— — — — — —
At the gates of Las Noches, beneath the pale cluster of towering palace structures.
Isane stared at the Hollow with the dark green eyes standing before them, a presence so suffocating that his Reiatsu alone made her knees weak.
Ulquiorra Cifer.
Then she glanced around at the Arrancar rushing in from all directions, most of them already taking on humanoid form. Definitely Vasto Lorde level. Definitely not good.
"C… Captain…" Isane stammered. "Are we going to make it out of here alive?"
"Well… maybe?" Unohana Retsu answered with her gentle, unshakable smile, as if none of this could ruffle her in the slightest.
Isane swallowed hard and instinctively rested a hand on the hilt of her Zanpakutō.
To be honest, she really didn't want this assignment. But for some reason her captain had accepted the mission from the Head Captain without hesitation, leaving her no choice but to tag along.
'Please… let nothing happen…' Isane prayed silently.
Just then, a servant Arrancar hurried over and whispered something into Ulquiorra's ear.
Ulquiorra nodded, then addressed Unohana without a flicker of emotion. "Aizen-sama will see you."
"..."
"Looks like they've come to an agreement…" Unohana softly opened her eyes a little wider, her smile gentle as ever.
---
Las Noches, Central Hall
On a raised platform five or six meters above the ground stood two thrones.
Below the platform, ten silhouettes lined the hall on the left and right.
The Espada.
As Unohana entered the hall, she swept her gaze over them, comparing each one to the intel Urahara had provided. Everything matched. She walked in without changing expression.
Isane, on the other hand, felt her entire brain short-circuit.
One after another, the oppressive presences of the Espada pressed against her—even though they were clearly holding back. For a vice captain, the pressure was unbearable.
Could the Gotei 13 really defeat these ten monsters?
And even if they did… would they still have strength left to deal with Aizen? With Yagami?
Isane's face paled, but she forced herself to keep up with her captain.
Under the Espada's silent gaze, the two women reached the center of the hall. From here, the two thrones on the platform were perfectly visible.
It didn't take long. Accompanied by the faint chime of echoing footsteps, Ryo Yagami and Aizen Sosuke walked in from the upper corridor.
Behind them followed Tōsen Kaname, Gin Ichimaru, Nemu, and Orihime.
The moment Isane spotted Orihime, her eyes widened. She opened her mouth—then closed it again.
Ryo and Aizen sat upon the only two thrones. The others arranged themselves behind them according to rank and loyalty.
Black and White Emperors… bringers of upheaval across all realms. Isane couldn't help recalling the rumors whispered among lower-ranking Shinigami.
In those rumors…
Aizen Sōsuke was portrayed as a tragic hero, bullied by the Soul Society's rigid system until he went from kind-hearted captain to ultimate villain, forced to challenge Soul Society alone to change a corrupt world.
Unsurprisingly, the Central 46 executed more than ten Shinigami for spreading such rumors, but among the weaker Shinigami and spirits in Rukongai, the story refused to die.
Anyone with eyes could guess Aizen had engineered the rumor campaign.
What made it strange was that aside from the Central 46's frantic attempts to stamp the rumors out… the captains of the Gotei 13 didn't react at all.
Even the Head Captain, Yamamoto, stayed silent.
Thinking about that, combined with her and her captain being secretly sent to Hueco Mundo… a terrifying thought crept into Isane's mind.
Maybe… the Gotei 13 had already betrayed Soul Society. Or at least… were considering it.
The moment she thought it, she shook her head violently.
Impossible. The Gotei 13 cooperating with Ryo and Aizen? That could never happen. The Central 46 would never allow it. The Soul King would never tolerate it.
It would be treason.
"Isane, breathe."
Unohana's voice was soft as she calmed her vice captain, then she lifted her head toward Ryo.
"We meet again."
Ryo's expression didn't shift, but his tone held a faint sigh. "Didn't expect it to be here, though."
He leaned back slightly and exhaled. "Let's get straight to it. What exactly is the Soul Society—or the Gotei 13—trying to do?"
Unohana answered with the same gentle smile.
"It may sound unbelievable, but I'm here carrying a message from the Head Captain. He wishes for both sides to set aside grudges and pursue cooperation."
Isane's eyes and mouth both flew wide open.
She'd guessed right… somehow.
"Interesting." Ryo's voice held genuine curiosity.
Beside him, Aizen let out a quiet chuckle. His expression remained calm, almost like he had predicted this exact development.
"So Yamamoto Genryūsai has finally panicked." Aizen's gaze deepened, as if he were seeing the Head Captain himself through the walls of Hueco Mundo.
He paused, sounding almost amused. "The strongest Shinigami, huh."
Ryo ignored Aizen and asked. "Cooperation? What exactly does the old man want from us?"
"To kill the Quincy progenitor, Yhwach," Unohana replied. Her voice cooled noticeably. "And Ichibe Hyosube."
"Of course, aside from intervening in the matter of Yhwach, the Gotei 13 will not interfere in anything involving the Royal Guard."
She added gently, "Naturally, this only represents the intentions of myself, the Head Captain, and Captain Kyōraku. The actions of others are not ours to control."
Ryo raised a brow.
He turned slightly toward Aizen.
And there it was on Aizen's face—a faint smile, quiet and unreadable.
A smile full of meaning.
.
.
.