The Captain-Commander's Questions
After the captains left one by one, silence returned to the meeting room. Sunlight slanted through the window lattice, casting warm patches of light on the dark wooden tabletop. Fine dust drifted slowly through the beams, as though time itself had slowed at that moment.
Shunsui Kyōraku adjusted his straw hat and walked out alongside Jūshirō Ukitake; Byakuya Kuchiki strode steadily away, the hem of his haori swaying gently with his movements; Kenpachi Zaraki yawned, looking thoroughly uninterested; and Gin Ichimaru, wearing his signature smile, disappeared down the corridor with a light step.
On the surface, everyone had left.
In the center of the meeting room, an invisible presence stood silently.
Sōsuke Aizen, the Fifth Division Captain, had used Kyōka Suigetsu's ability to place every captain under Complete Hypnosis before the meeting even began. Now he concealed himself with Kyōka Suigetsu, remaining in the room like a ghost. His gaze swept calmly across the empty meeting room before settling on Liu Hao, a nearly imperceptible hint of amusement in his eyes.
This Squad Lieutenant of the Medical Corps had performed far too perfectly today. Perfect concessions, perfect humility, perfect adherence to the rules. And beneath that perfect facade, Aizen smelled something familiar: the scent of concealment and disguise.
Liu Hao paused slightly at the door, as though he had sensed something. His gaze brushed over the place where Aizen had been standing, then naturally turned toward Retsu Unohana. But that moment's hesitation was enough for a keen observer to catch.
Walking up to Unohana, Liu Hao faced Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, then glanced unobtrusively toward the place where Aizen had stood. The movement was so slight that it was almost impossible to notice without watching for it.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled. He looked at Retsu Unohana, waiting for an explanation.
Unohana reacted faster. The thousand-year-old captain's battle instincts allowed her to immediately understand Liu Hao's hint: there was a third person in the meeting room. She tilted her head slightly, fixing her gaze precisely on the spot where Sōsuke Aizen had stood. At the same time, a gentle yet unfathomable Reiatsu slowly flowed from her.
The Reiatsu spread through the meeting room like ripples, delicately probing every inch of space. It was not aggressive, but it was enough to expose any hidden presence.
Seeing this, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto hesitated no longer. An even more immense Reiatsu erupted from him, responding to Unohana's. The Reiatsu of the two thousand-year-old captains intertwined, almost becoming tangible. The air in the meeting room began to tremble slightly, and the window lattice gave a faint rattle.
Liu Hao joined in as well, releasing his own Reiatsu. His Reiatsu was comparatively young, but exceptionally pure, like refined steel hammered again and again, without a trace of impurity. The detection net formed by the three Reiatsu covered nearly every corner of the meeting room.
As expected of two thousand-year-old captains. Even under Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis at such close range, they could still detect something unusual.
Aizen thought this calmly, his expression betraying nothing. Kyōka Suigetsu's Complete Hypnosis ability could be called perfect, but against Reiatsu perception on the level of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and Retsu Unohana, remaining hidden for a long time still carried risks.
Besides, Liu Hao's hint suggested that the young man seemed to possess some kind of perception beyond common sense.
Keeping Kyōka Suigetsu's ability active, Aizen silently retreated. He moved extremely slowly, every step precisely calculated to avoid causing any abnormal movement in the air. When he reached the door, he vanished as though melting into the shadows, leaving only the three Soul Reapers still searching the meeting room.
The Reiatsu search continued for a moment, but turned up nothing.
Liu Hao was the first to withdraw his Reiatsu, a puzzled expression on his face. "There's nothing here. Could it be one of Captain Kurotsuchi's new products? He's always testing all sorts of strange things."
Unohana and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto exchanged a glance, then withdrew their Reiatsu in turn. But the wariness in their eyes did not completely disappear. Though the Reiatsu search had produced no results, their instincts told them that something abnormal had indeed been present in the meeting room.
"Captain-Commander, let's go to the training ground," Unohana suggested, her voice returning to its usual gentleness.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto looked deeply at Unohana. Seeing her give a slight nod, he said, "Follow me."
