The Gathering Begins

When Amber pushed open the door to the Lieutenant's office in the early morning, Marechiyo Ōmaeda was already sitting behind his desk. He sat upright, his hands folded on the table, with the familiar envelope and several sheets of paper covered in writing spread out in front of him.

"I remember what happened before. The enemy's mental interference has stopped." His expression was very serious, Marechiyo Ōmaeda's voice was lower than usual, without his usual complaints and grumbles.

Hu closed the door behind her. "Isn't this a good thing? Why are you making such a serious face?"

"No, this might not be a good thing." Marechiyo Ōmaeda tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "Think about it, if you were the mastermind, why would you suddenly stop the daily, unwavering release of power?"

Before Amber could answer, Marechiyo Ōmaeda continued, answering his own question, "It's because it's no longer effective, or it's no longer needed. Which do you think it is now?"

He raised his eyes, his eyes slightly red from days of insomnia and overexertion, and looked at Hu. "We haven't found a way to counter this power yet. If it operates as usual, the methods will still work. Isn't that obvious?"

The enemy probably feels it's unnecessary; they probably think they no longer need to hide it!

This conclusion hung in the air between the two of them, like a taut string.

Just then, the Denreishinki on Marechiyo Ōmaeda's desk suddenly beeped urgently. Marechiyo Ōmaeda pressed the answer button, and the next second, he sprang up from his chair.

"What?! Fifth Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen was found dead this morning in East Corridor No. 4!?"

Marechiyo Ōmaeda placed the Denreishinki on the table, his fingers trembling slightly—he was utterly shocked.

Captain Aizen was usually kind to everyone, a gentle and easy-going person who rarely made enemies. Yet, this captain was suddenly killed. And the most recent controversy surrounding him was his opposition to Rukia's execution.

He grabbed his coat from the back of the chair. "I'll go check. Hu, you go search for the Ryoka and re-establish contact. Communication methods..."

Think of another way to communicate. If that doesn't work, have them gather today. The death of a captain will cause considerable chaos, and anything even slightly obvious won't easily go unnoticed.

Kou knew that this was actually Aizen faking his death, apparently to investigate some information. As for what that information was, his memory was too distant to recall, but he knew that this matter was not a big problem. However, while Kou was still considering his words, Marechiyo Ōmaeda had already rushed out of the office.

His hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor, growing fainter and fainter. Hu stood in the empty office, the words still stuck in his throat.

Never mind. He thought to himself:

Even Marechiyo Ōmaeda goes, he'll just be fooled by the fake scene, it's not a big problem. It's better to do as Marechiyo Ōmaeda said and first stabilize Ichigo's side.

But when he began tracing Ichigo's lingering Reiatsu along the sewer outlet where they parted the previous night, the trail of that residual Reiatsu pointed directly to the towering white tower— the Senzaikyū.

The more he chased after him, the heavier his heart became. He had clearly told Ichigo yesterday that Rukia's execution still had a chance of turning around, and that he shouldn't force his way in. Why did he go again?!

Before he could figure it out, two towering Reiatsu suddenly exploded in the sky above the Senzaikyū. One blue and one gold, like two intertwined pillars of energy, shattered the thin morning clouds.

That blue Reiatsu, flamboyant and intense, like a sword just pulled from a furnace—that was Ichigo's Reiatsu.

The golden, blade-like form, imbued with a ferocious killing intent, belongs to Kenpachi Zaraki.

Amber's feet were rooted to the spot. He could feel the two Reiatsu clashing in an almost primal way, like two wild beasts tearing at each other.

Just as he was about to rush towards the Senzaikyū, a sharp Reiatsu fluctuation suddenly came from the other side of the street.

The unique Reiatsu fluctuations of the Quincy, mixed with Orihime's peculiar Reiatsu, erupted from opposite them. A twisted, sticky Reiatsu, reminiscent of a specimen preserved in formalin, also burst forth. And the owner of this Reiatsu was someone Amber had encountered just last night: Mayuri Kurotsuchi!

