Chapter 237
"Tessai, Miss Kirio."
Haruto nodded to the two of them as he walked towards the Black Gate.
"What's this?"
It looks like an enlarged version of Kisuke Urahara World-Piercing Instrument, the one he uses in the World of the Living.
"A semi-permanent passage connecting the Soul Society and the Forest of Menos."
Kirio Hikifune patted the edge of the Black Gate and explained.
"Aren't you afraid that Gillian break in?"
The Forest of Menos is not entirely Menos Grande.
But those capable of sensing the spatial environment and traversing it are at least at the Gillian level... This thing is different from a naturally formed Garganta.
"That's why I'm discussing the security system with the Great Kidō Priest here... We can't have Captain-level stationed here indefinitely, can we?"
"This way, we won't have to go through the trouble of locating and restarting it every time?"
"That's right."
"It seems the Kidō Corps will be spared a lot of trouble from now on."
Opening and closing doors is time-consuming and laborious, especially during the Hueco Mundo expedition, making it a troublesome task for the Kidō Corps.
"No, the Black Gate is still in the experimental stage; the Central 46 Chambers hasn't approved its use yet."
Products in the trial phase should not be displayed openly in the center of the venue.
This thing involves spatial rules after all. If it were to explode, the impact would be far greater than simply using forbidden spatial teleportation techniques once or twice.
"So what are you doing...?"
"Of course I'll let you go and give it a try!"
"..."
So this is where they were waiting for me!
"What's there to be afraid of? It's relatively safe for Captain-level to travel this route."
"Not to mention that letting the team members in wouldn't easily uncover the problem, there aren't any other Soul Reaper who need to go to Hueco Mundo recently, besides you."
After finishing Kirio Hikifune added:
"Once we reach our destination, remember to have Kōga and the others return via this route as well."
"... if he's willing."
Haruto dared not make a guarantee: Kōga does indeed like Kidō, but he absolutely has no intention of becoming a sacrifice for Kidō.
"But if we don't take this route, there's no other way to get back."
What about the door we usually use?
"It's integrated into this."
Kirio Hikifune pointed to the Black Gate behind him, whose edge was constantly twisting, and said.
"... You two are really ruthless."
They deliberately cut off their own escape route—it seems that unless this Black Gate explodes, we have no choice but to follow their plan.
"Correction, that is entirely Hikifune's personal opinion."
Tessai Tsukabishi quickly distanced himself from the situation.
However, considering that he and the Kidō Corps were the ultimate beneficiaries, and that Hikifune was merely using this situation to test his new product— Tessai Tsukabishi, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, also had his own ulterior motives, and the two of them were definitely in cahoots.
"Science often comes with sacrifice."
After Tessai Tsukabishi finished speaking, Kirio Hikifune added a sentence.
"But you're sacrificing other people, aren't you?"
"..."
"Never mind."
Haruto gave up trying to persuade the two of them.
"Since it's already displayed here, Miss Kirio must be confident in the product."
It's hard to say about other aspects.
In terms of product quality, the products made by Kirio Hikifune have never had any problems, something Haruto has personally experienced.
I'll try it out for you guys.
They're all on the same side; they shouldn't have betrayed us.
Haruto didn't finish his words.
"A-Qing!"
The sound of a light, Shunpo echoed not far behind.
"... Isane?"
Not every squad can enter the Kidō Corps's territory without prior notification; this is a kind of hidden privilege possessed by the Fourth Division —rescuing someone often only takes a few minutes, and any delay could cost a life.
Breathing unevenly, and wiping sweat from his forehead, was Isane rushing over.
Why did you come here?
Isane usually doesn't dress up except for her braided hair, but today she's wearing a bright orange scarf that doesn't quite match her personality.
No doubt about it.
It's that priceless Heavenly Bestowed Armaments Yoruichi gave to Haruto: she said she'd bring some gifts from the Shihoin Clan for Isane, and she'd definitely keep her word... no matter what the value of what she received wouldn't change that.
"Huff, huff!"
Isane clutched her chest to calm her rapid breathing.
"When Byakuya brought the injured to the Fourth Division for treatment today, he happened to mention your trip to Hueco Mundo."
