Led by Yoruichi, Setsuna and Aizen passed through the 2nd Division's barracks area, which was more orderly and quiet than the 11th Division's. They circumvented several overt and covert posts and finally arrived at a relatively secluded area of auxiliary buildings behind the barracks.
Here, some old training equipment, spare supplies, and a few warehouses that looked rarely used were stacked.
Yoruichi pointed familiarly to one of the most inconspicuous warehouses, its roof tiled with old, worn-out slates. "There, ten to one he's on the roof."
Sure enough, as the three approached, they heard a steady, faint snoring from the rooftop, occasionally interspersed with some mumbled sleep-talking.
The trio climbed a somewhat shaky wooden ladder attached to the side of the warehouse. On the sun-drenched sloping roof, a young man was sprawled in an extremely lazy posture.
He wore standard Shihakusho, but the front of his uniform was casually open, revealing a white undershirt, giving him a somewhat disheveled appearance.
His hands were pillowed behind his head, one leg bent, the other casually draped over it, gently swaying with his breathing.
The warm afternoon sunlight bathed him, making him seem to merge with the roof tiles and the leisurely moment, exuding a strong aura of "Don't bother me, let me just be a lazy slug in peace."
"Hey! Urahara! Wake up!" Yoruichi called out unceremoniously.
"Mmm... snore... Huh?" Kisuke responded drowsily. He slowly raised a hand to push up the brim of his cap, revealing a fairly handsome face, now etched with sleepiness and dissatisfaction at having his 'sweet dream disturbed'.
He squinted, adjusting to the light, before clearly seeing the three standing before him.
"Ah, it's you, young lady Yoruichi..." Kisuke yawned widely, rubbed his eyes, and sat up, but his posture remained lazy. "And these two are? Is there something you need? If it's division duties, I think today is... um, probably my day off?"
Yoruichi put her hands on her hips and got straight to the point. "Stop playing dumb! Urahara, I formally invite you to join the 11th Division. I even brought our Captain along!"
"Haah?" Kisuke jolted in surprise, nearly sliding off the roof. He scrambled to steady himself, his face adopting an exaggerated expression mixing shock and distress. "Young lady Yoruichi, don't joke with me. What virtue or ability do I, Urahara Kisuke, possess? I'm just the most ordinary, inconspicuous little Shinigami in the 2nd Division, just muddling through every day... ah, no, I mean diligently completing my assigned duties!"
"The 11th Division? That's a combat division! A gathering place for elites! With my mediocre skills, wouldn't I just embarrass you by going there? You and these important people should look for those more capable and motivated Shinigami! Like our division's Third Seat, Fifth Seat, or something..."
He spoke rapidly, trying to bluster his way out with self-deprecation and excuses.
Yoruichi snorted lightly. "Stop pretending, Urahara. I've already 'sold you out'. Setsuna knew exactly what kind of person you are long ago."
Upon hearing this, Kisuke's distressed expression instantly turned into genuine helplessness.
He sighed deeply to the sky. "Bad choice of friends, truly a bad choice of friends! Young lady Yoruichi, you're practically pushing me into a pit of fire."
But despite his complaints, his attitude of refusal was resolute.
He looked at Setsuna, his tone sincere. "Um... Captain Chiaki, thank you very much for your appreciation. But I, well, have no grand ambitions. I just like living a leisurely life, studying little things that interest me, occasionally sunbathing and drinking tea."
"Promotions within the division, responsibilities, and all those matters of fighting and killing… I really can't handle them, and I don't want to. So, I'm sorry. I appreciate your kindness, but I still want to stay in the 2nd Division, living like a free and unfettered spirit."
A refusal was expected, so Setsuna wasn't surprised.
He stepped forward, his gaze calmly fixed on Kisuke. "Urahara Kisuke, I need your wisdom. Not as a combat member, but as a researcher, as an explorer, as the mind that might change the 'rules' of this world."
Kisuke pushed up his cap and smiled wryly. "Captain Chiaki, you flatter me too much. What wisdom do I have that could change the world? I'm just..."
"Don't refuse so quickly," Setsuna interrupted him, extending his right hand. "First, take a look at this."
Amidst Kisuke's slightly puzzled and wary gaze, Setsuna's hand didn't attack but gently rested on his arm.
In the next instant, a vast, pure, yet indescribably 'informational' Reiatsu was transmitted through the point of contact in an extremely gentle yet irresistible manner.
Kisuke only felt his vision go black. Then, his consciousness seemed forcibly pulled from the leisurely Seireitei afternoon and plunged into a boundless, cold, lifeless cosmic void!
He couldn't 'see' himself, but he could feel a purely existent entity beyond imagination.
It was an indescribable aggregate composed of pure negative energy.
He felt its terrifying pressure, capable of making stars tremble… he felt its insatiable hunger to devour all light and hope… he felt the absolute scene of destruction it left in its wake - planets disintegrating, civilizations annihilating, the very laws of physics warping!
It was a level of ultimate malice and destructive power that surpassed the concept of Hollow and even Soul King… a 'cosmic cancer'!
That existence ultimately destroyed the universe, and the vision shattered.
Kisuke's consciousness was violently yanked back to reality.
He was still sitting on the warehouse roof. Setsuna's hand had withdrawn.
But the universe's destruction he had experienced in that brief moment was branded onto his soul like the deepest imprint.
"Haah... haah..." Kisuke gasped for air, his body trembling slightly, uncontrollably.
He looked up at Setsuna, his eyes filled with unprecedented shock and a hint of bewilderment.
"Th-that thing... what was that?" His voice was extremely hoarse.
"That is the 'Hollow' within me," Setsuna replied calmly. "To be precise, it is destruction itself, temporarily sealed within me, using myself as a cage. You could call it Omega Shenron."
He paused, his tone turning solemn. "The reason I desperately seek to become stronger is to seal that terrifying existence. But I don't know how much longer I can hold on. One year? Ten years? Or I might collapse the next second. And if it breaks free, Urahara Kisuke... what you just witnessed is the potential outcome facing this world, and even more worlds beyond."
Setsuna looked into Kisuke's eyes and began his 'moral coercion'. "I need your wisdom, Urahara Kisuke. Not for me, but for this world. I need to find a way to control this power and achieve the 'Hollowfication of a Shinigami'."
"I need to truly harness it, not be devoured by it, leading to ultimate destruction. On this path, groping alone offers little hope. But with your participation... perhaps we can find a glimmer of survival."