Let's rewind a little.

"No, I still can't get in touch." As Uryū put the Denreishinki into his pocket, the signal indicator on the screen remained off.

He didn't know when it started, but the machine had become a piece of scrap metal—no matter how he changed the channel, moved it, or even opened the back cover to check the wiring, he could never connect to any node. He and Orihime lost all contact with Amber and Ichigo.

"What should we do next, Ishida -kun?"

"Since Kuchiki is imprisoned in the Senzaikyū, no matter how things change, our ultimate destination will still be that tall tower."

And so, the two hurried along the deserted alleyway toward the Senzaikyū.

As they reached the side of the Senzaikyū, Uryū suddenly stopped. He raised his hand, signaling Orihime to stop, then drew his bow, string taut. "Come out."

A low, unsettling laugh came from behind the wall, Mayuri Kurotsuchi emerged, followed by his Lieutenant, Nemu Kurotsuchi.

"Your senses are quite sharp, Quincy." His gaze passed over Uryū and landed on Orihime, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Your Reishi properties are quite interesting, little girl."

Uryū took a step forward, shielding Orihime behind him.

"Looks like this morning wasn't too unlucky after all," Mayuri Kurotsuchi said to herself, ignoring him.

It turns out that after being blasted out of the Senzaikyū by Kenpachi, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, under Kenpachi's intimidation, abandoned his plan to ambush the Ryoka. However, unwilling to give up, he still wandered around the Senzaikyū with Nemu.

The previous show was quite grand, but aside from their immense Reiatsu, the Ryoka (Ryoka Soul Reaper) weren't worth studying. Killing the Shiba Clan members would only lead to disputes with the nobles, and that brat from the Fourth Division was utterly ordinary. This one, however, is somewhat interesting.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi stared at Orihime's hairpin, a smile playing on his lips, "A spell formation I've never seen before. This trip was worthwhile."

"Have you said enough?" Uryū fired an arrow, the spirit arrow tearing through the air and heading Mayuri Kurotsuchi's face. The latter swayed and dodged with Shunpo, the arrow embedding itself in the tree trunk behind him, shaking off a few leaves.

"Open your body, Ashisogi Jizō."

(掻きむしれ, 狋杀地蔵)

Mayuri Kurotsuchi raised his hand, and the blade of his Zanpakuto began to transform, its golden edge unfurling and gleaming with a chilling, poisonous light.

"Orihime, retreat." Uryū drew his bow and fired a barrage of arrows, which rained down on Mayuri Kurotsuchi.

But the golden blade of Ashisogi Jizō cut through the rain of arrows, slicing through them and heading straight for Orihime. Orihime spread her Santen Kesshun, the light barrier barely blocking the blade, but she was still knocked back several steps by the impact.

Uryū grabbed Orihime and leaped onto the roof. Just as they regained their footing, Mayuri Kurotsuchi's Zanpakuto slashed down once more, the golden blade grazing their feet and sending tiles flying.

Orihime climbed up from the other end of the roof, clasped her hands in front of her chest, and unfurled the Santen Kesshun in front of her.

Before she could even regain her footing, another figure suddenly appeared from the side— Nemu Kurotsuchi's hand, like a short knife, stabbed towards her expressionlessly.

"Inoue!" Uryū turned around, and in that moment of distraction, the Ashisogi Jizō across his left arm, leaving a very thin cut on the skin, but causing his entire arm to twitch violently.

The poison flowed through his bloodstream, and he gritted his teeth, drawing his Spirit Bow to its full extent and firing three arrows in quick succession to Mayuri Kurotsuchi, cold sweat began to bead on his forehead, and his left arm grew heavier and heavier, making it difficult to even draw the bowstring steadily. Orihime was entangled by Nemu Kurotsuchi and could only use the Santen Kesshun to repeatedly parry. The Koten Zanshun had not yet recovered, so she had no means of attack and could only passively defend.