The Kuchiki Clan has no shortage of skilled users of the Kaidō, so choosing to take someone to the Fourth Division definitely indicates a serious situation: either Byakuya went out to fight in a private brawl and couldn't tell his family, or the family's medical staff is temporarily insufficient.
Given Byakuya's much calmer personality now, the latter is probably more likely.
"... Byakuya, that brat."
Haruto didn't ask any further questions.
Due to the change in their status, there are some things that Byakuya doesn't speak up for, and Haruto doesn't feel comfortable asking about them.
"Isane, are you here to say goodbye?"
"Um."
Isane nodded.
From the inner pocket, which was no less spacious than Miss Kirio's, Isane took out two hairpins, one red and one silver.
"Knowing I was coming to the Kidō Corps, Byakuya had me send this over casually. The other one I made in my spare time—"
"Thanks."
Before Isane could finish explaining...
Haruto had already accepted Isane's gift.
Needless to say, Byakuya's piece is made of "Kenseikan" just by looking at its luster. In fact, its value is no less than that of the Silver-White Windflower Scarf.
Although the handmade item that Isane made herself was far less valuable than the Byakuya sent, Haruto could tell from the sentiment that the material used to make the hairpin was the same pair of earrings that Isane had only worn once at the opening ceremony.
Haruto has recently grown some hair.
Although I haven't styled them very carefully, these two hairpins are really useful if I want to tie a long hairstyle like a ponytail.
"..."
I smoothed my hair at the back of my head and tied it up, then awkwardly inserted a hairpin to secure it... it looked a bit like a side ponytail.
"Wait for me to come back."
No need for further words; this smile is enough.
"Good!"
――――
"Call out--"
In the pitch-black void.
The Reishi naturally spread out beneath my feet—
Unlike the paths World of the Living and the Soul Society, where one can see the roads "paved" by the surging Kōryū; nor like the Garganta, where one needs to pave a path with Reishi underfoot: the Black Gate, jointly set up by Kirio Hikifune and Tessai Tsukabishi, has the ability to automatically create a path directly to the destination for those who enter...
It might even be able to be reused between different coordinates.
"Call out!"
Less than five minutes after entering the Black Gate, a powerful suction force from the other side of the cave entrance swallowed Haruto whole.
"..."
Thump.
A hard, resonant sound came from beneath my feet, accompanied by the faint cracking of bones.
"Fresh air."
Hueco Mundo is filled with highly concentrated Reishi. While these particles might be somewhat chaotic for Soul Reaper, requiring a period of adaptation and filtering for absorption, they are practically ubiquitous food for Hollows.
"... Looks like there's no time for sentimentality."
The Black Gate did indeed send him to Hueco Mundo.
However, the coordinates of the landing point might be slightly off: Haruto doesn't even need to look up to see the patch of darkness that blends together between the dappled shadows of the trees.
Gillian.
More than twenty Gillian surrounded Haruto in the center... to be precise, Haruto had fallen right into the middle of this moving group of Gillian.
"Buzz!"
Upon encountering Reiatsu they had never felt before, the Gillian group reacted remarkably in unison:
He opened his mouth, gathered his Reiatsu, and prepared for Cero.
Pity.
These Gillian were not only slow to move, but their Cero was also several beats late in forming.
"Zanka no Tachi"
He lightly traced a line in the air with his right index finger.
A cyan-gold arc shimmered with restrained light as the Kidō blade, in the form of a full moon, swept out.
"Puff."
"Phew~"
Without exception, all the similar Visored of Gillian were split in two the instant the Zanka no Tachi swept across them; at the same time, their enormous and ethereal bodies, covered by cloaks, also dissipated into Reishi particles in the air of Hueco Mundo.
Only...
"Boom!"
A bizarrely shaped skeleton lay collapsed on the ground.
"Smack!"
Haruto lightly stepped on one of the roots, and the lifeless grayish-white powder immediately flew everywhere.
"..."
"The way Menos Grande dies is quite different from how they die in the World of the Living and Soul Society."
Haruto wiped the fine sand in front of him with the soles of his feet.
"The entire Hueco Mundo..."