Aizen: No! They Didn't Come to Hueco Mundo to Save Orihime; They Came to Hueco Mundo to Kill Me!

'Soul Society.'

Outside the 1st Division Captain's Office, two figures hurried over.

"Stop right there..."

"Vice-Captain Abarai, Vice-Captain Kuchiki, why have you come rushing to the 1st Division Captain's Office? If you do not have a sufficient reason, we will not simply stand aside..."

Just as the two figures were about to reach the doors of the 1st Division Captain's Office, several black shadows suddenly emerged from the corridor directly opposite the office and blocked their path.

"Squad Leader Sugiki, Vice-Captain Tsukishima, we have an urgent matter to report to Captain-Commander Araki! Please, you must let us in to see the Captain-Commander..."

The visitors were none other than Abarai Renji and Kuchiki Rukia. They seemed to have already learned that Orihime Inoue had been taken away by Aizen, so they had come to ask Araki to approve their request to head to Hueco Mundo and help Kurosaki Ichigo.

"..."

Sugiki Sōichirō frowned as he looked at the solemn Renji and Rukia before him. After a moment of silence, he finally nodded lightly.

"Very well, I understand..."

"I will go inside now and report your request to see Captain-Commander Araki. As for whether Captain-Commander Araki wishes to see you after hearing my report, that is no longer my concern."

Sugiki Sōichirō spoke softly to Renji and Rukia.

"Thank you for your help!"

Without hesitation, Renji and Rukia immediately bowed to Sōichirō.

"Mm..."

Sōichirō merely nodded lightly.

Then his figure vanished from before them.

"So fast..."

It had to be said that Sōichirō had experienced countless wars, large and small. He had even personally lived through the war a thousand years ago, when Yhwach led the Quincies of the Lichtreich in their invasion of Soul Society. He was one of the few Soul Reapers in Soul Society who had lived for over