Just as Uryū's fingers trembled as he drew his bow again, unable to aim any longer, a blue sword shot out from the end of the street.

It was a sword so solid it was almost like a physical object, its blade a deep blue, with a thin, transparent film covering its edge. Its point of impact was precise—it grazed Nemu Kurotsuchi as she passed by, leaving a dark shadow behind, and knocked her unconscious.

The second blue sword arrived between Mayuri Kurotsuchi and Uryū along with the sound of Nemu being stunned!

The visitor was none other than Hu.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi paused for a moment.

"Yexing Hu." He repeated the name.

What do you mean?

"That's obviously to capture the Ryoka," Hu said, scratching his head.

"This is the area I first discovered as Ryoka, and this is the territory I staked out all night. What right do you Second Division have to come and arrest people?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi was truly angry. He was driven away by Kenpachi Zaraki yesterday, and if he were to be robbed of his position today, where would he put his face?

"Captain Kurotsuchi, you know, in the past three days, our Second Division hasn't managed to capture a single Ryoka. Shaoling's holding on tight, there's nothing I can do. Could you just let me have these two?"

Amber is a bit reckless, but that's not entirely untrue. During this operation, Fon Shaoling deliberately went easy on them, Marechiyo Ōmaeda was also mentally exhausted because of the mind interference, and Cilian was elusive. The entire Second Division was somewhat passive. In last night's meeting, they were even singled out and criticized by the Captain-Commander.

"What does this have to do with me? Just because the Second Division did a bad job, does that mean they can steal the Twelfth Division's target? Let me tell you, don't even think about it! Besides, you knocked out my adjutant, so don't think this is going to end like this."

"Then I'll be frank." Hu held Jiku'a by his side. "Either Captain Kurotsuchi, you give me the man, or we'll have a fight right here."

Mayuri Kurotsuchi fell silent.

He is a scientist, and his actual combat strength is indeed relatively weak among the captains, but that is no reason for everyone to treat him as an easy target!

Kenpachi Zaraki was like that, and now even a brat who's only been Soul Reaper for a few days is threatening him with the same tactics.

He's the captain too, and he has a temper! He's made up his mind; today he's going to show this kid why he's the captain!

"Yexing Hu, I remember you can't activate your Bankai without the captain's permission, right?--"

His sarcasm was followed by an extremely sharp tail:

"Bankai! The Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo!"

As Mayuri Kurotsuchi spoke, the air behind him exploded with a deafening roar. A massive crack appeared in the ground, and Reiatsu poured out like a viscous liquid.

Rising from the crack was a gigantic arthropod covered in countless sharp, blade-like legs. Its body was bloated and enormous, covered in a shell like a tempered membrane, and was an eerie yellow. Countless blade-like legs supported its body, dripping poisonous saliva in the morning sunlight, and a mist filled the air. It had a huge, yet infant-like face, and when it opened its abyss-like maw, a toxic mist rose up, making the air itself seem to distort and burn with a pungent, toxic heat.

"Is this the captain's Bankai?" Uryū and Orihime's expressions changed.

Amber took a step forward, sword in hand. Ichigo was fighting Kenpachi relentlessly Senzaikyū. If things continued as they were in the original story, Yoruichi would find Ichigo soon after Ichigo battle and take him away. This would be the perfect opportunity to gather everyone together!

If he missed it, things would get much more complicated later, and he couldn't afford to waste time here.

"Break free from your cage and soar high, Jiku'a!"

Shi Ya's blade blocked the Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo's sword foot, Jiku'a Beowulf's black arm slammed out from the side— Beowulf's fist struck its torso, white and dark blue light patterns exploded at the point of contact, and a patch of flesh burst open on the surface of the massive body, but at the same time, more poisonous gas poured out from the cracks.

Although Amber always manages to inflict effective damage, each punch pierces through the body of the Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo, and each slash slices off its limbs.

But that thing could regenerate every time, ultimately only releasing large amounts of poisonous mist. Its blood was also toxic; the more you attacked it, the more poisoned you became.

