The same red sun rose as usual over both Soul Society and the Human World.
The battle in Hokkai Prefecture was the shortest. Once captains were dispatched, Ichimaru Gin, acting alone, defeated all of the Modified Souls.
There was never much suspense. In the face of Gin's Shinsō (Divine Spear), those Modified Souls were as fragile as thin paper.
Yet after crushing them with lightning speed, Ichimaru Gin still didn't seem satisfied. As if worried there might be survivors, he began a carpet-style sweep of the entire Hokkai Prefecture.
On another battlefield in the Human World, however, things were far more brutal than on Gin's side.
Of course, the ones suffering were the Hollows.
Against the Eighth Division captain Kyōraku Shunsui—who had gotten just a little serious—death-seeking maniac Zaraki Kenpachi, meticulous Komamura Sajin, and Second Division captain Soi Fon, specialist in flanking and cleanup…
If not for the state of Ukitake Jūshirō's health, and Kyōraku Shunsui forcibly shoving Ukitake into a "logistics" role in the rear to protect Shiba Kaien, this battle might not even have lasted until dusk.
Surveying the field of corpses all around him—where it seemed he was practically the only one left alive—Starrk stood in midair like a king, looking down on the gathered Shinigami.
Just as the Shinigami captain calling himself Kyōraku Shunsui had never gone all out, Starrk himself had never become truly serious from beginning to end.
Judging by the combat strength these captains had shown so far, they still weren't enough to make him feel genuinely threatened.
But as far as Starrk was concerned, there was no need for the battle to continue any further.
His mission was complete.
Not only had he successfully pinned this group of Shinigami captains in the Human World, he had also burned through a huge batch of what Aizen-sama considered "failed-product" Arrancar.
Starrk knew it was about time for him to withdraw back to Hueco Mundo.
If he had to find one unpleasant aspect in all this, it would be that he'd had several opportunities to kill that Zaraki Kenpachi and Komamura Sajin—only for his killing blows to be blocked by that same Shinigami captain, Kyōraku Shunsui.
That captain felt very powerful to Starrk.
Yet, for some reason, Kyōraku had never used either Shikai (Initial Release) or Bankai (Final Release). Maybe this battlefield just wasn't the right place for it?
Starrk thought that if he ever had the chance in the future, it might be fun to fight that captain one-on-one.
After all, only from Kyōraku Shunsui had he sensed even the faintest hint of what could be called "danger."
"Looks like today's fight ends here. Shinigami captains, until we meet again.
I hope next time we see each other, it'll be for a truly enjoyable battle."
Without the slightest hesitation, Starrk raised a hand and pointed toward the sky while the last few Arrancar still tangled with Zaraki Kenpachi and Komamura Sajin.
A Garganta (Black Cavity) tore open.
Starrk flew straight into it without looking back, abandoning the remaining Arrancar as disposable pawns.
"Damn you! You're not getting away!"
Watching Starrk "run," Soi Fon—still locked in combat with an Arrancar—couldn't bear it. She ignored the opponent in front of her, willingly taking a direct hit just to break away and rocket upward, determined to cut Starrk off.
And then, as a newly appointed captain who had never personally witnessed Starrk's fighting style during the old noble hunting incident, Soi Fon heard a whisper that would haunt her dreams—and saw a scene horrific enough to crush the morale of countless Shinigami.
"Hunt him down, my pack of wolves.
Resurrección (Return Blade), Mugen Sōten Cero (Infinite-Loading Cero)!"
The instant his words fell, within Soi Fon's field of vision—and beyond it, in all the places she could and couldn't see—
Cero (Hollow Flash) rained down from the sky like an endless meteor shower.
Everywhere she looked, Soi Fon couldn't find a single spot where she could possibly dodge.
Fortunately, the man who had been "slacking off" all along appeared in front of her.
With a flurry of powerful Kidō (Demon Art)-formed blades, Kyōraku Shunsui forcibly carved open a path through the storm of Cero.
As for the other Shinigami captains, they each relied on their own specialties.
