Orihime Inoue Abducted

A gentle autumn breeze swept through the streets, carrying the chill of late autumn and stirring up the lingering dust and smoke from the ruins. Rukia Kuchiki put down her communicator, her face as pale as moonlight.

She turned to Liu Hao, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "Captain Ukitake said he sent two Soul Reaper to escort Orihime to the World of the Living. But it seems they were attacked along the way. When the two Soul Reaper awoke, Orihime was already missing. They both had residual Reiatsu on them from the healing Orihime had given them."

Ichigo Kurosaki's pupils contracted sharply. Almost instinctively, he rushed towards Liu Hao, grabbing his shoulders with both hands, his voice filled with urgency and unease. "Liu Shu, what's going on?!"

Liu Hao remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze towards the direction of Hueco Mundo. In that distant darkness, he seemed to see that pure white palace, and that bespectacled man with an ever-present smile.

"It seems Aizen has completed his preparations." Liu Hao's voice was low and calm, but every word carried weight. "He sent people to kidnap Orihime Inoue so that we could attack Hueco Mundo, thus diverting the Soul Society's forces—to prepare for his attack on Karakura Town."

Shinji Hirako frowned. He stepped forward, his voice filled with disbelief. "How could this be? Didn't you steal the Hōgyoku that Kisuke made?"

"Yes," Liu Hao nodded, "It seems that Aizen has perfected his half of the Hōgyoku in his own way."

He sighed, a hint of self-reproach flashing in his eyes. "Alas, I overlooked this. I knew Aizen wanted to kidnap people, but I didn't expect it to happen so soon."

Ichigo Kurosaki gripped his fist tighter. His eyes burned with anxious fire, and his voice was almost a roar, "What do we do now? What will they do to Inoue- kun?!"

Liu Hao looked at him, his gaze calm and firm. "They shouldn't do anything. The condition is—we go to rescue her."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Ichigo Kurosaki released his grip, turned, and charged towards Karakura Town. "Let's go now!"

"Wait," Liu Hao's voice stopped him.

Ichigo Kurosaki stopped and turned to look at Liu Hao. In the moonlight, Liu Hao's figure appeared particularly solemn.

Shinji Hirako stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Do you need our help?"

"No need," Liu Hao shook his head. "I'll go with them to Hueco Mundo to rescue people. You guys can fight Aizen together with Soul Society."

He paused, his tone becoming more serious. "However, Aizen has likely fused with the Hōgyoku, and may be unkillable. Have Kisuke prepare to seal Aizen."

Shinji Hirako nodded. "Understood."

Liu Hao turned to Rukia Kuchiki, his voice carrying an undeniable command, "Rukia, contact Soul Society. We're heading to Hueco Mundo to rescue people. Tell them to prepare for battle in Karakura Town."

Rukia Kuchiki took a deep breath, suppressing her worries, and picked up the communicator again.

The Hueco Mundo, the Las Noches.

The pure white palace appeared particularly eerie under the false moonlight. Towering pillars supported the dome, from which hung the ever-present moon. Inside the hall, dozens of figures stood on either side, each radiating their own powerful Reiatsu.

Sōsuke Aizen sat high on the throne, looking down at everything below. His face wore his signature gentle smile, as if everything was under his control.

In the center of the hall, an orange-haired girl stood quietly. Her hands were clasped tightly to her chest, her face showing tension and unease, but her eyes revealed a certain determination.

Orihime Inoue.

Aizen's gaze swept over the Arrancar in the hall, finally settling on Orihime. He smiled and spoke, his voice gentle and composed. "Welcome back, my fellow Arrancar. Let's get to know each other—this is our new comrade, Orihime Inoue."

His gaze shifted to Luppi Antenor, his smile growing more meaningful, "Hmm? It seems some of your companions aren't exactly welcoming of a newcomer. Is that so, Luppi?"

Luppi stood in the crowd, her face contorted with rage. She practically clenched her teeth as she spoke each word, "Of course! We went to fight just to take away her cover? I can't accept that!"

Aizen's smile remained unchanged, but a hint of amusement appeared in his eyes. "Luppi, I just didn't expect—you to get beaten up so badly."

Luppi's expression turned even uglier. He wanted to say something more, but Aizen had already turned to Orihime.

"Alright, Orihime Inoue," Aizen's voice was gentle, yet carried an undeniable command, "Now demonstrate your abilities. Heal Grimmjow's arm."

Luppi hearing this, Ruby couldn't help but burst into laughter. Her laughter was filled with mockery and malice. "Haha! Lord Aizen, isn't that asking too much? Grimmjow's arm has already been reduced to ashes by Captain Tōsen. She's not a god; how can she heal something that's already vanished?"

Orihime Inoue ignored Luppi's taunts. She simply walked quietly to Grimmjow and looked at his empty right sleeve.

Grimmjow stared at her, his eyes filled with both doubt and expectation.

Orihime took a deep breath, raised her hands, and softly uttered, "Sōten Kisshun —I refuse!"

Two beams of light shot out from her hairpin, forming an arc-shaped barrier that completely enveloped Grimmjow's severed arm.

Luppi's laughter grew louder. "Hey, did you hear me, woman? Don't perform to survive! If you can't, you'll die! If your abilities are fake, a guy like you has no reason to—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Because at the site of Grimmjow's severed arm, new flesh, bone, and skin were growing back at a visible speed. The process was not a slow regeneration, but a true, illogical recovery—as if the arm had never been severed.

Luppi's eyes widened, and she stammered, "I'll let you... live..."

When Grimmjow's arm was fully restored and his fingers could move freely, Luppi completely broke down. She screamed incredulously, "Why... why... why did it heal? That's not what you said! What did you do?!"

