Aizen departed. The night wind swept past, catching the hem of his cloak as it fluttered gently under the moonlight. In his hand, he gripped Tosen Kaname's Zanpakuto; the blood on its blade had already dried into a dull, dark brown glaze. Aizen walked slowly, his eyes concealed behind his black-rimmed glasses by strands of bangs falling over his face, obscuring his expression. Only the suffocating intensity of his heavily suppressed Spiritual Pressure betrayed his current gloom and simmering wrath.
Hasumi Ren stood in place, watching Aizen's silhouette fade into the thin mist. Then, turning around, he began to clean up the scattered equipment.
The research area was a complete mess, littered everywhere with the shards and wreckage of laboratory instruments. Ren knelt down, sorting through the salvageable components while piling up the ruined pieces to be destroyed. His movements were swift, though his mind was entirely elsewhere.
As his gaze swept across the ground, scanning the gravel and bloodstains, he spotted the faint glimmer of fragments, just as he had anticipated. Aside from the ordinary shards of Spiritual Pressure, one particular fragment he had never seen before piqued his curiosity.
With a thought, Ren extended his Spiritual Pressure over them, drawing the shards into his body.
[SYSTEM: Obtained High-Grade Spiritual Power Fragment x2, Spiritual Standing EXP +200]
Shards of Spiritual Pressure were better than nothing. Ren stared at the system prompt, waiting for information on the unique fragment.
[SYSTEM: Unknown fragment obtained. Analyzing... Success.]
[SYSTEM: Schrift fragment obtained. Condensing Schrift... Success.]
[SYSTEM: Schrift: A - The Absorb (Awakening Rate: 1%)]
[SYSTEM: Schrift: A - The Absorb: All matter composed of Reishi in the world is deemed an object that can be absorbed. By establishing physical contact, the target's Reishi can be forcibly dismantled and assimilated for personal use. The efficiency of absorption depends on the disparity in Spiritual Pressure between the user and the target.]
Ren's pupils dilated slightly. The moment the system prompt appeared, a thread of cold, overbearing Quincy power surged through his veins, spreading across his entire body. Clenching his fist, he suppressed the shock churning in his chest, maintaining a perfectly composed facade.
A Schrift. To think it was actually a fragment of a Quincy's Schrift.
Memories regarding Schrifts surfaced in his mind. Yhwach distributed fragments of his soul to the members of the Sternritter, granting them unique abilities tied to specific letters. These powers were varied and bizarre, but some were completely absurd, altering the fundamental laws of reality.
As for his newly acquired ability, once contact was established, it could forcibly decompose a target's Reishi and claim it as his own. The absorption efficiency depended on the gap in Spiritual Pressure, meaning that as long as his own energy was superior, he could directly dissolve and absorb an enemy. It was utterly brutal.
Then, a thought struck Ren. Yhwach's core ability revolved around sharing and plundering—distributing his own power to others, only to reclaim it entirely when necessary, even stripping away everything they possessed. It was a flawless loop of bestowal and reclamation.
Meanwhile, Haschwalth was considered Yhwach's alter ego and was deeply trusted precisely because his inherent gift was also sharing—he could bestow power upon others but lacked the ability to reclaim it. Because of this, Yhwach harbored no wariness toward him, keeping him close without ever fearing that Haschwalth, lacking the power to harvest energy, would ever surpass him.
Yet the Schrift 'A'—The Absorb—that Ren had just acquired happened to be the core plundering ability of Yhwach himself, a trait Haschwalth lacked. Moreover, this ability formed a match made in heaven with his system. The Absorb plundered Reishi to bring power into his body, while the system simultaneously absorbed fragments to convert that power into attributes. It was a perfect closed loop.
Ren took a deep breath, settling the excitement in his chest. His encounter with the Wandenreich had yielded a bounty far greater than anticipated. A single fragment had manifested the embryonic form of a Schrift. However, the current awakening rate was far too low for him to actually activate the ability.
If he could obtain more fragments from Haschwalth or other members of the Sternritter, the awakening rate of his Schrift would continue to climb. Once it reached one hundred percent, he could fully unlock the power instead of merely staring at it helplessly. It flourished a clear realization that future dealings with the Wandenreich would be inevitable.
Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Ren resumed cleaning up the scene. Piling the shattered equipment together, he condensed Spiritual Pressure at the tip of his finger and pointed forward.
"Hado #54: Haien."
A jet of purple-hot flame erupted from his fingertip, swallowing the debris. The fire danced in the night wind, reducing everything to ash. The ruined materials held no remaining value; setting them ablaze was clean and efficient. Ren stood before the pyre, watching the ashes scatter into the night breeze. Turning on his heel, he walked out of the valley.
