Chapter 239

The Wandenreich, Silbern.

Haschwalth sat in the main seat of the council chamber, his hands clasped in front of him, his azure eyes half-closed.

From the day Loyd returned wounded, this long period of sitting still became his norm.

The cold white light cast his shadow onto the wall behind him, which was engraved with the star and cross emblem.

Haschwalth sat there for a long time.

For some reason, he felt uneasy; Loyd's return made him feel that something was amiss.

As for Aizen, it seems he never intended to abide by the alliance from the beginning, just like them.

But why would he let Loyd come back?

Just then, footsteps came from the corridor.

Cang Du pushed open the door to the council chamber, his eyes behind his round-framed glasses revealing a barely concealed urgency.

He walked up to Haschwalth, stopped, took a deep breath, and then spoke.

"Lord Haschwalth, I've checked. In the deepest part of the third level of the underground prison, in the cell where Kaname Tōsen was imprisoned, there is now only an unconscious Reishi left."

"The people inside have been switched at some point; we've been tricked."

Loyd stood behind Cang Du.

He had remained silent since returning from his wounded state, only speaking when asked.

At this moment, he lowered his head, his hands hanging at his sides, his fingertips slightly clenched.

Cang Du turned around, his gaze falling on Loyd.

"There's one more thing I need to confirm, Loyd, how did you escape?"

Loyd's apple bobbed up and down.

"After Aizen discovered my identity, he suppressed my Reiatsu with a sealing technique and imprisoned me in a secret room deep within the laboratory."

"But during a break in the interrogation, I found an opportunity to break the seal, fight my way out, and then opened the Shadow Domain to escape back here."

Loyd said.

"I did fight them. When I was escaping, two of Aizen's subordinates caught up with me; they were both very strong."

"I was forced to transform into one of their appearances to escape, which consumed most of my Reiatsu in the process."

Haschwalth's brow furrowed slightly.

"Are you sure the Seireitei hasn't discovered it?"

"I don't think so. From beginning to end, I've only been fighting against Aizen's subordinates; I have no Soul Reaper affiliated with the Seireitei."

Loyd answered somewhat uncertainly.

Haschwalth looked at Loyd, his deep blue eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Aizen discovered our spy within his ranks. He captured you, but you managed to escape."

"Kaname Tōsen be replaced from the underground prison of the Shadow Domain, leaving behind only an unconscious doll, and we are completely unaware of this."

"This shows that Aizen has the ability to travel freely between the Shadow Domain and Soul Society, and that he used his Kyōka Suigetsu ability to interfere with the guards' perception."

He paused, his voice lowering.

"Loyd, if you've been imprisoned in the secret room the whole time, completely oblivious to the outside world, then what makes you think that the opportunity for you to break out of the secret room wasn't arranged by Aizen?"

"What if the Shadow Domain is exposed because of your appearance?"

"How... how could this be..."

Loyd's face drained of color in an instant.

"We also have leverage over Aizen; he might leak our information to the Seireitei?"

As Loyd spoke, his voice grew softer and softer.

Haschwalth snorted and turned to look at Cang Du.

What is the current situation of the Seireitei?

"That's another matter I've come to report."

Cang Du took a report from his pocket.

"Just a few hours ago, our external monitoring system detected a large-scale Reiatsu fluctuation outside Seireitei."

"Through cross-referencing, it was confirmed that eight Vice-Captain-level Soul Reaper the Gotei 13 were found to have lost their Reiatsu at the same time."

"Subsequent investigation and speculation suggest that this was likely part of Aizen Hollowfication."

The council chamber fell silent.

Cang Du lowered his voice and continued.

"Currently, the confirmed missing captains include four captains from the Third Division, Fifth Division, Seventh Division, and Ninth Division, as well as some lieutenants."

Haschwalth rose from his seat.

"Aizen... he actually did it."

"At that time, Loyd obtained Aizen's plan from Kaname Tōsen's memories, and the most important part was to create the Captain Hollowfication Incident."

"He actually did it."

Cang Du's voice became serious.

"But there are some problems now."

"According to intercepted internal communications within the Seireitei, the Soul Society has set its sights on the Wandenreich."

"For some reason, they seem convinced of the existence of Quincy and are certain that this Hollowfication experiment is related to us."

"Furthermore... it seems they have already grasped some of the spatial characteristics of the Shadow Domain."

They are currently trying to locate us.

Upon hearing this, Haschwalth abruptly turned to Loyd.

"When you fled back to Silbern, were you followed? Did you leave any spatial traces of the Shadow Domain?"

Cold sweat trickled down Loyd's forehead.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain, but the words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say a word.

Haschwalth frowned deeply.

His ominous premonition was becoming a reality.

The man had already planned all of this when he signed the verbal agreement.

