Far to the north of the Seireitei, in the Zaraki District, a massive triangular formation consisting of nearly a thousand Shinigami and over a hundred members of the Kidō Corps was moving rapidly northward under the cover of night.
This force had begun assembling after the emergency captain's meeting. First, the captains of each squad filtered out problematic members based on a roster, then made direct one-on-one appointments. To prevent any leaks within the Seireitei, the majority of the team members were stationed in the four Plains of Slaughter and the Rukongai.
Once these Gotei 13 members had gathered and it was confirmed that no information had leaked from the Seireitei, the second phase began. Three days ago, the force led by Kōe Shihouin—disguised as "Ao"—along with four captains, nearly a hundred members of Squad 2's Stealth Force, and over a hundred Kidō Corps members, finally arrived in the Zaraki District in successive batches. Only then was the assembly of this army truly complete.
Wearing a mask, Kōe was the solitary point at the very front of this formation. He was the supreme commander of this army, the highest decision-maker of the newly formed Star Extermination Troop!
The mission of the Star Extermination Troop was, naturally, to obliterate the Star Cross Fortress. It was a crucial part of the overall extermination operation, designated as "Forging the Prison and Exterminating the Star."
Their specific mission had not yet begun, but Kōe's face beneath the mask was already fraught with solemnity. Although the extermination operation consisted of three parts, his responsibility—Forging the Prison and Exterminating the Star—was the most critical link. It was no exaggeration to say that the degree of its success would directly determine the outcome of the entire war.
The overall extermination operation was divided into three phases. While they occurred almost simultaneously, there was a strict sequence to them. The first phase, "Blinding the Eyes and Pruning the Branches," was already complete. Kōe's phase, "Forging the Prison and Exterminating the Star," had yet to begin. As for what was currently underway, it was actually the third phase—the final stage of the entire operation.
Following the conclusion of "Blinding the Eyes and Pruning the Branches," the remaining nine captains in the Seireitei were divided into three groups to carry out different tasks.
Led by Head Captain Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, Squad 1, Squad 3, Squad 5, and Squad 7 acted as the central command and support. They guarded the now heavily depleted Seireitei while doing their utmost to locate the Quincy factions hiding in the World of the Living.
At the same time, four of the most powerful captains—Shihōin Dōzō, Kuchiki Ginrei, Hikifune Kirio, and Kuruyashiki Kenpachi—would lead their respective squads in a feigned assault on Hueco Mundo. This was to ensure that during Kōe's operation, they would not be harassed by Gillian-class Menos or higher, preventing them from being caught in a pincer attack.
As for the remaining four captains—Unohana Retsu, Kyōraku Shunsui, Shiba Isshin, and Ukitake Jūshirō—they would first lead their squads into the Rukongai from four different directions. Their task was to sweep up any scattered Quincies and stabilize the situation in the Rukongai.
Afterward, Unohana Retsu and Shiba Isshin would lead their forces into the Zaraki District. Isshin would clear out any roaming Hollows and Quincies in the area, while Unohana would rush to the Star Cross Fortress to provide support for the Star Extermination Troop.
The remaining two, Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō, would hold down the Rukongai. They would serve as a bridge to the Seireitei on the inside and respond to the Plains of Slaughter on the outside, acting as the situation demanded.
"Clipping the Legs and Weaving the Net" was the name of this phase. It meant clipping the scattered, minor footholds of the enemy while weaving a net in the World of the Living, waiting for the final moment to draw it close and catch all the Quincies in one fell swoop! As for when that net would be drawn, it naturally depended on when Kōe managed to conquer the Star Cross Fortress.
It wasn't hard to see that both "Blinding the Eyes and Pruning the Branches" and "Clipping the Legs and Weaving the Net" existed solely to serve Kōe's mission. The former was manageable, but the price paid for the latter was undeniably steep.
