The appointed time came quickly.
Bai Chen hadn't been able to spend a full day inside the Great Spiritual Library Corridor—but with the Three-Tomoe Sharingan's copying ability, that barely mattered.
In a handful of hours, he had already harvested more than most people could in a lifetime.
Not just techniques.
Not just records.
But something far rarer—a change in perspective.
Those ancient battles he'd "watched" weren't simple images. They were complete, immersive projections, as if time itself had been peeled open and laid before him.
And the ones fighting within them—
without exception—
were the kind of figures that only existed in legends.
So when Bai Chen watched them clash, kill, and survive…
his mentality, his gaze, his instincts—
quietly aligned with theirs.
His mindset rose.
His horizon expanded.
And with that mental breakthrough—plus the last weakness in his combat system finally being filled—
Bai Chen could feel it clearly:
He was now a step closer to that realm everyone feared and worshipped.
The pinnacle of Shinigami.
With a satisfied heart and a mind still humming, Bai Chen left the Corridor under Kyōraku Shunsui and Sasakibe Chōjirō's guidance.
Once they were out, the two immediately split off.
They had to return to the First Division and report the outcome to Captain-Commander Yamamoto. Process was process.
As for Bai Chen—
he headed alone toward the Thirteenth Division.
On the way, with no one around to overhear him, he murmured softly:
"Methods of creating an Ōken…"
"And Kisuke Urahara's technique… the one Aizen has obsessed over for centuries…"
"Soul-Substance Extraction…"
During his time in the Corridor, he had copied them all—cleanly, completely, permanently.
A thought formed—sharp, tempting.
Rukia Kuchiki.
The girl whose soul carried the Hōgyoku was still in the Shin'ō Academy.
First-year. Second class.
If he used a discreet Kidō barrier…
If he invited her out for a "private talk"…
If he knocked her out without anyone noticing—
then with Soul-Substance Extraction…
he could pull the Hōgyoku out of her soul like plucking a thorn from flesh.
For a brief moment—
Bai Chen actually felt his heart tilt.
With his current strength, controlling the Hōgyoku wouldn't be difficult.
And with an absurd constitution like the Ultimate Sage Body…
if he fused with it, who knew what kind of reaction would occur?
Soul evolution.
Boundary-breaking.
A leap beyond the Shinigami race itself.
A true transcendent existence.
It was… intoxicating.
But Bai Chen exhaled—and cooled down.
"…No."
"Not necessary."
He slowed his steps slightly, thinking with unusual calm.
At this stage of the timeline, there was still a long road before Aizen would discover that the Hōgyoku was hidden inside Rukia.
And with two Zanpakutō at the level of legends…
Bai Chen didn't need an external artifact to brute-force growth.
After awakening the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he didn't even fear Kyōka Suigetsu anymore.
If he stole the Hōgyoku right now—
Aizen's centuries-long plan would become a joke overnight.
Sure, it would be efficient.
But it would also be… boring.
What Bai Chen wanted wasn't to quietly remove the chessboard.
He wanted to let Aizen build his masterpiece—
let him stand at the peak of his satisfaction—
and then crush him in front of everyone.
Let him taste helplessness.
Let him taste despair.
Then, when Aizen finally understood how far he'd fallen—
Bai Chen would tear the Hōgyoku out of him with his own hands.
That was the kind of "victory" that stayed in a man's soul.
With that decision made, Bai Chen's mood steadied again.
Soon after—
he arrived at the Thirteenth Division.
Thirteenth Division — Squad Office
Tea fragrance drifted through the room, light and calming.
Captain Jūshirō Ukitake sat on a cushion with an elegant posture, white hair falling over his shoulders. Even sickly as he was, his presence remained warm and refined.
Beside him sat Shiba Kaien.
Both of them looked toward Bai Chen with the same curiosity.
Ukitake smiled softly and lifted his cup.
"Bai Chen… how was it?"
"The Great Spiritual Library Corridor… even I've never been there."
Kaien leaned forward as well, eyes bright.
"Yeah, tell us. Did it feel like a forbidden tomb? Or more like a giant archive?"
Bai Chen sat down, poured tea for himself, and gave a relaxed smile.
"It was… definitely an eye-opener."
He took a sip, then added honestly:
"Not just the place itself."
"But what it contains."
Ukitake nodded slowly, then sighed as if remembering the many storms Bai Chen had already endured.
"You've been through a lot lately."
"Whatever else—this time, you truly worked hard."
Bai Chen waved it off.
"I didn't feel tired."
Then he stretched lazily like a man who'd just returned from a vacation.
"By the way, Captain… no new missions for a while, right?"
"I should be able to lie low and 'fish' for a bit."
He said it with a grin and raised his cup again, looking genuinely at peace.
Ukitake's response made that grin freeze halfway.
His expression turned serious—rarely so direct.
"Bai Chen."
"This may not be the calm period you're hoping for."
Bai Chen lowered his cup.
Kaien also straightened, sensing the shift.
Ukitake spoke in a steady, deliberate tone.
"In the last half year… there have been two major Arrancar-related incidents."
"And this time, it happened inside Soul Society itself."
That alone carried weight.
Bai Chen narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Central 46?"
Ukitake nodded.
"Yes."
"You've been to the Library Corridor."
"So you likely noticed something."
Ukitake's gaze sharpened.
"The records on Arrancar… are extremely scarce."
"That means historically, the number of naturally-born Arrancar was low."
"But lately?"
"Ulquiorra."
"Yammy."
"Even two subordinate Arrancar like D-Roy and Edrad…"
"In half a year, four Arrancar-class threats appeared."
Ukitake exhaled.
"That's not normal."