Aizen sat on his throne, watching the scene with great interest. He turned to Ulquiorra beside him, his tone carrying a testing tone. "Ulquiorra, do you think this is 'Time Regression' or 'Spatial Regression'?"

Ulquiorra answered expressionlessly, "Yes."

This answer shocked Luppi even more. She turned to Aizen, her voice filled with disbelief. "How is this possible! Absurd! How could a human possess such extraordinary abilities!"

Aizen smiled. His smile held a profound, indescribable meaning. "You're wrong. Neither of those. This is 'The Rejection of All Creation'."

He rose, slowly descended from the throne, and approached Orihime. His gaze fell upon this seemingly ordinary girl, a rare interest gleaming in his eyes. "Her ability is to limit, reject, and deny all events that occur to her, returning her to a state before anything happened. This far surpasses 'Time Regression' and 'Spatial Regression' —easily transcending the limitations of gods."

He paused, his voice growing even deeper. "This is a power that infringes upon the realm of the gods."

Luppi stared at Orihime, her shock gradually replaced by fear. The ability to invade the realm of the gods—just who was this woman?

Just then, Grimmjow suddenly spoke. He looked at Orihime, his tone carrying an indescribable emotion. "Hey, woman. There's one more place. Heal it."

He turned around, revealing an old scar on his lower back. The scar looked like it had been there for a long time, but it was still clearly visible.

Orihime did not hesitate. She raised her hands again, and the light of the Sōten Kisshun enveloped the scar.

When the light faded, the scar had completely disappeared. In its place was a clear number—6.

Ruby's pupils contracted sharply Luppi saw the number. She stared at Grimmjow, her voice filled with wariness and hostility. "What do you want, Grimmjow?!"

Grimmjow didn't answer. He just grinned, a grin that was both mad and excited.

Then, he disappeared.

In the next instant, he appeared in front of Luppi. His left hand formed a claw and pierced through Luppi's abdomen.

Pfft--

Blood splattered. Luppi's eyes widened as she looked down at the hand that had pierced her abdomen, then looked up at Grimmjow's crazed face.

"G... Grimmjow... you..." His voice was filled with disbelief and fear.

Grimmjow's smile grew even more sinister. He raised his right hand, red light gathering in his palm, growing brighter and more dangerous. "That's all I want—farewell, 'Former No. 6'."

Cero. The red light struck Luppi directly, blasting her upper body away.

Blood and bits of flesh splattered everywhere, but Grimmjow paid no heed. He stood in the pool of blood, laughing wildly. His laughter was filled with madness, excitement, and an indescribable sense of relief.

"Hahaha... Hahaha... I'm back! My powers are back! I'm Number 6 again! I am the Sixth Espada — Grimmjow!!"

The main hall was deathly silent.

Aizen watched this scene without changing his smile. He turned around, walked back to the throne, and sat down.

"Very interesting," he said softly, his tone approving. "It seems our new companion is not only highly capable but also brings unexpected entertainment."

His gaze fell on Orihime, a gentle look that sent a chill down Orihime spine.

"Orihime Inoue, welcome to Hueco Mundo. Here, you'll have a... fun time."

Orihime clenched her hands and remained silent.

In the World of the Living, Karakura Town.

Liu Hao appeared in front of the Ishida Family's house. This seemingly ordinary Japanese-style residence appeared exceptionally quiet in the night. But Liu Hao knew that the people living here were anything but ordinary.

The door opened. Ryūken Ishida — Quincy Uryū Ishida's father, the last pure-blooded Quincy—appeared in the doorway. He wore glasses and had a calm expression, as if he had known all along that Liu Hao would come.

"Come in," Ryūken Ishida said simply.

Liu Hao followed him into the house, into a spacious Japanese-style room. The two sat facing each other, separated by a low table.

Liu Hao cut to the chase. "Ryūken, how strong is Uryū now?"

Ryūken Ishida adjusted his glasses and said calmly, "I've already taken off the Sanrei Gloves."

Liu Hao nodded. The Sanrei Gloves —those are equipment used by Quincy to restrict their own power; removing them means that they can unleash their full strength.

"Does that mean my current strength is enough to reach the level of Vollständig?"

Ryūken Ishida was silent for a moment, then slowly replied, "I should be able to barely reach the state of Vollständig. However, I cannot use it for extended periods, nor can I use the Schrift abilities you mentioned before."

Liu Hao smiled, a hint of relief in his expression. "Alright, don't be so harsh. His current strength should be enough. Let him come with me."

Ryūken Ishida frowned slightly. "Where are you going? To retaliate for the Arrancar's attack?"

"It's not revenge." Liu Hao shook his head, his expression turning serious. "It's to rescue someone. Orihime Inoue has been kidnapped by Aizen. We're going to Hueco Mundo and bringing her back."

Ryūken Ishida was silent for a moment. Then he nodded. "Oh. I guess he'd be more than willing. When the Arrancar attacked before, he was just a rookie and he thought he could go out and help—he really didn't know his place."

Liu Hao smiled, a hint of helplessness in his smile, "Young people, how can they accept reality if they don't encounter some setbacks? This time, I'm taking him to broaden his horizons."

After chatting for a few more minutes, Liu Hao got up to say goodbye. When he left the Ishida Family, Uryū Ishida was already waiting at the door.

The young Quincy, dressed in a white Quincy combat suit and carrying Reishi Bow, had a serious and determined expression. He looked at Liu Hao, his eyes burning with fighting spirit. "Liu Shu, let's go."

Liu Hao looked at him and nodded. The two walked side by side into the night, heading towards the Urahara Shop.