From the moment the four captains led their squads into Hueco Mundo to act as bait, Shinigami had already begun losing their lives in this war. The pressure this placed on Kōe's shoulders was immense.
However, he wasn't the type to shrink back at the last minute. From the moment he took charge of formulating the specific plans for "Forging the Prison and Exterminating the Star," he had already steeled his resolve. This operation could only succeed; failure was not an option. The Seireitei could not afford the price of failure, and neither the World of the Living nor Soul Society could bear the consequences!
First was the timeframe. The others were fine, but the four captains in Hueco Mundo couldn't possibly leave all their subordinates there indefinitely. Two days! That was the maximum acceptable limit for the Seireitei, the longest those four captains could remain in Hueco Mundo, and consequently, the absolute deadline for Kōe to capture the Star Cross Fortress.
Second, not a single Quincy could be allowed to escape the Star Cross Fortress. While ensuring their own safety, they were to capture as many alive as possible, though wiping them out entirely was also acceptable. That was the absolute bottom line.
Just as Kōe was mentally simulating every detail of the plan, two figures rapidly approached from behind, soon falling into step beside him.
"Lord... Ao?"
Kōe looked toward the voice. Although her dark skin made her somewhat hard to see in the night, he could easily make out Yoruichi's familiar face. As for the person beside her, Urahara's face was uncharacteristically devoid of its usual smile.
"What is it? Do you need something?" Kōe asked, roughing up his voice to sound artificially authoritative.
"I just..." Yoruichi paused, gritting her teeth before continuing, "I wanted to ask Lord Ao, where exactly is Kōe Shihouin right now?!"
Before coming here, Yoruichi had learned that Kōe had been framed and that he had spent the last hundred and fifty years working alongside Ao for this extermination operation. She had asked her father where Kōe was, but Dōzō wasn't entirely sure either. He only knew that Kōe was in the Zaraki District and would likely join the Star Extermination Troop directly when the time came.
Since she and Urahara were also members of the Star Extermination Troop, she had assumed they would see Kōe upon arriving and the three of them could operate together. In reality, there was no sign of Kōe anywhere in the troop. Having worried about this for a long time, the two had no other choice but to muster their courage and ask this Lord Ao, whom they had never met before.
Yoruichi had no idea that the Kōe she had been desperately longing to see was standing right in front of her. Of course, Kōe hadn't done this on purpose. Although he had drafted the general roster for the Star Extermination Troop, the specific personnel assignments were decided by the captains of each squad.
In truth, Kōe had initially excluded these two from the list. The reason was simple: this operation was far too dangerous.
But Yoruichi had been recommended by her father, Shihōin Dōzō, as an indispensable part of the operation. It was hard to believe there was actually a father in this world willing to push his own daughter into a literal fire pit. Shihōin Dōzō was truly ruthless!
As for Urahara, there wasn't much to say. He couldn't rest easy knowing Yoruichi was coming, so he had practically begged Hikifune Kirio to let him tag along.
There was nothing to be done about it. Kōe couldn't just kick two members out of the troop without any valid reason. And so, the three childhood best friends found themselves standing on the same battlefield. Perhaps it was fate, guided by some unseen hand.
"Lord Ao?" Urahara prompted, seeing that the man was taking a long time to answer.
"Ah, that brat!" Kōe snapped back to reality, abruptly shifting his tone to sound displeased. "Why do you care about that brat? He has absolutely nothing to do with this operation!"
"We just wanted to know how he's doing. Is he in any danger?"
*Am I really that pathetic in your eyes?* Kōe grumbled inwardly, though outwardly he continued, "Anyone else might run into trouble, but not that brat! Rather than worrying about him, you should be thinking about yourselves! Especially you, Shihōin Yoruichi!"
Yoruichi wanted to press the issue, but Kōe raised a hand to stop her. He halted his steps and raised his right hand above his head. The marching Star Extermination Troop instantly ground to a halt, awaiting his next command.
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