Chapter 49

"Yes, Lord Aizen." Kaname Tōsen appeared beside him and crouched down respectfully.

"Send Ulquiorra to the World of the Living to test Ichigo Kurosaki's strength," Aizen said calmly.

"Yes, understood, Lord Aizen." Kaname Tōsen left without asking why.

"What are you looking at, Captain Aizen? Why are you suddenly sending Ulquiorra to Karakura Town to test that strange child?" Gin Ichimaru stepped out of the shadows and asked curiously.

"I merely saw the material I worked so hard to create bear fruit, and I could hardly resist. Gin, do you remember White?" Aizen said with interest, wanting to share his pleasure.

"White? Oh, right, that pitch-black Hollow made from Soul Reapers' souls? The one you perversely named White, Captain Aizen?" Gin Ichimaru recalled.

"Yes. It's begun to reappear inside Ichigo Kurosaki. How fascinating."

"Ichigo Kurosaki? How did that happen?" Gin Ichimaru grew curious as well. As he recalled, White had self-destructed and transferred into that Quincy.

"Sorry, I don't believe I told you about that. It's nothing. The material was simply cultivated successfully, and I couldn't resist testing him..." Aizen chuckled.

Aizen's laughter echoed through the top floor of Las Noches. When the echoes faded, it grew silent and deep once more...

In the World of the Living, at Karakura Town's Karakura High School, Ichigo Kurosaki sat at his desk, deep in thought.

Yesterday, the first day of school, an unusual transfer student had joined Ichigo Kurosaki's class. If he had been an ordinary transfer student, Ichigo wouldn't have cared.

But while hunting Hollows last night, he had run into Shinji Hirako carrying a Zanpakuto.

After Shinji Hirako had said a great deal, Ichigo Kurosaki began to realize the problem he faced... the Hollow inside him.

The Visored... Ichigo Kurosaki thought irritably. Are there other forces besides Soul Society and Aizen...?

Although Aizen had told everyone in Soul Society the main cause of the captains' rebellion a century ago before leaving, Ichigo Kurosaki wasn't from Soul Society, so he knew nothing about the name Shinji Hirako.

After Shinji Hirako walked into the classroom as if nothing had happened, Ichigo Kurosaki grew anxious. He wanted nothing more than to drag him out and get answers immediately, but class was about to start, so he held himself back.

Nearby, Uryū Ishida frowned as he looked at Shinji Hirako. Thanks to Miyako Amamiya's warning, he had sought out his father in advance and, with his help, successfully regained his Quincy powers before school started.

That night, in the underground space beneath the hospital, Uryū Ishida had thrown everything he had at Ryūken Ishida. He had used up all his stored Gintō without inflicting a single injury, and in the end, Ryūken shot him through the heart with an arrow. Uryū had even thought his father really meant to kill him.

When he woke the next day, he found himself lying in bed, his Quincy powers restored. Even now, he still hadn't figured out how his father had helped him regain them.

With his powers back, he too noticed something odd about Shinji Hirako, but rather than investigate, he decided to wait and see.

After class, Ichigo Kurosaki silently walked over to Shinji Hirako and pulled him outside.

In the hallway outside the classroom, Ichigo Kurosaki made a quick check that no one was around, then immediately demanded to know Shinji Hirako's true intentions.

Hirako grimaced in pain and replied, "I can be very persistent, you know. Until you agree, I'll keep pestering you."

Shinji Hirako sighed, then said calmly, "I don't know what you think, but ever since you became a Soul Reaper, you've been one of us. And the reason is that the Hollow inside you has grown so powerful you can't even control it anymore, hasn't it?"

At that, a drop of cold sweat involuntarily ran down Ichigo Kurosaki's face.

When Shinji Hirako saw that Ichigo Kurosaki said nothing, he knew his information had been correct. Ichigo was already starting to lose control of himself.

Even so, he was much better off than they had been a century ago.

"Come with me, Ichigo. Let me teach you how to control what's inside you..." Shinji Hirako said meaningfully.

Ichigo Kurosaki remained silent after hearing him out and left without a word. He didn't agree to Shinji Hirako's offer immediately; he had many things to consider.

In eastern Karakura Town, a black tear suddenly opened in the sky, and Ulquiorra and Yammy emerged.

Yammy excitedly jumped straight down from the sky, smashing a huge crater into the ground. Ulquiorra slowly floated down.

"Woohoo, I came to this dump before when I was still wearing a mask. It's just like it used to be. The Reiryoku's so thin it's hard to breathe," Yammy complained.

"Stop complaining, Yammy. I told you I could handle this alone, but you insisted on coming," Ulquiorra said coldly, glancing at him.

"All right, all right, sorry," Yammy apologized without a hint of sincerity. He was truly sick of staying in Hueco Mundo, and when he heard he could come to the World of the Living for a change of air, he followed Ulquiorra straight over.