"In the past, something like that would take centuries—sometimes a thousand years—before a single Hollow evolved that far on its own."
Kaien's jaw tightened.
"So something changed in Hueco Mundo…"
Ukitake nodded again.
"That's the conclusion Central 46 reached."
"And the Captain-Commander agrees."
Ukitake's eyes stayed on Bai Chen.
"They've decided to restart an expedition."
Bai Chen's eyelid twitched.
"Hueco Mundo… expedition?"
He'd heard the stories.
Soul Society didn't "go" to Hueco Mundo lightly.
Every expedition cost manpower, resources, and lives.
The last one anyone still spoke about was over two hundred years ago—where even Shinigami like Ashido were trapped in that hell.
And after that?
Because the Seireitei was stable and the costs were brutal…
no one wanted to repeat it.
For Central 46 to slap the table and authorize it again—
meant the situation was already pushing into "unacceptable."
Ukitake continued, softer now.
"But don't worry."
"It won't happen immediately."
"We can't open stable Garganta routes like Hollows do."
"To create a safe passage—"
"we need the Research & Development Department to provide large-scale equipment."
Bai Chen's expression turned a little strange.
"And Mayuri is still…?"
Ukitake gave a helpless smile.
"Confined."
"Which means the preparation will stall until he's released, or until the department produces a substitute solution."
Kaien clicked his tongue.
"Classic."
Ukitake looked tired.
"So for now… yes."
"There will be peace."
"At least on the surface."
Bai Chen nodded slowly.
If it wasn't immediate, he didn't need to overthink it right now.
He could wait until selection for the expedition began.
The three of them returned to tea and lighter conversation.
To ease the tension, Ukitake—half-joking—brought up something he'd noticed during Bai Chen's battle with the Captain-Commander.
"That healing…"
"That 'no-seal' method you used."
Ukitake smiled faintly, but there was genuine envy behind it.
"If I had something like that…"
"…this body of mine probably wouldn't have spent centuries coughing itself apart."
He said it like a casual wish.
A passing thought.
Even Ukitake didn't expect anything from it.
But Bai Chen's expression changed.
He raised his eyes.
And for the first time in the conversation, his tone became truly serious.
"Captain Ukitake."
Kaien blinked.
Ukitake paused.
Bai Chen stared at him with calm confidence.
"If I told you…"
"I have a way to cure you."
The room went silent.
Ukitake's fingers tightened slightly around his cup.
Kaien's eyes widened.
Bai Chen didn't stop.
"Not 'reduce symptoms.'"
Not "stabilize temporarily."
"I mean cure."
"Completely."
Ukitake's smile faded.
"…Bai Chen."
He didn't call him "three-seat."
He used his name.
That alone showed how heavy the moment was.
Bai Chen leaned forward just a little.
"But there's a condition."
"And a price."
He spoke slower now, choosing each word carefully.
"Your illness isn't a normal illness."
"It's tied to something deeper."
"Something that doesn't belong to ordinary Shinigami."
Ukitake's eyes darkened a fraction.
Kaien's expression sharpened, instinctively defensive.
Bai Chen continued, voice low.
"If I treat you, I'll be stepping into that 'deeper' part."
"That means there's risk."
"Risk to your spiritual foundation."
"Risk to your power."
"Risk to… the things you've carried for centuries."
He looked directly at Ukitake.
"And if my guess is correct—"
"If I do it right—"
"I can pull you out of this sickness."
"But only if you're willing to gamble."
Bai Chen's gaze didn't waver.
"So I'll ask you plainly."
"Captain Ukitake…"
"Are you willing to take that risk?"
Ukitake didn't answer immediately.
The silence stretched.
Tea steam curled gently between them, mocking how calm the world looked compared to the storm in the room.
Finally, Ukitake set his cup down.
His voice was soft, but steady.
"…What do you need?"
Bai Chen's lips curved—not in arrogance, but in certainty.
"Two things."
"First—permission."
"Not Central 46's."
"Yours."
"Second—Hueco Mundo."
Kaien jolted.
"Hueco Mundo?"
Bai Chen nodded.
"There's something there."
"Something I can use as the 'anchor' for your treatment."
"Something that can replace what your body has been forced to endure."
"And the upcoming expedition…"
He looked at Ukitake, then at Kaien.
"…is the perfect cover."
Ukitake's expression shifted—sharp intelligence flashing through the gentleness.
"You're saying…"
"You want to join the expedition."
"And during that operation…"
"You'll gather what you need."
Bai Chen gave a small nod.
"And after that—"
"I heal you."
Kaien's fist clenched.
"Even if it's risky… we'll do it."
But Ukitake raised a hand gently, stopping him.
Then he looked at Bai Chen again—quietly, carefully.
"You're confident."
Bai Chen didn't overpromise.
"I'm not claiming zero risk."
"But I am saying this—"
"If you keep living like this…"
"your body will keep paying that price every day."
"That's guaranteed."
"What I'm offering…"
"…is a chance to end it."
Ukitake closed his eyes for a moment.
When he opened them again, there was no fear in them.
Only resolve.
"Then we do it."
Kaien's breath released like he'd been holding it unconsciously.
Ukitake's voice softened, but it carried weight.
"When the expedition selection begins…"
"I'll recommend you personally."
Bai Chen smiled.
"Good."
He stood, shoulders relaxed again—but his eyes were sharper than before.
"Hueco Mundo expedition."
"Healing Captain Ukitake."
"And while we're there…"
He didn't say the rest out loud.
But in his mind, the next steps were already lining up like pieces on a board.
Because for Bai Chen—
Hueco Mundo wasn't just an enemy territory.
It was a vault.
A battlefield.
And a turning point.
And this time…
he intended to come back with everything.
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