"Are you alright?"
After the crisis had finally subsided, Shiba Isshin forced himself upright despite the strain tearing through his body. Blood still stained his Shihakushō, and his Reiatsu fluctuated unsteadily, yet he fixed his gaze on Kurosaki Masaki with concern.
The relationship between Shinigami and Quincy had never been simple centuries of conflict had carved deep scars into both sides. Yet no matter the history, one truth remained undeniable:
Kurosaki Masaki had saved his life.
A debt like that could not be ignored.
Masaki gently shook her head, her breathing still uneven but controlled.
"I'm fine… But you your injuries are far worse. Do you need help?"
Isshin paused, clearly surprised.
As a captain of the Gotei 13, he was more than aware of the hostility between Soul Reapers and Quincy. The war that had nearly erased the Quincy from history was not some distant tale it was a wound still fresh within Soul Society's collective memory.
And yet…
The young Quincy before him showed no trace of that hatred.
Instead, she showed concern.
Isshin narrowed his eyes slightly.
Is it innocence… or something else?
Out loud, he replied with a faint grin despite his condition.
"I'll manage. I've survived worse."
He glanced at her more carefully.
"You're injured too. Don't push yourself."
Masaki shook her head again, her long hair shifting lightly with the motion.
"It's nothing serious."
For a moment, silence settled between them an uneasy calm after violence.
Both seemed ready to say something more.
Then
Isshin's expression changed instantly.
His senses sharpened.
A familiar Reiatsu was approaching.
At the same moment, Masaki also felt it.
Without hesitation, Isshin acted.
" !"
Suppressing the pain screaming through his body, he used Shunpo, vanishing from the scene in a blur of speed.
Even if Masaki herself bore no hostility, there was no guarantee about others.
In his current state, encountering another Quincy especially one of higher caliber could mean death.
And Shiba Isshin had no intention of falling here.
A few moments later
A figure appeared where Isshin had stood.
"I made it in time…?"
It was Ishida Ryūken.
Having sensed both Hollow Reiatsu and Masaki's presence, he had rushed here at full speed. However, instead of a battlefield, he found only the aftermath and Masaki, wounded.
"Masaki!"
"Ryūken…" Masaki exhaled softly, managing a small smile. "I'm alright."
Ryūken's gaze sharpened as he examined her injuries, then swept the surroundings.
"The Hollow?"
"…Destroyed."
She hesitated briefly, but said no more.
Ryūken didn't press further but his eyes revealed suspicion.
Something about this incident didn't add up.
Soul Society Seireitei
Shiba Isshin returned to Soul Society in critical condition.
News of his injuries spread quickly among the captains.
Within a quiet drinking chamber in Seireitei, three figures gathered as they often did:
Kyōraku Shunsui,
Ukitake Jūshirō,
and a retired yet still formidable former captain Shihōin Yoruichi's predecessor-era contemporary, Shigure Sōsuke (corrected name replacing the inconsistent "Gosuke Shigure").
A sake bottle sat between them.
Shunsui spoke first, his usual laid-back tone replaced by rare seriousness.
"This isn't something we can overlook."
He adjusted his kasa slightly.
"Isshin isn't weak. For him to return in that condition… the enemy he encountered in the World of the Living was no ordinary Hollow."
Ukitake nodded, his expression grave.
"The report states that several members of the Thirteenth Division stationed in the Human World were killed."
"And that Hollow nearly took Captain Shiba's life as well."
Shunsui's eyes narrowed.
"When you combine that with the Hollow that killed Kaien… it's becoming a pattern."
A heavy silence followed.
"…Hueco Mundo," Ukitake said quietly.
Shunsui gave a slight nod.
"For years, we've focused on rebuilding after the Visored incident and stabilizing the Gotei 13."
"All captain positions have been restored. Our strength has recovered."
"But in doing so… we may have taken our eyes off something far more dangerous."
Ukitake lowered his gaze slightly.
"This incident also implicates my division."
"If my health permitted, I should have led that investigation myself."
His voice carried quiet regret.
"I'll visit Captain Shiba personally to express my gratitude… and apology."
Shunsui gave him a sideways glance but said nothing.
Instead, both men turned toward the third figure.
Shigure Sōsuke had been silently drinking.
Now, he spoke.
"Hueco Mundo… is not a place to underestimate."
Both captains focused on him.
Though no longer active, Shigure's experience was unquestionable.
He continued calmly:
"I've been there before."
"That alone is enough to understand how little we truly know."
He set his cup down.
"Hollows are generally divided into two categories ordinary Hollows, and Menos Grande."
"Menos evolve by devouring souls and other Hollows, eventually forming three known stages:"
"Gillian. Adjuchas. Vasto Lorde."
His tone remained even, but his words carried weight.
"However… those classifications are not absolute."
"Among the countless Hollows, there are anomalies."
"Creatures that don't follow the standard evolutionary path."
"Smaller than Menos… yet possessing abilities far more dangerous."
Shunsui's eyes flickered.
"You're referring to the type that killed Kaien."
Shigure nodded.
"Yes."
"And based on Isshin's report… the Hollow he encountered may be another such anomaly."
Ukitake's expression tightened.
"That would explain its power."
But Shigure wasn't finished.
"There's more."
Both captains stilled.
His voice dropped slightly.
"In Hueco Mundo… I witnessed something else."
"Something that shouldn't exist."
A pause.
Then
"A Hollow that had removed its own mask… yet did not die."
Shunsui's usual smile vanished.
"…That's impossible."
Ukitake frowned.
"For a Hollow, the mask is integral to its existence. Destroying it should purify or annihilate them."
"Exactly," Shigure replied.
"And yet… it survived."
"Not only that it gained power surpassing even Menos."
The air in the room grew heavier.
"…An Arrancar," Shunsui said quietly.
Shigure gave a slight nod.
"Yes."
"I only caught a glimpse. I didn't engage it directly."
"But one thing is certain…"
His gaze sharpened.
"If such beings exist in numbers "
"They could overturn the balance of power between Soul Society, Hueco Mundo… and the World of the Living."
Silence fell completely.
For the first time in years
The shadow of Hueco Mundo felt truly close.
And far more dangerous than anyone had anticipated.