"After initially receiving the request for help from the members of Squad 9, I dispatched Lieutenant Hiyori to provide support. Since the Reiatsu measurement data showed no obvious fluctuations, we could almost rule out an external invasion. Therefore, at the time, I leaned more toward the soul disappearances being caused by something akin to a virus."
"But it could also have been the work of someone inside the Seireitei."
"That was indeed my oversight. It wasn't until the news arrived that the Reiatsu of Squad 9's captain and lieutenant had vanished that I realized the situation wasn't so simple." Urahara lowered his head and sighed. "But by then, it was already too late."
Inside the living room, Urahara recounted the incident from fifty-two years ago to Kōe. The smile that usually hung on his face had completely vanished, making it clear just how heavily this matter weighed on his heart.
Kōe listened with a serious expression, occasionally voicing his own thoughts. No one would suspect that this wasn't actually his first time hearing these details.
"A mere virus wouldn't prevent a captain from sending back a message in time. It was obvious that this incident was man-made. There was no doubt about that."
Urahara continued, his expression growing even more solemn than before. "Because of your departure, Squad 11 had no captain at the time. Factoring in Squad 10 and the already dispatched Squad 9, the entire Seireitei only had ten captains available. Even so, Head Captain Yamamoto dispatched three captains, the Vice Kidō Chief, and a lieutenant to investigate."
"Not only that," Yoruichi said, picking up where Urahara left off. "According to the arrangements at the time, I, being the most mobile, was on standby to provide support at a moment's notice. Unohana was also waiting at the Comprehensive Relief Station to treat any casualties immediately. Even Urahara was strictly ordered to remain behind and oversee the Department of Research and Development, just in case."
Kōe nodded. Convening a captain's meeting first cleared all the captains of suspicion. That way, whether it was an inside traitor or an external enemy, a force of four captain-class combatants and one lieutenant would be more than enough to handle it—not to mention having Yoruichi on standby.
With the heads of crucial medical and technical support also kept in the rear, it was clear that Yamamoto had prepared for the worst-case scenario. Asking himself honestly, Kōe knew that if he were in the dark, he would have made the exact same arrangements.
"There was nothing wrong with Old Man Yama's arrangements, and I don't see how the two of you could have been dragged down by them," Kōe said, crossing his arms. He was now fully immersed in his performance. Leaning back in his chair, he continued, "So what happened next?"
"Although many people advised me not to overthink things at the time, I still couldn't calm down. So, late that night, I put on a cloak that completely concealed my Reiatsu and secretly headed to the site of the incident alongside Kidō Chief Tsukabishi Tessai."
"By the time we arrived, everyone except Squad 5 Captain Hirako Shinji—including Sarugaki Hiyori, whom I had sent earlier—had already undergone some sort of transformation and collapsed on the ground. Even Hirako was beginning to show signs of this transformation, a process I call Hollowfication!"
"Hollowfication?" Kōe frowned, leaning forward from the back of his chair. Resting his elbows on the table and propping up his head, he asked in a serious tone, "You mean turning into a Hollow? Shinigami turning into Hollows?!"
Urahara nodded. "You could understand it that way, but its ultimate goal isn't a change in species. Rather, it uses Hollowfication to further strengthen a Shinigami's soul. This was an answer I arrived at during my own research into strengthening Shinigami souls, but I never expected someone to actually put it into practice."
"I think I know what happened next. Because you acted without authorization, and the changes in Hirako and the others were related to your research, you ended up taking the fall for some unknown culprit." Kōe then shifted his index finger to point at Yoruichi. "And you, out of trust for him, took him and fled to the World of the Living together. Right?"
Kōe's confident deduction received no agreement. Yoruichi remained silent, only letting out occasional snorts to deny his answer, while Urahara wagged his finger and directly revealed the truth.
"You're mistaken about that. Not only do I know who orchestrated that experiment, but I also saw him with my own eyes."
This time, Kōe didn't offer his own opinion, instead gesturing for Urahara to continue. After all, reaching this point meant the true culprit's identity was practically set in stone, and he shouldn't try to predict the flow of events anymore.
"After forcing that person to retreat, Tessai used forbidden time Kidō to temporarily halt the Hollowfication afflicting Hirako and the others. He then used forbidden spatial Kidō to transport us back to Squad 12, where we began attempting to treat them. But even though I had already achieved results in soul strengthening research, I still couldn't reverse their Hollowfication in such a short time."
"It wasn't actually that long, just a single night," Yoruichi whispered, afraid Kōe might misunderstand. Catching Urahara looking at her helplessly, she immediately clamped a hand over her mouth.
"It was only one night. When I woke up the next day, I was forcibly arrested by Central 46." Urahara sighed before continuing, "When I spoke that person's name in front of Central 46, I was actually told that he had been in the Seireitei the entire previous night, and that one hundred and twenty-four squad members and a captain could testify to it!"
"Because the Hollowfied Hirako and the others were discovered in Squad 12, Central 46 immediately ordered that I be stripped of my Reiryoku and exiled to the World of the Living. Grand Kidō Chief Tsukabishi Tessai was to be imprisoned in the Third Underground Prison, Shugō. As for the Hollowfied Hirako Shinji and the other seven, they were all deemed Hollows and sentenced to execution!"
"I'm not surprised in the slightest that Central 46 would do something like that," Kōe remarked dryly. Seeing Yoruichi unnaturally clear her throat while frantically pointing at her own face, he added helplessly, "Let me guess, Yoruichi must have been the one who rescued you all from Central 46..."
"You guessed correctly! Not just me, but the Hollowfied Hirako and the rest—ten people in total. Her judgment was spot on." Urahara offered a perfunctory smile as he looked at the beaming Yoruichi.
"Looking at it now, it's just another Azashiro Sōya," Kōe said dismissively, having completely gotten into character.
"The bizarre part isn't the incident itself, but the truth behind it. Those people weren't all lying. Some of them truly saw that person in the Seireitei with their own 'eyes'—at the exact same time I was fighting him!" Urahara shook his head with a bitter smile. "This isn't a simple matter of some small faction popping up in the Seireitei, Kōe."
"Two contradictory statements are both true, meaning this person appeared in two places at once? But having a clone isn't exactly bizarre. I imagine that person's methods go far beyond just that." Kōe stretched, clasping his hands behind his head, and said impatiently, "Stop keeping me in suspense, Urahara."
Urahara nodded and was just about to speak when a commotion came from outside the door. "Manager, I've brought them back!"
"Perfect timing. You can be the one to tell Kōe the news about that person." Urahara looked toward the figure appearing behind Kōe and smiled. "After all, Aizen Sōsuke was once your lieutenant. You should know him better than anyone, Mr. Hirako."
"What a displeasing name. You really are as obnoxious as ever, Kisuke!"
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