Soul Reaper's Resolve - Cutting Feet to Weave a Net

In the Zaraki District, far to the north of the Seireitei, a massive triangular formation consisting of nearly a thousand Soul Reaper and over a hundred members of the Kido Corps was moving rapidly northward under the cover of night.

This force had begun assembling following an emergency captain-level meeting. First, the captains of each division screened their members to remove any problematic individuals, followed by direct, one-on-one appointments. To prevent any leaks from the Seireitei, the majority of the members were drawn from those stationed within the Plain of Slaughter and the Rukongai.

Once these 13th Division members had assembled and it was confirmed that no information had leaked from within the Seireitei, the force led by Diezuka Hiroe—disguised as Ao—finally arrived in the Zaraki District in successive waves three days ago, accompanied by four captains, nearly a hundred members of the 2nd Division's Stealth Force, and over a hundred Kido Corps members. Only then could this force be considered truly assembled.

Wearing a mask, Hiroe was the sole point at the very front of this formation, serving as its commander-in-chief and the highest decision-maker for this unit, known as the Star-Extermination Force.

The mission of the Star-Extermination Force was, naturally, to annihilate the Sternritter Fortress; it was a component of the Extermination Operation known as the Star-Extermination Siege.

Although their mission had yet to begin, Hiroe's face was etched with gravity. While the Extermination Operation consisted of three parts, the Star-Extermination Siege under his command was the most critical link. It was no exaggeration to say that the degree of success in the Star-Extermination Siege would directly determine the success or failure of the entire Extermination Operation.

The entire Extermination Operation was divided into three parts, which were conducted almost simultaneously but in a specific sequence. The first part, Pruning the Eyes and Branches, had already been completed. The Star-Extermination Siege, for which Hiroe was responsible, had yet to begin, while the third part—the closing stage of the entire operation—was currently underway.

Following the conclusion of Pruning the Eyes and Branches, the remaining nine captains in the Seireitei would split into three groups to carry out different tasks.

Led by Captain-Commander Yamamoto, Squad 1, Squad 3, Squad 5, and Squad 7 would remain in the center to provide command and support, holding down the now-vulnerable Seireitei while attempting to locate the Quincy groups in the World of the Living.

Meanwhile, four captains of top-tier strength—Shihoin Dozo, Kuchiki Ginrei, Hikifune Kirio, and Kuruyashiki Kenpachi—would lead their divisions in a feint attack on Hueco Mundo to ensure that Hiroe's operation would not be disturbed by Menos Grande-class Hollows, thereby avoiding the predicament of being attacked from both front and rear.

As for the remaining four captains—Unohana Retsu, Kyoraku Shunsui, Shiba Isshin, and Ukitake Jushiro—they would first lead their divisions into the Rukongai from four different directions to sweep up the scattered Quincy and stabilize the situation there.

Afterward, of these four captains, Unohana Retsu and Shiba Isshin would lead their teams into the Zaraki District. The latter would clear out the Hollows and Quincy roaming the district, while the former would rush to the Sternritter Fortress to provide support for the Star-Extermination Force.

The remaining two, Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro, would remain in the Rukongai to serve as a bridge between the Seireitei and the Plain of Slaughter, acting according to the situation.

Weaving the Net was the name given to this part of the operation: trimming away the scattered limbs while weaving a net in the World of the Living, waiting for the final moment to pull it tight and capture all the Quincy in one fell swoop. As for the moment to pull the net, it would naturally depend on when Hiroe took down the Sternritter Fortress.

It was not difficult to see that both Pruning the Eyes and Branches and Weaving the Net served Hiroe's mission. The former was manageable, but the price paid for the latter was by no means small.

From the moment the four captains led their teams into Hueco Mundo as bait, Soul Reapers had already begun to lose their lives in this war. The pressure this placed on Hiroe was unimaginable.

However, he was not the type to shrink from a challenge. From the moment he began drafting the specific plans for the Star-Extermination Siege, he had steeled his resolve: this operation could only succeed, never fail. The cost of failure was something the Seireitei could not bear, and the World of the Living—even the Soul Society itself—could bear it even less.

First was the operation time. While others might be fine, the four captains in Hueco Mundo could not possibly leave all their men behind. Two days! That was the maximum time the four captains could remain in Hueco Mundo within the Seireitei's acceptable limits, and it was also the absolute deadline for Hiroe to conquer the Sternritter Fortress.

Second, no Quincy was allowed to escape the Sternritter Fortress. While ensuring their own safety, they were to capture as many as possible alive, or kill them all; that was the bottom line.

Just as Hiroe was simulating the details of the plan in his mind, two figures approached him rapidly from behind, soon coming to walk shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

"Lord Ao?"

Hiroe looked toward the voice. Although the lighting made it difficult to see clearly due to her skin tone, he could still recognize the familiar face of Shihoin Yoruichi. Beside her, Urahara's face was unusually devoid of its typical smile.

"What is it? Something the matter?" Hiroe asked in a gruff voice, feigning authority.

"I just..." Yoruichi paused, gritted her teeth, and continued, "I wanted to ask Lord Ao, where exactly is Diezuka Hiroe right now?"

Before coming, Yoruichi had learned that Hiroe had been framed and that he had spent the last 150 years working with Ao on this Extermination Operation. She had asked her father where Hiroe was, but even Dozo didn't know for sure, only that Hiroe was in the Zaraki District and would likely join the Star-Extermination Force when the time came.

As she and Urahara were also members of the Star-Extermination Force, she had hoped to see Hiroe upon arrival and act together. In reality, however, there was no sign of Hiroe in the force. Worried for so long, the two had no choice but to muster the courage to ask this Lord Ao, whom they had never met.

Yoruichi did not know that the Hiroe she longed for was standing right in front of her. Of course, this was not Hiroe's intentional doing; although he had drafted the list for the Star-Extermination Force, the final personnel decisions were made by the captains of each division.

In truth, Hiroe had initially excluded the two of them for no other reason than the extreme danger of the mission.

But Yoruichi was an essential part of the operation, recommended by her own father, Shihoin Dozo. It was hard to believe there was a father in this world who would push his own daughter into a pit of fire; Shihoin Dozo was truly a ruthless man.

As for Urahara, there was nothing to say; he hadn't been at ease with Yoruichi coming alone, so he had insisted on coming along with Hikifune Kirio.

There was no helping it. Hiroe couldn't kick two members out of the force without a valid reason, so the three childhood friends ended up standing on the same battlefield. Perhaps it was fate—a design of the heavens.

"Lord Ao?" Urahara prompted when the other party remained silent.

"That brat?" Hiroe snapped back to reality, his tone shifting to one of annoyance. "Why do you care about him? He has nothing to do with this operation!"

"We just wanted to ask how he is doing. Is he in any danger?"

Am I really that pathetic in your eyes? Hiroe grumbled to himself, but replied aloud, "He's the last person who would get into trouble! Instead of worrying about him, you should worry about yourselves! Especially you, Shihoin Yoruichi!"

Yoruichi wanted to press further, but Hiroe raised a hand to stop her. He came to a halt and raised his right hand above his head; the Star-Extermination Force, which had been marching, immediately stopped, waiting for his next command.