Autumn was deepening. The four white Tenkaikekchū crafted by Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi now stood at the four corners of Karakura Town, erected with the assistance of the Gotei 13 to encircle the city in a massive square.
The television news was currently broadcasting a notice: "Due to citywide electrical anomalies, all work and school classes are suspended."
Ichigo Kurosaki stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows. His gaze swept over his mother, who was currently watering potted plants in the courtyard, before turning to Yuzu and Karin watching TV in the living room.
"Dad." Ichigo turned around. "Take Mom, Yuzu, and Karin to the neighboring city for a trip over the next few days."
Hearing this, Isshin Kurosaki set down the newspaper in his hands. He remained silent for a moment before nodding.
Three days later, the black family car was parked in front of the Kurosaki Clinic.
As the luggage was stuffed into the trunk, Isshin placed a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. "Ichigo, although your strength is quite formidable now, don't go against Captain Soifon, understand...?"
The rainy day, the Auswählen, the silver blood clot surgery... It was as if Soifon knew each of their fates in advance.
Ichigo Kurosaki's power had been intentionally awakened by Soifon. Based on Isshin Kurosaki's understanding of Soifon's character, until she possessed absolute control over a situation, she would never personally create a power she couldn't handle.
Ichigo was stunned.
Why would he go against Sister Soifon? He had never even considered it!
Watching the car drive around the street corner until its taillights completely disappeared at the end of his vision, Ichigo Kurosaki immediately turned and ran in another direction.
The Ishida residence.
It wasn't until Ichigo knocked for the third time that the door opened a crack. Uryū Ishida met Ichigo's gaze through the narrow gap.
"Karakura Town might become very dangerous."
"You'd better take Uncle Ryūken and Aunt Kanae..."
Ichigo Kurosaki didn't offer any explanations, merely notifying the other party at an extremely rapid pace.
"I know." Suppressing the urge to confide in him, Uryū Ishida nodded. "Thanks, but my family has some things going on recently."
"Ishida, what exactly have you been..."
The only answer Ichigo Kurosaki received was the sound of the door gently closing.
Only after sensing Ichigo Kurosaki's Spiritual Pressure gradually fading into the distance did Uryū Ishida cast his gaze toward the shadows at the corner of the entryway.
"This person named Ichigo Kurosaki seems to have a good relationship with you? Uryū Ishida."
The Ishida residence in Karakura Town had already become a stronghold for the Wandenreich stationed in the World of the Living. As for Ryūken Ishida and Kanae Katagiri, no one knew where they had hidden themselves.
"He is a Shinigami, and I am a Quincy. We are destined to be enemies," Uryū Ishida retorted, his brows furrowed.
Haschwalth stepped out of the shadows.
"No, he is both a Shinigami and a Quincy."
"It is His Majesty's decree. He hopes you can convince Ichigo Kurosaki to abandon the dark and turn to the light."
"Do your best, Uryū Ishida. Do not disappoint His Majesty's expectations of you."
"You are, after all, His Majesty's designated successor..."
Immediately following, Lille Barro and Gerard—who also belonged to Yhwach's Schutzstaffel—stepped out of the shadows one after another.
At the same time, a group of Quincies dressed in standardized white uniforms systematically passed through the Sun Gate, arriving at the Ishida residence.
This was a prime opportunity to record the combat power of the Shinigami.
Meanwhile, in front of the Senkaimon of the various Divisions in the Seireitei, Seated officers ranked 5th Seat and above systematically passed through the Senkaimon to arrive in Karakura Town. They stationed themselves in the areas surrounding the four towering Tenkaikekchū.
"Strange..."
"We've been stationed here for days now. Why hasn't Aizen sent Arrancars in advance to launch a sneak attack and destroy them?"
Rangiku Matsumoto looked at the four perfectly preserved Tenkaikekchū, feeling that something wasn't quite right.
"Hey, whose side are you on anyway...?"
Tōshirō was momentarily speechless.