As time went on, various toxic substances seeped into Amber's blood and into his Reiatsu circuits, making his movements increasingly heavy.

After dozens of rounds, Amber's knees buckled, and she knelt on one knee on the paving stones, her body surrounded by the stench and filth of the poisonous mist. The Phantom Blade was stuck in the ground, its blue light still flashing, but the fingers holding the blade began to tremble slightly, and the veins on her knuckles turned dark purple. Poisonous mist continued to emanate from the massive body of the Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo, green, purple, and colorless, layering around him, dyeing the morning mist with a nauseating iridescence.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi stood not far away, watching Koko struggle, and gave a smile that finally seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

"Don't get arrogant just because people call you Supernova. You are indeed very strong. Even without Bankai, you can still damage my Bankai."

But so what? Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo is not an opponent that can be defeated by brute force alone.

It is my Bankai, the culmination of all my research. As long as I have Reiatsu, its body will continuously produce various potions that I have developed, including Flesh Supplement.

And haven't you used this thing before? That means the damage your attack caused can be easily compensated for by a mere amount of Reiatsu.

"And with every breath you take, you're accumulating potent toxins in your body; you can't last long. Your downfall is due to your arrogance, haha."

Uryū clutched his injured left arm, watching Hu's retreating figure. He watched as each strike became more difficult for Hu after being poisoned, and as his black Shihakusho was stained with deep purple bloodstains from the poisonous mist seeping from his veins.

He adjusted his glasses and whispered to Inoue beside him, "Orihime, cooperate with me later."

Then he shouted at Mayuri Kurotsuchi, "A captain, one of the thirteen strongest members of the Gotei 13, and your strongest move is poisoning?! You talk so smugly about it, but you're just relying on the Captain-Commander's orders."

He changed the subject abruptly. "Such a powerful Bankai, and all it can do is poison? Others can pierce through your precious bug even without Bankai."

Besides being covered in poison, your big worm is ugly, clumsy, and its mouth keeps drooling—

"May I ask, does it also have bad breath?"

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's expression changed. He didn't care if people said he was bad at fighting, or even if they said he won by sneak attack and poison—he was a scientist, and the battlefield for scientists is never fair. But you can't insult his work.

The Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo is the culmination of his painstaking efforts. Every angle of the blade, every proportion of the poison, every layer of the outer shell is an art he painstakingly researched and perfected. Now you're telling him—his art—has bad breath?

Orihime peeked out from behind Uryū, holding up her Santen Kesshun to shield them from some of the poisonous mist carried by the wind, and added softly, "Um... kids would probably have nightmares if they saw this..."

"That's a vicious gas, not bad breath! And children won't see my Bankai!" Mayuri Kurotsuchi's nerves snapped.

He turned to Hu, who was kneeling on the ground. The man was covered in poisonous fog spots, and he could barely lift his fingers to hold the sword.

"Even if the seal is broken, what can someone who can't even stand still do? That kind of direct enhancement Bankai can't turn the tide of battle at all!" Mayuri Kurotsuchi pointed at Koko and said to him, "In the name of the Twelfth Division Captain, I authorize the release of Yexing Hu's Bankai."

Uryū and Orihime were stunned. It was solved just like that? They were only trying it out.

Amber was also taken aback. Wait, this is possible?

Then he grinned. He held Jiku'a horizontally in front of him, and all his Reiatsu converged in an instant—"Bankai! Heaven's Punishment Jiku'a!"

A colossal half-body Demon Shadow slowly rose from behind him. Its entire body was a deep blue, semi-transparent, with four wings of light spread out. Its narrow, blade-like eye sockets burned with a crimson light, pulsating in sync with the same crimson light in its amber pupils.