The four left the meeting room, passed through a long corridor, and arrived at a Private Training Ground deep within the First Division Barracks. Its walls were thick, and it was exceptionally well soundproofed. It was where Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto usually trained and contemplated.
Specially made tatami mats covered the center of the training ground, with simple training equipment arranged around them. Sunlight poured through a skylight, forming bright patches on the floor, while a faint scent of sandalwood and old wood filled the air.
"All right, do you have something to tell me?" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stopped in the center of the training ground and lightly tapped his cane on the floor, getting straight to the point.
Unohana bowed slightly. "I'm sorry, Captain-Commander. Regarding Captain Shiba's disappearance... we actually knew some of the circumstances beforehand."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's gaze sharpened. "You know why he disappeared?"
Unohana looked at Liu Hao, indicating that he should explain.
Liu Hao took a deep breath and nodded. "The last time Captain Shiba went to the World of the Living on a mission, he fought a special Hollow and was ambushed during the battle. A Quincy saved him."
He paused, gathering his thoughts. "And this time, when he went to the World of the Living, he must have found that Quincy facing a life-or-death crisis. Captain Shiba used his Soul Reaper Powers to save her, leaving him unable to use those powers now. He can only remain in the World of the Living for the time being."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's frown deepened. "Do you know who ambushed Isshin Shiba?"
Liu Hao looked at Unohana and saw that she had no intention of speaking, so he could only continue. "The person who ambushed him was the Fifth Division Captain, Sōsuke Aizen. The Third Division Captain, Gin Ichimaru, and the Captain of the Ninth Division, Kaname Tōsen, were also with Aizen at the time."
As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the training ground froze.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's previously narrowed eyes opened fully, as though invisible flames burned within them. He stared at Liu Hao and spoke each word distinctly. "You should understand the consequences of slandering a captain... no, three captains."
His imposing pressure was almost tangible, weighing down even the air in the training ground.
Liu Hao spread his hands helplessly. "That's why I only told Captain Unohana about it and revealed a little information to Vice-Captain Kaien Shiba, without mentioning any names."
"Why would Aizen do this?" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's voice was low as thunder.
"That Hollow was an experimental subject he made using Soul Reaper Souls. Its name was 'White,'" Liu Hao explained. "Its body was completely black, but its interior was pure white, and even its Hollow Hole was filled with white. The principle behind it was somewhat similar to the Asauchi forged by the Sword God, Ōetsu Nimaiya."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's grip on his cane tightened slightly. "Then why didn't he eliminate the Quincy directly, instead of letting that Hollow be defeated?"
"Because he was conducting an experiment in the Soul Reaper-ification of Hollows, the exact opposite of the Hollowfication Experiment on Soul Reapers a hundred years ago." Liu Hao's tone grew serious. "That Hollow was the final experimental subject and possessed a special ability: transference. When its spirit body died, its power and will would transfer into the soul of an individual it selected and merge with it."
He paused, then continued, "At the time, they didn't know that Hollow had this ability either. They were probably testing its other characteristics. They ambushed Captain Shiba to prevent him from using Bankai to finish the Hollow off quickly. When the Quincy appeared, Kaname Tōsen wanted to eliminate her immediately, but Aizen wanted to keep observing. In the end, the Hollow was defeated by the Quincy and chose to transfer its will and power into her soul."
"Kaname Tōsen was furious because of this, since the Hollow was more perfect than they had expected." Liu Hao spoke faster. "And to a Quincy, a Hollow's power is like a deadly poison. So afterward, that Quincy began to suffer from soul suicide. As it happened, Captain Shiba went to the World of the Living to look for her..."
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto interrupted him, doubt flashing in his eyes. "Captain Shiba went to the World of the Living to spend time with that Quincy?"
Unohana chuckled at that, while Chōjirō Sasakibe also looked puzzled.
Liu Hao gave them a knowing look and said with a smile, "That Quincy is a kindhearted, exceptionally beautiful girl. And, well, she's still a high school student."