"Speaking of which, if Aizen and the others never show up, are we supposed to just stay in the World of the Living forever?"
"Exactly. I wanted to go back and train, too."
Also assigned to this Tenth Division group were Rukia and Momo Hinamori.
During their chat, they maintained a bizarre tacit understanding, keeping their mouths completely shut about a certain taboo name.
At another Tenkaikekchū.
Shūhei Hisagi and Renji Abarai were assigned under Byakuya Kuchiki.
After greeting Byakuya Kuchiki, the two of them found a nearby rock. They sat on it and tilted their heads to look at the sky, their eyes no longer holding the naive innocence of their graduation days.
Shūhei Hisagi gently stroked his scabbard. "In just a year's time... Even Teacher Soifon wouldn't have expected us to become this strong, right?"
"She'll definitely be shocked!"
"Over the past year, I've trained to a level where I can actually fight Teacher Soifon."
Renji Abarai clenched his fists tightly.
This was merely the illusion of having just learned Bankai, but not yet having suffered a severe beating.
At this point, the combat forces deployed by the Gotei 13 at each Tenkaikekchū had all fully stationed themselves.
First Tenkaikekchū: Zaraki Kenpachi, Sajin Komamura.
Second Tenkaikekchū: Hitsugaya, Rangiku Matsumoto, Momo Hinamori, Rukia.
Third Tenkaikekchū: Byakuya Kuchiki, Renji Abarai, Shūhei Hisagi, Izuru Kira.
Fourth Tenkaikekchū: Jūshirō Ukitake, Shunsui Kyōraku.
The rest of the Seated officers would follow their respective Captains into battle, adapting to the situation as needed.
Finally, Chōjirō Sasakibe would guard the Seireitei. Captain-Commander and Unohana Retsu would act as free agents to provide mobile support, while Mayuri Kurotsuchi would handle the logistics division to gather information.
Leaning on his walking stick, Captain-Commander Yamamoto walked alone to the exact center of the four Tenkaikekchū. The cane in his hands slowly peeled away like scraps of paper, revealing the Zanpakutō hidden within—Ryūjin Jakka.
Drawing the blade from its sheath, Captain-Commander Yamamoto fiercely plunged Ryūjin Jakka into the ground beneath him. Following that, fiery red flames continuously poured from the blade into the earth.
After an unknown amount of time had passed, Karakura Town—despite being in the autumn and winter seasons—surprisingly made the Gotei 13 stationed in the World of the Living feel sweltering heat.
"Phew..."
Only when half of his Spiritual Pressure had been consumed did the Captain-Commander pull Ryūjin Jakka out from the ground.
The strongest technique of Ryūjin Jakka's Shikai, [Ennetsu Jigoku], was now fully prepared.
Las Noches, conference room.
Around the long table, the peak forces of Las Noches known as the [Espada] took their seats in order. Soifon leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, resting her eyes. Sōsuke Aizen sat straight at the head of the table, with Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tōsen standing behind him.
The current Espada could hardly be called the Espada anymore, as the gap between the top six and the bottom four was as vast as the difference between Shikai and Bankai.
Even in terms of appearance, it was an overwhelming, dimensional gap.
The collar of Sōsuke Aizen's chest was slightly open. Purple, vein-like cracks could vaguely be seen spreading outward with the Hōgyoku embedded in his chest as the center. His eyes had also been dyed with the purple glow of the Hōgyoku.
Over the course of this year, Sōsuke Aizen had been beaten by Soifon to the point of evolving into the third form of his Hōgyoku fusion.
What kind of power is this...?
Just by sitting there resting his hand, Sōsuke Aizen's very existence exerted immense pressure on the Espada—even for the top six who had received enhancements from the Hōgyoku.
"Tomorrow, I will lead you all to Karakura Town."
Sweeping his gaze over the seated Espada, explicitly avoiding Soifon who was leaning against the wall with her eyes closed, Aizen finally spoke.
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