Orihime Is Taken Away

"I see." Liu Ziyun's voice carried a hint of bitterness and self-mockery. "It seems I miscalculated. I had someone inform the Soul Society not to let her return to the World of the Living... but it's probably too late."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In that moment, countless "what ifs" flashed through his mind—if he had been more careful, if he had acted sooner, if he had hidden Orihime Inoue in a safer place sooner... But these "what ifs" were meaningless in reality. Aizen had already made his move, Orihime Inoue had been taken away, and all he could do was face the fact.

"Ziyun, what happened?!" Tōshirō Hitsugaya's voice came from behind, filled with anxiety and a hint of unease. He understood the meaning behind Liu Ziyun's words, but he refused to believe it— Orihime Inoue, the girl who always tried her best to heal her injured comrades, the brave girl who never backed down in battle—she was taken away? Taken away by Aizen?

Rangiku Matsumoto covered her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief. Ikkaku Madarame clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white from the force. Yumichika Ayasegawa's expression remained elegant, but the composure in his eyes was gone. Kisuke Urahara removed his hat, his expression more solemn than ever before.

Liu Ziyun around and looked at each of them. The previous playfulness and ease were gone from his face, replaced by a deep, almost palpable solemnity.

"They may have taken Orihime Inoue." His voice was calm, but each word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth. "I originally wanted to guard against Aizen and made arrangements in advance, but it seems... it still didn't change anything."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present. "Let's go, let's go to Kisuke's. We need to discuss what to do next."

No one spoke. Everyone followed Liu Ziyun in silence, heading towards the Urahara Shop. Their footsteps echoed in the empty street, each step heavy as if treading on everyone's hearts.

The atmosphere in the basement of Urahara Shop was as heavy as the sky before a storm.

Kisuke Urahara swiftly activated the communication device, which he had personally modified to cross the barrier between the World of the Living and the Soul Society. The device began to hum softly. Data streams flashed across the screen before finally stabilizing on the communication channel of the Gotei 13 headquarters.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's face appeared in the center of the screen. Even through the screen, this elderly Captain-Commander exuded an aura of authority that made people afraid to look him in the eye. On the wall behind him hung the flag of the Gotei 13, a flag that silently spoke of the glory and heritage of Soul Society over the past thousand years.

Without any pleasantries or formalities, Liu Ziyun went straight to the point and gave a concise report on everything that had happened that day—the sudden attack by the Arrancar, the appearance of Ulquiorra, and the speculation that Orihime Inoue had been taken away. He spoke slowly, but every word was as precise as a scalpel, without any redundancy or omission.

After listening, Captain-Commander Yamamoto remained silent for a long time. His eyes, which had seen through a thousand years, seemed to see through Liu Ziyun's soul through the screen. After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice deep and powerful. "Are you sure Orihime Inoue was taken away?"

"Most likely," Liu Ziyun replied. "Aizen has been interested in her abilities for quite some time now. This Arrancar attack, while ostensibly a full-scale assault, is actually just a feint."

Captain-Commander Yamamoto fell silent again. His fingers tapped lightly on the table, the rhythmic sound like the beat of a war drum, exceptionally clear in the quiet basement. "What do you intend to do?"

Liu Ziyun's gaze hardened. "I'll lead men to Hueco Mundo to rescue them. Send Soul Society personnel stationed in Karakura Town back. Aizen might launch a larger-scale attack on the World of the Living next; we need to concentrate our forces to deal with it."

Captain-Commander Yamamoto gave him a deep look, then slowly nodded. "Granted. I will arrange support, but you need to give me a definite timetable."

"Three days," Liu Ziyun said. "If I don't hear from you within three days, you can do it your way."

After the communication was cut off, silence fell again in the basement. Liu Ziyun didn't linger; he needed to make more preparations—to go to the Ishida Family, to the Visored's base, to put all the pieces in the right positions.

The gate of the Ishida Family appeared exceptionally quiet in the afternoon sun. This traditional Japanese residence retains its style from A Hundred Years Ago, with every wooden plank and every shoji screen exuding an ancient and meticulous atmosphere.

The pine trees in the courtyard were trimmed neatly, and there wasn't a single fallen leaf on the pebble path—all of this silently spoke of the owner's character: meticulous and striving for perfection.

Liu Ziyun stood at the door for a moment, then pushed it open and entered. He didn't knock, nor did he need to—between him and Ryūken Ishida, such formalities were no longer necessary.

Ryūken Ishida was reading a book in the living room. It was a thick Quincy written in Old German, the pages yellowed and the edges worn, clearly having been read countless times. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Liu Ziyun enter with his ever-calm eyes.

"You've arrived?" His voice was flat, as if Liu Ziyun was just making a routine visit.

"He's here." Liu Ziyun sat down opposite him, his gaze sweeping across every corner of the room. "Where's Uryū?"

"I'll be cultivating in the back." Ryūken Ishida closed his book. "You didn't come here at this hour just for tea, did you?"

Liu Ziyun nodded and briefly recounted how Orihime Inoue had been taken away. He spoke quickly, but every word was clear, because he knew that Ryūken Ishida needed no embellishment—this man only cared about facts, logic, and solutions.

After listening, Ryūken Ishida's expression remained unchanged. He simply paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you going to Hueco Mundo to rescue people?"

"Right."

"Do you need Uryū's help?"

Liu Ziyun shook his head. "No. On the contrary, I hope Uryū will not participate in this operation."

Ryūken Ishida raised an eyebrow slightly, the limit of his surprise. "Why?"

Liu Ziyun's gaze deepened. "Because Uryū's current power is insufficient. A portion of the Quincy power flowing through him was bestowed by Yhwach... That power, one day in the future, may become his shackles, or even his fatal flaw."

Ryūken Ishida tapped his fingers lightly on the table, a habitual gesture when he was thinking, "You want him to start training again? Using our Ishida Family's own methods?"

"Yes," Liu Ziyun said, "Let him focus on training with you, especially learning how to inscribe power onto his soul... Use the methods passed down through generations of your Ishida Family to replace the powers Yhwach gave him. Only in this way can he truly awaken his own Schrift and avoid being controlled by anyone in future battles."

Ryūken Ishida remained silent for a long time. His gaze passed over Liu Ziyun and fell upon the meticulously pruned pine tree in the courtyard. That pine tree was planted by his father and transplanted from an even earlier place by his grandfather—it represented the Ishida Family's heritage and the spirit of the Quincy, passed down through generations and never ceasing throughout the long history.

"I understand," he finally said, his voice calm but firm. "Leave Uryū's matter to me. You can focus on doing what you need to do."

Liu Ziyun stood up, gave Ryūken Ishida a slight bow, and then turned to leave. As he reached the door, he heard Ryūken Ishida's voice behind him. "Come back alive."

Liu Ziyun didn't turn around, but simply nodded slightly before disappearing into the afternoon sunlight.