Ukitake Jūshirō only needed to raise the Zanpakutō in his left hand, and any stray Cero that reached him were all absorbed.
Zaraki Kenpachi, on the other hand, "happily" enjoyed the baptism of that unlimited Cero barrage. He wanted to tear open a path like Kyōraku Shunsui had, but unfortunately his current spiritual pressure simply wasn't up to the task.
His life was tough enough, though, that in the end he merely lost the ability to move.
As another man who met everything head-on, Komamura Sajin fared little better than Zaraki. The two of them dropped under the rain of Cero almost one after the other.
The abandoned Arrancar, however, met an even worse fate.
Under Starrk's virtually indiscriminate attack, not a single one of those already-struggling Arrancar survived. They all died at the hands of their own "ally."
"So in the end, that's when he chose to show his real strength, huh…"
Watching Starrk's silhouette vanish into the Garganta, Kyōraku Shunsui finally murmured faintly.
Back during the noble hunting incident, he'd never crossed blades with Baraggan or Starrk because of the area he'd been assigned to defend.
But the combat reports on those two had been laid out in full detail on his desk afterward.
That was why, once Kyōraku realized Starrk hadn't really fought seriously even once from start to finish, he himself had chosen to sit back and watch.
By the time things had progressed this far, one fact was practically being slapped in their faces:
Starrk's entire excursion to the Human World with this group of Arrancar looked like nothing more than a trip to sell out his teammates.
The problem was—why?
Did the Hollows have some civil war going on among themselves?
And another thing. According to Soul Society's information, the number of special-type Hollows like Arrancar in Hueco Mundo should be extremely small.
Yet after today, not only did that intel seem wrong, it was wildly wrong— and the disparity in power among these Arrancar was absurdly large.
So why hadn't Soul Society caught even a hint of any of this beforehand?
Just the number of Arrancar sacrificed here in the Human World today wasn't small.
Were the expeditions they'd sent into Hueco Mundo in the past really so blind that they failed to find anything like this?
Those were all questions.
Kyōraku Shunsui didn't rashly choose to pursue Starrk. Instead, he planned to raise these issues properly with the Captain-Commander once he'd returned to Soul Society.
What Kyōraku didn't know was that while they were still battling Starrk's Arrancar in the Human World, the situation in Soul Society was far more tragic than on their side.
Sixth Division captain Kuchiki Sōjun—killed in action.
Tenth Division captain—killed in action.
Twelfth Division captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri—trapped in his own barracks, unable to provide support.
Fourth Division captain Unohana Retsu—devoting herself entirely to treating the wounded, taking no part in the fighting.
Ninth Division captain Tōsen Kaname—gravely injured and incapable of further combat.
All of that made up the reports laid out in front of Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni within just one hour of Baraggan leading his Hollow army's assault on Seireitei.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri, as a researcher, being trapped and outmatched—that was understandable.
Tōsen Kaname's strength was indeed not outstanding among the captains—a "tradition" of the Ninth Division—and being seriously injured was a result Yamamoto could accept.
But Unohana Retsu, putting on an act as if all she could do was heal the wounded, pretending she wasn't any good at fighting—who exactly did she think she was fooling?
Then again, every time Yamamoto thought about Unohana Retsu's personality, he just felt helpless.
The fact that she was at least willing to treat the wounded was already something.
If she chose to just sit inside the Fourth Division barracks with her ears closed to anything outside, that was also absolutely something she was capable of doing.
"Have we sent messages to the captains in the Human World?"
Yamamoto Genryūsai asked his lieutenant, Sasakibe Chōjirō, standing before him.
"They've been sent.
Ichimaru Gin-taichō says the situation on their end is extremely difficult, and they can't disengage for now.
Kyōraku Shunsui-taichō hasn't responded at all, but according to nearby Thirteenth Division members, the fighting around Kyōraku-taichō is also extremely intense…"
"I see. Chōjirō… it looks like I'll have to trouble you this time as well."
Yamamoto Genryūsai rose to his feet, expression grave.
He had always regarded himself as Soul Society's final line of defense.