Aizen was walking quite slowly, and it didn't take long for Ren to catch up to him from behind. The two walked in single file along the narrow path through the wasteland. The night wind swept past, rustling the withered grass on the ground with a soft, dry hiss.
Aizen's expression was exceptionally grim—a rare sight—and Ren remained silent, merely shadowing him quietly.
"Why did they attack this specific location?" Aizen suddenly spoke, his voice low, as if muttering to himself or posing the question to Ren. "Their ability to slip into shadows appears related to spatial technology. Could it be that the fluctuations from our experiments drew them here, and they are hiding within some pocket dimension?"
Ren's eyebrow twitched imperceptibly. Aizen's deduction was remarkably close to the truth. As expected of Aizen, to extrapolate so much from such limited information.
Aizen halted, turning around to look at Ren. "What are your thoughts on this matter?"
Ren pondered for a moment, letting an appropriate look of contemplation wash over his features.
"Your analysis is spot-on, sir. The enemy's abilities are tied to space, and their capacity to conceal themselves within shadows suggests they likely possess a form of spatial teleportation technology unknown to us. Investigating along this vector should be the correct approach."
Aizen stared at him, maintaining silence for a brief moment before nodding. "Then investigate along that trajectory. I expect to see results soon."
Ren bowed his head. "Understood."
Aizen offered no further comment, turning to resume his march. His pace was slightly swifter than before, as though he had reached a definitive conclusion.
Following behind him, Ren's mind drifted to another matter. The man who had appeared earlier, with golden hair, blue eyes, and carrying a shield—based solely on his appearance, it had to be Haschwalth. The Grand Master of the Wandenreich's Sternritter, and Yhwach's most trusted advisor. To think they would deploy such a formidable figure right out of the gate. It treats the situation with far greater weight than he had anticipated.
However, Tosen Kaname was still alive. Haschwalth's words indicated that Tosen had survived and was merely imprisoned. This was far from good news for Ren.
Within the Wandenreich existed Loyd, a clone possessing the Schrift 'Y'—The Yourself—whose ability allowed him to replicate a target's appearance while perfectly inheriting their powers, memories, and thoughts. Everything Tosen knew would inevitably fall into the Wandenreich's hands.
Fortunately, Tosen公 remained unaware that Ren was the one who had mapped out the Wandenreich, and Ren had left no incriminating loose ends. Still, it was impossible to guarantee the enemy wouldn't deduce something from what they gleaned.
Furthermore, there was no guarantee the Wandenreich wouldn't develop an interest in the Hogyoku. If they conceived a desire to seize it, the situation might actually turn to Ren's advantage. After all, the muddier the waters, the lower the probability of him drawing attention to himself—which meant greater safety.
On the other hand, if the Wandenreich simply desired to crush the Gotei 13 led by Yamamoto and invade the Seireitei, their objectives might seamlessly align with Aizen's own ambitions. Should the two sides sit down to negotiate, the implications would turn perilous for Ren. If both parties cross-referenced their data, they would easily deduce that the architect who engineered this entire conflict was none other than Ren himself. Things were becoming complicated.
Ren's brow furrowed slightly. This was a matter he needed to discuss with someone.
At daybreak, Ren quietly made his way to the Second Division, slipping into the depths of the Maggots' Nest. The black iron gates stood cold and imposing, surrounded by an oppressive, chaotic mingle of Spiritual Pressures.
Recognizing Ren, the guards on duty asked no questions, unbolting the heavy doors to grant him entry. They had received strict orders from Urahara Kisuke that Ren possessed unrestricted clearance within the facility.
Navigating a succession of corridors, Ren soon arrived at Urahara Kisuke's hidden laboratory. Urahara sat before a workbench; looking up as Ren entered, a look of surprise crossed his face. He certainly hadn't anticipated Ren coming to find him directly here.
"What brings you here so suddenly? Did something happen?"
Ren approached the workbench and pulled up a chair. "My operation was completely successful. The faction in the shadows has turned its focus onto Aizen, and last night, they abducted Tosen Kaname."
Urahara's hands paused mid-motion. Ren briefly detailed the sequence of events: Tosen leading a squad to recover the equipment, the sudden ambush that wiped out the entire detachment, and Tosen's capture. He described Aizen's arrival at the scene, his brief skirmish with a blonde youth, and the intruder's ultimate escape into the shadows.
Listening to the account, Urahara's brow knitted tightly. "How strong is Tosen Kaname exactly? Having worked alongside him for so long, you should have a clear gauge."
Ren reflected for a moment. "Tosen has already mastered Bankai. His ability centers on sensory deprivation, so he is by no means weak."