The expressions on Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's and Chōjirō Sasakibe's faces immediately grew complicated.
Liu Hao sighed, a hint of regret in his voice. "Unfortunately, she'll die in the future while saving their son. But come to think of it, even if she didn't save him then, she probably wouldn't have lived much longer."
At those words, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's gaze suddenly sharpened like a blade. "The future? You even know that?"
Liu Hao immediately realized he had let something slip, and his expression changed slightly. Instead of answering, he began looking around, seemingly searching for something.
"Brat, what are you looking for?!" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's voice carried an oppressive weight.
Liu Hao did not answer. Instead, he drew the Zanpakuto at his waist.
Seeing this, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto narrowed his eyes but did not stop him. Chōjirō Sasakibe immediately tensed, his hand on his sword hilt as he went on guard.
"Don't be alarmed, Vice-Captain Sasakibe," Unohana said calmly, her gaze resting on Liu Hao with a hint of curiosity.
Liu Hao held his Zanpakuto upright before him, its tip touching the floor lightly, and chanted in a low voice, "Imperial Decree, Myriad Realms and Space-Time."
As the Spirit Incantation ended, rings of spatial fluctuations spread from the tip of the Imperial Sword. Like ripples on water, they rapidly expanded and completely enveloped the four of them.
The next moment, their surroundings underwent an earth-shattering transformation.
The training ground vanished, replaced by a vast, boundless starry sky. Countless stars glittered in the darkness, while distant nebulae slowly revolved, giving off hazy halos. The four seemed to be standing in the void of the universe, supported by something invisible beneath their feet, with the eternally silent starry sky all around them.
Unohana looked around and smiled. "Not bad. Last time you only isolated us where we stood. This time, we've come straight into the starry sky."
Liu Hao tightened his grip on the Imperial Sword, its blade gleaming faintly in the starlight. "I wasn't strong enough back then. 'Isolate All Things' was just a simplified version of this ability."
"All right," Unohana reminded him. "The Captain-Commander is still waiting for your explanation."
Liu Hao turned to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. "How about this? I'll show you the scenes directly. It'll be clearer than describing them in words. What would you like to see, Captain-Commander?"
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto gazed at the starry sky, a nearly imperceptible hint of surprise flashing in his eyes before he quickly regained his composure. "First, show me how Captain Shiba disappeared."
"All right, I'll show you the scenes I know of." With that, Liu Hao lightly tapped the Imperial Sword.
Starlight began to gather at the tip of the Imperial Sword, gradually forming a clear image—
Night had fallen over a street in the World of the Living. Isshin Shiba, the Tenth Division Captain, was fighting an unusually shaped Hollow. The Hollow was black all over, but glimpses of its interior revealed pure white. It was the "White" Liu Hao had described.
The battle was fierce, and Isshin Shiba clearly held the upper hand. He was preparing to use Bankai when a figure silently appeared behind him. Though the face in the image was somewhat blurred, the distinctive Captain's Haori and gentle demeanor undoubtedly belonged to Sōsuke Aizen.
A cold light flashed, and Isshin Shiba's body stiffened, his movements faltering for an instant. White seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack, and the situation abruptly reversed.
Just then, an orange-haired girl suddenly charged onto the battlefield: the Quincy Masaki Kurosaki. She drew her Spirit Bow and fired accurately at White, giving Isshin Shiba a chance to catch his breath.
The scene changed. Aizen, Gin Ichimaru, and Kaname Tōsen stood in the shadows some distance away, calmly observing the battlefield. Kaname Tōsen's hand rested on his sword hilt, as though he wanted to intervene, but Aizen raised a hand to stop him.
White was eventually pierced by Masaki Kurosaki's arrow, but instead of dissipating like an ordinary Hollow, it immediately self-destructed.
Isshin Shiba rushed to her side and used Kidō to prevent the massive explosion from harming the girl. But no one saw a light belonging to a soul enter her body when White self-destructed.