The Demon Shadow's wings spread fully, its Reiatsu trembled, and the poisonous mist seemed to be expelled from within by some force—every trace of toxin, every drop of corrosion seeping into the blood vessels, turned into eerie blue light spots that drifted out from its pores. The poisonous mist spewed out by the Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo was completely repelled when it touched the Demon Shadow's aura.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi's pupils contracted. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his tongue got stuck.

Amber vanished from her spot and reappeared in front of the Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo in the next instant. The same white light patterns as those on Beowulf's black gauntlets were wrapped around the Demon Shadow, and she slammed her fist into the center of the bloated torso.

The Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo a piercing shriek, its entire body caved inward from the point of impact, and simultaneously erupted outward.

The white impact pierced through its shell and viscous fluid, slamming into the stone wall behind it and shattering it into a crack. The Demon Shadow figure's fists struck the same spot in sync with Amber's, the immense force amplified.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo's torso was smashed open with countless dents and cracks. Poisonous mist surged out, but wherever the aura of the Demon Shadow swept, not a single drop of poison was left behind.

Then a sense of severance filled its entire body, and Demon Shadow and Amber wielded Jiku'a in unison, carving cutting lines onto its body.

The final blow! The Demon Shadow's fists fell simultaneously. The Konjiki Ashisogi Jizo collapsed helplessly to the ground, its massive body transforming into Reishi and beginning to dissipate, peeling away inch by inch in the dawn light. The golden light shattered into fine dust, and the remaining poison was swept away by the Demon Shadow's aura in the final wave, turning into colorless mist.

It transformed back into a Zanpakuto, landing on the ground with a soft clatter.

Then it broke in the middle.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi stared down at the sword broken in two, his eyes wide open, but his pupils were unfocused. His mind was filled with static and noise.

His lips moved, as if repeating some formula he himself couldn't understand. Ishida stepped forward, looked down at Mayuri Kurotsuchi who was still standing there in a daze, and returned the words he had just used to mock Koko to her:

"It seems your arrogance was the root cause of your defeat."

Before Mayuri Kurotsuchi react, Amber grabbed Uryū and Inoue, one on each side, and tucked them under her arms, pulling them away from where they stood.

With Uryū tucked under his arm, he pushed up his glasses and said, "Even if you don't hold me, I can run by myself."

"It's too late, running will only take you longer!" Amber replied while using Shunpo, "That commotion was too loud, the patrol will surround us soon!"

Orihime obediently sat on the other side, even shielding him from the draft coming in from the side. She asked softly, "Where's Kurosaki-kun?"

"He's at the Senzaikyū," Amber replied briefly. "When I arrived, he was fighting Kenpachi, but the conflict in Reiatsu has stopped now, so it should be over."

As they rushed into the depths of the Senzaikyū, Ichigo lay on a section of broken stone floor at the very back. His Shihakusho was already tattered and torn, and his body was covered in cuts and blood.

There was a pool of blood not far from him, but Kenpachi was not there. It seemed that Yachiru had already carried Kenpachi away.

Orihime broke free from Amber's embrace, ran to his side, and squatted down. The light shield of the Sōten Kisshun spread over the boy, and the soft golden light covered the still bleeding wounds.

Uryū stood to the side, looked around, and remained silent for a long time:

What kind of brutal battle could have created such a scene?

Just then, a familiar Reiatsu swept past, and a black cat silently landed from behind the broken walls, its golden pupils scanning over the group of people.

"Looks like you've all been beaten pretty badly. Come with me, I'll take you to a safe place."

Yoruichi flicked her tail, signaling everyone to follow.

The black cat flicked its tail and led them toward the safe house.

Far behind them, Mayuri Kurotsuchi finally crouched down and picked up the Zanpakuto, which had been broken in two, from the ground.

He seemed unable to accept the reality before him, and tried to put the two halves of the knife back together, but after he did, the knife fell off again with a "thud".

Mayuri Kurotsuchi held the knife, his lips still moving, until he could no longer suppress his emotions.

"No!!"

On that day, the Roar of the captain of the Twelfth Division echoed through the streets in front of the Senzaikyū, lasting for a long time.