"How long did the battle last?"
"From the ambush to its conclusion... it didn't take long at all. Furthermore, by the time Aizen reached the site, the area had already been sanitized, and the enemy departed with leisure."
"To neutralize a Captain-level Bankai wielder in such a short window..." Urahara muttered softly, a heavy gravity infusing his words. "And to do so without generating enough spiritual turbulence to alert the Seireitei."
He looked up, locking eyes with Ren. "The enemy's capabilities are far more formidable than I had anticipated."
Ren nodded in agreement. "Moreover, despite trading blows with Aizen, the enemy chose not to force a decisive battle. This indicates they harbor a healthy wariness of Aizen as well, and they will undoubtedly return. Another point I'm uncertain about is whether Tosen will implicate me. He seemed to harbor suspicions regarding my actions. If they discover my interference, could they—"
Urahara stood up, walking to the center of the subterranean chamber with his back turned to Ren. He remained there, lost in a prolonged silence.
"Your concerns are entirely justified. We have no way of guaranteeing what information they might extract from Tosen Kaname. We absolutely cannot afford to let Aizen and that faction have an opportunity to sit down and communicate."
He finally spoke, his voice quiet but every word crystalline. "If they exchange intelligence, the fact that you sent out a signal to probe the Wandenreich will come to light. Aizen will discover your machinations behind his back, and that faction will realize it was you who lured them here."
He turned around to face Ren. "We must push things to the point of no return immediately, forging a blood feud between them. We must transform their current mutual probing into absolute hatred."
Ren stared at him. "Meaning..."
"Tosen Kaname should have been the ideal sacrificial lamb. It is a profound pity he survived." Urahara's voice was perfectly placid, yet Ren could discern the underlying chill. "Tosen's capture isn't enough; it would be ideal if we could eliminate a few members of that faction as well. If we can execute a reverse-invasion into their pocket dimension, we might still seize the upper hand."
Ren remained silent for a beat. "Aizen tasked me with investigating that faction. Conveniently, this provides the perfect pretext to track their spatial coordinates once more."
Urahara's eyes narrowed slightly. "You can locate them?"
"It shouldn't be an issue," Ren nodded. "When I ran the probe last time, I recorded their coordinates. Even though they cut off the trace afterward, the coordinates themselves haven't disappeared. As long as I perform another scan, there is a high probability I can find them again."
Urahara returned to his workbench and sat down. "But do you have a way to breach it?"
Ren shook his head. "No. Their spatial technology is entirely different from opening a Garganta; it's not something a standard Garganta formula can rip open. How to breach it remains a major hurdle. For this, I require your assistance."
Urahara lapsed into silence. "Shadows... space..." he murmured, a contemplative gleam passing through his eyes. "I have the beginnings of a theory, but manifesting it will require time."
"How much time?"
Urahara considered for a moment. "It's difficult to say. If things go smoothly, perhaps a few weeks. This technology doesn't exist out of the box; I'll need to construct it entirely from scratch."
Ren fixed his gaze on him. "We don't have the luxury of time. Aizen is investigating on his end as well, so the faster the better. It would be ideal to breach their space first and muddy the waters. If those people reach Aizen first and actually intend to negotiate, my situation becomes incredibly hazardous."
Urahara nodded. "I understand. I will decipher the enemy's spatial technology as quickly as humanly possible. Ren, return to your post and keep an eye on Aizen for now. A await my word."
Ren nodded, rising to exit the Maggots' Nest. At this point, he could only rely on whatever breakthrough Urahara Kisuke could deliver.
Watching Ren's departing silhouette, Urahara Kisuke exhaled a heavy sigh. The situation was evolving in an increasingly convoluted manner. Deciphering the enemy's spatial technology rapidly was an exceptionally daunting task. It appeared that this time, he might have to resort to highly unconventional methods.
Urahara fell silent for a brief moment. Then, standing up, he walked toward the deeper recesses of the Maggots' Nest.
The absolute deepest sector of the Maggots' Nest housed a heavily fortified cell. The glow of the Reishi lamps grew incredibly dim here, barely illuminating the path beneath one's feet. Urahara stood at the entrance of the chamber, looking past the heavy iron bars.
Inside, a man sat with wildly disheveled hair, a few strands of deep blue peeking from the edges and gleaming uncannily beneath the dim light. His eyes locked onto Urahara through the gaps in the bars with a morbid, analytical stare.
"Well, well, Urahara Kisuke. What wind blew you into this corner?" Kurotsuchi Mayuri's voice was sharp and grating. "Are you still working on that horse-manure crossbreeding research of yours? Why didn't you bring a couple of piglets along to show off your grand scientific achievements?"