He doesn't need the Quincy's help to fight the Seireitei; he only needs the Quincy as scapegoats to wear down the Seireitei's power.

Given the current situation, the two sides are already sworn enemies, so no matter what the Quincy say, they cannot convince the Soul Reaper.

Aizen...

Haschwalth looked at Loyd, his voice heavy.

"Kyōka Suigetsu... Aizen released you not so you could escape back, but so that the people of Seireitei would witness a Quincy disappear into the Rukongai by opening Shadow Domain."

"The ones chasing you aren't Aizen's pursuers, but the true Seireitei Soul Reaper of Seireitei."

Loyd.

Haschwalth said.

"Become like the person who's pursuing you."

Loyd paused for a moment, then activated his ability.

His body began to twist and recombine, the outline of the Shinigami uniform covering the white uniform.

"This is one of the two people who were chasing me back then."

Loyd's voice transformed into Kensei's, hoarse and deep.

Haschwalth stared at the face in front of him that was exactly the same as Kensei Muguruma's, and remained silent for a long time.

"This is the Captain of the Ninth Division, Kensei Muguruma. How could you not have noticed at all?"

Loyd froze on the spot, trembling all over, his eyes filled with disbelief, and he opened his mouth but couldn't say anything.

Haschwalth sighed.

"Seireitei witnessed a Quincy disguised as a captain and then using the Shadow Dimension to escape."

"In the end, those captains turned into illusory monsters."

"Kyōka Suigetsu, a brilliant tactic..."

Haschwalth looked at Cang Du.

"Aizen has sealed off every single step; every piece of evidence points to the Wandenreich."

"We don't know when Seireitei will find its entrance; we need to prepare as soon as possible."

"His Majesty is still asleep and will need more than a hundred years to fully awaken."

"With Shigekuni Yamamoto still alive, apart from His Majesty, no one can currently stand against him."

"And Aizen knew this, which is why he dared to do this..."

Haschwalth's voice was grave, and Cang Du did not answer immediately.

He remained silent for a long time, then raised his head and pushed up his round-framed glasses.

Those eyes held only a cold ruthlessness born of being driven to the brink of despair.

"The entrance to the Shadow Domain isn't something anyone can find. Even if Mayuri Kurotsuchi has mastered some spatial technology, it still takes time from locking onto the coordinates to opening the entrance."

"To passively engage in battle has never been the style of the Sternritter."

He tapped his fingers lightly on the hilt of his sword at his waist, then stepped forward and bowed slightly to Haschwalth.

"Lord Haschwalth, my suggestion is to split the forces into two groups."

"Stay at Silbern and engage them head-on when you find the entrance to Seireitei to buy time."

"The other route, led by me, will take advantage of the Seireitei's main force being concentrated near the entrance to the Shadow Domain to bypass Aizen's secret base, raid his laboratory, seize the Hōgyoku, or eliminate Aizen himself."

"He's using us as scapegoats to push the Seireitei; he should pay the price for it."

Cang Du turned his head and looked at Loyd, who was drenched in sweat.

"As for you... you still have a chance to redeem yourself."

The council chamber fell silent for a moment.

Haschwalth gazed at the cold Reishi light reflected on the Star Cross emblem, his azure eyes shifting slightly before finally settling back on Cang Du.

"I can consider your proposal, but before that, I need to confirm one more thing."

He pressed the communication button on the wall.

"Development team, what's the current progress of your research on the Quincy Medallion Transformation technique for acquiring Soul Reaper Bankai?"

A steady voice reported through the communication system.

"The core technology of Quincy Medallion Transformation is nearing maturity and can be deployed in actual combat."

"Very good."

Haschwalth cut off communications.

"The Quincy Medallion Transformation is a weapon specifically designed to counter the Bankai of Soul Reaper. Soul Reaper whose Bankai is stolen suffer a significant reduction in their combat power."

"Those captains who rely on Bankai in battle, if they suddenly lose the final form of their Zanpakuto during combat, they simply can't defeat us."

"The only one worth worrying about is... Shigekuni Yamamoto."

Haschwalth's gaze turned serious.

"As long as he doesn't make a move, this battle isn't without a chance of victory."

Soul Society.

Within the First Division.

The stone-paved main road outside the main gate gleamed in the midday sun, and the shadow of the First Division's tower covered most of the road. The team members passing by hurried along.

Wang Xun knocked on the door of the Captain-Commander's Meeting Room. Only Shigekuni Yamamoto was in the empty hall.

He sat in the main seat, his cane resting on the armrest, a stack of mission briefings spread out on the table in front of him.

Hearing the voice, he raised his head, his aged eyes falling on Wang Xun.

"Acting Captain of the Fourth Division, what is it?"

Wang Xun walked to the round table and stood still.