"Huh? What are these guys looking at? Are they staring at me? If you keep staring at me like that..." Yammy grinned viciously. "I'll suck you dry!"

Yammy opened his mouth and took a deep breath, absorbing the souls of everyone near the mountain into his body. Only Tatsuki Arisawa remained, lying on the ground, nearly unconscious.

Seeing that one person hadn't lost her soul, Yammy walked over and looked at her with interest.

"Ulquiorra, is this the one?"

"Look closely, idiot. Just getting near her is enough to make her soul almost fall apart," Ulquiorra said calmly after a glance.

"Tch, boring. So it's just a coincidence she's still alive. Whatever." Yammy lifted one foot and kicked at Tatsuki Arisawa.

Just then, Yasutora Sado arrived in time and used his Giant's Right Arm to block Yammy's attack.

But even that casual blow from Yammy sent numbness through Yasutora Sado's entire body, despite his manifested Giant's Right Arm.

"Inoue, hurry and take her away, just like we... agreed," Yasutora Sado urged gravely. He didn't know how long he could hold off the enemy before him.

Orihime Inoue supported Tatsuki Arisawa as they retreated, but after only a few steps, she heard a tremendous crash behind her. She looked back to see that the enemy had crushed Yasutora Sado's arm in two.

"Sa... Sado..." Unable to believe what she was seeing, Orihime Inoue put Tatsuki Arisawa down and rushed to Yasutora Sado's side, hoping to heal him.

Yammy asked unhurriedly, "Ulquiorra, is this woman trash too?"

"That's right, she's trash." Ulquiorra briefly sensed Orihime Inoue's Reiatsu, then closed his eyes and gave Yammy his answer.

Yammy extended his index finger and fired at her, but a triangular shield suspended in the air blocked the attack.

"Huh? What the hell is that?"

Orihime Inoue began using her Sōten Kisshun to heal Yasutora Sado, and Ulquiorra watched it all.

Healing? No, it's more like a reversal of time, or is it a reversal of space? I've never seen an ability like this.

"What do you think, Ulquiorra? This woman's technique is pretty interesting. Should we take her back for Lord Aizen to study?"

"There's no need. Kill her, Yammy." Although Ulquiorra could tell there was something unusual about Orihime Inoue's ability, he hadn't understood its true power, so he ordered Yammy to kill her without hesitation.

Just as Yammy was about to grab Orihime Inoue for a closer look, Ichigo Kurosaki appeared and held Yammy's palm back with his Zanpakuto.

"Sorry I'm late," Ichigo Kurosaki said gravely.

"I'll take care of them!" Ichigo Kurosaki said angrily, looking at his fallen companions.

"Bankai! Tensa Zangetsu!"

At the Twelfth Division's Technology Development Bureau, in the Reiatsu Measurement Research Division.

"Akon, Captain Hitsugaya and the others have already set out, but we've been monitoring things for so many days and still haven't gotten any readings."

"Idiot, these are necessary precautions. Whether it's Captain Hitsugaya and the others setting out or us keeping watch, it's all to guard against Aizen making a move."

As deputy director, Akon knew more, but although they had been observing the World of the Living for a long time since Aizen left, they still hadn't spotted the high-level Menos Grande Arrancar Kisuke Urahara had spoken of.

Captain Hitsugaya and the others should have reached Karakura Town in the World of the Living by now. That way, we won't be on the back foot, Akon thought.

Just as they were getting bored and turning to various other tasks, Rin Tsubokura suddenly shouted, "A reading... we've got a reading! Coordinates 360014000, eastern Karakura Town, Tokyo. Lock on and correct the location!"

Hiyosu quickly locked on to the exact coordinates and said in a panic, "Akon, it's true. This Reiatsu's concentration and stability are both extremely high. This is a genuine, mature... Arrancar!"

Just as expected... Akon thought. "Don't panic. Hurry and notify Captain Hitsugaya and the others. They should already be in the World of the Living! I'll go notify the Seireitei Guard!"

After giving his orders, Akon immediately left the Technology Development Bureau.

Meanwhile, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, Miyako Amamiya, and the others had arrived in the World of the Living and were making plans for their next move.

"What? We have to find our own places to stay? What are we supposed to do?" Rangiku Matsumoto complained.

"Matsumoto! We're not here on vacation. Any place to stay will do," Tōshirō Hitsugaya said with a headache.

"Miyako, shall we go find Ichigo first? It's been a long time since we saw him," Rukia suggested to Miyako Amamiya.

"Mm, contacting Ichigo is our first priority. We have a lot to tell him, after all." Miyako Amamiya nodded.