Unless the situation was truly desperate, he had no desire to take the field.
Even his Shikai (Initial Release) caused enormous damage to Soul Society's environment. As for his Bankai (Final Release)—that was beyond discussion. It might very well obliterate Soul Society altogether.
But judging from how things stood today, it seemed he no longer had a better option.
At the same time, a nearly identical set of reports lay in front of Tsunayashiro Kamihara, and his complexion was ashen.
"Still no contact with Higashino Shuuichi?!"
The Shinigami being questioned was drenched in sweat.
"Kamihara-dono, we have made contact, but…"
"But what?"
At this point, Tsunayashiro Kamihara almost wanted to kill this man.
How could he speak so slowly at a time like this?
"B-but the Great Blade-Hunter Chief merely left a single message saying that he 'will handle it'… and then went out of contact again…"
The Shinigami answered, terrified.
"He'll handle it? Does he even know what he's supposed to be handling?!"
Sure enough, Tsunayashiro Kamihara exploded.
Did that Higashino Shuuichi have any idea what was happening in Seireitei right now?!
The only captain left in Seireitei who could still fight was Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni!
And there were still so many Hollows outside.
What if they broke through to his location?!
People needed to understand: Tsunayashiro Kamihara had barely fought in his life.
He was nothing more than a façade with captain-class potential and no captain-class battle power.
He had some confidence against ordinary Menos Grande.
But look at the current opponents—they'd taken out two fully accredited captains in just a few exchanges.
Killing him would be as easy as drinking water!
By this time, Higashino Shuuichi—fresh back from Hueco Mundo—was already standing beside Aizen Sōsuke.
Looking down at the corpse of a Tenth Division captain he didn't really recognize, still wearing his captain's haori at Aizen's feet, Higashino Shuuichi realized he no longer understood Aizen at all.
This really didn't fit with Aizen's current style.
"Aizen-dono, this plan of yours… it seems you never gave me the slightest hint beforehand."
Higashino Shuuichi looked at Aizen, a faint note of reproach in his tone.
"Mm. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision."
Aizen replied offhandedly, as if he'd done something utterly trivial.
"Only a spur-of-the-moment decision? Then why does it feel like you've thrown almost everything you've accumulated in Hueco Mundo onto the table this time?"
Higashino believed Aizen.
When it came to him, Aizen had no need to lie—but that only made it more baffling.
"Because after you told me about Tokinada Tsunayashiro's designs, I sat and thought it through carefully.
I don't care about that so-called title of 'Hueco Mundo's king.'
But Hueco Mundo is my territory.
If Tokinada Tsunayashiro wants to get his hands on it—he can forget it."
As Aizen spoke, he noticed Higashino Shuuichi's gaze drifting around their surroundings and added:
"Don't bother looking. I erased all of Eizō Hall's surveillance points in this area."
"But that can't be your real reason, right, Aizen-dono?
Tokinada Tsunayashiro may be annoying, but he hardly seems worth such a massive operation on your part."
If the current Tokinada Tsunayashiro were the post–Thousand-Year Blood War version from the original timeline, then maybe Aizen's large-scale move would make sense.
But he wasn't.
So Higashino absolutely did not believe Aizen would go to such lengths just to deal with a petty clown like Tokinada.
From Higashino's perspective, Aizen was practically cashing in his entire current stockpile in Hueco Mundo.
"Of course not.
Though I won't deny that was the direct trigger for my sudden inspiration.
The plan itself, however, has been brewing for a very long time—so implementing it now hardly counts as rushed."
"So then, Aizen-dono, your goal this time is…?"
"Shuuichi, let me ask you—
What do you think would happen if one of the Five Great Noble Houses, the Shiba clan—already rather out of favor—lost all of its high-end combat power and most of its members were killed?
Would they be expelled from the ranks of the Five Great Houses?"
Aizen turned his back to Higashino Shuuichi, gazing at the sky burning red in the distance as he spoke softly.
At those words, Higashino couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air.
He had a good idea of what Aizen was aiming at.
