Preparing to Fight the Quincy
After they finished talking, a brief silence fell over the dark space of the Muken. Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's eyes, which had seen through a thousand years, lingered on Liu Ziyun for a moment, then he slowly nodded and turned to walk towards the exit of the Muken.
His steps were steady and powerful, each step making a dull thud that echoed in the silent space and gradually faded away.
Retsu Unohana followed behind him, her steps light and silent, like a cat walking in the night. Before leaving, she glanced back at Liu Ziyun, a complex light flashing in her gentle eyes—worry, heartache, and a deep, almost silent entrustment.
Isane Kotetsu walked at the very back, her steps hesitant, filled with reluctance. She wanted to say something, but her lips moved, and in the end, she said nothing. She simply gave Liu Ziyun a deep look, then turned and quickly followed Retsu Unohana's steps.
Three figures disappeared at the end of the downward-sloping staircase, and the Muken gate slowly closed behind them with a muffled thud. The sound echoed in the space, lingering for a long time, like a mountain pressing down on Liu Ziyun's heart.
Liu Ziyun stood alone on the Muken, Black Plain, surrounded by stone walls engraved with sealing patterns, with a ghostly blue Reiatsu overhead and the cold, hard black ground beneath his feet. He let out a long sigh, a sigh filled with weariness, helplessness, and an indescribable loneliness.
He sat down again, placing the Life-Taker Tulu Blade across his lap, closed his eyes, and entered the Blade Zen once more. His consciousness sank into the depths of his heart, into that scorched earth, into that volcano emitting the smell of sulfur.
Inside the crater, the Giant Egg still lay there quietly, the patterns on its shell gleaming faintly in the pale blue light. The golden dragon and the red phoenix coiled and intertwined around the egg, lifelike, as if guarding something precious.
The Life-Taker and Tulu were no longer on either side of the egg—they had merged into one, transforming into the Life-Taker Tulu, which had returned to Liu Ziyun's hand. But at this moment, the knife trembled slightly on Liu Ziyun's knee, as if sensing its master's emotions.
The clone that looked exactly like the woman inside the egg was sitting cross-legged in front of the egg, her hands forming a strange mudra, her eyes closed, as if in meditation. A faint Reiatsu from her body, which intertwined with Liu Ziyun's Reiatsu, forming a subtle resonance.
Liu Ziyun up to her, sat down cross-legged, placed his hands on the eggshell, and began to continuously channel his Reiatsu into the Giant Egg. The power surged from his palms, like two invisible rivers, flowing endlessly into that unknown ocean.
He could feel his power being greedily devoured by the egg, but at the same time, he could also feel his power becoming more solid, purer, and deeper—like steel that had been repeatedly forged, removing impurities and leaving behind the essence.
In the days that followed, Liu Ziyun sat in the crater day after day, channeling his Reiatsu into the Giant Egg. He didn't know how much power he was channeling, nor how much more power the egg needed to hatch. He only knew that he had to do this, because it concerned not only his power but also his future.
Meanwhile, within the Seireitei, an unprecedented transformation is quietly underway.
After returning to his office, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai immediately summoned Mayuri Kurotsuchi. The captain of the Twelfth Division and the director of the Technology Development Bureau —the man who always wore a strange mask and whose eyes gleamed with a crazy scientific passion—was standing in front of the Captain-Commander, holding a newly completed report in his hand.
"Mayuri Kurotsuchi," Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's voice was deep and powerful, "I need you to create a room in the Seireitei without any shadows. For the Captains' Meeting."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eyes gleamed with curiosity behind his mask, and a knowing smile played on his lips. "No shadows at all? Captain-Commander, that's an interesting request. But—" He paused, his tone now brimming with confidence, "... it's a piece of cake for me."
"The meeting's contents," Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai continued, his voice now more serious, "Are not to be discussed anywhere outside this meeting room. That's an order."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi nodded without asking further questions. He knew that anything that could make the Captain-Commander take it so seriously must be extraordinary. He turned and left the office, his steps light and hurried, his mind already conceiving the design plan for this "room without shadows."
A few days later, a brand-new conference room was built in the central area of Seireitei. It was a square room with walls, ceiling, and floor made of a special Reishi material that could absorb all light, leaving the entire room without any shadows.
In the center of the room was a huge round table, around which were thirteen chairs, each with the squad number of the Gotei 13 engraved on its back.
When the captains first entered the room, each of them wore a look of surprise and curiosity. Shunsui Kyōraku took off his hat, looked at the ceiling, then at the walls, and whistled, "Wow, this place is really interesting. There's not a soul in sight; it feels unreal."
Jūshirō Ukitake coughed a few times, a slight smile appearing on his pale face, "Captain-Commander, what is this room used for?"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai stood at the head of the round table, his hands resting on Ryūjin Jakka, his gaze sweeping over each captain present. His voice was deep and powerful, each word carrying a thousand years of authority. "From today onward, all captain meetings will be held here. The content of the meetings—must not be discussed anywhere outside this room. Violators will be treated as traitors."
The captains' expressions all turned serious. They knew that the Captain-Commander was not one to make things complicated. Since he had issued such an order, there must be a reason for it.
Meanwhile, Kisuke Urahara received a secret order from Soul Society in the World of the Living. He put down his folding fan, picked up the document encrypted with Reiatsu, read it carefully, and then a meaningful smile appeared on his lips.
"Shadow-Invasion Drug..." he muttered to himself, "To grant Soul Reaper a temporary boost to Hollow powers. What an interesting idea."
He stood up, walked to his workbench, picked up a test tube, and held it up to the light. The liquid in the test tube shimmered with an eerie purple light, like some kind of mysterious potion.
He began to busy himself at the workbench, various test tubes, beakers, and instruments moving rapidly in his hands, making clanging and clattering sounds.
His movements were practiced and precise, as if he had performed this experiment countless times. His eyes gleamed with excitement, the kind of light a scientist shines when facing a challenge—a yearning for the unknown, a passion for creation.