of the past that Tsukishima altered.

Tsukishima's ability, Book of the End, only allows him to insert his existence into another person's past.

He can change memories by adding events where he involves himself in some sort of way, but he can't insert people who don't even exist.

Might I add that the guy who I thought was the half Soul Reaper was actually one of the Soul Reapers that I killed in a fit of rage.

You mean...

My old friends were killed...by Soul Reapers, though I don't know who they were.

Wait a minute. So you're saying that Captain Ukitake ordered them to do so?!

Who knows? But that was when I learned of the secret to the Combat Pass. And the rest, I'm sure you already know.

I see. I still can't accept everything you said to be the whole truth yet, but I do apologize for my behavior earlier.

Hey, don't worry about it. It gave me a good chuckle.