"Aizen-dono… you want the key to the Soul King's Palace from the Shiba clan?"
As one of the Five Great Noble Houses, the Shiba family possessed the technique to reach the Soul King's Palace.
For most Shinigami that was still a secret, but for Aizen Sōsuke—who had already entered the Great Spirit Book Corridor ahead of schedule, thanks to Higashino—this was no secret at all.
Higashino Shuuichi knew Aizen had once tried to use Kyōka Suigetsu (Mirror Flower, Water Moon) to coax the method of entering the Soul King's Palace out of the Shiba clan.
Unfortunately, the only person who actually knew the method at that time, Shiba Kūkaku, was completely immune to Aizen's tricks.
She guarded herself against him with extreme vigilance and had nearly seen through Kyōka Suigetsu on more than one occasion.
Only then had Aizen given up trying to probe further.
Higashino had thought Aizen had abandoned the idea altogether.
He hadn't expected Aizen to simply be secretly preparing something larger behind the scenes.
Indeed—after Shiba Kūkaku's entire family was shattered, if Aizen appeared before her in shining armor…
The favorability boost would be insane.
He wouldn't even need Kyōka Suigetsu. With his own natural charm and manipulation, Higashino guessed Aizen could easily max out her goodwill.
"I don't necessarily have to obtain that key itself.
As long as I learn what the Soul King's Palace truly is, where it is, and in which space it exists…
Then even without a key—it won't matter."
Aizen spoke lightly, neither admitting nor denying it.
The implication was clear enough: once he had the Palace's coordinates, he could simply build his own path.
If anyone else had said such a thing, Higashino Shuuichi might have scoffed.
But coming from Aizen…
"I understand, Aizen-dono.
So there's no need for me to take the field. I'll go protect Tsunayashiro Kamihara and make sure that after this incident, he has every reason to expel the Shiba clan from the Five Great Houses."
Now that he understood Aizen's true goal, Higashino Shuuichi also knew what he himself should do next.
Clearly, the "hero saves the damsel" role had to be left to Aizen to farm affection points.
Aizen killing the Tenth Division captain here was likely meant to ensure that Baraggan's Arrancar could wipe out the Shiba clan—before Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni fully realized what was happening and joined the fray in earnest.
From Higashino's point of view, today's events really didn't leave him with much of a part to play.
Fortunately, while he was technically listed under the Gotei 13's organization chart, he didn't answer to Yamamoto Genryūsai.
So ignoring Baraggan's Arrancar and focusing solely on protecting Tsunayashiro Kamihara could still be considered faithfully performing his duty.
Tsunayashiro Kamihara would probably shower him with commendations afterward.
But Aizen's next words sent the entire situation veering in a very different direction.
"No, Shuuichi.
The one who must save Shiba Kūkaku—the only person who knows the method to reach the Soul King's Palace—is you.
Because right now, I'm in the Human World with Ichimaru Gin, dealing with the mess your good friend Kurotsuchi Mayuri has made.
I cannot show up in Soul Society."
"Kurotsuchi Mayuri…?"
Higashino Shuuichi was speechless.
Just how many things had happened in Soul Society while he'd been in Hueco Mundo?
Then again, thinking it over… this really wasn't Mayuri's fault.
In terms of timing, this was exactly the "perfect alignment of time, place, and people" they had discussed before.
Aizen chuckled, his gaze shifting from the fiery sky to an Arrancar not far away, currently fighting a group of seated Shinigami officers.
"Besides, if I'm remembering correctly, that ability you borrowed from Kisaragi Shūsuke works differently from Kisaragi's own, doesn't it?
Yours is constrained by your spiritual pressure."
"Yes, Aizen-dono."
Higashino Shuuichi nodded. He had indeed told Aizen about that limitation.
"So right now is the perfect chance for you to feast to your heart's content.
Forget Baraggan's Fracción—those are trivial.
But you mean to tell me you have no interest at all… in Baraggan's Hollow core?"
At that, Higashino Shuuichi snapped to attention.
"Aizen-dono—are you saying… I'm allowed to kill Baraggan here?"
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