He bowed slightly in greeting, then raised his head and looked directly into Shigekuni Yamamoto's eyes.

Wang Xun's strength has been stuck for some time now.

However, the few key players who could help him collect the fragments— Unohana, Yoruichi, Tessai Tsukabishi —had all vanished in an instant, leaving him quite embarrassed.

Aizen also engrossed in researching the Hōgyoku, so he rarely had time to farm fragments.

After much thought, if I want to acquire a large number of fragments in a short period of time, perhaps I can try this path that I never dared to consider before.

Thinking of this, Wang Xun spoke.

"Captain-Commander, at this time in the past, I would practice swordsmanship with Captain Unohana, but unfortunately, the captain is not here now. There are some things I don't understand about Kendō, and I have no one to ask for guidance."

"After much thought, it seems only you can answer my question, so I have dared to ask."

Yamamoto did not answer immediately.

He looked at Wang Xun, a faint scrutiny flashing in his aged eyes.

Practicing swordsmanship with Unohana?

Unohana hasn't used a weapon in centuries; would she really draw her sword against such a small creature?

With a hint of doubt in his eyes, Yamamoto spoke in a deep voice.

"If there's anything you don't understand, just say so."

I'd like to learn from you in a real-world scenario.

Wang Xun said.

Yamamoto paused slightly, then chuckled softly.

"This brat who doesn't even Bankai dares to come and ask this old man for guidance; his courage is commendable."

"I know your determination to improve, but your skill level is too low. I don't have time to teach you. Go back and take good care of the Fourth Division's affairs; that's your duty."

Wang Xun did not move.

How can I become qualified for you to teach me?

Yamamoto's gaze fell on him again.

The strongest Soul Reaper, who has protected the Soul Society for thousands of years, sat in the main seat, his eyes devoid of any extra emotion.

"You're just a vice-captain. I know you're anxious about Unohana detained, but that's not a bargaining chip for you."

"How could you even think of saying something like ' Unohana will practice swordsmanship with you'?"

Yamamoto paused, his words carrying more weight than before.

"If there's nothing else, you may leave."

Wang Xun looked into Shigekuni Yamamoto's eyes and remained silent for a few breaths.

It turns out that Captain-Commander Yamamoto used his actions as a pretext to fight for Unohana's release.

Seeing Yamamoto's serious expression, Wang Xun lowered his head, bowed, and turned to walk towards the gate.

His steps were steady, his back straight, just as when he arrived.

After leaving the First Division Barracks, Wang Xun stood at the door for a while.

Then he didn't turn back, but slowly walked along the main stone path towards the other end of Seireitei.

The 11th Division's barracks are located on the outer part of Seireitei.

The walls here are higher and thicker than those of the other barracks, and they are covered with knife marks of varying depths left by blows. Even if they are not repaired, no one cares.

When Wang Xun stepped into the 11th Division, it was in complete chaos.

Several team members huddled around a stone bench in the corner of the training field, each shouting louder than the last.

"Have you heard? The Captain-Commander himself gave the order to Quincy again!"

"Quincy? I heard they wiped out a wave a hundred years ago, and most of them were killed. Why are they fighting again?"

"Who cares about him? As long as there's a fight, that's all that matters."

"But I heard that four team leaders have suddenly disappeared, is that true?"

"What's it to us? If those captains fall, wouldn't our 11th Division be the perfect replacement? We can't just send those drug-using bastards from the Fourth Division to charge into battle!"

A burst of boisterous laughter erupted on the training field.

Kenpachi Kiganjō sat on a stone stool in the center of the training ground, not participating in the noise of the other team members.

He wore Captain's Haori, his Zanpakuto resting horizontally on his lap, and tilted his head as he watched Wang Xun walk in through the main entrance.

As Wang Xun approached, the surrounding noise gradually subsided, and all sorts of eyes began to scrutinize this suddenly appearing fellow.

"What brings the Fourth Division's vice-captain to the 11th Division?"

Kiganjō's voice was deep and rough. He looked at the person who had come, and he felt that he was somewhat familiar with him, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

It wasn't until he looked at Wang Xun's vice-captain armband that he remembered who it was.

Wang Xun stopped in front of Kiganjō.

"To be honest, I'm a little ashamed to say that a lot of things have happened recently that were completely unexpected."

"It's like there's an invisible hand constantly manipulating me, moving me here and there, pushing me forward in a certain direction."

"Finally, I mustered my spirits and wanted to try to break through the current situation and improve myself."

"But Captain-Commander Yamamoto doesn't think much of me. I racked my brains trying to figure out how to get his attention, and then I came up with a plan."

At this moment, Wang Xun looked at Kiganjō's dark face.

"Kiganjō, you've held the title of Kenpachi for quite a while now, haven't you?"

"Now, I'd like to go up and sit for a bit. What do you think?"