Because Miyako Amamiya had found the records of Aizen's searches in the Great Spirit Art Corridor ahead of time, Soul Society had made its arrangements for the World of the Living a little sooner than in the original story, and they had arrived in Karakura Town early.

Suddenly, everyone's Denreishinki began ringing frantically.

"What's this?" Seeing the message on their Denreishinki, everyone was startled. They hadn't expected to face a real opponent so soon.

"Interesting. We've only just arrived in the World of the Living, and there's already a fight... Now I'm fired up!" Ikkaku Madarame excitedly rushed toward their destination.

The others didn't dare fall behind and quickly flew toward eastern Karakura Town.

Meanwhile, Ichigo Kurosaki had already released his Bankai. His expression was calm, but anger burned in his eyes.

"Bankai! Ulquiorra, he said Bankai, didn't he?" Yammy asked, scratching his head.

"That's right. I didn't expect your pointless fight to draw him here." Ulquiorra studied Ichigo Kurosaki. "Orange hair, a black Bankai. He's the target, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Really? Then we're lucky. We didn't even have to look for him; the target came right to us!" Yammy shouted excitedly and threw a punch at Ichigo Kurosaki.

But Ichigo Kurosaki blocked Yammy's punch with just one hand.

"You're the one who destroyed Sado's right arm, aren't you?" Ichigo Kurosaki lowered his head and demanded in a low voice, "Then I'm going to... cut off your right arm too."

When Yammy saw Ichigo Kurosaki catch his attack with one hand, he had a bad feeling and immediately pulled his right arm back.

But Ichigo Kurosaki was extremely fast. The instant Yammy pulled his arm back, Ichigo swung his blade.

Before Yammy could fully withdraw his hand, Ichigo Kurosaki cut off his arm.

"Aaaagh!" Yammy cried out in pain. "Bastard!" He charged at Ichigo Kurosaki in rage, but Ichigo was so fast that Yammy couldn't catch him or land a blow.

In no time, numerous wounds began appearing across Yammy's body.

"Looks like you're having a hard time. Want me to take over?" Ulquiorra asked.

"Stay out of it!" Yammy glared angrily at Ichigo Kurosaki and drew the Zanpakuto at his waist with his left hand.

Seeing Yammy's movement, Ulquiorra instinctively started to reprimand him, but then he saw Ichigo Kurosaki suddenly collapse.

"Huh?" Yammy noticed Ichigo Kurosaki's condition too. He put his Zanpakuto away and grinned. "What's wrong, kid? Weren't you acting pretty cocky just now?"

Yammy casually kicked at him. This time, Ichigo Kurosaki didn't move and was sent flying.

Seeing this, Orihime Inoue shouted and rushed forward.

"Stay back, Inoue!" Ichigo Kurosaki shouted with what little consciousness he had left.

Yammy noticed the woman too. Not wanting her to come and heal Ichigo Kurosaki, he prepared to swat her.

Damn it... my body... move! Ichigo Kurosaki thought unwillingly, but all he could do was watch as Yammy's swinging hand neared Orihime Inoue.

Just then, an arrow flew in from afar and struck Yammy in the back of the head. It immediately turned golden and exploded.

Yammy's movement halted, and his raised hand stopped.

The next moment, Tōshirō Hitsugaya and the others arrived and carried Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue away from Yammy and Ulquiorra.

Miyako Amamiya arrived a little later, holding a bow and arrow that had already undergone Shikai. He had seen from a distance that Yammy was about to attack Orihime Inoue, so he had stopped and fired an arrow at Yammy from afar.

"Hadō #63: Raikōhō," Miyako Amamiya said calmly.

Yammy touched the back of his head. It had come within a hair's breadth of breaking through his Hierro. He glared at Miyako Amamiya, realizing he was the one who had attacked him by surprise.

"Why are there so many more of them? Ulquiorra, didn't you say there were only three people with Reiatsu in the World of the Living?" Yammy asked.

"Idiot, look closely. They're Soul Reapers from Soul Society." Ulquiorra frowned as he looked at Miyako Amamiya and the others who had appeared.

"Soul Reapers? I didn't expect Soul Society to move so quickly," Yammy asked in confusion.

Ulquiorra was puzzled as well. According to Lord Aizen's expectations, Soul Society shouldn't have discovered Aizen's true objective so early and sent reinforcements to Karakura Town.

Is there some variable even Lord Aizen doesn't know about...? Ulquiorra wondered suspiciously, surveying the people before him.

Ulquiorra looked over the group before him, finally fixing his gaze on Miyako Amamiya.

Miyako Amamiya... could it be him? Ulquiorra couldn't help thinking.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya looked at the two before him, his expression growing grave.

"So these are real Arrancar... and this Reiatsu." Tōshirō Hitsugaya guessed that their level was far beyond that of a mere Gillian.